Seattleites on tap for beer brewers festival

Some people hurled yeast-filled balloons in the air during the Brewers Olympics. Others just went from table to table in search of the best microbrew -- or craft beer -- with the right amount of hop flavor.


		Mike Urban / P-I
	Jeff Smiley with Baron Brewing, left, vies with spectator Marcus Laws for a smelly, yeast-filled balloon during the Brewers Olympics on Sunday at the Washington Brewers Festival at the Seattle Center.

Anacortes resident Jayme Thompson, 38, wore his "God Made Me An Atheist" T-shirt in his pursuit to sample at least 15 beers before he left the event.

That friendly vibe at many small Seattle-area alehouses was apparent at Sunday's Washington Brewers Festival, which drew about 3,000 people to the Seattle Center.

The Washington Brewers Guild, the festival organizer, hoped the Father's Day event would raise money to promote its more than 50 members, which include Redhook Ale Brewery, Mac & Jack's Brewery Inc. and Georgetown Brewing Co.

On tap Sunday were 160 types of beer, including beverages made from jasmine, citrus fruits and apricots.

Over the decades, the state's smaller brewers have grown in popularity because they have been willing to innovate with ingredients while keeping quality high, guild President George Hancock said.

"People want choice and variety. People are looking for a difference," said Hancock, chairman of Pyramid Breweries Inc.

He attributes the growth of small breweries partly to the Puget Sound region's well-educated residents, who have the interest and incomes to sample various types of beer.


		Mike Urban / P-I
	Myriah Conyers spends Father's Day with her dad, Arnie, of Lynnwood at the Washington Brewers Festival. Myriah, who credits her dad for her appreciation of beer, gave him the T-shirt he is wearing.

"I think people are drinking less, but (drinking) better beers," he said.

Janelle Pritchard, assistant head brewer at Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Co., said she fell in love with beer making because it combines her interests of science and art.

Her company has only a handful of brewers.

"We also have good parties," she said, laughing. "I do everything from brew the beer to clean the toilets."

She added that she does those tasks separately.

Nationwide, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver are known for their craft beers.

Hancock said small breweries in the state benefit from hops grown in the Yakima Valley and wheat grown in Eastern Washington.

Hancock noted that small breweries are aware of a federal judge's ruling that could force the state to strike down large parts of its distribution system for beer and wine.

The complex system forces producers to mark up products 10 percent and bans high-volume beer discounts to retailers.

He said it remains unclear how a small brewery might be affected by the case, which is ongoing.

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