SEATTLE, WA - While Washington State has been severely affected by the current downturn, the state??s beer industry is anything but flat, as the number of bars, breweries and brewpubs is on the rise, NWCN.com reports.

Kitsap County??s Silver City Restaurant & Brewery, for example, is opening a new brewing facility this week, on the heels of a recent brewing capacity expansion at another location.

"The demand for Silver City craft beers has never been higher," says Don Spencer, Silver City Brewmaster. "We hit capacity in our brewing operation about three years ago. With our new brewery production facility in Bremerton, we can meet the current demand for Silver City beers, and focus on expanding our business in the Northwest and beyond."

Other brewers are experiencing similar good fortunes, with Hale??s Ales opening a new brewpub, Everett??s Scuttlebutt Brewing sending its first shipment of beer overseas, and Emerald City Brewing Company opening in the former Ranier brewery.

"Washington is the Napa Valley of beer and we produce 75 percent of the country's hops," said Rick Hewitt, owner of Emerald City Brewery Company.

According to the Washington State Liquor Control Board, the number of pubs, taverns and bars in Washington is rising, with 355 more alcohol licenses in the state today versus four years ago. Last year, the state collected $34.4 million in beer taxes, a $4 million increase since 2006.

"The craft beer industry in the Northwest and across the country is booming, and if not for the down economy, we would have seen even greater growth in the last year," Spencer said.