Entry 8: The Most Epic Part of the Journey

Location: Seattle, WA

Brewery: Epic Ales

Reason: We had time before the Mariners game

We have been told that some things are about the journey and not the destination. In that spirit, we decided to take a great trip to the most Epic of breweries. Epic Ales is not a brewery in and of itself, the beer is brewed in the same building as, and sold at Gastropod brewpub. The brewpub is a collaboration between a brewer and a chef, and its fitting, since Gastropod is all about fusion.

I was pretty excited when we got here. I liked the cozy atmosphere and as I scanned the list of beers on tap I really wanted to try things I'd never had. I ordered a sampler of the Rosy Cheeks Pale Ale, The Mojito Pale Ale,The Wildest Mild, and the Horatcha. The Rosy Cheeks and The Wildest Mild were both good, drinkable beers. I liked the Rosy  Cheeks well enough to order a pint. The other two were a little too interesting for me. The Mojito Pale was not bad, the heavy citrus influence made me think I was drinking a wheat ale, which I was not personally crazy about. The Horatcha.... was not good. I had high hopes for this but it more or less tasted like the apple cider vinegar and cinnamon tea that I make from time to time, not exactly my idea of a great beer.

While I appreciate the creativity and I was really excited to give these beers a shot, there is something to be said about having a well crafted IPA on tap.

That said, the food was GOOD. We didn't eat a lot while we were there but we ordered a couple of curry lamb chops which they prepared in the open kitchen in front of us. We also watched the chef prepare rabbit meatloaf and there were Tom Yum Clams on the menu I fully intend to come back and try.

The beers may have been a little too experimental for me, but I enjoyed trying something different here. The staff was friendly and helpful, the food was good and there were a couple beers I liked. I would return to the Gastropod and I would recommend it to a friend who enjoys fusion, but I'm only going to give this place a 6.5/10. I probably would have given them a higher score if there had been a couple simple, solid beers on tap.