Friday 13th of July 2012 08:49:27 AM

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From the website:
"From its home in beautiful Olympia, Washington, Fish Brewing Company has been hand-crafting ales of Northwest proportions since 1993. Founded by Crayne and Mary Horton and a few dozen local investors, Fish began operations humbly. With a 15-barrel brew house, two 15-barrel fermenters, and one dairy tank, we brewed for our neighbors up and down Puget Sound. Growing steadily since, Fish is now an award-winning craft brewer with distribution throughout the great Pacific Northwest and beyond."

Later the company moved to produce some of the first commercially available organic beers and are moving toward making all of the beers organic. They also do some contract brewing for other brewers and have a line of ciders. Interestingly the cider production has to all be done in a separate area of the brewery on separate equipment due to wierd alcohol laws.

This was the first stop on my first organized beer tour in Washington state, and took about an hour on the bus from the Bellevue Hyatt. On the way there, we had some beer trivia with homebrew prizes and exchanged brewing disaster stories, MC'd by a local homebrewess. Our tour guides were actually investors in the Fish Brewery, hence were very knowledgeable about the place.

We started with a guided tour of the production facility, housed in a cool historic building. The guide gave some pretty fun explanations of the brewing process and was quite animated for 10:30 in the morning! The storage warehouse used to house a 50's sock-hop and had some pretty funny old grafitti that the company decided not to mess with.

We had a few minutes to grab some sausage and beer samplers at the Fishbowl pub across the street, where the original small brewery was located. The organic IPA was quite good, and all the beers were tasty. I would certainly recommend a visit if you are in Olympia, but maybe not worth a trip all the way from Seattle.

Friday 15th of July 2011 04:52:34 PM

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This person needs 3 or more reviews on the site for their scores to start counting.

I went here with my college student daughter for dinner and they wouldn't serve us. So, I don't know how the beer or the food is. The place was packed, but this is not my idea of a "pub", when they won't serve the public (food) even if you aren't having beer. They may have good beer and food, but I won't know because I won't be going back, ever.

Wednesday 19th of May 2010 05:46:17 PM

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Wow! Great beer & food. Place is hopping too. Had 5 beers they offered including a hand pulled cask condition porter that was spot on! The other 4 included the Fish Tale Wild Salmon Pale Ale, Amber, Blonde, and the IPA all exceptional. I also tried the fresh oyster Po'Boy & pub made fries, hit the spot and complimented the beer. Fish Tale Brewpub (yes the name is Fish TALE, not Tail. Check their web page) is across the street from the Fish Brewing Company in Downtown Olympia, WA. Worth a stop, just one heads up, it is a 21yrs & over establishment. Thank you wacked out blue laws.

Tuesday 14th of October 2008 09:06:33 AM

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The home of Fish Tail Ales, Leavenworth Beers and Spire Mountain Ciders; the brewery operation is just across the street from their comfy brewpub. As described below, the nice U-shaped central bar is surrounded by a variety of seating. There were a dozen taps split between Fish and Leavenworth brews plus another 3 taps for their ciders and a cask offering. I enjoyed both the Mudshark Porter and a Trout Stout. The menu includes an array of unusual burgers and sandwiches, many featuring seafood or exotic meats. There is plenty of parking nearby.

Tuesday 2nd of September 2008 08:11:06 PM

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Had a nice time here. A great small hole in the wall type place. A bit of a off the main road trip but it was a great place. We had some good food and the beers where awesome. Stop and have a good time with the locals. They have Free WiFi and the outside seating they added can bring you a smile when the weather is nice. They will have tons of beers on tap and the great food is really worth it. Must try the Ostrach burger. Yum Yum.

Sunday 11th of May 2008 03:14:45 PM

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Much bigger inside than it appears from the outside (it has expanded considerably in the years since it first opened). Wooden tables throughout and a comfortable couch seating area in addition to the seating at the bar (which extends into the room so you can sit of any of three sides). There’s also a nice skylight in the middle of the space.

Good range of beers, including both Fish and Leavenworth (bought by Fish but some recipes continue). A number of the Fish brand beers are organic.

The food is good with a few unusual choices and it’s well made, including (appropriately for the name of the place and for being on Puget Sound) a number of seafood dishes. A good place to refill your growler, as it is quite inexpensive.

Sunday 2nd of September 2007 07:45:11 PM

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Located a coupla miles off I-5 & from the state capitol buildings, Fish Brewing is well known in Washington climes...and the Fishbowl is an acknowledged gathering spot for the locals...and for several reasons.
#1 - there are NO TV's anywhere. Don't look for 'em.
#2 - the music is NOT turned up to just below a decibel level of pain but it is on, softly to act as it was intended, background.
#3 - you MUST talk w/other patrons because that's why this pub exists!
Here is a community that comes together to discuss politics, religion, beer, sports, what ol' Mrs. Connor did the other night...in other words, whatever subject comes up. And it's done w/o rancor. It's townfolk informing one another & sharing their life...in this big city (Olympia) of over 200,000 the Fishbowl offers an opportunity to be among new friends.
Their menu is extensive w/prawn tacos, falafel, hummus plates - even an Ostrich burger and of course, their beers are 1st rate all made from organic ingredients and include: Salmon Pale Ale, Organic Amber, Organic IPA, Blond Pale, Mudshark Porter, Catfish Brown, 50 Fathoms ESB, Trout Stout, Old Grumpy BarleyWine & Old Woody They also carry beers once brewed by the now-defunct Leavenworth Brewery (a Cascade Mountain tourist community decked out as a old-time bavarian village) including: Leavenworth Light, Whistling Pig Hefeweizen & Hodgson's IPA. So they is something to satisfy everyone's palate.
I like my ales so the Catfish Brown or Trout Stout are winners.
There's also a space in back surrounded by 3-walls that deadens the music & furnished with over-stuffed chairs and sofa for those who wish a bit of solitude. Sit & read or people-watch in comfort and waste...uh, I mean while away an afternoon in the company of friends.
Join the Mug Club, if you choose & get your own emblazoned beer stein & a discount on your drinks. Mug Clubber #134 Dave sat with us at the bar, drinking his Hodgson's IPA which, if they ever ran out he said, they'd have to up his Prozac dosage. "My Hodgson's then World Peace, that's my dream."
My kinda guy, Dave.