Seattle breweries without a car
Review: A Field Guide to Seattle Area Brewpubs & Tasting Rooms By Bike & Bus
April, 1999For most of us, touring breweries and brewpubs means using a car to get there. But in these days of alternative transportation, it's nice to know how to make those craft-brew connections in more environmentally-friendly fashion. Doug Hindman, brewer at Seattle's Elliott Bay Brewing Co., has answered the call with this handy guide to eco-beer touring in the Seattle area.
As most Northwesterners know, Seattle has one of the best public transit systems around- there are so many buses, in fact, that sometimes it's hard to see the cars on many downtown streets at certain times of the day. The city is bike-friendly, too, with its famous Burke-Gilman trail running all the way across Lake Washington to the suburbs. There's even a bike path along Seattle's busy waterfront.
Besides solving city parking difficulties, a major advantage to beer touring by bus is its obvious solution to the designated driver problem (assuming one is sober enough to catch the right bus). On a bicycle, however, drunken driving can be even more dangerous (usually to the bicyclist rather than the motorist. ) It can also be worthy of a DUI fine, since bikes are considered a vehicle by the State of Washington. Hindman's advice ("don't bike drunk") should be well heeded. Fortunately, many Seattle Metro buses have bike racks, making the heady combination of exercise, beer, and a safe trip home easily possible.
Hindman lists 26 breweries, brewpubs, and tasting rooms (taprooms) in this compact guide. He does not rate any of the establishments, leaving that up to the reader. Instead, he provides basic information about how to get there by bike or bus, as well as a general description of each location. The author divides the city into six "loops", each comprising two or more beer locations. The starting point for all loops is centrally-located Pike Place Market. He lists area attractions for each loop, as well as routes to use to connect them. There is a hand-drawn map of the included that shows the basic routes. Unfortunately, it does not identify streets or brewery/pub locations.
My main problem with the guide is a lack of information about distances and travel times required between stops, especially for the cyclist. Loop 6, for example, involves several miles of somewhat complicated street travel before reaching Seattle Brewers. The bus follows basically the same route, but a change must be made and the distance is somewhat different. Detailed inset maps with a site description on each page would be welcome.
From a visual standpoint, the guide could use more graphics (at least a logo) for each location. And a brief description of beers available (the real goal of our travels!) would also improve the book.
Hindman does include some handy information, however, about Metro buses, bike rules of the road (mentioning not riding on sidewalks would make pedestrian beer lovers happier), and King County Breweries outside Seattle. There is also a short list of websites about Seattle-area breweries and bicycle rental shops.
Even with its defects, this is a useful little guide for those who seek the road not traveled (at least by automobile) as they explore the many breweries and brewpubs of beer-soaked Seattle. If you're thinking about ways to check them out without indulging in the internal-combustion engine, this book's for you.
Note: According to the author, new brewpubs, graphics, maps, andtime/distance notes have been added to the second edtion. Order it from him directly at...4720 California Ave. SW, Seattle, WA 98116 for $8.46 including shipping.
