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Odd Otter to be open to troops Thanksgiving and Christmas day

Odd Otter Brewing Company in Tacoma will be opening their doors Thanksgiving and Christmas for servicemembers (and anyone else) who needs a “home away from home” for the holidays. Photo credit: Odd Otter Brewing Company

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When former Army captain Dr. John Hotchkiss, Army major Dr. Owen McGrave, and their friends, Army National Guard Sgt. Pablo Monroy, Derrick Peacock and Teresa Smith, decided to add one more microbrewery to the vibrant South Sound microbrew scene, they wanted it to be ... well ... different. As Hotchkiss tells it, "We were an unlikely group of people doing something original. We liked that we were different. We wanted to have fun." They also wanted to be more than just a reflection of the character that makes Tacoma unique; they wanted "to be a part of the fabric of Tacoma," said Hotchkiss.

With that in mind, the Odd Otter Brewing Company set out to provide space for the community to come together and have fun while enjoying some of the region's most unique beers, beers like Poppa Otter's Bacon Breakfast Stout, Strawberry Blonde, and Odd Udder Milk Stout, to name just a few. Since opening Black Friday, 2014, Odd Otter Brewing has been adding regular events to draw folks in, such as Live Music Mondays, Trivia Wednesdays, karaoke on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and even Kiddo Karaoke for the younger set on the first Monday of every month.  "We take beer seriously," said Hotchkiss, "but we don't take ourselves seriously."

From the beginning, Odd Otter has had a special interest in serving the military. For example, active-duty military, first responders and their spouses are always treated to happy hour pricing whenever the taproom is open. Odd Otter has also done fundraisers for such organizations as The Mission Continues, Fisher House, the military outreach branch of the Red Cross, and the Pont Du Hoc Foundation supporting Army Rangers and their families.

This year, they've decided to reach out to the military in a whole new way: the Odd Otter Taproom will be open Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day to provide a "home away from home" for servicemembers (and other members of the community) who may find themselves far from home and looking for a place to just hang out, watch the game on a giant projector screen, and drink some really good beer.  The servers and staff that day will have chosen to be there in order to provide above and beyond customer service and welcome one and all to what Hotchkiss calls "the Odd Otter family."

From 1-10 p.m., Thanksgiving Day, and then again Christmas Day, Odd Otter Brewing Company will be offering their employee discount (25 percent off all beverages) to anyone and everyone. Guests are encouraged to bring their own food, either from home or as "take-out" from a favorite restaurant. They'll even have the contact info for nearby restaurants that will be offering take-out and/or delivery Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. No one should be without a place to call "home" for the holidays.

Odd Otter Brewing Company, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m., Monday-Friday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Saturday-Sunday, all ages until 8:30 p.m., 21 and over after 8:30 p.m., 716 Pacific Ave., Tacoma, 253.327.1680, oddotterbrewing.com

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