Seattle: Land of the hops - Local brewery scene
With more than 77% of hops in the United States grown just to the east in the Yakima Valley of Washington state, it’s no surprise that there is a robust and thriving brewery culture in Seattle. Of course, you’ll find tons of IPAs and hop heavy beers around here, but there are plenty of options for lagers, sours, browns, porters, and everything else.
Some popular brewery options located in the downtown area are:
- Old Stove Brewing (located on Western Ave. inside Pike Place Market) — This place not only has a great variety of beers and cocktails, it has amazing views of Elliott Bay and it’s a great place to sit and watch the sunset.
- Cloudburst Brewing (located a bit north on Western Ave.) — Visit for excellent IPAs as well as a selection of pales, lagers, pilsners and stouts.
Other options for cheap drinks in the nearby neighborhoods are:
- Shorty’s in Belltown
- Montana in Capitol Hill
- Bait Shop in Capitol Hill
- The Roanoke in Capitol Hill
If you are a beer lover, the one neighborhood worth venturing to is Ballard with over a dozen breweries all located within walking distance to one another. Many have rotating food trucks parked outside that offer cheap and tasty meals that you are able to take inside the breweries to enjoy with your beer. You can quickly get to Ballard from downtown in about 30 minutes by catching the D line or 50 bus for a few dollars on 3rd Ave. Some of the best breweries in Ballard are:
- Urban Family Brewing
- Lucky Envelope Brewing
- Great Notion Brewing
- Stoup Brewing
- Reuben’s Brews
- Fair Isle Brewing
While you’re in Ballard consider checking out the Ballard Locks, one of the busiest locks in the U.S. For free you can experience the engineering marvel of boat traffic being lead through one by one, as well as visit the unique salmon ladder where salmon cross from the salt to fresh water through viewing windows located down the stairs. If you are lucky, you’ll catch some seals frolicking in the water!
Located on the grounds near the locks is the Carl S. English Botanical Garden which, while small, is peaceful and beautiful to walk through and, like the locks, is free to enjoy. If you head over on Sunday, Ballard also has a wonderful farmer’s market from 9am to 2pm.
Sathi Maiti, OD, FAAO
