This past Thursday, under a gloomy, rain-filled afternoon in January, Fair Isle Brewing finally opened their doors to eager fans. The reward for those who packed the doorway, the chairs, tables and countertop space was a list of beers unique to the Ballard neighborhood. But already many reading might make the case that Ballard already has a brewery (or two) like Fair Isle, but this ignores the fact that no brewery in Ballard currently focuses, exclusively, on rustic or mixed-culture ales.

First announced in 2016, by founders Andrew Pogue and Geoffrey Barker, Fair Isle Brewing gets its name from the traditional knitting technique, and focuses on mixed-culture and wild beers, like Saisons, Grisettes, Bier de Garde, “Farmhouse”, or American-style sour beers. 

Starting with a partnership with Jester King (Austin, TX), Andrew and Geoffrey scaled their collaborative efforts as cooperative homebrewers, to educate and experiment with various ingredients sourced both organically and from various traditional suppliers. The result between Andrew, Geoffrey, and Jester King netted them their first release, a low-alcohol “farmhouse” ale, made with fireweed from the Cascades and fermented with both Fair Isle and Jester King’s cultured yeast strain - Fair Voyage. 

Signing a lease agreement in August 2018, Pogue and Barker, in cooperation with North Coast Metal Design and Fabrication, Dolan Built, and Jeunesse Architects, got to work on converting four unique buildings into a brewery, commissary, taproom, and barrel room. As they expected, both Dolan Built and Jeunesse Architects were the perfect fit for Pogue and Barker’s schedule. In between design and building, the foursome invested sweat equity to produce what is now viewable to the public. 

The result is a 15-barrel brewery warehouse, complete with an adjacent bottle conditioning storage area, a commissary or rental space for large party engagements, and a 48 person taproom, complete with takeaway beers from both Fair Isle and guest breweries which complement Fair Isle’s unique style. Besides the 80 person private Orchid room and the 48 person taproom, Fair Isle will have a 40 person beer garden available once the weather transitions from its seasonal rain and cold to a warmer, sunnier, disposition.

The ownership and staff would like to clarify that Fair Isle’s taproom, beer garden, and private room, are exclusive to ages 21 and over and also prohibits pets because of King County food licensing requirements. Call it the unfortunate side-effect of Washington state liquor laws but in order for the brewery to feature both in-state and out-of-state wineries, cideries, or breweries, it required a Tavern license. For the time being, there are no plans to change this and the staff and ownership hope you will still visit. 

During a rare opportunity to experience the beers first hand, Fair Isle Brewing’s draft list consisted of:

• Madam R. Galle. “Our standard saison inspired by our favorite Wallonian saisons.”

• Petra. “Our standard saison, dry hopped with our rotating brewer’s choice hop - Hallertau Blanc.”

• Bobbi. “A saison brewed and dry hopped with new world hops - Loral, Citra, and Mosaic.”

• Eliot. “A petit saison brewed with Einkorn, an Ancient Wheat.”

• Winona. “A departure from our typical yeast profile, we bring you tart saison brewed with spelt.”

• Sadie. “A doughy saison brewed with equal part barley and wheat.”

In addition to these the following guest beers, cider, and wines were available:

• Les Pouches. Chenin Blanc.

• Calarius. Orange Puglia.

• Cantina Furlani. Rosso Negrik.

• Sete. Niero Buono.

• Stevens Winery. 424.

• Heater Allen / Modern Times. Rauch Tentbier.

• Wayfinder. Czech Pilsner.

• Art + Science. Symbiosis Cider/Wine Hybrid.

Doors are now open with hours starting Wednesday - Friday from 3 pm to 10 pm, and Saturday - Sunday from 12 pm to 10 pm. For more information, including their social media accounts and other news, visit https://www.fairislebrewing.com/. Fair Isle Brewing is located at 936 NW 49th Street in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood.