Pike Place Brewery - 20 years

A few years back I worked at a little brewery in Seattle (a few years - well, about 20 years ago). It was called the Pike Place Brewery. Each year we would make a Barley Wine for the Holiday season. And each year we would stash away a keg or two for the following year (or two). After I left in 1998 those kegs were ignored by the then brewer. A couple of years ago he left and my friend Drew Cluley took over as the head brewer. One day Drew was doing some cleaning of the hop cooler (where I use to store the kegs of Barley Wine) and guess what he found ? Three kegs of of Old Bawdy Barley Wine from the years that I was brewing there (vintages 1996, 1997 1998). So Pike planned a tasting of these three old vintages and the three new ones drew had brewed. This was all part Pike's celebraton of 20 years of brewing. I happened to be in the USA for a visit home when this event was taking place so I flew on up to Seattle for the tasting. Many of the past Pike Place brewers were in attendance and there were 6 really good Barley wines.

Happy Birthday Pike !

If you want to hear our drunken rambling after 8 or so 9% beers - check the podcast below (I blame it on all the barley wines)

http://www.craftbrewcast.com/

http://www.pikebrewing.com/