Visiting Seattle (2020 edition)

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by distantmantra, Jan 2, 2020.

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  1. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Many of us agree that this forum could use an easily searchable/bump-able "I'm visiting Seattle, where should I go?" thread. Here, I'll attempt to cull the consensus "must-hits," along with other highly recommended Seattle breweries, brewpubs, bottle shops & beer bars that appear in this type of BA thread. Locations that offer crowler fills are included. Recommendations & suggestions are encouraged.

    Note: Unlike some other states, Washington has incredibly lenient growler laws. There are some exceptions, but if it's a clean sealable container you can probably have it filled with beer.

    I made some changes from the 2019 thread: Removed BBQ Smith and Bramling Cross. Added Full Throttle, A1 Hop Shop(s), Draft Punk and Hill City. Also added Pint Size Brewing, Best of Hands, Good Society, Fair Isle (fingers crossed) to the new brewery list. We're now stuck with one thread for the whole year so John will be assisting me with edits as needed.

    Highly Recommended "Must-Hit" Breweries (None have food but you can bring in food or purchase from food trucks outside)
    Fremont Brewing (kid friendly)
    Reuben's Brews (kid friendly)
    Holy Mountain Brewing (21+)
    Stoup Brewing (kid friendly)
    Cloudburst Brewing (21+)
    Seapine Brewing (kid friendly)
    Georgetown Brewing (kid friendly)
    Urban Family Brewing (kid friendly)
    Machine House Brewing (kid friendly and mostly just cask beer available)

    Other Recommended Breweries & Brewpubs
    Ravenna Brewing (kid friendly)
    Standard Brewing (21+)
    Rooftop Brewing (kid friendly)
    Lucky Envelope Brewing (kid friendly)
    Old Stove Brewing (kid friendly)
    Big Time Brewery (kid friendly)
    Ghostfish Brewing (all gluten-free) (kid friendly)
    Aslan Taproom (21+)

    New Seattle Breweries (rotating list of new breweries that might not have existed the last time you visited)
    Mirage Beer (No taproom. draft, cans and bottles available around town)
    Floodland Brewing (No taproom. Super limited draft around town. Bottles available to members and some limited public sales)
    Dirty Couch Brewing (Kid friendly. Bottles and draft available around town)
    Obec Brewing (21+)
    Burke Gilman Brewing (Kid friendly)
    Future Primitive (Kid friendly)
    Best of Hands Barrel House (21+)
    The Good Society (kid friendly)
    Pint Size Brewing (no taproom. Weekly can sales and draft randomly available around town)
    Fair Isle (opening soon. we hope.)
    Hellbent Brewing (21+)

    Other, Non-Seattle, Washington Breweries To Look For
    Bale Breaker (package/draft)
    Black Raven (package/draft)
    Chuckanut (draft)
    Engine House No. 9 (package/draft)
    Garden Path (package/draft)
    Matchless (package/draft)
    Propolis (package/draft)
    Skookum (package/draft)
    Structures (package/draft)
    Three Magnets (package/draft)
    Wander (package/draft)

    Highly Recommended Beer Bars
    Beveridge Place Pub (21+)
    Brave Horse Tavern (21+)
    Brouwer's Cafe (21+)
    Burgundian (kid friendly)
    Collin's Pub (kid friendly)
    Cooper's Ale House (21+)
    The Dray (21+)
    Latona Pub (21+)
    The Noble Fir (21+)
    The Pine Box (21+)
    The Park Public House (kid friendly)
    Seattle Beer Company (21+)
    Slow Boat Tavern (21+)
    No Anchor (21+)
    The Stumbling Monk (21+)
    Teku Tavern (21+)
    Toronado Seattle (21+)
    Beer Star (kid friendly)
    Uber Tavern (21+)
    Ounces Taproom & Beer Garden (kid-friendly)
    Hill City Taphouse (kid friendly)

    Highly Recommended Bottle Shops
    The Beer Authority (21+)
    The Beer Junction (21+)
    Full Throttle Bottles (21+)
    Bottleworks (21+)
    Chuck's Hop Shop Central District (kid friendly)
    Chuck's Hop Shop Greenwood (kid friendly)
    Growler Guys (kid friendly)
    The Last Drop Bottle Shop (21+)
    Super Deli Mart (kid friendly)
    Downtown Spirits
    Vine Street Market
    De Laurenti Speciality Food and Wine (kid friendly)
    Draft Punk
    A1 Hop Shop 104th
    A1 Hop Shop 144th

    (A Few) Beer-centric Restaurants
    Just about any decent restaurant in Seattle has an acceptable beer list. Many are more-than-acceptable.
    Bambino's Pizzeria (kid friendly)
    Barking Dog Alehouse (kid friendly)
    Bitterroot BBQ (kid friendly)
    Blue Star Cafe & Pub (kid friendly)
    Giddy Up Burgers (kid friendly)
    Mammoth (kid friendly)
    The Masonry Queen Anne (21+)
    The Masonry Fremont (kid friendly)
    Magnuson Cafe & Brewery (kid friendly)
    Quinn's Pub (kid friendly)
    The Yard Cafe (kid friendly)
    The Shambles (21+)
    Salare (kid friendly)
    June Baby (kid friendly)
    Delancey (kid friendly)
    Lucinda Grain bar

    Curious what's on tap around the city? Not sure where you want to have a beer? Brew Notice is a, web-based, iOS and Android app that tells you when new beers are tapped at many Seattle area bars and breweries.


    I have a Layover at SeaTac Airport. Where can I get a Beer?
    Unlike Portland, the beer options at SeaTac are slim. You should be able to find standard offerings from Bale Breaker, Black Raven, Airways and Fremont alongside Pyramid, Red Hook, Mac and Jacks and the regular airport fare like Sam Adams and Bud Light. There is nowhere that sells bottles or cans to go in the airport and no one offers growler fills. Seriously, PDX is way better when it comes to beer. These are your best options for a pint before your flight.

    Africa Lounge – Main Terminal (A gates)
    Sports Page Pub – Main Terminal (D gates)
    Ballard Beer Hall - D Gates
    Anthony’s – Main Terminal
    Dungeness Bay Seafood House – South Satellite (S Gates)
    Floret by Cafe Flora -- Main Terminal (A Gates)
    Tap & Pour -- A Gates and S Gates
    Mountain Room Bar
    Skillet - N Gates
    Alaska Lounge -- Probably has the best beer selection at the airport, but you have to pay to get in or be a member.

    There really isn't much around the airport. These are your best bets if you want to get out.
    13 Coins - Across the street from the airport
    Sharps Roasthouse - Two blocks from the airport
    If you have a car there is a Total Wine in Tukwila as well as a PCC Community Market in Burien. Or Super Deli Mart in West Seattle. Those are probably the best options for bottles/cans close to the airport.
     
    #1 distantmantra, Jan 2, 2020
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 6, 2020
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  2. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    #2 BuckeyeOne, Jan 2, 2020
  3. walterfredo

    walterfredo Savant (1,032) Nov 22, 2011 California
    Trader

    Might consider adding Skillet (N Gates) to the list for SeaTac Spots. Last month they had 2 taps each of Fremont and Seapine, as well as a few other options.

    This is always a helpful thread!
     
    #3 walterfredo, Jan 2, 2020
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  4. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Thanks! John will have to add it at this point due to the strange editing options we're limited to.
     
    #4 distantmantra, Jan 2, 2020
  5. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    If you're good with the addition to the list, I'll take care of it. Can't really do it from my phone, but can take care of it at the office tomorrow.
     
    #5 John_M, Jan 2, 2020
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  6. blackcloud

    blackcloud Savant (1,243) Apr 28, 2012 Alaska
    Trader

    Might want to remove Bigfoot and the 12 Club while you're at it, as they don't exist right now due to renovation.
     
    #6 blackcloud, Jan 2, 2020
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  7. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Much obliged. I'll take care of that as well.
     
    #7 John_M, Jan 2, 2020
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  8. ewendel

    ewendel Crusader (476) Feb 12, 2008 Washington
    Trader

    @distantmantra, I mos def appreciate you leaving MH off of the "must-hit" list. Keeps the best brewery in town nice and chill.
     
    #8 ewendel, Jan 3, 2020
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  9. Mister_Faucher

    Mister_Faucher Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2014 Washington

    Here's a few more recommendations~

    Breweries------

    Hellbent Brewing, on Seattle's Lake City Way.
    Some good beers and great rotating food trucks.

    Cairn Brewing, a few miles north on Lake City Way in Kenmore (just outside of Seattle and dog friendly)
    Some good beers and rotating food trucks.


    Bottle shops-----

    Hop and Hound, in Bothell (just north of Seattle)
    Great rotating taps, growler fills, nice selection of regional bottles and cans and dog friendly

    The Cave, in Kirkland (East of Seattle)
    Great rotating taps, growler fills, MASSIVE selection of bottles and cans, also ciders and meads.

    Malt and Vine, in Redmond (East of Seattle)
    Great rotating taps, growler fills, large selection of bottles and cans, also ciders and meads.


    Restaurant------

    The Bine, in Bothell (just north of Seattle)
    27 rotating taps and great pub food


    Sorry if there's any repeat info here, I'm just waking up.
     
    #9 Mister_Faucher, Jan 3, 2020
  10. BuckeyeOne

    BuckeyeOne Initiate (0) Mar 9, 2008 Washington

    While these are good recommendations, a decision was made some time ago to limit the list of breweries, bars, bottle shops, etc. to Seattle proper. If we extended the list beyond Seattle, it would quickly grow unmanageable.

    I guess this decision could get revisited but I'd advise against it.
     
    #10 BuckeyeOne, Jan 3, 2020
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  11. Mister_Faucher

    Mister_Faucher Initiate (0) Dec 3, 2014 Washington

    Ok, well I guess just Hellbent then.
     
    #11 Mister_Faucher, Jan 3, 2020
  12. ppilot

    ppilot Zealot (522) Jul 17, 2009 Oregon

    So this was brought up last year as well and there appeared to a lot of support for it from posters, but the mods never really gave a reason why they wouldn't put one of the best cask breweries in the country as a must hit.
     
    #12 ppilot, Jan 3, 2020
  13. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I'm happy to make any changes you guys recommend. I'm not familiar with a lot of the recommended additions, so I need to rely on your suggestions and recommendations. (for example, I'm not at all familiar with Hellbent).

    As for Machine House Brewing, if everyone feels it should be moved onto the "must visit" list, I'll be happy to make the change.
     
    #13 John_M, Jan 3, 2020
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  14. ppilot

    ppilot Zealot (522) Jul 17, 2009 Oregon

    My comment probably came off more confrontational than I intended, but they are must hit in my mind because 1) They are legitimately one of the best breweries in the Seattle and 2) They do something must beer lovers never get a chance to experience.

    I had tried cask beer at certain events here and there, but trying their Best Bitter at the brewery was a completely different experience and one my favorite beer memories in recent years.
     
    #14 ppilot, Jan 3, 2020
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  15. Joshbiir

    Joshbiir Initiate (0) Dec 8, 2016 Washington

    Doesn't need to go in the post but happy to say revel has reopened in Fremont. Just next door to aslan Seattle. Not a beer focused restaurant but really good Korean food with usually a few good local craft beers. Still waiting on their liquor license currently though.

    That now makes a corner of brouwers revel aslan plus a sevenish minute walk to Fremont brewing and fiveish to masonry should be pretty fun for out of town guests.
     
    #15 Joshbiir, Jan 3, 2020
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  16. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Well, I ain't everybody, but I'd say it belongs as a Must-Hit.
     
    #16 BBThunderbolt, Jan 3, 2020
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  17. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    That definitely wasn’t intentional. I didn’t consider moving anyone to another section. Removal and addition was really my only thought when going through. Machine House is phenomenal. And honestly. at this point the varying categories are really pointless. They’re all great.

    I also stand by this being Seattle only. Make an eastside/etc. list if you want. That’s why I’ve got the list of outside the city breweries to look for.
     
    #17 distantmantra, Jan 4, 2020
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  18. IPAs-n-Stouts_OhMy

    IPAs-n-Stouts_OhMy Initiate (0) Dec 19, 2018 Washington

    the Delta Airlines Sky Clubs (near Gate A1 in the main concourse, and near Gate S9 in the South Terminal) also have a couple of taps.

    'Delta Sky Club IPA' brewed by Pike Brewing is a regular staple, with a rotating tap that typically from Sam Adams, plus 2-3 other taps with the usual waste of tap space. I don't remember what was available in bottles.

    taps typically begin flowing at 6A when alcohol can officially be served at SeaTac, though I've seen a beer or two earlier than this on occasion.

    If you're not a member, or travelling international in 1st or Business Class, it'll cost ya to gain entrance. Need to be flying that day on a Delta or Sky Team partner as well.
     
    #18 IPAs-n-Stouts_OhMy, Jan 4, 2020
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  19. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Have updated the OP based on the recommendations posted in this thread.

    The only addition I haven't made (yet) pertains to the Delta Airlines Sky Club. Should that be added? The tap and bottle selection doesn't seem to be anything one would want to go out of their way for, and on top of that you have to be a Sky Club member or pay an entrance fee to visit. I realize the same could be said about the Alaska Lounge, but if it really does have the best beer selection in SeaTac, then it sounds like the sort of place I might want to go out of my way to visit while at the airport. I realize that's a completely subjective call on my part, so if everyone else feels the Sky Club Lounge should be added, I'll be happy to add it.
     
    #19 John_M, Jan 4, 2020
  20. IPAs-n-Stouts_OhMy

    IPAs-n-Stouts_OhMy Initiate (0) Dec 19, 2018 Washington

    Alaska Lounge - I am assuming this is the lounge operated by Alaska Airlines, no?

    If it's a regular place, forgive my ignorance. I was sharing the Delta lounge solely as another option for those who utilize the different airline lounges.
     
    #20 IPAs-n-Stouts_OhMy, Jan 4, 2020
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