Ballard has more breweries packed into a few walkable blocks than most cities have in total. On a sunny Saturday you can wander from taproom to taproom without ever getting back in a car, and on a rainy Tuesday you can still find somewhere warm with a fresh pint.
We have spent a lot of time drinking our way around the neighborhood, and we pour a lot of these breweries on our own taps. This is our guide, written for locals, visitors and anyone who just moved to Ballard and wants to know where to start.
One thing before you go: hours change with the seasons, and small taprooms close for private events. Check each brewery's own website or social pages before you set out.
Ballard's brewery district grew up in the old industrial streets between Market Street and the ship canal. Warehouses and workshops with big doors and tall ceilings turned out to be perfect for brewhouses and taprooms. Over the last decade or so, one brewery opened, then another, and the neighborhood became a destination.
What makes it special is variety. Within a short walk you can drink a crisp German-style pilsner, a hazy IPA, a funky farmhouse ale and a tart fruited sour, each made by people who care deeply about that one style.
A family-run brewery that opened in Ballard in 2012, named after the founders' son. Reuben's is known for its IPAs, but the range runs far wider than that, from lagers to stouts to barrel-aged beers. If you only have time for one stop, this is a good one to start with.
Stoup has a reputation for clean, crisp beer: pilsners and lagers that show how good a simple beer can be when it is made carefully. Their IPAs are excellent too. A great choice if you like beer that is bright and refreshing rather than heavy.
Fair Isle focuses on farmhouse ales and saisons, the kind of beers that feel closer to wine: dry, complex and often a little wild. If you like natural wine, start here.
Urban Family is a favorite for tart, fruit-forward sours and soft, juicy hazy IPAs. Expect bright colors in the glass and plenty of flavor.
Lucky Envelope brews a wide, experimental range, often with Asian-inspired ingredients like tea and ube, and is always worth a look for something you have not tried before.
Rooftop has been part of the Seattle scene for over a decade and now brews in Ballard, in the old Maritime Pacific space on NW Ballard Way. Small-batch beer with a neighborhood feel.
A shared taproom for Bale Breaker's beer from the Yakima Valley hop fields and Yonder's cider from Wenatchee. Good when your group can't agree on beer or cider, and the patio is dog and kid friendly.
Obec takes its lead from Czech brewing, and the name means community. The taproom is 21 and over.
You do not have to stay inside Ballard to drink well. A few breweries a short drive or bus ride away:
The district is easy to explore on foot. A few tips from experience:
There is no single right route, and that is half the fun. If you want a shape for the day, try building it around styles rather than addresses.
Start light. Begin somewhere known for lagers and pilsners. A crisp, clean beer wakes up your palate and sets a baseline, so you can taste what the later beers are doing differently.
Move to hops. Next, an IPA stop. Try a West Coast IPA and a hazy one side by side if they have both. The difference between dry and piney and soft and juicy is the best lesson in modern American beer.
Get adventurous. Mid-afternoon is the time for farmhouse ales, saisons and sours. They are complex and often lower in bitterness, and they are easier to appreciate once you have a couple of more familiar beers behind you.
Finish dark or finish with food. Close with a stout or a barrel-aged beer, or sit down somewhere with a proper meal. After a few stops you will want something more than a bag of pretzels.
Between stops, walk. The streets around the district have murals, makers' workshops and views of the boats on the canal. Half an hour on foot between taprooms makes the whole day better.
Going with a group? Pick one person to keep an eye on the plan and one to keep track of who has had water. It sounds fussy, but it is the difference between a great afternoon and a long evening.
If you want to try a lot of what Seattle and the Northwest brew without walking between taprooms, that is exactly what we are for.
We pour fourteen rotating taps from Washington and Oregon breweries and further afield, many of them from the breweries in this guide. Every beer comes in 5, 8 and 16 ounce pours, so you can line up three or four styles next to each other and work out what you actually like. The list changes constantly, so the current taps are always on our Untappd page.
Behind the bar is a fourteen-door fridge with usually around 30 different IPAs, 30 lagers and 40 to 50 other styles, plus cider, natural wine and a proper non-alcoholic shelf. Take something home, or pick a can and drink it here.
And unlike most taprooms, we make pizza. Every pie is hand tossed on organic Washington flour dough, made fresh here. A lager with a Margherita or a hazy IPA with the Grand Masala is a very good way to end a brewery walk.
Families are welcome. Dogs are welcome inside and on the patio. We take cards only.
How many breweries are in Ballard? More than a dozen breweries and cideries within about a mile, which is one of the highest concentrations of breweries in Seattle. New ones open and close over time, so check a current list before you plan.
Can you walk between Ballard breweries? Yes. Most of the district sits within a short walk, which is a big part of its appeal.
Are Ballard breweries dog friendly? Many taprooms welcome dogs, especially on patios, but rules vary. Check before you bring yours. At Ballard Beer Box, dogs are welcome inside and on the patio.
Do Ballard breweries serve food? Some do, many rely on food trucks, and some have no food at all. Ballard Beer Box makes pizza in-house all day.
Is there a gluten-free brewery in Seattle? Yes. Ghostfish Brewing is a dedicated gluten-free brewery. We also almost always have gluten-free beer in our fridge.
We are at 2446 NW Market St in Ballard, an easy stop at the start or end of a brewery walk. Grab a seat on the patio, order a few small pours and a pizza, and tell us what you liked best today.
What is on tap · Types of beer: the full guide · See the menu
