Magnolia Is About to Get a Huge, Popular Brewery Known for Sours

Beer fans in Magnolia are soon in for a treat. After a year of anticipation, popular Ballard brewery Dirty Couch Brewing — known for its mixed-fermented sours — is finalizing details on an expansion to the area, including its first taproom, for late-April. The new spot will be located just off of Gilman Ave W, near Urban Family Brewing (so there will be some competition right off the bat).

According to co-owner Frank Swiderski, the Magnolia space is more than five times that of the Ballard facility, which has been solely used for production since it opened in 2016. Among the beers available from the start at the new taproom will be fan favorites Inflection Bourbon Cherry, Donut Return and Irregularity Blackberry, along with a new concoction: Tayberry Gin Saison, a bourbon barrel-aged beer. Swiderski also revealed that Big Time brewery would be collaborating with Dirty Couch on an IPA. “We’ll have about 6-7 new beers ready to come out in quick succession once we can package over in Magnolia,” he says.

While food options may be limited at first (expect bar snacks such as pretzels), Swiderski hopes to reach out to food trucks or look into pre-packaged items in the near future. As for the vibe, don’t expect it to stray too far from the ethos Dirty Couch has emphasized since landing on the scene three years ago.

“It’s comfortable and down-to-earth. It reminds you of college,” co-owner Rob Nelson told City Living Seattle last year. “The beers we are making are a little hoity-toity, snobbish. We don’t want to be that.”

Once the Magnolia facility is open, production will immediately shift from the Ballard brewery, which will now be used for specialty projects after some upgrades.

• Dirty Couch Brewing [Official]