Visiting Seattle (Winter 2015 Update)

It's part of their deal with Green Flash. They've been doing these all over the country lately. I've heard we'd start seeing them regularly (draft/bottle) as early as July but maybe not until the Fall.

 

I'm not sure about Thursday, but Pine Box is taping the same list of Alpine Beers on Friday April 3rd

 

I will be in Seattle for just a few hours. Do you guys agree that, since I am a big fan of barrel-aged stouts and porters, Black Raven should be on top of my list of places to visit?
Thanks!

 

Check out their website. Right now the only barrel-aged beer available is La Mort Rouge, a red wine barrel dark Belgian, and it's only available in bottle to go.

http://www.blackravenbrewing.com/

 

Pine Box on Friday I believe.

 

I don't think bottles will be coming. Green Flash only does kegs for them, the bottling line is still at the Alpine location only, and they can hardly provide for the brewpub as is.

edit: looks like GF will bottle the main three, but I still have doubts as to availability.

 

That's just what I heard from a local beer guy in the know. No big deal to me either way.

 

In other news, why is Fremont's The Sister the most expensive tap offering at toronado at $10 a pint? Do they give you a full 4 pack?

 

I had suspected it would happen eventually, just found out yesterday about the Bham event. Also makes me wonder, will the name thing now start to be an issue?

 

I love Toronado and am very happy to have it as a neighborhood bar, but I cannot for the life of me understand some of their beer prices.

 

Pine Box is a place that I pretty much always go to, so there's a good chance I'll visit there when Alpine is on. Any recommendations for what I definitely should make sure I try?

 

In terms of my preference, having lived in San Diego for 6 years:

Keene Idea>nelson>bad boy>expo hoppiness>duet>pure hoppiness>obriens>hoppy birthday

Most of those wont be available however. My wife's favorite is actually Willy Vanilly (willy wheat with vanilla added). If that was on tap at Toronado now, I think she would leave work.

 

They'll have the same stuff as Toronado: Duet, Nelson, Hoppy Birthday, Alpine Pale, Captain Stout and Irish Red. Ie. the beers brewed at the Green Flash facility.

 

The Thursday Alpine event is here (5-8PM)-- we'll also have Duet, Nelson, Hoppy Birthday, Alpine Pale, Captain Stout and Irish Red.

 

I saw that and was wondering if it was a mistake. I mean, that's fucking insane.

 

And that's the list for Bham next week as well.

 

Thank you, Distantmantra!

 

What about Valhöll? I know it isn't as close to downtown Seattle, but I was wondering if it is worth the drive.
Do you guys have good experiences with it?
Thanks,
M.

 

Of what will most likely be there, my favorites are

Hoppy Birthday > Nelson > Duet... everything else.

THOUGH i have never had this Green Flash version of things - so who knows. When its on, Hoppy Birthday is my #2 pale ale ever.

 

Valholl is decent. If you're willing to head over that way, you can put together a nice little group of brewery visits.

 

If you really only have a few hours, just stop by Fremont and Holy Mountain. Fremont has Bbomb on tap still and I'm sure there will be things at Holy Mountain you'll enjoy.

 

Thank you so much!

 

Ah, missed the fact that he was only gonna be here a few hours. Yeah, stick with the Fremont/Ballard areas.

 

Well that information just forced me to reconsider the structure of my entire weekend.

 

The Sister was also recently on tap at Chuck's 85th for the same "unreasonable" price. I recall an explanation a couple months ago from a Chuck's employee, in which it was stated that a percentage-based mark-up was their protocol. By this I think it was meant that if they only got a small amount of bottles, or a small keg, of a given beer, the price for it would accordingly be much higher. By the same token, if they got a lot of bottles, or a big keg, it'd be proportionately lower. From a consumer's perspective, this price fluctuation makes very little sense; and you can vote with your wallet by not paying a hugely marked-up price for a beer you know you can find elsewhere in town (in this case, at Fremont, in a 4-pack) much more cheaply. But from a small business's perspective--like Toronado's or Chuck's--it's considerably less insane. For them it makes a certain amount of sense, I suppose, to charge more--consistently, as a practice--when their particular inventory of something is very small, regardless of what that something is.

 

What is the per can price at Fremont for Sister? It was $3/can where I got it, so just bought one can.

 

$9 for a 4-pack.