Charting a New Course: From Merchant Mariner to Brewery Owner

“All my time at SPSCC—in the lab, in the classroom, and speaking to people in the industry—was just as valuable as getting real-world experience,” said SPSCC alumnus Gavin Rainwater.

For nearly two decades, Gavin worked as a merchant mariner. His career took him across the Salish Sea, up the Inside Passage, through Southeast Alaska, and even as far out as Hawaii.

Leading up to March 2020, Gavin was still sailing with guests. But when the pandemic hit, the entire industry shut down for two summers. During that downtime, he leaned into a hobby he’d enjoyed for years: homebrewing.

In fall 2020, Gavin decided to chart a new course. SPSCC’s Craft Brewing & Distilling program had just launched, and Gavin joined its second cohort.

“What I didn’t know as a homebrewer was the ‘why’,” Gavin explained. “As a homebrewer, you’re just running a recipe hoping to hit the numbers. At SPSCC, I learned why it was so important to have the right water profile and nail the right mash temperatures. All of it increased my interest in the art.”

At first, Gavin wanted to spend every moment on the floor learning equipment, but the program offered more than just technical skills.

“The Craft Brewing & Distilling program allowed me to have a broad understanding of the industry. Not just brewing, but cider, distilling, and even business,” he said.

Gavin graduated from SPSCC in 2022 and landed his first brewing job at Top Rung Brewing in Lacey, where he worked for two years before moving to Matchless Brewing in Tumwater.

“The foundational skills I learned at SPSCC were incredibly helpful in learning all the dramatically different systems in each space,” he said.

Then opportunity knocked. John Christopherson, the owner of locally beloved Hoh River Brewery, was looking to retire. Gavin found out through the grapevine and talked to his wife about the possibility of taking over.

“It didn’t seem like great timing. My wife and I had just welcomed our first child,” Gavin recalled. “But I couldn’t say no to such a great opportunity.”

With John’s support, Gavin took over the brewery in June 2025 and rebranded it as Rainwater Brewing, hosting a grand opening on October 4, 2025, with local bands and food trucks.

Today, Rainwater Brewing is more than a taproom; it’s a community hub. It hosts vinyl nights, open mics, and game nights, features a mural and gallery by the local artist group Arts Olympia, and is an all-ages space.

“I want to foster a welcoming environment where people can chill and discuss music and art,” Gavin said. “One of my main goals is to have a beverage for everybody.”

Even all these years later, Gavin still finds ways to connect back to SPSCC. He often texts with staff and faculty like Myriam Boyer (SPSCC Instruction & Classroom Support Technician, Craft Brewing & Distilling) for advice. He even serves his capstone project—a sour beer called the Margarita that used a newly discovered wild yeast species at the time—at the brewery.

“SPSCC is a huge part of my story,” Gavin shared. “But I also wouldn’t be here without the support of all the local brewers who wanted to see me succeed. If I ever need a bag of hops or my keg washer goes down, I know I can go to any brewery downtown and they’d be happy to help. And I hope they know I’d do the same for them.”

Looking toward the future, Gavin is excited to get even more involved in the community by entering local brewing competitions, supporting his fellow brewers at their events, and continuing to bring people together over a pint.

“Beer is the catalyst to a lot of great things. For me, it was becoming a brewery owner,” Gavin laughed. “For others, it could be as simple as a good conversation. Beer opens the door to so many cool things.”