Beer, Wine & Spirits in Seattle

There's a revolution happening in Woodinville, Washington. There's no violence though, unless you count the stomping of grapes. Home to hundreds of boutique wineries, the region is beginning to rival Napa Valley as the United States' biggest wine producer. Woodinville sits at the same longitude as France's wine country, allowing for optimal adult-grape-juice production and the ability to wear a beret with dignity. Barrel Wine Tours, a co-op of Woodinville winemakers, takes guests throughout the community on tours of the distilleries and wineries of these passionate part-time vintners. On a luxury coach, participants ride to four distilleries or wineries, and three-course lunches and wine pairings occur during each tour.

Established on the grounds of the celebrated Rainier Brewery a decade after its closing, Emerald City Beer Company restores a rich brewing heritage with its own traditionally minded approach to the craft. Founder and brewmaster Rick Hewitt has been crafting homebrews since his days as a graduate student, surpassing his contemporaries by not including shredded diplomas and tassels in his beer recipes. His brewery’s signature creation, Dottie Seattle Lager, combines four types of grains with Yakima Valley–grown hops for a flavorful lager with local roots. Emerald City is quickly expanding its reach and is available in more than 40 bars throughout the state, as well as in stores throughout Washington, Oregon, Alaska, and Idaho.

The enthusiastic tour guides at Road Dogs Tours love Journey, standup comedy, and snowboarding—but on their three tours, their love of Seattle and its signature beverages is what really shines. With a focus on creating a lasting, unique memory, the staff crafts fun and engaging tours based on tips and information gathered from locals, research, and their own personal experiences. On the company’s namesake brewery tour, a guide whisks tourists to three breweries in three hours, where they sample craft beer, learn about the brewing process, and brush up on Seattle’s brewing history since the first beer tree was tapped in 1892. Distillery tours offer a similar selection of behind-the-scenes tidbits and local history, and feature samples of vodka, gin and whiskey. Morning coffee tours, meanwhile, stop at bean roasters, cafés, and bakeries, celebrating the city’s caffeine addiction.

With more than a dozen years of beer-crafting experience to his name, brewmaster Rande Reed infuses Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom's eight year-round and four rotating seasonal beers with flavors that combine timeless recipes and contemporary innovations. When they're not making batches of their core concoctions, Rande and his brewing team fills the taproom's Belgian-style Brewer's Choice tap with one-time-only creations. Those craft beers—along with an original root beer—wash down bites from the delectable menu served in the 180-seat taproom restaurant. Chefs whip up pub classics such as barbecue-chicken fingers, roast-beef sandwiches laced with chipotle mayo, and German-style bratwursts simmered in the brewery's amber ale. Snoqualmie Brewery and Taproom further entices patrons with weekly entertainment including live music, open-mic nights, and a game night with favorites such as cribbage, Clue, and chess played with actual knights.