Opinion: Seattle Beer Week: It’s not the ‘it’ list; but it’s OUR list. Where we’re going!

If you’re reading this then your one of the following types of people:

  1. The Undecided. You’ve more than likely procrastinated or have over-planned your Seattle Beer Week schedule. Either way, it’s a safe bet that you’re probably regretting that undecided reservation Hair of the Dog dinner (at Burgundian, May 13th).
  2. The clueless. Seattle Beer Week? What’s a Seattle Beer Week? Sometimes called a n00b, you are someone that has only recently heard about Seattle Beer Week. Either that or you procrastinated your commitments to attend this Festival or that Dinner, during the 10 day celebration of Seattle’s beer scene.
  3. The ‘grass is greener’. You have your list of “must-visit” spots; but you have no idea if you’ve made the right choice. So why not take a look at what others are planning.

Fact is, I don’t really care what category you are. I’m more concerned if you aren’t visiting any bars, drinking at any festivals, or eating at any dinners. Here’s my list of SBW tasks.

May 7th. Pine Box “Pre-Funk”. More than likely I’ll be heading over to 1600 Melrose Avenue, at the foot of the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Afterwards, the organizers and supporters of Seattle Beer Week will walk to the Rheinhaus (formerly Von Trapps), before moving onto the next stop (Beveridge Place Pub). If the liver is willing, we might take a bus or cab to West Seattle, before heading to Brouwer’s Café, The Noble Fir, and finally Naked City.

May 8th. Brouwer’s Café presents Back in Black Stout Fest. Opening their doors at 11:30 AM, Brouwer’s Café will sacrifice over 40 of their beer faucets for some of the ‘dark stuff’. Tentative list looks something like this.

  • Alesmith Kona Coffee Speedway Stout  American Cabernet Oatmeal Stout ’14
  • Ballast Point Bbl Victory at Sea ’14  Black Market Black Hole Sun
  • Black Raven Great Grandfather Imp Stout  Breakside/Stone Braggadocio Knob Creek aged Stout
  • Boneyard Suge Knight ’15  Crux Tough Love ’14
  • Deschutes The Abyss ’13  Double Mountain Chaos Reigns
  • E9/ De Garde Deus Ex Machina Imp. Stout  Elevation Oil Man
  • Elysian BBL Split Shot  Epic Big Bad Baptist ’14
  • Evil Twin Even More Jesus  Evil Twin Xmas Eve at an NYC Hotel Room ’14
  • Firestone-Walker Oaked Parabola ’11  Firestone- Walker XV Velvet Merkin’11
  • Fort George BBL Cavatica  Fremont Coffee Darkstar Imperial Stout ’14
  • Grand Café-Emelisse Russian Imperial Stout ’13  Great Divide Oatmeal Yeti ’08
  • Green Flash Silva Stout ’15  Holy Mountain Rye Milk Stout
  • HUB Brouwer’s 6th Anniversary ’12  Iron Fist Crème Brulee Velvet Glove
  • Lagunitas High Westified Imp Coffee Stout  Laughing Dog Dogfather Imp Stout
  • Laurelwood Wine Barrel Aged Moose and Squirel  Lost Abbey Serpent’s Stout ’12
  • pFriem Imperial Stout  Midnight Sun Berserker ’14
  • Mikkeler Beer Geek Brunch Weasel ’13  Northwest Brewing NW Bourbon Barrel Stout ’13
  • Oscar Blues Ten Fidy ’13  Paradox Dry Hopped Sour Stout
  • Perennial Sump  Silver City Bbl Imperial Stout
  • Skagit River Trumpter Stout  Snipes Mountain Terror in the Wood ’14
  • Sound Brewery Elijah Craig Spleaus Imp Stout  Stone Espresso Imperial Russian Stout ’13
  • Upright Chocolate Stout

Afterwards, assuming we are still upright, we might stop into Naked City Brewery (8564 Greenwood Avenue North) to check out over 20 different nanobreweries.

May 9th. Brewgrass. Starting at 5pm, the Hale’s Ales Palladium will host a unique folk music and beer festival. Look for music from “… The Tallboys, The Warren G Hardings, Porterbelly Stringband, and Jacob Navarro from Spoonshine”. Also, be on the lookout for the following beer:

“Collaborations from Naked City Brewing and Airways Brewing; Hale's Ales and Diamond Knot Craft Brewing; Big Al Brewing and Odin Brewing; Fremont Brewing and Breakside Brewing. Special release beers will be from Oskar Blues Brewery, Big Sky Brewing, 7 Seas Brewing, Farmstrong Brewing, NoLi Brewhouse, 21st Amendment Brewery, Stoup Brewing, Hopworks Urban Brewery, and Laurelwood Brewery”

May 10th. Hoppy Drinks on Tiny Links at Interbay Golf Center (2501 15th Avenue West). If you haven’t heard of a unique event, centered on drinking beer and navigating a min-golf putting course; then a visit is in order. $12 gets you beers, 18 holes (time permitting, based on number of participants), and the reward in knowing you supported a worthy charity. Email joshua@ninkasibrewing.com and bring $12 (per person) cash-only.

May 12th. Dinner with Tomme Arthur at Art of the Table. We’re not entirely sure our reservation has been held, but this event is not to be missed! $195 (yeah, that’s right) get’s you 8 courses, paired with 8 (uber-rare) Lost Abbey beers. In the kitchen will be 2-time James Beard nominated chef Dustin Ronspies and in the dining room will be award-winning brewers Tomme Arthur. Worse case, we’ll find something else to do and regret the missed opportunity.

May 13th. Shameless self-promotion at Hopvine Pub. Stop by 507 15th Avenue from 7pm to 10pm, while I talk about my photos, my Sierra Nevada Beer Camp Isle of Dr. Mandarin Ginger Mandarin Ale, and how you can be a craft beer advocate. Or … don’t come and I’ll enjoy more beer for myself.

May 14th. Brouwer’s Café presents Sourfest. If you’ve never tried or heard of a sour, this would be an awesome opportunity. From opening (11:30am) and running into the late evening, Brouwer’s Café will showcase over 65 different wild ales and sours, for you to torture your stomach with. Take our advice, if you choose to partake, take an antacid prior to showing up. For a complete draft list, visit their event on the Seattle Beer Week website, http://seattlebeerweek.com/events/1245-SOURFEST.

May 15th. Mariners vs. Red Sox. You thought I was going to list another Seattle Beer Week event? Nope. Believe it or not, I’m also a baseball fan. What better way to take a break from celebrating the beer scene, than visiting Safeco Field for a firkin tapping from a nearby brewery.

May 16th. Brewers Breakfast at Burgundian. Stop by 2253 North 56th Street, order some chicken and waffles, while sipping on a beer from the guest brewers. This year, be on the lookout for the following breweries:

  • Sound Brewing             Backwoods Brewing
  • Pike Brewing                 The Ram Brewery
  • Epic Ales                        Melvin Brewing
  • Ballast Point Brewing  Fremont Brewing

May 17th. Rest! Like the mighty biblical figure, we will more than likely be resting as God intended it!

If these ideas don’t help at all, then we advise you check out the Seattle Beer Week website below.

http://seattlebeerweek.com/events