Food & Wine

Wildly popular Tri-Cities brewery opening an outpost on Kennewick waterfront

Wheat Head Brewing Co.,  the popular Kennewick brewery known for its sweeping views of the Horse Heaven Hills, is leasing the former Muret-Gaston Winery spot at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village, 313 E. Columbia Gardens Way in downtown Kennewick.
Wheat Head Brewing Co., the popular Kennewick brewery known for its sweeping views of the Horse Heaven Hills, is leasing the former Muret-Gaston Winery spot at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village, 313 E. Columbia Gardens Way in downtown Kennewick. bbrawdy@tricityherald.com

Wheat Head Brewing Co. will open a small taproom near Duffy’s Pond in downtown Kennewick.

The popular Kennewick brewery known for its sweeping views of the Horse Heaven Hills is leasing the former Muret-Gaston Winery spot at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village, 313 E. Columbia Gardens Way, near the cable bridge and Zip’s.

The Port of Kennewick commission is expected to approve a five-year lease for about 1,200-square-feet when it meets at 2 p.m., Tuesday, 350 Clover Island Drive.

Wheat Head Brewery will open a taproom under the clock tower at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village in downtown Kennewick..
Wheat Head Brewery will open a taproom under the clock tower at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village in downtown Kennewick.. Courtesy Port of Kennewick

The lease begins on Nov. 1 with initial monthly rent set at about $1,400 a month, plus other costs.

The port created Columbia Gardens as a visitor destination in the heart of downtown Kennewick. The property includes two spots for wineries, two for tasting rooms and a food truck plaza, all nestled near the pond near Clover Island.

Wheat Head saw the waterfront spot as a complement to its Horse Heaven venue, which opened two years ago about five miles west of Interstate 82 on Locust Grove Road.

Wheat Head Brewery will open a taproom at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village in downtown Kennewick.
Wheat Head Brewery will open a taproom at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village in downtown Kennewick. Bob Brawdy bbrawdy@tricityherald.com

It is the brainchild of Tina Phillips and her father Loren Miller, longtime wheat farmers, who dedicated a slice of the family farm for the venue.

The original Wheat Head sits at almost the same elevation as the summit of Badger Mountain, 1,500 feet and gives visitors sweeping views of the Tri-Cities and Mid-Columbia region.

Wheat Head Brewery will open a taproom at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village in downtown Kennewick.
Wheat Head Brewery will open a taproom at Columbia Gardens Wine and Artisan Village in downtown Kennewick. Bob Brawdy bbrawdy@tricityherald.com

This story was originally published October 27, 2025 at 3:27 PM.

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Wendy Culverwell
Tri-City Herald
Reporter Wendy Culverwell writes about growth, development and business for the Tri-City Herald. She has worked for daily and weekly publications in Washington and Oregon. She earned a degree in English and economics from the University of Puget Sound. Support my work with a digital subscription
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