December 17th through 21st, embrace the darkness
We are now amidst the big dark. Limited daylight, long nights, and even when the sun is up, it’s often hard to tell. Around Seattle, it’s a good time of year for dark beer and day drinkin’. Cheers to that! Well, the dark beer part is mandatory, but the day drinkin’ part is optional. If you like donuts, then maybe it’s compulsory too: the beers flow all day and night at Flying Lion Brewing’s annual Dark Beer Fest, but the donuts are available in the morning while supplies last.
The beer lineup includes plenty of dark options from Flying Lion Brewing, along with selections from notable guest breweries. Dark Beer Fest runs for five days (Dec. 17th – 21st) and features over 40 dark beers poured throughout the event. Get all the details in the announcement below.
The Columbia City brewery serves up a four-day festival of stouts, porters, and creative collaborations.
SEATTLE, WA, November 14, 2025 — Flying Lion Brewing, Columbia City’s only homegrown brewery, is thrilled to announce the return of its beloved Dark Beer Fest, celebrating its 12th year of rich, roasted, and barrel-aged brews.
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
From Wednesday night, December 17, through Sunday, December 21, the Flying Lion taproom will transform into a dark-beer lover’s paradise, pouring over 40 seasonal beers, including 42 Flying Lion originals and guest brews from Seattle favorite breweries, including Ravenna Brewing, White Bluffs Brewing, Terramar Brewstillery, Volition Brewing Co., & Greenwood Cider.
A Week of Darkness and Delight
The festivities kick off with Barrel-Only Wednesday on December 17, featuring a curated lineup of barrel-aged and barrel-fermented beers available for one night only. From Thursday through Sunday, the main event takes over with a rotating menu of dark styles, including stouts, porters, schwarzbiers, and more, running from 10 a.m. to midnight daily.
“No tickets, no wristbands, no gatekeepers,” said Griffin Williams, Founder of Flying Lion Brewing. “Just come thirsty and ready to explore. We started Dark Beer Fest back in 2014 with six dark beers on tap, and now it’s grown into our biggest and funnest weekend of the year.”
Festival Highlights
- 10 A.M. Early Open + Donuts: Each morning begins with free donuts for early risers and a fresh lineup of limited-availability brews. Many beers last just one day, so showing up early is part of the fun.
- Barrel-Only Wednesday: On December 17th, there will be a hyper-limited, one-day showcase of Flying Lion’s best barrel-aged creations, some not seen since the last solstice.
- Annual Dark Beer Collaboration: Flying Lion is teaming up with the creative minds at Machine House to craft a German-style Bock, available at both breweries starting 12/9.
- Dark Cider: Because darkness knows no bounds, Greenwood Cider is creating a special dark cider just for this year’s festival.
- Dark Hop Water: Flying Lion’s house-crafted non-alcoholic hop water will be taking on a deeper, darker tint for 2024’s DBF lineup.
- Dark Beer Fest Tees: Each DBF features custom artwork from local artists. Wear your t-shirt from a past year and get a discount. The older the shirt, the greater the deal.
About Dark Beer Fest
Launched in 2014, Dark Beer Fest has grown from a small six-beer celebration into a multi-day, 40+ beer showcase of rich and roasty craftsmanship. Expect cellared favorites, multi-year verticals, and limited-release experiments designed to make any dark-beer enthusiast swoon.
sponsor
sponsor
sponsor
“This event is truly our love letter to dark beer,” said Williams. “Our production team dreams up new recipes all year long just for this weekend. If you’re traveling in December, it should be to Columbia City.”
Event Details
Flying Lion Brewing’s Dark Beer Fest runs from Thursday, December 18, through Sunday, December 21, 2025, from 10 a.m. to midnight daily.
This event is held at Flying Lion Brewing, 5041 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118. Admission is free and open to the public.Follow @FlyingLionBrewing on Instagram and Facebook for beer lists and event updates or visit their website: www.flyinglionbrewing.com.
Visit our events page and calendar to learn about all sorts of other upcoming beer events. To submit an event for inclusion on our events calendar, use our event submission form. Got more details to share, reach out to us.
