Beer Blotter

We decided to trek up to Mill Creek, WA today and check out a new place. Timperial had told rumors of Elliott Bay Pizza and so it was time to figure out whiter he was full of shit. The rumor: A small town pizza and sub shop packed with 18 amazing taps that would rival Seattle offerings.

Well, it turns out he wasn’t lying. Elliott Bay Pizza is a worthy weekday trek, roughly 20 miles out of downtown Seattle. The two room bar and deli is stuffed into a local mimi mall. But don’t let the venue enclosure trick you, inside lays a wonderful beer venue.

Elliott Bay Pizza doesn’t mess around with it’s beer. 18 taps and a small complement of great bottles will leave you bug eyed. We arrived to Ommegang Gnomegang, Goose Island Matilda, and oh yeah – Lost Abbey Bourbon Barrel Angels Share. I love it.

So, check them out on Twitter (@elliottbaypizza) and know what’s pouring. Then find a weekday evening to escape Seattle.

Bottle shops rock! Add one to your Seattle list.

Just saw a tweet from Collins Pub that The Last Drop Bottle Shop will open today! The Last Drop is the brainchild of Seth Howard, owner of Seattle’s Collins Pub and Maple Leaf’s Hudson Public House.

We do not know much about The Last Drop (hey, it just opened!), but they claim to be filling growlers and selling a bevy of bottles. The shop is right next door to the Hudson Public House, up in Seattle’s Maple Leaf neighborhood.

So, get on in to The Last Drop. You can find a map to the location by following this link. Their initial hours will be 2 to 10 on Monday – Thursday, 1 to 11 on Friday – Saturday, and 2 to 7 on Sunday.

While their website is currently under construction, you can follow them on Twitter by clicking this link. For the time being, they will be using the Collins Pub Twitter page to post updates.

If you make a visit, please leave us comments below about what we can all expect! Very excited to see the new digs.

The Sweetest of Lou's

Week 52 of 52 (We done!)

Sweet Lou’s

820 NW 85th St
(between N 8th Ave & N Dibble Ave)
Seattle, WA 98117

(206) 782-9690

Monday-Sunday: 11:00am – 2:00am

Special Nights: Wed. is trivia night; Thursday is taco night (3 tacos for $2)

Rank: 3.5/5 (bonus for wow factor)

Type of Establishment: The definition of bar. A great little neighborhood spot, complete with iffy food, lots of can beer, pool tables and arcade games.

Visit: A forced night of new bar visitation – to complete the 52 Weeks collection. It was a Wednesday, and we followed this up with visits to local icons, Crown Hill Pub, Goofy’s and the T-Bird Tavern.

Beers on Tap (at time of visit):

All I can say is “What the F&*%?!” They are pouring Deschutes The Abyss and New Belgium La Folie! Read more below:

Deschutes The Abyss (Imperial Stout)

New Belgium La Folie (Sour Flemish Red)

Rogue Dead Guy

Bud Light

Ranier

PBR

and a mess of other microbrews that I cannot remember because I was in awe of the Abyss……

Bottle List:

They have a lot of beer in cans and a few in the bottle. Think of the NW regulars: PBR, Ranier Ale, Olympia, Miller High Life and add Guiness, Strongbow, Bud Light, Bud, Stella and Pacifico. Nothing exciting.

Food Options:

Its an inviting, yet expected menu. Lou’s is sporting a number of sandwiches and BBQ options. Check out the menu by visiting this link.

We opted to explore their wings, which are reasonably priced at $4.50 per 6 (I opted for the $9 dozen, with both sauces), the reuben and the pile of nachos.

We won’t lie – none of it was great. In fact, the reuben got an incredibly bad response. The wings were too small to be considered actual chicken wings. I believe they were taken from a cornish hen. Not enough meat to soak up what was an otherwise yummy sauce. The nachos were ok, i guess. But who the hell can mess up nachos.

Luckily its cheap enough to not bother you. From 4-6 PM, they sport a $4 happy hour that features wings, quesadillas and mini-burgers. That might be the way to go.

Bar Opinion:

This article is all about random opportunity. Its the story of 3 unsuspecting men coming along to find the deal of a century.

Sweet Lou’s is a little bar on the crosshairs of Crown Hill, Greenwood and Northgate. Its the former location of the Sundowner, a frightening abyss of drunken madness that scared many a patron away. Now, its been taken over by former industry folks who turned it into a welcoming, yet still dark, bar with an inviting menu and beer selection.

Sweet Lou’s is decorated with the photos of many famous Lous of lore. Think Lou Reed, Lou Pinella, and Lou Gehrig. They offer about 10 taps and a menu of your typical pub offerings. You can eat crappy food and drink crappy beer – sounds like a dive.

But, I’m not going to be too hard on Lou’s. In fact, I loved our visit. Excluding the food, the aura and layout is great. They have billiards and a few arcades, a lot of space, sufficient bar seating and outdoor patio space. During our visit, they also had some trivia. Though a group of 12 year olds might have dominated the game (really easy), its still good entertainment for your Wednesday.

dun dun dun......dun.......The Abyss

But why were we in love? The Abyss. Its funny that I called Sundowners an “abyss.” Because today, our minds were blown by the fact that Sweet Lou’s found a way to have the Abyss on tap. Beyond that they served it in a pint glass (holy shit) and charged us $4.25! If anyone at Brouwers, Uber, Collins or Naked City is reading this – I am serious.  I would expect to never get more than a 10oz pour of this beer. For that 10oz, I would pay somewhere between $6-$8. That is not to be debated. So, I think you can all see why our minds were blown – and why we had several.

On top of the Abyss, they were also pouring New Belgium’s delicious La Folie. Same rules apply to this amazing beer – 16oz pours are available.

While you might not get any of the perks that we encountered, Sweet Lou’s is worth a visit for the shock factor. Who knows what you might find next? Sweet Lou’s has an excellent connection with beer distributors that makes the chance of finding a special beer less a risk.

Stop by and check it out. Be cautious when you order. Keep the expectations low and you will have a blast!

The sign beckons the traveler in all of us.

Written by Jess R.

Week 40 of 52

The Traveler (ak.a. The Leary Traveler)

4354 Leary Way NW

Seattle, WA 98107

(206) 783-4805

Rank: 4/5

Type of Establishment: Chill beer bar, brunch spot

Visit: After writing the Beers in the Hood: Ballard, I was accosted by my dear, close friends about The Traveler. How could I have left this gem off my list? Simple- I had never been there. This weekend, I changed that with back to back visits.

Sorry Photo: Yikes. Sorry for the poor quality. A night time shot via iPhone is not so hot. My apologies to the good people at the Traveler, because this place is a beaut and deserves a better shot.

Beers on Tap (at time of visit):

PBR

Ommegang Hennepin

Trumer Pils

Guiness

Manny’s Pale Ale

Maredsous 8, Belgium

—The top 6 are a constant on tap here. The bottom 4 beers are constantly changing–

Allagsh Black Belgian Stout

Glacier  Brewhouse IPA (AK)

Full Sail Lupulin, Fresh Hop

Sierra Nevada Tumbler

Bottle List:

A glorious refrigerator with at least 35 bottle varieties from Russian River to Port Brewing. The Traveler also carries a seasonal selection, which makes things interesting and switches it up. It appears that the owner puts a lot of thought into selecting his bottles and rotating taps–this is all we ever ask of any and every bar owner.

Food Options:

The first visit occurred on a Friday evening. We had already indulged in a home-cooked meal, so we only perused the menu but man, does it look delicious.

The menu is served from lunch time through dinner and includes mini-burgers with crispy prosciutto and chipotle aoli and The Irish Interloper made up of house made Painted Hills corned beef (seriously made it the back of the house), sauerkraut, Russian dressing and Gruyère on rye bread with a side salad. Belgium mussels and frites showcase The Travelers’ European inspired fare.

The next morning, around 10:30AM we rallied the troops and headed back to try the food. Saturdays and Sundays until 3PM, brunch is served.

French Toast, an open-faced egg, cheese and prosciutto sandwich as well as all of the lunch options made our food choice an agonizing one. Bloody Marys and a Mimosa (served in a pint glass) started us off as we each ordered: corned beef (remember, made on site) hash with two over easy eggs and the steak and eggs were the highlights. The Bloody Mary bar is a never before seen treat – don’t miss it.

The corned beef hash was steamy, rich, chewy and the perfect start to a day and a hang over cure. The steak and eggs doesn’t sound all that exciting, but the cut of the steak was top-notch and it was cooked to perfection, making the eggs just an added bonus. The food is great, no dispute.

Bar Opinions:

A small space and barely noticeable from the busy street in Fre-lard (the small area between neighborhoods Ballard and Fremont), I present to you The Traveler. As you walk up to this bar, you can peer through the floor to ceiling windows and see the candle lit tables with the patrons laughing and drinking.

A quaint place with exposed brick, hard wood floors, an open kitchen and a chalkboard full of glory, The Traveler can accommodate a cold winter night or a steamy summer day out on their back patio.

Glacier, Allagash, Ommegang - oh my!

Tonight, in honor of Halloween, The Traveler was holding a pumpkin carving contest. As people were busy fashioning faces and scenes into these over-sized gourds, we found a standing table by the exposed wooden columns.

A quick glance at the beer board and I was instantly intrigued. I ordered the Allagash Black Belgian Stout which had a roasted flavor complemented with a silky, chocolaty mouth-feel and had a bitter coffee nose. My companion ordered the Glacier IPA (which I had at brunch the next day) which was a pleasant surprise from a small brewery in Alaska.

With a tap list guaranteed to have a several good choices (Ommegang Hennepin is always on the list which makes this bar Ommegang’s largest Washington state account), killer food and a cozy atmosphere, I would hit up the Traveler any day. You simply can’t go wrong.

Those of you passing through from Ballard to Fremont or vice-versa should consider the same! If you have been there and have something to say – post a comment below.

A look inside Whiskey Bar, Seattle, WA. Photo creds: sortuv.com

New Belgium Brewing is holding a few events this evening, in Seattle. If you have nothing going on, there is no reason to miss out on the opportunity to taste some very rare NB offerings.

The Colorado brewer has been very active in the area of late. We assume this is in part related to the ongoing collaboration with Seattle’s Elysian Brewing, with whom New Belgium recently released the sixth installment of its Trip series of beers. Check out Jess’ article on the series by following this link.

Tonight you can catch New Belgium at either of these two fine events:

New Belgium Brewers Night @ The Whiskey Bar

Wow. So glad that I heard about this event. New Belgium’s Brewer’s Night features New Belgium-Elysian Trip VI Fresh Hop IPA, Lips of Faith Sahti, NB-Elysian Trip III Sour brown, Lips of Faith Fall Wild Ale (Dubbel w/ Brett), 1554, & Lips of Faith Matty’s Dunkelweiss.

All of these beers are incredible. Most of these beers are a hard find in Washington. I am most intrigued by the Lips of Faith Sahti, the latest addition to this absolutely mouth-watering collective of beers. The Sahti is rumored to feature much of the flavors found in Trip IV, which is one of my favorites. The brewery stated that it will almost mimic Trip IV with “maybe a slight tweak in percentages but same grain bill for sure.” That means juniper, rye, and amarillo magic. Don’t miss it.

You probably also want to try the Dunkelweiss and the Trip III, before its gone for good. Oh yeah – the Fresh Hop will be pouring as well.

The Whiskey Bar is at 2000 2nd Ave # 101, Seattle, WA. Get there at 7:00 PM, when this event kicks off!

New Belgium/Elysian Brewing Trip VI Firkin @ The Hopvine

Its Harvest Beer Week at the Hopvine! Tonight, Oct. 5th is Cask Night at the bar. They will be rolling out a firkin of New Belgium-Elysian Trip VI Fresh Hop IPA.

This is the last remaining cask of this amazing beer! You will not want to miss a chance at tasting this off the cask.

Hopvine is at 15^th Ave E., Capitol Hill, Seattle, WA. The event kicks off at 6:00 PM.