The owner of Schweinhaus Biergarten in Bellingham has been charged with multiple felonies related to the unauthorized purchase and reselling of alcohol belonging to an Issaquah brewery that he previously co-owned.
Brandon Robert Bates, 48, created Formula Brewing in Issaquah, Washington, in a 50-50 partnership with Daniel Bohm in 2018, according to court records obtained by The Bellingham Herald. Bates managed daily operations, while Bohm focused on building construction and brewing.
Bohm and the brewmaster “started seeing red flags” in late 2020 and early 2021, court documents show. Despite being promised compensation, Bates refused to pay Bohm. The brewmaster filed a federal lawsuit and was awarded compensation at 2% of the business…