Downtown Seattle's waterfront brewery scene grows
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The patio at Reuben's Brews on First Avenue. Photo: Melissa Santos/Axios
More breweries are bubbling up in downtown Seattle as the city puts the finishing touches on upgrades to its waterfront.
Why it matters: The opening of new downtown taprooms could help cement Seattle's renovated waterfront as a destination for locals — not just cruise ship tourists.
State of play: In June, Reuben's Brews opened a new taproom on First Avenue, about two blocks from the revamped waterfront.
- Urban Family Brewing also announced last month that it plans to open a waterfront taproom with an expansive patio on Alaskan Way.
- They join Here Today Brewery & Kitchen, which opened about three years ago near Olympic Sculpture Park, and Locust Cider, which has opened two downtown taprooms since 2019.
- Add those to longer-established offerings from Cloudburst Brewing, Old Stove Brewing and Pike Brewing Company, and you've got a half-dozen taprooms within a mile's walk.
What they're saying: "It's awesome to see the waterfront development now up and running," Daniel Olson, executive director of the Washington Brewers Guild, told Axios this month. "I think it's going to pull a lot of people in, and I think breweries are recognizing that."
Zoom in: Chris Elford, owner of Here Today Brewery, told Axios that the 2019 removal of the Alaskan Way Viaduct opened the door for businesses like his to thrive in the area.
- Before that, "I think there was a mental block for any locals regarding the waterfront," he said — not to mention the physical barrier the elevated highway created between downtown and Elliott Bay.
- "Everything on the waterfront was pretty touristy, and it didn't feel like there was a lot that was specifically for locals down here," Elford recalled.
Reuben's Brews' new downtown taproom isn't directly on the water — but its location, too, is heavily influenced by the viaduct's demise.
- The taproom sits on the corner of First Avenue and Seneca Street, which previously was home to one of the viaduct's busiest downtown off-ramps.
- Now, the corner prioritizes pedestrians and is "a lot more hospitable," James McDermet, Reuben's Brews chief operating officer, told Axios.
- The taproom is geared toward Seattleites who want to stop by on their lunch break and after work. But it also makes it easy for out-of-towners to sample local beer without having to travel to the Ballard brewery district, McDermet said.
What's next: Urban Family Brewing expects to open its new taproom at 1022 Alaskan Way in the first quarter of 2026.