CoffeeBeer >> Pint Pleasures >> Ballard 9


In summer of this year, I ended my annual American holiday with two weeks in and around my former home of Seattle. My Bay Area friend Rick flew up to join me for my final week, and we stayed in an AirB&B in the neighbourhood of Ballard.

I knew Ballard pretty well, as I had lived in Lower Queen Anne, not far away across the Ship Canal. Not only is it known as a centre of Nordic culture, but back then there were some good seafood restaurants and a couple of now-defunct brewpubs. On this visit, however, I had no idea of the pleasant surprise that was waiting for the two of us, as there were at least eleven brewpubs and pubs no more than a ten-minute walk from our lodgings. So it looked like we had a challenging but tasty job ahead of us.

On Sunday late afternoon, after I checked into our rented bungalow the day before Rick was due to arrive, I took off down the alley to the street, passing a resident bunny who was watching me curiously. Just around the corner was Lucky Envelope, the closest brewpub to our bungalow. I had an hour to leisurely kill by myself before meeting some friends at a nearby tap, so a pint here seemed like a good way to do that. Lucky Envelope’s front beer garden looked inviting; but the early evening felt a bit too nippy for my preference, so I took a seat inside at the bar. Naturally, having been a scientific programmer in my youth, and as my friend Rick also programmed with me, it felt appropriate to have a pint of ENIAC Mosaic IPA (6.2% ABV).

Introduced in 1946, ENIAC (Electronic Numerical Integrator And Computer) was the world's first general purpose digital computer which led eventually to the technological world we know today. The beer itself suggested tropical fruit and blueberries in a satisfying setting of bold hops. And it was very hoppy and fresh like I needed. What a good start to my Ballard beer tour.

A couple of nights later I returned here with Rick to meet up with my old Seattle friend Adam. This time the evening was warmer, and we sat in the beer garden. On this occasion I had a pint of Summer Krush Hazy IPA (6.7% ABV), hopped with a fascinating lineup of Krush, Tangier, Anchovy, and Citra. This featured about everything you could want in an interesting IPA: citrus, stone fruit, guava, and pine. Nice!

The name Lucky Envelope comes from the Chinese tradition of the elder generation giving the younger generation red envelopes filled with paper money. In China the color red is meant to ward off evil spirits and bring good health, while the money inside is supposed to bring prosperity. So these are all positive things to be thinking about while enjoying a pint of beer. I mean, there wasn’t actually any money in the glass, but that would have tasted a bit weird.

Rewinding back to my first visit to Lucky Envelope, I then walked for three minutes down the road to Trailbend Taproom to meet up with another old Seattle friend, Celia, and her husband Paul. After we exchanged plenty of hugs, we seated ourselves at a front table. The beer menu on the wall was not only very difficult to read, but it didn’t mention anything about the ABVs of any of the beers. Our barman couldn’t really help me with that, but he did sympathise with my frustration. So on his recommendation I went for a pint of PFreal (7.0% ABV, Firestone Walker, Paso Robles, California). A collaboration with PFriem of Hood River, Oregon, this was a fine beer, hopped with Mosaic, Nectaron, and Krush Cryo, and I was one very happy former Seattleite--or Seattalian, which was the term a friend coined and which I prefer. The three of us shared a couple of flatbreads and a plate of cheeses, and we caught up on a good seven years’ worth of catching up.

Two nights later, at the end of Rick’s and my first evening with Adam, we ended up at Trailbend once again. This time I had a pint of Frenz: Maui Tropical IPA (6.7% ABV, Bale Breaker Brewery, Seattle, Washington). A collaboration with Maui Brewing Company in Lahainatown, Maui, Hawaii, this tropical IPA was brewed with Pilsner and Flaked Rice, and it was a satisfyingly unique but easy-drinking IPA. On this visit the three of us shared a Chelan pizza.

(Sorry to keep jumping back and forth in time, but it’s easy to do when you’re surrounded by pretty much a swirling vortex of great breweries.)

Back in 2019, on a previous trip to Seattle, Rick and I had visited the original Old Stove in Pike Place Market, where we enjoyed some great food, amazing beers, and a fantastic view of Elliott Bay. So seeing as how Old Stove’s new beer garden was only a few steps away from our bungalow, we naturally had to visit. It was a little nippy on the night we stopped in, so we sat inside at the massive wrap-around bar. The place was absolutely packed with people, including a few too many screaming children for our taste. And we were hungry, but there was really nothing on the menu that a pescatarian like myself could eat except for nachos and Caesar salad. So we just had a couple of quick halves before heading on to try and find a nice seafood restaurant.

The two halves we shared were West Coast IPA (7.0% ABV) and Two Prong Crown IPA (6.66% ABV), which is the brewery’s flagship IPA. Both beers tasted similar, with a notable zinggg. The West Coast IPA was hopped with Warrior, Chinook, Mosaic, and Simcoe, and then dry hopped with Cryo Simcoe, Citra, and Mosaic, and it was rated at 75ibus, and the Two Prong was massively hopped with Mosaic, which is never a bad thing.

This location of Old Stove also features quiz nights and live music events. And there’s also a third Old Stove along the Lake Washington Ship Canal in North Queen Anne.

After we had a slightly underwhelming seafood meal at a restaurant closer to the waterfront, Rick and I walked back to our neighbourhood and stopped at Opec, where we each had a half of Crowd Surfing IPA (5.8% ABV), which was a fresh, crisp, and citrussy soul cleanser. The pub itself is massive and seemed to take up the entire block, but I think that was just Opec’s enormous presence. As we sat at the bar we had a view through glass of tall brewing tanks, so that added to the feeling of hugeness. Apparently the word obec is Czech for “village, municipality, or community”. So no wonder it felt so vast. Perhaps it was just in contrast to the miniscule bites that we had just been served for our nouvelle-cuisine-style meal.

When we left Obec, we had only a few yards to walk to Stoup. But a sudden heavy rain dumped what felt like the entire sky upon us. We emerged into the brewpub with our clothes so sopping wet we were creating little lakes where we stood. The entire front wall of the place was open to the air and the rain, so we moved up as close as we could to the small bar in order to get some warmth from the other denizens so we could dry out. We both decided to have 12-ounce glasses of Westies With Our Besties West Coast IPA (6.6% ABV), which was a Guild Collaboration with 21 other breweries. It was brewed with a base of 2-row Pilsner and wheat malt, with added Citra Dynaboost, and then dry hopped with HBC 586 Cryo, Citra Cryo, and HBC 1019. As we sipped we realised we were sitting behind a young man who was wearing a “Praise the Lord” t-shirt, and he was avidly talking to his barmates about his shotguns. He said he was from Oregon, so we pretty much assumed he was definitely not from Portland or the coast.

On Rick’s and my second evening with Adam, the three of us first met at Urban Family, where I had a pint of Slaying Mantis (7.3% ABV, Urban Family), a Hazy IPA with Mosaic and Dulcita. Rick had a pint of Dodgeball Sheriff WCIPA (7.7% ABV), with Talus, Citra, and Idaho 7 hops, and Adam went for a ridiculously alcoholic Lighthouse in the Woods (15% ABV), a barrel-aged Stout blended with dried chiles, cacao nibs, and cinnamon sticks. The beer itself was a blend of one- and two-year-old Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels and then infused with a whole-spice mixture of Ghanaian cacao, Saigon cinnamon, and de-seeded Guajillo chiles. For a dessert round Rick and I share a half of BEES! BEES! BEES! (6.8% ABV), a hazy IPA hopped with Idaho 7, Strata, and Simcoe, while Adam had a half of something again quite strong. By this time it became a bit difficult to remember the details, but then it seems to be that way whenever Rick and I get together with Adam.

Urban Family offers a covered and heated patio in front of the taproom, where kids and well behaved dogs on leashes are welcome. Food trucks are parked outside every day of the week, and customers can bring their own food in as well. Besides their 16 beer taps, they also offer coffee and plenty of non-alcoholic and gluten-free beverages.

On our penultimate night in Seattle, after thoroughly enjoying my final Mexican meal of the year at El Chupacabra in Greenwood, Rick and I returned to our Ballard neighbourhood and Fair Isle, where we walked into a welcomely pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. We sat at a nice warm table by the window where we could see beer casks piled up on the far end wall. The blazing fire at the commercial warehouse half a mile away that we had witnessed only a few hours earlier was finally out, with no trace of even a smell of the toxic black smoke that had quickly billowed up into the sky, so we felt assured that our accommodation was safe. I went for a 12-ounce glass of Fair Isle IPA (6.0% ABV). Hopped with Krush and Strata hops, and described as “more West Coast than East Coast”, this was good, good, good! Rick had the same amount of Eldon Oak Aged Saison (5.5% ABV), and that was quite good as well. I also tried a taste of Eugene (6.5% ABV), a Farmhouse IPA, simply because I like the name Eugene. And that was good as well.

Fair Isle Brewing opened in early 2020, and the names of the beers (including Eugene) are all named for certain people -- except for perhaps my Fair Isle IPA. As to the name of the brewery itself, Fair Isle refers to several things, including the Scottish island north of the Shetlands, which has a coastline similar to the Washington coast, and which is famous for its knitting style. With later research I learned that the brewery was also named after “Feral” yeast, their house yeast culture which has been returned to a wild, feral state. Before Louis Pasteur came up with the idea of mildly heating liquids to kill harmful microbes, all yeast used in brewing was wild. So there you have it.

At the end of that night, Rick and I finally got around to visiting Bale Breaker. And with plenty of brews spinning around our heads, I honestly can’t remember too much about the interior of the place. We ended up sitting in the large beer garden near a roaring fire, where we shared our two final pints of the night. The first, Bottom Cutter Imperial IPA (8.2% ABV), was double dry-hopped with homegrown Yakima Valley hops including Citra, Simcoe, Ekuanot, Mosaic, and Columbus, so it offered quite a wonderful palate of citrus and pine. Apparently the bottomcutter is a tractor that leads the topcutter through the fields during harvest. Our second pint was Skyward IPA (6.5% ABV), an American IPA hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Krush, and Columbus, and this was another wonderfully grapefruit-dank brew with hints of pineapple.

No sooner had we settled into our impressive pints and the warmth of the fire, we were joined by Natalie and John, a young beer-loving couple from Alberta, Canada. The four of us sat and talked about all kinds of things, including travel, living in other countries, beer, cities, small towns…but I’m afraid I can’t recall too many details. I know that by the time the pub was closing for the night and we were being gently nudged out, we had obviously become great friends.

The final pub that Rick and I managed to visit near our Ballard accommodation was Wheelie Pop. And we were so glad we visited, because sadly it was their final weekend in business -- which was a real shame, because the place had such a wonderful atmosphere, and the beer was great.

I went for a pint of the Rabbit Ear IPA (6.6% ABV, Wheelie Pop Brewing), hopped with Strata and Citra, mostly because of the little rabbit who appeared to be a neighbour of ours. Rick had a pint of War Pig IPA (6.4% ABV), hopped with Strata, Mosaic, and Citra Cryo with 48 IBUs. Before ending the night and heading back to the bungalow, we decided on a second round. Mine was Night Terrors Black IPA (6.0% ABV), 45 IBUS, hopped with Citra, Strata, and Centennial. And in honour of this fine brewery and pub with which we had instantly fallen in love, Rick went for a pint of So Long And Thanks For All The Hangovers Hazy IPA (6.4% ABV), hopped with Idaho 7, Citra Cryo, and Mosaic hops. What truly fine and excellently hopped brews these were, and it was such a crying shame they were forced to close. If I lived in Seattle, I would have been in mourning.

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PUB UPDATES:

  • HELLBENT, LAKE CITY, SEATTLE: After a crazy afternoon with my old friend Barb, who lives in Lake City, we finally made it back to her local brewpub. A lot of dogs were in attendance, which can’t help but make me feel happy and comfortable. After meeting a Bassett hound named Griswold. I browsed the beer menu and definitely had to have a taste of Junkyard Cat Hazy IPA (6.2% ABV). Sadly it seemed a tad sweet in its hops character for me. I also had a taste of Neomexicanus Hazy IPA (6.0% ABV), which also seemed on the sweet side. So I settled on a pint of Phillip IPA (6.8% ABV), which offered a subtle pine character and was quite nice. Barb went for a pint of Northwest Pilsner (5.1% ABV), brewed with North American malts and hopped with Adeena and Sterling. It was a nice crisp pint.

    While we were there we shared a goat cheese and mushroom pizza from the Oskar’s food truck out front in the beer garden, with jalapeños on my side.
  • MCMENAMINS QUEEN ANNE, SEATTLE: When Rick and I alighted from the newly remodelled Monorail at Seattle Center, and I led the way through a route so familiar to me from when I lived in Lower Queen Anne in the 1990s, I got chills and nearly started to cry. It was almost unbearably nostalgic: I left my home here 27 years ago, having lived a mere five-minute walk from McMenamin’s.

    And here we were again. We sat in what had always been my favourite booth by the Roy Street window. We tasted the Hammerhead Northwest Pale (6.0% ABV) which I used to always drink, except for when they had special IPAs on, often on the single handpump. But today both Rick and I went for pints of 42nd State IPA (6.45% ABV), which was moderately bitter with notes of grapefruit, mixed berries, and pine. And it was nicely clear as well. It got me reminiscing about some of my favourites from the old days, like Ananda IPA and Tasmanian IPA.
  • ELYSIAN FIELDS, SODO, SEATTLE: On our last day in Seattle, and my last day in America, Rick and I stopped in here and sat on the little sidewalk patio in front, where we shared two half pints. One was Jacktail Hazy IPA (6.1% ABV), described as having notes of mango, papaya, and citrus, and the other was Riper Australian Pale (5.5% ABV), hopped with Australian Topaz, Vic Secret, and Galaxy hops. For our lunch we shared some Mac and Cheese with Space Dust IPA Sauce and spring onions, which was very tasty. Little did we realise that it was the second day of the 2026 US World Cup, and while the England v Bosnia-Herzegovina match from Toronto was showing on the indoor screens, we could hear something going on across the road at Lumen Field, Seattle’s World Cup venue, as it prepared for its first match on Monday between Belgium and Egypt. And all this time Tubeman (or Phil, as my friend Barb calls him) was waving madly from the other end of the pavement tables. Apparently the Tubeman, which I first remember seeing outside of car dealerships, was first created for the 1996 Summer Olympics by Trinidadian Peter Minshall while he was sitting in the bleachers of Atlanta Stadium. Just shows you learn something new every day.
  • TWO SHEDS, SHEFFIELD: I stopped in here on a deliciously still, balmy autumn equinox, with the only other customer in the pub being Lee, and Alex behind the bar. I first had a taste of Spring Breeze (4.5% ABV, Three Acres Brewery, Uckfield, East Sussex), which was described as "a taste of the countryside". Hmm, perhaps a barn in the morning full of cows who have been pissing all night? All three of us agree that this tasted pretty unpleasant. I detected strong hops of some sort, but it was impossible to tell what hops because there was no body to back up any actual flavour.

    So I went for a pint of Jump To It (3.8% ABV, Abbeydale Brewing Company, Sheffield, South Yorkshire). A session IPA, this was brewed for this year’s Sheffield Half Pint Marathon, and it was a perfectly acceptable and hoppy brew.

    My next visit was on a cold day after Fall had officially fallen (as us Americans can say-- or had Autumn autumned?). Whatever had happened, I ended up having a pint of Reef (4.3% ABV, Triple Point Brewing Company, Sheffield, South Yorkshire), described as a tropical pale with Simcoe, loral, and Talus hops. And it was just fine. Two days later, on a crowded Saturday, I risked a Douvet Vous (4.8% ABV, New Bristol Brewing Company) which was really quite fun. I mean, I could use a bit of fun these days.
  • HALLAMSHIRE HOUSE, SHEFFIELD: Recently I had a pint of Over the Tops Pale Ale (4.5% ABV, Thornbridge Brewing Company, Bakewell, Derbyshire). A collaboration with Ossett Brewery for the St George’s Hall Beer Festival at the Ship & Mitre, this was really quite good.

    I’m always up for trying a red beer, so on another day I went for a cask pint of Packet In (4.2% ABV, Thornbridge, a collaboration with The Sportsman of Huddersfield). This red IPA was brewed for the Huddersfield International Crisp Festival. It would go good with decent crisps, I must say, but I thoroughly enjoyed it all on its own.

    On the day before Halloween, after several days of only three or four hours of sleep due to the stress of my current life running back and forth between hospitals, stroke rehab homes, and work, I immediately went for a pint of the appropriately named Dreamless (4.4% ABV, Redwillow, Macclesfield, Cheshire), a NEIPA on cask which was just what the doctor ordered, so to speak. Redwillow is truly a fine brewery, and this is a pint I could drink over and over again. Well, I mean, in separate pints, that is. And perhaps I could then sleep long enough to actually dream again.
  • WALKLEY BEER COMPANY, SHEFFIELD: In the interest of tasting as many offerings from this fine pub, I once again went for two halves. My first half was Violent Pheasant Pale Ale (4.2% ABV, Three Blind Mice Brewery, Downham, Cambridgeshire). A cask brew hopped with Mosaic and Ekuanot, this was a boastful brew, but fortunately I was able to tame it enough on my palate to drink it without swallowing any feathers. My other half was Octopolis Hazy Pale (4.0% ABV, Otherworld Brewing, Dalkeith, Scotland), which was a pleasant multi-armed keg beer that could easily wrap its eight legs around the angry pheasant.

    The following week I did the same twosome, first going for a half of Pilot Stout (4.0% ABV, Pilot Brewing Company, Leith, Scotland). Like the porters and stouts from The Kernel of London, this stout is just a good, classic stout, richly flavourful and roasty but without any treacly over-maltiness or any silly flavours like chocolate, vanilla, salted caramel, etc. Very enjoyable indeed.

    I also went for a half of River Horse NZ IP (4.8% ABV, Otherworld Brewing, Dalkeith, Scotland). This is an amazingly gorgeous brew, with a full plate of flavour and character. What a wonderful reward for working so hard at a difficult task. Thank you, Life!

    On a more recent Sunday, to break away from the constant exhausting stress of my current life as an unwilling carer and an everything-doer, I had a pint of Breakaway (4.2% ABV, Weekend Project, Knutsford, Cheshire), a DDH pale that I hoped would transport me somewhere far away for a break. It didn’t, actually, but it was still a nice hour-long break.
  • BLAKE HOTEL, SHEFFIELD: Recently I visited this pub for the mutual birthday celebration of my friends Olly and JD. I went for a cask pint of Nelson SMASH (4.5% ABV, Neepsend Brewing Company, Sheffield, South Yorkshire), simply because not only was it single hopped with Nelson Sauvin, but it was also single malted. And it was a grand companion to the well-attended celebration. Since the SMASH was gone by the time I needed another pint, I had a keg pint of Wave Breaker Pacific Pale Ale (4.5% ABV, Abbeydale Brewing Company, Sheffield, South Yorkshire), simply because it had a graphic of a surfer accompanied by a porpoise. And it was also a Pacific Pale, which meant some good American hops. And it met all my expectations--except for a good wave, that is.
  • OLD SHOE, SHEFFIELD: On a quiet day after work I stopped in to have a pint before returning to my empty home. And what an absolutely glorious kindness in a glass I ended up with. As I sipped my wonderful pint of The Sky Above Pale Ale (4.5% ABV, Left Handed Giant Brewing, Bristol), I observed the very same sky above from my sun-kissed seat by the window. Brewed with extra pale malt and hopped with Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic, oh my, that gorgeous pine dank hit my nose before my sample taster got remotely close to my mouth. My senses were bathed in gorgeous grapefruit, pine trees, resin, and even a suggestion of dragonfruit. It was truly a gorgeous hug by a totally cool and good-looking friend to comfort me during these trying times. Ahh, thank you so much, my danky liquid friend. I think I’m in love!

    A week later I stopped in here after work to meet my friend Lulu for a pint. And I went for an absolute gem: West Coast Pale Ale (4.2% ABV, Sureshot Brewing Company, Manchester). Oh my, what an excellent choice! This was another brew where that gorgeously oompy aroma hit my nose long before my lips got near enough to actually taste it. What a wonderful pine resiney copper brew!

    And another week later, after Mike and I saw the film Wildwood at the cinema, we stopped in here for a pint. Well, I had a pint, as Mike is on a strict weight loss and no-alcohol diet for a while. My first pint was Stay In Your Lane West Coast Pale (4.8% ABV, Lost Cause Brewing, Wakefield, West Yorkshire). My eyes were so tired from the over-two-hour animated film that I misread the ABV as 4.5%. Oh well, no matter. It was a pleasant pint, but not quite as wowily interesting as I was hoping for. Fortunately that came with our second round and my half of Weightless (4.2% ABV, Redwillow Brewing, Macclesfield, Cheshire), which was much more dreamily interesting, lightly resiny and dank. After our fantasy film relief from the current very stressful days, I did start to feel as if a weight were being lifted.

BOTTLED/CANNED BEER UPDATE:

  • In Seattle:
  • Big Juicy IPA (6.1% ABV, No-Li Craft Beers, Spokane, Washington). This is a gold IPA with Citra, El Dorado, Belma, and Azacca hops. After I checked into Rick’s and my AirB&B in Ballard, I purchased this can at the nearby Trader Joe’s and drank it later on, after I had explored two of the brewpubs very close to our accommodation. It was a great nightcap for a late Sunday night after spending time with my friends Celia and Paul.
  • Back at Home:
  • Meow (6.0% ABV, Triple Point Brewing Company, Sheffield, South Yorkshire). This NEIPA is hopped with ESH, Krush, Mosaic, and Simcoe, and it offers hints of blueberry and stone fruit. The can is decorated with a graphic by Sheffield artist Bubba 2000 of the brewery's own cat. After I saw a few improvements in my housemate after he was moved to the rehab unit of a nursing home, and after I had just had a gorgeously dank and restorative pint at a pub in town, I decided to start my evening at home with a can of this. And there was certainly no catpiss here--this was a proper litterbox user of a brew! But oh, Meow, it was a nice little hoppy drop. Now, all I needed was a cat of my own, right here on my lap. I miss living with cats! I want a cat right now.
  • Papillon NEIPA (5.5% ABV, Triple Point Brewing Company). The can is decorated with a lovely colourful inkblot design of eyes on a butterfly’s wings, and the text on the can suggests the drinker can be their own papillon and make their escape into hop-filled decadence. I mean, at this point in my life, any escape appeals to me. The beer itself offers floating malt, and it’s hopped with Talus, Krush, Simcoe, Jester. and Bramling Cross. And oh yes, it’s juicy, indeedy! The promise that this beer “kicks like a sleep twitch” reminds me of the good old days when I could sleep. Remember sleep? Someday good sleep will come...