True Brew
When It Comes to Craft Beers, Seattle's Frosty Mug Runneth Over
By Anna Roth and Jessica Voelker
LATE ONE NIGHT IN 1994, after polishing off three or four bottles of wine, Joe Bisacca, Dave Buhler, and Dick Cantwell finally settled on a name for their new brewery, when, on a whim, one of them looked up Elysian Fields in the encyclopedia and discovered that the Hoboken, New Jersey, park was named for the final resting place for heroes in Greek legend who battled all day and drank ale all night. “Not such a rosy connotation,” says Bisacca, “but it speaks to the healing powers of beer.”
Today, Bisacca, Buhler, and Cantwell serve their liquid therapy at three neighborhood venues: Elysian Brewing Company on Capitol Hill embodies the “shrug, whatever” spirit of the hood—the tattooed and mohawked mingle with Microsofties out on eHarmony dates. Pint-size Elysian Tangletown meanwhile attracts more families and older folks, and the massive Elysian Fields in Pioneer Square serves as a jovial holding pen for sports fans seeking some pre- and postgame flavor.
Drink Known for their assertive flavor, India pale ales were invented by the British, who added extra hops to their brews in order to mask the stale flavor that came on during long boat rides to the colonies. Northwest brewers have continued the hoppy tradition with punched-up ales like the Elysian’s Immortal IPA—a sweet, citrusy beverage with plenty of floral aroma.
Go Sign up for the mailing list to hear about events like this month’s Great Pumpkin Beer Festival, celebrating the autumnal return of spicy Night Owl Pumpkin Ale.
Know In the course of a year, Elysian makes about 35 different beers, many of which only get mixed once. If you want to try some of Cantwell’s most out-there experiments, Elysian Fields—the pub with the most taps—is your best bet.
Elysian Brewing Company, 1221 E Pike St, Capitol Hill, 206-860-1920. Elysian Tangletown, 2106 N 55th St, Wallingford, 206-547-5929. Elysian Fields, 542 First Ave S, Pioneer Square, 206-382-4498; www.elysianbrewing.com
EVERYONE LOVES A GREASY FEAST now and again, but Seattle’s bar fare didn’t earn much culinary cred until Todd Carden came along. The onetime nine-to-fiver fulfilled a lifelong dream when he quit the rat race to learn the brewery biz at Maritime Pacific. Five years later he opened West Seattle’s Elliott Bay Brewery and Pub (a second location, Elliott Bay Brewhouse and Pub, came to Burien last year). Today Carden’s two low-key locales, which he describes as comfortable for “everyone from two weeks to 98 years old,” boast impeccably wrought meals worthy of the tasty bevs on tap: ahi tuna sandwiches, clams and linguini, and the Shroomer—a fungus-topped, juicy burger for which many a downtowner crosses the bridge come dinnertime.
Drink Head brewer Doug Hindman is currently experimenting with Belgian styles, but we’re all about the malty Luna Weizen hefeweizen: an unfiltered wheat bier with a hint of lemon. Those who favor heavier suds savor the rich No Doubt Stout.
Go While beer is usually chilled and carbonated with carbon dioxide, casked suds are served flat and at room temperature in order to bring out subtler flavors. Try some at Elliott Bay Brewery every third Wednesday at 3pm, when a fresh keg of cask-conditioned ale is tapped at the bar. The same event occurs on the third Thursday of the month at the Burien location.
Know In 2005, Hindman started using organic malt, and the brewery is now one of only two in Washington certified organic by the USDA.
Elliott Bay Brewery and Pub, 4720 California Ave SW, West Seattle, 206-932-8695. Elliott Bay Brewhouse and Pub, 255 SW 152nd St, Burien, 206-246-4211; www.elliottbaybrewing.com
Published: October 2008
