Charlene Honcik
Founder, Owner, & Brewer
Founder, Owner, & Brewer
At 23, while in college, I began learning about craft beer while bartending. Intrigued by the superior taste compared to what I served at the bar, I eagerly learned everything I could at the time, even with the limited variety that existed early on in the industry. About a year later a customer started frequenting the bar I worked for, and he was an avid homebrewer! You can't imagine my excitement to meet him and be invited over to brew on his system. I was hooked immediately and quickly began crafting and testing my own recipes with him on his system.
By 2013, amidst a stressful job, I decided to elevate my brewing hobby. I constructed a 15-gallon brewing system in my garage, giving away my beer to friends to make room for more brewing. Their consistent praise and encouragement led me to consider opening my own brewery, a dream that seemed far-fetched. I pursued the necessary licenses to sell beer from my backyard, a decision I've never regretted, but one that launched me into a brewing career I never would have imagined possible.
On the Fourth of July in 2015, I held a soft opening with six styles of beer for people to vote on and choose which recipes they wanted me to serve full time. They all tied, and those six beers are still served today. In August of 2015 I began serving beer from my backyard on the first Saturday of every month. While maintaining my day job, I sought a larger premises, realizing the business potential and lack of parking. Finding a new location marked the transition of a wild idea into a serious business, prompting me to dedicate myself to brewing full-time and resign from my job in October 2016, the doors to the current Taproom location were opened and has been thriving since.
In 2018, I purchased a 3.5bbl Blichmann electric brewhouse, which has facilitated production, while the half-barrel system remains active for research and development. Adapting to the new equipment came with challenges, including element failures and electrical issues. However, Blichmann's exceptional support, promptly providing replacement parts, ensured a swift resolution. The system now operates almost flawlessly, allowing me to brew either 3 barrels or 1.5 barrels at a time.
In 2019 at the Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville TN I purchased a 7bbl uni-tank which allows for both fermentation and brite tank usage. This allows me to double batch brew a larger amount at one go, cold crash and carbonate, then keg off the beer to use both in the taproom and to distribute to accounts. Getting it hooked up to glycol and learning a whole new way of fermentation took some time but is in full swing now. Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park even has Badass on tap full time now!
We all know what happened in 2020, I was closed for about 14 months while I navigated the pandemic and figured out what I wanted the future of Badass Backyard Brewing to look like. I ended up re-opening the taproom in June of 2021, with a full staff and brewing operations matching the years prior to the pandemic. Unfortunately, a lot had changed in the industry and the business could no longer support that much payroll and production.
In 2022 I began working full time in the taproom, and doing all the brewing either before I opened or on the days it is closed. Being in the taproom more often inspired some friends and I to update the look and feel of the space. In 2023 we remodeled the storage room behind the cold room which transformed into a relaxing sanctuary complete with a turn table and couches, available for reservation for events. A hot dog roller was added to begin the journey of incorporating food onto the menu. I also purchased an espresso machine and began learning the art of coffee and espresso pours. The latte art is coming along much slower than the actual drinks themselves, but it has been fun to learn. I also learned how to make hard Seltzer and added that as an option in the taproom.
Fast forward to present day, I am now working the taproom most Tuesday through Fridays, with a fun and caring staff covering the weekend. The taproom is currently open from 2pm to 8pm (later most days when customers are thirsty) on Tuesday through Friday, and open at noon on Saturdays. We are doing Bingo every 2nd and 4th Thursday and it is always a blast! We have other fun events that rotate on a monthly basis and can be found on the Facebook events page. To keep up on current beers and releases check out the Instagram page, it's my favorite platform to update and inform. Feel free to send me messages, ideas, love, and don't hesitate to stop in and grab a pint to say hi in person!
By 2013, amidst a stressful job, I decided to elevate my brewing hobby. I constructed a 15-gallon brewing system in my garage, giving away my beer to friends to make room for more brewing. Their consistent praise and encouragement led me to consider opening my own brewery, a dream that seemed far-fetched. I pursued the necessary licenses to sell beer from my backyard, a decision I've never regretted, but one that launched me into a brewing career I never would have imagined possible.
On the Fourth of July in 2015, I held a soft opening with six styles of beer for people to vote on and choose which recipes they wanted me to serve full time. They all tied, and those six beers are still served today. In August of 2015 I began serving beer from my backyard on the first Saturday of every month. While maintaining my day job, I sought a larger premises, realizing the business potential and lack of parking. Finding a new location marked the transition of a wild idea into a serious business, prompting me to dedicate myself to brewing full-time and resign from my job in October 2016, the doors to the current Taproom location were opened and has been thriving since.
In 2018, I purchased a 3.5bbl Blichmann electric brewhouse, which has facilitated production, while the half-barrel system remains active for research and development. Adapting to the new equipment came with challenges, including element failures and electrical issues. However, Blichmann's exceptional support, promptly providing replacement parts, ensured a swift resolution. The system now operates almost flawlessly, allowing me to brew either 3 barrels or 1.5 barrels at a time.
In 2019 at the Craft Brewers Conference in Nashville TN I purchased a 7bbl uni-tank which allows for both fermentation and brite tank usage. This allows me to double batch brew a larger amount at one go, cold crash and carbonate, then keg off the beer to use both in the taproom and to distribute to accounts. Getting it hooked up to glycol and learning a whole new way of fermentation took some time but is in full swing now. Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park even has Badass on tap full time now!
We all know what happened in 2020, I was closed for about 14 months while I navigated the pandemic and figured out what I wanted the future of Badass Backyard Brewing to look like. I ended up re-opening the taproom in June of 2021, with a full staff and brewing operations matching the years prior to the pandemic. Unfortunately, a lot had changed in the industry and the business could no longer support that much payroll and production.
In 2022 I began working full time in the taproom, and doing all the brewing either before I opened or on the days it is closed. Being in the taproom more often inspired some friends and I to update the look and feel of the space. In 2023 we remodeled the storage room behind the cold room which transformed into a relaxing sanctuary complete with a turn table and couches, available for reservation for events. A hot dog roller was added to begin the journey of incorporating food onto the menu. I also purchased an espresso machine and began learning the art of coffee and espresso pours. The latte art is coming along much slower than the actual drinks themselves, but it has been fun to learn. I also learned how to make hard Seltzer and added that as an option in the taproom.
Fast forward to present day, I am now working the taproom most Tuesday through Fridays, with a fun and caring staff covering the weekend. The taproom is currently open from 2pm to 8pm (later most days when customers are thirsty) on Tuesday through Friday, and open at noon on Saturdays. We are doing Bingo every 2nd and 4th Thursday and it is always a blast! We have other fun events that rotate on a monthly basis and can be found on the Facebook events page. To keep up on current beers and releases check out the Instagram page, it's my favorite platform to update and inform. Feel free to send me messages, ideas, love, and don't hesitate to stop in and grab a pint to say hi in person!