Elliott Bay Brewing Company announces the limited-edition release of Bramble On, a bottle-conditioned black cap raspberry sour.
If you start up an impromptu conversation about the best, barrel-aged, breweries in the Seattle or Greater Seattle area, you will get a starting lineup featuring everything from foeder-barrel-aged Saisons to whiskey or bourbon barrel-aged stouts. But, there's one brewery name you won't hear in the same breath as a Holy Mountain or Fremont Brewing Company - Elliott Bay Brewing Company.
Long associated with a family-friendly atmosphere, coupled with traditional pub fare, paired with locally-brewed beers and regional wines, Elliott Bay Brewing Company is as reliable as a comfortable pair of shoes or your best friend. But what they haven't been known for is their limited-edition, barrel-aged beers. If you ask any of EBB’s brewers, they will more than likely shrug off any sharp critiques and instead point to their breadth of beers ranging from Demolition Imperial India Pale Ale to their latest experimental Hazy or New England-style India Pale Ale, as well as their barrel-aged sours or stouts.
But now and then, one of their brewers, known for his iconic Oakland A's cap, will move you to the bar and introduce you to the latest beer from barrel-aging program. That's right, the brewery has a barrel-aging program, and they aren't just making Whiskey barrel-aged Imperial Stouts. Chances are you've seen one or two beers on the chalkboard with descriptors like Sour or Whiskey aged. If sounds familiar, then you'll be excited to hear that the brewery is releasing a limited edition beer, in the bottle and on draft. Named by the brewer with the iconic A's cap, Bramble On is Dan Ashley's latest tribute beer to traditional styles from Belgium and Classic Rock.
Like traditional British ales or German lagers, the Flanders-style is diverse, ranging from the commercial Rodenbach to the holy grail of beers, Brouwerij Westvleteren Westvleteren XII. Inspired by those who still call the Flander's region home, Dan Ashley sought the help of Willamette Valley Oregon farm Stahlbush Island Farms, to supply black cap raspberries from the Oregon valley. The result of this marriage between Flanders-style sour ale and black cap raspberries, and bottle-conditioned for five months, is a beer having a "strong fruity flavor and a beautiful, deep purple hue."
Available in 500 ml bottles or on draft, Bramble On might challenge your perception of one of Seattle's oldest brewpubs. Look for a limited run of 100 bottles to be made available at all three Elliott Bay locations with The Brother Barrel offering a chance to "try before you buy."
Elliott Bay Brewing Company has three locations, in Seattle's West Seattle and Lake City neighborhoods as well as in Burien. In addition to these locations, the brewery has a sister pub, The Brother Barrel is located adjacent to Elliott Bay Brewing Company's Lake City location, at 12535 Lake City Way NE.
For more information, including hours, current food and drink menus, visit https://www.brotherbarrel.com/ or https://www.elliottbaybrewing.com/.
About Elliott Bay Brewing Company
Elliott Bay Brewing Co. is a family-owned company of high-quality neighborhood brewpubs in communities throughout the Seattle metro area. Our two owners, Todd Carden and Brent Norton, met in 1994 while working for the iconic Maritime Pacific Brewing Company in Ballard. They forged a friendship and explored their common goal and dream of owning and operating their own brewpub. In November 1996 they signed their first lease and began construction of a brewpub in the historic "Junction" of West Seattle. They opened the Elliott Bay Brewery and Pub for business on July 11, 1997.
Since it's inception, Elliott Bay Brewing Company has been a leader in sustainability, philanthropic support, and instrumental in creating an amazing sense of community in the neighborhoods which it serves. Each of our three brewpubs are certified Organic—fostering our commitment to our environment and farmers who support our common goals.
Todd and Brent are passionate about creating environments where products and service are crafted by professionals who love what they do, and where everyone in our community is welcome. With over 30 years of combined store operations, and literally hundreds of thousands of customers passing through our doors, we have remained focused on doing things the right way.
Full disclosure: One of us is a member of the Elliott Bay Brewing Company mug club membership. The brand, its staff, and ownership have not compensated me for this article. The following article was written voluntarily after receiving a formal Press Release.
Update: The previous article mentioned blackberries as the fruit included in this beer. It has since been updated to reflect the use of black cap raspberries.
