Ballard Breweries
Ballard Breweries
Ballard has become synonymous with breweries these days, with close to 15 different breweries. Ballard was home to a couple of breweries, Maritime Pacific and Hales Ale (which closed in 2022), in the early 2000's. However it wasn't until around 2011 when a wave of new breweries started opening and continued unabated until recently. Most Ballard breweries are centered around the unofficial brewery district, which sits smack dab in the middle of the West Woodland neighborhood of Ballard . The abundance of old but large industrial buildings and close proximity to old Ballard made it an appealing place to open a brewery. You will find a smaller number of breweries spread out in the other Ballard neighborhoods like Adams and Whittier Heights, but if you are looking to brewery hop, head to West Woodland south of market for the largest concentration of Ballard breweries.
List of Breweries
Bale Breaker
Bale Breaker Brewing is a family owned brewery in the middle of Washington hop country - the Yakima Valley. Fourth generation hop farmers, they turned to brewing in 2013 and are now the fourth largest independent craft brewery in Washington State. The Ballard location opened in 2022, and is a collaboration with Yonder Cider, and you will also find Moxi hard seltzer as well. While Bale Breaker focuses on hop forward beer, you will find a variety of other styles such as pilsners, lagers and stouts. The Ballard location has a large outdoor area with firepits, and you will often find food trucks as well.
Bickersons Brewhouse
Bickersons Brewhouse is a husband and wife team who started out in Renton in 2018. In March of 2022, Bickersons Brewhouse opened in the old Peddler Brewery location in Ballard. Bickersons Brewhouse has a variety of different beer styles, with an emphasis on the various flavors of IPA. You will also find hard seltzer, and they have guest ciders and wines available as well.
Cloudburst Brewing
The Cloudburst on Shilshole opened in 2020 in an old auto garage on Shilshole avenue, with their first location on Western Avenue near Pike Place Market opening in 2016. Cloudburst has won a number of awards over the years and their small Ballard location, open seven days a week, has a nice mixture of indoor and outdoor space. Unlike their Western Avenue location which is 21+ only, Cloudburst on Shilshole is open to all ages.
Fair Isle Brewing
Fair Isle opened in 2021 and focuses on mixed culture beers, especially saisons and lagers, although they experiment frequently with different styles. While their beers are sour, it's an aged sour which is more mellow than your typical kettle sour, and they also have guest beer and wine available for those not partial to mixed culture beers. Fair Isle Brewing recently partnered with the much loved Beast & Cleaver to open the 49th Street Beast restaurant within the brewery. Fair Isle is 21+ only and has a mixture of indoor and outdoor space.
Great Notion
Great Notion, whose motto is keep brewing fun, certainly does that in their Ballard location. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, they opened in Ballard in 2020 and are well known for their Hazy IPAs and Fruited Sours, although they have a wide selection of beer. They feature a fresh "drop" of new beers almost weekly, and have a full service kitchen with a great selection of food. It's a smallish location, and frequently is filled up during dinner hours.
Hildegard Ferments & Botanicals
Hildegard Ferments & Botanicals specializes in old world style beers such as saison and barrel fermented. A relative newcomer to Ballard, they opened in 2022 and as of now, they do not have a tasting room open to the public on a regular basis. Contact Hildegard Ferments & Botanicals to arrange for a tasting or learn more about their events.
Lucky Envelope
Lucky Envelope Brewing opened their tasting room in May of 2015, with the owners have a long history of home brewing. Lucky Envelope Brewing focuses on Culturally Inspired Beer, and you will find a variety of non-traditional brewing ingredients like peanut butter and habanero peppers. But have no fear if that's a little too far out for you as they also offer traditional beer styles like IPA and lager. Lucky Envelope Brewing has a mix of indoor and covered outdoor space, and often has food trucks located in the outdoor space.
Maritime Pacific Brewery
One of the original breweries in Ballard, Maritime Pacific opened in 1990 in an old auto shop in Ballard and moved to a larger location a couple of blocks away in 2009. Maritime Pacific's Jolly Roger taproom offers a full menu of pub style food available for dine in and take out . Maritime Pacific Brewing offers a variety of styles, including cask and nitro versions of their popular beer.
Obec Brewing
Obec Brewing focuses on European style beers, with its name meaning community in Czech, and offers a nice selection of Czech, German, British and Belgian style beers, although you will also find a smattering of IPAs as well. Their 21+ only taproom has a nice indoor space, as well as a covered outdoor area in front, and they are open seven days a week.
Old Stove Brewing
Old Stove Brewing got their start at a great location in Pike Place Market and recently opened their new location in Ballard, dubbed the Gardens, in what was originally Hilliards Brewery and more recently a tasting room and experimental brewing location for Lagunitas. It features a lovely outdoor beer garden, a large indoor tasting room, and a full kitchen with a BBQ themed menu. Old Stove Brewing has an extensive tap list, and while they lean IPA heavy, you will find a variety of other styles like sours, lagers, pilsners and stouts.
Pike Taproom
Pike Brewing has been a mainstay in the Seattle brewing scene since 1989 and opened their Pike Taproom in Ballard in 2022. They have a number of Pike Brewing beers on tap and even have a rotating handle featuring other local breweries. The Pike taproom also has a well apportioned dining menu, and shuffleboard, darts and tvs with local sports.
Reubens
Rueben's Brews, founded in 2012, was part of the initial wave of new breweries opening in Ballard. They have long since outgrown their original brewing facility and small tasting room, and their Ballard Taproom has a large covered outdoor space, with a smaller indoor tasting area. Reubens has won a number of awards over the years , with their Robust Porter racking up a number of medals. They produce a steady stream of IPAs and hazys, in addition to a variety of other beer styles. The Ballard Taproom features a limited food menu via Reuben's Eats.
Stoup Brewing
Featuring a well balanced lineup of various styles, with their regular brews like Citra IPA, Mosaic Pale Ale and German Style Pilsner winning regional and national awards. And in the fall, be sure not to miss their selection of fresh hop beers. EStablished in Ballard in 2013, Stoup now has locations in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle, as well as Kenmore.
Urban Family
Urban Family has a variety of beer styles with a focus on fruited sour beers - where else in Ballard can you enjoy a sour beer slushie! Urban Family originally opened on Ballard Avenue in 2012, moved to Magnolia in 2014, and back to Ballard with their new tasting room and production facility opening in 2019. They have a mix of indoor and outdoor space, and frequently have food trucks.
Wheelie Pop
While this motorcycle themed brewery focuses on Northwest grains and hops, they have a variety of styles from throughout the world, from West Coast IPAs to Italian Pilsners to German Marzens. Wheelie Pop has teamed up with Trail Bend for food and also allow other outside food as well as an occasional food truck.
