Seattle Brewery Tour: Ballard

The Emerald City is full of options for trying some of the best beer in America. Washington State has over 200 independent breweries and many choose Seattle as their home. Yakima Valley is one of the biggest producer of hops in the world and luckily it is in our backyard.

Neighbors, just like Seth Rogen and Zac Efron.

The craft brewery industry brought over $6 billion to Washington last year and continues to grow. If you live in Seattle, you've probably noticed. New breweries pop up on street corners as often as Belltown gets a new apartment building, but you won't see us complaining, we can drink beer allll day, every day (we don't because that isn't socially acceptable though unfortunately). But what we can do (all for the sake of research) is spend the next year traveling to every corner of the city to get you all the information you need to make informed decisions about our local beer.

Part one of the craft series is focusing on Ballard, which, in our opinion, holds some of the best beer in the city. Here are our four favorites.

Stoup Brewing

Stoup, named after a Scottish drinking vessel, is fairly new to the brewery scene, opening in 2013. We are a little biased about our love of their beer since 50% of the brain power behind this operation is female. Robyn Schumacher was Washington States first female Cicerone and she is killing it at Stoup. She and her partner built the brewery on their love of science and beer, and you can taste it.

Our favorite: Citra IPA.

Reuben's Brews

Reuben's entered the scene in 2012. Back then it was a lot smaller, with a metal bowl of pretzels and a short list of beers on the wall. Fast forward to today and they are one of the most popular craft breweries in the city. Getting a seat on the weekend in their expanded space is difficult, but the wait is worth it. Sitting in the sun with a Reuben's brew in your hand is a pretty good way to spend a Saturday afternoon...or Sunday...or Monday...or Tuesday... or

Our favorite: Gose Sour Ale

Peddler Brewing Company

Peddler Brewing has great beer, but they win their spot on this list because of their space. For Seattle, this place is yuuuggeee. They have taps in the front, along with seating, but don't stop here, head out back and take advantage of their many games and giant yard full of communal picnic tables. Bond over beers with strangers by playing a game of cornhole/bags/whatever you call it where you are from or giant Jenga under their string lights.

Our favorite: Earl Gray Blonde Kombucha Sour

Hale's Ales

Hale's is the wise old papa bear of breweries in Ballard, hell in Seattle. Mike Hale opened Hale's Ales in 1983, and they are still running as an independently owned shop. That makes them the longest running operation in the NW and for that, we show respect. Their place might not have a modern logo or creative tap handles, but they pour good beer and their brewers know their stuff. 

Our favorite: Supergoose IPA

There are a few other breweries in the neighborhood, but if we have to pick, these are the ones. Let us know your favorites in the comments. Cheers! 

All four breweries within walking distance. Sunday Funday? Challenge accepted.

Moore Coffee

Sitting inside the historic Moore Theater and Hotel in downtown Seattle is a little coffee shop with epic lattes. Moore Coffee has become a destination for a cup of joe in the last year or so due to their creatively cute latte art.

I mean, you saw that picture and your heart melted a little, right? When you combine drawings of adorable animals with really delicious, well done coffee, in a city like Seattle, you are bound for Yelp and Instagram fame. Nice play, Moore, nice play. 

We took our local coffee expert and ex-barista friend, Tristan, on a mission to see if the coffee stood up to standard, or if you are just going to get a cute animal drawn in your foam for an okay-ish latte. As we ordered our coffees we could tell he was cringing at the thought of getting some cutesy animal drawn in his coffee, but our excitement won him over in the end (we think). They delivered the cups one-by-one, and we oo-ed and ahh-ed over each one as it came out (they don't take requests, so the unveiling as you get your order is half the fun). 

"Omg! A kitty!!!" (Tristan trying not to die of embarrassment).

"WOW!! A bear!" (Tristan about to run out of the coffee shop).

"OOo, what's this one?? NO! An elephant. This is too much!" (Tristan resigns to his humiliation and drinks his elephant coffee).

In the end, he admitted they made a decent latte and we enjoyed our cups on their outdoor patio. Now you can go to Moore Coffee with high expectations and the promise that you will not only enjoy the coffee, but the adorable animal drawn in your foam too. AND they don't just make animal lattes, they also have savory and sweet waffles on the menu that look like something we could definitely be on board with. 

So head over to 2nd Ave and just resign to the delight that is having a bear saying hi written in your coffee. You know you want to.

Seattle's Best Sustainable Restaurants

Remember when we used to eat Cap'n Crunch and Spicy Hot Cheetos and didn't know that they would eventually kill us? Aww, those were the days. Now we have all this evidence (damn you science) that tells us we should probably be eating more like the Flintstones (sans Moonshine, boo, they take away all the good stuff!) and less like Saved By the Bell. And, lucky for us, we live in this awesome place that really takes this seriously. We have lots of restaurants who put organic/local/sustainable/all other healthy buzzwords inserted here at the top of their list of priorities. Double lucky for us that this food usually tastes better. We picked our favorite spots around the city that serve delicious and sustainable food. 

And just for the sake of clarity we will leave the definition of sustainable and delicious here: 

Sustainable: adjective  sus·tain·able \sə-ˈstā-nə-bəl\ involving methods that do not completely use up or destroy natural resources

Delicious: adjective  de·li·cious \di-ˈli-shəs\ very pleasant to taste

Photo credit: Local 360 Instagram

Local 360 is a Belltown spot that sources almost all of their ingredients from places within a 360 radius of the city. Recommendation: The fried chicken will make you feel like you can live forever.

Stumbling Goat in Phinney Ridge has an atmosphere that feels like home and ingredients that came from the organic farm around the corner (well not literally, but you get it).  

Homegrown this sandwich shop crafts some legit sammies. Plus they really do make sustainability their #1 priority. Recommendation: Bacon, Egg, and Beechers for breakfast or the BLT for lunch!

Mashiko was the first fully sustainable sushi restaurant in Seattle. Hajime serves up creative, authentic and sustainable sushi in West Seattle and also offers sushi cooking classes! Recommendation: Nami Omakase is a ton of food at a great value.  

Tilth is one of the many restaurants in Seattle you can find a James Beard award winning chef who cooks up mouth watering food. It is beautifully presented and a bit pricey, but you get high end ingredients you don't have to feel any guilt chowing down on. Recommendation: Pan seared scallops

Portage Bay Cafe is not only sustainable, but quite possibly one of the happiest places to eat on earth. Recommendation: 1. Go for brunch. 2. Get the Pancakes or French Toast which will gain you access to the best toppings bar you've ever seen. 3. Go to town. 

Photo Credit Top Left: Mashiko, Top Right: Portage Bay, Bottom Left: Tilth, Bottom Right: Stumbling Goat

Try Before You Buy: 4 Seattle Wine Shops with Tastings

Remember when we were younger and fussy about eating new things? My mom always told me to try something first before deciding if I hated it. As I grew, so did my palate. I stopped rejecting onions and hot sauce simply because I finally gave them a try. Over time these flavors became important, and even desirable for me.

Wine is as varied as food when it comes to what appeals to people. A delicious soave for me will taste astringent to another. So it makes good sense to try many varietals and styles of wine as you learn what appeals to you.

However, wine can be an expensive hobby. We can learn the primary varietal characteristics and hope that a bottle featuring that grape lives up to its promise. While we can’t guarantee every bottle or vintage, we can taste. I believe that wine shops that feature customer tastings are the real heroes of the Novice Wine Drinker. So here are four small bottle shops in Seattle that offer patrons a chance to try a few sips before diving right in to a whole bottle (or case!) purchase.

Wine selections at Bin 41

Bin 41, West Seattle

Located in the West Seattle Junction, Bin 41 is a beautiful, well-stocked wine shop that focuses on client service. The proprietors will walk you through your menu and help find the best-paired wine from their collection. They offer weekly themed tastings on Thursdays for $5, with the fee rolled into whatever bottle purchase you ultimately make. The wine stock is centered on small production, family-operated wineries.

Pro Tip: Love animals? So do the owners, so much so that they routinely donate proceeds from their own wine and special fundraising events to animal rescue organizations.

Tasting room at Portalis

 Portalis, Ballard

Near to my heart, this is my neighborhood wine shop. I often walk down and have been seen lugging a half case the 10 blocks home. Portalis stocks an eclectic mix of wines, beers, and other beverages in the shop’s new home at NW 70th Ave and 15th Ave NW.  Seriously good and rare imports here. Portalis has a beatuful private tasting room replete with referenceable wine region maps. With free tastings Wednesdays through Sundays, you can expect to taste a varietal flight, focus on a certain region, or meet a winemaker. Check the shop’s website often to find out what’s up next.

Pro Tip: Jens of Portalis also owns a wine import company, so if you’re looking for something rare or unusual, he’s a good man to know!

Tasting wines from Tranche Vineyards at Vino Verite

Vino Verité, Columbia City

Recently relocated from Capitol Hill to the bustling main street of Columbia City, Vino Verité is Columbia City’s only dedicated wine shop. Here the owners are laser focused on value for their selections: Wines that are both delicious AND at the right price points. Thursday are tasting nights with complimentary pours of about five wines between 5-8 pm. Frequented by a mixture of walk-ins and regulars, the shop has taken hold in the neighborhood over the past year. I left with what promises to be a glorious bottle of Grüner Veltliner — how could I not?

Pro Tip: Every single wine on the shelves has been tasted and verified as DELICIOUS so you won’t buy any duds here. Good wine AND good value!                

Madrona Wine Merchants, Madrona

Back when I lived on Capitol Hill, Madrona Wine Merchants was a wonderful weekend walking destination. Tucked into a small shop on 34th Ave, they always seemed to have something open to taste. The owners really like to showcase the wines they love with the neighborhood and enjoy sharing “true bargains” with their loyal clientele. I have never been disappointed with their weekend tastings and lament the fact I don’t get over to that side of town as frequently anymore.

Pro Tip: These gents focus on wine producers with deep respect for both their craft and the land, whether that’s sustainable farming, biodynamic practices, or organic wine making. For the conscientious wine collector, Madrona Wine Merchants is a great choice.

 All four shops advertise their tasting schedules on their websites and offer email newsletter updates. If you live in Seattle, I encourage you to give your neighborhood shop a swirl and a sip. From out of town? These are great places to learn more about Seattle’s wine culture. Salud!

Amy L. Dickson is a communications professional, freelance writer, and contributor to Rain or Shine Guides. She’s currently training at the NW Wine Academy for her Level 1 sommelier certification. Follow her at @amyldickson75