Sauced

The 70-Odd Glorious Beers of Belgianfest

They’re big. They’re boozy. They taste like biscuits and banana. And now you can enjoy them in more spacious digs.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Jan 27, 2012 at 10:00AM 0 Comments

Earlier this week the Washington Beer Commission released the beer list for this year’s Belgianfest beer event, happening February 4. If Belgian-style beer is your bag, and for some reason you weren’t already counting the days until next Saturday, this roster should banish your ambivalence.

The list currently boasts 32 breweries from around the state pouring more than 70 beers, from saisons to sours. Some participants, like Poulsbo’s Sound Brewery, produce Belgian-style beers all year ‘round (love both the name and the taste of their Dubbel Entendre). But for other breweries, this fest is a chance to get creative with specially concocted wits, saisons, or various big, boozy, biscuit-tasting beers. Other brewers put a Belgian spin on familiar styles like IPAs.

Washington Beer Blog’s Kendall Jones also notes that next weekend is also a rare chance for Seattleites to sample the wares of Engine House No. 9 brewery, which rarely dispatches its beer beyond its Tacoma brewpub.

It’s only the third year for this gathering of Washington brewers, each brandishing their own version(s) of Belgium’s mighty beers. The last two years sold out so rapidly that organizers moved this shindig from Magnuson Park to the larger Bell Harbor space on Pier 66. I still say waiting until the day of to buy tickets is a risky proposition (plus they cost $5 more at the door). Get ‘em online for $30 for either the afternoon or evening sessions.

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Tags: Beer, Beer Festivals, Belgianfest

Tasting Room Test: Hilliard’s Beer

It’s light, it’s lovely, and good beers are just $4.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Jan 26, 2012 at 12:00PM 1 Comments

Ballard’s new brewery also pours beers three days a week.

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Ballard’s new brewery also pours beers three days a week.

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The chandeliers come courtesy of partner Adam Merkl, who worked at Design Within Reach before leaving to co-found Hilliard’s.

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Both cans and pours will run you $4.

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The rejiggered beer vending machine is just for fun. Sadly you cannot actually buy Hilliard’s beer for 55 cents.

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Merkl also conceived of the herringbone-esque pattern that graces the cans…

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…and the bathroom. OK, fine: the can.

When Hilliard’s Beer opened its tasting room in October, the Ballard brewery didn’t have a sign. Now a 55-gallon drum painted with the logo sits outside (it’s less likely to fall over than an A-frame sign). And the word “BEER” is painted on the facility’s outside wall, the former service garage for Nelson Chevrolet.

There, people. What more do you want—a hand-lettered invitation?

While it’s a few blocks removed from the glutton’s row of excellent new bars and eateries populating Ballard Avenue, Hilliard’s kind of feels like a discovery. The taproom is a rare place where straight-up production commingles with artfully unstuffy furnishings and some great beer. On weekends it’s not uncommon to see a food truck parked outside (right now Snout and Co. is there Saturdays from 4-9).

Right now you can drink the brewery’s two mainstsays: a saison and an amber ale, both available only in tallboy form. Four other beers are on draft, including a pilsner dubbed Hil’s Pils, a Cast Iron Stout, and the brewery’s Regimental Scottish Blonde. Apparently “regimental” is the term for “going commando in a kilt.” That newfound knowledge alone made my visit a success. Hilliard’s also does an ESB, though in this case the acronym denotes an Extra Special Belgian, fermented with the same yeast as the saison.

The interior is spare and surprisingly light for a brewery, thanks to banks of lofty windows and many a coating of white paint. In the tasting room, a pair of surprisingly sleek chandeliers, modern productions of an Italian design from mid-century, preside over some tables, chairs and rugs that appear to be dragged out of the nearest basement rec room. Other seating is basically a concrete slab. And yet the whole thing works work quite well together.

There’s no happy hour here, but each can or draft pint of beer costs a reasonable $4. Right now founders Adam Merkl and Ryan Hilliard (the namesake and the brewer) open the doors on Thursday and Friday from 3 to 10pm, and Saturday from noon to 10. The space draws in neighborhood folk and beer geeks, some of whom drift over from tiny nearby brewery NW Peaks. Another major bonus in familyriffic Ballard: This place is all ages. The guys do have plans to take things 21-and-over later at night, and bring in some local bands for live music.

Bars and breweries around the state are embracing microbrews in cans, but Hilliard’s is a rare establishment that deals entirely in cans and kegs. No bottles here. The machinery on site can fill 24 cans per minute, and as you sip your beer, you can eye the pallets of empty cans, stacked to the ceiling as they await. Hilliard and Merkl placed an original order of 150,000 specially printed cans when the brewery started production, and estimate they’ve filled nearly 30,000 cans.

If you can’t make it to the taproom, Hillard’s beers are increasingly appearing in beer-oriented bars around the city, including Montana, The Upstairs, Locol, Brave Horse Tavern, The Publican, and newcomer Bitterroot BBQ. Another big milestone happens February 1, when the amber and saison will start appearing in area Whole Foods—$8.99 for a four-pack of tallboys.

Hit up the slideshow for more shots of the tasting room, including a vending machine repurposed to dispense beer.

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Tags: Beer, Tasting Rooms, Seattle Beer, New Seattle Breweries, New Seattle Breweries, Hilliard's Beer

Another New Beer Destination

You will want to eat at the Wurst Place, and you most certainly will want to drink at the Wurst Place.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Jan 19, 2012 at 10:04AM 0 Comments

Photo: Lucas Anderson

What’s on tap for the Wurst Place in South Lake Union? A lot of good beer.

It remains to be seen whether the ales at the Wurst Place prove as tantalizing as the ones at fellow newcomer Urban Family Public House, but all signs indicate the Wurst will be a worthy drinking destination.

For starters, there’s this: “If we sampled 600 or 700 sausages,” says owner Bob Liptak of the honing of his meaty menu, “we probably sampled 1,500 beers.” The ones that got a thumbs up will rotate through 20 taps. The selection—heavy on Germans or Belgians, with a “focus on good Pacific Northwestern beers” and other domestic varieties—will change often, but you can expect a couple of staples.

When I first interviewed Liptak about his plans last April, he envisioned populating his bar with hard-to-find gems. When the Wurst Place does open (should happen any day now), some of the intoxicants you might find are: Piraat, Scotch de Silly, Green Flash IPA, Emelisse Imperial Russian Stout, Val-Dieu Grand Cru, Gulden Draak, and Pink Killer. Consider me tickled.

“Anyone can pull a tap,” continued Liptak, but the barkeeps here will engage in “beertending.” So expect them to dispense the type of erudite info beer geeks savor.

Growlers are part of the program, but they’re not intended for the rarer ales. Liptak wants to ensure all bargoers get a chance at those—something only a true beer advocate would consider.

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Tags: Beer, Bar Openings, Belgian Beer, The Wurst Place

First Look: Urban Family Public House

A most comfortable Ballard beer bar with a serious list of Belgians and no attitude.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Jan 16, 2012 at 08:55AM 6 Comments

Owner Tim Czarnetzki says he hates the jumbled look of beer taps. In their place: a row of spare manila tags. Each one bears the name of the beer, its corresponding number on the menu, and a reminder about which type of glass to use.

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Owner Tim Czarnetzki says he hates the jumbled look of beer taps. In their place: a row of spare manila tags. Each one bears the name of the beer, its corresponding number on the menu, and a reminder about which type of glass to use.

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More tables are planned for the center of the room.

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The blackboards operate on a pulley system, and will tell you everything you need to know about what’s available.

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The owners added a giant cooler (the layout is almost identical to The Sexton next door) and built an actual brick wall in front of it.

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The opening beer list. Yow.

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Owners Tim Czarnetzki and David Powell met as housemates in DC. They apparently spent plenty of hours drinking beer on the house’s porch swing, recreated in the bar’s front window.

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An ice box from the late 1930s stores the beer-centric glassware.

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The owners asked friends to decorate a long shelf space with items that were important to them.

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Each beer has its designated glassware, bearing a logo created by a designer friend.

On Saturday night, a couple sat down next to me at the bar at Urban Family Public House, Ballard Avenue’s newest beer destination. She asked for a chardonnay; he wanted whatever came the closest to a light beer. The chardonnay wasn’t a problem, but the server was slightly challenged to find a beer one could honestly describe as light.

It was the pub’s second night in business, and owners Tim Czarnetzki, David Powell and Sean Bowman have posted a Belgian-centric beer list, full of strong, yeasty and sometimes delightfully sour beers. Some of the 25 taps are familiar, like Upright’s 4 and Saison Dupont. Others were intoxicatingly new: A Femme Fetale sour ale from Bend, Oregon’s Boneyard Beer Company, and the jauntily named Before, During, and After Christmas beer from the even more jauntily named Evil Twin brewery in Denmark (there’s a good story there; ask the bartender).

The spare space is designed for exploring; the restaurant has no bottle or can list, and the lightest (read: safest) beer on offer is Belgium’s St. Bernardus wit, which still packs a good amount of yeasty flavor. But most of the bar’s occupants whiled away the night just sitting around with their variously shaped beer glasses, talking, hanging out and treating the space like any old watering hole. There’s even a TV, something you won’t see at a snootier sort of beer joint. And…it was tuned to football on my Saturday night visit.

The titular “Urban Family” doesn’t refer to the scores of actual families who populate Ballard, but the close-knit groups of young adults (and just plain adults) that often become just as much a support system as one’s blood relations. Czarnetzki and Powell, both big homebrewers, met as housemates in Washington, DC. Czarnetzki arrived at the house via a Craigslist ad and later convinced his fellow beer-loving roommate to come out to Seattle. Bowman, who grew up with Czarnetzki, is in the process of moving here from Florida.

Urban Family is also in the process of hiring a brewer to produce some small batches of house beer to join the mighty tap list. The establishment expects to start its own brewing in the spring. In yet another charming idiosyncrasy of our state’s liquor laws, the bar is 21 and over until brewing begins on premises.

But back to that couple, and their chardonnay and light beer. I listened unobtrusively, more focused on my Bellegems Bruin, as the couple spouted maxims guaranteed to make the bartender at an uber-geeky Belgian beer bar cringe: “I don’t like strong beer,” “that sounds like it has a lot of alcohol,” and my favorite “these sorts of beers usually have too many flavors going on for me.” Instead of twirling his mustache and glaring through his monocle (of which he had neither), the server engaged the pair in a friendly conversation about beer and served up no fewer than five different samples of styles he thought they might actually enjoy. And when they failed to become converts, he happily poured a chardonnay (Urban Family offers three wines currently) and one of the gentlest beers he could muster.

The accompanying slideshow includes some details on the space, a photo of the blackboard beer list, and an explanation of why there’s a porch swing in the front window.

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Tags: Beer, Bar Openings, Bar Openings, Belgian Beer, First Look, Urban Family Public House

Duly Noted: Bambino’s Pizzeria Has a Killer Beer List

Use National Pizza Week as an excuse to investigate some pizza and beer pairings.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Jan 11, 2012 at 09:05AM 0 Comments

A recent beer lineup at Bambino’s. Impressed yet? Photo via Facebook.

Plenty of pizza places are advertising/tweeting/Facebooking the fact that it’s National Pizza Week (honestly, who comes up with these faux food holidays?). Washington Beer Blog’s Kendall Jones uses the occasion as an excuse to investigate the surprisingly excellent beer selections at Bambino’s Pizzeria. He proclaims it “the best beer list you’ve never seen.” If that’s not superlative enough for you, he also deems the Gaius Plenius pizza, served with Russian River’s Pliny the Elder, “one of the best food-beer pairing experiences of my entire life.”

OK, Bambino’s. You have my attention.

If Jones, a major arbiter of Seattle’s beer scene, wasn’t aware of the Belltown restaurant’s beer cred, then I feel better that this stupendous lineup was news to me. It seems that owner Belle Coelho is quite the beer geek. So much so that she went ahead and selected a beer pairing to accompany seven of the Neapolitan pizzeria’s most popular menu items.

A Bambino’s rep says that Coelho actually met with some of the local beer reps to create these beer and pizza (and calzone) combos. The pairings also showcase some new arrivals on the draft list, including Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia out of Japan, Port Santa’s Little Helper an imperial stout out of San Diego, and Belgium’s St. Feuillien La Blanche.

Bambino’s has been in Belltown since 2005, quietly developing an impressive list that includes a staggering amount of off-the-beaten-path European beers, and lots of West Coast favorites including Russian River’s Redemption, Salvation, Consecration, and Supplication, as well as several from Portland’s excellent Hair of the Dog brewery. If you need another excuse to get in here, the pizzeria is also offering 15 percent off all pizza orders all week long in honor of National Pizza Week.

Here’s the full list of pairings (all beers are on draft):

Lost Abbey Avante Garde: Benedetto calzone (tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy Calabrese, sausage, spicy pepper)
Russian River Pliny the Elder: Gaius Plenius pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, spicy salami, castelvetrano olive, pecorino pepato)
Hitachino Nest Ancient Nipponia: Cheese plate (manchego cheese served with house crostini)
The Bruery Autumn Maple: Primavera pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, olive, onion, tomato, mushroom, pepper)
Port Santa’s Little Helper: Tropicale pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, ham, pineapple)
St. Fuellien La Blance: Tre Gusti pizza (truffle oil, fontal, potatoes, onion)
Lost Abbey Judgement Day: Mole pizza (tomato sauce, mozzarella, Salumi mole salami)

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Tags: Beer, Pizza, Beer and Food Pairing, Bambinos Pizzeria

2011: The Year in Drinking

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Dec 30, 2011 at 11:00AM 2 Comments

Canon: Kind of a big deal.

Oh 2011. Drinking-wise you were a year of highs and lows, and I’m not just talking about general intoxication and subsequent hangovers. Here are five of the year’s major moments in the realm of beer, wine, and spirits. Some are seminal events in our drinking lives, others merely a sea change that will alter the way we imbibe in 2012 and beyond.

1. Initiative 1183 Passes
It’s still not entirely clear exactly how privatizing liquor will affect our state’s distillers, brewers, bar owners, distributors, and, of course, drinkers. The Liquor Control Board’s wind-down has already caused some hardships for bartenders; cutting off special liquor orders is but one example of how the legislative process will impact your drinking in 2012. However with the June 1 deadline looming (and March 1, when distillers and distributors can start selling directly to restaurants), we’re likely to see some concrete answers in the coming months.

2. Washington Wine Drama
Remember the blogger drama that ensued when a rep from the Washington Wine Commission called out Matt Dillon for not serving regional wines at his otherwise locally oriented restaurants? Truthfully, though, it’s been a solid year for Washington’s wine. The State Department is pouring Yakima’s Treveri Cellars sparklers at its holiday events, local somm Shayn Bjornholm is now heading up the education program for the Court of Master Sommeliers, and just a few weeks ago, Yakima Valley’s Naches Heights was designated as the state’s 12th and newest American Viticultural Area.

3. Murray-Gate
First Seattle’s most storied barman was at Zig Zag Cafe. For a long time. THEN… he was going to RN74! But wait. Maybe he wasn’t. Then, he definitely wasn’t. After popping up briefly at the Pan Pacific Hotel, Murray Stenson seems to have settled in over at Jamie Boudreau’s Canon. And as for the frenzy surrounding his whereabouts? Consider it either proof that we take our drinks, and their makers, seriously…or proof that Jess Voelker and I lack for outside-of-work hobbies.

4. Seattle Embraces Beer in a Can
Washington Beer Blog’s Kendall Jones has a nice post recapping the brew-based highlights of 2011. And while events and growler car carriers are indeed awesome, our craft breweries’ embracing of cans will probably do more to change the way the average beer drinker kicks back after a long day. Seven Seas Brewing in Gig Harbor lays claim to being the first Washington brewery to can, back in 2010. Two Beers went the can route this summer, and newcomer brewery Hilliard’s only offers its beer in cans and kegs. Opened-this-very-minute beer bar the Publican has jettisoned its bottle list entirely in favor of cans.

5. Canon Opens
Local barman Jamie Boudreau had long planned to open his own place, and when Canon arrived, the reality somehow exceeded the ridiculously high expectations. Seattle has a score of cool cocktail bars; why is this one such a damn big deal? Maybe because it encapsulates everything that’s good about our local drink scene (a crazy array of spirits, bartender-patron drink collaborations, Murray Stenson) and very little of the bad (OK, it can be damn hard to get a seat sometimes).

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Tags: Wine, Beer, Murray Stenson, Canon Seattle, Retrospectives, 2011 in Drinking

The Weekend in Beer Bar News

The Publican’s opening is semi-imminent, Uber Tavern will close..temporarily.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Dec 27, 2011 at 01:30PM 0 Comments

This most comprehensive Green Lake beer emporium is classing up the joint. Photo: Uber Tavern via Facebook.

A long and hopefully booze-laden holiday weekend has given way to some notable tavern updates. First, new Brouwer’s Cafe sibling the Publican planned to open today, December 27. The establishment then toyed with our collective hearts/livers by announcing to Washington Beer Blog this morning that the opening has been postponed (we kid about the toying; the process of opening a bar is obviously fraught with uncertainty, issues and generally aggravating delays). But once the Publican does open its doors in the former Bandolero space in Tangletown, beer lovers will no doubt flock here for the 21 taps. Lest you doubt this place’s beer bona fides, early reports from the soft opening say that Publican serves zero bottled beers. Your only non-draft option is cans, which are enjoying a bit of a renaissance these days thanks to their ability to fend off light and oxygen better than a bottle.

Meanwhile, Green Lake’s Uber Tavern announced to the beer blog world it will close January 22 for a remodel and will reopen February 10. The five-year-old tavern (and dispenser of kegs) has established itself as a reliable destination for a beer selection that’s both jaw-droppingly vast and very well curated. Owner Rick Carpenter says the remodel means a major upgrade of the layout, the actual bar, and all the seating and tables, including inlaid board games on the bar and some table tops. This is cool: A slick 12-foot-long digital menu board will keep patrons updated as to what’s on tap. However the establishment’s bottle cooler, tableside fire pit and the rafters plastered with beer labels will stay.

The bar will reopen with a shiny new keg affixed to each of its 17 taps. There is, however, the small matter of killing the existing kegs before the doors close. Hence January 21 will be dedicated to highly discounted, extremely legit beers. That day will also be the final shift for Uber’s beloved bartender, Niko McNeil. One especially noteworthy keg will be making its way here in his honor from Portland’s Cascade Brewery. And yes, it will be served up at the same discounted prices.

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Tags: Beer, Seattle Bar News, Seattle Beer News, The Publican, Uber Tavern

Brave Horse Tavern Launches Beer Club

Two-dollar beers and events aplenty: all yours for a mere $10.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Nov 10, 2011 at 10:30AM 0 Comments

Brave Horse Tavern’s beer club should debut by December 1.

Photo: activerain.com

Brave Horse Tavern, already home to a multitude of beer-related events, is launching a beer club. A $10 annual fee gets you a fancy card confirming your allegiance to Tom Douglas’s South Lake Union gastropub, as well as $2 beers on Monday nights. That applies to any of the restaurant’s 24 taps; if you’re prone to Monday imbibement, that membership will pay for itself in a matter of weeks.

The pub is also planning some events exclusively for beer club members. Brave Horse rep Amy Richardson says there is talk of brewery tours, or certain time periods where the perpetually packed establishment is open only for those in the club. That ID card could also get you first crack at signing up for the beer dinners, brewer nights and other events that pack Brave Horse’s calendar.

Keep an eye out for membership details: Richardson says signup info should be up on the Tom Douglas events website within the next few weeks. She also promises some excellent swag. And remember, the first rule of beer club is…to not make any time-worn Fight Club references.

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Tags: Beer, Brave Horse Tavern

Another West Seattle–Only Beer Launches Tomorrow

Big Al brews up a Belgian-style brown ale that you won’t find in Ballard or Capitol Hill.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Nov 08, 2011 at 12:00PM 0 Comments

Image courtesy of The Feedback Lounge.

Earlier this year, a spate of West Seattle bars joined forces with Big Al Brewing in White Center to produce a summery kolsch, dubbed Lowman Brau, that was only available on their side of the bridge. Tomorrow the neighborhood’s watering holes will begin pouring another beer created, brewed and sold exclusively in West Seattle and its environs.

This time around it’s a brown Belgian-style ale called Whale Tail Ale, named for the park near Alki Beach. Jeff Gilbert, owner of The Feedback Lounge and the driving force behind the neighborhood-only brews, said he was unaware of the alternative meaning, the one that involves inadvertently exposed ladies’ undergarments.

Whale Tail Ale will be pouring at nearly a dozen local bars, and each establishment has chosen a local charity that will receive a portion of the proceeds.

Lowman Brau was so successful, says Gilbert, that Big Al will produce three West Seattle charity beers a year for the fall, winter and spring. He has taken some ribbing about limiting the beer to West Seattle and White Center, but says it’s all in good fun. “West Seattle helps West Seattle,” he says. “We’re kind of on a rock over here.”

Participating establishments will commence pouring and celebrating tomorrow at 6. Look for Whale Tail at the Feedback—along with West 5, Shadowland, Mission, the Bridge, Locol, Beveridge Place Pub, Full Tilt, Avalon, Big Al, and Company Bar in White Center—through the end of January.

Gilbert already has February’s neighborhood beer release in the works and promises a major twist that will excite beer geeks on both sides of the water.

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Tags: Beer, Seattle Beer, The Feedback Lounge, Big Al Brewing

Nanobrewery NW Peaks Pouring In Area Bars

It’s getting (somewhat) easier to sample this brewery sans growler.

Posted by: Allecia Vermillion on Nov 07, 2011 at 11:00AM 0 Comments

Photo courtesy of NW Peaks Brewery via Facebook.

Part of the fun of drinking the fine beers from NW Peaks Brewery is making your way to the garage-turned-nanobrewery in Ballard where brewer Kevin Klein plies his trade. However the brewery, which marks its first full year next weekend, has upped its production and is creeping into some bars around the city.

Various NW Peaks beers have made appearances recently at Naked City Brewery and Taphouse, Brouwer’s, Chuck’s 85th St. Market, The Noble Fir, The Yard, and Kiss Cafe. Your best bet is Flying Squirrel Pizza Co., which has a permanent tap for NW Peaks at its Seward Park and Maple Leaf locations.

However, finding Klein’s creative-yet-sessionable beers at your local watering hole is an imprecise science. After 12 months of selling largely to members of his growler subscription program, Klein says he puts any surplus in kegs to sell to local bars. He plans to produce a few beers “semiregularly” to supply bars clamoring for his wares. Brews on the semiregular list include the Redoubt Red, English-style Vesper Bitter, and in warmer months the Ingalls Ginger pale ale.

Meanwhile, look for an upcoming anniversary celebration at Naked City, and an anniversary ale due out in December.

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Tags: Beer, Seattle Beer, Seattle Beer News, NW Peaks

Great Pumpkin Returns

The Beer festival is back on October 8 and 9.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Sep 23, 2011 at 11:19AM 0 Comments

Gifts of the gourd: The Great Pumpkin Beer Festival is back this October.

I confess I’ve never attended the Great Pumpkin Beer Festival, Elysian Brewing Company’s annual celebration in honor of the seasonal treat. But I’ve always been curious. A whole festival devoted to pumpkin beers seemed almost insanely on-theme, do people like them that much?

That’s what I asked head brewer Dick Cantwell while writing this article for our October issue. Cantwell explained that brewers both local and from far away see the festival as an opportunity to test the creative waters. “It’s a chance to show just how serious and ridiculous we can be,” he told me. Other brewers talked about loving the freedom to create small batches of brews that didn’t necessarily suit everyone’s tastes. There’s over 50 beers this year including an Elysian-Tom Douglas Restaurants collab and a custom brew from Denmark.

Having outgrown the Capitol Hill brewpub where it has hitherto been held, Great Pumpkin happens in Georgetown this year, at Elysian’s brand new brewing facility there. It takes place on October 8 and 9.

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Tags: Beer, Georgetown, Seattle Beer

An Opening Date for Ballard Brewery Hilliard’s

The bottle-eschewing brewsky operation reveals itself on September 17th. Get ready to crack a can.

Posted by: Jessica Voelker on Aug 31, 2011 at 05:32PM 0 Comments

Sixteen-ounce cans of Hilliard’s amber will be on hand at the brewery’s opening-date event.

Photo: Hilliard’s

UPDATE 9/5: Hilliard’s opening has been delayed.

Hilliard’s co-owner Adam Merkl has just sent word that the no-bottle-using Ballard brewery has an opening day taproom party planned on Saturday, September 17.

Brewer Ryan Hilliard’s saison-style beer has shown up at a few Seattle bars (including Naked City Brewery and Taphouse in Greenwood). But the opening party, which lasts from noon to 9pm on the 17th, marks the first occasion for local beer drinkers to try tallboy cans of Hilliard’s Amber Ale.

The year-round amber and saison will be canned and sold at retail stores and at the brewery, and Hilliard’s will offer kegs of seasonal and limited-edition brews at its HQ. Some of those, including its Scottish Ale and Imperial IPA, will be on tap at the opening event. The saison will be on draught that day too.

Regular taproom hours will be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 3pm to 9pm, and the plan is to increase those once things are popping along.

Hilliard’s is located at 1550 NW 49th Street in Ballard.

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Tags: Beer, Ballard, New Seattle Breweries, Hilliard's Beer