Tacoma Brewery District

flights of beer

The state of Washington is considered by many to be the birthplace of the craft beer revolution. Other areas claim to be “the first” or “where it all started” but for the most part, they are isolated efforts that generated only a local following.

Tacoma is packed with opportunities to imbibe whether you crave the industrial feel of a small brewery; creative gourmet eats along with your brews, or menus with literally dozens of local beers. Tacoma has always been a beer town.  And these days business is booming. Several independent craft beer makers are reviving the city’s historic brewery district.  Between Lacey and Tacoma there are approximately 40 artisanal breweries and about 20 cideries.
   
Specifically in Tacoma, craft breweries large and small are popping up in and around the city’s historic brewery district along Pacific Avenue in roughly the same area that once housed three large brewers a century ago. Heidelberg, Columbia and the original Pacific breweries once operated very close to an area now seeing an explosion of beer makers.

Visit these Breweries while in Tacoma:

  • 7 Seas Brewing
  • BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse
  • Dunagan Brewing
  • Dystopian State
  • Engine House No. 9
  • Gig Harbor Brewing
  • Harmon Restaurant and Tap Room
  • Narrows Brewing Company
  • North 47 Brewing Compnay
  • Odd Otter Brewing
  • Pacific Brewing and Malt Co.
  • Peaks and Pints
  • Pint Defiance
  • Ram Restaurant and Brewing
  • Sluggo Brewing Tap and Kitchen
  • Tacoma Brewing
  • The Hub
  • Wingman Brewers

Or, you might like to participate in the South Sound Craft Crawl, an on-going self-guided tour of 15 artisanal breweries from Tacoma to Olympia.  Or, how about attending the South Sound Craft Beer Fest featuring 40 local breweries pouring over 150 craft beers?  Then there is the annual Taste of Tacoma that features craft beer tasting.

If you really want to learn about beer, you can attend Mastering Beer Styles: Exploration and Evaluation at 7 Seas Brewery & Tap Room. This 10-week course is designed to take students on an exploration through the world of beer. The program provides the core knowledge around the history, terminology and style characteristics of beers. The curriculum is based upon the information covered in industry standard exam certifications such as the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) and Cicerone.

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