Meet the Brew-Makers!
FEATURING OUR BALLARD BREWERIES & TAPROOMS
For this page, we’d like to talk about the breweries that we feature here at Portalis Wine Shop. While beer is very different than wine, it’s still important to know the stories behind the breweries and also some of the different flavor profiles of beer. Wine is amazing when paired with food, but beer also has the ability to wow and in some cases can be even better than wine. For instance, hot summer days, BBQ, tacos, pizza or even sporting events are just a few examples of how beer can be a killer choice. Please feel free to read on to learn about some great local breweries and also about different styles of beer.
Cheers, Rachel (Sun/Mon salesperson at Portalis)
Bale Breaker
To thrive as an individual craft brewery is not an easy task in Washington State, especially here in the Ballard neighborhood. It requires producing consistently good beers, access to fresh hops, and a certain “Je ne sais quoi” that distinguishes your brewery from all the others. One brewery that has been successful not only in producing high quality beers, they also have access to the freshest hops and are one of the most generous breweries in our state. That brewery is Bale Breaker.
Bale Breaker is a Washington brewery that originated in the Yakima Valley. It formed in 2013 with only 4 people and has grown to being the 3rd largest independent craft brewery in Washington State. They are the first commercial brewery located directly on a hop farm, and this brewery also has a three-person quality team that ensures the quality of every beer produced. The ultimate goal of this brewery is to keep their beer fresh and local and luckily for us, they have opened a tap room right here in our neighborhood.
Known for producing many different IPAs, Bale Breaker has been able to branch out with consistently good beers and different limited series specializing in different hops and everything homegrown on their beautiful property in Yakima (it’s worth a trip out to visit their lovely brewery - pictured top).
Their most popular beer is the Top Cutter IPA (it’s a great IPA for those who aren’t sure about IPAs). All of their beers are named for anything related to being on the hop farm. When the hops are harvested, they are placed in bales, and the name Bale Breaker comes from the desire to break in to one of the bales and start a brewery. The Top Cutter is the name of a tractor used to harvest the hops, and the Bottom Cutter is it’s “brother”.
In terms of the limited releases, The Clarity Rarity series is focused on making more approachable Hazy IPAs, which is a play on the name as the beer is not clear. Another series, Homegrown, focuses on showcasing local hops, homegrown malt and producing lovely West Coast IPAs (there is a difference between IPAs from the West Coast vs East Coast but we will discuss that at another time).
One of the unique characteristics of this brewery is their generosity. Back in 2013 they started their own charity event known as Ales for ALS. This charitable event was created in honor of their Uncle Scott, otherwise known as Bubba, who was unfortunately diagnosed with ALS in 2011. He was very influential in the creation of this brewery and was also willing to speak about his experience with this horrible disease. Sadly, he passed away in 2020. Due to the Coronavirus pandemic this brewery has not been able to hold this special event; however, we are all hopeful that in 2022 it will be able to happen again. Also, they created their own craft beer known as Bubba’s Brew that is a canned product and a portion of the proceeds goes to ALS research. As of today, not only has this brewery been able to donate 3.5 million dollars for ALS research, but their charitable event has also become a major event in the brewery industry. In addition to donating to ALS research, they created a limited series known as the Sesiones del Migrante Mango IPA which celebrates the Mexican workers who travel to Yakima to help with harvest. Portions of this series are donated to help Yakima’s Hispanic community.
Owning a brewery today in Washington State is a challenge and we are fortunate to have breweries like Bale Breaker here to produce fun and delicious beers for us to enjoy. We welcome Bale Breaker to the Ballard community and we highly recommend visiting their new Tap Room and enjoying one or more of their exceptional beers.
For more information on this special Brewery or if you are interested in donating to ALS research, please visit their website>
Reuben’s Brews
These unprecedented times may make one crave something beautifully bitter, to help us forget that our lives have been forever changed and maybe not for the best. Similar to the Passover Seder, we eat bitter herbs to remind us of bitter times and right now during these beautiful, hot, summer, socially distant, pandemic days, one of the most refreshing beers one can enjoy is the India Pale Ale or IPA. IPA’s have become hugely popular in the U.S. especially on the West Coast as it is a beer that embraces hops, which grow very well out here. There are many different styles of IPAs and one particular brewery that specializes in this style of beer making is Reuben’s Brews. I must include a disclaimer stating that there are some of us who are very sensitive to bitter flavors and the IPA is not always our best friend. That being said, it’s worth trying some of these different types of beer to see how versatile it really can be. This local treasure does have many beers with less IBU (international bitter unit) that are delightful and fantastic any day of the week.
Reuben’s was formed back in 2012 by a lovely English gentleman named Adam and the brewery was named after his first son (let’s not go back to the Passover reference here). He began doing his own home brewing and clearly has a magical touch with beer. He has become one of the most recognized brewers in the area, winning multiple awards and delighting many customers with his wide range of IPAs. Many of the IPA’s are named after British sayings such as the popular “Crickey”, “Bits & Bobs”, “Wembley” and “Mind the Gap!”
Not only do they specialize in delicious IPAs, but they also have a strong focus on traditional beer making techniques and make other mouth-watering styles of beer. This incredible brewery actually has made over 140 different beers, and has a monthly feature that focuses on local, seasonal ingredients. For instance, the Pilsner is a fantastic choice on a sunny day while watching the Mariner’s beat the Yankees and the Robust Porter is a fabulous winter beer that would pair beautifully with spicy chili.
When it comes to food and beverage pairing, the IPA can be thought of as similar to Champagne, in that it can go with almost everything. From hot summer days, spicy tacos, cheese and even a nasty pandemic, IPAs can pair nicely and sometimes be a killer choice versus wine or other styles of beer. While the IPA may not make COVID-19 go away, it is a nice refreshing beer and we encourage you to come out and support this local brewery and we hope you will enjoy their beers as much as we do.
For more information on this splendid brewery, check out: https://reubensbrews.com/
Stay tuned for more local breweries…