Category Archives: Expansion

Urban Family Brewing Is Coming (Back) To Ballard

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I can remember when Urban Family Brewing Company wasn’t yet a brewing company.  They were a craft beer bar on Ballard Ave NW, pretty much across the street from The Noble Fir.  As a craft beer bar, I only visited them a couple of times before they closed and moved across Salmon Bay to their current location on 26th Avenue West in Magnolia.

I think Urban Family is a bit homesick for Ballard though. They’ve just announced that, later this year, they will be moving the brewery to a new location, back in Ballard.  Sentiment isn’t the only reason for the move though.  They’re starting to outgrow their current location, and their new spot in Ballard will give them more room to expand, including more space for barrel aging and additional outdoor seating.

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Aslan Brewing Is Coming To Seattle

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Even though we have a large number of breweries right here in Seattle, many of us often take trips away from the city to explore breweries farther away or perhaps to visit some favorites we’ve found on previous craft beer excursions.

One popular destination for those leaving Seattle on one of these excursions is the city of Bellingham, WA.  I myself am a big fan of many Bellingham breweries including: Wander, Kulshan, Chuckanut, Structures and, of course, Aslan.  Well, if Aslan Brewing Company is on your list of favorite Bellingham breweries, then I’ve got some great news.  This Summer, Aslan will open a location in Seattle’s Fremont neighborhood.

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Mr. Heron Goes To Montana

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Seattle is a city that’s just bursting at the seams with craft breweries.  No matter were you are in the city, you’re likely not more than a few stones throws away from a craft brewery.  With so many breweries to choose from though, how do you decide who the standouts are?  How do you know which breweries to recommend to people here for a visit or those asking about which Seattle breweries they need to keep an eye on?

Two factors that can help you decide are, of course, the quality of the beers the brewery is putting out, and the demand for those beers whenever there’s a new release.  By those two measures, among others, Fremont Brewing Company has become one of Seattle’s best known breweries, even outside of Washington.  Many of their beers, particularly their barrel-aged offerings, have caught the attention of craft beer lovers both near and far. They even have a super secret society of members who “solemnly swear to devote themselves to the pursuit of the finest beers that ever were” – the Heron Hunting Club.  Fremont Brewing already distributes their beers to 6 states, including Washington, and now they’re ready to expand into Montana with the help of Hayden Beverage Company.

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Smoked Porter Turns 30 As Alaskan Brewing Prepares to Debut Their Expanded Taproom

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Fall is here in the Emerald City and that means Stouts.  Everywhere you look, it seems breweries are preparing their annual Stout releases and, as much as I do love a good Stout, their abundance can sometimes overshadow the deliciousness of a good Porter.

The differences between Stouts and Porters can be subtle and the debate over what the exact differences are continues.  Basically though, Porters are a bit lighter in body and mouthfeel and sometimes, though definitely not always, can be slightly lower in alcohol.  Essentially, all Porters are Stouts, but not all Stouts are Porters.

Now that I’ve made things clear as mud for you, I’d like to tell you that one of the best known and best loved Porters in the Northwest, Alaskan Brewing Company’s Smoked Porter, is turning 30.  Alaskan Brewing is preparing to celebrate with the opening of their expanded taproom this Saturday.

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Pike Opens New Brewery Beer Garden

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Seattle’s iconic Pike Brewing Company has been going through a few changes over the past year or so.  They’ve expanded their brewery operations, opened the new Tankard & Tun upstairs from The Pike, and now they’re ready to open a new brewery beer garden for the Summer.  Situated right in the brewery itself, Pike’s new brewery beer garden will be right near the brewery doors that open onto Post Alley below Pike Place Market.  In

In other Pike Brewing News, the Flight of Dreams Opening in Nagoya Japan, featuring Pike Brewing, has been pushed back to September and Pike has also been named ‘Most Iconic Brand’ in Seattle Magazine’s 2018 beer awards.  They also have two new beers about to release: Citrus Summer Ale and Hopsie.

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Announcing Pike Pride Ale And More From Pike Brewing

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As I’m sure you’re already aware, June is Pride Month and there are plenty of events all around Seattle to celebrate and stand up for the LGBTQ community.  Considering the current political climate in our nation, I think that recognizing and celebrating Pride Month is more important that ever.

Pike Brewing Company feels the same way and recently released Pike Pride Ale in celebration of Seattle’s LGBTQ community.  It’s available on tap now at Pike Brewing and Tankard & Tun and will be featured at several locations during Pride Week (June 18-24).

Other news from Pike includes their new Late-Night Hoppy Hour (with food specials from 9 pm to close (menu below)), a new seasonal menu at Tankard & Tun, and the exciting news that Pike has shipped over 600 unique pieces of beer art to Japan’s International Airport in Nagoya in preparation for the opening of a Pike Brewing restaurant and craft beer bar in Nagoya Airport.

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Introducing Sound Craft Seltzer Co. The Newest Sister Company To Two Beers Brewing

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Two Beers Brewing Company (CBM Sponsor) has had quite the journey.  They started off back in 2007, brewing just 100 barrels per year and, since then, they’ve never stopped growing.  Year after year, Two Beers has just kept on expanding.  They’ve updated and upgraded their taproom, The Woods, several times since 2007 and, back in 2013, they announced the launch of their wildly successful sister company: Seattle Cider Company.

Then just two years ago in 2016, Two Beer announced that they had been acquired by Agrial Group, a leading French agri-business cooperative.  Since that acquisition, however, not much has changed.  Now comes the first big announcement since that acquisition.  Two Beers Brewing Company is pleased to announce the launch of their newest sister company: Sound Craft Seltzer Co.

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Reuben’s Brews Consolidates Production At A New Location

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There may be a large number of breweries in Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood, but there are just a few standouts that always keep me coming back for more. One of those standout breweries, and probably my favorite brewery in all of Ballard is Reuben’s Brews.  They first first opened their doors to the public back in 2012 and, since that time, they’ve garnered a large and loyal following and received well over 150+ awards for their amazing brews, including Mid-Sized Brewery of the Year at the 2015 Washington Beer Awards.

In 2015 they brought aboard Dean Mochizuki (Formerly of Pike Brewing) as their new head/experimental brewer and were ready to expand, having outgrown their original space.  Unfortunately, when the time came to expand, they had a hard time finding a single building that could provide what they needed. So Reuben’s currently has two locations: one brewery and taproom on 14th Ave NW and an additional/experimental brewery space in their original location, just a few short blocks away.

Now it’s time for Reuben’s to expand yet again and this time they found a new space, still in Ballard, where they can house most of their production under one roof.

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Naked City Prepares For Their 10th Anniversary

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Despite the fact that I just don’t get there often enough, I have a strong affinity for Naked City Brewery & Taphouse.  As I’ve said many times before, Owner and Head Brewer, Don Webb truly loves his work and it shows in the quality of the beers Naked City produces.  Some of my favorites of theirs over the years have included their Big Lebrewski Russian Imperial Stout, Rye Barrel Aged Old 48 Stout, The Can In Black Malt Liquor and Old Proper, their English Style Barleywine.  Not to mention their popular, seasonal triple IPA, Cry Me A River, which you should be seeing again soon as the Hop Mob Triple IPA Roadshow returns next month.

Now, with well over 320 distinct beers under their belt, Naked City is preparing to celebrate their 10th Anniversary with the release of a beer that will be the first in a series of 10 collaboration beers along with a series of 10 concerts for charity.

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Belltown & Schooner Exact Team Up To Create SODO Brewing

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It seems like you can’t throw a rock in Seattle these days without hitting a brewery, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing.  Despite the large and ever-increasing number of craft breweries in Seattle, we still don’t seem to have reached the saturation point.  I believe that’s because Seattle craft beer drinkers really love to drink local.

Sure, Seattle has its iconic and big name breweries that are well known even outside the Seattle area.  Others, however, have a more local, neighborhood feel and here in the Northwest we love to support small neighborhood businesses. That’s why two local, neighborhood breweries, Belltown Brewing Company and Schooner Exact Brewing Company, to form a new, limited-series collaboration brewery named SODO Brewing.

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