Drinking Wyoming: Pat’s Brew House In Cody "Where Everybody Knows Your Name"

CODY — When Norfleet Gifford bought Pat’s Brew House in July 2021, her goal was to create an atmosphere similar to the TV show “Cheers.”

For those who aren’t familiar with the program, it centered around the regulars of a Boston bar who shared their lives with each other while drinking or working at the place “where everybody knows your name.”

It’s that sense of community that appealed to Gifford.

“We’re just going for a place where you can feel really relaxed and hang out with a snack and a beer,” she said.

Well, if the amount of people who braved a recent cold snap to stop in are any indication, Gifford has more than accomplished that goal.

Even with temperatures below zero, more than half the tables at Wyoming’s first all-women owned and operated brewery were full for lunch, and most of those were regulars.

Jim Cover was sitting at the bar, a few seats over from his usual spot at the corner because it was taken when he came in. He typically stops in every afternoon around 2 to enjoy a beer, the atmosphere and the occasional cup of soup.

“The people who work here are so nice, and the beer’s cold,” he said. “It’s one-of-a-kind and just a fun place to come to.”

Mountain Men And Pinup Girls

Pat O’Hara Brewing Co. opened in 2013, named for an area mountain man and mountain located in the Absaroka Range.

Gifford worked at Pat O’Hara for a few years before buying the place. She has spent most of her adult life in the food and beverage industry, and her goal was to eventually own a restaurant.

She began asking owners Dawn and Leonard Moore every day if they were ready to sell, and finally in 2021 they decided it was time to pass the torch.

“I knew and loved the business, and I wasn't some investor from out of town that was just going to change their blood, sweat and tears into something completely different,” she said. “I liked the concept, we just wanted to tweak it a little.”

Housed in a historic building just off Cody’s busy main street that was built in 1917, originally it was the home of H&H Auto Service. Later it served as an art supply store and a climbing gym before being transformed into the restaurant/brewery.

The building still has the garage door entrance, which is a great feature in the summertime, giving people an indoor/outdoor feel when it’s open. Another unique element is the brewhouse takes center stage behind the bar.

Pat’s can seat up to 75, with 20 additional spots during the summer when the front patio is open. There are 11 tables along the outside walls and the expansive bar top that seats 20 going around the center in a U-shape. Children and dogs are welcome.

The exposed brick walls, original single-pane windows and vintage lighting give the place an industrial feel, but warm paint colors help to brighten things up and make it more cozy.

And displayed prominently on the back wall is the Pat’s Brew House logo, a classic 1940’s pinup girl.

At first Gifford, silent partner Ariel Fishman and brewer Alexandria Cain were hesitant to go with the logo as they weren’t sure they should push the all-female angle of the place, but they quickly warmed up to the idea.

“The more we played around with the artwork, the more we really embraced it,” Gifford said. “That’s become our theme.”

Now each new beer has a new pinup girl to go with it.

“I think it's timeless,” Cain said of the logo. “Men love it. Women love it. Old ladies love it. Kids love it. I just think it's a really fun aesthetic.”

Bringing Back The Brewery

Another goal was to make the brewery a bigger priority, so Gifford brought in Cain, who worked at a brewpub in Seattle for six years and also helped at a brewery in Mount Vernon, Washington, before she moved to Cody.

Cain said her goal when brewing is to make quality beers that are approachable. She quickly went to work creating a beer in each of the well-known styles and increasing Pat’s beers on tap from two to nine.

“I was just trying to get these core beers really solid to get our customer base back because people didn't really come here for the beer beforehand,” she said. “We were more of a tap house.”

One of her first creations remains the most popular. The Juni Ripper IPA has hints of juniper berry and a clean, smooth finish. Another favorite is the easy-drinking Pat’s Blu Ribbon Blonde Ale.

Cain says the Fuggle Cuddle Brown Ale is the one she’s most proud of. It has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor.

“It’s an English-inspired brown that's probably my favorite of ‘my children,’” she joked. “But they all have their own things that are kind of fun, and I'm always tweaking and trying to make it a little bit better.”

A small operation, the brewery has one fermenter, meaning only one beer can be brewed at a time with a turnaround of two to three weeks. This can make it difficult to keep up with demand, especially in the summer.

Cain said it takes a lot of planning and creativity, such as finishing some of the beers in casks, to make it work.

And because the brewing equipment is in the middle of the restaurant, Cain only brews when the restaurant is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays or after hours. It also changes the cleaning process.

“It's not as easy as spraying everything down since it's a restaurant,” she said. “So it just takes a little more attention to detail and time because I’m actually wiping things down. But I've gotten used to it. It's my little baby.”

Consistently Good

When she has a little free time in between brewing regular beers, Cain does make some seasonal creations including a Ginger Saison in the summer. Currently she’s working on a dunkelweizen – a dark wheat German-style ale with “American tweaks.”

“It’s a good, easy-drinking, slightly malt beer,” she said. “I don't have a name for it yet. I’ve been working on it and haven’t landed on anything.”

Cain admits she tends to go down a rabbit hole in terms of beer names, enjoying catchy titles like Pat’s Blu Ribbon or Fuggle Cuddle, named for the hops used.

She also tends to favor older lady names. There’s the Agatha Amber, Ethell Zappa IPA, Sybil Stout and Millie’s Porter.

“I have a list of them,” she said. “Some are just fun and some are inspired by real women like Millie is for Millicent Fawcett from the UK, who helped head the women's suffrage movement.”

Pat’s regular Rene Huge said she looks forward to each new beer Cain creates.

“Alex is an amazing brewmaster,” she said. “She isn't afraid to experiment, but she also is really spot on with her recipes and her brewing. It's always an adventure tasting her beers.”

Huge and husband Chay Donnelly often enjoy having dinner at what they call their “favorite neighborhood place.”

“This crew does an amazing job,” she said. “And not only is the food consistent, but so is the staff so you develop relationships with the people that work here and it's awesome.”

Donnelly agrees that consistency is a big reason they keep coming back.

“They've created a team that wants to be working together,” he said. “The owners have made it so the employees want to be here and they want to do a good job. As locals, we see the consistency with the food, consistency with service and consistency with staffing. It’s priceless.”

Culinary Creations

Originally an Irish pub, Gifford decided to shift away from that to highlight the creative culinary skills in the kitchen.

While the brewery maintains the original Pat O’Hara name, the restaurant is now called Pat’s Brew House, or just Pat’s by regulars, to reflect the change.

“We wanted to do a menu that was still pub food, but make it from scratch and change it up seasonally so that everybody [in the kitchen] could showcase something,” she said.

“We obviously kept some of the favorites on the menu because I knew I would get in big trouble if those were to go, but we are having a lot of fun with the menu.”

Those favorites include the Irish Eggrolls, Fish and Chips and the Reuben. The egg rolls are a twist on the Reuben, with corned beef, cabbage and Swiss cheese.

Fried without being heavy with a nice blend of flavors, they are dipped in Thousand Island dressing. For the fish and chips, light and flaky cod is hand-dipped in a homemade beer batter and fried to perfection. It is served with a side of house-cut fries.

“Our Reuben is a top seller,” she added. “We make such good corned beef. And even though we're not an Irish pub anymore, we still go all out for St. Paddy’s Day with corned beef and cabbage because we have the best in town.”

Gifford said you can expect “elevated pub fare,” including the ever-popular cheeseburger and fries alongside a grain bowl or shrimp wrap, both additions to the winter menu.

And in the summer be sure to check out the best-selling chicken tacos.

In the tourist offseason, Pat’s also offers brunch specials every Sunday including corned beef hash and shrimp and grits. And all year long there are weekly specials.

“Our kitchen staff is just absolutely amazing,” Gifford said. “Most of the girls have been with me since we bought the place, so I'm very proud of the progress that they've made.”