NEW OLD LOMPOC

United States Brewpubs,

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PORTLAND, OREGON

Within walking distance of Ram’s Head and Laurelwood Pizza Co. on NW 23rd Street, NEW OLD LOMPOC, opened May 2000, exhibited a small neighborhood dive atmosphere during late-morning December ’09 stopover.

Canary yellowed black exterior, remodeled patio, and sundeck bolster cafeteria styled interior (with diminutive central wood bar serving right side dining area typical pub fare).

Other Portland-based Old Lompoc-related locations include Hedge House (open December ’03), 5th Quadrant (the northernmost alehouse), and Oaks Bottom Public House (adjacent to wildlife refuge).

Christmas seasonals being readied during stopover were Jollybock, Blitzen, Old Tavern Rat, C-Sons Greetings, and Brewdolph. Tried year-round brews Proletariat Red Ale and C-Note Imperial Pale Ale (listed in Beer Index).

www.newoldlompoc.com

PIKE PUB & BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

A red neon sign led me into meritorious PIKE PUB & BREWERY pre-lunchtime, December ’09. Located inside the Puget Sound-sited Pike Place Market on the ground floor below 1st Avenue and within close proximity to the famed fish market, this large open space had a sportsbar atmosphere.

U-shaped bar, polished wood furnishings, black-and-white tiled dining section, and silvery brass brew tanks rising above open-air midsection to second story welcomed patrons. A highly recommended beer museum left of the bar in a separate room gave a sense of brewing history with pictures, diagrams, and writings.

I met a playful Norwegian couple who had facial caricatures drawn to describe the feeling of each Seattle-based beer tried during vacation.

I joined in with my own amateurish doodlings while tasting several selections I’d never bought bottled. Mild orange-grapefruit-spiced peppery-hopped Pike Naughty Nellie Golden Ale and white-peppered banana-bruised Pike Weisse merely sufficed.

Better were funky yeast-addled banana-clove-centered black-peppered alcohol-burnt Pike Monk’s Uncle Belgian Tripel, dry banana-fig-date-soured pecan-candied grassy-hopped Pike Tandem Double Ale and creamy chocolate-fronted black cherry-pureed hop-roasted espresso-finishing dry-body Pike XXXXX Stout.

Cask-conditioned Pike Pale Ale matched sugared fig-date frontage to lemon seed run-up and bark-dried rye nuttiness.

Lacking wintry wanderlust, Pike Auld Acquaintance Holiday Ale placed crystal malts atop coriander-allspice in a rather nebulous non-seasonal manner.

Anyone visiting Seattle’s downtown must make time for this gloriously ambitious watering hole.

www.pikebrewing.com

HARMON PUB & BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

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TACOMA, WASHINGTON

Open since 1997, downtown Tacoma’s HARMON PUB & BREWERY sits across from the Washington State History Museum at Thea Foss Waterway’s Puget Sound base. Visited December ’09, green patio benches at the entrance welcome customers to Harmon’s ski lodge atmosphere.

Skiing paraphernalia bedecks the walls, exposed pipes lend an Industrial feel, and TV’s at all corners capture the eye from right side wood bar. American cuisine menu featured recommended halibut fishwich. Windowed brew tanks behind the bar served two dark seasonals alongside six regular brews.

Mild-spiced wheat-honeyed cereal-grained Vienna Lager, with its biscuit-y cornbread midst and chestnut-pecan subsidy, bested lemony hard-candied orange-tart wheat-flaked wet-grassed dry body Mt. Takhoma Blonde Ale and mildly vegetal spice-hopped lemon-bruised herbal-tinged apple-orange-fruited Pinnacle Peak Pale Ale.

Acidulated malt-soured floral-scented orange-dried honey-nutty Brown’s Point ESB lacked initiative.

Genteel in its soft approach, woody-hopped Point Defiance IPA shone grapefruit-centered apricot-apple-pear fruiting across creamy caramel malts.

Creamy mocha-caramelized Puget Sound Porter soaked hazelnut coffee into roasted chocolate, vanilla bean, black cherry, and sour raisin illusions, becoming an instant fave.

On the wintry dark side, magnificent Scott’s Puget Creek Vanilla Porter poured creamy vanilla ice cream sweetness atop chocolate-y pecan-hazelnut-macadamia richness and port-burgundy illusions.

Nearly as rewarding, Diamond Pete Dry Stout placed hop-charred barley-roasted dark chocolate above cherry-pureed cocoa-chalked vanilla-cappuccino conflux.

www.harmonbrewingco.com

DIAMOND KNOT BREWING COMPANY

United States Brewpubs,

MUKILTEO, WASHINGTON

Inside a former bus garage-turned-pub, DIAMOND KNOT BREWING COMPANY became a brewpub during 1993. North of Seattle along the rustic Mukilteo waterfront, this tiny maroon-trimmed hole-in-the-wall alehouse opposite the marina is situated in a wood-beamed brick-floored parlor-styled dining hall with high ceilings and small loft.

The bantam bar space has a TV, as does the tucked-in front dining space across from the kitchen. A great neighborhood bar with beer trays and nautical paraphernalia lining walls, Diamond Knot’s menu included pizza, salad, or surf ‘n turf and its slogan was the brewpub-friendly ‘fermenting change in taste.’ There are also a few local Diamond Knot-related brewpubs (B2 Alehouse; Camano Lodge; Lincoln Avenue).

During late-morning December ’09 taste test, watched the locals (long-suffering local football team, the Seattle Seahawks) defeat horrid St. Louis Rams while sampling a few goodies.

Firstly, I decided to have liquid breakfast, sipping sweet pinkish opaque dessert treat, Wyder’s Raspberry Cider, an easygoing red apple-ripened cranberry-tart berry-soured winter warmer.

A well-rounded tap selection of homebrews made my stay highly memorable. Silken lemon meringue-y cinnamon-ginger-spiced gourd-daubed nitro-injected Stingy Jack’s Pumpkin and banana-fronted vanilla-backed cinnamon-spiced caramel-malted cherry-tinged Industrial Ho Ho Winter Warmer brought about Seasons Greetings.

For the semi-exotic Hefeweizen, perfumed banana-clove subtlety gets overrun by cinnamon-spiced apple-pumpkin sweetness and heather-softened chamomile-mint freshness.

Using a pre-Prohibition lager recipe, soft rye-influenced yellow-fruited corn-sugared Summer Blonde proved soothing.

Caramel-malted black tea-embittered pumpernickel-tinged phenol-spiced aspirin-wafted E.S.B. and nebulous hazelnut-spiced mocha-wavered herbal-honeyed Brown Ale whet my appetite for heartier servings.

Dry-roasted coffee-burnt hazelnut-teased Possession Porter and soft Irish-styled barley-flaked cream-sugared nitro-injected Steamer Glide Stout easily sufficed.

But hopheads were not to be denied, as there were three fine India Pale Ales available. Lighter thirsts will choose butterscotch-candied apple-sugared honey-spiced banana-pear-nectarine-cantaloupe-dangled Shipwreck XXX over richer hop-fueled tangerine-peach-spiced apple-ripened alcohol-burnt pine-finished Industrial X IPA and woody-hopped light-spiced yellow-fruited apple-candied pear-browned India Pale Ale.

Unafraid to give nearby competition an even chance, Gig Harbor’s 7 Seas British Pale Ale offered amiable orange-soured floral-spiced crystal-malted apple-grape fruiting.

www.diamondknot.com

ELLIOTT BAY BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

In the post-Industrial downtown section of West Seattle, ELLIOTT BAY BREWERY (with three locations as of 2025) hosts varied clientele at its charmingly elegant upscale space, visited December ‘09. Two park benches at the entrance welcome patrons to glass door of beige building (featuring brewers’ signifying seaworthy murel). Bar at left (with two TV’s) opposes wood-furnished dining area of narrow brick-walled interior. Abstract paintings adorn the walls and beer banners hang from the ceiling where exposed pipes suspend. The small loft area in the rear brings expanse.

World War II Blues played in the background while I sampled eight diversified offerings.

Soft lemon-bruised grapefruit-tart coriander-spiced woody-hopped wheat-blanched Luna Weizen and hop-spiced mineral-grained pine-nutty red-fruited caramel-malted Alembic Pale Ale suited moderate-bodied tastes.

Peanut-shelled rye-soured fig-sugared cherrywood-smoked West Side Brown Ale also stayed light-bodied.

Heartier thirsts will lean towards grapefruit peel-embittered, orange rind-soured, wheat-biscuit-y, grassy-hopped, alcohol-sharp, iodine-nicked Elliott Bay IPA and floral pine-sapped grapefruit-embittered Hoppus Collasum Double IPA, a terrific bold elixir countered firmly by honeyed peach-pear-nectar juicing and creamy cocoa malts.

No Ale Winter Seasonal wedged cocoa-molasses sweetness into malt-roasted dark-spiced cherry-bruised prune-soured finish.

On the dark side, Band-Aid-wafted salami-beefed beechwood-smoked grain-roasted prune-dried Noir Von Boorian Belgian Black Ale boasted mild eccentricities and cherry-pureed vanilla-chalked chocolate-smoked oats-flaked No Doubt Stout reveled in lightly creamed mocha malt smoothness.

www.elliottbaybrewing.com

SCUTTLEBUTT BREWERY

United States Brewpubs,

EVERETT, WASHINGTON

Alongside the Everett marina one-half hour North of Seattle and three miles Northeast of Diamond Knot, Everett’s family-owned SCUTTLEBUTT BREWERY is situated inside a white industrial building with garage door, plate-glass windowed brew tanks, and small front-covered patio. Cafeteria-styled seating surrounds small bar and banners decorate the walls.

Bought bottled versions of Scuttlebutt’s Gale Force IPA, Amber Ale, and 10 Degrees Below Ale (listed in Beer Index), December ’09.

www.scuttlebuttbrewing.com

(STONE) KONA COFFEE MACADAMIA COCONUT PORTER

Beers A-Z

Respectable Stone-Maui collaboration brings oaken hop-charred grain roast and fruited nut temperance to endearing coffee theme, defining silken soft-toned Imperial Strong Porter. Milk chocolate-y vanilla pleasantry secures toasted coconut, macadamia and almond illusions as well as tertiary green raisin and red grape undertones. Molasses cookie sugaring, mild cappuccino whimper and burgundy-rum tease get watered down at bustling macadamia coffee finish.

Kona Coffee Macadamia Coconut Porter Aged in Bourbon Barrels: label sneak peek | BeerPulse