You're thinking of a different tour. This is actually a front for the hardcore Bear Grylls tour in which we go from location to location and drink our own pee.
You're thinking of a different tour. This is actually a front for the hardcore Bear Grylls tour in which we go from location to location and drink our own pee.
You're thinking of a different tour. This is actually a front for the hardcore Bear Grylls tour in which we go from location to location and drink our own pee.
You must be thinking of the Gordon Biersch tour.
And that's why I have faith in your beer leadership.
Oh, we aren't going to sit around and talk about how "this beer, with its oakey notes, reminds me of a crisp fall day" or any shit like that are we? I hate that crap.
Oh well obviously mocking others with an over the top parody is certainly acceptable. [plinkett] "The subtle taste of road tar reminds of the time I ran over my ex-wife."[/plinkett]
I am, admittedly, much less of a beer person these days ever since I found religion and embraced the holy trinity. Rum, Scotch, and Port.
Your list doesn't include gin. Or beer. I think your list needs revising.
Also, @lexicongrrl, as the weather gets nicer, I will get increasingly willing to go scout places in Kingston for us to hang out while waiting for a ferry. I'll be travelling for work for a few weeks, but in June, if you'd like, I can go scouting (and would welcome any Seattle area residents to join me).
Beer is ok. Liquor is just so much more satisfying to enjoy on its own and port is the only wine I'll intentionally buy since it's basically wine with the training wheels taken off. Beer is what I drink with my food...and that's about it. I haven't wandered into Gin land yet admittedly. I've been too busy investigating the wonderful world of scotch.
Also, @lexicongrrl, as the weather gets nicer, I will get increasingly willing to go scout places in Kingston for us to hang out while waiting for a ferry. I'll be travelling for work for a few weeks, but in June, if you'd like, I can go scouting (and would welcome any Seattle area residents to join me).
That would be awesome. Only a couple of places come to mind right off the bat... And NOT that dumb tourist trap masquerading as a Sports Bar right by the ticket booths...
Hmm, this is so very interesting to me. Me and the Mrs love beer, and do beer tours of our native San Diego all the time. I'd love to hit up some local beer while I'm there. Unfortunately, our flight is Monday night (I think it was around 8), so if we were to go on the tour, we'd have to leave early.
Ok Guys, time to weigh in with some feedback about our first logistical challenge.
We're going to run into ferry traffic in Kingston after the visit to the Hood Canal Brewery. Right now the schedule is to be done at the brewery at 4:30 or 5:00, then catch the 5:30 ferry (which is 5 mins from the brewery when traffic is light).
Here's the challenge: We'll be heading back to the city from a popular vacation area on the Monday of Labor Day Weekend. The lines for any ferry coming back that afternoon are going to be atrocious - Expect a 1-2 hour wait to get on any ferry.
Here are some of the options that have come up so far - please contribute feedback or other ideas!
- Once we've been dropped at the brewery, send the bus ahead to get into the ferry line. Arrange for alternate transportation from the brewery to the bus when we're done. Pro: Keeps us on schedule, give us more time at the brewery. Con: Costs extra $$
It's about 4 miles from the brewery to the ferry terminal, so i'm guessing probably an extra $3-5pp to get cabs.
From the feedback, it sounds as though no one really minds waiting a bit longer, as long as there is beer to be had.
- Pare the Kitsap brewery stops down to 2 or 3 stops and arrive at the ferry early.
- Pare the Ballard brewery stops down to 2 or 3 stops and take a later ferry back.
- Drive around instead of taking the ferry back. Pro: No waiting and you'd see "Galloping Gertie", the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Con: Time - approx 2 hours drive time.
- Take the Bainbridge Ferry Instead. It's marginally less busy than Kingston, but we'd still have to wait.
Bainbridge does have a bigger ferry though, so possibly a better chance at getting on. If you decided to do that route, what about swapping the order of the Kingston stop with the Poulsbo stop? Plus, this would put us back downtown, which is closer to the next stops, in Fremont and Ballard, vs driving down from Edmonds. ((also a good stopping off point in case anyone has had a bit too much fun for the day)).
@Saldek - Just got back from Anchorage. Weather was beyoooo-tiful in the Mat-Su valley. Freaking amazing.
Anyhoo... All of the ferries are going to be a long wait that day. The benefit to Kingston is that it's only about 2 miles from the Kingston brewery, and the ferries leave every 30 minutes so the line goes pretty fast. The Bremerton and Bainbridge ferries are a longer run that leaves less frequently and there's a good chance we might end up waiting wherever we go. I'm leaning toward staying in Kingston and just chillaxing until we can get onto a boat, since we can get into the Kingston line the fastest.
The drive to Ballard is going to be only a little faster from downtown versus Edmonds, simply because there's holiday traffic to contend with. But a little is still some, right? FYI, I'm not having great luck with getting the Ballard breweries on board with the tour so far, so we may end up with extra time in Kingston anyway I'll keep everyone posted.
Any discussion or comments about capping the Monday tour at 30 instead of 20?
A number of breweries are OK with handling 30 people. Here's the scoop:
- 9 stops instead of 12 (increasing the stop time to 45 minutes per brewery instead of 30)
- Lower ticket price
- More people get to participate
- Bus gets a little more crowded (it seats 46)
- Slightly less brewery options (but we'd be cutting down the # of stops anyway)
On an unrelated update, the smaller operations out in Kitsap are more interested in having us than the trendier nanobrews in Seattle. If we added more stops to balance out the tour, it would probably be over there, which has the potential to resolve the ferry issue. I'll keep everyone posted.
EDIT: Lantern Brewing is IN!! Wooo! Chris is awesome and will be setting up some tables and chairs in the driveway if weather permits. He provided his phone # and the google map has been updated with his contact info.
I was wondering if it's too late to join up for the Monday tour?
Managed to get a far better deal on flight & hotel than i was expecting, so can definitely afford this tour now
Thanks to the brilliant strategery of @JobiWanKenobi and a little bit of good luck magic, I think we've addressed the two most pressing issues of the tour. The OP has been updated appropriately.
1. Capacity has been increased to 30 seats.
2. The tour route has been switched around in order to avoid ferry traffic coming back.
3. The current brewery list is at 11.
This was all accomplished by focusing on breweries that sit very close to each other to minimize travel time, and by picking meal locations with brewpubs across the street from each other in case we have to split the party. Also, since the Ballard breweries are generally too hip for our tour (seriously, they're swamped), it's moved the final leg into Greenwood, where the brews are just as good but a whole lot closer to each other.
Also, we're gonna be timeboxed like you wouldn't believe. Warning: I will be ON YOUR ASS to get back on the bus on time at every stop so that we can meet our schedule.
Sign me up for two tickets, assuming they're still available.
We'll only be able to stay until the ~3:00 stop at the Seattle Ferry Terminal. If someone wants to jump in and take our place after that, we can work something out (say for ~30% of the final ticket price). PM me if you're interested.
If we don't find anyone, I'll still cover the whole ticket price.
Sign me up for two tickets, assuming they're still available.
We'll only be able to stay until the ~3:00 stop at the Seattle Ferry Terminal. If someone wants to jump in and take our place after that, we can work something out (say for ~30% of the final ticket price). PM me if you're interested.
If we don't find anyone, I'll still cover the whole ticket price.
I can confirm that we'll be on the 3:00 ferry from Bremerton, arriving at the Downtown Seattle Ferry Dock at 4:00 for anyone who needs to get on or off the tour.
FYI for anyone who's catching a flight, foot passengers are free coming into Seattle so you have an option to walk on the ferry without the bus if we don't make the 3:00, or if you have the chance to catch an earlier boat.
is it merely time that is preventing this tour from going to the east side (redmond/woodinville, mostly)?
because east of the lake you have:
mac and jacks
black raven red hook (which is admittely meh beer, but it was basically responsible for making microbrewing popular again. might fall under macro?)
those three alone are iconic breweries in our area. i'd equate black raven to becoming russian river like in stature.
oh, and for seattle, these are musts:
elysian
georgetown brewing
pike brewery pyramid brewery (might also fall under macro, i forget the reach)
fremont brewing (on the fringe, i like most of their beers)
this sounds awesome and i'd love to go, i'm a huge beer nerd 'round these parts.
half an hour north of seattle you get all the north end breweries too, like scuttlebutt and diamond knot, but those are a bit out of the way. much for scuttlebutt though. they just expanded to a bigger location!
edit: noticed your mention about pyramid being a potential pain in the ass because of size. i've striked out both pyramid and red hook for those reasons.
i think the east side deserves a good lookin' at regardless, though.
Xenocide Geek on
i wanted love, i needed love
most of all, most of all
someone said true love was dead
but i'm bound to fall
bound to fall for you
oh what can i do
I think we could do a TWO DAY brewery tour. Yeah, it's time related (just chiming in here, @LexiconGrrl is the rockstar).
Interesting personal note: I had never heard of Black Raven before until yesterday during my commute I saw one of their trucks and now your post. It's a sign to try it! There's just SO MUCH BEER here in the Seattle area. That's a good thing!
0
SquirrelOnFireJust this guy, you know?SeattleRegistered Userregular
edited May 2012
Black Raven has a really good stout, if I remember correctly.
Also, Xenocide, if you haven't tried Red-Hook's Nut Brown, you really need to before they disappear from shelves for the summer. So good, it will likely turn you around on Red Hook.
Has anybody looked at the beer map yet? The link is on the OP. Black Raven is included on it, along with a load of breweries you probably didn't even know existed. Check it out - and if you have adders, PM me. (Just added a new one last night, in Kenmore). I don't post a comment every time I modify the map because there are other forum threads too )
I do highly recommend to anyone who wants to try some local beers while in Seattle to check out the beer map, look at the places that are close to the Convention center and check them out, like Pike or Elysian, as recommended above. Also consider one of the walking tours in Ballard or Greenwood.
...is it merely time that is preventing this tour from going to the east side (redmond/woodinville, mostly)?...
Kind of. I present to you my Wall of Good Points (I do that a lot, mea culpa).
The breweries where chosen based on size, uniqueness and mainstream availability (or lack thereof). Large, Macro brews like Pyramid, Elysian, Pike, Hales, etc... are easy to find and not necessarily of huge interest to people from out of town. Also, locals go to those breweries a lot so a) the breweries don't need the exposure as much and b) they may not be that interesting for locals who might take the tour. The original intent was to get a good mix of micro and nanobreweries on the tour, but since most of the micros aren't interested it's focusing heavily on the nanos and craft brews instead of going bigger.
The East Side doesn't really have adequate clusters of close breweries to make this particular tour efficient. I definitely agree that there's some great stops over there and would love to have a chance to put together another tour sometime that goes East. Just not for this tour - we're already locked in to Kitsap, sorry!
Kitsap was chosen for the major leg for a couple of reasons. There's a very dense nanobrewery scene out there with some very good, very original beers that most people from Seattle and Bellevue haven't even heard of yet. Also, this tour is part-beer-part-sightseeing and for anyone from out of town, taking a Ferry across Puget Sound on a (hopefully) sunny day is not to be missed. There's some fascinating history around Kitsap and the trip alone is really beautiful.
FYI, I did contact Georgetown, but being a holiday, they won't be able to accomodate us. Pike is walking distance from the Con, so I put it on the beer map but didn't include it on the bus tour. Elysian is too big and too well distributed to fit the tour criteria, as well as being in the middle of the PPD and TWDT so people will have lots of chances to experience it. Fremont never got back to me. All of these are great breweries, don't get me wrong! The tour just has a different, more craft beer focus.
Has anybody looked at the beer map yet? The link is on the OP. Black Raven is included on it, along with a load of breweries you probably didn't even know existed. Check it out - and if you have adders, PM me. (Just added a new one last night, in Kenmore). I don't post a comment every time I modify the map because there are other forum threads too )
I happen to have looked at it several times with my wife in fact. I'm trying to figure out exactly how to convince @Cybit to drive us around Wednesday and Thursday after we get in since we miss the tour. (I actually kinda hope he logs in long enough to see that post so I don't have to pitch the idea in person.)
Has anybody looked at the beer map yet? The link is on the OP. Black Raven is included on it, along with a load of breweries you probably didn't even know existed. Check it out - and if you have adders, PM me. (Just added a new one last night, in Kenmore). I don't post a comment every time I modify the map because there are other forum threads too )
I happen to have looked at it several times with my wife in fact. I'm trying to figure out exactly how to convince @Cybit to drive us around Wednesday and Thursday after we get in since we miss the tour. (I actually kinda hope he logs in long enough to see that post so I don't have to pitch the idea in person.)
There are a few other people who really wanted to do a Wed or Thu tour too - maybe additional locals (with an SUV?) could be wrangled into going as a group.
Has anybody looked at the beer map yet? The link is on the OP. Black Raven is included on it, along with a load of breweries you probably didn't even know existed. Check it out - and if you have adders, PM me. (Just added a new one last night, in Kenmore). I don't post a comment every time I modify the map because there are other forum threads too )
I happen to have looked at it several times with my wife in fact. I'm trying to figure out exactly how to convince @Cybit to drive us around Wednesday and Thursday after we get in since we miss the tour. (I actually kinda hope he logs in long enough to see that post so I don't have to pitch the idea in person.)
There are a few other people who really wanted to do a Wed or Thu tour too - maybe additional locals (with an SUV?) could be wrangled into going as a group.
If that's the case someone more local would have to set it up. I'm not local, and don't really have the skill or time to tele-plan a trip.
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A list of things, should you be of the gifting persuasion
You're thinking of a different tour. This is actually a front for the hardcore Bear Grylls tour in which we go from location to location and drink our own pee.
You must be thinking of the Gordon Biersch tour.
I am, admittedly, much less of a beer person these days ever since I found religion and embraced the holy trinity. Rum, Scotch, and Port.
And that's why I have faith in your beer leadership.
DS Friend Code - 5300-9697-9935
For paintings in progress, check out canvas and paints
"The power of the weirdness compels me."
Yes! Tannins!
Beer has tannins right
Also, I'd like to call dibs on a monday slot.
Your list doesn't include gin. Or beer. I think your list needs revising.
Also, @lexicongrrl, as the weather gets nicer, I will get increasingly willing to go scout places in Kingston for us to hang out while waiting for a ferry. I'll be travelling for work for a few weeks, but in June, if you'd like, I can go scouting (and would welcome any Seattle area residents to join me).
That would be awesome. Only a couple of places come to mind right off the bat... And NOT that dumb tourist trap masquerading as a Sports Bar right by the ticket booths...
We could always go to the Hippie Bakery!
It's about 4 miles from the brewery to the ferry terminal, so i'm guessing probably an extra $3-5pp to get cabs.
From the feedback, it sounds as though no one really minds waiting a bit longer, as long as there is beer to be had.
Bainbridge does have a bigger ferry though, so possibly a better chance at getting on. If you decided to do that route, what about swapping the order of the Kingston stop with the Poulsbo stop? Plus, this would put us back downtown, which is closer to the next stops, in Fremont and Ballard, vs driving down from Edmonds. ((also a good stopping off point in case anyone has had a bit too much fun for the day)).
DS Friend Code - 5300-9697-9935
Anyhoo... All of the ferries are going to be a long wait that day. The benefit to Kingston is that it's only about 2 miles from the Kingston brewery, and the ferries leave every 30 minutes so the line goes pretty fast. The Bremerton and Bainbridge ferries are a longer run that leaves less frequently and there's a good chance we might end up waiting wherever we go. I'm leaning toward staying in Kingston and just chillaxing until we can get onto a boat, since we can get into the Kingston line the fastest.
The drive to Ballard is going to be only a little faster from downtown versus Edmonds, simply because there's holiday traffic to contend with. But a little is still some, right? FYI, I'm not having great luck with getting the Ballard breweries on board with the tour so far, so we may end up with extra time in Kingston anyway
Any discussion or comments about capping the Monday tour at 30 instead of 20?
A number of breweries are OK with handling 30 people. Here's the scoop:
- 9 stops instead of 12 (increasing the stop time to 45 minutes per brewery instead of 30)
- Lower ticket price
- More people get to participate
- Bus gets a little more crowded (it seats 46)
- Slightly less brewery options (but we'd be cutting down the # of stops anyway)
On an unrelated update, the smaller operations out in Kitsap are more interested in having us than the trendier nanobrews in Seattle. If we added more stops to balance out the tour, it would probably be over there, which has the potential to resolve the ferry issue. I'll keep everyone posted.
EDIT: Lantern Brewing is IN!! Wooo! Chris is awesome and will be setting up some tables and chairs in the driveway if weather permits. He provided his phone # and the google map has been updated with his contact info.
I was wondering if it's too late to join up for the Monday tour?
Managed to get a far better deal on flight & hotel than i was expecting, so can definitely afford this tour now
1. Capacity has been increased to 30 seats.
2. The tour route has been switched around in order to avoid ferry traffic coming back.
3. The current brewery list is at 11.
This was all accomplished by focusing on breweries that sit very close to each other to minimize travel time, and by picking meal locations with brewpubs across the street from each other in case we have to split the party. Also, since the Ballard breweries are generally too hip for our tour (seriously, they're swamped), it's moved the final leg into Greenwood, where the brews are just as good but a whole lot closer to each other.
Also, we're gonna be timeboxed like you wouldn't believe. Warning: I will be ON YOUR ASS to get back on the bus on time at every stop so that we can meet our schedule.
And @Optimusbry - done, thanks!
We'll only be able to stay until the ~3:00 stop at the Seattle Ferry Terminal. If someone wants to jump in and take our place after that, we can work something out (say for ~30% of the final ticket price). PM me if you're interested.
If we don't find anyone, I'll still cover the whole ticket price.
And yes, unlike PAX, Beer fears no forgery. Tickets are transferrable.
Gotcha.
I can confirm that we'll be on the 3:00 ferry from Bremerton, arriving at the Downtown Seattle Ferry Dock at 4:00 for anyone who needs to get on or off the tour.
FYI for anyone who's catching a flight, foot passengers are free coming into Seattle so you have an option to walk on the ferry without the bus if we don't make the 3:00, or if you have the chance to catch an earlier boat.
is it merely time that is preventing this tour from going to the east side (redmond/woodinville, mostly)?
because east of the lake you have:
mac and jacks
black raven
red hook (which is admittely meh beer, but it was basically responsible for making microbrewing popular again. might fall under macro?)
those three alone are iconic breweries in our area. i'd equate black raven to becoming russian river like in stature.
oh, and for seattle, these are musts:
elysian
georgetown brewing
pike brewery
pyramid brewery (might also fall under macro, i forget the reach)
fremont brewing (on the fringe, i like most of their beers)
this sounds awesome and i'd love to go, i'm a huge beer nerd 'round these parts.
half an hour north of seattle you get all the north end breweries too, like scuttlebutt and diamond knot, but those are a bit out of the way. much
edit: noticed your mention about pyramid being a potential pain in the ass because of size. i've striked out both pyramid and red hook for those reasons.
i think the east side deserves a good lookin' at regardless, though.
most of all, most of all
someone said true love was dead
but i'm bound to fall
bound to fall for you
oh what can i do
Interesting personal note: I had never heard of Black Raven before until yesterday during my commute I saw one of their trucks and now your post. It's a sign to try it! There's just SO MUCH BEER here in the Seattle area. That's a good thing!
Also, Xenocide, if you haven't tried Red-Hook's Nut Brown, you really need to before they disappear from shelves for the summer. So good, it will likely turn you around on Red Hook.
I do highly recommend to anyone who wants to try some local beers while in Seattle to check out the beer map, look at the places that are close to the Convention center and check them out, like Pike or Elysian, as recommended above. Also consider one of the walking tours in Ballard or Greenwood.
Kind of. I present to you my Wall of Good Points (I do that a lot, mea culpa).
The breweries where chosen based on size, uniqueness and mainstream availability (or lack thereof). Large, Macro brews like Pyramid, Elysian, Pike, Hales, etc... are easy to find and not necessarily of huge interest to people from out of town. Also, locals go to those breweries a lot so a) the breweries don't need the exposure as much and b) they may not be that interesting for locals who might take the tour. The original intent was to get a good mix of micro and nanobreweries on the tour, but since most of the micros aren't interested it's focusing heavily on the nanos and craft brews instead of going bigger.
The East Side doesn't really have adequate clusters of close breweries to make this particular tour efficient. I definitely agree that there's some great stops over there and would love to have a chance to put together another tour sometime that goes East. Just not for this tour - we're already locked in to Kitsap, sorry!
Kitsap was chosen for the major leg for a couple of reasons. There's a very dense nanobrewery scene out there with some very good, very original beers that most people from Seattle and Bellevue haven't even heard of yet. Also, this tour is part-beer-part-sightseeing and for anyone from out of town, taking a Ferry across Puget Sound on a (hopefully) sunny day is not to be missed. There's some fascinating history around Kitsap and the trip alone is really beautiful.
FYI, I did contact Georgetown, but being a holiday, they won't be able to accomodate us. Pike is walking distance from the Con, so I put it on the beer map but didn't include it on the bus tour. Elysian is too big and too well distributed to fit the tour criteria, as well as being in the middle of the PPD and TWDT so people will have lots of chances to experience it. Fremont never got back to me. All of these are great breweries, don't get me wrong! The tour just has a different, more craft beer focus.
I happen to have looked at it several times with my wife in fact.
There are a few other people who really wanted to do a Wed or Thu tour too - maybe additional locals (with an SUV?) could be wrangled into going as a group.
If that's the case someone more local would have to set it up. I'm not local, and don't really have the skill or time to tele-plan a trip.
D'oh! Sad Face! You should totally try to work something out.