Two Beers Brewing

Two Beers Brewing 27Dec2017

I hopped the D-Line as is usual for most of my trips, and then I caught the 121, which serves East Marginal way, a part of Seattle Metro underserves.

Two Beers is in a warehouse complex on Ohio Street, which is a block off East Marginal Way. 

Building exterior, which is relatively attractive considering the surroundings

The taproom is next to the brewery in a tricked out warehouse space. It manages to be both roomy and cozy through the use of dividers, split levels, and a lot of wood. As you step through the large wood door you see the bar in front of you, to the left the kitchen, and to the right a seating area and a pool table. 

The view as you enter the front door

View to the left with seating and kitchen areas

The tap lists (beer and cider) are above and behind the bar area. 

Beer tap list

Cider tap list and mine host

Flights of 4 x 4 ounce tasters, pints, growler fills, some limited bottlings and cans are all available. I eschewed the cider and chose four beers to sip while I sat at the bar.

l to r: Pilchuck Pilsner, Wonderland Trail IPA, Oude Bruin, and SODO Brown. Not shown - Tipsy Toboggan winter ale. Twas a little darker than the brown beers.

Tasting Notes:

Pilchuck Pilsner (5.0%, 38 IBU): Clear gold. Bready malt with a hop nose for aroma. Malt flavor, brief sweetness, then drying bitterness, and noble hop flavor. Bitter and slightly sweet finish.

SODO Brown (5.4%, 20 IBU): Clear brown with red highlights. Roast malt and chocolate aroma. Roast malt and chocolate flavors, dry bitterness, and a hint of mint. Dry bitter finish.

Oude Bruin (5.7%, 8 IBU): Hazy bronze with gold highlights. Lactic sweet-sour and fruity aroma. Fruit, sour, peaches, lactic flavors. Flavors are soft, not harsh and the body is thin. Sour with a slightly bitter finish.

Wonderland Trail IPA (7.1%, 84 IBU): Clear orange gold. Dank, sweaty hop aroma. Sweet malt, tropical hop flavor, sweat, and bitterness. Bitter sweet finish with lingering bitterness. The sweaty aspect of the hop aroma and flavor is not unpleasant.

Tipsy Toboggan (6.8%, 62 IBU): Opaque brown with red highlights. Ester and hop aroma. Sweet malt, then drying bitterness. Bitter finish. Better as it warms.

The Woods (Two Beers’ name for its taproom) began to fill up nicely for a Wednesday afternoon at 3 pm. I sat at the bar sipping my beers and watched people play pool, darts, and order beer, cider, and food. The ambient lighting is low enough that some parts of the seating area are downright dark. The taproom was buttoned up tight against the December cold. A garage-type door could be opened in the summer to allow in cool breezes from outside and an outdoor seating area is available – not very attractive this time of year.

I finished my flight and ordered a pint of the pilsner, which I thought was well executed. Many of the Seattle pilsners I have tasted lately have been really good. In the past I have not been too impressed with local pilsners, except for Chuckanut, so either my taste has changed – entirely possible – or the brewing community in Seattle has upped its game. I’ll choose the latter. Many of them taste very similar and I am guessing that they have common sources of malt and hops.

I had some time before my bus home so I opted to try a four ounce sample of the Tipsy Toboggan (not shown – I forgot to snap a photo). In the finest Seattle tradition Two Beers is a little heavy handed with the hops, which is to my liking but not on trend. Many breweries in the Northwest and nationwide (by my reading) are trying to balance their beers and emphasize balance and hop aroma.

The 121 to downtown stops near Two Beers about every hour in the afternoon, so I had to watch the time carefully and make sure I got out to the stop expeditiously. I did, then hiked a couple of blocks up hill (a little arduous with a belly full of beer) to catch the D-Line back home.

Triple R Brewing

Triple R Brewing 17Dec2017

Triple R is a Seattle brewery to which I have never paid a visit. I hiked up to NW 85^th Street and then caught the 45 over to the Roosevelt District. Triple R is in an alley near Roosevelt just off NE 65^th Street.

The Triple R Brewing Alley Tavern is, indeed, located in an alley running parallel to Roosevelt in a retail area. 

The alley entrance to Triple R

The door opens into the cozy main taproom with a stairway up to a second level seating area. 

Step through the door and check out the bar and seating areas

The brew kit is hidden away in the back. The bar is immediately in front of you as you enter and the tap list is on a monitor above the taps to the left side. 

A monitor with the tap list including the pub crawl killing Yeti

The greeting at the bar is friendly and familiar. Tasters of 6 ounces (a flight of 6 tasters is available for a flat price), pints, and growler fills are available. I ordered one six ounce taster of each Triple R-brewed beer (only three available at this writing) and sat at the bar to sample my beers and watch the Seahawks get their lunch eaten by the Rams.

From l to r: Golden Smash, Fall Ale, and NW Pale

Tasting Notes:

Triple R Golden Smash (6.6%): Described as a Belgian Golden Strong Ale. Clear pale gold. Fruity, peppery, Belgian aroma some dank hop. Sweet malt, fruit, and smoke with late bitterness and a hint of lemon. Bitter sweet finish. Much better as it warms.

Triple R Fall Ale (4.5%): Described as a specialty smoked beer. Clear bronze. Fruity hop aroma and roast malt. Sweet malt, smoke (coffee like), roast malt. Late bitterness and hop flavor. Sweet sour finish.

Triple R NW Pale (5.25%): American pale ale. Slightly hazy bronze. Unusual hop and sweet malt aroma. Bitter taste and a dry, wort-like malt flavor. Bitter finish.

The tap list of guest beers demonstrates the level of achievement to which Triple R aspires. The list today included Great Divide’s Yeti, a beer that caused a staggering and collapsed end to one of my annual pub crawls. The guest beers are fine examples of their styles. The beers that Triple R make are uneven and works in progress. The Golden Smash is quite good and I ordered a second glass. This tavern is newly opened in July and the guys who run the place have not yet been able to quit their day jobs.

The seating area is inviting with a lot of wood to add warmth. A garage door – closed against the winter weather – promises cool breezes and an open atmosphere in the summer. A steady trickle of customers (appropriate for a Sunday afternoon even with a Seahawks game on the tube) came in to buy pints or filled growlers while I enjoyed my beers.

I hit the bus stop just as the 45 was pulling up and rode back to my Ballard neighborhood. I then walked the mile from 85^th to my house just to get some exercise. No D-Line today.