Seattle: Land of the hops - Local brewery scene

 

Sample of IPAs, sours, and a slushy brew at Urban Family Brewing in SeattleWith more than 77% of hops in the United States grown just to the east in the Yakima Valley of Washington state, it’s no surprise that there is a robust and thriving brewery culture in Seattle. Of course, you’ll find tons of IPAs and hop heavy beers around here, but there are plenty of options for lagers, sours, browns, porters, and everything else.

 

Some popular brewery options located in the downtown area are:

  • Old Stove Brewing (located on Western Ave. inside Pike Place Market) —  This place not only has a great variety of beers and cocktails, it has amazing views of Elliott Bay and it’s a great place to sit and watch the sunset.
  • Cloudburst Brewing (located a bit north on Western Ave.) — Visit for excellent IPAs as well as a selection of pales, lagers, pilsners and stouts.

Other options for cheap drinks in the nearby neighborhoods are:

 

If you are a beer lover, the one neighborhood worth venturing to is Ballard with over a dozen breweries all located within walking distance to one another. Many have rotating food trucks parked outside that offer cheap and tasty meals that you are able to take inside the breweries to enjoy with your beer. You can quickly get to Ballard from downtown in about 30 minutes by catching the D line or 50 bus for a few dollars on 3rd Ave. Some of the best breweries in Ballard are:

  • Urban Family Brewing
  • Lucky Envelope Brewing
  • Great Notion Brewing
  • Stoup Brewing
  • Reuben’s Brews
  • Fair Isle Brewing

 

Salmon at Ballard Locks-SeattleWhile you’re in Ballard consider checking out the Ballard Locks, one of the busiest locks in the U.S. For free you can experience the engineering marvel of boat traffic being lead through one by one, as well as visit the unique salmon ladder where salmon cross from the salt to fresh water through viewing windows located down the stairs. If you are lucky, you’ll catch some seals frolicking in the water!

 

Located on the grounds near the locks is the Carl S. English Botanical Garden which, while small, is peaceful and beautiful to walk through and, like the locks, is free to enjoy. If you head over on Sunday, Ballard also has a wonderful farmer’s market from 9am to 2pm.

Sathi Maiti, OD, FAAO

Sathi Maiti is vice president of clinical research at the Periman Eye Institute and a primary care optometrist in Seattle, Wash. She graduated from the UC Berkeley School of Optometry in 2014 where she studied endothelial cell traits as a NEI research trainee. A sub-investigator of a number of clinical trials related to dry eye and ocular surface disease, her research interests include demodex and cosmetics. Maiti sits on the editorial boards of Eyes on Eyecare and the Journal of Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease. She is a member of the Optometric Physicians of Washington’s Diversity, Inclusion, Access task force, volunteers as vision director of organizations Uplift Northwest and Seattle/King County Clinic, and mentors local high school students interested in eye care through Project InSight. Maiti was named one of Vision Monday’s most influential women in optical in 2021 and UCBSO’s “40 under 40” in 2023. She spends her free time crocheting, sewing, writing satire, playing with her dachshund-mix Kali, and sharing her love for all things eyeball related on her Instagram, @dr.maitiseyeballsandstuff.