BUSINESS IN ASHLAND

Local pub-goers enjoy the last night at the Siskiyou Pub on Water Street. Chris Garvey | For the Tidings

Jefferson State to replace Siskiyou Brew Pub

Bar regulars priority for one new owner

By Alan Panebaker
Ashland Daily Tidings

To the dismay of some Ashland locals, the Siskiyou Pub closed on Mother’s Day, May 14, but a group of seven new owners are hoping to make the new Jefferson State Pub an acceptable replacement with some upscale added perks.

The Siskiyou Pub on Water Street next to Ashland Creek was the local hangout for many locals for nearly a decade. Patrick Couchman, the pub owner, said his 16-year history in that building has been a good run, and he is ready to see what else is out there for him. While some locals may be skeptical of the new business, Couchman said he thinks the idea of the Jefferson State Pub will keep up the attitude of the Siskiyou.

“I’ve been telling people what they’re trying to do there will be nice and to give them a shot,” Couchman said.

Time will tell whether the new owners will keep local customers, but some Ashlanders see the closing Siskiyou Pub as one of the final locals spots to go as Ashland changes.

“It’s shameful,” Siskiyou regular Paul LeBlanc said. “The last bastion of Bohemianism with a deck disappears from Ashland. Let’s build more $1 million condos.”

Although some may see the Siskiyou’s closing as a big change for the neighborhood, the new contingency of owners are modeling the new pub after the theme of the free-thinking ideology of the State of Jefferson — the Northern California/Southern Oregon region that some tried to make a sovereign state in the 1940s. They include a local chef, photographer, Scot Bolsinger — editor of the Tidings — and four outside investors. It should open after June 20 with a grand opening in July. Local photographer Fred Stockwell, one of the new owners, said he is dedicated to keeping the spirit of the Siskiyou Pub alive and modeling the new place after the idea of the State of Jefferson.

“People don’t like to see their old watering holes go away, but unfortunately it happens some times,” Stockwell said. “Basically it’s going to stay the same. We’ve cleaned it up a bit and we’re going to try and have some good music there.”

The prime real estate on Ashland Creek made the Siskiyou Pub a classic place to hear live music. Stockwell is organizing the events for the Jefferson State Pub and has been limited to keeping music inside. Lloyd Haines is the landlord for the building. He said he was happy to approve the new owners for their opening business but didn’t want the place to be considered a music venue. Music on the deck will be acoustic only.

“We’re trying to upscale the neighborhood,” Haines said.

The Shasta building, across Ashland Creek from the old Siskiyou Pub, houses a condominium on the top floor and a wine bar and food to go businesses that are yet to open. The Creekside Pizza Bistro sits in between the large building and the old Siskiyou Pub.

The building where the new Jefferson State Pub will operate has a rich history. In 1988, the Rogue Brewery opened in the building. In 1989, Rogue Ales moved their main operation to Newport but kept the Ashland location. Couchman worked with Rogue Ales from 1990 to 1995. From 1995 to 1996, the brewery became Siskiyou Brewing Company and it was under Couchman’s ownership. When the 1996 New Year’s Eve flood partially destroyed the building, Couchman replaced the brewing kettles with a kitchen and the Siskiyou Pub was born seven months later. A 1997 fire in the lingerie shop upstairs postponed the grand opening until the Fourth of July but ended the streak of disasters in the building.

Almost a decade later, Couchman found himself in a different place in life and thought it might be a good idea to pass the torch to some new owners. Hoping they would carry on the friendly local tradition of the pub, he sold the business. Despite a feeling of local skepticism about the new business and intentions to change one of the few purely local hangouts, Couchman tried to focus on the positive.

“I’ve sincerely enjoyed all the folks who’ve come in there over the years,” he said. “They’re great people.”

The new restaurant at the Jefferson State Pub will keep the tradition of bar food with fried fish and chips in trans-fat free oils that will be recycled into biodiesel. The new owners plan on keeping a few microbrew beers from each of the small breweries in the State of Jefferson — from Mendocino County, Calif., to Douglas County — along with Pabst Blue Ribbon. The new owners said they are aware of local cynicism about changing the Siskiyou Pub and want to keep the local clientele.

“There’s been quite a bit of research done on the fact that it’s one of the older pubs in town,” Stockwell said. “You’ve got to keep some of what’s there.”

Staff writer Alan Panebaker can be reached at 482-3456 x 227 or apanebaker@dailytidings.com.

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