Tuesday, May 21, 2013

SBW 2013: Teal

Seattle, WA

Beer Week can take a toll
I don't really feel like writing this shit right now.  If you live in Seattle, I'm sure you're about as sick of thinking about Seattle Beer Week as I am, but I want to press on with these little mini-posts. All of these routes that I did last week are good, stand-alone hikes, suitable any time. I know it's a little obsessive, but I can't really be done with Beer Week until I get these posted and erase them off the whiteboard in my head. And I'm more than ready to be done with Beer Week.

 So, on we march...

TEAL
West Ballard - Fremont - University District - Eastlake - South Lake Union


View SBW 2013 UBH #3 (Teal) in a larger map

After a very harrowing day on Sunday and the prospect of a lot more hiking to come, Link and I took Monday completely off. There were several interesting events around town that I wanted to attend and friends that I wanted to catch up with, but it just wasn't in the cards. We needed a day to recharge our batteries and think about the rest of the week.

But by Tuesday morning, we were ready to go. We hopped into a Car2Go around the corner and drove down to Southwest Ballard's Kiss Cafe for a launch can of Fremont Organic Pale. From there we walked along the railroad tracks and got some good glimpses of the more industrial and gritty side of this neighborhood. Soon we connected to the Burke-Gilman Trail and arrived at Brouwer's for one of my favorite events of the year, The Beer & Burger Battle. Mandy met me there so we could share two of the five burger offerings (all of them looked spectacular).

After our burgers, Link and I kissed Mandy goodbye and took the short walk to The Nickerson Street Saloon for the annual release party for Georgetown Brewing's Bob's Brown Ale. (Bob was a friend of the brewers who passed away from cancer.) Every year they brew a special beer for his birthday and sell a shit load of it, all profits going to the Ronald McDonald House. Very fucking cool. And the beer is delicious, too. (Side note: there was big, sweaty guy there who was a total dick to me for no reason. Fuck yourself, big sweaty guy.)


Link did his thing, falling asleep in the sun and I did my part by taking down a couple of pints of Bob's while trying to stay away from the news crew that was there covering the event. I've had enough media scrutiny lately.

From The Nick, it was a good long walk to Big Time Brewery for their mini-IPA fest (5 real good IPAs on, but I was hoping for Perspective.) I drank pretty quickly there as I don't like leaving Link hitched up outside on the narrow sidewalk for too long -- especially after the altercation at Pike Place Market.

After Big Time, we headed south along Eastlake Ave. toward South Lake Union. I had forgotten how beautiful this walk is. You can walk down close to the water for much of it, but not all. If you've never explored this area, I highly recommend it.

Gorgeous evening along South Lake Union

Our last stop of the hike was at The Wurst Place, one of several anti-Seattle Beer Week bars in town. I don't really know what their beef with "Beer Weak" (as they call it) is and I don't really care. I love visiting here. Always good beer on tap, a very vibrant atmosphere, and holy shit: the macaroni & cheese wurst is out of this world. If I'd had any more money, I would have ordered a 2nd helping.

This is a perfect beer hike for a long summer day. It's deceptively taxing so expect to be tired, but there's a lot to see and you'll find a lot of good beer to drink along the way.

Here are some snapshots from the hike. I'll do a short post on the other routes soon. Cheers.

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