Elysian has three locations, all in Seattle, though they also do some brewing out of New Belgium in Fort Collins, Colorado. The three Elysian pubs are Elysian Fields in SoDo near the baseball and football stadiums; Tangletown near Greenlake; and the flagship brewpub on Capitol Hill at the corner of Pike and 13th Ave. Here’s a shot of Elysian Capitol Hill at night:
The Capitol Hill location is in the heart of Seattle’s most, um, diverse neighborhood where weirdness is celebrated. Capitol Hill always makes me think of Dr. Hook’s rendition of Shel Silverstein’s “Freakers’ Ball” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGLERfPg178).
The Elysian sign outside includes a Greek ruin, a raven and a tree beside a body of water:
Not sure what all the elements of the sign mean, but Elysium – or the Elysian Fields – was one Greek concept of the afterlife, specifically the place of heroes. Though other places bear the name, I assume that Elysian Brewing seeks conceptual association with the place of immortal heroes rather than La plus belle avenue du monde (the Champs-Élysées in Paris). Their Immortal IPA and Perseus Porter confirm that assumption, as does their winter brew, Valhalla, named after the Nordic equivalent of Elysium.
I’ve been to Elysian Capitol Hill only a few times, but stepping inside the place always feels like coming home. In fact, the very first time I walked through the doors I knew I had come to my kind of place. The sweet smell of malt, the casual atmosphere, the rough-hewn timbers and the industrial concrete flooring combined to welcome me, as did the pleasant-enough staff. It has the warm, rich, rustic feel of a classic PNW brew pub that puts me at ease every time.
The pour list is always impressive
Unlike the beer, the tap-handles are sorta ho-hum. The Maneki Neko doesn't fit at all, which makes it fit just perfectly. This is Capitol Hill, after all.
Coasters are hops-centric. So are some of the ales, of course. The Immortal is a classic Northwest IPA; Avatar Jasmine is a good scented/flavored IPA. In my fridge right now I have a bomber of their Idiot Sauvin brewed with elusive Nelson Sauvin hops, and I'm looking forward to popping the top on it this evening. Though I tend to go for the hoppy brews, Elysian does a little of everything and has a very diverse line-up that runs the gamut from pilsner to stout. From their humble beginnings with The Wise (an ESB) to trippy collaborations with New Belgium and a royal collaboration with Green Flash, the brewers at Elysian are real leaders in the PNW craft community. It's always nice to find a successful ('successful' = readily available at Safeway) micro-brewer that continues to work at the craft, and Elysian definitely does that. Though deserving of laurels for heroic brewing, they haven't yet taken to sitting on them!
Note the distinctive Rainier R at 10 o’clock. Rainier was Seattle’s brewer of industrial pilsner/lager from 1884 until the late 1900's. Though no longer brewed in Seattle and never associated with craft brewing, Rainer is iconic enough in Seattle to be offered at Elysian.
Random notes:
Excellent food is available at Elysian, so figure on having lunch or dinner with your ale.
The place can get really crowded, especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
Parking is almost always a challenge, but persistence on the side-streets will eventually pay off.
Capitol Hill address and phone: 1221 E Pike St, Seattle, WA 98122; (206) 860-1920
All things Elysian: http://www.elysianbrewing.com/index.html
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