Visiting Seattle (Winter 2016 Update)

Both the Imperial IPA and Suffering Bastard Saison. The IPA was good, the Saison was great.

 

Why is Stoup so highly recommended? What beers does everyone recommend?

 

I really like their Porter, as well the Citra IPA. I've only visited the taproom once, but I've had their beers at other spots around town.

 

The thing I find with Stoup is all their beer is made perfectly, just straight up textbook perfect for each style, but they never go out of their comfort zone and really push boundaries. The citra IPA is the closest to pushing boundaries and they could probably succeed just making that beer. Also the porter is solid as well as VashonGuy stated.

 

Thanks for everyone who contributed to this thread! It's been really helpful.

I'm coming to Seattle in June for a conference (Bell Harbor Conference Center) and staying at the EdgeWater Hotel. I'm probably not going to have a car so I'm hoping there might be a nice bottle shop relatively close. I'm sure I can just Uber if not...

I'll be hoping to set up some IP trades when I'm in town so keep an eye out on the forum. I'll definitely be posting

Cheers!

-Kevin

 

Due to proximity, it seems like every time I go to Reubens, I end up going to Stoups. And vice versa.

I like them both, but always leave saying "I prefer Stoups by a large margin."

 

You'll be within walking distance of the newly opened Cloudburst Brewing and they're already putting out magnificent stuff. Your closest option for bottles would be Pear Delicatessen in the market.

 

Huh... I didn't know Buckeye's drank anything other than Bush Lite camo cans and Mountain Dew. Interesting

I appreciate the info! I'll definitely add it to the list and make sure to try Six/Seven as well.

Cheers!

 

Chucks Hop shop has 40+ rotating taps. Room to sit and enjoy. 2 locations (I'd hit the greenwood one). Really this place shouldn't be missed! Rooftop in Magnolia is fun. It's a nanobrewery but good IPA. Reuben's is killing it with killer beer. Stoup gets a B- heard good things about Bad Jimmys. Hales brew pub, don't waste your time or money. Terrible beer and service. Just my .2¢.

 

That might be the first bad jimmys reference in the history of BA.

 

Not so fast, Cjager! Hales has good beer and decent food. The service can be spotty. I reported some bad service to teh manager, who gave me free drinks the next time I was there, thanking me for helping him improve a waiter. Hales is one of the pioneers in the industry. Reuben's and Stoup are both good places, and crowded a lot of the time.

 

+1 for Cloudburst. Is Pike brewing at 1st & Pike out these days?

 

Pike is still there and their beers are fine, but not the type of place typically recommended on BA.

 

Bad Jimmy's is the cheapest pint and growler fill around, but that's about it. Supergoose from hales is better than anything I've had from bad Jimmy's, unless you like the taste of thin home brew.

 

Good to hear they are still around. I've always enjoyed their brews off the shelf, AND from their pub right close to the market. I'll stop in when in town in any case since the hipsters will likely be elsewhere.

 

I admit that I'm a minority here on BA, but I'm a consistent fan of Pike. If one is downtown for a reason other than beer, they've got the best spot. Sure, the first time I went there, I was a tourist, and, I think the 19 year old, military dude (who was on his first deployment, and was a bit, ahhh, confused?) was just learning his way around the world. They treated us great, the food was good, and, at the time, the beer was amongst the best I'd ever had.

Fast forward to now. Is Pike the bestest, greatest, hypest, brewery around? Clearly, no. If one is in the area, for a show (ask me about the time I met Derek Trucks and half his band at the ATM across the street), or hitting the market, or just wandering around, there's no reason to not stop in for beer.

More bluntly, there are still a lot of places in America where Pike would be the best brewery in a large radius. Us beer nerds are so blessed that that we can, almost, tell visitors not not visit them. Especially, if they're beer nerds. Screw that, it's worth the beer history to stop on in.

 

If you're staying at the Edgewater, try out Holy Mountain. It's in a bit of an out of the way location but you could walk from the Edgewater. In June it might be warm enough for them to open up the big garage door into the their taproom and you can watch the trains and ships go by.

 

Wow. Yeah. First time I've heard it mentioned. And for good reason. Look, I home brew. Am I the best at it? No. But the couple times I've been to Jimmy's it tasted exactly like my homebrew. There are way better brewers in the area to snag a beer at. I really hate to say it, but don't waste your time at Jimmy's.