Sun and Beer at the Slippery Pig

The Slippery Pig has been a place that Chad and I have been meaning to visit for quite some time now. All of our friends have been there. We've had their beer at a festival and tasted it via many a growler. But we had never taken the trip to their tasting room.

 

When you see this - you know you're there!

This past Saturday was the day. A yuck kind of a day - the kind of day you think "today would be better with a beer."

Only having a vague idea of its location - Chad and I found it pretty easily. People mention a long dirt road - yeah, people aren't lying.... the brewery is at the end of a long, dirt, RESIDENTIAL road - but its well marked and at the end of it (so just keep going).

We were surprised by how inviting the place was. Its on a farm (which I knew cause I'd seen the Brewer and his wife at the Poulsbo Farmers Market working their Red Rooster booth) and there was a real, covered structure over the tasting area (we heard rumors of just a tarp...).

We met this GREAT couple there - talked the whole time - and took each others picture :)

We ordered the only thing that makes any sense at a new brewery - the flight of beers. It came with 5 beers and one cream soda (which I got added with a simple request). The 6 - rather large tasters - came to our table on a cool little tray, with little cards naming and describing each beer.

I feel bad... but I don't remember all of their names... BUT I do remember they were all VERY odd beers. I use the term 'odd' endearingly. The Slippery Pig does something I respect to the end of time - they use what they grow. Literally, harvest from their farm and use it to brew to my glass. A farm to table kind of place. Some examples: They had a Rhubarb Session Ale, a Quince Saison, an amber with Kale and another with juniper/cedar - but most uniquely - ok... I admit that Quince and Kale are unique - Curly Tail Stinging Nettle Pale. Yeah. This beer had the earthy, almost grassy, notes of stinging nettle, harvested right there off their property.

All of their brews had very common theme as far as taste - strong and odd. They were all very forward tasting, very obvious notes of what they were made of. For me, they were slightly overwhelming. There was one that had a smoked flavor (I think it was the cedar one) and I could taste nothing else after trying that beer (luckily is was last). I liked the nettle pale, Chad didn't. I also liked the quince one, again though, Chad didn't. Luckily, he liked the other three... while... you guessed it... I didn't.

The cool thing is - it seems their beers are always changing. Hopefully its a very seasonal place, using what is available to flavor their current batch. I would love to come here every season and taste what they have to offer. They are by far the most -interesting- brewery I have ever been to. I love the setting - having a beer next to a pig pin and their home with kids playing in the grass, is just wonderfully inviting. And OH! Their cream soda is sweet, and delicious!! DELICIOUS!

I highly recommend visiting the Slippery Pig - especially on a sunny day with a good friend.