Diamond Knot, Mukilteo

  Although this brewpub is just down the hill a couple of miles from the main Boeing plant, it draws its inspiration looking out to sea rather than up in the sky. From the logo,  a ship's profile on the top half of a ship's wheel, to some of the names (Icebreaker, Steamer Glide, Lighthouse), to the original location at the Whidbey Island ferry dock, the atmosphere is salt air. Their well-designed website says the building was originally a bus barn.  A bus would be a good way to travel there now with parking very limited and towing warnings posted all around the walls.

  Inside, the atmosphere is convivial and the food smells good.  I had the soup of the day with garlic bread slices.  My server figured their flagship brew would be the IPA; I tried their Industrial IPA (7.9 % ABV compared to 6 % on the basic version).  Perhaps using a word like industrial rather than Imperial is an acknowledgment of sorts of Boeing. Certainly when we use industrial in connection with beer many of us think of the big American lager makers. Speaking of which, the urinal in the mens' room here is a classic:

If you can view this picture in larger scale, you can make out Anheuser-Busch on the side of this cutoff keg.

  More brewing (about 70% of the total) ; is done at a second location, which they just call B-2, about four miles south in an industrial park. This is not a food service operation but they do have tasting hours.

(Visited 9/24/10)