The Beer and The Bars

By now I think its fairly well established that I enjoy my beer. My days of a continuous hangover are hopefully well behind me now but there's nothing better than being able to sit down with a pint, a notebook relax and who know, get chatting to someone. Its even better when there's a new beer or 2 to try!

Seattle is actually well known for its Microbreweries (as are Vancouver and Portland, the next 2 destinations on my hit list) and its almost harder to get away from them than it is to find them. My first evening in The Emerald City had been a beer tasting extravaganza in Collins Pub where a whole host of tasty beverages, unknown and untried by my tastebuds were unexpectedly awaiting my approval. Bizarre names abound, it was the Flying Dog Wheat that hit the nail on the head this time around.

This, I was discovering, was only the tip of the iceberg. I'd wound up meeting a bunch of people from all over the place whilst back at my hostel that first night and together we wound up at the Pike Brewery, a bar come restaurant with its own Brewery attached. An array of beery delights awaited us again and from the menu we selected a couple of their rather odd sounding ales to try out. 2 large pitchers were placed down before us and the beer tasting began!

Places like this seem to add an extra edge when it comes to going out to the pub. At home its always been the same 3 or 4 beers on top, a pint of the usual and all that. The sheer variety adds so much to the experience. I'm learning to know what I like and don't a lot quicker now, learning about the different tastes and styles and enjoying my beer drinking far more.

Indeed the whole bar/pub experience feels so different to that of an English one. My status as a foreigner, always experiencing something different and in being so am an interest to others unlike I would be if I was local could be playing a huge part. That is something I will likely never know.

The bar scene, such as it is, seems to invite a certain randomness of events that would be unthinkable at home, especially is such a closed off environment as London. I'd decided to plonk myself in a bar for an hour or so not far from my hostel. The idea to just have a beer and catch up with some writing. I hadn't been in the bar for very long when a couple started talking to me. I remember very little about them although I still have the messages they wrote for me on a card at home, it was the simple act of talking that remains with me. They seemed totally unafraid to open up a conversation with a complete stranger in an environment that to me has always seemed closed off to that. They left to be replaced by three woman and once again, conversation started.

For the life of me I couldn't tell you any of their names and feel almost embarrassed that I cant but there's something about the way the events went that night that may well have me recounting the story till the day I die. The events themselves are actually quite trivial but in context it had a huge impact on me.

Sat talking to one of the girls they told me they were off to see some improv theatre across the road and asked if I'd like to join them. having only just met them less than an hour ago I was unsure but reminded myself that opportunities are there to be seized. Looking back now there is no question that I might the right choice in going. For the next couple of hours I proceeded to laugh my head off, relax and totally unwind, talk to some lovely, genuine people and do something I would never even thought about doing in Seattle!! It wasn't a tourist attraction, it wasn't really anything, just some half decent local theatre. It was, however one of the most memorable evenings of my trip!

We ended up going on from the theatre to the arcade, all of us rolling back a few years and having some fun! Again, just not something I ever would have done if it hadn't been for these three people and whilst its far from unique it was exactly what the doctor ordered. I'd been on the road for 2 months and it was the first time I went and just did something, well, normal. Its funny what sitting in a bar can bring you sometimes!