The Beer Authority

Bar, Beer-to-go

12716 Lake City Way NE
Seattle, Washington, 98125-4427
United States

(206) 417-9629 | map
seattlebeerauthority.com
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.35
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
29
pDev:
8.74%
View: Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by seasondek:
Photo of seasondek
Reviewed by seasondek from Washington

4.79/5  rDev +10.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Burc and staff are awesome. The tap list always has a beer I'm interested in trying and the bottle selection is very good. I always find beers I'm looking for here when I can't find them elsewhere in Seattle. Crowd are friendly and beer knowledgeable folks. A great place that I always look forward to visiting.
Nov 12, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.68 by psoriasaurus from Thailand

Aug 07, 2019
 
Rated: 4.33 by UWDAWG from Washington

Aug 15, 2018
 
Rated: 4.36 by Erik-P from Canada (BC)

May 27, 2016
Photo of EdwardAbbey
Reviewed by EdwardAbbey from Washington

4.24/5  rDev -2.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
A bit ugly, dusty, and disorganized--as has been mentioned--but if I lived in the vicinity I'd easily be here a few times a week. The thoughtful and informed selection, good service from Burc, and other intangibles, are just that good.
Feb 07, 2016
Photo of Robomunky
Reviewed by Robomunky from Washington

4.65/5  rDev +6.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.75 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.5
Dusty. Disorganized. Many beers aren't priced. Not in the best neighborhood. I absolutely love this place. It sorta feels like if one of your friends (Burc) turned his basement into a beer cave. You'll be treated like a friend and not a customer, whether you like it or not. Tap list is small but always has at least a couple things you'll need to drink. The bottle selection isn't huge but you won't find any filler. Nothing but good stuff here. Every time I come I find something I must have. Recent visits have yielded things like new Holy Mountain, last year's Sucaba and a Sump.

In a city with loads of great bottle shops, Beer Authority is my favorite place to grab a beer and just browse the shelves. If you're looking to stockstock your fridge with 6-packs to get you through the week, go somewhere else. If you want to find something great to share with a friend and have a drink while you look, come here. And grab some shawarma from next door!
Oct 30, 2015
 
Rated: 4.5 by Ajlvt from Washington

Sep 01, 2015
 
Rated: 4.73 by brandonwnw from Washington

Mar 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Mister_Faucher from Washington

Dec 11, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by crowellbw from Washington

Nov 17, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by HoppySeb from Washington

Sep 18, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by strongaf from Washington

Jul 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by 510a from Washington

Jun 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by sharpski from Canada (BC)

Jun 26, 2014
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Reviewed by Orca from Washington

4.14/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
I often forget that Beer Authority is there, even though they're relatively close to my house. But they always have something good in stock and the staff is pretty friendly and helpful, even though I'm not really a regular. One gripe I have is that the beers aren't always priced so you might not know what something costs until you've already paid for it, but I think their prices are generally pretty reasonable. Just another great option in a town that has a lot of them.
Jun 21, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Kurmaraja from California

Apr 10, 2014
 
Rated: 5 by Mages64 from Washington

Jan 07, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by HuskyinPDX from Washington

Jan 04, 2014
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Reviewed by BabyTree from Massachusetts

4.82/5  rDev +10.8%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4.75 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75
A great place to hang out and drink beer. I've been to hundreds of bars and have yet to find one quite like this. Burc knows his beers and though he may not be trying to get you to buy the biggest name, highest price bottle, its guaranteed to be a killer beer. They usually get in quite an allotment of the rare/special beers and Burc is always on the lookout for the next new thing.

All in all... Great company. Great service. Great beer.... Ooh yeah, and if you want food, bring your own!
Oct 17, 2013
Photo of Smurf2055
Reviewed by Smurf2055 from Washington

4.32/5  rDev -0.7%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 5 | selection: 3.75
Great place. Good selection on tap, pretty good selection of bottles, really friendly staff. Draft prices are reasonable, but the bottles can be a bit pricey. Seems like a place I could really get in to. If you are local, it’s a nice place to grab a beer and watch the game. I will be stopping in again from time to time.

I haven't stopped in since they changed locations, will need to do that soon and update the review.
May 30, 2013
Photo of letom8
Reviewed by letom8

4.8/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
This place is a small bottle shop that also has a few tables and some beers on tap. They have free Wifi. They don't serve food but they keep a menu of the restaurant next door (I think it's a sushi place?) on hand, they will walk your order over next door and the waitress will bring it through a hallway that connects the two establishments.

This place is small, so they don't have a huge selection, but whoever does the buying knows what he's doing because what they do keep on stock is awesome. A beer over $7 they will let you crack and drink right there, under that they charge just a couple bucks.

Place has a homie feel and is definately a locals spot.

It's a nice jump off location. There's Elliot Bay Brewery across the street (not my favorite, but worth checking out), Coopers about half a mile down the street (decent selection on tap and darts/pool), or if you don't mind driving a couple miles there's Uber on Aurora (they serve some hard to come by beers just like Beer Authority).
Jan 23, 2013
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Reviewed by Jordan3394 from Washington

5/5  rDev +14.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
My wife and I drove from Spokane to Seattle in search of the elusive Pliny the Elder. Beer Authority was the first place we stopped. Sadly we were told that Russian River is no longer distributing in Washington. The owner went above and beyond and called 12 other bars and stores to find it for us. We stayed for a couple beers and then went through is awesome beer selection. Great store.
Jan 07, 2013
Photo of mchen
Reviewed by mchen from Washington

4.53/5  rDev +4.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
Great bottle shop. They have a good selection of great northwest beers, imports and top domestic microbrews. The owner is very knowledgeable, always has good recommendations. He totally hooked me up with some great barrel aged ales. They get a lot of rare bottles and they are always ready to help you out if you are trying to find something. Prices are on par with other bottle shops in the area. They also have great beers on tap and its a great place to meet people who love beer. I am just sorry I didn't find this place sooner. This will be a regular place I will be visiting from now on.
Dec 15, 2012
Photo of jpbebeau
Reviewed by jpbebeau from Washington

4/5  rDev -8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
"Relax," I'd been told by a friend while lamenting my move away from Super Deli Mart, "you'll have The Beer Authority nearby!"

I took a look at their website and saw that they had 8 beers on tap, including Ten Fidy at the time, so I was heartened and looked forward to visiting. Unfortunately, unlike several other shops in the area, they aren't prodigious tweeters, so I had little else to go on.

After the release of Abyss, I checked their website on the day after Thanksgiving and saw that they had it on tap. Oblivious to the reality that not everyone has $10 growlers (a la Super Deli Mart), I walked in and found every beer on tap had a different price. At $26 for a growler of Abyss, I decided to pass.

The shop has a nice bar area, and taps line the walls.

Three or four medium coolers have a smallish selection—a few things I hadn't seen, but nothing too exciting and not a diverse enough spread to keep me browsing for too long.

Prices on bottles seemed similar to what I've seen elsewhere. There is some stuff on shelves as well.

I'll probably stop back in for a pint from time to time, but I'll probably hit up the Shoreline Central Market (or another as-yet-unvisited place) 98% of the time.
Dec 01, 2011
Photo of jojobee
Reviewed by jojobee from Washington

4.01/5  rDev -7.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
Finally made it out here after work today!!!

Coming from Seattle and taking Lake City, seemed like it was taking awhile to get to my destination for my much needed beer on date night with my boyfriend! At last! We made it!!! If you aren't familiar with the area, the signage is really small, so pay attention!

Walked in and there was a small bar calling my name but I had to check out the bottle list and prices to see if they are comparable to what I am used to at other establishments. Ok, nothing really out of the norm or "special" compared to Malt and Vine or 99 Bottles but it is nice to have a really good selection in this area.

Ok, time to see what's on tap! Looks like there are about 8 beers on tap and it is a decent selection for my palette. I like to see at least 2 IPAs on tap at a place and they did! But then I was drawn to Jack and Ken's Barleywine and here I sit, ignoring my boyfriend while I write this review...

Service has been great and now I can't wait to finish this and get an IPA!

Cliffs: If you are in North Seattle or around the Bothell area, come out and get a good beer! They also do kegs to go! :-)
Apr 14, 2011
Photo of GJ40
Reviewed by GJ40 from North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev -19.5%
After quite a few visits to Seattle, I finally made it to The Beer Authority. Based on the name and BA rating, I was very optimistic.

The location is in a nice area of North Seattle on a busy street. It's part of a really cool set of buildings that houses some modern industrial condos / apartments.

The shop is fairly small but it has a good, open space. They have eight beers on tap and they were all pretty solid. As for the bottles, they have a lot of locals and west coast beers with a smaller selection from the rest of the country and Europe. The stock is limited, poorly organized and a bit inconsistent. In general, the place was in disarray. I went hoping to find something unique to bring home with me but I couldn't.

The woman behind the counter was very nice and outgoing but admitted her husband was the one to talk to with respect to what's coming in.

As mentioned above, I was very optimistic on this visit but it ended with disappointment. Maybe I caught them on a bad day but I didn't find it anywhere near the level of the top Seattle beer stores.
Feb 16, 2010
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Reviewed by DaveJanssen from Germany

4.15/5  rDev -4.6%
Stopped in 12/2009 when i was back visiting the family for the break.

They had a reasonably good selection. It looked like they might have been hit somewhat hard in the week or two before i went there (there were a fair number of gaps in the stock) but they had a pretty good selection and the prices were reasonable. Everything was sold as singles, which was nice for someone looking to try something new or pick up a bottle or two of a bunch of different beers (I was looking to get a good sampling of the local beers since i moved away before turning 21 but i didn't want to buy six packs of everything). The woman working (didn't catch her name) was very friendly.

Overall i was very impressed. There are places with better selections (the imports were a bit thin) and there are places with better prices (but maybe not for single 12 oz bottles) but the beer authority is definitely worth a visit.
Feb 03, 2010
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Reviewed by ScreamForMe from Washington

4.5/5  rDev +3.4%
The Beer Authority is the newest beer store in the greater Seattle area. Located in Lake City - across Lake City Way from the QFC, the shop has been open just about 2 weeks according to Barry, the owner.

First impressions:

The size of the shop is adequate. It looks very new and clean. Beer stock is local, regional, national, and then international. 300 beers as of right now - with an increase to 400/500 in another few months.

Barry was very talkative and helpful. A free tasting of Allagash Dubbel was going on while I was there as well. To me - the owners/personnel of beer shops make or break them (in addition to their business practices). Barry was up front and honest which I always appreciate.

WABL members automatically receive a 5% discount on their purchases.

The grand opening is in a few weeks - with tastings, food pairings, and discounts on inventory.

It's great to have a beer shop north of Seattle. I'm looking forward to the development of The Beer Authority. They're off to a good start.

Check them out!
Apr 02, 2009
Photo of jklinck
Reviewed by jklinck from Washington

4.7/5  rDev +8%
Stopped in yesterday to check out Seattle's newest bottle shop and was very impressed. The owner was real down to earth guy and helped to a sample of Allagash dubbel. Right now there is around 300 different bottles but he said there will be more and eventually some beer on tap. There is a good selection of mostly American beers with a decent good selection of Belgian and German beers and there is also a little wine. It's right across the street from QFC with on street parking right in front of it, so it isn't hard to find.
Apr 02, 2009
The Beer Authority in Seattle, WA
Place rating: 4.35 out of 5 with 29 ratings