8 Best Breweries to Celebrate Beer Week in Seattle

Fremont Brewing offers it all: delicious beer made with local ingredients, a great location, and an outdoor seating area with a view of Lake Union. The brewery emerged in 2009 after founder Matt Lincecum decided to switch from being an attorney specializing in beverage and hospitality law to building an establishment of his own. Since then, the company has quickly become a Seattle favorite thanks to its array of delicious beers.

This Seattle establishment got its start during the 1980s, when its founders decided to explore the possibilities of craft beers. The Pyramid Brewing Co. is responsible for the Pacific Northwest favorite, the Pyramid Pale Ale, the light, citrus beer paired with a hint malt body. With a sister location in Portland, the company’s original alehouse sits in Pioneer Square, near both the Safeco and Century Link fields and it offers unique craft beers that its other locations don’t.

The Elysian Brewing Company has five locations, but the Capitol Hill neighborhood location is its original. This brewery opened in 1996 and has since expanded to other Seattle neighborhoods, such as Georgetown, Green Lake, and Pioneer Square. The 220-seat bar features brew-pub style décor, like exposed wood ceilings and concrete floors. With over 350 beers to choose from, beer enthusiasts can’t go wrong with Elysian Brewing Company.

In 2013, Brad Benson, Robyn Schumacher, and Lara Zahaba opened Stoup Brewing, a brewery dedicated to exploring the art and science of beer. Sitting in the Ballard’s Brewing District, Stoup Brewing offers a variety of ales and IPA’s. The company’s focus is on beer, but that doesn’t mean they don’t offer food. Stoup Brewing is host to an ongoing rotation of local food trucks perfect for pairing their beer with.

The Georgetown Brewing Company sits in Seattle’s oldest neighborhood, Georgetown. It’s the largest brewery in Washington State and is responsible for the state’s most beloved beer, Manny’s Pale Ale. It’s not just Manny’s either, but a number of original IPA’s and ales. From brewery tours to an array of growlers to tastings, the Georgetown Brewing Company offers everything a beer enthusiast could ask for.

The Pike Brewing Company is one of Seattle’s original brew-pubs. It’s situated in the Downtown neighborhood, near Pike Place Market and Benaroya Hall, making it the perfect beer spot for locals and tourists alike. The company brews between 12,000 and 13,000 barrels of beer a year, creating beers such as the Pike Place Ale and the Space Needle Golden IPA. While there, be sure to take a tour of the brewery, check out the beer museum, and enjoy their locally sourced food menu.

Less than a mile from Stoup Brewing is another neighborhood favorite, the Ballard Beer Company. Visitors flock to the Ballard Beer Company for their array of hard-to-find Washington craft beers and ciders. The brewery is a community-minded business dedicated to providing a delicious product as well as giving back. Ballard Beer Company takes part in Pints for a Purpose, a program that takes a portion of beer purchases and donates that money to local organizations.

Situated in the Magnolia neighborhood and near Seattle’s largest park, Discovery Park, is the Urban Family Brewing Co. It’s small, but this brewing company inspired by French and Belgian farmhouses packs a big punch. According to the company, “Everything we do is done by hand the old-fashioned way, utilizing local Pacific Northwest ingredients.” As for food, similar to Stout Brewing, Urban Family Brewing Co. welcomes a variety of ongoing local food trucks that park outside the establishment.