Seattle: For the Love of Beer

An institution when it comes to Ballard beer culture, Hale’s Ales is commendable not only for their commitment to sourcing local ingredients, but also the truly artisan manner in which they craft their beer. My ultimate Hale’s brew is the Red Menace Big Amber, which is a lot like drinking a regular amber ale while someone punches you in the face. The flavor is incredible, without that chewy mouth feel you get from many other beers that “drop it like it’s hop.” Oh I went there.

If by chance you’ve got this guide in front of you and it’s early spring, immediately close all the other tabs/windows of beer porn you have open and rush down to Hale’s for their seasonal Irish Style Nut Brown Ale. It’s about the nuttiest and creamiest thing you can put in your mouth in Seattle without heading down to the south end of Capitol Hill.

Nearby the docks in Ballard is where you’ll find this quaint little family-owned brewery. While they don’t skimp when it comes to seasonal variety, I’ve admittedly included them in this guide for singular, beautiful reason — the Jolly Roger Christmas Ale. It’s only on tap for about a quarter of the year, so stock up while you can. Jolly is a big-bodied ale but still pulls through as completely drinkable. It’s warm finish is the perfect accompaniment to any cold winter’s evening.

West Coast beer lovers should be intimately familiar with the Pyramid brand of beers by now, as they have 5 different breweries stretching from Seattle to Berkeley. They also have a fairly widespread presence in supermarkets thanks to such bottled hits as winter’s classic Snow Cap Ale and the fruity Apricot Ale, loved by sorority girls far and wide. If I’ve got a sixer of Pyramid in the fridge, then it’s likely summertime and the beer of choice is Hefeweizen. Nice and cloudy with a bit of citrus tart, something accentuated by the giant lemon wedge I’ve squeezed and plopped straight down into it. Like Sprite really, just all grown up.

If there’s one thing that Germans don’t mess around with, it’ their beer, or more aptly, “bier.” Baron uses German brewing ingredients and brewing processes to craft authentic German-style bier. While they do have a small taproom on the south side of town, you’re more likely to find the bier featured at an array of local bars, and especially during Oktoberfest. The Baron Über-Weisse is a Bavarian wheat dopplebock brewed year-round, which is fortunate for the throngs of us who love a pint of this velvety sweet, chocolately-banana craziness. For those looking for more of a traditional beer experience, you can’t go wrong with a nice Hefe-Weisse or Pilsner either, that (like the rest of the biers) are brewed in accordance with German Beer Purity Law. I actually have no idea what that is, but can only assume it involves the liberal use of lederhosen and braunschweiger.

For $1 you can go on a tour of the brewery, which is a great deal, even if the tour mostly takes place in a small room where the beer samples and history lessons are flowing freely. Plus you get shot glass when all is said and done. Nifty indeed.

The ESB (extra special bitter) is Redhook’s flagship ale, and with good reason. They’ve been brewing it since they started out as a small brewery in Fremont 20 years ago, and it remains one of the secrets to their success. It finishes clean with the help of fine caramel malts, something absent from a lot of other ESB’s that come across as much for the sake of beer as they do punishment.

Good food, and an amazing selection of 20+ “mostly Washington” beers. Come for the food, brews, and good times…. stay because walking isn’t really an option when you’re this housed.

In late February Collins hosts their annual Strong Beer Festival, which features multiple styles of strong beer, including barleywines, imperial stouts and double IPAs.

I’ve somehow managed to never make it to Prost! during my time in Seattle, but with Dead C’s blessing and the below photographic evidence of their 2 liter boot, it’s only a matter of time.

Elysian Fields is one of the premier microbreweries in Seattle hands down, even if they aren’t one of the more widely publicized. With three locations spread from Pioneer Square to Wallingford (Tangletown), you can typically walk/stumble into any of their brewpubs and be seated within 20 minutes tops.

But we’re here to talk about the beer. My two favorites are Elysian classics, and on opposite ends of the beer spectrum. The Dragonstooth Stout is firm, chocolatey, with just enough malt (read: a lot). On the other side is their traditional German-style Zephyrus Pilsner, which is so light and crisp, I have this theory that it could double as the perfect sports drink.

One of the better kept beer secrets in Seattle. Georgetown is just a production company, so there aren’t any brewpubs for you to grab a quick sampler of their tasty beers. That being said, you can still find them on tap at literally HUNDREDS of bars and restaurants in Washington state, and once you’ve found the one that speaks to you, order up a keg or growler straight from the brewery.

Manny’s Pale Ale is undoubtedly the most famous offering from Georgetown Brewing; a tasty treat for the front and back of the tongue that starts off malty and goes down hoppy. As nice and complex as Manny’s is, my tastes fall closer to the middle with their latest brew, Bob’s Brown Ale. They basically dumped a crapload of rich Northwest hops on top of an assortment of five nutty malts to concoct this intensely flavorful, almost meaty brown ale.

Yes, Mcmenamins is a Portland-based company, so this joint was in fact seeded in the womb of Seattle’s arch-beer nemesis. There are many McMenamins locations across the Seattle area, so you needn’t feel confined to this one pub to whet you beer and burger appetite; Six Arms just happens to have one of the better atmospheres in my drunken opinion.

For those beer lovers new to McMenamins, you need only concern yourself with three things:

~ Terminator Stout – What I like to call “dessert beer.” It’s wonderfully rich, with high notes of chocolate/coffee/nutty wonderment.

~ Hammerhead – This pale ale is the illegitimate child of malted barley and sweet cascade hops. And like most illegitimate children, it somehow goes above and beyond it’s humble origins to make something of itself that nobody saw coming. In this case it’s a truly complex flavor that has garnered it’s own following and fan clubs.

~ Ruby – Pound after pound of crushed raspberries lend an amazing flavor to each pint of Ruby Ale (pictured above) that has crossed my lips, which by now probably numbers in the thousands. On a related note, my liver does look a lot like a dried-out sponge.

Yes, they also have wines, meads, and ciders, but Full Throttle remains first and foremost a beer store in my mind. Featuring microbrews from around the country, and specialty beers from around the world, you’ll be hard-pressed to do much better than this place when it comes to selection.

For a list of beers in stock, check out their web page. Also make sure to sign up for their mailing lists next time you’re in-store to ensure you receive brand updates and info on their Wednesday tastings!

If you’re too scared of Georgetown or too low on gas to make the trip to Full Throttle Bottles, there’s always Bottleworks on the North Side of town (U-District). Often referred to as “Distinguished Beers From Around the World” because of the signage out front, inside you’ll be privy to a great selection of beers, especially for those with a taste for classic English and Scottish ales. The prices run pretty average when you’re talking about beer imported from halfway across the world, so make it a point to always hit Bottleworks on payday.