Seattle Breweries/Pubs... What to hit???

[badczech]

Greetings...

I'm heading up to Seattle for New Year's Eve. Since I have several days to kill... what are the best spots to check out (nothing too touristy) when it comes to micros and brewpubs.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[newportstorm]

Here's one brew tour ordered by their weighted rank on the site:
http://beeradvocate.com/beerfly/city/18/

And another:
http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowTour.asp?TourID=8

Cheers!

[BrewDog]

Also check out the Snoqualmie Falls Brewery (http://www.fallsbrew.com). Great little microbrewery. They make some great beers. It's a little more than about a half hour east of Seattle (I90). This place is about as anti-touristy as you can get. It's basically a loading dock.

[CampAjohn]

I second Brew Dawg's pointing you toward Snoqualmie Falls Brewing. As long as your are going out I-90, the Issaquah Brew House in town of that name, half-way between Seattle and Snoqualmie. It is a branch of Rogue Brewery in Oregon. I would put The Elysian on Pike St. at the top, for their great brews. I would not bother with Far West Ireland...the brewery is separated from the pub now, a messy divorce perhaps. Brouwers is interesting for their many Belgiums on tap and bottled, and for interesting decor: Spanish Inquisition Modern meets Northwest Outdoors. McMemiman's Queen Anne is a good sample of that other brew Mecca, Portland.

[Grog]

Brouwer's is worth the trip just for the Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard on tap. They also have the Oak Aged Yeti and several NW ales on tap (especially IPA's). A nice way to get a sampling of much of the area's micros.

[dminnery]

As a seattle newbie, I recommend Big Time near the university. They have some great beers and usually have one hand pumped cask. Too bad, you just missed the octoberfest, it was a lot of fun.

[batkins]

In Seattle, go to Brouwer's, Elysian and Big Time.

I'd highly suggest a trip to Mulkiteo (sp?), where Diamond Knot is located. Great beers, great little brewery.

The previously mentioned Rogue Brewery, in Issaquah, is where Arlen Harris brews now. He was previously the brewer for LaConner and Rogue (Eugene). The man never makes a bad beer, so if you get a chance definately seek him out.

Have fun! :D

[mmmBeer...]

I spent quite a few evenings at bigtime last fall when I was there. They have one night where you can purchase your pint glass to keep and refills are less expensive.

[Big Cat]

The best in seattle is The Elysian on capital hill. You will HAVE to go there.

Another place worth checking out isn't a brewpub but....oh shoot I forgot the name. Anyone now the name of the place that bottleworks oppend in Fremont? Anyway if you are here ask at bottleworks on 45th and they can tell you the name of thier pub in fremont. They have a ton of Belgians on tap...and I meen a ton.

[Arassuil]

While in downtown Seattle, I enjoyed the Pike brewhouse near Pike Place Market, the Taphouse on 6th Ave (with 160 taps!), and especially the Uber Tavern!

South of town in Renton, I enjoyed the Whistlestop Ale House and the Dog and Pony Ale House as they had a great selections The Dog & Pony had a good $3.25 pint happy hour between 3 & 6PM.

The old Giants Causway is now open as Finnegan's. I liked the place because they served the brews in the full 568ml pint glasses! Across Williams street was the Williams street, which has a cool ice-bar to set your glass on. Their brew selection has gone down though, with Mannys being the highlight. It was best to get Mannys at D.C.'s on 3rd Ave, especially on Monday as it was $2.50 Mannys Mondays. Better yet is the next night when it was $2 Tuesdays! Yep, two bucks for any pint. Hope thats still on when I visit in June!

[iahebert]

If you're into Variety, the Taphouse is pretty good, as Arassuil said, there are 160 taps. There's a brewpub on the fremont/ballard border called Hales ales. They have a nitro HSB (Hales Special Bitter) that is magical.

There are 3 different Elysian places in town, and while the capital hill one is nice (bigger for sure), the one up in tangle town (55th and meridian) is pretty nice too.

Also there is the Pyramid brewery across the street from the stadiums and if you want to go to a ho-hum brewery, Redhook is in woodinville, about 25 miles east of seattle.

For pubs that don't make their own beer, i'd definitely recommend Brouwers as has been mentioned before, good beer, great food as well as a little spot called the Hilltop Alehouse, up on Queen Anne Ave. While there (or anywhere you can find it) you must try the bounday bay IPA. Best beer ever!

[iahebert]

I like that after i replied, i read the initial post date of 9/2005. Go me!

[hits forehead with hand]

[Arassuil]

No worries! Its good to keep the info up-to-date! :)

[RimChamps]

I love what the folks at Georgetown Brewing are doing. Great bear and unbelievable customer service.

[beersage]

Brouwer's is worth the trip just for the Oak Aged Arrogant Bastard on tap. They also have the Oak Aged Yeti and several NW ales on tap (especially IPA's). A nice way to get a sampling of much of the area's micros.

They also should be coming out with Brouwer's Share Imagination Ale? or something to that effect in bottles this summer. Lost Abbey won a medal for it at the World Beer Cup.