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Reuben's Brews
Photograph: Courtesy Reuben's Brews

The best breweries in Seattle to check out right now

Raise a glass to the best breweries in Seattle, offering great brews and good times

Steve Lannen
Written by
Jen Woo
&
Steve Lannen
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No matter where you might find yourself in Seattle, chances are you aren’t far from a place making or serving a great pint. Local bars and restaurants offer extensive tap lists, but many people skip the middleman and go straight to the source. Breweries, taprooms, and beer gardens are gathering places not just for hopheads but for families, remote workers, gourmands, trivia geeks, and those just catching up with friends often with a canine in tow. Whiling away an afternoon (or morning if the Seahawks are playing on the East Coast) at a local brewery or taproom is a great way to get a sense of a neighborhood, pick up on the local vibes, and in some cases, get a tasty bite.

A 2020 state law doubled from two to four the number of locations a brewer can operate. Several have taken advantage by opening multiple locations and moving into neighborhoods that might not have previously been home to a brewery. Visit a top local brewery and consider it one of the top things to do in Seattle.

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Best Seattle breweries

The bustling and dog-friendly Ballard taproom offers a quintessential brewery experience with murals and stickers covering the walls and garage doors that open to an outdoor beer garden. In Ballard for a decade, Stoup expanded in 2023 when it took over Optimism Brewing Company’s Capitol Hill location, the state’s largest taproom. Try the award-winning robust porter or German-style pilsner plus hard seltzers, root beer or other N.A. options.

Tucked in the industrial neighborhood of Georgetown, the eponymous brewery became best known for its beloved flagship beer, Manny’s Pale Ale, a crisp, clean and smooth brew with hints of citrus and malt. Today, Bodhizafa IPA, known locally as “Bodi,” could be one of the most ordered beers in town. But visit the tasting room to sample the entire catalog of hoppy delights, easy-drinking low-alcohol beers and specialty brews. Children, dogs, and off-site food are permitted.

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Cloudburst is about fun and innovation. Think: Oatmeal brown ale tinged with toasted coconut, or nitro milk stout that’s cured for extra flavor. The results: 2021 “Brewery and Brewer of the Year” at the Great American Beer Festival and a 2023 World Beer Cup bronze for its pilsner. Visit the Ballard location to enjoy the outdoor beer garden, which is covered and heated during the rainy months and allows kids. The Western Avenue location is 21+ only.

Reuben’s Brews began as a home-brewing operation in 2012. A new Fremont location opened in 2023 along with its often-busy Ballard location. As they expanded, so has their range with a vast array of styles unique to their brewery, including over 20 beers on tap. The Robust Porter won a silver medal at the 2023 Great American Beer Festival.

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A local favorite near the Queen Anne side of the Ballard Bridge since its opening a decade ago. Get the Mosaic Single Hop IPA or Makeda Coffee Porter. For true ale fans, pop over on a Friday when they tap a one-off firkin cask. Besides beer, the parking lot is home to Smash That Burger four days a week and a rotating cast of other food trucks. Check the schedule on Rooftop’s website.

This popular Fremont brewery gets crowded, but for good reason. Since 2009, the company has grown quickly, increasing space and production simultaneously. All around the city, one can find cans of Summer Ale and Interurban IPA. But you'll also find sours, barrel-aged sips and limited releases at the brewery, which can be enjoyed on their spacious patio. Or sneak into the taproom, the Blue Heron Lounge, which focuses on heritage grains and unique techniques.

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Even the more hardcore beer aficionados will find something to suit their tastes at Holy Mountain, from pale ales to sours to difficult-to-find Old World styles. The menu changes constantly with no flagship beer, so you’ll never tire of the options, and it’s how Holy Mountain remains one of the most interesting breweries in the area. Be sure to check out the artwork on their labels. 21+ at Interbay Taproom and beer garden. Kids are allowed at Phinney Taproom.

Since opening in 1997, Elliot Bay has established itself as a Seattle gem. Swathed in aged oak, the space is teeming with character and well-known for its signature ales. While they’re based in tradition, they also offer contemporary fare like ahi tacos. Don’t miss the crack sauce made from chipotle aioli for dunking herb-seasoned fries. Locations are in Lake City, West Seattle and Burien.

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Old Stove offers 24 taps of craft beer made on-site as well as local cider, wine, and a full bar near Pike Place Market. Pair a pint with tasty, seasonal eats made with local ingredients. Plus, you can’t beat the views from the 80-foot walls of windows opening up on Elliott Bay and the Olympic Mountains. New locations are in Queen Anne, which has a courtyard and event space, and Ballard, which has a beer garden and BBQ.

This brewery has been making beer since before craft beer was a thing (since 1989). Its brewer family tree can be traced all over the Seattle beer scene. Pike offers and eclectic range of brews from traditional English styles to contemporary American selections. In January 2024, brewing operations were slated to begin in a new state-of-the-art facility in SoDo. The Pike Pub, Pike Fish Bar and Pike Taproom Ballard remain open for visitors.

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A newcomer to the local beer scene, Fair Isle quickly established itself as a top maker of farmhouse beer, using local ingredients such as hops and fruits to craft award-winning bretts and saisons. Opened in 2020, its already earned two “Washington Brewery of the Year” awards and a gold at the World Beer Cup. Besides beer, rotating guest wines and ciders are available. It is now home to 49th Street Beast—and its buzzy dry-aged burger—run by the same people behind Beast and Cleaver.

The taproom is a collaboration of two beloved beverage makers—Bale Breaker Brewing Company and Yonder Cider. Rotating food trucks and outdoor firepits complement more than 30 taps housed in the recently renovated space in the Ballard neighborhood. Try the highly rated Topcutter or a Frenz collab from Bale Breaker or Yonder’s cranberry and cherry Cashmere or a cider slushie.

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One of the few Black-owned breweries in the country, Métier wants to build an industry and community where that is no longer an exception. There are three locations, with the flagship tasting room in the Central District, once the heart of Seattle’s African-American community and businesses. Pair the coconut porter or a crisp kölsch with foods from Umami Kushi, serving up Japanese-inspired street food and beignets.

The first brewery in Beacon Hill when it opened in 2016, Perihelion brews small-batch beers focusing on Belgian styles. Other styles are available, including some wine and cocktails. As tasty as the beers are, the restaurant deserves mention, too. A blue cheese truffle burger, roasted bone marrow, gochujang wings and beer-steamed clams were recently spotted on the menu. Dogs and children are allowed.

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For those wanting something different than the ubiquitous Northwest IPA, Machine House specializes in English-style cask ale. Served from traditional hand pumps at cellar temperature with low ABVs and low IBUs, it’s a style that can be enjoyed all day long. The taproom recently relocated from Georgetown to Hillman City and hosts a weekly bluegrass jam and trivia night. Kids and dogs are permitted.

Seapine’s kölsch, helles, and hefeweizen are must-tries while limited seasonals like Positron IPA and Flannel Channel copper ale are worthy of attention. The SoDo taproom has a small area for outdoor seating with a much larger indoor area near the brewing kettles. Less than a half mile away are Starbucks' world headquarters and a café with terrific pizza and other bites. Skip the coffee, stock up on food and then settle in for a few hours at Seapine.

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Based in White Center just south of the city, Future Primitive brews with a point of view and doesn’t hide it. Its most well-known beer might be Nazi Punks Fuck Off pilsner and a limited release called Their Body Their Choice IPA came out in response to the 2022 Supreme Court striking down Roe v. Wade. Decks at both the White Center and Alki Beach taproom locations are heated and enclosed for the rainy months.

Ghostfish has been a godsend for beer lovers with celiac disease and others who are gluten-free. But those who don’t need to avoid wheat also know that the beer is tasty. Its flagship beers have won national medals, including the Grapefruit IPA and Watchstander Stout. The SoDo taproom is a popular meeting spot before and after Seahawks, Sounders, and Mariners games with indoor and outdoor seating.

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“Get your tongue stung” is this Georgetown brewer’s slogan, where lovers of sours can easily find something to pucker up with. Fans of other styles can sample the award-winning Hydra Pils or Planktonic Red. Just off Airport Way South, it’s a stop for neighborhood pub crawls and hosts local bingo and trivia nights. On one recent summer night, its back patio hosted the world’s foremost Japanese Elvis impersonator.

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