Imbibing in Ballard

It used to be if you threw a rock in Ballard it was likely to hit a fisherman.

Now it’s likely to splash down in a pint of craft beer.

The change has been swift. Once dominated by Maritime Pacific and Hale’s Ales, Ballard and neighboring Magnolia have seen nine breweries open their doors over the past four years. Holy Mountain in Magnolia is the latest, opening last month.

So last week when a friend called wanting to get together with some old buddies in Ballard I knew it was a great opportunity to check out some great breweries. We wanted to hit up Holy Mountain, but they were closed. So we started the night at Stoup Brewing.

Started by Brad Benson, Lara Zahaba and Robyn Schumacher, Stoup opened in October, 2013. Benson and Schumacher studied chemistry and biology, respectively, in college and have brought that to their beers, which are clean and well made.

I ordered the T2R Haymaker III IPA. At 10.5 percent, the triple IPA is clean and supremely hoppy (it’s brewed with eight hops) without killing your palate (thankfully since I ordered it first, stupidly). Next up I tried the Mosaic Pale Ale and was impressed with the notes of citrus and fruit and the smooth finish.

In order to try some of their other offerings, I hit up some friends’ beers. The German Pils is crisp and refreshing with a light hop aftertaste. I could picture myself drinking it on my deck in the summer.

But the most interesting beer was Stoup’s Cascadian Dark Ale. Most CDAs, or Black IPAs, I’ve had are more concerned with the hops than the malts. Not here. The roasted malts in Stoup’s CDA really come through in this unfiltered beer. It’s got some definite hop character, but that didn’t seem to be the star.

Next up, we traveled south on Leary to Bad Jimmy’s Brewing. My friend Adam had been raving about the Habanero Amber he’d had the night before so that’s what we ordered first.

It was well-balanced and had a sharp bite of spicy aftertaste. I loved it. Ambers are often run-of-the-mill beers, so spicing it up (literally) is a great idea. The next two beers, a Red IPA and Cocoa Vanilla Porter, were good but not overly memorable.

Since Bad Jimmy’s doesn’t have a kitchen, we sauntered down the street to the Giddy Up Burgers &Greens. I was surprised at how good the beer selection was — they have 24 beers on tap — and found a beer from one of my favorite breweries: Pfriem Family Brewers in Hood River, Oregon. We ordered a pitcher of Pfriem IPA and settled in for one last pint.

One of the best parts of the Ballard craft brewery scene is that it’s easy to navigate. Three of the breweries, NW Peaks, Peddler and Hilliards, are all clustered just blocks away from each other off of Leary Way west of 15th. On the other side of 15th, Populuxe, Stoup and Reuben’s, are all a stone’s throw from each other in the commercial buildings that used to house boat-building businesses in old Ballard.

I know I’ll be heading down again soon to check out the breweries I missed.

Aaron Swaney: 425-339-3430; aswaney@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @swaney_aaron79. Follow the Hops and Sips blog at www.heraldnet.com/hopsandsips.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Sarah Jean Muncey-Gordon puts on some BITCHSTIX lip oil at Bandbox Beauty Supply on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, in Langley, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Bandbox Beauty was made for Whidbey Island locals, by an island local

Founder Sarah Muncey-Gordon said Langley is in a renaissance, and she’s proud to be a part of it.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

Byrds co-founder Roger McGuinn, seen here in 2013, will perform April 20 in Edmonds. (Associated Press)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

R0ck ‘n’ Roll Hall of Famer Roger McGuinn, frontman of The Byrds, plans a gig in Edmonds in April.

Mother giving in to the manipulation her daughter fake crying for candy
Can children be bribed into good behavior?

Only in the short term. What we want to do is promote good habits over the course of the child’s life.

Speech Bubble Puzzle and Discussion
When conflict flares, keep calm and stand your ground

Most adults don’t like dissension. They avoid it, try to get around it, under it, or over it.

The colorful Nyhavn neighborhood is the place to moor on a sunny day in Copenhagen. (Cameron Hewitt)
Rick Steves: Embrace hygge and save cash in Copenhagen

Where else would Hans Christian Andersen, a mermaid statue and lovingly decorated open-face sandwiches be the icons of a major capital?

Last Call is a festured artist at the 2024 DeMiero Jazz Festival: in Edmonds. (Photo provided by DeMiero Jazz Festival)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Jazz ensemble Last Call is one of the featured artists at the DeMiero Jazz Festival on March 7-9 in Edmonds.

Kim Helleren
Local children’s author to read at Edmonds Bookshop

Kim Helleren will read from one of her books for kids at the next monthly Story Time at Edmonds Bookshop on March 29.

Chris Elliott
Lyft surprises traveler with a $150 cleaning charge

Jared Hakimi finds a $150 charge on his credit card after a Lyft ride. Is that allowed? And will the charge stick?

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.