From Craft to Timeless: Washington State Beer Drinking

If you’re reading this, and you do not love beer, stop reading. Be proud of Washington State for making great beer, and then click on over to a terrific article about why Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce are great places to find all your food. Because this article is dedicated to the excellence of Pacific Northwest beer, but more specifically, great beer in our very own Washington State.

PNW Beer Pride

From the thousands of craft beer being made in small breweries across every state up here, to the explosion of large market hop-handling from Seattle to Bend, there is a great Pacific Northwest beer near you, and there is an equally great beer near me. Let’s look outside of western Washington for some great beer.

Deschutes Brewing is right out of Bend, Oregon, but they now distribute to almost half of the country! With ten year-round beer options, and another half dozen seasonal options, Deschutes really covers all the bases for the beer-lover. So if you’re looking for high level distribution with a craft beer mentality for taste and diversity, their brews are a must.

Another great Oregon brewery that started in Ashland, but calls Newport, Oregon home today, is Rogue Brewing. And they truly have gone rogue, where craft beer, whiskey, and canned cocktails are concerned, because they serve them all! And whether you’re enjoying a smooth glass of Chocolate Stout or trying a pint of Combat Wombat… yep, Combat Wombat, the folks at Rogue are making some incredible Pacific Northwest beer for you to try at Tacoma Boys and H&L Produce.

Evergreen State Brewing

Washington State just knows beer. But when you’re shopping for the best tasting beer, brewers agree that the less travel and temperature change possible, the better! While slight changes in temperature do not truly effect beer, UV light and dramatic temperature change do impact freshness. So it just makes sense that a brewer in Seattle would love for their cold beer to go from brewery to cool and cold storage as quickly as possible, and that’s exactly what Tacoma Boys offers our community with any of our pacific northwest beer. But what are some staples to add to your own fridge? Glad you asked!

Elysian Brewing has become a national brand, but deep down, these Capitol Hill brewmasters are a Seattle beer, known for executing staples well, and trying some new things too. From a string of terrific India Pale Ales to some striking seasonal varieties, everything is worth trying with this Seattle brand.

But we cannot ignore the massive movement of craft beer brewing taking place in America. Small batch breweries, independently owned, with generally traditional brewing techniques, there were more than 7,300 craft breweries in America in 2018. That means that the average American lives approximately 10 miles from a craft brewer! Even though the industry is exploding, we believe that there is no place better for small batch breweries than Washington State. And we love the work at the Fremont Brewery.This family owned brewery has been making artisan beer since 2009, and their line of barrel-aged beer is something you will just have to taste to believe. It’s just really, really good beer.

We could keep going on about Pacific Northwest beer, but we will wrap up our ode to Evergreen State sipping with two more Washington State staples. And no trip to Seattle is complete without a drive by the iconic ‘R’ of Rainier Beer. This lager has been gracing homes and bars across the PNW since before Washington State was ever given its name. That’s a legacy! So whether you’re at a ballgame, barbeque, or party with friends, look for the Rainier can.

But the flagship IPA out of Georgetown Brewing is a true showstopper, and it’s Bodhizafa. This ale carries a strong aroma of citrus, but carries a light and silky texture from the rolled oats. After winning gold for American IPA at the 2016 Great American Beer Festival, Bodhizafa deserves its spot on our shelves and yours!

Walk Right In

We proudly carry a very wide variety of beer in all of our locations, but we are especially honored to carry the best beer the PNW has to offer. We are so proud, that we’ve dedicated shelf space, cooler, and awesome walk-in refrigerators to making browsing and buying as easy and enjoyable as possible. So whether you’re looking for the right dark beer to love, or you’re hunting that local IPA that’s been hard to find, come on in and see what we have to offer. And if you can’t find what you have been looking for, ask for help! We are here to serve.