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SchlitzKrieg 2013 Beer Tour [Photos and Wrapup]
LexiconGrrl
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Washington state has around 150 craft breweries, and in my neighborhood alone there are 10 breweries within a 10 block walking radius. Seattle is truly Beer Geek Heaven. The SchlitzKrieg is a beer tour for locals and out-of-towners alike, and is heavily disposed toward tiny breweries that you're unlikely to try anywhere else. Throw in a little local history, an interesting scenic ride, and you've got a great way to spend a day outside of the Convention Center, where you can see more of the city than just the downtown.
Washington State Brewery Map
2012 was the first ever SchlitzKrieg at PAX Prime, where 30 Beer Geeks were loaded onto a big yellow bus and we toured 12 local craft breweries in the greater Seattle Area in 12 hours. You can check out last year's thread here.
Photos from SchlitzKrieg 2012 courtesy of @courtneyj.
Since PAX is going to 4 days and I've got a new project that takes a lot of my time, ticket sales opened up a bit late.
Last year's tour was a shakedown, and here's what we learned from it:
1. 12 Breweries was just too much. By the end, people couldn't even look at their beer.
2. If you like to party, going on the tour the day after PAX is brutal. I can't stress this enough.
3. The achievement mini-game was great.
4. PAXers take good care of each other.
This year's tour will:
1. Be grouped by region, listed in the next post. Note that some locations may be contingent upon the date of the tour.
2. Possibly be 2 tours on different days to give more folks a chance to go, and be a little less expensive.
3. Max out at no more than 6 breweries per day and keep a more relaxed, civilized schedule.
4. Possibly happen on a day during PAX.
5. Have better contingencies planned for folks who miss the bus or get left at a stop.
Polling / Voting for Dates and Tours
After a month of polling, clear preferences emerged. There are two tours planned that reflect the Will of the People. A third tour of Lexi's favorites might be added for a small group on the Wednesday before or the Tuesday after PAX.
Available Tours (See the very next post for details. The ticket link is up top)
Ballard Neighborhood Walking Tour on Thursday, 8/29
Kitsap Peninsula Bus Tour on Sunday, 9/1 - CANCELLED
Questions? Answers!
What is it?
What isn't it?
When is it?
What's included for the price?
What's not included?
What's the itinerary?
How much will it cost?
Why is the discussion starting so early? It's like 4 months away!
Can I attend just a portion of the tour?
I have a better/different stop/place/brewery to suggest:
How do I sign up and/or pay?
Do you need any helpers?
Why a Beer Tour?
What happened to the idea of a Booze Cruise to visit local distilleries?
I can't go/It's out of my budget: Will there be another event later?
Washington state has around 150 craft breweries, and in my neighborhood alone there are 10 breweries within a 10 block walking radius. Seattle is truly Beer Geek Heaven. The SchlitzKrieg is a beer tour for locals and out-of-towners alike, and is heavily disposed toward tiny breweries that you're unlikely to try anywhere else. Throw in a little local history, an interesting scenic ride, and you've got a great way to spend a day outside of the Convention Center, where you can see more of the city than just the downtown.
Washington State Brewery Map
2012 was the first ever SchlitzKrieg at PAX Prime, where 30 Beer Geeks were loaded onto a big yellow bus and we toured 12 local craft breweries in the greater Seattle Area in 12 hours. You can check out last year's thread here.
Photos from SchlitzKrieg 2012 courtesy of @courtneyj.
Since PAX is going to 4 days and I've got a new project that takes a lot of my time, ticket sales opened up a bit late.
Last year's tour was a shakedown, and here's what we learned from it:
1. 12 Breweries was just too much. By the end, people couldn't even look at their beer.
2. If you like to party, going on the tour the day after PAX is brutal. I can't stress this enough.
3. The achievement mini-game was great.
4. PAXers take good care of each other.
This year's tour will:
1. Be grouped by region, listed in the next post. Note that some locations may be contingent upon the date of the tour.
2. Possibly be 2 tours on different days to give more folks a chance to go, and be a little less expensive.
3. Max out at no more than 6 breweries per day and keep a more relaxed, civilized schedule.
4. Possibly happen on a day during PAX.
5. Have better contingencies planned for folks who miss the bus or get left at a stop.
Polling / Voting for Dates and Tours
After a month of polling, clear preferences emerged. There are two tours planned that reflect the Will of the People. A third tour of Lexi's favorites might be added for a small group on the Wednesday before or the Tuesday after PAX.
Available Tours (See the very next post for details. The ticket link is up top)
Ballard Neighborhood Walking Tour on Thursday, 8/29
Kitsap Peninsula Bus Tour on Sunday, 9/1 - CANCELLED
Questions? Answers!
What is it?
A tour of Seattle and the area around it for beer lovers, whether you're local or coming in from out of town. Some more unusual, hidden gems will be included for any locals who might want to tag along and find new spots. It will also include some awesome area history, scenic rides wherever possible, restaurant stops, and the opportunity to see more than just the city.
What isn't it?
The budget depends on the specific tour, but it may not not be a low-budget event. Also, much like the Pub Crawl, this is not a frat boy event. We're trying to pace the liquor so that everyone has a good time, including the guy that you didn't puke on.
When is it?
Ballard Neighborhood Tour: Thursday before PAX 8/29
Kitsap Peninsula Tour: Sunday during PAX 9/1 - CANCLLED
Kitsap Peninsula Tour: Sunday during PAX 9/1 - CANCLLED
What's included for the price?
This depends muchly on the individual tour. The list below tries to make it as clear as possible.
All Tours
• Approx. 6 Independent Breweries/Brew Pubs
• Samples at each location
• A keepsake Beer Passport and tour guide booklet with area history, brewery profiles and your own tasting notes
• Achievement & Team Prizes
• Custom PAX Forum Beer Pint Glass for you to keep and take home (optional for-purchase add-on)
• SchlitzKrieg Tshirt (optional for-purchase add-on)
• A great time with fellow beer-loving PAXers!
All Tours
• Approx. 6 Independent Breweries/Brew Pubs
• Samples at each location
• A keepsake Beer Passport and tour guide booklet with area history, brewery profiles and your own tasting notes
• Achievement & Team Prizes
• Custom PAX Forum Beer Pint Glass for you to keep and take home (optional for-purchase add-on)
• SchlitzKrieg Tshirt (optional for-purchase add-on)
• A great time with fellow beer-loving PAXers!
What's not included?
• Transportation to/from Ballard, but there will probably be a meetup to go as a group on the public bus. (Ballard tour only)
• Cost of Meals (lunch is catered on the bus tour only)
• Additional Pints or Tastes after the prepaid ones
• Souvenirs
• Brewery Swag, bottles or Growlers
• Cost of Meals (lunch is catered on the bus tour only)
• Additional Pints or Tastes after the prepaid ones
• Souvenirs
• Brewery Swag, bottles or Growlers
What's the itinerary?
See the next post down
How much will it cost?
Add-ons can be purchased separately so the cost will depend on how much you personally want to spend. For example, Pint glasses won't be included automatically but you can buy one if you want and get it on the tour.
Ballard Walking Tour: $40-$70
No profit is made from this tour and every effort is made to keep costs as low as possible.
Any overruns in the ticket price will be either refunded on the tour, or you can donate that money to Child's Play.
Ballard Walking Tour: $40-$70
No profit is made from this tour and every effort is made to keep costs as low as possible.
Any overruns in the ticket price will be either refunded on the tour, or you can donate that money to Child's Play.
Why is the discussion starting so early? It's like 4 months away!
This tour is a complex animal that takes some time to set up. Maybe by next year it'll be dialed in enough to post the information in July, have people buy tickets and boom. Done. But this year it's still something that takes a good deal of pre-planning and participant polling to get right.
Can I attend just a portion of the tour?
Maybe. It depends on the specific tour. For a tour like Ballard, yes. For a tour like Ellensburg, no.
I have a better/different stop/place/brewery to suggest:
Suggest away! All suggestions are welcome but keep in mind that stops will be decided on the following criteria:
- Proximity to the tour route
- Hours (they need to be open, or willing to open for us)
- Size (macro breweries are discouraged)
- Willingness to accommodate the tour
- Proximity to the tour route
- Hours (they need to be open, or willing to open for us)
- Size (macro breweries are discouraged)
- Willingness to accommodate the tour
How do I sign up and/or pay?
The link is posted above.
Do you need any helpers?
We always need helpers. Especially since Lexi will probably have to be working during both tours and will need others onsite to run the tours. Non-drinkers who want to accompany their drinking buddies/spouses/significant others are encouraged to apply.
Why a Beer Tour?
Seattle loves its beer. There are around 50 macro, micro and nanobreweries in and around the Seattle area, from small garage operations that sell growlers on the weekends, to large factories pumping out nationally distributed brews. Most Seattleites either home brew or know someone who does and the options here are amazing.
What happened to the idea of a Booze Cruise to visit local distilleries?
It's a possibility. Right now we're just focused on figuring out when any tour day would work.
After looking into it, it's not really feasible. There aren't enough distilleries (or breweries for that matter) near the water to make it a worth the time and money. Renting a boat just to cruise around and drink with each other is a future possibility if I run across anyone who'll give us a great deal on a rental.
After looking into it, it's not really feasible. There aren't enough distilleries (or breweries for that matter) near the water to make it a worth the time and money. Renting a boat just to cruise around and drink with each other is a future possibility if I run across anyone who'll give us a great deal on a rental.
I can't go/It's out of my budget: Will there be another event later?
It's possible that we'll be doing more than one tour this year. If you can't make it to any of the tours, the Cycle Saloon (linked under the Ballard tour below) is a good way to do a private tour if you can put a group together to split the cost. Or just check out the Brewery map (linked above) and make up your own tour.
Happily on Sabbatical. Don't bug me.
LexiconGrrl on
+2
Posts
Thursday August 29
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Tickets: $40 - $70
The Thursday 8/29 walking tour of Ballard is a GO! The specifics have yet to be worked out but there are enough tiny new breweries that will open for us early to make it happen. I've promised the breweries 30-45 people on the tour so let's fill those seats, people!!
You'll be able to pick from one of two options for how you want to do the tour - both will be available:
Option A: Tour on foot. Cheaper - Slower - More Walking. Unlimited places available.
Option B: Tour via the Cycle Saloon. Pricier - Faster - More Comfortable. 16 seats available (They have 2 bikes so if there's enough interest we can add another 16 seats The second bike is already booked that day).
6 Breweries on the Tour!
7:45 AM: Group Breakfast at the Athenian - RSVP Required
9:00 AM: Group bus from downtown to Base Camp in Ballard
9:30 AM: Meet at Base Camp in Ballard
10:00 AM - 3:00 PM: Brewery Tour
3:00 PM: Return to Base Camp
3:30 PM: End of tour, but optional stop for snacks/happy hour at any of the fine local establishments, including Cafe Mox.
Breakfast RSVPs
Sarra
LexiconGrrl and/or JobiWanKenobi
Baka AI
Zarcron
iJourney
Rhiley
BananaPartz
MagnusCarter
Tour Itinerary
Bad Jimmy's Brewery - cancelled due to unexpected equipment problems
Hale's Ales
Populuxe Brewing
Peddler Brewing
Hilliard's Brewing
Reuben's Brews or NW Peaks Brewery (group will split up and go to one or the other at the end of the tour.)
The Cycle Saloon
Teams (Named after varieties of Hops)
Chinook (US)
JobiwanKenobi
Harvey
chaosisorder
Emod
vladzaharia
Baka AI
Zarcron
iJourney
Fuggles (UK)
BananaPartz
Rhiley
Kusanagi604
Kusanagi604's +1
Gra7er
Zeouterlimits
Diarmuid
Daniel
Saaz (DE)
Sarra
BennyBenz
Derek
Jasper
Matt
Evan
MagnusCarter
CtrlAltDft
Sticklebract (AU) - removed
Tours that weren't chosen this year and got archived.
Longer, Scenic Tours
Tour #2: Kitsap Peninsula - 8 hrs +/-.
Last year's most popular section. Includes 2 ferry rides across Puget Sound.
Sunday, September 1
Tentatively 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Tickets: $60
6 Breweries on the Tour!
7:30 or 8:00 AM: Optional breakfast meetup downtown (probably at the Athenian)
9:00 AM: Bus leaves from the Sheraton downtown for the Edmonds ferry terminal. If you didn't eat breakfast, you can eat on the ferry.
10:30 AM - 6:00 PM: Brewery Tour
7:45 PM: Bus arrives at the downtown Seattle ferry terminal. You can disembark there or take the bus back to the Sheraton.
Itinerary
Hood Canal Brewery
Valholl Brewing
Slippery Pig Brewery - LUNCH
Sound Brewing
Silver City Taproom
Slaughter Co. Brewery - HAPPY HOUR (NEW!)
Teams (Just like last year)
Pilsner
Amber
Porter
Interstate 90 (I-90) Corridor - 8 hrs.
Includes a bus ride over the mountain pass to Ellensburg. Mountains! Desert! Cowboys!
- Bellevue Brewing Co.
- Black Raven Brewing
- Issaquah Brewhouse (Rogue Brewing)
- Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Co.
- Roslyn Brewing Co.
- Iron Horse Brewery
Shorter City Tours, Not so much scenic
Georgetown - 5 hrs.
It's Georgetown. Dusty and Industrial.
- Two Beers Brewing
- EPIC Ales
- Odin Brewing
- Emerald City Beer
- Georgetown Brewing
- Machine House Brewing
- Schooner Exact Brewing
- Standard Brewing Co.
- Big Al Brewing
- Pyramid
- Seapine Brewing Co.
North Seattle - 7 hrs.
Bus tour including Ballard and the North End.
- Bluebird Microcreamery and Brewery
- Elysian Tangletown
- Fremont Brewing
- Hale's Ales
- Hilliard's
- Lantern Brewing
- Maritime Pacific Brewing
- Naked City Brewery
- NW Peaks Brewing
- Outlander Brewery and Pub
- Peddler Brewing
- Populuxe Brewing
- Reuben's Brews
East Side - 6 hrs.
This option contains the highest percentage of big-name, uninspired, vanilla macro breweries. Just like Bellevue.
- Bellevue Brewing Co.
- Black Raven Brewing
- Issaquah Brewhouse (Rogue Brewing)
- Mack and Jack's
- Redhook
- 192 Brewing
- Duvall Springs Brewing
Dunno. That's what we're discussing. We could go during the week before or after PAX, or during PAX itself. The Magical Mystery Tour also happens on the two days before PAX (Wednesday/Thursday) and last year we kept the SchlitzKrieg from conflicting with it, but I don't think we can avoid that this year with the new 4-day PAX schedule.
Regional tours are a great idea but not sure how many regions I'd be able to commit to if each one will be a day tour. Kitsap was amazing and we must return! Georgetown, Ballard and North Seattle would all be fun trips too. I'm really interested in a I-90 trip but would also be a major time commitment so I'm undecided until more details arrive. The East Side is...the east side. It might be interesting to show out-of-towners negaSeattle but we can get a Mac and Jack anywhere in the city so probably not worth a trip. Just my two cents.
Do you want any help planning this year? I live in Seattle and, while not overburdened with free time, would be interested in lending a hand.
Yeah. The micros over there are really great, but there just aren't that many.
Maybe, I'll let you know as we get closer. Thanks!
So the Yardhouse is a taproom, not a brewery. It's a good place, and close to the convention center if you wanted to walk there. It's also a national chain, FYI. But it won't be on the tour.
@LexiconGrrl --Just found out you are friends with my buddy from MN who you met at PAX East.
The Cycle Saloon is amazing, and I have a mad hookup there. They're getting a second Saloon bike this year too, which will probably be delivered in time for PAX, so we could do one giant tour with both bikes, or split up to hit the same breweries separately. As an aside, since that's an independent company, Cycle Saloon tours could be set up at any time and not be tied to the SchlitzKrieg.
FYI, We wouldn't do one of their box tours, since we'll be setting our own date/times to work around PAX.
"Pictochat? No. Dicktochat!"
I expect you mean @Thunderous_T? Too bad beer isn't his thing, because he'd love this if it was.
An after-PAX tour would be awesome for me. Thursday Slitzkrieg would press up against what is usually the Triwizard Drinking Tournament and knowing me I would try to do both and die of booze.
I'll have to do some research and see which ones look particularly interesting.
PAX Prime / PAX Dev 2014
PAX Prime 2013
PAX Prime 2009
Eventually this thread will be updated to include links to each of the Breweries, but in the meantime an easy research would be to follow the OP link to the 2012 thread, where the Beer Advocate entry for each of the breweries we visited last year is linked.
I appreciate the effort, Lexicon!
PAX Prime / PAX Dev 2014
PAX Prime 2013
PAX Prime 2009
Personally, I would love it if another tour of Kitsap was done on the Tuesday/Wednesday after PAX, as that would fit my schedule perfectly (although I do understand the hesitancy about running a tour the day after PAX.. There was a lot of sleepy people at the start of the day last year) and would love to see the peninsula again
Plus the breweries there where fantastic, what with the guys at Valholl handing out 21 year old scotch on top of the beer & slippery pig letting us BBQ lunch at theirs..
And well, that's where Sound Brewing is based, so I def need to get back there (such good beer!)
Find me on Steam.
The results will be tallied up eventually (probably in the next few weeks) in order to help nail down a specific date and/or tours.
This is a very informal poll, and is not a hard-and-fast voting scheme. At the end of the day, I reserve the right to veto anything. But not without a good reason.
Congratulations! Welcome to the wonderful drunken world of Adult PAXers. I'm sure you won't have any problems finding things to participate in.
Thank you! We have passes for all four days, so ideally, Thursday works best for us, or any evening after the expo hall closes (Depends really on who's playing at which concert day, of course)
"Pictochat? No. Dicktochat!"
Edit: Wow, I just found out that the Ellensburg Rodeo is that weekend too.
Booooo.
As for the day we do this, I can do the Wednesday before or possibly the Tuesday after.
I'm also willing to help.
BTW Lexicon, your new Project looks awsome! Are you running the place too?
Twitter:kube00
Yes. It's in Ballard and would be on the Ballard or N. Seattle tour as an add-on.