This article appears in print in the July 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.

If you frequent any beer-focused bar these days you’ve probably noticed that the selection of beers rotates constantly. That’s because many beer lovers continually look for something new, something different, something they haven’t tried yet. Like those ever-changing tap lists, our local breweries are responding to this recent shift in consumer habits, and while they may still offer some flagship beers, more and more breweries are expending a lot of energy to create new, limited-release and one-off beers.



Some breweries have a knack for producing a particular type of beer, so instead of judging individual beers that you may never be able to find again, as we’ve done in the past, this year we polled 36 local beer experts to determine the best brewery in each of seven different style categories. Whatever style of beer you crave, we’ve done all the heavy lifting so that you don’t have to.



CLEAR AS DAY: Pick up a six-pack of Georgetown Brewing Company’s Lucille IPA at your local beer retailer to enjoy this fruity, bitter beverage at home

BEST NON-HAZY IPAs

Sometimes referred to as Northwest IPA or West Coast IPA, this style of beer offers lots of hops flavor without the hazy appearance

Georgetown Brewing Company

Most beer drinkers around here are familiar with Manny’s pale ale, Georgetown’s flagship beer, but this brewery also pumps out other world-class offerings, including our panel’s favorite non-hazy IPAs. Stop by the brewery’s taproom, where you’ll often find three or four new, limited-release IPAs to tickle your palate. These are actually experimental beers, intended to help develop new recipes that may become regular offerings, like the delightfully fruity and refreshingly bitter Lucille IPA, which you’ll always find at your local grocery store in 12-ounce cans. Georgetown, 5200 Denver Ave. S; 206.766.8055; georgetownbeer.com; all ages; dog-friendly

Runner Up: Reuben’s Brews, Ballard, 5010 14th Ave. NW; 206.784.2859; reubensbrews.com; all ages; dog-friendly



MISMATCH: Arlington’s Skookum Brewery is worth the trek out of town, as much for the patchwork decor as the hazy IPAs

BEST HAZY IPAs

A very popular style currently, these beers are brewed with a touch of wheat and/or oats, which lends the beer a hazy, turbid appearance. Hoppy like an IPA, but usually with a fruitier, juicier flavor profile

Skookum Brewery

This might be the best brewery you’ve never heard of. It’s located about 45 miles north of Seattle, where the spacious taproom is decorated with a random, mismatched collection of kitchen tables and chairs. Try all of Skookum’s beers, but make sure you take one of the hazy IPAs for a spin, like the Glow Inc. IPA, a draft-only beer that you’ll often find at the brewery’s taproom and occasionally at better beer bars around the Seattle area. Arlington, 17925 59th Ave. NE; 360.403.7094; skookumbrewery.com; 21 and older; dog-friendly

Runner Up: Cloudburst Brewing, downtown, 2116 Western Ave.; cloudburstbrew.com; 21 and older; dog-friendly

BEST BREWERY TAPROOM FOR YOUR POOCH

Postdoc Brewing

Conveniently located at the east entrance to Redmond’s Marymoor Park, home to one of the region’s largest off-leash areas, this all-ages taproom welcomes your pup both inside and on the patio. Along with the beer, there is often a food truck in the parking lot for human visitors; for Bowser and Fifi, there’s always a selection of healthy doggie snacks made with the same grains the brewery uses to brew the beer. Redmond, 17625 NE 65th St., No. 100; 425.658.4963; postdocbrewing.com; all ages; dog-friendly





SCHOOL'S OUT: The old school vibe, cold pints and approachable pub grub make this classic spot near the University of Washington an evergreen favorite

BEST BREWPUB

A restaurant or pub with its own brewery on-site

Big Time Brewery and Alehouse

Seattle’s oldest and this year’s best brewpub opened in 1988 near the University of Washington, the first brewpub to open in the city since Prohibition. The ongoing cycle of matriculation and graduation at the UW continually introduces newbies to the brewery’s award-winning beers in a convivial pub atmosphere, where professors share tables with grad students and neighborhood old-timers sit elbow to elbow at the bar with scientific researchers, all slurping down pints of the beloved Scarlet Fire IPA alongside pizzas, sandwiches and other pub grub.

There is something truly nostalgic here. Wood floors, large oak library-style tables and a beautiful antique back bar complement modern, award-winning beers. About four years ago, one of the bartenders, Rick McLaughlin, became the owner and is now a pillar of the business community, advocating for the rights of small businesses that face an army of challenges as Seattle charges into the future. In a city where everything is shiny and new, Big Time Brewery and Alehouse endures. To quote Field of Dreams, “It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again.” University District, 4133 University Way NE; 206.545.4509; bigtimebrewery.com; all ages before 8 p.m., 21 and older thereafter; no dogs

Readers' Choice:

Big Time Brewery and Alehouse, University District, 4133 University Way NE; 206.545.4509; bigtimebrewery.com; all ages before 8 p.m., 21 and older thereafter; no dogs

The Pike Pub, downtown, 1415 First Ave.; 206.622.6044; pikebrewing.com; all ages; no dogs

Redhook Brewlab, Capitol Hill, 714 E Pike St.; 206.823.3026; redhook.com; all ages; dogs welcome on the front and back patios

BEST BEER RETAILER

A place to savor a pint or take some bottles or growlers to go

Full Throttle Bottles

Full Throttle Bottles, opened in 2008, was one of the first dedicated beer stores in Seattle. By 2016, the Georgetown shop was getting a bit long in the tooth. That’s when a change of ownership and a change in direction infused new energy into the business. The space was cleaned up and remodeled, and the store reimagined to better serve the crowds along the now-bustling strip of restaurants and nightspots on Airport Way. Patrons are now invited to have a seat and enjoy a pint while perusing the coolers for beers to go.

Other bottle shops around Seattle may boast a larger selection, but owner Jon Olken focuses on a carefully curated collection of beers, including familiar favorites from locals such as Georgetown Brewing Company and Fremont Brewing, along with less common, ultrarare gems from breweries like De Garde Brewing of Tillamook, Oregon. The 12 taps reflect a similar diversity at this friendly little beer boutique. Georgetown, 5909 Airport Way S; 206.763.207921; fullthrottlebottles.com; 21 and older; dog-friendly

Readers' Choice

Chuck’s Hop Shop (Greenwood), Greenwood, 656 NW 85th St.; 206.297.6212; chuckshopshop.com; all ages; dog-friendly

The Beer Junction, West Seattle, 4511 California Ave. SW; 206.938.2337; thebeerjunction.com; 21 and older; no dogs

Full Throttle Bottles, Georgetown, 5909 Airport Way S; 206.763.2079; fullthrottlebottles.com; 21 and older; dog-friendly



BARRLE THIEF: Holy Mountain Brewing Company owners Colin Lenfesty (left) and Mike Murphy stand amidst the oak barrels used to age their beers



BEST SAISON (FARMHOUSE-STYLE) BEERS

Originally brewed at farmhouses in France and Belgium, this style of beer is noted for its fruity and spicy character

Holy Mountain Brewing Company

This brewery blends the old world with the new to create saisons that are rustic (as though they were brewed in a barn) and refined (as though they were brewed using modern technology). Many of its beers are aged in wood (in oak barrels, for instance) to add layers of flavor complexity. The Seer saison—available in the fall, one of a rotating four-brew series—is a great example, presenting a cornucopia of flavors such as lemon, pine, wheat and honey. It can be found at bottle shops around Seattle in 750-milliliter bottles. Stop by the brewery’s tasting room to see what more uncommon creations it might have on tap. Interbay, 1421 Elliott Ave. W; holymountainbrewing.com; 21 and older; no dogs allowed

Runner Up: Garden Path Fermentation; Burlington, 11653 Higgins Airport Way; 360.503.8956; gardenpathwa.com; 21 and older only; dog-friendly