Seattle Breweries Hosting Vaccine Pop-up Clinics with Discounted Beer

From free doughnuts and gift cards, many places across the U.S. are trying to incentivize people to get COVID vaccines, and Seattle is no exception. On Friday, May 14, two local breweries — Figurehead in Queen Anne and Burke-Gilman Brewing in Laurelhurst — will host pop-up vaccine clinics run by the Seattle Fire Department. Those who are of age can get a discounted beer (for around a buck) with their shot — or, if younger than 21, then a free non-alcoholic drink at Figurehead and free ice cream at Burke-Gilman. The Figurehead-adjacent clinic runs on Friday, May 14, from 3 p.m. to 4:45 p.m., and the Burke-Gilman one is on the same day, from 5:15 p.m. to around 7:00 p.m. No appointment necessary.

The $1 beer offers are not quite as good as the free beer push in New Jersey, but it’s as close to gratis as Washington law allows. Washington Beer Blog is also keeping a running tab of other local breweries planning to host pop-up vaccination clinics with similar incentives, including Crane’s Castle Brewing in Bremerton starting next Thursday, May 20.

Meanwhile, Dick’s Drive-In is offering free cheeseburgers for University of Washington staff and students who get vaccinated at Madrona Hall (earlier in the week, the fast food chain had hosted mobile vaccine sites in Lake City, Queen Anne, and Wallingford, with free burgers). For the non UW crowd, Fremont Coffee Company is offering free coffee and a treat for the first 50 customers who get a shot at a nearby clinic (462 N 36th Street) today, May 13, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; popular ice cream purveyor Salt & Straw is giving out scoops from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. at Marvin’s Gardens in Ballard; and Husky Deli has West Seattle covered on Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Junction parking lot.

All sites mentioned offer Moderna, Pfizer, and the J&J vaccines, and an updated list of small businesses participating in the city’s incentive effort can be found here.

“We know that Seattle’s road to recovery starts with vaccinations, and we won’t be able to truly reopen and gather safely until the vast majority of us are vaccinated,” said Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan. “If you’re near Ballard, Fremont, or West Seattle, drop by, get your vaccination, and support a local small business.”

• Vaccine Clinics at Local Breweries; Get a Shot, Get a Beer [Washington Beer Blog]
• Get Vaccinated in Your Neighborhood and Shop Your Block [Seattle Office of Economic Development]