The Biggest Beer Fest in the State
The Washington Brewers Festival takes place at Seattle Center on Saturday, June 13th. It’s the largest annual beer fest in the state. Get all the essential details by visiting our WA Brewers Festival FAQ page. Or visit the official event website here.
I just spent some time examining the list of over 200 beers that Washington breweries will pour at this year’s Washington Brewers Festival. The list includes nearly 220 beers. It is likely more beers will make an appearance. I’ve analyzed the list and share some observations below. Also, I provide a list of Kendall’s Picks: some of the beers that pique my interest and/or that I personally recommend. You can see the full list here (Google doc).
Some Observations About the List
Broadly speaking, lagers and pilsners are the belle of the ball. A few years ago, the Washington Brewers Festival was unmistakably IPA-heavy; the fact that lagers rival IPAs on this year’s list reflects a broader industry trend toward crisp, clean styles. Make no mistake, IPA is still very well represented, with various types of IPA making up over 20% of the list, but the lighter-bodied beers are having a moment, and I’m living for it!
Kölsch is Crushing It — I suppose it’s part of the swelling popularity of lower ABV beers and lighter-bodied beers, but there are eight kölsches on the list from different breweries. Has this become craft beer’s favorite “accessible” style?
High Gravity to Extremes — At 17%, Talking Cedar Brewing’s stout is the strongest, but the other high ABV beers tend to be extreme. Not just in the 10-11% range; some are over 13%. I share a list of the biggies below.
A Broad Range of ABV
Not all of the beer descriptions included ABV information. About 200 of them did, so our ABV data is based on those. And, of course, it does not account for beers that might appear but are not on the list.
- Average ABV: 6.37%
- The high-end outliers (the handful of 10–17% high-octane beers) pull the average up a bit.
- The lowest: 3.8% (Fair Isle Brewing’s Harlen Saison)
- The highest: 17% (Talking Cedar Brewing’s Lewis County Brunch Brand Stout).
Beers at or above 10% ABV
I’d like to believe we’ve evolved beyond the stereotypical beer fest question: “What’s your strongest beer?” But, realistically, some people still gravitate toward the gravity.
- Talking Cedar, Lewis County Brunch Brand Stout. 17%
- Postdoc Brewing Company, Hogus Maximus Extremis 2026 Coffee. 15.8%
- Lumberbeard Brewing, Anniversary Year 6. 15.2% BA Barleywine
- Fremont Brewing, Brew 9000 BA Barleywine. 14.7%
- Boundary Bay Brewing, BBA Old Bounder Barleywine. 13.9%
- Ladd & Lass Brewing, Deprived Drippins, Russian Imperial Stout. 12%
- Kulshan Brewing, Barrel Aged Belgian Golden Strong. 11%
- Stoup Brewing, Sticks & Stones, BBA Stout. 11%
- Halcyon Brewing, Keep it PC! Chocolate Pistachio Imperial Stout. 10.8%
- Skookum Brewery, Self Destructor IIIPA. 10.0%
- Garden Path Fermentation, The Strong Fruit Ale. 10%
Beers under 5% ABV
I looked at the list and did the best I could to glean the low ABV beers. Likely, I missed some, but here’s a list.
- 7 Seas Brewing Co, Heidelberg, Pilsner-style Lager. 4.00%
- 7 Seas Brewing Co, Red Raspberry Sour Ale, Gose-Style Sour. 4.70%
- Barley POP! Brewing, Plethora of Piñats Mexican Lager.4.50%
- Chuckanut Brewery, Kölsch. 4.50%
- Dick’s Brewing Co, El Ricardo Mexican Lager. 4.20%
- Elliott Bay Brewing, Golden Boot Golden Ale. 4.50%
- Fair Isle Brewing, Harlen Saison. 3.80%
- Flying Bike Cooperative, Too Many Puppies Hazy Pale. 4.60%
- Future Primitive Brewing, Raspberry Gose. 4.60%
- Garden Path Fermentation, The Fruitful Keg Fruit Ale. 4.20%
- Georgetown Brewing, Gusto Crema Coffee Ale. 4.60%
- Hellbent Brewing, Tobogán Mexican Lager. 4.70%
- Lucky Envelope Brewing, Karakuchi Japanese Lager. 4.70%
- Matchless Brewing, Cheap Beer Lager. 4.00%
- Postdoc Brewing, Tropical Studying Abroad, Fruit Ale. 4.10%
- Ravenna Brewing Co, Voltova 10th Anniversary. Czech Pale Lager. 4.50%
- Skookum Brewery, Sasquatch Squeeze Shandy. 4.20%
- Steam Donkey Brewing, 360 Blonde Ale Cream Ale. 4.40%
- Stoup Brewing, Beerhall Helles. 4.80%
- U-Neek Brewing, That is Mahogany Oatmeal Milk Porter. 4.60%
- Varietal Beer Co, Moxee Light Cream Ale. 4.50%
- Vice Beer, Mr. Roboto Rice Lager. 4.50%
- Well 80 Brewing, Original Lager Year ’64. 4.20%
Kendall’s Picks
The list of 200+ beers is pretty amazing and diverse, but some of the beers and breweries caught my eye. For various reasons, these are the ones that piqued my interest or that I am already familiar with and personally recommend. You can view the complete list of beers here, but note that it is subject to change and additions. Whatever the case, you’ll find a crapton of great beer at the Washington Brewers Festival, whether it’s recommended by me or not.
7 Seas Brewing, Red Raspberry Sour. A gose-style tart beer packed with tons of ripe raspberries. It’s gonna be a hot day, and this one sounds refreshing.
Cloudburst Brewing, Take A Dare IPA. Recent Changes at Cloudburst Brewing have me… Oh, I don’t know, feeling compelled. I’m just going to get Cloudburst Brewing’s beers whenever I can, though there is no indication they’re going away. Read this story about the big changes at Cloudburst Brewing.
Culture Shock Brew, Tepache Day Dream. It’s not exactly beer, more like kombucha, but Tepache is an interesting beverage. Mexican in origin, it is traditionally made by adding pineapple scraps (core, top, rind) to water and letting it ferment naturally. Looking forward to seeing what they did with the concept.
Dick’s Brewing, Dick Danger Ale. It’s not new. It’s not exactly a summery beer. However, its sentimental value is priceless. This beer played an instrumental role in introducing me to my wife, Kim. Who knows where I’d be right now if Dick Danger had NOT been in the cooler on the day we met? If you see me at the festival, ask me.
Elliott Bay Brewing, Golden Boot. Yeah, I know, folks don’t often get excited about a golden ale, but this one is not just a token effort. I’ve had it and find it to have more character than many beers described as golden ale. It’s a bit hoppy, it’s balanced, and it defies your expectations. At least it did mine.
Fair Isle Brewing, West Coast Pilsner. I usually associate this saison, but am keenly aware they do more. I don’t doubt their foray into this style will impress.
Formula Brewing, Chasing Bubbles Helles. This is one of those breweries that has won a ton of awards, but I still come across a lot of people who’ve never even heard of it. Is that because it’s Issaquah? I don’t know, but Formula rocks.
Garden Path Fermentation, The Celebratory Blend Saison. I missed the celebration, so now I’m gonna get the beer. I don’t drink enough beer from this exceptional brewery.
Georgetown Brewing, Juniorzafa IPA. It’s what it sounds like. A little version of Bodhizafa IPA. Plenty of hoppy character. I’ve had it at the brewery, seen it on shelves in cans, and I like it.
Georgetown Brewing, Gusto Crema. If you haven’t yet, try this beer. Multi-time award winner. Maybe the best coffee beer I’ve ever had. Probably the best coffee beer I’ve ever had.
Haas Innovations Brewing, anything they’re pouring. Haas is one of the world’s leading hop growers and suppliers. Their experimental/innovation brewery is like Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. They do amazing things behind those closed doors, and it’s not easy to find elsewhere. Don’t pass up this opportunity.
Ilk Beer, Dortmunder Lager. First, Olympia’s Ilk Brewing does great stuff. Second, it’s a Dortmunder, which is one of my favorite German-style lagers. And it’s a fun word to say.
Lucky Envelope Brewing, Karakuchi Japanese Lager. I am surprised there are not more beers of this style on the festival menu this year. Rice lager/Japanese lager is a popular style these days, and Lucky Envelope’s rendition is a great example. Extra dry for your enjoyment.
Lumberbeard Brewing, anything. This is a great brewery from Spokane, brewing great beers that rarely make it west of the mountains. The festival provides an opportunity to try the beers without the five-hour drive east.
Matchless Brewing, FOMO IPA. They call it their first year-round IPA. How many IPAs has the brewery created over the years? Countless. So, I’m guessing they are particularly proud of this one.
Propolis Brewing, Spa-Spruce Pale Ale. Long, long ago, in a Bellingham far away, Kendall learned to homebrew. One of the very first beers he brewed was a pale ale with spruce tips. The concept was solid. The execution? Not so much. I am guessing, with a degree of certainty, that Propolis’ beer is a much, much better rendition.
Single Hill Brewing, Greenway Pale Ale. Oh my! A preview of a forthcoming year-round addition to the brewery’s lineup. Riwaka and Mosaic hops? An interesting and intense combo. Color me intrigued. It’s got to be good.
Stoup Brewing, Pride Mach Day IPA. Brings together some of the biggest, most important things happening in Seattle right now: Pride, World Cup soccer, and beer.
Vice Beer, Mr. Roboto Rice Lager. Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto! Like I said, rice lager is currently enjoying a moment, and I am living for it! I first learned to love this style many, many, many years ago, when Asahi introduced its Super Dry. Looking forward to trying Vice Beer’s version of one of my favorite lager styles.
