On this blog, and many others, the debate continues. Is Asheville, NC really deserving of the title Beer Town USA? I have never been there so I can’t really formulate an objective opinion. I will say this, it is very possible that anyone asserting that Asheville is Beer Town USA has not yet visited Bend, OR. The greater Bend area is home to at least nine breweries. Maybe more. I haven’t counted in a while. Having visited most of them, I can attest to their overall excellence.

Today we learn that one of Bend’s highly-decorated breweries is coming to Seattle. It’s been well over a year, but we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to 10 Barrel Brewing. Thursday (Feb 9), Urban Family Public House in Ballard will be the first Washington pub to serve the beers of 10 Barrel Brewing. Ballard’s newest beer destination will be pouring two different 10 Barrel beers: Oregon Brown Ale and Sinister Black Lager. The  fun starts at 4:00 p.m. The folks at Urban Family Pub tell us that this is the first beer from 10 Barrels to be poured north of the border. We’ll take them at their word.
Urban Family Public House
5329 Ballard Avenue Northwest
Seattle, WA

Über Tavern is closing. There, do I have your attention? Über opened five years ago in Seattle’s Green Lake neighborhood and began dutifully pouring an outstanding selection of great beers, accompanying each pint with a fiery “Don’t call me small” attitude. With 17 beers on tap, the tavern offers more taps per square foot than any other bar in the city. According to the owners, Über Tavern is now in need of a facelift. The bar will shut down for three weeks to undergo a significant remodel.

What does this mean for you? Not only will you get to drink at a new and improved Über Tavern once it reopens in February, you will also get some special deals as the old Über closes. The final day is Saturday, January 21st. When the bar opens at noon that day, enjoy a $2.50 discount on each pint. Every two hours the price goes up 50 cents. Also, Über Tavern plans to pour a very special beer from Cascade Brewing to mark the occasion. Complete details are below.

January 21st is also Niko’s last day at Über. The beloved bartender is defecting to Portland. (Best wishes, Niko!). Find Niko behind the bar until 7:00 p.m. and find him under the bar shortly thereafter. You are invited to come help send him off in style.

Here is the news direct from Über:

BUT SAVE THIS DATE: SAT 1/21/12 @ 12:00 p.m.

WHY?

1) Last day / night of “Original Über”. – We are remodeling, slated to reopen Fri 2/10/12. More on that below.
2) Last day for Niko! Booooooo! – Our good friend & long time bartender is moving to Portland!
3) It is going to be a damn near free-for all. – Don’t miss it.

HERE’S THE DEAL

YOU CAN HELP BY DOING THESE 2 THINGS:

1) KILL EVERY KEG IN THE BAR (read on–we’ll make it easy)
2) Come say good-bye to Niko. It won’t be the same without him.

After 5+ years, our bar is ready for a facelift and we’re going kinda big…for our little place, hence the 3 week closure.  Über has 17 taps. Every one will be replaced with a new keg when we reopen. So let’s kill all the old ones on our last night.

STARTING AT NOON WHEN NIKO OPENS:

- EVERY SINGLE DRAFT BEER will be $2.50 off
- That means a lot of $2 pints and such
- Every 2 hours they go up .50
- By 10:00 p.m. they will be back to regular price, BUT…
- All growler fills will be half-price from 10:00 til close!

It wouldn’t be our style not to roll out some completely off-the-hook keg for such an occasion. We asked our friends at Cascade Brewery in Portland to come up with a VERY SPECIAL keg for Niko’s last hurrah (and ours). Details of the beer will come later, but yes it will also be featured at the same crazy discounts as all the other beers.

It goes without saying there will probably never be a day/night like this at our place again, and many of us will be saying
good-bye to a great friend.

Do it! You won’t regret it. Well you might. But you won’t remember it.

See you under the old bar for the last time,

Your friends at Über Tavern

PS: Niko will be there from 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. behind the bar. Then under it shortly after. Buy him a beer!

Note 12/27/2011 -  We just received word that The Publican (Tangletown’s new beer destination) will not open today as originally planned and as we posted the other day. We will keep you advised as we learn more.

Last night we joined our friend North Seattle Sarah for a soft opening event (preview) at The Publican. This new beer joint in Seattle’s Tangletown neighborhood is brought to you by the same people who run Brouwer’s Cafe so you can rest assured that the beer selection is outstanding and each pint is perfectly served. Here is Sarah’s report. I know many of you have missed North Seattle Sarah’s contributions. Let’s welcome her back to the blog.

– by North Seattle Sarah, North Seattle Bureau Chief –

I was one of the people who was very sad to see the note on Bandolero’s door one morning, saying that they were closed.  I enjoyed the food and drink there despite the lack of beer selection, and I loved the outdoor patio in the summer.  But much like my past failed relationships, I have moved on and started fresh as The Publican opens its doors this Tuesday, December 27th, in Bandolero’s old locale at 2253 N 56th Street.

I was privileged to attend their soft opening tonight, where beer and food samples were on hand to give us a taste of what’s to come next week.  The overall look inside hasn’t changed too much from its predecessor, but The Publican has some very big differences that are sure to bring in the crowds.

First, the beer.  The Publican has 21 taps for craft beer, and offers an incredible selection from an efficient storage system.  I sampled Fremont Brewing’s Publican IPA, made special for the occasion, but was excited to see a selection of stouts, saison, porters and pilsners accompanying the IPA choices. If you don’t want a beer on tap, just try their bottle selection – no wait, scratch that.  There is NO bottle selection.  Instead, there is a substantial menu of canned beers, which makes for a refreshing change.

One thing I love is that even though I’m a craft beer fan and was thrilled with my options, I can bring my non-beer loving friends here too.  Like Bandolero, they offer a hefty tequila selection (0ver 30 tequilas), a full bar, and a decent red and white wine cache.

Wondering what you’re in for with food at The Publican?  To start with, you’ll find brunch available all day, every day.  Although the menu hasn’t been entirely firmed up yet, you’ll find corned beef hash, salmon hash, two kinds of Eggs Benedict, Belgian waffles, and family style hash browns on the side.  You’ll also be treated to sausages and beef ground IN-house, grass-fed beef, and house-made sauces.  Tonight, I sampled the hand cut frites with two different sauces for dipping – a chipotle, and a curry ketchup.

The Publican comes to us from the same folks behind Brouwer’s Cafe in Fremont, and is excited to be opening in the Tangletown location between Green Lake and Wallingford.  Welcome to the neighborhood, Publican!

I was shocked and saddened when I drove by the Porterhouse the other day and saw paper-covered windows and a big For Sale sign. We have yet to talk to them about it, so we really don’t know the story, but the sign in the window says pretty much everything we need to know.

The Porterhouse was a welcome addition to West Seattle’s Admiral District. Here at the Washington Beer Blog we reported the opening of the Porterhouse back in July of 2009 (read it). We were excited to learn that a pub with 24 taps dedicated to west coast ales was opening in West Seattle. We are equally sad to see it go away.

Over the past two and one-half years the Porterhouse re-invented itself a couple of times. The changes were subtle, mostly to the food menu. The focus on great beer never changed.

To the best of our understanding, this does not impact the Porterhouse in Mount Vernon.

We live near the Porterhouse so I’m taking this one kind of personally. On that note, we’ll miss our Porterhouse peeps. They were neighbors and friends. I had too many great times at the Porterhouse to mention, but there is one thing that stands out in particular. If you were there, you know what night I’m thinking of.

I’ll miss stopping by the Porterhouse for that one last beer that I really don’t need. I’ll miss those sloppy, dripping hamburgers. So good. I’ll miss driving by and so easily seeing people sitting in the bar drinking and socializing. I’ll miss the people and I will miss each and every one of those 24 taps.

Cheers to all my friends at the Porterhouse. May your futures be bright and may your mugs be full of nothing but big love and cold beer.

I will never forget when John Russell was tending bar and mentioned to me that he was in a band. As if there is a bartender somewhere in Seattle that is not in a band. I thought the name -The Head and The Heart- was really silly. Oops.

We’ll always have this – the epic, legendary night when The Head and the Heart played a very quietly announced gig at the Porterhouse. Fast-forward to the 5:00 mark if you simple must hear Lost in My Mind. Otherwise, just enjoy.  If you want to cry over the closing of the Porterhouse, fast-forward to the 9:40 mark.

Someone please buy the Porterhouse and get the beer flowing again.

Less than one year ago I introduced you to The Cask, a self-described old world ale house and wine house (read that story). Today I am sad to report that The Cask is for sale. Sad? Yes, I am sad because the owners have become friends of mine and I will miss them. Responsibilities and opportunities require that the owners of The Cask make a big move across the country and leave West Seattle behind.

Located across the street from the Admiral Theater and the Porterhouse Pub, the Cask enjoys the benefits of being in a great neighborhood: foot traffic, decent amounts of free parking, on a bus line, etc. The place quickly gained popularity with the grownup crowd looking for soft lighting and great music (read that as, no kids). It is a great bar with a very laid back and relaxed atmosphere. They have four draft handles and one beer engine, usually pouring a nice selection of regional beers–always craft beer and always something from the beer engine. They also have a big cooler full of imported beers. The Cask also does wine, and from what I understand they do it quite well. Me, I’m a beer guy.

Anyway, the only thing that could make the situation more somber for me would be if nobody stepped up to buy The Cask and keep the beer (and wine) flowing. Here is the announcement that came out today via the weekly newsletter.

Friends of The Cask

We have had to make a very difficult decision recently. A new opportunity and responsibility has presented itself in our lives. Dee’s mom is in need of assistance and we have decided to move to Florida to manage her commercial real estate and to open The Cask ( under a different name) in one of her locations in Daytona Beach.

We have greatly enjoyed our time at The Cask, and hope it continues to remain a comfortable refuge in the Admiral Junction. We will be putting The Cask on the open market this week, but will continue to run the business as usual.

If you know of anyone interested in a business opportunity with The Cask, please contact us for further details at,  s.g.m@comcast.net.

Update: the West Seattle Blog just posted the actual listing, in case you are a curious potential buyer.

Everyone has an opinion about which Seattle Beer Week events are most worthy. Most people focus on the events and not the places. I suppose that makes sense. After all, the places will still be there when Seattle Beer Week 2011 concludes. Still, it’s nice to look at things from a different angle. Doesn’t make it any easier to decide which event to attend, but it lends perspective.

Since I am pretty much obligated to go out to beer events for the next 10 days straight, there are certain places I am especially looking forward to visiting. That said, I present a different kind of list: a list featuring the places I am most looking forward to visiting in the coming days, including the Seattle Beer Week events taking place at each.

My list is purely subjective. I am not suggesting that these are the best places. Just the places I like. You’re list would probably be different. I am not suggesting that this list is comprehensive. I like a lot of places. These are just my top picks as of this moment.

Last time Epic Ales did a beer+cheese event at The Beer Junction, the place got mobbed.

If nothing else, this list serves one purpose: it gives us some insight into what it must be like to be a pub or bottleshop owner faced with Seattle Beer Week. It’s a fun time for us, but a busy time for them. I have also included the itinerary for one of our local breweries so you can get a glimpse into their world as they brace themselves for Seattle Beer Week.

Naked City

The Beer Junction

Beveridge Place Pub

Brave Horse Tavern

Fremont Brewing Company

Naked City Brewery and Taphouse
Duh. Because Naked City is awesome.

Thursday, May 19th: There are 24 taps in the Naked City. 12 taps will be dedicated to Naked City beers and the remaining taps dedicated to beers from Washington breweries. The kitchen will be rolling out a special menu for this one night only! This is Stop #4 on the SBW Kick-off tour and look forward to a crowd of happy beer-drinkers to roll in around 9:00p.m.!

Friday, May 20th 4:00 p.m.: A charity event they’re calling “Canned Heat!”  celebrating Canned Beer & Local Businesses. One dollar off any featured canned beer for every non-perishable food item donated – up to $10. All food donations will go to the Greenwood Branch Volunteers of America Food Bank.

Tuesday, May 24th 6:00p.m.: Discover what’s brewing on the other side of the Puget Pond. Naked City is hosting the West Sound Brewers Night. Silver City, Port Townsend, Hood Canal, and some newcomers DerBlokken, Sound, Slippery Pig, Valholl, Slip Point & more! Try some new beer and get some cool schwag!

Wednesday, May 25th 6:00 p.m.: “Across the Gorge!” There’s nothing like a friendly little rivalry with our neighbors to the south, so it’s Washington vs. Oregon! Everybody’s Brewing and Walking Man vs. Double Mountain and Full Sail comes out. The remaining taps will feature Oregon breweries the likes of Lompoc, Hopworks and Laurelwood, just to name a few.

Friday, May 27th: It’s time to Drink Naked! All of your favorite Naked City staff members broke out into teams of two and tried their hands at brewing with Don. Six different styles; you choose the best.

The Beer Junction (blog sponsor)
My local bottleshop

Thursday, May 19th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.: Tasting with Schooner Exact Brewing. Mike and Bobby will be there with 3 Grid IPA, King Street Brown, Gateway Golden Ale, and as a special treat, their bourbon aged Hoppy The Woodsman! There’s also a rumor that you might get to try one of their other rare releases! Pint Glass Promo: Purchase two Schooner Exact mini-growlers for a free pint glass. $4 tasting fee..

Friday May 20th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.: Irish Death Trick or Treat with “Cowboy” Ross Chalstrom. Sample Iron Horse’s High Five Hefe (brewed with ginger and honey), Black IPA, Malt Bomb, and Irish Death! As an added bonus Ross is cooking up a tasty dessert made with Irish Death to….yes…pair WITH the very same Irish Death. Pint Glass Promo: Purchase three bombers of Iron Horse for a free pint glass! $4 tasting fee.

Sunday May 22nd from 1:00-3:00 p.m.: “Cider Afternoon” with Burc McFarlane. Spire Cider fans rejoice! It’s not just about beer this week! Burc “Life of The Party” McFarlane will be here as we sample 3 great ciders from Spire Cider from Olympia! We’ll be trying their Apple, Pear, and Dark & Dry. Might there be some other surprise ciders? Come and find out! $3 Tasting Fee.

Monday May 23rd from 6:00-8:00 p.m.: “Palate Rehab Clinic” with Merchant Du Vin. The Beer Junction is usually closed on Mondays, but they want to keep the Seattle Beer Week momentum rolling, so they will be open this monday from 4-8p.m. Jhon Gilroy of Merchant Du Vin brings your taste buds back to earth. Sample a hand-chosen selection of beers from the five classic brewing nations of England, Belgium, Germany, Scotland and the Czech Republic with the aim of recalibrating your palate with benchmark beers from multi-generational family and monastery-owned craft breweries. Learn the history and provenance of these world class styles and breweries while you ease your taste buds back to the places where this all began. $4 Tasting Fee.

Tuesday May 24th from 3-5 p.m.: “Exploration of Hops” with Sierra Nevada. Learn all about hops, in this afternoon event! Terrence Sullivan, brewer for Sierra Nevada, and Sara Williamson will be here as we explore three hoppy beers (Sierra Nevada’s Southern Hemisphere IPA, Torpedo IPA, and Pale Ale). We’ll go through the hops used in each as well as how different hops affect taste and aroma. We’ll also have several varieties of hops here for you to touch and smell. Rumor has it they may also break into some of Sierra Nevada’s other recent limited releases (perhaps something they did with some monk’s?) Pint Glass Promo: Purchase 66 ounces or greater of Sierra Nevada beers for a free pint glass! $4 tasting fee.

Wednesday May 25th from 6-8 p.m.: “Beer & Cheese” with Epic Ales. Owner and brewer Cody Morris from Seattle’s own Epic Ales returns! We’ll be sampling 4 different beers each paired with a different cheese! If this sounds delicious it’s because IT IS! This event will also be benefiting the West Seattle Veterans in honor of the upcoming Memorial Day holiday. Half of all the $4 tasting fees will be donated to the West Seattle Veterans.

Thursday May 26th from 6:00-8:00 p.m.: “Fish, Reel Ales, and Leavenworth Biers.” Sample beers from Fish Tale, Leavenworth, and Reel Ales. Returning to the Beer Junction for a 2nd time this week will be Burc “Life of the Party” McFarlane (they decided just one event with Burc wouldn’t be enough!) Included in the tasting lineup will be Reel Ales new Swordfish Cascadian Dark Ale. Pint Glass Promo: Purchase 66 ounces or greater of Fish, Leavenworth,  or Reel Ales for a free pint glass! $4 tasting fee.

Friday May 27th from 5:00-7:00 p.m.: “Pike Brewing with owner Charles Finkel.” Pike Brewery’s owner, Charles Finkel,returns to help you sample four beers from Pike including their new seasonal Dry Wit White Ale! If you haven’t heard Charles speak about beer, it’s a real treat- and if you have you know you’ll want to come hear more of his stories! $4 tasting fee.

Beveridge Place Pub (blog sponsor)
My local “local.” The place I’m talking about when I say, “the pub.”

Thursday, May 19, 6:00 p.m.: Seattle Cask-O-Rama. All Seattle breweries, all casks, all on the bartop!

Sunday, May 22, 5:00-8:00 p.m.: Iron Brewers Triple Header. “WE pick the ingredients, THEY brew the beer, YOU decide the winner!” This year’s match-ups: Elliott Bay vs Georgetown (Wasabi & Sutsuma), Fremont vs Two Beers (Cedar & Cucumber), and the cha.m.pionship bout Big Al vs Black Raven (Sesa.m.e & Plum). Will Big Al be able to unseat Black Raven?

Monday, May 23, all day: This is Washington, Damn it! Twenty-four Washington Beers from twenty-four different breweries! And the nice price of $3 per pint.

Wednesday, May 25, 8:00 p.m.: All Beer Quiz Night. All of the questions for this quiz night will be related to beer!

Thursday, May 26, 7:00 p.m.: Full Sail Bourbon Barrel Night. Meet master brewer John Harris and sample five of his rare creations, all aged in bourbon barrels.

Friday, May 27, all day: Bodacious Beverages. Lots of unusual beers from around the world!

Brave Horse Tavern
For no reason except that it is new, it is cool, and I really, really like the Brave Horse.

Friday, May 20th, 6:00 p.m.: Silver City Brewers night. Great beer, swag giveaways and more.

Saturday, May 21st, 11:00 a.m. (brunch): Kegs and Eggs with American Brewing. Buttermilk Biscuits n’ Gravy with a House made Oatmeal and Stout Sausage, paired with their Oatmeal Stout.

Sunday, May 22nd, 11:00 a.m. (brunch): Kegs and Eggs with Diamond Knot Brewing. Carmel Apple Knodel with House Cured Ham, Gruyere and Maple Apple Butter, paired with their Apple Cinnamon ESB.

Monday, May 23rd, 6:00 p.m.: Lagunitas Crock Pot Buffet Bonanza. Great beers from Petaluma, CA paired with crop pot delights. Available from crock pots for your dining pleasure: Molasses Pork n’ Beans, Brats and Chou Croute, Green Chili Chicken with Tortilla Chips, Beer Cheese Sauce, Pretzel Nibblers, Meatballs with Tomato Sauce, Jonah’s Catfish Gumbo, Dirty Rice.

Tuesday, May 24th, 6:00 p.m.: Schooner Exact Cask Night.

Wednesday, May 25th, 6:00 p.m.: Meet the Von Boorians – Elliot Bay Brewing present 5 Belgians and a special IPA.

Thursday, May 26th, 8:00 p.m.: HUB Pint Night.

Saturday, May 28th, 11:00 a.m. (brunch): Keggs and Eggs with Ninkasi Brewing. The menu is still coming together for this one.

Fremont Brewing Company
Here’s what Fremont Brewing’s SBW itinerary looks like.

Thursday, May 19: Spring Extravaganza Ray’s Boathouse
Thursday, May 19: Cask-O-Rama Beveridge Place
Saturday, May 21: Back In Black Brouwer’s
Saturday, May 21: Falconer Event Jolly Roger
Saturday, May 21: Left Hand/Fremont Brunch King’s Hardware
Sunday, May 22: 9-Ball Tournament Tap House
Sunday, May 22: Iron Brewer Beveridge Place
Monday, May 23: WA Dammit Beveridge Place
Tuesday, May 24: 5 Guys Burger Brouwer’s
Tuesday, May 24: WA Brewer’s Night Celtic Bayou
Wednesday, May 25: Firkin Firkin Elysian Cap Hill
Thursday, May 26: Bodacious Beverage Beveridge Place
Thursday, May 26: Cellar Night Fremont Brewing’s Urban Beer Garden
Friday, May 27: Beers N Brats Safeco Field
Sunday, May 29: BBQ Fremont Brewing’s Urban Beer Garden

Mercy

A few weeks ago we attended a pre-opening event for Brave Horse Tavern—Tom Douglas’ new gastro-tav in Seattle’s burgeoning South Lake Union neighborhood (see that post). We were delighted to learn that one of Seattle’s preeminent culinary superstars and prolific restaurateurs was directing some attention towards beer. Foodies and beer geeks are joined at the hip, and it’s time people start recognizing it. Recently, we paid a visit to the newly opened Brave Horse Tavern to see how it all turned out.

Grub and Grog

Here’s something you don’t see everyday: a purpose-built, wood-fired pretzel oven. While the pretzels are quite amazing, the spreads and dipping sauces steal the show. My favorite is the cheddar-pimento spread, while Kim gravitates towards the smoked peanut butter and bacon spread. The burgers, made with 100 percent Painted Hills Natural Beef, are amazing and surprisingly affordable. Starting at $6, there are plenty of options for loading them up. Not a beef eater? Burger alternatives include chicken-fried turkey, albacore tuna, and a veggie burger. Beyond that, the menu is refreshingly brief, offering a few bar snacks and a few dinner-ish choices.

Brave Horse Tavern offers 24 draft beers on tap. I started out of the gate with a Sticke Alt from Chuckanut Brewery, while Kim saddled up a Schooner Exact Brave Horse Ale. With a focus on regional ales, I found the beer menu appropriate and satisfying. Out of deference for the word tavern, the Brave Horse offers Olympia Beer on draft—a good call when you think about what they could have chosen as their yellow-beer option.

At first glance the beer menu seemed a bit heavy on Reds and Ambers. Recognizing that there is a culinary bend to Brave Horse Tavern, you cannot blame them for selecting beers that pair well with food (as Reds and Ambers are wont to do). After all, this is a Tom Douglas joint. If you ever hear me complaining about a Silver City Ridgetop Red, put me out of my misery.

Thundering Herds of IPA Fans

Most pubs around Seattle with 24 craft beers on tap would lend more focus to IPA. I didn’t even notice, but someone brought it to my attention: just one IPA on tap. I appreciate the point that chef Warren Peterson is making. There are a lot of great northwest ales that are not IPA. Peterson is one of Tom Douglas’ chefs and the resident beer czar across all of Douglas’ restaurants. He is largely responsible for what’s happening at Brave Horse Tavern. To my taste, the beer selection was satisfying.

We’ll see how things evolve and whether Brave Horse Tavern decides to pander to the feral bands of IPA fans. Note that the Schooner Exact Brave Horse Ale behaves like a very well-heeled IPA. Not a wild stallion of an IPA, but a careful trail horse of an IPA. In the end, I recognize that sometimes you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink anything other than IPA.

The Scene

Amongst the freshly built towers of South Lake Union, you’ll find the Terry Avenue Building, which now houses three different Tom Douglas establishments: Brave Horse Tavern, Ting Momo, and Cuoco.

This historic building stands out as a relic, melding seamlessly into its recently constructed surroundings. Brave Horse Tavern offers sweet relief for the harems of Amazonians who occupy the countless cubicles of the South Lake Union technology corridor. Unbridled thirty-somethings find themselves comfortably surrounded by brick walls and plenty of soft and warm distressed wood. During daylight hours, the space is flooded with natural light, providing respite for fluorescent-weary, screen-focused eyeballs.

We visited on a Tuesday, arriving at about 4:30 in the afternoon. Very obviously, Brave Horse Tavern is already a popular happy hour spot for the many young techies that work in the area. It was busy, but not packed. Neither of the shuffleboards saw any downtime while we were there. The televisions played a mix of NBA playoff basketball and NHL Stanley Cup playoff hockey. The music was a mix of classic rock and contemporary alt rock—KZOK meets KEXP. The music matched the crowd.

We could not help noticing that Warren Peterson and Tom Douglas were both hard at work. Warren was minding the grill and Tom was working the pass—a hands-on approach that speaks volumes about Douglas’ commitment to the art of restaurateuring.

Some people might have doubted whether Tom Douglas could pull off something as lowbrow as a tavern. Truth is, Brave Horse feels upscale for a tavern, but not oppressively so. You’ll be comfortable in a T-shirt and jeans and you can catch a ballgame on the tube, but don’t expect to find anyone bouncing quarters off of the tables or vandalizing coin-op condom dispensers in the restrooms.

Civilized though it may be, this is not a sheep in wolf’s clothing: it is a tavern.

Why the Brave Horse

Back in the 19^th and early 20^th Century, before delivery vans and trucks crowded Seattle’s streets, horse drawn wagons delivered merchandise to shops and homes across the city. Many of the livery stables occupied the part of town we now call South Lake Union. Tom Douglas says the historical reference is the story behind the name Brave Horse Tavern.

Where is it?

Brave Horse Tavern
310 Terry Avenue North
(On Terry Ave, between Thomas & Harrison)
Seattle, WA 98109
206-971-0717
map

Draft Magazine recently published its list of the Top 100 Beer Bars in America. Congratulations to the Beveridge Place Pub, Uber Tavern, Naked City Taphouse and Stumbling Monk for making the list. Those are the only Washington pubs that made the list.

Obviously this list is based on opinion and not on any kind of empirical evaluation of all of the pubs and bars in the nation. We expect that many people will be dismayed that Brouwer’s Cafe, which is otherwise recognized nationally, failed to make the list. We know at least one person who will think that the people at Draft Magazine are high on glue for not including the Pub at Pipers Creek on the list. And what about Tacoma? Many people would argue that the Parkway Tavern needs to be on that list. It goes on and on. There is no way you can publish a list like this and not disappoint someone.

My point? Draft Magazine is a big, national publication and making their list of the Top 100 Beer Bars is an honor; however there is no dishonor in not making the list.

Here at the Washington Beer Blog, don’t expect us to deny the fact that we are unapologetic homers. Admittedly, we do not drink 100 percent local beer, but most often we find it very easy to live by the “drink local” mantra given the fact that we live in a community blessed with so many great breweries.

Today at noon, in West Seattle’s Highpoint neighborhood, a new restaurant and bar named Locöl is opening that shares our philosophy. The name is a play on the English word local and the Swedish word for beer. In Swedish the word folköl means “folk beer.” Locöl will focus on local product, both in terms of food and in terms of beer.

Photo courtesy of Locöl's Facebook page (facebook.com/locolwestseattle).

We were fortunate enough to attend a soft opening of Locöl last week. Located on 35th Avenue SW, one of West Seattle’s main drags, Locöl is warm and cozy, friendly and inviting. Lots of dark and warm wood, plenty of seating at the bar, and walls adorned with artwork by local artists. Everything here seems very thoughtful, from the wood-paneled walls to the lighting, the art, and the beer selection. Every piece is well considered. Although we did not eat, the menu was tempting and the food we saw delivered to tables around us looked amazing.

Locöl features a limited number of taps (six) but the beer promises to be very thoughtfully chosen. We appreciate that. I’d rather go to a bar with six well-selected taps than a bar with 26 taps assigned at the distributors’ discretion. Locöl will focus on regional beers, with an extra focus on hyper-local products: beers from Seattle. You will not find Blue Moon or Stella Artois on tap at Locöl. Sorry.

Cheers to Locöl for its commitment to local product!

You can find Locöl in West Seattle at 7902 35th Ave. SW.

It is said that a pictures is worth a thousand words. If that’s true, how many words is a video worth? KOMO 4 News paid a visit to Locöl. Here is that video.

From West Seattle to Capitol Hill to Greenwood, around Seattle we all celebrate the season the same way: we drink great beer. Three of Seattle’s most outstanding beer destinations have put together a cross-city event dubbed The 12 Beers of Christmas. You’ll drink great beer and have a chance to win a host of prizes.

Here’s how it works: From December 1st through December 12th you must visit three pubs. (Okay, twist my arm.) Pick up a punch card at one of the participating pubs or one of the other outlets mentioned below. There are specific days on which you must visit each pub–each pub offers you a four-day window during which you may drink the four beers. Each pub features four fantastic seasonal beers – 12 in all. Enter to win the prizes by completing your punch card. Along with many other prizes, the grand prize is a getaway-ski weekend for four people in Leavenworth.

Here’s where to drink:

• Naked City Taphouse and Brewery – December 1 through December 4.
• Beveridge Place Pub – December 5 through December 8.
• Quinn’s – December 9 through December 12.

Get your punch card at any of the participating pubs and at Full Throttle Bottles, Bottleworks or the Seattle Beer Authority.

Good luck and good beer!