Visiting Seattle (Winter 2015 Update)

Two Beers is fine, but they're not a place I'm going to recommend to someone who is from out of town and has limited time.

 

Personally, I like Two Beers well enough. But yeah, I wouldn't put them on a must hit list, for people with a short visit. For that dude who's going to be here 3 months, he should definitely hit that pod: Machine House, Two Beers, Schooner Exact, Big Al, etc.

I'd put Two Beers in our mid-tier breweries, alongside the likes of Scuttlebutt, Lazy Boy, Big Al, Dicks (although Dicks is a personal favorite. I've got a cool story about Dick that colors my opinion.), Iron Horse, No-Li, etc.

 

Speaking of NoLi (and thread jacking), Can someone give me the general Washington feel about it?

I'm really drawn to their branding, and I just had Rise and Grind and thought it was crazy delicious.

 

Well, I liked the branding better when they were Northern Lights. I've never been overly impressed with the beers. They're not terrible, but, unless it's a new beer that I'm ticking, I never order a glass or buy a bottle. Like I said above, I think they're in our second tier, but way ahead of places like Wingman or Elk Head.

 

I'm no longer in WA, but I won't let that stop me. All their beers I've tried have been solid, clean examples of the style, but not quite in the "this beer's so awesome I have to shout it from the rooftops" category. I wouldn't hesitate to vouch for their stuff, but just not who I'd mention first as a recommendation. Being in Eastern WA without the benefit of a marketing hook probably doesn't help ("Spokane Style" just isn't as compelling as being located on a hop farm, for example).

Yet another brewery that would be some city's/state's pride and joy, if they were located in almost any other part of the country.

 

No Li's distribution over here in Washington is pretty impressive. Part of why I could see them getting snapped up by a big BMC guy.

 

I haven't had a lot from them, but what I've had I thought were pretty good. Their whiskey barrel aged Stout was real good.

 

You can find their beer all over Portland also.

 

I've always thought that their "basic" beers are just ok, but their jet star imperial ipa and wrecking ball imperial stout are both very good, and something decent to buy when you want to get a 4 pack of something good.

 

I tend to pick up Fremont or Bale Breaker when I'm feeling that way.

 

Hey! I'm currently over on the Silverdale/Bainbridge island side over the water. Any good bottle shops over here? I think I heard the one in Poulsbo closed down. Help quick!!

 

I checked on Facebook, and the Marina Market posted stuff on Sunday, so I'm pretty sure it's still open. That would be the place to go

 

There is also a BevMo in Silverdale.

 

Thank you sooo much! You are lifesavers!!

Any recommendations for "THE northwest beer" to bring back to Michigan??

 

That would be Fremont B-BOMB.

 

B-Bomb and Topcutter. I brought back both and was glad I did.

 

Is that Bourbon Abominable?

 

Yes.