Plan Your Brewery District Crawl
Pick one cluster and stay on foot for the easiest evening. NW 52nd Street lines up several breweries within a block or two of each other, while NW 49th and NW 50th streets form a second pocket just a few minutes south.
- Pace yourself: share tasters or order smaller pours so you can enjoy more than two stops.
- Check hours first: taproom schedules vary and change, so look at each business's website before you head out.
- Plan your ride home: the district is easy to walk, but arrange transit or a ride for the end of the night.
Collect Check-Ins With the Ballard Brewed Pass
Grab the free mobile pass to collect check-ins at participating breweries and cideries. It arrives by text and email, with no app to download, and at each stop you simply ask the bartender for the check-in code. Complete the circuit and you can win a Ballard Brewed tin tacker sign. Pass details can change, so confirm the current terms before you go.
Breweries, Cider Taprooms and Pubs to Visit
Bale Breaker & Yonder Cider Taproom
Start at this shared taproom on NW 49th Street, where beer and cider pour side by side under one roof. It makes a smart first stop for groups split between hop lovers and cider drinkers, and it sits at the southern edge of the brewery district.
Channel Marker Cider
Head to 15th Ave NW at NW 52nd Street for Channel Marker, a taproom devoted to cider. It is a welcome change of pace if you want a break from beer during your crawl, and the NW 52nd Street brewery cluster is only a short walk away.
Stoup Brewing
Stoup anchors the NW 52nd Street cluster and is a well-known Seattle name in craft beer, with a second location on Capitol Hill. From its door, you can stroll to several neighboring breweries in a matter of minutes.
Urban Family Brewing Co.
Cross the block from Stoup on NW 52nd Street and you arrive at Urban Family. Pairing the two gives your evening an easy start, and it is a great pick if you like comparing styles side by side.
Obec Brewing
Obec sits on NW 52nd Street just steps from Stoup and Urban Family, so it slips neatly into a short walking loop. Stop here to round out a three-brewery block without ever leaving the street.
Distant West Brewing
Walk up to NW 53rd Street near 14th Ave NW to find Distant West at the northern end of the main cluster. It works well as either your first or final stop as you move up from 52nd.
Fair Isle Brewing
Fair Isle pours on NW 49th Street, close to Bale Breaker & Yonder, and together the two anchor the southern pocket of the district. Visit both for a compact, two-stop evening.
Lucky Envelope Brewing
Lucky Envelope sits on NW 50th Street, a block from the NW 49th Street taprooms, linking the southern and central parts of the district. Drop in on your walk between clusters for an easy stop along the way.
Reuben's Brews
Meet your group at Reuben's Ballard taproom on 14th Ave NW near NW 50th Street, right in the middle of the district. The brand also runs a taproom downtown near Pike Place Market, but the Ballard spot is the natural gathering point for a night in the neighborhood.
Skål Beer Hall
Land at Skål, a beer hall in downtown Ballard away from the brewery district grid. It suits groups who want one big room instead of a taproom crawl, and it makes a fine place to settle in after the breweries.
For a pub setting to close the night, Rough & Tumble Pub, also in downtown Ballard, is another good option.
More to Explore Around Your Night Out
Make a day of it before the taprooms open. Browse the Ballard Carnegie Library on NW Market Street, a 1904 City of Seattle landmark that now houses a pub inside its historic walls. On Sundays, wander the year-round Ballard Farmers Market, which sets up where 22nd Ave NW meets Ballard Ave NW.
Catch the sunset before your first drink at Sunset Hill Park, where the view stretches over Shilshole Bay toward the Olympic Mountains. The beach at Golden Gardens Park is another favorite stop to the west. For more ideas, browse our guide to things to do in Seattle.
Hours, menus and events change often, so check each business's own website for current details before you go.
