Beer: Our truly unique selection

A trip down PCC’s beer aisle is a walking tour of the greatest and latest craft brews to emerge from the Northwest and beyond, each bearing a label more whimsical than the last, each a unique union of malt and hops that our beer buyers tasted, admired, then made sure to place in your orbit.

Local connections

PCC’s relationships with local breweries make us often among the first retailers to carry their latest creations. We’ve carried South Seattle brewery Schooner Exact’s Hopvine, 3-Grid IPA and Regrade Pale (34 oz returnable bottle) from the start (owner Heather McClung is a former West Seattle PCC employee!).

The newest buzz in our aisles

PCC’s obsession with what’s fresh and in season also extends to the content of our beer coolers. We update our selection at least monthly so there’s always something new to taste, including much-anticipated holiday and seasonal ales brewed by artisans at the dozens of craft breweries based throughout the Pacific Northwest.

“We don’t want to just put some brands on the shelf. We want the greatest, latest and best,” said Jeff Cox, who leads PCC’s wine and beer merchandising. “If it’s not good beer, it has no chance to get in our door.”

Often, more than half of the selection hails from Northwest breweries, from brewpubs like Olympia’s Fish Brewing and Mt. Vernon’s Skagit River Brewery, to smaller, family-and-friend run breweries such as Seattle’s Reuben’s Brews and Fremont Brewing, and Oakshire Brewing in Eugene, Ore.

Our commitment to quality and variety extends to our gluten-free shoppers, too. Look for tasty ales from Harvester Brewing, New Planet, New Grist and Bard’s.

Drink this!

Schooner Exact, Seattle
Hopvine IPA

We love these guys! It’s no coincidence that gr8 folks make gr8 beer, a fact to which this fine IPA is a testament. Think hops, baby — herbal, floral, piney, citrusy and grassy, infusing lip-smacking caramelly, tropical-fruit notes of sturdy malt. Way satisfying.

Hilliard’s, Seattle
Pils

Beer is a lot like music, the true test of style and skill is in playing softly — or having the patience to brew beer that’s crisp, balanced and fresh. This one’s a beauty, with brightly bitter hops and subtle malt perfectly entwined.

Good Life Brewing Company, Bend, Ore.
Descender IPA

The east slope of the Cascades in a can … piney, citrusy hops lead the way, with crisp, spicy, citrus-tinged malt aiding and abetting (adroitly). This is delicious, typically way-out-west IPA, with bet-you-can’t-have just-one deliciousness.

Reuben’s Brews, Seattle
American Rye

Is Ballard the new Center of the Universe? Open to debate, but there’s sure a lot of great beer from there. This one marries peppery rye with citrusy hop betterness in a beer that’s as refreshing as it is generously satisfying.