On tour with: Allen Schauffler Anchor Destination: Pyramid Breweries Getting there: 1201 1st Avenue South. Located southwest of the Kingdome. Destination: Redhook Ale Brewery Getting there: 3400 Phinney North. Located in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood, it's about four miles north of downtown. Destination: Hale's Ales Getting there: 4301 Leary Way NW. Located in Ballard, about five miles north of downtown. Destination: Maritime Pacific Brewing Co. Getting there: 1514 NW Leary Way. Located in Ballard. Destination: Grant's Getting there: It's about a three-hour drive to Yakima west on I-90. Cheers! Welcome to Seattle. Have fun, stay dry and don't get out of town without sampling the local brews. It won't be too hard. The last time I checked the Seattle area ranked second in the world in the number of breweries per capita (behind Portland) and generally they turn out high-quality products. Here's a personal cheat-sheet for the afternoon or evening you decide to devote to a tour of our malt beverage shops. Pyramid Brewing: You'll find it just southwest of the Kingdome, in a perfect location to soak up the suds-money of thirsty baseball fans once the new stadium opens. Pyramid offers a wide variety of beer and they also have a pretty good pub-style menu. Wherever you begin your tour, Pyramid or elsewhere, try a few small samples before you pony up the $3.50 to $4.00 for a pint. And if you're ordering fries you might bring along a newspaper of two to soak up the grease. Not that they're bad, mind you, just a little damp. Your designated driver will also find some tasty locally "brewed" soft drinks. Redhook: One of the Seattle orginals. You can sample the wares at the Trolleyman Pub in the Fremont neighborhood or at their huge new Brewery/Winery/Adult Beverage Disneyland across the lake (that's the fresh water job to the east, not the salt water job to the west) in Woodinville. The owners have long advertised Redhook as the first true microbrewery in the state, a tactic which makes pioneer brewmaster Bert Grant in Yakima burst his vats in frustration (more on Bert's beer later). The Redhookers do have a pretty good claim to being the first small brewers west of the mountains and the sale a few years ago of a huge chunk of the business to Budwesier hasn't seemed to dilute the quality of their front-line products. It's hard to go wrong with their classic ESB (Extra Special Bitter) which you'll find in nearly every bar and restaurant in town. Of course you can also find it in many pubs and grocery stores all over the country and Redhook long since gave up any pretention to being a "micro" brewery, so I understand if the purists turn up their noses a bit. Hales Ales: Another of the legends, right on the border between Fremont and Ballard. Mike Hale just has a thing for English-style bitters, smooth but with a distinct bite of hops. The Pub is quite big, with different areas for different atmospheres and a full bar if you suddenly need a few fingers of good single-malt to take the edge off that pint. Two interesting one to try here: the "Cream Ale" and for those with a taste for the dark side, the "Wee Heavy" Porter is a nice, spicy, meal-in-a-mug. And say hi to Mike. He'll probably be there, with a smile on his face, a beer in his hand and new brewing ideas rattling around in his head. Maritime: A wonderful sleeper, still one of the little guys and competing product-for-product with the best in the country. This is a small place with a wonderfully quirky and cozy feel (brewery and pub). Knock over your pint and the beer may splash against the far wall. The Nightwatch Ale is a fine beer and one of my favorites. It does have a bit of a bite to it but then I like that in a beer. George Hancock and his wife run the brewery and pub, with a boost from an italian-made bottling machine named "Lucy". Grant's: You won't find it unless you make a major trek to Yakima. Check a state map before you start your drive. But you will find Grant's products in the store and at thousands of tavern taps around the area, and Bert Grant deserves your support. He's the acknowledged father of the Northwest Microbrew industry and has always made tremendous beer. Bert sold out a few years ago to a huge conglomerate which also owns Chateau St. Michelle Winery in Woodinville, but whoever made the deal had the brains to realize they should just leave Bert alone and let him keep making beer. My taste buds tell me they've done that. I love his India Pale Ale but remember I like a pint that bites back. If you like your sipping dark and heavy and smooth try the Imperial Stout. These are just a few suggestions but you really can't go wrong if you just get out there and try a few goofy sounding beers. There are other on-site breweries to discover as well; Big-Time Brewing in the University District, Pike Brewing near the market, any one of a gaggle of pub/micros owned by the McMenamin brothers (out of Portland, the Ray Krocs of the microbrew world). So sip, test, swill, and experiment. And of course drive with care, don't drive at all or have a friend who doesn't give a dram about beer get behind the wheel for your tour. ASIAN AMERICAN JOURNALISTS ASSOCIATION SEATTLE CHAPTER P.O. Box 9698, Seattle, WA 98109 Since 1985, Seattle's AAJA has provided scholarships for students, professional development for journalists and service to the community in the Pacific Northwest. 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