A Beer Lover's Guide to Seattle

I typically describe Seattle, in short, as a cross between Portland and San Francisco. It has the high-quality food and beer of Portland and the big city feel of San Francisco.

Enjoying a beer at Reuben's Brews in Seattle's Ballard District.

Not to knock San Francisco, but craft beer in Seattle is particularly special. Some of this is attributed to the abundance of high-quality local ingredients, like hops, clean water, and malts. In fact, craft beer has been brewing in Seattle since the 19th century with familiar names like Olympia Brewing and Rainier Brewery.

One of my favorite things about the Seattle brewery scene is its accessibility by public transit or ride share. Breweries in Seattle are often located in walkable clusters, most notably in the Ballard Brewery District. I have never needed to drive myself to a brewery in Seattle.

After many trips to the Emerald City, this is my beer lover's guide Seattle:

Cloudburst Brewing

It's no secret that Cloudburst makes my favorite beer in Seattle. I will visit here at least once every trip and split several rounds with Mr. Ablondewithabrew.

Cloudburst Brewing has two taprooms, one convenient downtown to the famous Pike Place Market and their Shilshole location in Ballard. I'm preferential to the Shilshole location for its large outdoor space, proximity to other breweries, and the Plenty of Cloud Dump Trunk food truck.

Cloudburst does not offer flights, but you can order half pours for more tasting. When I think of Cloudburst, I think of their IPAs, but their lighter lagers and pilsners (they actually brew my favorite lager), as well as their stouts, should not be missed.

Fair Isle Brewing

Fair Isle Brewing is my other favorite brewery in Seattle that I visit on every trip. Fair Isle specializes in mixed-culture saisons that highlight local PNW ingredients. Located in the Ballard Brewery District, it is an easy walk to several other breweries. It also doesn't hurt that the taproom is stunning.

Fair Isle does not offer a traditional flight, but many of their pours tend to be on the smaller side. For beer that can come off as unapproachable, the staff is extremely friendly and helpful with beer selection.

Fair Isle's in-house kitchen is always featuring excellent food to go along with their beer. As if the beer wasn't enough of a draw already!

Holy Mountain Brewing

With two locations in Seattle, Holy Mountain Brewing is the original oak and barrel focused brewery in Seattle. Holy Mountain excels at clean lagers, funky mixed-culture saisons, and decadent stouts. Their anniversary celebration in January is always a treat, and I think they make some of the brewery merch anywhere.

Holy Mountain's original location is in the industrial Interbay neighborhood. It is relatively unassuming on the outside, but you are immediately greeted by the smell of beer brewing and quickly understand that you are now in a place made for the true beer lover. Their newer taproom located in Phinney Ridge is trendier and more aesthetically pleasing, but I kind of missed the beer smell.

Reuben's Brews

In the heart of the Ballard Brewery District, Reuben's Brews is a staple of the Seattle craft beer scene. On a sunny day in town, Reuben's huge outdoor space is often packed with people enjoying approachable, yet high-quality, craft beer. With 25 different taps, there is something for everyone.

Reuben's is open seven days a week and offers build your own beer flights, which is perfect if a large tap list makes you as indecisive as it does me. The beerstagrammer in me can never resist their amazing mural wall either for the perfect photo opportunity.

Great Notion Brewing

Living in Portland, Oregon, the home of Great Notion Brewing, I don't make it a priority to stop here in Seattle, but I would recommend it to anyone visiting from anywhere else. I am a big fan of their heavily fruited sours, their luscious pastry stouts, and their Hazy IPAs. They often do collaboration beers with other amazing breweries nationwide. I highly recommend getting a flight here as the tap list is extensive and all very tempting.

With two Seattle locations, you'll likely be near one or the other on a trip to Seattle. I really enjoy their newer Ballard location, as it is easily walkable to several of the other breweries featured in this post.

Urban Family Brewing

Another must-visit in the Ballard Brewery District, Urban Family Brewing just gets so much right. They have a particularly large selection of sour beers, and I love ordering half pours of several to sample while seated on their spacious and heated outdoor patio.

Urban Family also allows you to purchase mixed four-packs of their beers to go, which is a rarity and my favorite thing. I wish all breweries provided this option.

This is also one of my favorite spots to visit around mealtime as there is always a delicious food truck parked outside.

Fast Fashion Beer

Originally operated as part of The Masonry, a pizza restaurant with a curated craft beer selection in the Lower Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, Fast Fashion Beer is a hop-focused boutique brewery originally only making hazy beers. They have since expanded into brewing a greater variety of styles and collaborating with some of the hottest breweries in the country, like Root + Branch and Monkish.

Fast Fashion Beer now has two taprooms, one next to The Masonry and one in the SoDo neighborhood. I have only visited their Lower Queen Anne location, which has an industrial and whimsical aesthetic. I look forward to checking out their SoDo spot on a game day when it is most popular due to its location.

Bizarre Brewing

Located in the industrial Magnolia neighborhood, Bizarre Brewing is worth a quick Uber/Lyft before or after checking out all the breweries in Ballard. The taproom is spacious and better for groups than some of the other places I have mentioned.

Bizarre brews predominantly lower ABV beers, which is a nice contrast from many of my other favorite Seattle breweries. I particularly enjoyed their Czech-Style Pilsner called "The Sun Myth" and "Such a Scream" a Pale Ale.

While in Magnolia, I also recommend the short walk over to Dirty Couch Brewing where the focus is more on barrel-aged wild ales and sours.

Other Breweries to Consider:

Stoup Brewing, especially if you can get Breakthru Brewing

Fremont Brewing

If you can catch a well-timed public sale, get bottles from Floodland Brewing. It's most helpful to be on their mailing list. They don't have a taproom and don't operate like most breweries.

So You Want to Eat Too

The food I always recommend when visiting Seattle, but aside from the first recommendation, I typically just eat whatever is most convenient to where I am drinking. The breweries often have delicious food carts parked outside too.

Kin Len Thai Night Bites - I will NEVER skip this one on any trip.

Dingfelder's Delicatessen - The most authentic NY style deli I have been to in the PNW.

Taku - Great drinking food. Great anytime food. Owned by Chef Shota from Top Chef Portland.

Beecher's - I love getting the mac and cheese when visiting Pike Place Market

The Masonry - mentioned above as the birthplace of Fast Fashion Beer, the pizza is excellent.

Dough Zone - this is a small chain with locations now in four states, but it's a favorite of mine for it's soup dumplings and pan-fried buns.

Layers Sandwich Co. - Originally a food truck that used to park in front of Urban Family, they now have their own brick and mortar location in the Green Lake neighborhood.

Of course, this blog post does not begin to cover all of the breweries in Seattle, and it doesn't even touch on all the incredible taprooms and bottle shops. To begin to even cover those would need to be its own post.

Comment if you've enjoyed any of these breweries, or if you have a favorite that I've left out.