About Us

What seems like an age ago, in the mid to late 2000’s, the national Microbrew craze was in its infancy. Even though microbreweries were on the increase, there were precious few establishments outside of major cities which offered a decent variety of craft brews. Dave Ross and Kriste Henderson were tired of having to travel from Olympia to Tacoma or Seattle just to enjoy the types of beverages they liked. They began to play around with the idea of opening a taproom right in their hometown. Then in 2010 all the pieces fell into place and the Skep & Skein Tavern was born!

The name might sound a bit odd to those not in the know, so let’s clear up a few things. A “Skep” is traditionally a straw or wicker basket, placed open-end down, used to house bees in the production of honey. This term represented Dave’s passion for making Mead. A “Skein” is a measure of yarn, wrapped in a loose twist; this term representing Kriste’s zeal for knitting. You can see some of Kristes work decorating the walls, columns and light fixtures of the tavern. Soon after opening, Dave began to produce his Mead for sale to patrons of the Skep & Skein. Limited to 25 gallon batches, Skep & Skein meads couldn’t keep up with demand, and so in 2016 work on expanding as “Axis Meads” began in earnest. Now you can find Dave's meads all over Olympia and beyond, as distribution continues to expand.

There are now a plethora of taprooms, bars and brewpubs to explore in the local area, but through its dedication to unique offerings and non-pretentious attitude Skep & Skein Tavern remains one of the finest in Olympia.