Visiting Seattle recently brought back many brewery adventures/stories. My family was with me, and asked if I miss it? Do I miss the search for breweries? Yes… I must admit I do. However, the dreaded cough, two-week quarantine that became two years and everything has changed on how you visit, enjoy, and explore. I pondered this question for a long time as I’m an over thinker. In fact, for the past few years, it has been on my mind. What is it I miss? I know the new, the collection of adding that new brewery to my list just like Professor Slughorn and his collection. The other day it got real for me. With my wife, and she ordered a beer, and I was like wait, what did you just order. We’ll get into that in a minute.
First, let’s take the Wayback machine to the late 90’s early 00’s there were 90 breweries in Washington state. When one announced they were opening back then I almost immediately was planning a trip. Now days with over 400+ breweries and new ones popping up weekly. One must plan the trip and even multiple trips just to places like Ballard. So, it hit me. I have stopped putting my thoughts/adventures down and why? Overwhelmed, life and the cough. Let’s see how we can change that. Insert Mojo reactivation elixir…
Back to the revelation I had while out with my wife. I was wondering it has been some time since my last trip to many of the OG breweries that started the adventures. Legacy Breweries, we call them now and for those who remember, these were where we started our first tastings. Now, my wife (Laurie) who has never been most of these places of which I can’t wait to show her the history and get a pint to retaste of the OGs brews. Places such as Maritime Pacific Brewing one of Ballard’s first. Need to venture even further north and see Diamond Knot Brewing and retaste and relive the feel of the bar and beer that has such rich history. Also on my mind Elliot Bay Brewing, Scuttlebutt, Lazy Boy, Boundary Bay Brewing and so many others that we consider legacy breweries. Oh, I know I did not mention many others. This leads to another question and a big elephant in the room for most of us beer geeks. Elysian Brewing of which I’m still trying to unravel, understand, and forgive do I visit them? By the way this was the beer Laurie ordered (Elysian Space Dust) that got me doing all this thinking.
So, as I get back into telling the Beer story, I recently got BrewDad out from the web pawnshop dusted it off refilled the magic in me and am now ready to start telling the stories. With the recent Bremerton trip I saw, felt, and tasted the magic. It is time to get back out. Plans in the makings – OGs brewery tour for the summer. Whidbey Island tour with lots to see and enjoy. Las Vegas and much much more.
If you have a brewery, pub and or place I must check out let me know. Comment and I will do my best to see and taste all that I can.
