Top of the Western World

Two days of class are done.  Kevin appeared to need some down time, so I headed off exploring by myself tonight.  The weather was good, and I was anxious to head down to the Space Needle to see what I could see.  But first, I was ready for dinner so I headed over to McMenamins Queen Anne to check out this location.

McMenamins has a reputation for buying old properties and turning them into brewpubs.  We had stayed at their Edgefield facility outside Portland, OR when we went there a few years back, so I wanted to stop by for nostalgic reasons.  The special of the night was perfect, fish tacos made with red snapper.  This is a northwest standard that is truly delicious.  I got the Persephone’s Pomegranate Molasses Porter (what a name) on draft.  The porter was good, although I didn’t taste the pomegranate or the molasses.  Next I walked down to the Space Needle to check out the scenery.  What a view!  It was fantastic to see this beautiful city from such a high vantage point (60 stories I think).  Mount Rainier was stunning, and I got to see the monorail that runs downtown.  I was even able to get a beer at the top, a Scuttlebutt Homeport Blond.  How perfect was that?

The evening was young, so I headed to a couple of pubs on Capital Hill.  The first stop was the Elysian Brewpub, the third pub in the area.  I started off with the Idiot Saison, and then the bartender saw my book and wanted me to be able to taste some of their other specialties.   Elysian had collaborated with New Belgium to create the Trip III, a blended beer of 70% Elysian Dark Lager and 30% New Belgium Foudre.  The result was a delicious sour ale.  The bartender then popped open two New Belgium La Folie beers to share.  The first was their Sahti, a Scandinavian style rye brewed with juniper berries.  I love rye beer, and the fruit offered the right offset.  The next was the Vrienden, a collaboration beer with Allagash (what a great brewery) that was a wild ale flavored with hibiscus.  I appreciated the sharing and headed off to the Hopvine Pub. A sister pub to Latona, it had a good vibe and a different selection, so I tried the Sound Poundage Porter.  Really sweet, a solid selection.  It was a beautiful night, and I enjoyed the drive along the mountain ridges of the city for the fantastic views.

It was nice to have a “down day.”  I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has to offer. - 5785/10971

"Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire." – David Rains Wallace