Aaron Giles

About Me

Beer Glassware Collection

I’m a big beer fan, which is of course rather on-brand for a Pacific Northwesterner. I actually never really enjoyed beer until I moved here, then cut my teeth on hoppy IPAs from Bridgeport Brewing (RIP) and Stone before discovering the rich local beer scene.

Beer likes:

Beer dislikes:

 

Glassware

I’ve long been a fan of visiting local breweries wherever I go. And if they have cool or memorable glassware, I cave and pick some up (much to the chagrin of my spouse, heh).

Fortunately they are not just souvenirs but also useful, as I always drink out of my glassware collection, cycling through them to ensure that they all get some use.

Having now accumulated samples from almost 80 breweries around the country, and also noticing that some of the logos are beginning to fade, I thought it would be fun to document them through photographs and a bit of history.

 

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From: Astoria Brewing Company
Location: Astoria, OR
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

The usual path to get to Portland from the Seattle area is to head straight south on I-5. However, if you take a little jog west just as you cross into Oregon, you can visit Astoria, OR on the Pacific coast, which sports several nice breweries. I remember this one as having a nice heavy wood bar and this glass with gold hilights (a bit hard to make out in the photo).

This wasn’t my first stop in Astoria, and I still had some driving to go, so I only got to have a quick taste of a couple of brews and then moved on quickly toward my final destination.

 

From: Ballast Point Brewing Company
Location: San Diego, CA
Acquired: 2019
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Another glass from our 2019 San Diego trip. This one was definitely acquired more because it was a neat design than anything, as I don’t have any particularly strong memories of the brewpub or the beer. The full-color graphics that wrap all the way around the glass are definitely unique.

 

From: Barhop Brewing
Location: Port Angeles, WA
Acquired: 2012
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Another glass I picked up on our trip to Port Angeles. I think this is where I first got the bug to start collecting glasses from breweries we visited.

These days, however, I’m a bit more choosy in my glasses (or else I’d have well over 100!), so I probably would have passed on this simple design.

 

From: Belching Beaver Brewery
Location: Vista, CA
Acquired: 2019
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Picked this up during our most recent visit to San Diego in 2019 from Belching Beaver Brewery in nearby Vista, CA.

Definitely a fun name and a cute—if controversial—logo. Beer was good too!

 

From: Bellevue Brewing Company
Location: Bellevue, WA
Acquired: 2017
Style: 20oz. Willi Becher

Bellevue Brewing Company was one of my primary watering holes for after-work meetups while I was still at Microsoft. It helped that the program manager I worked with most closely was related to one of the main bartenders there, so it was easy to get reservations or squeeze in during busy times.

This glass is one of their standard 20oz. glasses, though far from the only bit of glassware I have from them. For 3 years I joined their Mug Club and as part of that got lots of swag including several other glasses which I’ll feature in separate entries.

 

From: Bellevue Brewing Company
Location: Bellevue, WA
Acquired: 2017–2020
Style: 20oz. mugs

I joined the Bellevue Brewing Company Mug Club for four years, from 2017 through the start of the pandemic in 2020. Membership bought swag, a yearly mug, plus a small discount on growler fills, but mostly bought goodwill and support of a brewery that consistently made tasty beer and was nearby to my workplace.

Sadly, once I stopped physically going into work, it didn’t make sense to continue on, though I did try to visit during the lean years to fill up growlers and enjoy their perfect B.E.L.T. sandwich (bacon, egg salad, lettuce, tomato). A couple of years later, they moved to a new, less convenient (to me) location, so now I only get to visit occasionally.

 

From: Bellevue Brewing Company
Location: Bellevue, WA
Acquired: 2019
Style: Steins

As part of the Mug Club, I got the opportunity to visit for a few special events. The glass stein on the left is a smaller size, a mere 24oz. or so, while the stein on the right is a full liter in size, handy for holding a full squealer’s worth of beer in one go. (Though truthfully I don’t really use either of these glasses regularly!)

 

From: Bell’s Brewing
Location: Kalamazoo, MI
Acquired: 2024
Style: 16oz. Tulip

Bell’s Brewing is a pretty well-known and well-regarded Michigan brewery that even gets distribution out here in the Seattle area. Their Two-Hearted IPA is widely available, and a frequent buy from me at the store.

I visited their Eclectic Café in 2024 as part of a solo return trip to the midwest. Of course, I got to try a number of experimental brews while there, but most notable is that their menu featured french fries with the chef’s “super spicy” seasoning. As someone for whom even relatively intense spice seems mild, I of course ordered them, and by golly, those were actually the spiciest fries I’ve ever eaten. Well done!

 

From: Bend Ale Trail
Location: Bend, OR
Acquired: 2019
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint (silicone)

The Bend Ale Trail is a famous excuse to visit breweries in Bend, OR. I’ve actually done it twice, and this is the result of my first attempt: if you visited 10 breweries, you could check in to the local Chamber of Commerce and get a sili-pint with the Bend Ale Trail logo.

My first trip was weather-threatened, however, so I had to cut it short. This meant an aggressive schedule to get to 10 breweries, including crashing one brewery’s Christmas party so they could stamp my passport. I only felt a little bad (to be fair, it was dark outside and the door was open).

 

From: Bend Ale Trail
Location: Bend, OR
Acquired: 2022
Style: Taster

When I returned to Bend for my second run at the Bend Ale Trail, they had changed things up significantly. Instead of hitting a certain count of breweries throughout the city, they had divided the city into 6 distinct areas. If you visited all the breweries within each area, you would be entitled to a prize.

Given that I only had a few days to work with, I decided to focus on four of the six areas, and managed to hit all of the Badlands, Riverlands, Old Block, and Western Front breweries before I left. This netted me four of the six taster glasses, shown here.

 

From: Bevel Craft Brewing
Location: Bend, OR
Acquired: 2019
Style: 16oz. Tulip Pint

On my first trip to Bend to do the Bend Ale Trail, I stopped on my way into town by this brewery, which had only just opened up. To my pleasant surprise, they were sitting on a gold mine of my favorite styles, though I had to get most of it to go since I had many breweries to hit to get my Ale Trail prize, heh. I was so impressed that I made sure to stop again on my second visit, though their selection wasn’t quite so aligned with my tastes that time.

Incidentally, “bevel” here is a reference to Ultimate Frisbee, which the owners are apparently super into.

 

From: Big Island Brewhaus
Location: Waimea, HI
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Big Island Brewhaus was a nice stop in Waimea on the big island of Hawaii. Waimea itself wasn’t a destination, but we would pass through it when travelling across the island.

I remember this trip because our son was 5 and had been swimming up a storm at the hotel. But since he was quite the novice swimmer, he had ingested quite a bit of pool water, which culminated in some unpleasantness during our drive, shortly after we dined here.

 

From: Black Fleet Brewing
Location: Tacoma, WA
Acquired: 2022
Style: 16oz. Willi Becher

About once a year I like to head down about 45 minutes south and visit Tacoma, WA, which sports a number of fine breweries. One of the lesser-known ones that I particularly enjoy is Black Fleet Brewing, which sits just a couple of blocks away from many other more famous breweries. I kind of like the smaller feel of Black Fleet, plus they often have a CDA available when I visit in the fall/winter months, yum.

Picked this glass up fairly recently. It’s one of only a couple Willi Bechers in my collection that aren’t the larger imperial pint size.

 

From: Black Raven Brewing Company
Location: Redmond, WA
Acquired: 2023
Style: 16oz. Tulip

Black Raven is one of a handful of local breweries that you can find at most local restaurants. Their most well-known beer is their Trickster IPA, though I’m actually a bit more partial to their “alternative” Squawker IPA, which is hard to find outside of the brewery itself.

They have a nice taproom in Redmond that isn’t too far from the main Microsoft campus, so I would often organize beer outings here with my team once we returned to the office post-COVID. Sadly, I haven’t been back much since I left.

 

From: Bridge Port Brewing Company
Location: Portland, OR (closed)
Acquired: 2018
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Bridge Port IPA, along with Stone IPA, was my gateway into beer. Long before I discovered brewery tourism, I would pick up some Bridge Port and enjoy its hoppy bite. I realized on my second Portland trip in 2018 that I had never been, so I decided to check it out, only to discover that they were closing for good in just a few months.

While there, I also acquired one of the nicest growlers I’ve found, complete with a secure sealing top which is highly useful when getting beer to go!

 

From: Canoe Brewpub
Location: Victoria, BC (closed)
Acquired: 2008
Style: 16oz. Pilsner Glass

I honestly have no specific recollection of this brewpub, but we quite clearly did visit it during our one and only trip to Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The fact that it is advertising a wheat beer is particularly interesting, as wheat beers in general are not so much my style. Perhaps it was the wife (in her pre-gluten-free days) who opted to pick up this glass.

It appears as though Canoe shut down operations in 2021, reopening under a different name with a different owner, so I guess that’s all I’ll ever remember about it!

 

From: Coronado Brewing Company
Location: Coronado, CA
Acquired: 2009
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

This glass comes from a visit to the Coronado Brewpub during our first trip to San Diego back in 2009. I had only recently gotten into checking out breweries while on vacation, and at the time San Diego was well-known (largely thanks to Stone Brewing) as a great spot for beer.

You can tell by the rapidly fading logo that this glass has been through one too many wash cycles. In fact, it’s a big reason why I decided to start documenting the glasses before they break or fade away.

 

From: Diamond Knot Brewing
Location: Mukilteo, WA
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

When the kid was of the right age, we would often kill time on weekends by going to various children’s museums around the area. One of the more far-flung ones was up in Everett, Washington, and after experiencing several hours of intense sensory overload, we would frequently stop on the way home at Diamond Knot. Dad could get a nice pint to cool off with, while the kid could get some of their excellent in-house root beer on tap. A win-win for all!

Diamond Knot always had a nice selection of brews, and quite frequently had a Rye IPA, one of my favorite esoteric styles.

 

From: Diamond Knot Brewing
Location: Mukilteo, WA
Acquired: 2017
Style: 20oz. Dimpled Mug

In addition to their excellent beers, Diamond Knot also brews an in-house root beer, which was a great excuse to bring the kid to a brewery. This dimpled mug felt like the right vessel for root beer, which is why I decided to add it to my collection.

 

From: Dick’s Brewing Company
Location: Centralia, WA
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

This combination brewery/restaurant in Centralia, WA was a stop on the way back from one of my Portland brewery tours.

Dick’s is interesting in that it’s both a brewery and a deli, so when you visit you get to drink and enjoy great sausages and other deli staples. Not your typical taproom ambience, but good food and beer make it a worthwhile stop!

 

From: Dirty Bucket Brewery
Location: Woodinville, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2017
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

We visited this small tasting room on one of our local brewery tours to Woodinville, WA back in 2017. Woodinville is well-known in the area for its wineries, but it also sports a half dozen solid breweries as well.

Unfortunately, since our visit the tasting room seems to have closed. Not sure if it was gone pre-COVID or if it was just another unfortunate victim of the pandemic, but RIP.

 

From: Double Mountain Brewery
Location: Hood River, OR
Acquired: 2018
Style: 20oz. Tulip Pint

Double Mountain is one of two fantastic breweries located in the small town of Hood River, OR, just on the south side of the Oregon-Washington border. I’ve made the side trip out to Hood River on a couple of my Portland sojourns and had the pleasure of enjoying their beer on both visits.

Unfortunately their beer doesn’t frequently make its way up to my area too frequently, though occasionally I’ll spot a release and will of course jump on it immediately.

 

From: Fat Head’s Brewery
Location: Portland, OR (location closed)
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Fat Head’s is actually an midwest-based brewery, but I visited its short-lived Portland location in 2015, which is now since closed. I remember eating here and enjoying both the food and the beer, so I was sad to see that their west coast sojourn did not last long, especially since I’m from the midwest and always appreciate a bit of a taste from the home region.

This glass is out of rotation due to a chip on one side (visible in the photo). Again, a good reason to document my collection before more mishaps!

 

From: Formula Brewing
Location: Issaquah, WA
Acquired: 2022
Style: 20oz. Willi Becher

Things were looking pretty grim on the local brewery front after the Rogue Issaquah Brewhouse closed down, but fortunately a new player emerged on the scene in 2020. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic hit at the same time, and so this new brewery had a very “soft” opening during the pandemic. I visited frequently in a mask and with growlers in hand to stock up on their beers, which were concocted by a brewer they imported from Bend.

Once the pandemic restrictions lifted, the place got really popular and focused on food. For a while, I would avoid it because it was too busy. I also notice their beer selection is not nearly as interesting as it was when they were first open, but it’s still worth a visit now and again.

 

From: Fort George Brewery
Location: Astoria, OR
Acquired: 2022
Style: 16oz. Tulip

Fort George is probably the most famous brewery in Astoria, OR. Their Vortex IPA is pretty common even up here in the greater Seattle area, and they frequently have tasty collaborative beers available as well.

We stopped here for lunch on the way down for a stay on the Oregon Coast, our first family trip after the pandemic restrictions were loosened in 2022. It was crazy busy but with a little luck and a bit of aggressiveness we were able to nab a table at their pub.

 

From: Founders Brewing
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Acquired: 2024
Style: 20oz. Willi Becher

Founders is one of the two most well-known and widely-distributed Michigan breweries. Their All-Day IPA is quite commonly found locally and is a nice session IPA.

On my 2024 visit to the midwest, I took a long detour from visiting my father in the Detroit area and headed over to Grand Rapids to check out their brewery. Overall, quite a nice location, and had a chance to try out one of their rye beers, not widely distributed, which was very enjoyable.

 

From: Fremont Brewing
Location: Seattle, WA
Acquired: 2019
Style: 16oz. Can

Fremont Brewing is a popular Seattle-area brewery. They have a lovely “Urban Beer Garden” in the Fremont area of Seattle, which I’ve been to several times. It’s an interesting space, with good indoor and outdoor locations.

As far as their beer goes, their Interurban IPA is a solid west-coast IPA, but I might actually prefer their Lush IPA, which is a bit more seasonal. But pretty much can’t go wrong with any of their offerings.

 

From: Genesee Brewing Company
Location: Rochester, NY
Acquired: 2010
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Since the in-laws live in Rochester, NY, it is one of our most frequently visited locations. Genesee is the local famous brewery, though much more famous for its baseline cheap beer. However, as I’ve discovered over the years, these workhorse breweries are often worth a visit anyways because they frequently produce interesting craft-style beers in small quantities at their home base, and Genesee is no exception!

I particularly liked this glass because has a star pattern around the whole glass, which provides a nice grippy surface when you’re holding it. (Unfortunately my camera did not want to focus on the stars in the righthand photo, sorry for the blurriness.)

 

From: Georgetown Brewing Company
Location: Seattle, WA
Acquired: 2023
Style: 16oz. Tulip

If I had to name the most well-known breweries in the Seattle area, Georgetown would certainly be in the top 5. Most famous for their Bodhizafa IPA, which is available pretty much everywhere now, I actually remember being introduced to them through their companion Johnny Utah Pale Ale (and of course as a longtime fan of Point Break, I was pleased at the pairing).

I’ve only been to their pub a couple of times, but managed a fairly recent visit with some former coworkers and found it to be a right pleasant place.

 

From: Ghostfish Brewing Company
Location: Seattle, WA
Acquired: 2017
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

The wife and I used to enjoy breweries together quite frequently, but then she discovered she had quite a number of food intolerances including gluten, which put the kibosh on what she could consume without ill effects. Fortunately, there are several good gluten-free options around, including Seattle’s own Ghostfish Brewing, which exclusively brews gluten-free beers.

Overall, I don’t feel like I miss too much with gluten-free beer, and happy to have some company, though recently the wife has shifted to cider as her go-to for adult beverages, so we haven’t been back here recently.

 

From: Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade and Bar
Location: Portland, OR
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

One of my friends who also happens to be a co-owner of the awesome Ground Kontrol arcade in Portland picked up a laser etcher (as one does...) and then mysteriously asked me what my arcade high score initials were. A few days later I got a nice present for my 45th birthday.

(Glad he asked because I never used my initials ASG but rather the first three letters of my first name AAR because it was easier to enter.)

 

From: Half Moon Bay Brewing Company
Location: Half Moon Bay, CA
Acquired: 2017
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Picked this up while on a work trip. One of my favorite things in my waning years at Microsoft was attending the annual ARM TAB conference in the bay area. One year, we flew into SFO, and had some time to kill on the way back to the airport, so we took the scenic route and swung by Half Moon Bay Brewing for a bite to eat.

 

From: Harpoon Brewing
Location: Boston, MA
Acquired: 2023
Style: 16oz. Tulip

Harpoon Brewing is a Boston-area brewery that was convenient to the hotel we stayed in during the Summer of 2023. Unfortunately on that trip both the wife and I got COVID on day 5 of our 10-day stay, which meant we were trapped in the hotel with our son (who never caught it) watching anime while we quarantined. What a bummer!

The design on this glass actually goes all the way around, but it just repeats so I didn’t bother photographing the other side.

 

From: Heathen Brewing
Location: Vancouver, WA
Acquired: 2018
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

I’ve taken several brewery tour trips down to Portland, and on the way down, just as you’re about to cross the border into Oregon, you pass through Vancouver, Washington. At this point, it’s become tradition to stop at the Heathen Feral Public House either on the way down or on the way back. Eventually I decided it made sense to add one of their glasses to my collection.

 

From: Henderson Brewing
Location: Toronto, ON
Acquired: 2023
Style: Mini Tulip

This is one of the few breweries in my collection that I haven’t actually visited. My wife is a huge Rush fan, and when I met her I wasn’t really into them at all, but over the years I’ve become probably an even bigger fan than she is. So the combination of Rush + beer seemed perfect!

Unfortunately, you can’t ship beer very easily, so for Christmas 2023, she opted for the next best thing and got me this nice pair of mini tulip glasses. With Signals being perhaps my favorite Rush album, this particular choice was very well received.

 

From: Hyman’s Seafood/Holy City Brewing
Location: Charleston, SC
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

While visiting relatives in Charleston, we all gathered for a big family seafood dinner at local hotspot Hyman’s, which apparently had a deal to serve beverages from local Holy City Brewing. I recall it being pretty good!

I remember the timing of this trip was rather unfortunate, as the racially-motivated mass shooting at the nearby Emanuel AME Church had just happened a few days prior. My memories of the trip are highly colored by the protests and outrage of the time.

 

From: Ice Harbor Brewing Company
Location: Kennewick, WA
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

For a couple of years I participated in the Midsummer Music Retreat in Walla Walla, WA, which is a good 6 hour drive from where I live. Needing to stop along the way for sustenance, I decided to check out this small brewpub in Kennewick, WA. Apart from having amazing fried pickles, they also had a nice selection of tasty brews.

I believe this glass was secured during my second trip in 2015.

 

From: Inside the Five Brewing Company
Location: Toledo, OH
Acquired: 2024
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

On my last visit to my hometown of Toledo, I don’t recall seeing this brewery at all. But on my most recent visit, they had at least 3 different locations open, including a huge multistory beer hall and brewing area. I came during a relatively quiet time, but they must be doing well!

I picked up this glass mostly because it had a bright orange logo on it, and orange is my favorite color. Also not a color frequently found on beer glassware! (They had glasses available in other colors as well.)

 

From: Iron Horse Brewery
Location: Ellensburg, WA
Acquired: 2014
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Another one of my absolute favorite glasses. I’m honestly unsure why using tinted glass isn’t more common, as it creates a real nice look that reminds me of the tinted votive candle holders often seen in churches.

Iron Horse is best known for its Quilter’s Irish Death ale, but when I stopped by on my way home from Walla Walla in 2014, they were featuring “Gary”, a double IPA that was also quite nice. Apparently it was also their 10th anniversary.

 

From: Kelly’s Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery
Location: Key West, FL (closed)
Acquired: 2010
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

During our one trip to Florida we visited the Everglades and then spent a few days in Key West. While there wandering the neighborhood of our hotel I found this restaurant that also featured its own in-house brewery. On top of that, they had a black IPA, which was quite unusual to find outside of the Pacific Northwest.

I ended up visiting several times and have good memories of hanging out there, though I see it is no longer around. I do love finding unexpected little places like this!

 

From: Kona Brewing Company
Location: Kona, HI
Acquired: 2008
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

This glass comes from our first visit to the big island of Hawaii, before our son was born. There aren’t all that many breweries in Hawaii, but apparently it’s my goal to hit most of them, judging by how many glasses I’ve acquired from them, heh.

Turns out that in recent years Kona Brewing has become much more widely available, as I can find it quite reliably in my local grocery stores these days. But at the time, it sure felt exotic!

 

From: Lagunitas Brewing Company
Location: Seattle, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2023
Style: 16oz. Jar

Lagunitas is a well-known and broadly-available brewery from California, but did you know that Lagunitas Brewing opened up a Seattle taproom a few years back? Neither did I, until I caught wind of its imminent demise at the end of 2023. Needing little more than the excuse of checking it out before it disappeared, I arranged to meet up with a former coworker just a couple of weeks before they shut their doors, and managed to snag some glassware.

This glass is definitely one of the more unique I own. It’s more of a mason jar style, with embossed graphics rather than printed. Their beer was pretty good, as I recall, so I’m sorry to see them go.

 

From: Mac & Jack’s Brewing Company
Location: Redmond, WA
Acquired: 2005ish
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Probably the Seattle area’s most ubiquitous brewery, you can pretty much count on finding its excellent African Amber ale at any alcohol-serving restaurant in the area. I’m not a big wheat beer lover, but their Serengeti Wheat is also quite tasty.

This glass has an interesting history. When I was at Microsoft working on the original Hyper-V, one of the senior team members had a kegerator and would often have it stocked with Mac & Jack’s for happy hour. As a frequent customer, one day he was randomly gifted an entire case of glassware by the brewery to go with his keg, so all of us present that day managed to secure a glass. This one served me well through many years of beer-o-clocks, and only came home with me when I finally left the company in 2022.

 

From: Maui Brewing Company
Location: Kihei, HI
Acquired: 2023
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

This glass comes from our most recent trip to Maui in February 2023. (Sadly, this was just a few months before the wildfires consumed downtown Lahaina.) Since we stayed in Kihei, I visited the beer garden there.

I’m definitely a sucker for glasses with more than just a simple logo, so having designs on both sides is probably what convinced me I needed to have it.

 

From: Mehana Brewing Company
Location: Hilo, HI (closed)
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

When we visit the big island of Hawaii, we usually stay a night or two on the touristy Kona side, but our favorite location is actually the more laid back rainforesty Hilo side, with its amazing waterfalls and lush tropical vegetation. On our last visit, I was excited to find a teeny tiny tasting room from a Hilo-side brewery, so of course I had to check it out.

Unfortunately the brewery as it existed seems to be no more, though its old location appears to have been taken over by a new brewery, Hilo Brewing Company, so at least I’ll have someplace new to check out next time we’re there!

 

From: Monkless Belgian Ales
Location: Bend, OR
Acquired: 2022
Style: 16oz. Tulip

I’ve now done the Bend Ale Trail twice, and one brewery that I knew I had to revisit on my return trip was Monkless Belgian Ales. Both times I’ve visited, they have had one of the best Cascadian Dark Ales I’ve encountered, along with a great atmosphere and a heavenly poutine plate that still makes my mouth water just remembering it!

Maybe on my third visit I’ll venture out and try some of their more traditional Belgian styles, heh.

 

From: Naked City Brewing
Location: Seattle, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2018
Style: 20oz. Willi Becher

Naked City was a Seattle-based brewery and tophouse that was conveniently located in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood. This was right near where I had regular choir rehearsals, so it was a frequent stop to meet up with people before or afterwards.

I heard about their closing at the end of 2018 and decided to pay a final visit, where I picked up their 10th anniversary glass. Sadly, 10 years was all they got.

 

From: Natian Brewing
Location: Portland, OR (closed)
Acquired: 2019
Style: 16oz. Tulip Pint

Natian was a small microbrewery I discovered on one of my first Portland brewery tours. Located on the east side of the Willamette, it was in a slightly less brewery-dense area, but during my first visit I found many excellent styles and spent quite a lot of time chatting up the owner/head brewer there. I managed to visit at least once more, but on a subsequent visit with the family, I discovered to my sadness that they had just closed their doors.

I never quite figured out where the name Natian (pronounced like “nation”) came from, but I’m happy to have secured a nice glass and T-shirt while they were still in operation.

 

From: 99 Bottles
Location: Federal Way, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2011
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

99 Bottles was a great bottle shop down in Federal Way, Washington. I remember they were one of the few local places to get the Dogfish Head 120 Minute IPA back about 10 years ago, when it was much harder to get ahold of.

Sadly, they went out of business around 2016/2017. Federal Way is a bit of a jaunt from where I live, but honestly not a lot of good bottle shops that are closer, so their absence has definitely been felt!

 

From: No Boat Brewing Company
Location: Snoqualmie, WA
Acquired: 2017
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

No Boat is a quirky little brewery in nearby Snoqualmie, WA (home of the famous Snoqualmie Falls). I don’t often have occasion to travel that far east from where I live, but it’s worth its own trip now and again for a change of pace, especially once winter is past as they have a lovely outdoor area that’s great for just hanging out.

No Boat is also one of only a small handful breweries I have multiple glasses from (story to come later when the second one is documented).

 

From: No Boat Brewing Company
Location: Snoqualmie, WA
Acquired: 2021
Style: 16oz. Short Shaker Pint

This is one of my favorite glasses, and also the only one I’ve ever come across in this shape. It looks like a normal Shaker pint glass but it's a little less angled bottom-to-top, a little wider, and noticeably shorter than the standard size. Because of its dimensions, it is much less prone to knock over than the traditional form, yet holds the same amount.

I picked this one up during the COVID pandemic. No Boat has a really nice outdoor seating area where you could socially distance while still enjoying a beer. I remember a few frigid visits in winter when I just needed to get out of the house! (I had also forgotten that I already owned a glass from them, oops.)

 

From: No Li Brewhouse
Location: Spokane, WA
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Picked this glass up on my one visit to Spokane. Having driven all the way out to Walla Walla, WA for the Midsummer Music Retreat, I thought that maybe it would be fun to pop over to Spokane on the way home one year and check out No Li, whose beer was often available in the local supermarket.

Of course, Washington is still rather a large state, so this little side trip “on the way home” was still a 3 hour jaunt. Fortunately, the drive home from Spokane was more direct and faster than driving home from Walla Walla, so I did gain back at least some of my lost travel time.

 

From: Odin Brewing Company
Location: Tukwila, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Odin Brewing was a nice little brewery just south of Seattle in the Southcenter/Tukwila region. When we visited, they offered nice BBQ sandwiches and several tasty beers, but apparently they lost their lease just before the pandemic and tried to move to Tacoma. Unfortunately, once the pandemic hit, they struggled to maintain success and ultimately closed their Tacoma location.

It’s always sad to see a good brewery go. It seems there’s a small chance they could make a comeback, but for nice whenever I drink from this glass, I’ll raise a toast in honor of what was.

 

From: Optimism Brewing
Location: Seattle, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2020
Style: 16oz. Tulip

Optimism was an interesting brewery in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle, which I got to visit typically once a year as it was within walking distance of the venue where the Greater Seattle Choral Consortium held their annual meeting. After doing boring board stuff, we would frequently alight to Optimism for a beer and some discussion.

One interesting thing about Optimism was that it was a cashless venue with no tips, so you would walk up, order your beer, and the price was fixed. It sure made the process of ordering a whole lot smoother!

 

From: Patron Saints Brewery
Location: Toledo, OH
Acquired: 2021
Style: 14oz. Tulip

Visiting my hometown of Toledo, OH recently has revealed a small local brewery scene that’s been a nice change-up from the Pacific Northwest. One of my favorite “concepts” for a brewery has to be Patron Saints, which names all their beers after Catholic saints. But not just any saints; they seem to favor the saints whose names are plastered on all the local elementary and high schools. Having attended Catholic schools growing up here, I found it a hoot to see how they mapped beers to the different saints/schools I was familiar with.

I was hard into my tulip glass phase on my last visit, thus I had to get this once I saw they had one, even though it’s a smaller size (guessing around 14oz.)

 

From: Peaks Brew Pub
Location: Port Angeles, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2012
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

I’ll admit that it took me a fair bit of research to figure out where this place was and when I visited! Turns out we took a trip to the Olympia Peninsula in 2012, visiting Port Angeles among other locations, and must have stopped by Peak’s Brew Pub, which has long since closed, for a meal and some brews.

Clearly I don’t remember much from this trip. Our son would have been 1 year old, so honestly surprised we were even adventurous enough to plan a trip at that stage! I blame sleep deprivation.

 

From: Pfriem Family Brewers
Location: Hood River, OR
Acquired: 2019
Style: 20oz. Willi Becher

Pfriem is the second—and more famous—of Hood River’s two main breweries. They make an awesome Cascadian Dark Ale, which is sadly hard to find up here, along with several superior IPA styles. Their Dank IPA is my favorite, but they’re all quite nice, and at least their core beers are easily available where I live.

I’ve had the pleasure of visiting them twice now, and hope to make another trip in the near future to enjoy their harder-to-find selections.

 

From: Pike Brewing
Location: Seattle, WA
Acquired: 2011
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

This one is from The Pike Brewing Company, which lives within Seattle’s famous Pike Place Market. The wife used to work downtown, so between that and the occasional friend visit, we’d often find ourselves at the Market. After wandering (sheesh, I hate shopping), it was common for me to steer us toward getting some grub and a beer here.

Also, credit to The Pike for regularly producing—and canning—a black IPA (Octopus Ink), though interestingly it’s not showing up in their standard lineup.

 

From: Pints Brewing Company
Location: Portland, OR (closed)
Acquired: 2015
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

In 2015 I made my first of several trips to Portland specifically for brewery touring. Essentially, I would drive down and park myself at a hotel within walking distance of several breweries, and then walk around to visit as many as I could handle each day. Since I’m a bit of a workaholic, I’d of course bring my laptop and some tasks that didn’t require high attention to detail, heh.

Apparently Pints Brewing is no more, however. It seems that breweries come and go quite frequently here in the Pacific Northwest!

 

From: Port Townsend Brewing Company
Location: Port Townsend, WA
Acquired: 2012
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Port Townsend is a small town on the Olympic Peninsula which we visited shortly after our son was born. It’s long enough ago that I no longer have any specific memories of the taproom or the beer itself!

 

From: Postdoc Brewing
Location: Redmond, WA
Acquired: 2021
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Postdoc is a local brewery in Redmond, not too far from Microsoft, where I would occasionally hang out with coworkers. Apart from their basic IPA I haven’t really connected with many of their offerings, but the IPA is definitely a winner, so I can’t complain too much!

 

From: Project 9 Brewing Company
Location: Seattle, WA
Acquired: 2024
Style: 16oz. Tulip Pint

Project 9 is a relatively new brewery in Seattle that I’ve had the pleasure of visiting a couple of times now. It’s located in one of the few areas of the city I’m familiar with, being near both an old choir rehearsal venue as well as one of my former coworker’s homes.

I was intrigued by the glass because it’s a bit of an odd shape, mostly a tulip pint but with rounded edges at the bottom. This makes it feel a bit unsteadier than I would normally like but it has a nice feel in the hand.

 

From: Red Hook Brewery
Location: Woodinville, WA (location closed)
Acquired: 2008–
Style: Taster

Ah, the classic Red Hook brewery tour, a common stop in our early Seattle-area days when friends would come visit. Each tour would feature a walk through the Woodinville brewery, followed by a tasting at the end, where you would receive a small taster glass like these. Because in Washington state it’s illegal to give out beer for free, you had to pay $1 for the tasting, but then were generally encouraged to hang out and taste what you wanted.

Obviously there are several taster vintages here. Mostly I went with the wife and friends, so you would expect two identical glasses. However, at one of the tastings, the wife knocked her glass to the floor, to the astonishment of all, so that explains at least one of the singles.

 

From: Red Hook Brewery
Location: Woodinville, WA (location closed)
Acquired: 2013
Style: 14oz. Stange Glass

I’ve been to Red Hook many times, mostly with visiting friends who wanted to check out the popular brewery tour. At this point, I have enough glassware from them that it’s hard to remember which ones came first, but I’m fairly certain this is from my 2013 visit. I actually have two of them, so probably came with a tour.

I’ve tagged this as a large “stange” glass, but it is actually quite heavy-duty, with a heavy base and thick walls, so I’m not quite sure it qualifies. The Red Hook logo is embossed in the bottom rim of the glass, rather then being printed, so you have to squint a bit to see it.

 

From: Red Hook Brewery
Location: Woodinville, WA (location closed)
Acquired: 2017
Style: 20oz. Shaker Pint

This is yet another Red Hook acquisition, from their Woodinville pub, which was huge and awesome but sadly has closed in favor of returning to their Seattle roots. I know I paid a visit to this location shortly before it shut down for good, but can’t remember if I purchased the glass or “stole” it, as implied by the graphics on the glass.

Regardless, this thing is a beast! Super thick glass and noticeably larger than your standard pint.

 

From: Rogue Ales & Spirits
Location: Issaquah, WA (location closed)
Acquired: 2020
Style: 16oz. Nonic Pint

Rogue was a big part of my early brewery experience, being my hometown’s only active brewery for 17 years before they closed down in 2020. Based out of Portland, Rogue has several locations in the Pacific Northwest, but their Issaquah Brewpub was always a great place to hang out, and they made several very tasty varieties on site here in Washington. Their menu was solid and it was kid-friendly, so the wife and I ate there frequently, and it was also a fun place to hang out at after work with coworkers.

Unfortunately, their operations started to decline toward the end of the 2010s, and by the time they closed, the writing on the wall was pretty clear. I did manage to visit during their final weeks and picked up this nonic pint glass to remember them by.

 

From: Russian River Brewing Company
Location: Santa Rosa, CA
Acquired: 2011
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Russian River’s Pliny the Elder IPA is well-known among hop-heads as one of the classic all-time greats. Of course now its fame has been since eclipsed by other beers, but at the time we visited in 2011, it was still considered one of the holy grails. Sadly, we missed their elusive Pliny the Younger triple IPA—available only for 2 weeks each year—by one day that year.

Fortunately, at the time they were still selling in Washington, and the local Rogue Brewpub managed to acquire a small keg of Pliny the Younger the following year. I signed up to be one of 50 lucky ticket holders to finally taste it. It was pretty good, though not all that much better than his more common sibling. But at least I can say I tried it!

 

From: Salt Springs Brewery
Location: Saline, MI
Acquired: 2024
Style: 16oz. Willi Becher

Salt Springs is a brewery after my own heart. Located in a remodeled old Episcopal church, it retains the stained glass windows and open space of a church, while offering the ambience of a modern brewery. Their food was pretty good too!

Salt Springs is located in the small town of Saline, MI, where my father currently lives. Honestly, with such a cool brewery in the town, I’d say he picked a great location to retire to.

 

From: 7 Seas Brewing
Location: Tacoma, WA
Acquired: 2017
Style: 16oz. Can

7 Seas Brewing is probably the most famous of Tacoma’s many breweries. They have a very nice large taproom located centrally in the brewing district, and I’ve visited there several times. I’ve also visited their second taproom in nearby Gig Harbor.

I typically visit Tacoma once a year to check out local breweries and meet up with a choir friend, so 7 Seas is a common destination.

 

From: Seven Story Brewing
Location: Pittsford, NY (closed)
Acquired: 2020
Style: 16oz. Tulip

Seven Story Brewing was a cozy little location on the Erie Canal near Rochester, NY, where my wife hails from. I remember liking this place enough that I returned for a second visit during our trip in February 2020, and picked up one of my early tulip glasses (which has since become one of my favorite styles of glassware). I haven’t been back since the pandemic, and am sad to discover that they lost their lease and decided to close their doors as of 2023.

Glad I got the chance to visit while they were still around—they definitely had some solid beers and a great atmosphere!

 

From: Snoqualmie Falls Brewing
Location: Snoqualmie, WA
Acquired: 2013
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Snoqualmie Falls is a relatively famous local waterfall here in Western Washington, just a short 15 minute drive from my home in Issaquah. In addition to the picturesque waterfalls, there’s also a scenic railroad you can take out between Snoqualmie and North Bend, which was perfect when we had a toddler plus a visiting grandfather who was super into trains. This meant we would visit frequently in the early 2010s.

Fortunately, they had a local family-friendly brewery, so we’d often find ourselves enjoying a pint after a train trip and chasing after a highly energetic youngling.

 

From: Spinnaker’s Gastro Brewpub and Guest House
Location: Victoria, BC
Acquired: 2008
Style: 16oz. Stange

This is one of two glasses acquired during our one and only (so far) visit to Victoria, B.C. It’s been over 15 years since that happened, and I have very little memory of the trip at this point, and even less memory of where we ate and drank, so not much to add.

However, their glass is pretty nice, even if a bit hard to categorize. It’s not fully vertical, so it’s not quite a stange, but it’s also too tall and narrow to call it a Shaker pint. I called it a stange because it’s certainly closer to that style I think.

 

From: Stone Brewing/Arrogant Brewing
Location: San Diego, CA
Acquired: 2009
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Stone, alongside Bridge Port, was my gateway into enjoying super hoppy beers, and so when we visited San Diego in 2009, I knew I had to make a visit. It seems that at some point in the mid-2010s they decided to spin off Arrogant Bastard Ale production into a separate subsidiary, but there’s little evidence remaining of that venture.

I was excited that I actually had some Arrogant Bastard on hand for the glass photo, but unfortunately the beer was too dark to make out the text on the back, so I re-shot the right half with a lighter beer so most of it can be read.

 

From: Stone Brewing
Location: San Diego, CA
Acquired: 2019
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Although I originally picked up an Arrogant Bastard glass from Stone back during my first visit to San Diego, on our most recent visit I decided I needed a proper Stone Brewing glass. Stone was my gateway to hoppy West Coast IPAs, and I still love their beers to this day.

I only wish they’d bring back my beloved Self Righteous Black IPA! (And no, the occasional random “special releases” don't count!)

 

From: Stoup Brewing
Location: Kenmore, WA
Acquired: 2023
Style: 20oz. Tulip Pint

Stoup is a nice local brewery that always seems to have good stuff. I’ve visited their Kenmore taproom several times to meet up with a friend that lives nearby, and it’s a great location, though often quite busy.

This is an interesting glass shape, sort of halfway between a tulip pint and a Willi Becher. Not quite sure which category it belongs in!

 

From: Thirsty Hop
Location: Kirkland, WA
Acquired: 2021
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

This small bottle shop in Kirkland, WA, was recommended to me by a homebrewer singing friend, who sadly passed away just recently (in 2023). I’ve only visited a couple of times since Kirkland is a bit of a trek from where I live, but did have one of my first post-pandemic beer meetups there, since one of our other favorite bottle shops closed down.

Seems like recently they’ve added sushi as a food option, so perhaps I could convince the wife for a visit sometime in the future!

 

From: Three Heads Brewing
Location: Rochester, NY
Acquired: 2020
Style: 14oz. Tulip

Three Heads Brewing is another local Rochester brewery I discovered while visiting the in-laws. In fact, its location was less than a mile walk from their old house (which has since burned down, unfortunately), so it turned out to be a great escape for when family became a bit too intense.

I picked up this glass during our final trip before the COVID outbreak was officially declared a pandemic, in February 2020. It’s a nice tulip glass, but a little smaller than most of my others. At around 14oz. it still holds a can’s worth just fine, however.

 

From: Triplehorn Brewing
Location: Woodinville, WA
Acquired: 2019
Style: 16oz. Can

Triplehorn is yet another Woodinville-based brewery that I’ve visited several times. However, my main memory of Triplehorn was at the Washington Brewer’s Festival, which happens every Father’s Day. One year my wife offered to be my designated driver while I went.

You paid an entrance fee, which got you a 5oz. taster and 8 tickets. However, if you joined the Washington Beer Lovers group, they would give you 4 extra tickets, plus upgrade your sample glass from 5oz to 10oz(!) This was my downfall. I distinctly remember trying a bunch of beers, and Triplehorn had a lot of tasty but high ABV options, but not a whole lot after that. With 10oz pours and way too many tickets, I was faaaar from sober when I left.

 

From: 20 Corners Brewing
Location: Woodinville, WA
Acquired: 2023
Style: 16oz. Can

Been up to 20 Corners a couple of times, most recently in 2023 to visit with former coworkers. While drinking there I couldn’t help but admire the glass: even though it’s a can-style (not my favorite), it was printed almost all the way around with a nice topographical map relief. On top of looking pretty, it also served as a nice way to maintain a grip when the condensation starts to accumulate.

For being my least-favorite glass style, I sure seem to have a number of these can glasses!

 

From: Two Beers Brewing
Location: Seattle, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2018
Style: 20oz. Can

Two Beers Brewing was the beer half of Seattle Cider Company, and they used to have a really nice combined taproom, with one half dedicated to beer and the other half dedicated to ciders. This was a perfect location for the wife and I to visit, due to her need for gluten-free options. Two Beers was also awesome for canning their yearly fresh hop releases and having them available broadly for purchase at local super markets. Unfortunately, they closed their doors at the end of 2023, deciding to focus on the more popular cider half of their operation.

I picked up this glass on a visit in 2018, shortly after their 10th anniversary. I was mostly intrigued to find a “can” can style glass in an imperial pint size, so decided I couldn’t pass it up! I also liked the “tramp stamp” 10th anniversary logo on the back.

 

From: Uncommon Goods
Location: Online
Acquired: 2021
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

This was a recent gift (Christmas 2021) from the wife, who thought it would be a funny addition to the collection. Of course, I now use it as an excuse to say she’s responsible for encouraging me to acquire more glasses.

When asked why she dinged my Agility score, she admitted that she had to pick something that I wouldn’t get top marks for. Given the other two options, I guess I can live with that.

 

From: Upside Brewing
Location: Sylvania, OH
Acquired: 2024
Style: 16oz. IPA

Upside Brewing is a tiny little brewery located in Sylvania, OH, a suburb of Toledo. I stopped by on a whim during my 2024 trip and was intrigued by the glass enough that I had to own one. Apparently this is called an IPA glass, though honestly I’ve never been served a beer in one, even as a huge IPA fan.

Overall, the taproom I visited had a nice vibe, even though I wasn’t able to stick around very long. If you’re ever in the area, check them out!

 

From: Volition Brewing
Location: North Bend, WA
Acquired: 2020
Style: 16oz. Willi Becher

Volition Brewing is a nice little place in the heart of North Bend, WA. Of course, North Bend is most famous as one of the shooting locations for the TV show Twin Peaks.

The wife and I visited North Bend on a date night just before the COVID pandemic hit, and I was enamored with the nice artwork on this glass. I was also a bit intrigued at the size, as most local breweries that use Willi Bechers opt for the larger 20oz. size.

 

From: Washington Beer Lovers
Location: Redmond, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2016
Style: Tasters

The Washington Beer Lovers group was an organization that put on many beer festivals throughout the state. Prior to its suspension in 2022, it hosted an annual beer festival at Marymoor Park, in Redmond, WA, on Father’s Day. One year, I talked the wife into taking me (and being my designated driver), so I could check it out.

An entry ticket bought you a 5oz. taster glass (left) and 8 tokens for tastings. But if you joined the WABL, they would give you a 10oz. glass (right) and 4 extra tokens. And that’s where things went wrong for me during my one and only visit, heh.

 

From: Wild Earth Brewing Company
Location: Roslyn, WA (closed)
Acquired: 2014
Style: 16oz. Shaker Pint

Stopped by this small brewery in Roslyn, WA on the way to Walla Walla in 2014. Turns out it was a fortuitous visit because they had only just opened, and within a year had closed down due to not being able to keep with the demands of providing beer for their taproom.

A bit of searching online indicates that Wild Earth might be trying again in Bend, OR. Will have to investigate next time I’m down there.

 

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