By now, most craft beer aficionados have likely come across fizzy hop water. You’ll typically find it on tap at a brewery taproom or a brewpub, served as a non-alcoholic, hop-forward alternative to beer. Most often, it is created by the brewery itself. Also, you don’t often find it packaged and available away from the source. 

This one, on the other hand, is a bit different. Albert’s Dry Hopped Seltzer is produced by the farmers who grew the hops, is available in 12-ounce cans, and you can order it directly; they’ll ship it to you. 

Albert’s Dry Hopped Seltzer is a new product from Virgil Gamache Farms, a family-run farm that’s operated in the Yakima Valley for over 100 years and has grown hops since 1932. The farm is known as the birthplace of Amarillo hops. If nothing else, that farm-to-fridge character is what sets this sparkling hop water (seltzer) apart from so many others. That, and the fact that consumers can buy Albert’s Dry Hopped Seltzer direct. 

The skinny, and it is indeed skinny

Albert’s is an alcohol-free sparkling seltzer brewed with nothing but hops, water, and yeast. It is sugar-free, gluten-free, caffeine-free, and carbohydrate-free. A 12-ounce can contains just 5 calories. 

They describe it like this: “Refreshing the body, with notable flavors of citrus, apricot, and just enough calories to satisfy. Experience our modern interpretation of the journey Albert Gamache began with his first hop yard in 1932. Our recipe design started by including like-minded individuals from across the farm, adding their unique talents to the team; talents that ranged from years of hop quality control experience, tasting and sensory panel experience, and brewing expertise.“

I describe it like this:  The hop aroma is amazing. The first sip bursts with intense, bracing hop flavors. Your palate adjusts immediately, and the next sip is much less jarring. With the palate now trained, it presents a simple, straightforward, but not overwhelming hop character. It is not sweet, per se, but there is something there that balances the hop character. A light, refreshing bitterness lingers. Albert’s is light and refreshing, yet has some body, which is satisfying. 

Albert’s was an idea hatched by the crew at Gamache, but since they are a hop grower and not a hop beverage producer, they turned to Full Sail Brewing, where the seltzer is brewed and packaged.

Disclosure: Virgil Gamache Farms sent me a few cans of Albert’s Dry Hopped Seltzer free of charge to try. I liked it, which is the only reason you are reading about it here.

To learn about other recent beer releases, visit our New Beer Releases page. To let us know about your brewery’s new releases, here’s how to reach out to us.

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On June 10th, just days before the World Cup matches kick off in Seattle, Watts Brewing will host a release party to introduce the beer. Thereafter, find it at a number of watch parties and other World Cup celebrations around the area. Here’s the announcement from Watts Brewing.

“Today we’re excited to announce a new beer brewed in collaboration with friends all across Woodinville,” the brewery said on social media. “Over 30 Woodinville breweries, wineries, bars, and restaurants have come together to present “Group W” PNW Pilsner. Light and crisp, it takes the world’s most popular beer style and reinterprets it through the palate of the Pacific Northwest. This beer is Woodinville’s love letter to soccer, and our invitation to join us in celebrating the beautiful game during this summer’s festivities!

“We will be releasing Group W at the Watts Brewing taproom on Wednesday, June 10th, and you’ll be able to find it on tap at all the fun watch parties and soccer celebrations across Woodinville throughout June and July. Come celebrate with us!”

The following breweries are among the 30 businesses involved: Black Raven Brewing, Minocqua Brewing, Toll Bridge Brewing, Triplehorn Brewing,  Twenty Corners Brewing, and Watts Brewing.

To learn about other recent beer releases, visit our New Beer Releases page. To let us know about your brewery’s new releases, here’s how to reach out to us.

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.

In February, 2024, Distant West Brewing opened in Seattle’s Ballard Brewery District, taking over the space once home to Reuben’s Brews. In October, 2025, the brewery announced that it was suspending operations at its taproom to focus more entirely on other aspects of its business. That is, the taproom closed, but the brewery did not. (Pictured: Greg Macaulay -third from left- with a fresh medal at the Washington Beer Awards.)

Today, May 26, 2026, the brewery’s owner, Greg Macaulay, announced that Distant West Brewing is shutting down altogether. “Unfortunately, not a happy update,” he said in the announcement. “For personal reasons, I have decided to officially cease operations at Distant West, effective immediately.”  

Grateful For The Community

“I want to reinforce my utmost gratitude to the people who have supported my little grassroots brewery,” he said. “Every time I walked in and saw people enjoying the beer with the company of friends and family never got old. It really didn’t. The adjacent breweries always were friendly, and while yes, we all wanted to sell the most beer, it was never malicious or cutthroat. We all offered help and support to one another and truly believed in the concept of high tides raising all ships.”

“The Seattle beer scene is truly unique and loving,” Greg said. “I felt accepted and ‘at home’ immediately, and I am glad that I  got to work with so many of you in one way or another. My heart grew three sizes working with y’all.” 

“What’s next for me? No clue. I am currently focused on the closure and trying to be a more available friend and family member to the people who have been VERY patient with me these 4 years of non-stop work. Yes, this started in 2022 for me, time flies!” 

A Turnkey Brewery in Ballard

“…the Ballard brewery space and equipment will soon be available if a brewery-in-planning wants a turnkey space that has hosted two kick-ass, award-winning breweries and is ready for its third. More information will be released on that shortly, and any interest can be  directed towards my email – greg @ distantwest.beer.” 

Want us to share your news here on the Washington Beer Blog? Click here to learn how to reach us.

A new collaboration between Chuckanut Brewery and Icicle Brewing is a great excuse to talk about one of the more interesting corners of the beer world — Franconian lagers. The beer is available now at Chuckanut, and an official release party goes down on June 5th at Icicle Brewing in Leavenworth.

“Chuckanut Brewery invited Icicle Brewing to their Skagit Valley brewery back in March to collaborate on a lager,” said the release announcement. “The two breweries decided to make a Franconian Lager style of beer for a June release.”

As for the resulting beer, Chuckanut describes it this way: “Franconian Lager is a very creative beer capturing the essence of beers from the Franconian region of Germany. This particular lager rendition is brilliantly clear, golden, and smooth with a bready malt character and a polite hop finish. A very refreshing crisp beer for drinking on its own or with food.”

The Release Event

The beer is already pouring — and available in cans — at Chuckanut’s Burlington taproom. But the official tapping happens at Icicle Brewing in Leavenworth on Friday, June 5th at 5:30pm, with live music kicking off at 6:00pm.

Leavenworth, Washington’s wonderfully committed Bavarian-themed mountain town, is arguably the perfect place to tap into such a Bavarian-inspired beer. 

So What Makes a Beer “Franconian,” Anyway?

Fair question. Franconia is a region in northern Bavaria, and its brewing culture is renowned, especially among the most-seriously hard to impress beer aficionados: professional brewers. Franconian brewers are celebrated for their creativity and range — the region produces everything from deeply smoky rauchbier to the almost absurdly strong eisbock. If there’s a throughline, it’s the malt. Most Franconian brewers source from two legendary maltsters: Bamberger Mälzerei and Weyermann Specialty Malting. Hops traditionally came from Spalt in Middle Franconia, though today’s brewers reach for a wider selection of European varieties.

Because Franconia is a place rather than a codified style, a “Franconian-style” beer has some creative latitude. When I picture one, though, I picture a lager that skews a bit more copper or amber than the bright yellow of a helles — malt-forward without being cloying, balanced by a clean noble hop bitterness at the finish. Not as bright and snappy as a helles, not as rich and roasty as a dunkel. Somewhere satisfying in between.

This collaboration leans right into that tradition. Chuckanut and Icicle brewed theirs with Bamberger Pilsner malt and Weyermann Barke Vienna malt, plus a blend of Spalt and Hersbrucker hops — two German classic hop varieties that would feel right at home in any Franconian brewery.

As for food pairings, the brewery has strong opinions and they’re hard to argue with: “It’s a fabulous beer to enjoy with any roast pork dishes or roasted root vegetables like carrots, beets, onions, and parsnips. You will find it especially refreshing with any kind of BBQ!”

A German-inspired lager, brewed in Washington, officially tapped in a Bavarian mountain town, best enjoyed with a plate of roasted something. Sign me up!

To learn about other recent beer releases, visit our New Beer Releases page. To let us know about your brewery’s new releases, here’s how to reach out to us.

Want us to share your news here on the Washington Beer Blog? Click here to learn how to reach us.

Those fun-loving hopheads at Fort George Brewery sure know how to have a good time. In the winter, they embrace the darkness with the Festival of Dark Arts. Then, about six months later, to welcome the summer, they celebrate the light with the annual Lupulin Ecstasy Festival. 

This year’s brewery lineup is shaping up nicely, with some breweries not often seen around these parts. Breweries like Burial Beer Co. (Asheville, NC), Hop Butcher to the Word (Chicago), Alvarado Street Brewing (Monterey, CA), ISM Brewing (Long Beach, CA), Cellarmaker Brewing (Bay Area, CA), Pinthouse Brewing (Austin, TX), and more TBA. Of course, lots of beer from PNW faves like Ravenna Brewing, Reuben’s Brews, Brujos Brewing, Kings & Daughters, Great Notion, and many, many more. See the list here.

You are invited to join Fort George Brewery in Astoria on June 13th for a day of all kinds of beer, including hoppy beers, along with entertainment, music, food, and general merriment. Here are details straight from the brewery.

Lupulin Ecstasy Festival 2026 

Fort George Brewery and the beer gods of summer present: LUPULIN ECSTASY – a summer beer and music festival in Downtown Astoria, Oregon with over 40 of the world’s best beers from the finest hop-forward brewers in the country. Rare beers, light beers, hazy beers, strange beers, lovely beers, shocking beers. Plus a whole day of food, entertainment and live music from Pura Vida Orchestra, Family Worship Center and Blind Pilot. 

Lupulin Ecstasy is more than a beer festival. Fort George is known for hosting completely unique and immersive events like Festival of Dark Arts, as well as outstanding, award-winning beer experiences every day at the Public House in Astoria. From a giant inflatable t-rex to a serene koi pond surrounded by rolling green hills, from a baby goat petting zoo to tail wags and face licks from the adoptable pets of the Clatsop County Animal Shelter, from live screen printing to live music, from the stairs of the stately Flavel House Mansion to the Oregon Film Museum inside the old Clatsop County Jail, delicious food and virtually endless tastes of the best beer in the world await you at Lupulin Ecstasy Festival.

Taste beers on the cutting edge of flavor from Shred, Uprise, Brujos, Burial, Hop Butcher for the World, North Park Beer Co, Riip and many, many others. A full list of breweries is available HERE. 

Plus, world-famous and much-loved Astoria local heroes, Blind Pilot, kick off their West Coast Tour with a special performance on the grounds. A full list of entertainment is available HERE. 

Event Details

Date/Time: Saturday, June 13th from noon to 6 PM
Location: 714 Exchange St, Astoria, OR 97103. On the grounds of the Flavel House Museum in Downtown Astoria at 8th & Duane Street.
Who: The festival is all ages; no ticket required for kids under 6.
Ticket Info: Tickets are available HERE. 

Ticket price* includes a full day of music and entertainment, a tasting glass, 6x 6oz pours, and other surprises as well as admission to the Flavel House Museum, Heritage Museum and the Oregon Film Museum. 

*A portion of your ticket price goes to Clatsop County Historical Society, outstanding stewards of Astoria’s long and complicated history. The Flavel House was built as the private residence of bar pilot and entrepreneur, Captain George Flavel and has been expertly restored and maintained by the Clatsop County Historical Society. The Oregon Film Museum is housed in the old Clatsop County Jail and features hands-on exhibits related to films made in Oregon (there are a lot. Filmmakers like Oregon for its unpretentious urbanity and rugged good looks).

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.

Want us to share your news here on the Washington Beer Blog? Click here to learn how to reach us.

In the meantime, here’s some advice for beer touring in Boise.

Boise Craft Beer: Taprooms and Breweries Worth Your Time 

Guest post provided by Ken Bates, Boise Brew Blog

Boise’s craft beer scene has grown into something far more interesting than most outsiders might expect. What started as a handful of local breweries back in the 90’s has evolved into a wide mix of taprooms. The Boise area has brewpubs, beer bars, and neighborhood hangouts — each with its own personality and loyal following. From downtown staples pouring long-running flagship beers to smaller spots experimenting with obscure European styles, mixed fermentation, and hop-forward trends, the Boise/Garden City area offers a diverse beer experience packed into a relatively small area. Whether you’re a longtime local or just passing through town, there’s no shortage of memorable places to grab a pint in Boise.

I get asked all the time who makes the best beer in town. Honestly, that’s never an easy question to answer. It usually depends on the mood, the weather, or just what style I’m after that day. Some spots nail crisp lagers, others shine with hop-heavy IPAs or big stouts. So instead of trying to crown one (or five) “best” breweries, here are a few local favorites I keep coming back to, broken down by category.

Lots of options 

Breweries like Bert’s Brewing in East Garden City, Boise Brewing downtown, and Loose Screw, a few miles west in Meridian, have terrific beer top to bottom, with a somehow professional feel about them. Open, brightly lit taprooms, visible brewing equipment, and usually a busy, bustling atmosphere. The latter has a terrific “resident” food truck, “Big Beantz Tacos.” Clean, polished, fresh beers appealing to a range of customer tastes, if perhaps a bit mainstream. You won’t find many experimental “wild hairs” on tap there.

If uncommon, eccentric, or downright bizarre is a bit more to your liking, don’t miss Barbarian Brewing. Barbarian has a downtown “Beer Bar,” but their taproom at the brewing facility in Garden City is a destination. A very popular spot with a terrific patio area, regular food trucks, and just a block or two from the Greenbelt. Specializing in sours and barrel-aged beers, it’s virtually guaranteed that they will have several items there you’ve never heard of. Or maybe even thought possible. Tyler at Schmidt’s Kellerbier in East Garden City focuses on traditional European lagers, if you like that mild, clean, smooth German stuff. Or even if you don’t….he still does.

More than just Beer

There are also a couple of meaderies, both in West Garden City. Mythic Mead (pictured) has been around for 10 years, and Noble Mead opened just this past spring.

Mythic, I’d maybe say, is a bit more traditional and Noble, a bit more experimental in their offerings. So if you’ve got money for honey and feel the need for Mead and don’t mind the medieval and Nordic theme and paraphernalia, you’re covered there.

If you’re more of a “cork dork” and malt and hops don’t move the needle for you, Garden City has several wine tasting rooms. Most are conveiently arraged withing walkin (staggering?) distance of each other. Telaya and LaizeeFair on the Greenbelt and Proletariat, and Coiled in the east end towards Boise proper. A mile or so west along Chinden Blvd are Veer and Cinder. Maybe not as glamorous as touring the countryside from estate to estate, but you can’t argue about the efficiency of being able to hit a few of them in one afternoon.

If you are looking for packaged beer to go, there is Homebrewstuff in Garden City and Brewer’s Haven on Vista. Homebrew supply shops that also have the best selection of local, regional, and international imports in the area. Both spots have a taplist as well for pints at the bar or growlers to go.

Local Small Businesses 

Personally, I’d have to say that for a pint after work, my affection for the small local operators gets most of my business. I just love it when the server is also often the person who made the beer. Maybe partnering with a family member, scraping by, doing what they love, and just making it work.  Gem State Brewing  in nearby Eagle, ID is one. Check out my earlier article on their recent 2-year anniversary.

A couple more are Ruckus Brewing,  and, of course, Brown Beard, with his pirate-themed taproom and an active live music venue attached. All are good options with a small-business character, and their bars are usually populated with loyal locals. 

If you are visiting for the weekend, or more, or just passing through and staying for the night, you’ve got plenty of great beer options in Boise/Garden City. The area also has a somewhat exclusive “club” of sorts called Boise Beer Buddies. Signing up for 20$ for the year gets you various discounts at participating breweries, bars, cafes, etc., all over the area. It’s local businesses helping local businesses, and yours truly is a VIP “lifetime” member.

Welcome to the Boise Craft Beer scene. Check out some fun spots and ping me if you’re in town, happy to join you for a beverage.

Guest post provided by Ken Bates, Boise Brew Blog

“It is with considerable enthusiasm and a hint of melancholy that I announce the sale of the brewery, marking my official retirement. Prioritizing my health has become a paramount concern, and I am eager to dedicate time to this endeavor. I look forward to enjoying the summer months aboard my boat in the San Juans. I would like to extend my sincerest gratitude to my esteemed friends and family for their unwavering support throughout the years. My deepest appreciation to all.”

Skagit River Brewery opened in 1995. The brewpub has undergone some ownership changes over the years and endured some turbulence. Local craft beer oldsters might remember beers like Sculler’s IPA and Trumpeter Stout, which enjoyed some regional visibility back when the brewery was at its zenith and distributing beer. At one point, the brewery stopped producing beer altogether, maybe a decade ago. At one point, it closed entirely, back in the throes of the pandemic. Upon reopening, it began brewing again, but using a smaller system and focusing on providing beer for the brewpub only.

When more information about the new ownership and any new plans is available, we’ll share it.

Want us to share your news here on the Washington Beer Blog? Click here to learn how to reach us.

For years, the Washington Beer Blog has been evangelizing the word omnibibulous to anyone within earshot. The modern alcohol consumer doesn’t pledge sole allegiance to any one beverage. They’re equal-opportunity imbibers — a hazy IPA on Tuesday, a glass of merlot with Thursday’s dinner, a dram of whiskey on Saturday night, and a couple of cold pilsners for the ballgame on Sunday. The bottle doesn’t matter. The occasion does.

As recently as a couple of days ago, this is the gospel the Washington Beer Blog has been preaching. We’ve entreated craft breweries to expand taproom offerings and meet people where they already are. And yet, somehow, our own tome almost entirely fails to mention anything other than beer. The audience has evolved; we have not. Time for that to change. Time for us to take our own advice and lend me some attention to things like distilled spirits, ciders, and other stuff, too.

It’s Not Me, It’s You

Once upon a time, beer drinkers drank beer. Full stop. They stayed in their lane. AND, as the graph below shows, beer was the undisputed heavyweight champion of adult beverages. Now? It’s a three-way tie. Beer, wine, and spirits each get a participation trophy — and even that doesn’t capture the full picture.

What the graph can’t show is the behavior. Those three lines, color-coded and neatly separated, suggest three distinct consumer tribes. The reality is messier and more interesting than that. There’s really just one line — call it gray, call it “whatever sounds good tonight” — representing the growing crowd that drinks all of it.

Beer, Yes, Just Not So Singularly

Here on ye olde “beer blog,” expect more coverage of the craft distilling world going forward. You’ll also see more content about cider. Non-alcoholic alternatives? Maybe. And who knows — THC beverages might even make an appearance. The times are omnibibulous. It only makes sense that the Washington Beer Blog is, too.

If you are in the industry or a PR or marketing professional representing a cider producer, a craft distiller, or anything else that fits into our brave new omnibibulous world, please do not hesitate to reach out. Include us on your mailing list. Keep us informed.

Geeky Nerd Stuff

No, really, I get it. This might make your eyes go glassy, so feel free to skip it.

It’s somewhat mystifying how many folks in the craft beer industry don’t seem to care about this stuff, while other industries seem to care so very much about this stuff, but here it is. In 2025, the Washington Beer Blog received 1.75 million page views (147,000 per month). We entertained nearly 650,000 unique visitors. The year before was similar. How’d we do that? Search engines love us. It’s called SEO.

In our 17-year history, we’ve published ~8,000 stories on the Washington Beer Blog. Likely, 99% of that content is about beer, but the search bots at the Big G don’t care about beer. The bots and algorithms recognize that our content is quality content, whatever it’s about, and there is a metric crap ton of it. This is why they reward us with top-of-page search results; the subject matter is less important than the quality and volume of content.

Marketing and PR pros reach out to us every day, offering to PAY us to post things on our website. Things that are NOT about beer. Things that aren’t even beer-adjacent. Why? Because if we are talking about you and linking to your website, some of our Google juice rubs off on you. We enjoy impressive Domain Rating (DR) and Domain Authority (DA) scores. IYKYK.

All of this is to say, we are bigger than the friendly little PNW craft beer scene, though we are thrilled to be part of it and happy to use our high-octane Google juice to promote it. Now it’s time we share some of what we’ve built with other, similar beverage industries. Also, we know better than most that our audience is omnibibulous. Our content should be too.

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The closure in Ballard does not impact the other Wheelie Pop Brewing location. The brewery operates another brewery-taproom in Mill Creek, just north of Bothell on Highway 527. 

“After much consideration, we are sad to announce that Sunday, June 14th, will be the last day of operation for our Ballard Brewery and Taproom,” the company announced on Instagram. “We’d like to thank everyone who has visited and supported us over the past 4.5 years on this journey.”

“We are proud to have earned 12 beer awards since we opened, created over 150 unique beers, never turned down a charitable donation request, and built an awesome community of beer lovers and race fans.” 

Wheelie Pop Brewing said it wants to extend special thanks to:

– The pit crew mug club members
– The regular customers that they’ve gotten to know and become friends with
– The local breweries that they’ve had the opportunity to work with and get to know
– All the bars and restaurants that support the brewery

Stop by during the final month in Ballard. “Enjoy some beer and show some love to our awesome beer tenders. We still have plenty of great beer on tap and we’ll release our final two beers tomorrow.”

Want us to share your news here on the Washington Beer Blog? Click here to learn how to reach us.

Earlier this month, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board quietly did something worth celebrating — it approved a new set of rules that makes it significantly easier for breweries to serve more than just beer. Yes, there are reasons why a brewery might want to do that. 

The rules stem from Engrossed House Bill 1602 (EHB 1602), which will become law on June 6, 2026. (AWESOME JOB, Washington Brewers Guild!) The short version: breweries can now contract with outside food operators to satisfy restaurant licensing requirements — without building a kitchen or, crucially, actually becoming a restaurant.

How Did We Get Here?

Under the old rules, a Washington brewery wanting a full restaurant-style liquor license — the kind needed to pour cocktails and spirits alongside its beer — had to operate a full-service kitchen and otherwise operate like a restaurant. For most breweries, that was a dealbreaker. A different kind of operation and a different set of skills. Building a commercial kitchen is expensive. Running a restaurant is a completely different ballgame from running a brewery. Shohei Ohtani pitches and bats at an All-Star level, but he is a freak of nature.

So most breweries just didn’t bother trying to score that kind of liquor license, and customers who wanted something beyond beer went elsewhere — often taking their beer-drinking friends with them. EHB 1602 changes that equation.

What about brewpubs? They’re restaurants, right? Wrong. They operate a bit differently. There is no brewpub-specific license in Washington state. Instead, what we think of as a brewpub is a business that holds a license to manufacture beer and also an additional license, or an endorsement. Namely, a tavern license, a beer and wine restaurant license, or the big-daddy, full-blown “spirits, beer, and wine” restaurant license. That last one comes with complications and significant expense. You’ve probably noticed that most brewpubs do not serve liquor. That’s why.

Here’s the New Deal

Breweries can now contract with a food operator — a food truck, a permanently parked food truck, or a third-party kitchen tenant — without needing to own or operate the food side themselves. That unused corner next to the walk-in cooler? Someone could install a kitchen there. A new satellite taproom with an existing kitchen on-site? Bring in a partner to run the food, and you’re in business.

The food operation doesn’t need its own liquor license. Actually, the food operation cannot hold a liquor license. The brewery holds that. Simple — or at least, simpler.

A few important catches worth noting:

• Food staff can only serve alcohol if they’re employed by the brewery — not the food operator.
• Only brewery employees may handle alcohol. Full stop.
• Once the restaurant license is granted, food service must be available. Always. The brewery cannot fall back on beer-only if the food partner is a no-show. Anyone who’s worked with food trucks knows that’s not a hypothetical risk.

Why This Matters

Today’s taproom customer is, to put it plainly, drinking more broadly than ever. (We talked about the trend here.) Beer-only establishments are leaving options — and revenue — on the table. This new law won’t solve every challenge facing the craft beer industry, but it hands Washington state’s breweries a useful new tool.

Some breweries will have zero interest in serving cocktails, and that’s perfectly valid. But for those looking to expand their appeal without diving headfirst into full restaurant operations, EHB 1602 opens a door that’s been welded shut since the end of Prohibition. Washington’s liquor laws have been modernizing at a glacial pace for ninety-odd years. This new law is a step in the right direction — and I think it is a useful one.