A trip to Seattle

March 31, 2008

This past weekend my girlfriend and I took a trip up to Seattle, partially for touristy stuff, partially because I wanted to go to a couple of brewpubs and visit McMenamins numbers 45, 46, and 47, respectively.  All in all, it was a good trip.

We traveled by train, so it was a nice relaxing few hours in which I could read or whatnot, and I just generally relax a lot more when I’m not in a car and can move around, even if it does take some extra time.  Our first stop in Seattle was Elysian Brewing, which I’ve encountered in the store many times and have enjoyed in the past, though I tend not to buy their stuff regularly just because I always see it.  I do pick out a bottle of their Avatar Jasmine IPA nearly every time I see it, though, as that’s worth the quirky taste.  Their regular IPA and ESB are pretty standard, but I don’t believe I’ve had their Stout or Porter ever.  I was a bit disappointed to discover that they were out of their Imperial IPA, which I’m always interested in trying wherever I go.

Regardless, we each had a pint and I was planning on a second, but our server was busy with other tables so we decided to bag it and head to our next destination, the Six Arms McMenamins.  That location was mostly just a bar, located down the street from Elysian on “the hill,” and while if I lived near it I’d probably frequent it, I wasn’t terribly impressed with it.  Seemed like it got a lot of traffic, and so we stayed for a couple of pints before wandering down the hill to Pike Brewing Company.

Pike reminded me of a sports bar, which isn’t necessarily a black mark, but the TVs and bright lights tend to distract me when I’m in a mood just to have a few beers and chat with friends.  I tried their sometimes-bad (at least, for me in bottles)Tandem Double Ale, a Pale Ale, and something else that’s slipping my mind at the moment.  I think I enjoyed Pike’s beer the most, but all I wanted was soft lighting and a quiet atmosphere.  Sadly, I got neither, but the quality of the beer comes first and made up for it.

The McMenamins Queen Anne location is just a couple of blocks north of Seattle Center, where the Space Needle and Experience Music Project, among other attractions, are located.  We got there right at opening so I could have a beer and put another notch on my belt, and I was impressed.  Very nice neighborhood, and a large interior.  The Dad Watson’s McMenamins was located further north up in the Freemont district, and so we bussed it up there.  The outside masked how big it was on the inside, and it was definitely my favorite.  A long S-shaped curved bar was the centerpiece of the room, and it had a couple of outside areas that would be great in the summertime.

Next up: Astoria for a visit to Wet Dog and Fort George Breweries.

Posted in Beers, Pubs