In a “lab” next door to Bailey’s Corner Store in Cultus Bay, two beer scientists are busy at work devising their next concoction.

These are early days for Ogre Brewing, Whidbey Island’s latest entry in the growing craft brew scene, but things are picking up steam for the business.

Co-owners Adam Jackson and Royce Baker say the brewery will open a tasting room Friday, Sept. 10 and are hoping locals will stop by to try out their offerings, ranging from hoppy pale ales to light and smooth blondes.

Jackson and Baker said they plan to open their garage door every Friday and Saturday through the winter.

Tasting room hours are slated for 3-7 p.m.

The brewery is still officially recognized on paper as Bailey’s Brewing, but Jackson and Baker said they are working toward making the permanent change to “Ogre Brewing.” The pair said they landed on Ogre Brewing as a  offshoot of their shared affinity for dark fairy tales.

When Jackson had a green ogre tattooed on his right bicep, the name was decided.

But they aren’t getting too ahead of themselves. Jackson and Baker are keeping things small; their brew space is a two-car garage, and there isn’t much room to maneuver when the distillers and barrels are set in place.

It’s just the co-owners who work the brewery at the moment. However, they are considering hiring a bartender if business grows.

Monthly brewery production currently averages three to six barrels, or six to 12 kegs.

Baker said they brew a barrel and a half at a time.

The designated tasting room will be in front of the garage with a few chairs laid out. The tap is along the wall where the walk-in refrigerator is located.

There’s no bar.

But, that’s part of the charm of Ogre Brewing — it’s small but personal. Beer aficionados are able to chat with Jackson and Baker about their beers.

“We’re DIY [do it yourself],” Jackson said. “We build and fix everything ourselves.

Ogre Brewing regularly rotates their selection of beers, but does have mainstays.

Ogre cut a deal to brew a special Cozy Ogre IPA specifically for Cozy’s Tavern in Clinton and regularly produces Cascade IPA and Blonde Ogress.

Rotating brews currently available are Stout Ogre, Sound Dark Ale and a pilsner. They’ve also concocted lagers in the past.

Jackson and Baker are longtime South Whidbey-ites. Jackson’s family owned Bailey’s Corner Store before it was bought by Ken Stange last year, and Jackson says the two grew up drinking beers in the backyard space behind what is now their beer laboratory.

The duo said they’re looking to capitalize on that familiarity with Whidbey, and claim being part of the Whidbey community is key to business success here on the island.

The friendly, laid back former cooks describe themselves as pals who enjoy doing what they’re doing, and decided they might as well make a business out that shared passion for brewing beer.

“We just started off as home brewers around 10 years ago,” Baker said. “We were friends with Mikey at Olde World Ales in Langley, but when he left we thought we might as well fill the void since we’re good at brewing beer.”

Ogre Brewing is sticking to tasting and growler-pouring during the early stages. They’re keeping the operation small. If the tasting area overflows, customers are able to hop over to Bailey’s store to sip on their brews.

Bailey’s also has a rotating Ogre beer on tap.

Jackson and Baker said they want to keep operation prices low and focus on each batch of beer.

Having a smaller batch makes it easier to manipulate the taste, they explained, and also allows for greater creativity.

“We’ve decided we don’t really want to leave the south end (of Whidbey) because, at some point, you’re dealing with a distributor,” Jackson said.

“We’re just trying to stay on the big side of small and make a beer for Whidbey.”

While there are other breweries on the island, Jackson isn’t thinking about how to beat out the competition. Rather, he’s thinking about collaborating with other on-island brewers down the line.

Jackson said he wants the business to help make Whidbey Island a beer destination for travelers

At the moment, though, he is focused on refining the “finite art” of beer fermenting out of their little garage, barrel by barrel.

“We’ll eventually have to wrestle with that line — the more beer we make, the better off we are as a business, but can’t have it become so big where we can’t fulfill our artistic endeavor,” Jackson said.