Stepping into Fremont’s gothic-style Brouwer’s Café is like walking into Game of Thrones or a Shakespearean play—but in real time. If you replace the drama and tragedy with beer and whiskey, that is.
Once your eyes adjust to the dim yet tranquil lighting, the first sight you’ll notice is the wall of endless taps. Kind of like the “Wall” from GOT because it would no doubt be a feat to conquer this one, which features 64 rotating taps from breweries in Belgium, Washington, Oregon and California, and then some. Only difference is, you’ll be warming up, not down.
After you’ve accepted the impact these beer options will have on your life from this day forward, avert your eyes to the adjacent wall—or flip your beer list over and you’ll see an entire page dedicated to whiskey. And not just any whiskey—Macallan, Dalmore and Glenlivet are just a few of the high-enders to tempt you. Talk about a medieval-life crisis.
While the beer is unbelievable and no doubt half the reason so many Seattleites revere the cafe, the other half is pretty important, because part of your beer’s job is to wash down a good meal. Introducing the “Power Hour:” seven days a week, from 3 to 6 pm, Brouwer’s holds its version of a happy hour, which is really a beer marathon from more like 5 to 6 pm for those who work a typical workday.
Feast your eyes (and stomach) on the exclusive Power Hour menu items like the falafel “fries”—a vegetarian dream of spiced and fried falafel sticks, complete with sweet hop-apricot chutney and spicy Bourbon Dragon sauce for dipping. Or the sausage a la carte, a house-made sausage du jour served with a dollop of stone ground mustard.
Of course, food is offered at all hours, and there is a bountiful selection to choose from. For the carnivores in the house, lamb is the meat of choice. The lamb burger comes equipped with spicy Merguez seasonings topped with julienned roasted red peppers, chipotle mayo and fresh mozzarella. Pommes frites, salads and hand-crafted soups also prove a match for your house IPA, offbeat cider or whiskey concoction.
While you nosh on your meal and pint of gothic glory, take in the atmosphere of Brouwer’s: a gargoyle leers at you from the upper corner of the café’s second-floor balcony, but in a way it’s endearing; rock walls cover the booth- and whiskey-clad sides of the café, transporting you to the Middle Ages; flanneled guests gather ‘round the bar to chat with bearded bartenders, thus reminding you that you are indeed still in the Pacific Northwest; and yellow-orange lighting reflects off of your wooden tabletop as you slam down that ‘stein, ready for round two.
If you’re looking for good company and beer this Halloween, Brouwer’s is holding a Halloween Party from 5-11 pm on October 31st featuring scary stories, beers from Hopworks Urban Brewery, Fremont Brewing Co. and New Belgium Brewing, and of course, a costume contest.
