“Two thirsty science nerds and a curious connoisseur walk in to a brewpub…” Or so goes the story of Stoup Brewing, one of the latest to the reverberating Ballard neighborhood beer scene in northwest Seattle. Up the street from Reuben’s Brews and arguably walking distance from half a dozen other breweries, Stoup Brewing—named after a Scottish drinking cup—is high-tech and polished, from the gleaming towers of kettles to the custom made “Stoupy-Snacks” vending machines and logo tees, hats, growlers and (my favorite) “meowlers” (32 ounce growlers). See for yourself on their trendy video featuring music from Portland duo, Fremont. Outside of the shiny objects, the beers speak loud and proud for themselves—especially the spanking new winter ale for Stoup, their Cascadian Dark Ale. The nose is liberal in dark and roasty aromas of toasted oats, cocoa, molasses, sarsaparilla and a quick hit of citrus hops. On the palate, the roastiness transfers over with sweet malts and bitter dark chocolate while handling a solid dose of hops to steady the stoup.
