Seattle’s Lowlander Brewing Opens on Sunday, December 14th
Renowned chef Renee Erickson is set to open her newest restaurant. Actually, this venture includes three connected restaurants: a NY-style pizza joint, an intimate and formal restaurant, and a beer hall with house-brewed beers flowing from large stainless steel tanks mounted above the bar. Erickson, a James Beard Award-winning chef, teamed up with RailSpur to bring all of this to life at an iconic and historic Seattle location, the former home of FX McRory’s in Pioneer Square. She also teamed up with head brewer Josh Waldman, a well-known and respected veteran of the Seattle brewing scene.
Lowlander Brewing is located at the corner of King Street and Occidental Avenue, just steps away from Lumen Field, WAMU Theater, and T-Mobile Park. The location is perfect for pre- and post-game revelry, keeping with the proud FX McRory’s tradition.
It’s hard to miss. It is well-lit with lots of windows facing both streets. After all the seismic upgrades, the building hardly looks the same, yet it is still gorgeous inside and out. The beer hall is inviting from the street and welcoming within. The wrap-around bar is large, and so are the communal tables. The whole thing gives off a vibe that is curiously reminiscent of both an old school diner and a slick, modern sports bar.
The brewery itself is out of sight, in the basement, but the beer will flow from large stainless steel serving tanks mounted on/above the bar. Lowlander Brewing’s use of these kinds of serving tanks is somewhat novel, and it will require a bit of extra effort from the brewery crew. If nothing else, it gives the room that brewery feel and look, even though you cannot actually lay eyes on the brewing equipment.
Josh Waldman, the head brewer at Lowlander Brewing, is well known on the local beer scene. Whether you realize it or not, you probably drank a beer he brewed at some point. His resume includes time at Elysian Brewing, Georgetown Brewing, and Cloudburst Brewing. Josh designed the brewery to meet the challenges of the location. He also designed it to produce plenty of lager. Yes, IPAs and other styles too, of course, but he made sure he’d be able to keep the lagers flowing even though brewing beers of that style requires more tank time. I understand that the regular lineup will include a dark lager, along with the more expected lighter styles. (Brewery buffs will recognize the horizontal lager tanks in the photos.)
As of Lowlander Brewing’s opening, the brewery downstairs sits quietly waiting for some final approvals from the city. In the meantime, Josh is brewing a couple of Lowlander beers with his friends at Stoup Brewing’s Capitol Hill location. For now, they’re serving an IPA and an Italian-style pilsner in 16-oz cans. Both of the beers are delicious.
Lowlander Brewing fits the definition of a tank bar, though that term is somewhat flexible. As I said, it’s a novel approach. It’s not unusual for brewpubs to serve beer directly from large serving vessels instead of kegs, but what makes a tank bar different is that you can see the tanks from which the beer is coming. Some may dismiss it as a gimmick, but there are merits to serving beer this way, and when people visit a brewery, they expect to see some stainless steel equipment at work.
As for the food at Lowlander Brewing, the menu is brief but thoughtful and beer-appropriate. Some snacky kind of stuff like fries, a pretzel with spicy mustard, Walla Walla onion dip with potato chips, and a wedge salad. Also, a selection of sausages. I attended a pre-opening event where I sampled the beer and the food. I enjoyed the onion dip, which includes more onion than you’re imagining. Also, the Dunkelwurst, which is served deliciously messy on a toasted bun with plenty of grainy mustard, onions, and relish. Of course, the beers were rock solid, as you’d expect from a brewer with Josh’s pedigree.
Lowlander Brewing opens on Sunday, December 14th, just in time for the Seahawks’ matchup against the Indianapolis Colts. It will be a glorious madhouse, I am sure, as the passing crowds realize Pioneer Square has a new brewery.
