Counterbalance Brewing Company

Two words: samsparilla stout! Boozy root beer minus the sweet. As always delicious beer and outstanding service. A must try… something for every taste here but seriously try the samsparilla stout.

Fantastic beers, all around. The bartender, Deirdre, is an absolute peach and really knows her stuff about the beers on tap, as well as the whole brewing process.
My favorite beers are the Abigale blonde and the Pogo Duck ISA; the ISA is smooth and flavorful. The free pretzels are also the perfect bar snack.
Definitely worth checking this small craft brewery out! What a great place.

My husband and I have been exploring a lot of local breweries since we moved to Seattle and I think we may have found our favorite!
This place has great beers, great service, and a cool laid back attitude.
Getting there– it’s pretty easy to find, but has a smaller parking lot. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of street parking if you don’t find a spot in the lot.
Drinking there– we tried the flight because all of the beers sounded great! There were 8 on tap, the IPAs were great and I’m not a wheat beer fan, but the summer wheat was very drinkable. After the flight, we each settled on the tap and got a chance to chat with the owner Jeff which was great! I love getting to understand the Brewers and their goals with the beer.
Eating there– they have pretzels! I heard they have food trucks every once and awhile and they are working on getting some small bites too.
Leaving there– we had to, but we will be back and we have heard they are extending their hours!

They make awesome beer at Counterbalance but I prefer to drink it anywhere but the brewery. The gal behind the bar has zero personality, she sits on her laptop the entire time.
I absolutely loooooove the ISA, I can drink it all day long. The Variable 113 IPA and Bad Wolf are also very good, they actually don’t have a single bad beer here. Thankfully they distribute pretty well so I see them often enough on tap.

Went here on a tour, it was awesome. Brewers/​bartenders have always been super friendly and the beer is quite good.

This review shouldn’t carry much weight as I only had three different tasters and one wasn’t theirs. Granted, the Russian imperial was excellent. Flavor and texture was spot on.

Another great brewery to add to our growing list of craft microbrews in Seattle! Counterbalance is located in Georgetown off of 5^th and Michigan. It’s small, but the brews they have are pretty good. There’s several tables and seats inside and outside, plus a tasting bar.
We came on a hot, hot (over 90 degrees) summer day to check this place out. We sat at the tasting bar, and practically melted since it was so hot. But we were able to enjoy a pint of beer each. I had the summer wheat and hubby had the cycle path, which was dark like a stout, but tasted like a saison. There were only a few brews listed (6 – 8). We didn’t see a hot dog stand nearby as other reviewers eluded to, but that’s Ok, we just had really ono Hawaiian food close by. The Seattle Road Dogs Brewery Tour bus came by while we were there, so it got busy pretty quick.
We were still full from lunch and we had just visited another brewery, the next time we come through I think we’ll opt for the tastings, just so we could get a more encompassing taste of their selection. The ISA and IPA looked pretty promising…

Great beer. Currently 8 on tap after only being open 3 months. One of the owners, Jeff, was as passionate and knowledgable as you’d expect from an owner of a nanobrew. They’re dedicated to their craft and it shows in their beers.
It felt like a Denver CO brew by being in a random /​hidden industrial location and the minimalist environment. I love that! Dedicated to beer — expect great beer — don’t expect compensating theme/​trinkets/​food — sure if you want pretzels you can munch. Don’t think that’s a negative — that’s exactly what I want out of a microbrewery.
Their summer wheat was superb and flavorful. I’m not an IPA guy, but being an east coaster in the heart of IPA country I ordered it and fell in love with their flagship. It’s smooth, without the crispy aspirin taste you’ve come to expect in IPA — underlying citrus with a pine backend that finishes as something you could drink on a warm afternoon.
They do collaborations with local up and coming breweries so don’t be surprised by something out of the blue. Better than «guest taps» because they’re essentially experimental.
Disclosure — I’m not a local and I was only in the area a few days. This was an absolute gem. There might be other places in town but this was 100% worth stopping in at if you’re into beer.
If I come back in the winter I expect the best peanut butter porter of my life.

Great microbrews. Had the infused dark ale. It was very nice. A little place on the corner on 5^th and Michigan. Great location from my work and it’s near Georgetown.

A new brewery that recently opened in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. I lucked out because normally the brewery closes at six but there was an Artwalk going on in the area and they were staying open longer.
I got two beers here since I was in a craft beer drinking mood. I got their IPA which was awesome! It wasn’t too bitter but had a great signature to let you know that you are drinking an IPA. I also had a great blonde as well.
Service is good and the location is cool… definitely worth a return trip.

Wow. These guys have got a bright future. I met two buddies here last night for a beer after a bike ride. We got to sample a few different beers and then we all got a pint or two. Jeff, the Brew Master/​owner is a great guy to talk to about beer and other topics.
Now onto my favorite beers. I liked the Kushetka Imperial Stout alot, and the Pogo Duck ISA was great. My second favorite was the excellent Counter Balance IPA, and I’d say the best beer there (for my palate) was the BAD WOLF Dark Ale.
There is a great Teriaki place (I Luv Teriaki) a stone’s throw away, and they don’t mind a bit if you bring in some carry out. CounterBalance is worth the drive (or bike ride) to Georgetown!

Straight up good microbrews. Five ales and a stout. Good swag prices. Nice bright space features Equinox art. Great logo.

Great place for a fine craft brew, i enjoy the free pretzels, they keep ya drinking! Northwest style ipa I s delicious

I really like these guys. They’re in kind of a cool little spot off Michigan, which is in the Duwamish floodplains south of the city, but they still managed to get themselves overrun with customers. They’re juuust close enough to Georgetown to pick up a little bit of overflow, maybe? They certainly deserve it – they are pouring some great beers.
You pull in on a less-​busy side street just a door or two down from busy-​ass Michigan. Plenty of parking, big reclaimed industrial warehouse space. Wide open parking lot more designed for tractor trailers than cars, so there’s tons of space. Long metal wheelchair ramp, short drilled metal stairs.
Inside, there’s more open space – sensing a theme here? Couple dozen tables, small bar in the back with a dozen stools. They have 8 taps, with five of them pouring on the day i was in. All house beers, mostly anglo-​american stuff – big and small IPA, big dark strong ale, imperial stout. All good, with the imperial stout (Kushetka) being pretty spectacular.
The staff here are super friendly and fun, nice people. They run a smooth operation and clearly enjoy having people there to drink – they’re not just in the business to show off the brewing skills, they really dig the crowd, too.
Prices here are very fair, and they definitely fill growlers. I did not ask if they can fill corny kegs or offer kegs to go, but their beers are definitely worth having on tap at home if you have the need.
There’s a rad hot dog stand in the parking lot, which also takes credit cards, and you can bring your dog into the taproom. Everything about this place makes for a fun, easy visit for the beer geek.

Had a great time on our first (of hopefully many) visits to Counterbalance. Start with a flight so you can try each of the beers the offer, you won’t be disappointed. Both owners (Jeff and Frank) were onsite and made time to chat even though the place was packed. Jeff made sure we were well taken care of and even set us up with Frank to get a tour of the production facilities, very cool. Left with a growler of their Bad Wolf (my current favorite of their beers) and some apparel. A new operation but already one of my favorites.
P. s. Seattle’s best hot dogs were available outside and went spectacularly with the beer!

Just Opened and looking like good beers to come so get on down to try out the beers and you won’t be disappointed!
NW Brew Tours

Welcome to the world you beautiful little brewery! These gentlemen just opened and know what they’re doing, 4 beers on tap currently, every single one is more solid than Sam Jackson’s irrefutable word on what or what is not a snake on a plane. Come drink their beer, what else are you doing today besides looking at cat pictures on the internet?