Washington: The Evergreen Beer State

A favourite local phrase is “the mountain is out”, meaning the skies have cleared enough for Mount Rainier to dominate the skyline. This isn’t just a weather update, but an invitation; here the outdoors is a day-to-day reality, something that shapes all your experiences, rather than a place you visit. This is most tangibly reflected in the state’s food and drink, where everything from the beer in your glass to the meat on your plate is tuned to the seasons, and locality isn’t just a buzzword for high-end restaurants.

Planning a trip through Washington’s beer scene takes a bit of forethought. As is the case with most western states, distances are deceptive in Washington, and the rugged landscape can turn a two-hour drive into an all-day adventure. Public transport options outside major cities are limited, and the road network tends to circumvent natural barriers rather than cut through them. Ferries are a regular feature of life in the Puget Sound region, while winter road closures in the mountains aren’t uncommon. The best way to approach this is to embrace it; Washington rewards a journey, so learn to enjoy taking the long way round.

The good news is it’s easy to build a beer itinerary around your interests. Fancy combining tastings with mountain biking, kayaking, or hiking up to a glacier? No problem. More in the mood for farmers’ markets, street food and an achingly hip craft taproom? Welcome to Washington. The infrastructure for road-tripping is solid, with plenty of scenic detours, well-appointed campsites, and towns that welcome beer tourism with open arms.

Most visitors start in Seattle, and if you’re staying west of the mountains, you could feasibly explore without a car. Anyone looking to dig deeper though—to visit the state’s famed hop farms, or far-flung breweries with cult followings—will likely need their own wheels. If you’re happy to let beer shape the journey, check out the Washington Beer Commission’s trail maps or pick a region and see where the road takes you.

There's plenty brewing

According to the Brewers Association, Washington state is home to roughly 450 craft breweries. Here are a few of our favourites.

BELLINGHAM

The community of Bellingham in northwest Washington is surrounded by some of the state’s most beautiful landscapes, making it a popular base camp for outdoorsy beer lovers.

If you’ve visiting in the summer, make sure to stop by Trackside at the Portal Container Village on Bellingham’s Waterfront. The vibrant beer garden—operated by Kulshan Brewing—is pet-friendly, family-friendly, and surrounded by food and entertainment options.

The Bellingham Waterfront also welcomed a new brewery in 2025: Beach Cat Brewing South Paw. The brewery, whose flagship location is in Birch Bay, offers incredible views of the waterfront along with excellent beer and food truck options.

If you’re visiting in spring, check out Bellingham Beer Week, which brings the community together getting people out to drink local beer.

YAKIMA VALLEY

Yes, that Yakima Valley, source of over 70% of the United States’ hops. The hop harvest, between mid-August and early October, offers visitors an unforgettable experience, not least because of all the ‘green’ beers – brewed with hops within hours of being plucked from the bine – which pack fresh tropical, floral, pine-tinged flavours quite unlike anything you’ve tasted. So popular are these beers that Yakima hosts an annual event — the Moxee Hop Festival — to celebrate the season every autumn. 

There’s still plenty to see here though, even if you miss harvest. The family-owned Bale Breaker Brewing Company hosts a taproom on its hop farm on the outskirts of Yakima. Similarly, Cowiche Creek Brewing Company sits on a farm outside Yakima and prides itself on using locally sourced ingredients in its wide-ranging lineup. 

SEATTLE

Around 60 craft breweries sprawl across the state’s largest city, making it an essential beer destination. Start your brewery crawl in the Ballard Brewery District, where you’ll find more than a dozen producers within a one-mile radius . Highlights are numerous but include Reuben’s Brews and Lucky Envelope Brewing.

Away from Ballard, the mystical Holy Mountain Brewing crafts outstanding barrel-aged beers while Black-owned Métier Brewing Company pours award-winning brews alongside a quick service menu from Lil’ Brown Girl and food trucks. 

Elsewhere, explore Seattle’s craft beer history at several old-school stops, including Georgetown Brewing Company, which launched in 2002, the leafy beer garden at Fremont Brewing Co., and Pike Brewing Company, which has churned out popular beers from its Pike Place Market location since 1989.

SPOKANE

An essential stop for beer geeks in search of smaller, under-the-radar Washington state breweries. Start in downtown, where the spacious beer garden of Brick West Brewing Company is always buzzing with plenty of outdoor seating, live music, and local food trucks. Just a block away, Iron Goat Brewing Co. prides itself on experimenting with new hop varieties, producing a solid mix of seasonal brews.

Wildland Cooperative sits a half-hour north of downtown, but the worker-owned farm, brewery, and market rewards visitors who make the trek with small-batch beers that incorporate seasonal ingredients.

VANCOUVER AND THE GORGE

Vancouver is a hub for creative craft brews in Southwest Washington. 

Heathen Brewing got started in an old horse barn and today pours a crowd-pleasing mix of IPAs, easy-drinking lagers, and fruity sour ales. While the brewery’s downtown location is currently up for sale, Heathen’s beer will continue flowing in great bars around the city until it finds a new home. 

A few blocks away from Heathen’s original location, Loowit Brewing Company prides itself on an eclectic tap list and environmental stewardship. One of the city’s beloved newcomers is Vice Beer, whose hip, ‘90s-inspired taprooms have quickly become a firm favourite.

If the timing works, visit during North Bank Beer Week in November for a slate of fun events, or visit in August to catch the Brewing Bridges Collaboration Festival at the Pearson Air Museum.

SKAGIT VALLEY

This agriculturally minded region south of Bellingham has spawned a small but passionate craft beer scene that reflects the land. 

Having set up shop in 1994, Anacortes Brewery is one of Washington’s oldest outfits, specialising in Germanic styles, as does Burlington’s venerable Chuckanut Brewery. Just down the street, the boundary-pushing Garden Path Fermentation produces complex and rewarding beer, mead, wine, and cider with locally sourced ingredients (including honey from nearby farms and Skagit Valley yeast) fermented in open-air containers.

TACOMA

Sitting on the shores of Puget Sound, the city of Tacoma has grown dramatically in recent years and now has a thriving craft beer scene to match.

Its best-known brewery is perhaps E9 Brewing Co., which serves a globetrotting lineup of European-inspired lagers, grisettes, IPAs, and more at two locations: an adults-only taproom and a family-friendly restaurant housed in an old fire station.

Just south of downtown Tacoma sits the city’s historic Brewery District, a tradition that is continued today by the likes of 7 Seas Brewery, which has a reputation for its impeccable takes on classic styles.

Every summer, Tacoma Beer Week takes over the city with tastings, special releases, and educational events.

WALLA WALLA

While probably best known for its wineries, Walla Walla in Southwest Washington is also home to a growing craft beer scene.

Burwood Brewing Company occupies a sun-kissed corner of the city’s Airport District, and its spacious beer garden is as much of a draw as the brews themselves; play lawn games, lounging in local-style Adirondack chairs, and hit up the on-site food truck. In downtown, Big House Brew Pub keeps an upbeat, family-friendly atmosphere with house-made beers, classic pub fare, trivia nights, live music, and other fun events.