Dean Westling explores the local beer industry one pint at a time

It's beer season in Seattle everyone! We made it through the snow and rain of the nasty months, and have come out onto the plateau of spring and the delicious beer that awaits. Over the coarse of the next couple months there are enough events, releases and festivals to fill an imperial pint, making spring the most vibrant and exciting time of the year for micro brew in Seattle.

First up is Seattle Beer Week, ten days of beer based fun, starting on Thursday, May 10th and running through Sunday, May 20th. All over the city, beer bars will be hosting events ranging from brewers nights, to beer style festivals, to dinner/beer pairings. Seattle Beer Week offers beer enthusiasts a chance to try new brews, celebrate old brews and share experiences with like minded friends. There is an event for everyone during Seattle Beer Week, weather you are into IPA's, stouts, sours, ciders, old world styles or wildly experimental brews. Head over to The Seattle Beer Week website and start planning your SBW adventure! As the date gets closer, we will take a more in depth look at the events that make up Seattle Beer Week.

Up next is the Life by the Pint 1 year Anniversary Pub Crawl! Yes folks, Life by the Pint has turned 1 and it's time to celebrate. May 12th will be an afternoon of friends, fun and brews as we walk the Burke-Gilman Trail sampling some of the cities finest beers. Starting at NWPeaks Brewery in Ballard at 2:30pm, we will move to Hilliard's Beer, Maritime Pacific Brewery, Hales Ales and end in Fremont at Fremont Brewing (with a little Mischief on the way?). For more information, follow us on Facebook and Twitter @lifebythepint.

Last but not least of the events to add to your calendar is the Washington Brewers Festival, put on by the Washington Beer Commission and held at Marymoor Park. The largest of the Washington beer festivals, and my favorite, this gathering of brewers and beer lovers takes place fathers day weekend and showcases the exciting micro brew climate of Washington State. Sample top notch brews from such favorites as Black Raven, Boundary Bay, Foggy Noggin, Skookum and Iron Horse Brewery. If you go to one beer festival this year, let it be this one. Well organizing, well executed and well brewed, this beer event will prove a memorable Fathers day for any brew lovin' dad.

So, that's what's on the frothy, frosty horizon of the Seattle beer scene this spring. All three of the events covered above will be dissected further by Life by the Pint in future posts, so be sure to check back on receive more info, and don't forget to follow us on Facebook and Twitter @lifebythepint. .

Keep the pints cold and the ale fresh!

Cheers!

(post and photos by Dean Westling)