5 Things to Know About Epic Ales' Mollusk

Eater first reported on Mollusk, a new project from Cody Morris, the brewer at SODO's Epic Ales and Travis Kukull, the chef at brew pub Gastropod, back in January. The duo are planning to open the restaurant-brew pub in South Lake Union later this year, and it will be a far cry from their current tiny, experimental spaces in SODO.

"It's going to be pretty much the exact opposite of the brewing experience of the SODO location," Morris says. Here's what you need to know at this juncture:

1. Kukull will move to Mollusk full time when it opens, leaving Gastropod in the hands of another chef. "We've got some really cool candidates that people who follow the Seattle food scene will be very familiar with," says Morris.
2. Epic Ales will remain open, but will concentrate almost exclusively on brewing farmhouse-style ales, sour beer, and saisons. Mollusk will brew "20th and 21st century beers" including an IPA showcasing a rotating hop variety, English-style beers, and a pilsner.
3. Expect a big, modern brew house. Mollusk will cover 5,000 square feet and seat 100, much bigger than the miniscule Gastropod. As far as the brewery, "Everything is going to have temperature control, flow control. We even have a digital touch screen for controlling the brew house. I'm planning on getting Wi-Fi enabled temperature controllers on the fermenters, so I can actually adjust the temperature remotely through my phone."
4. Mollusk will have more beer cocktails utilizing the sour Party Time!!! ale. Mollusk will have a full liquor license so they can actually utilize hard liquor, which Gastropod cannot.
   
5. Gastropod will continue to serve experimental dishes paired with experimental beers. But that will funnel towards Mollusk: "Basically, the Gastropod will be sort of the laboratory that will be developing the things you'll see at the Mollusk," says Morris.