It might help that the BA is right downstairs from my apartment, but I stop in all the time. The owner and most-time beertender, Barry, is a true expert and knows his product well enough to give a useful opinion on just about everything he carries. The bottle selection is small compared to some of the other places in Seattle, but he brings in a lot of great beers. The rotating draft selection is usually quite excellent, and the recently upgraded bar is a great place to sit and have a few pints. The charity events and brewery-hosted tastings draw a crowd and are always enjoyable. Stop by and support Barry so he can expand his beer empire!

The reason to come here is Barry. He’s the owner and an awesome guy. He raises money for charity, his tastings are in 10z glasses not just little sips, a great bartender, dead on recommendations, and if you live/work in the neighborhood you get a discount. Beer Authority has all your usual NW beers and normal Belgians but because of lesser known distributors, The Beer Authority carries 750ml versions of Belgians that you can’t find at other bottle shops in the area. Their growlers to go are cheaper than every bottleshop i’ve been to. Kegs are cheap and Barry will help you figure it all out if you are n00b. Sounders are on the plasma as well as other sports events.

Plenty of coolers, plenty of stuff in stock. Given all the bottle shops in Seattle, this place is really just another dot on the map. They take care of the product, they offer draught beer, prices are fair, but there’s nothing about the selection that would really make a hardcore geek jump up and down. A great supermarket like Central Market or Whole Foods will take care of you almost as well most of the time, and special releases probably won’t stray in here without stopping elsewhere first and in greater quantity. In short, it’s fine if you’re in the neighborhood but not really worth the trouble of driving out here unless you’re fiendish about connecting all the dots. Which probably says more about me than it does about this place. Heh.

This place is awesome! Tons of local and international brews. Tastings every Tuesday & Saturday. Local brewers as well as several from Colorado stop by for special events. Barry (the owner) is knowledgeable, friendly, and always helpful. If he doesn’t have something you want, he’ll do everything in his power to get you what you’re looking for. Large selection of German Hefeweizens, English Ales, and some of the Pacific Northwest’s finest beers. You CANNOT go wrong with The Beer Authority!

Very knowledgeable, very friendly staff. They offer tastings several evenings of the week. Each tasting showcases a different style, and there are usually three samples. Very wide selection, organized by region.