seattle – Page 2 – thebeergeek.com

I was very excited a few months ago when the Seattle Sounders v. Manchester United exhibition match was announced. Not that Seattle’s beer scene wasn’t enough of a reason to make a trip to the Pacific Northwest, but seeing our first ever Sounders match against one of the best teams in the world was the push we needed to schedule our first visit to the Emerald City since the Year in Beer.

We had the afternoon to kill before the match so naturally we occupied our time with beery pursuits. Planning the brewery stops on this trip proved somewhat difficult and the first stop, Fremont Brewing, was a good example of this. They have an Urban Beer Garden, where they open up the brewery to visitors and pour their beer. Normally this would be a good thing, but the limited opening hours didn’t fit into the rest of our schedule. Luckily, Fremont Brewing also has regular drop in hours where people can pick up bottles, growlers and kegs. So that’s what we did.

We arrived right at around noon. Standing in their small tasting room/retail shop we could see the brewery workers busily plying their trade. One worker was able to take a moment to pour us a few samples–Universal Pale Ale, Solstice Ale and Interurban IPA. I knew that this was going to be quick stop, but after tasting the samples, I was doubly disappointed that we couldn’t fit the Urban Beer Garden into our schedule. We quickly grabbed bottles of the Solstice Ale and IPA and were back out the door in under ten minutes.

Lunch was next on the agenda so Merideth and I made the short journey from Fremont Brewing to Brouwer’s Café. Seattle’s world-famous beer bar was sparsely crowded as Merideth and I grabbed two seats at the bar. Scanning the beer list, I have to admit I was a tad disappointed in the range of Washington beer choices. There were some excellent brews on the draft list but I just didn’t feel inspired. I started with the Big Time Perspective IPA, a nice brew with a refreshing citrus sherbet flavor. Merideth began with Elite Pilsner from American Brewing. I followed my IPA up with another IPA, the same Boundary Bay IPA I had the previous day at the brewery.

When traveling, our usual normal healthier eating goes out the door, especially when bacon is on the menu. Merideth went with the Brouwer’s Speakeasy, a turkey sandwich with bacon. My bacon-y treat was the sandwich special, a BLT with heirloom tomatoes. Both were quite pork-a-licious!

After a quick visit to the Theo chocolate factory for desert, we were on our way to our last stop before heading to downtown Seattle for the Sounders match. Driving to Naked City Brewery and Taphouse we came across a sign in front of a corner market that said “Tap Room & Growler Fills.” Curious, Merideth and I popped into Chuck’s 85th St. Market.

Tucked into the back of what looks like a typical neighborhood convenience store was a slice of craft beer heaven. On top of a pretty amazing bottled beer selection, Chuck’s had nine taps pouring local craft beer as well as a few national craft players. While checking out Chuck’s beer selection including his private stash, I indulged myself with a pint of Skagit River Del Rio Lager. Even the plastic cup didn’t deter me from thinking Chuck’s was a cool place.

We only had time at Naked City for a quick taster set. The five beers were some of the most eclectic of the trip ranging from Ewige Liebe Amber Weizen to Cherry Pi (a Kriek) to Double Header Oaked Imperial IPA. However, I’m not sure we were in the right mood to do eclectic. I was particularly excited about the Kriek when I saw it on the menu, but it had more of a raisin quality than cherry, which was a bit disappointing. Our favorite turned to be an IPA sample that the owner poured from the fermenter. Hopefully, on our next visit to Seattle, we will have time to give Naked City a proper visit.

We arrived downtown a few hours before the Sounders-United match and were hoping to get a quick pint at Collins Pub before the “March to the Match.” Unfortunately, the throngs of fans wandering the downtown area didn’t bode well for getting a beer. Collins Pub was packed and after only a few minutes (and not even getting eye contact from the bartender), we gave up and left.

Denied a pre-match pint, we joined the large crowd of fans already congregated in Occidental Park for the short walk to the stadium. This was my first experience with the rabid support for the Sounders. As someone who dates his support of American professional soccer to the late 1970s attending Washington Diplomats matches, I found it to be a sight to behold. It brought a tear to my eye and tingles to my spine.

The match really was a tale of two halves. The Sounders’ first team played strong in the first half but couldn’t convert any of their numerous chances. Manchester United went into the half with the 1-0 lead. Mass substitutions by the Sounders after the break and United’s introduction of Wayne Rooney, one of the world’s best players, turned the second half into a farce. United scored six goals on the Sounders’ second and third team including a hat-trick from Rooney. It would have been nice if the Sounders had played better but the experience of our first Sounders match was incredible.

View all the images from the Sounders v. Manchester United match…

Our friend and freelance writer Renee Brincks reports on the Emerald City.
She can be found on the Interwebs at reneebrincks.com

I’ll admit, I’ve got a crush on Seattle. You sometimes see sun, rain and snow all in one day. Flowers bloom even during the winter. Public transportation makes exploring really easy, and each neighborhood has its own coolness and character – plus a few good pubs. I sampled the local beer scene during my first Seattle visit in 2010, and was quick to say yes when a Fremont friend needed a house sitter this February. Thanks to great people I’ve met through beer friends and festivals, I landed at Sea-Tac with a full set of plans.

The view of Seattle from the Columbia Center observation deck

The adventures kicked off when I caught up with Dave of Urban Beer Hikes at Maritime Pacific Brewing. It was my first visit, and the bartender was pouring $3 pints to celebrate the Jolly Roger Taproom’s first anniversary. I had an Islander Pale and a Jolly Roger on cask, and then sampled the special release, vanilla-bean aged Navigator Weizenbock. We soon pulled tables together to accommodate friends like Chris, who writes about beer and such himself, and ordered some snacks. Seattle is a terrific city for cheap nights out, because many bars and restaurants hold twice-daily happy hours with $3 pints, $3-$4 appetizers and other deals. While Maritime’s fried ravioli was my favorite, I couldn’t leave without ordering beer-battered bacon. Wow…yes, it was as unhealthy as it sounds, but tasty.

From there, Dave, Chris and I took the Burke-Gilman Trail to Fremont Brewing’s Urban Beer Garden. When I stopped in last year, the doors were rolled open and summer sunshine streamed in. This evening, the doors were down and a line of beer lovers waited at the taps while others filled every seat in the place. After an Interurban IPA, a few of us made the mile walk to Bottleworks to end the evening with pizza, Big Time saison and a shared bottle of Rodenbach.

The Leary Traveler’s Deschutes dinner featured five well-paired courses

My next big beer outing was a Deschutes dinner at The Leary Traveler. The Traveler has good food (try the open-face breakfast sandwich available on weekends – yum), a good bottle selection, and six regular and four rotating taps. I claimed a corner table with Chris, Dave, who tends bar there, and Dave’s wife Mandy, who works over at Brouwers. The first pour was a surprise: Black Butte XXII. As Mark, the local Deschutes rep, explained, the anniversary beer was scheduled for 2010 release but never hit stores because the chocolate didn’t dissolve correctly. It didn’t hurt the taste – the beer was smooth, with a bit of chocolate and spice – but the visual presentation didn’t meet brewery standards. So, they canceled the release, bottled a few cases and decided to share it only when someone from Deschutes could tell the story and watch the pours.

Five excellent food courses followed, paired with Miss Spelt, Green Lakes Organic Ale, Red Chair and Black Butte. Dessert was the star: a chewy homemade graham cracker dipped in chocolate and toasted sesame seeds, filled with marshmallow, and served with Abyss imperial stout.

Our first Urban Beer Hike stop, The Dray

The highlight of my Seattle trip came a few days later, when Dave and his dog, Link, organized a beer hike for our Deschutes dinner crew and another friend Chris, who also works at The Traveler. Afternoon snowflakes spoiled our West Seattle plans – the city’s public transportation doesn’t always stay on schedule when it snows – so we stayed closer to home. Several soccer fans were watching an Arsenal-Stoke City match when I ordered a Pike IPA at our meeting spot, The Dray. It’s a small bar, and one of those cozy neighborhood places where everyone seems to know each other. We shared a bottle of black label Girarden Gueuze before moving on to 74th Street Ale House. Though the menu listed tempting happy hour appetizers, Link couldn’t come inside, so I had Laurelwood’s Workhorse IPA and we moved on.

After a torta stop at Barriaga Llena, we settled in at Uber. More snow was falling by now, and we warmed up around the fire while sampling – with four-ounce pours for around $2 each, it’s easy to create your own impromptu tasting menu. Then, it was off to Kangaroo and Kiwi. There’s not an extensive beer menu here, but one Chris and I relived our Australian university days over Coopers Pale, he and the other Chris went head-to-head at pool, and we all took third in the bar’s trivia contest. When it ended, we bundled up and went to Park Pub a final stop and a Big Al IPA. Altogether, we walked about three miles, sampled beers from Washington and beyond, and hiked home in three inches of snow – a rare thing for Seattle, I’m told.

While in town, I also stopped by my Capitol Hill favorite, the Stumbling Monk, drank Fremont’s Abominable Ale at People’s Pub, and ate at Molly Moon’s, Top Pot, Paseo and Palace Kitchen. Still, there are several places that I didn’t get to visit, and a few people (Philippe, are you reading this?) I didn’t get to see. That’s the thing about Seattle, though. It always gives you good reasons to return.

Big thank yous to my Seattle friends – especially Charyn, Dave, Mandy, Link and Chris D. – for making my week so fantastic. Even if Dave did make me do a Bart Simpson shot… Thanks to Chris and Merideth, too, for letting me invade their blog.

Tag: seattle

Scarves Up

There’s Something About Seattle…