Sudsy in Seattle: My Seattle Beercation

Starbucks, The Space Needle, and the birthplace of Grunge are all iconic elements of Seattle’s core identity. Seattle also has a reputation for being one of the premier places to drink fresh craft beer in the United States. I am excited to spend a dedicated amount of time immersing myself in the Seattle craft beer culture.

Of course, I am not going to be flying solo on this beercation. I am joining Aaron and Jeff Zierdt on their annual father/son beercation. Over the last several years, I have enjoyed being a member of the craft beer trio going from place to place and enjoying craft beer in Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Kansas City, to name a few places we have traveled together. Aaron(Brewer) and Jeff(Co-Owner) help run Lupulin Brewing in Big Lake, Minnesota. They are well-versed in what quality beer is all about. In addition to high beer IQs, they are really fun-loving people who love to eat, drink coffee, and enjoy discovering all a city has to offer.

Why Seattle?

Aaron, Jeff, and myself had originally kicked around the idea of traveling to the Pacific Northwest back in 2022. However, the insanely high prices of airfare prevented that from being a reality. The flights eventually got up to 1300 for a round-trip ticket on Delta and we opted for a road trip.

This year, when we were up at the Lupulin kicking around beercation spots, Aaron happened to find airfare to Seattle that was perfect and we booked it. We began looking at spots to stay and Aaron took the lead when it came to curating a list of breweries to visit. The nice thing about booking airfare and lodging well ahead of time is that you have plenty of time to plan your itinerary. Aaron travels out to Washington state multiple times a year and knows all the brewery spots well. Since I haven’t been to Seattle as an adult, every stop is going to be new and there are plenty of great spots to visit.

Before I know it, my suitcase is packed and my alarm is set for 3:45am. No matter how much preparation I do for a trip, the night before I always have trouble getting a good night’s sleep. The combination of excitement and did I pack enough underwear keep me tossing and turning. Aaron and Jeff arrive at my house at 4:45am and we wait for our Lyft to arrive. The one thing that I don’t really have time for in the morning is coffee. This winds up becoming problematic as the day goes on as it makes it hard for my brain to function at even a basic capacity.

Too Early For Alcohol and too late to get to lost and found

We get to the airport and head for the Alaska Airlines area. We check our bags and then make out way to the TSA security checkpoint. I luck out and get someone with a lot of “personality” who barks instructions at me for how to put my things in the bin before I get my body scan. I decide that any joke I was going to make about choosing the a la carte frisking menu would be lost on security because it is too early.

We make a stop at the bathroom and fill up our water bottles. Then we trek to Red Cow where Aaron and Jeff have breakfast. I am content to just sip water because I am not ready to get on the alcohol train yet. Jeff gets a Bloody Mary and Aaron gets a beer. I realize that they do not have coffee so I decide I will just try to sleep on the plane while my brain operates with a skeleton crew of mice running on wheels.

C-Pap Mishap

Aaron gets the notification that our flight is boarding and we begin walking that way. I realize that I am light a bag… My C-Pap machine! I go back to Red Cow and it isn’t there. Did I leave it at the TSA checkpoint? I got back there. It turns out that they found it at the bathroom where we had stopped about 45 minutes ago. It has been brought to lost and found-that is the good news. The bad news is that in order to retrieve it, I will have to go back out of security and grab it and then go through security again. This would all but guarantee that I miss my flight to Seattle. The stress of not being able to sleep well is assuaged a bit by the fact that this $3000 piece of equipment will not have to be replaced.

Well, after all that stress, I am definitely awake now. I board the plane, find my seat and settle in for the flight. I hope Aaron and Jeff aren’t too disturbed when I start snoring like a Wookiee in rut…

No Thrills and One Spill

The flight is a pretty easy three and a half hours if you ignore the part where the flight attendant spills coffee on me. I did feel bad for the woman. She was incredibly apologetic. I think that she was worried that I would sue the airline, but I assured her that I was a teacher and I don’t keep a lawyer on retainer. She did keep asking if there was anything she could do for me. Part of me wanted to say, “Well, if you happen to have a C-Pap machine lying around, that would be helpful…” Instead, like a good Minnesotan, I pretended that I wasn’t annoyed and took the free Biscoff cookies as my consolation.

We land after circling the Seattle skies for about 20 minutes. I guess the pilot forgot to make a reservation and we had to wait for the first gate available. The skies are clear and the sun is out. After the 7th time circling we start to descend. It felt very much like I was in that scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation when Clark Griswold is stuck in the roundabout. “Look kids, Big Ben!”

First Stop: The Georgetown Neighborhood

We finally land and get our luggage. Soon it is off to buy our Orca cards to get on the light rail for our lunch in Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood. Seattle’s Georgetown neighborhood is between the airport and downtown. As we were planning out itinerary for the first day, this seemed like a good place to start. Our plan is to get to Fonda La Catrina when they open for lunch. From there, we are brewery hopping until we can check into our Airbnb.

Fonda La Catrina

Sometimes, as good as a review is online, it pales in comparison to the real-life experience. That is definitely the case for our meal at Fonda La Catrina. Located across the street from Rainier brewing’s old brewing facility, Fonda La Catrina is an absolute gem. 

pozole & chiliquiles

We arrived shortly before they opened and waited outside soaking up the sun.   The menu is filled with classic dishes evocative of Mexico City.  I decide the Pozole and Chilaquiles will be a good first meal before a day of beer adventures.  It is known that pozole is the perfect hangover cure. I figure I might as well get out in front of what the potential outcome of a day of gallivanting to breweries might be. 

We are seated out on a covered patio and before we know it, the place is packed.  Our food arrives and it is all scrumptious.  The pozole is a red pozole and the pork is as tender as a mother’s love.  The sauce has a rich depth to it that is not spicy, but still feels like sipping a hug.  The chilaquiles are enveloped in a verde sauce that is tangy and has a nice bite to it.  The eggs are yummy and the black beans are definitely cooked to perfection.  

Speaking of potential hangovers, Aaron starts the meal off with a flight of mezcal.  There is a little bit of ground up spices in a pile on the end of the board that looking like a cinnamon and sugar mixture.  He tastes it and then says confidently, “No, those are ground up worms or insects.”  It is like I am eating brunch with Indiana Jones.  This sparks a fit of laughter as we all reminisce about the time, two years ago when we ate bugs and had a shot of mezcal in Chicago.  The food is delicious and the Loons game is playing on Aaron’s phone.  We start plotting a course for the rest of the afternoon as we enjoy each sensational bite of our chilaquiles.

Georgetown Brewing Company

A short walk away from our lunch spot is Georgetown Brewing Company. Started in 2002, Georgetown Brewing Company is the largest independently-owned brewery in Washington State.  Georgetown is known for their Manny’s Pale Ale and Bodhizafa IPA.  These two dynamic beers anchor a tap list that is both inventive and classic. 

My First Sips in Seattle

On a nice day with the sun out, sitting at a table right next to the open garage doors leading to the patio is a nice way to watch the sands fall through the hourglass.  In addition to full pours of those beers, I did try a flight that had several other things on it.  Their Hit For The Cycle Hazy IPA is stellar-bursting with juicy hops flavors and aromas.  The Walls of the Cave barleywine is a decadent delight that takes on a molasses note from the barrel it aged in.  The Roger’s Pilsner is clean and crisp. I would definitely visit here again.  More importantly, this is my first Seattle brewery visit and it was a smashing success.  

I am immediately enamored with the hoppy selections at Georgetown Brewing Company. I am quickly realizing how incredibly fresh the beers are tasting. This is more than likely because the hops are as fresh as can be with Seattle having such a close proximity to the Yakima Valley. At Georgetown Brewing, they use hops deftly and the finished product is iconic.

Two of Seattle’s Liquid Icons

The Manny’s Pale Ale is better than any pale ale available in Minnesota. It is clear, bright, and has balanced bitterness in the finish. The Bodhizafa IPA is extremely fresh. It drinks with a little bit of heft, while still being clean. There is no confusion about what this beer is supposed to be. It is a hoppy beer with nice brightness and bitterness. Over the years, I have found myself craving this kind of beer more and more after wading through the quagmire of mediocre hazy IPAs that seem to litter so many tap lists. Enough is enough, already! We don’t need 5 different hazy IPA recipes where the only difference is a single hop. Give me a west coast IPA, a hazy IPA, and a pale ale that I can see through; that is all anybody really needs.

Craft Beer Brings People Together

As we are sitting here enjoying ourselves, Jeff’s friends Jeff and AJ show up to join us. Yes, there are not two Jeffs at the table. Jeff used to work with Jeff back in Wisconsin. They are here visiting their daughter Jocelyn and her husband…Jeff. Yes, you read that right. Another Jeff. In fact, we are going over to Jeff and Jocelyn’s house tomorrow for Easter brunch. I am going to be working on a Which Jeff is Which routine and that should be available on streaming in the fall.

Jeff is really funny. His voice is similar to that of actor Owen Wilson. It is a hint of a drawl. Jeff has a fantastic sense of humor and he is a great storyteller. At one point, while Aaron was watching the soccer game on his phone, he asked, “Hey, what are you watching on that thing, Days Of Our Lives?” He and his wife, AJ, are distressed because their daughter took a job in Tijuana, Mexico, and they are very concerned for their safety. While I am sure Tijuana is not what it was like in the 70s, I am can understand the concerns of someone from an older generation. His wife, AJ, was trying to comfort him and said that they were going to be living in a gated community. Jeff quips, “Well, Fort Apache was a gated community, and look how that turned out!”

After quite a few beers and even more laughs, it is time to move on to the next brewery spot. We say our goodbyes the fine folks at Georgetown are nice enough to send us on our way with some fresh cans of Bodizafa IPA to enjoy at the Airbnb and we are on our way to Machine House Brewing.

Machine House Brewery

In a world of CO2 and hops, the artistry and skill showcased in quality cask beer is hard to find. Yet, Machine House Brewery in Seattle proves that it is well-worth going far and wide to find cask beers. Aaron and Jeff both talked this place up to me as something I would love. When I walked in, I knew I was in for a treat. The beer engines, all lined up to pour forth the magical cask elixirs, give a silent greeting. I see the tap list and immediately begin chiseling away.

A Cask Beer Destination Brewery

The gent working behind the bar notices my enthusiasm for English-style cask beers served at cellar temperatures and knows I belong. Other than Civil Life Brewing in St. Louis, Missouri, and Hogshead Brewery in Denver, Colorado, there aren’t many places devoting the time and resources to cask beer. Most people don’t enjoy it because it they interpret cask beers as “flat”, when they are actually just naturally carbonated in the cask. This allows for the subtle nuances of the malt and hops to really shine in an unadulterated way.

English-style beers are a lot more restrained when it comes to ABV. That is not to say that there aren’t any bigger beers in England. In fact, at Georgetown and Machine House, they are currently pouring English Barleywines which tend to tip the ABV scales at or around 10-13% ABV. However, the tap list at Machine House Brewery has plenty of lower and sessionable beers that fit under the umbrella of pub ales.

Machine House Cambridge Bitter

My first pour is the Cambridge Bitter. It has a subtle earthy and floral hop aroma. The flavors of sweet caramel and slight nuttiness present themselves wonderfully thanks to the Golden Promise malt. Being that it is an Ordinary Bitter, it has a low ABV of 3.8% ABV. For me, this is the perfect beer. I love the texture thanks to the cask conditioning. It is smooth and easy-drinking.

Machine House Best Bitter

I move onto the Best Bitter next which is another low-ABV beer with big flavor. Like the Cambridge Bitter, the Best Bitter is a beer I could hunker down with for an afternoon of relaxation and conversation. While I don’t have the entire afternoon, I do have some great travel companions and friends to pass the time with. Jeff and Aaron are also enjoying the beers. The flavor profile of the Best Bitter is similar to the Cambridge Bitter. The hops are there, but they don’t overtake the beer. The mixture of nutty, roasty, and sweet malt flavors provide balance.

Machine House Dark Mild

It is time to try the Dark Mild. Machine House Brewery knows how to brew great beers and this is probably the best illustration of that. If a Dark Mild isn’t brewed correctly it will lean too heavily into an acrid character of roasted malt which isn’t wonderful. This iteration is roasty, choclatey, and light in body. There is nothing out of whack and the roasted malt is really balanced. At 3.7% ABV, I love this beer. I am certainly putting Machine House Brewery on my “must visit again” list for breweries the next time I am in Seattle.

As we are all drinking our beers, Jeff spots a pair of French Bulldogs in the taproom. As crazy as I am about cask beer, Jeff is even more ga-ga for French Bulldogs. He slips his metaphorical leash and beelines it for the table in the corner to go and meet the doggos. Aaron just rolls his eyes, as he is used to this happening quite frequently. Jeff eventually comes back to the table and our revelry continues.

Like a bunch of tipsy sherpas, we are giggling away and sipping. It is well past the time to check into our Airbnb and we realize that we need food. As much as I would love to stay, it has been a really long day of travel and we have to get to the Ballard neighborhood.

Our Ballard Airbnb

Our entry to our Airbnb is smooth. It is a 3-level condo with plenty of room for all of us to have our own rooms and bathrooms! I drop my bags in the room and reconnoiter in the living room as we plot where we are going to go for dinner. With total disregard for sense and wellness, we also crack a fresh round Bodhizafa IPAs since everyone knows that beer usually accelerates the decision-making process.

We decide on the Sunny Hill Pizza restaurant that is about a ten minute walk from our place. The walk is an easy one, and before we know it, we are sitting outside the corner bistro in adirondack chairs waiting for our names to be called for a table. Now that the sun is down, there is a bit of a chill so we are lucky to be on the covered patio. I decide that water is probably a good idea after the long day of travel and I order a burger because I figure I will be getting plenty of seafood in the coming days. Aaron and Jeff both enjoyed their pizzas and I enjoyed my burger. The walk back is quiet and everyone is quite tired.

On the first day of our Seattle beercation, we have set the bar incredibly high. A combination of quality and variety were the themes of the day. Aaron definitely set a great tone with the breweries that he curated for us to visit.

I barely remember hitting the pillow and before I know it, I am waking up to the sun peaking in the windows through the shades. I open the shades and see a horizon of lush trees and houses in the distance. It is the first wakeup and I have another week of exploring the craft beer scene of Seattle ahead! Cheers!