When newcomers come to Dirty Couch, their first comments must be: this is weird. The green garage door is unmarked, oddly situated next to a Trader Joe’s in Ballard, Seattle. I mean I must have walked by it numerous times before finally spotting the entrance. I might have given up, but I had to see if rumors of this place were actually true.

To give you a bit of context, Dirty Couch is the type of brewery whose mythical name precedes it. Locals will tell you that in order to try their beer, you have to:

A) Be lucky enough to eat at a local pizza place when they’ve got a keg.

B) Be lucky enough to hit up a local bottle shop when they’ve got some in-stock.

C) Be lucky enough to get the head brewer’s number. And then arrange a visit. And then hope he’s not too busy hammering oak barrel plugs into place.

Or, D) Be able to actually find the front door … and have someone answer it.

After moving through steps C and D, a guy with shoulder-length hair answers my knocking, shovel in one hand and bottle of Irregularity Blackberry Sour Blonde in the other. This is how I meet Shaun. And this is how I discover the rumors about Dirty Couch are 100% true.

Shaun gives me a tour and more importantly, he gives me a taste of that Irregularity Blackberry.

I made it on a fluke! Shaun tells me. He’d gotten a load of blackberries from the local farmer’s market while skimming local yeast off of fruits. When those tangy berries and wild yeast were aged in Oak on a Sour Blonde Base, it created a flavor like funky, real-fruit Sangria made with sparkling wine.

Whether you’re trying to get your hands on a bottle or a keg pour, the effort is entirely worth it. Too bad you can’t get the full image of Shaun and his shovel to go along with it. But trust me, the beer makes enough of a statement.

Rated 4.09 on Untappd

Cellarable for special occasions but more than ready to drink now!

Cellarable