Populuxe Brewing was the second stop on our list. Given the fact it was clear that we shouldn’t (and frankly probably couldn’t) visit all of the breweries in Ballard, I pushed for it based on this: my neighbor and friend C. said that it’s her favorite brewery in the neighborhood and I believe in recommendations. 

C. did not lead us astray. Populuxe was great.

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It was everything we wanted. The beer was very good. There was a food truck parked in back. The patio was large and there was the ever popular game: corn-hole. We shared one end of a picnic table with a group of three guys and played 4+ games of corn-hole. What’s more? There were bowls of pretzels and peanuts to snack on as well.<!--more-->

The outdoor space isn’t fancy but it was perfect. Plenty of tables—some with umbrellas some without. When we were there it was busy but not too busy.

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It was an interesting mix of people. Small groups of people were sharing tables and a larger group had pushed two tables together. Some people standing around drinking beer and others were playing corn-hole. There was even a woman working on her laptop. Oh and there were also plenty of dogs and toddlers.

The yard of Populuxe is made up of gravel and this was a really big hit with the under 3 crowd. They were also pretty interested in corn-hole but for the most part their parents kept them out of the line of fire. Not that we were going to purposefully hit a small child with a beanbag.
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The beer at Populuxe was very good. I had the American Blond and it was love at second-sip. The first sip didn’t win me over and between sip one and sip two I lamented not ordering the IPA but by sip two I was a happy camper. The blond was crisp and light-perfect for a sunny day outside.

My friend K. had the NW Wit and she really enjoyed it. It was smooth and easy to drink. R. went with the sour beer Precipitation Porter-Sour.
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He reported that he’s getting really into the sour beers. I haven’t yet been won over by the sour beers. I had some of his and I liked it okay but it was hard to imagine drinking a whole glass. I think that I need to give them a shot—I need sour-beer tasting night. 

Now Populuxe doesn’t look like much from the sidewalk but I am happy to report that it is now one of my favorite Ballard breweries too.