When brainstorming new names for his microbrew beers, Harmon Restaurant and Brewery co-owner and Tacoma native Pat Nagle usually bases them around things close to his heart: baseball, his hometown, important region landmarks and anything else he feels strikes a chord with customers.

"We really like to have fun with it," said Nagle, who co-owns the Harmon, Tap Room and The Hub restaurants with partner Carol Holder.

When it came time to pick a name for this year's seasonal stout beer, his mother came up with an idea that Nagle fell in love with:  Why not name a beer in recognition of Servicemembers in the South Sound? With that, "Stryker Stout" was born.

"We've always hosted lots of Hail and Farewell parties at the Harmon," Nagle said. "The military is a huge thing for our local economy."

It's also a big part of Nagle's family, as one of his brothers-in-law is an Army colonel at Joint Base Lewis-McChord and another also serves in military.

"We thought Strkyer Stout would be a good way to connect with troops and get some good energy going," Nagle said. "We put a lot of thought into it."

The Harmon's seasonal beers come out in October and are served on tap at the three restaurants for about four months. Nagle broke tradition this year, however, and decided to bottle Stryker Stout.

"We felt it was too good to be served just at our locations," he said.

People can find Stryker Stout in bottles at local stores around Tacoma. It retails for $4 for one pint.

As for the taste, Nagle wanted it to be strong and bold, much like the Servicemembers he's honoring with it.

"It's a very drinkable stout," he said.

The roasted malts used in the brewing process - done at the Tap Room in Tacoma - lend notes of chocolate and coffee to the beer, said Bill Lundeen, one of the Harmon's three brewers on staff.

"It doesn't have a real high alcohol content as some stout beers go," Lundeen said. "If someone likes coffee, they'll like this beer."

Another good quality of the beer is that it's not heavy like other traditional stouts, he said.

"It's nicely balanced," Lundeen said.

And it's something everyone affiliated with the process is very proud of, Nagle said.

"We appreciate all the Servicemen and women," the co-owner said. "We're proud of our product."

Said Lundeen: "It's an homage to these guys, and from a brewer's standpoint, it's a unique beer."