First year celebrations last August 12th–15th, 2016!

If you’ve ever been to a brewery, you’ve likely spotted a sophisticated beer drink or two. But what really makes someone a beer snob? It’s about more than having high standards and refined palettes (those these certainly do help). If you embody at least a few of these characteristics, you just might be a bonafide beer snob.

You’re not just picky about what you drink.

You’re also a stickler about what your friends drink. In fact, you likely base your friendship choices on their beer preferences. Which is probably why you’ve been spending more time on Untappd than documenting the latest pour you tasted on Instagram.

You could never choose a favorite craft beer.

And why should you? It’s much more fun to create a list of craft beers you’ve personally evaluated, categorized by clarity, taste and mouthfeel – which you’re always happy to rattle off to anyone who asks.

You scoff when someone says all beers are the same.

Whether you sniff before you sip or you get right to the tasting, it’s clear to you that every beer is different. Heck, you could probably tell the difference between a Belgian and an Imperial Stout just by smell or mouthfeel alone.

You only throw beer tasting parties.

There ain’t no party like a beer tasting party – and preferably with at least one beer your friends haven’t tried yet. In fact, you probably never attend so much as a barbeque without your own craft beer in tow, just in case the “canned” selection isn’t fit for a discerning palette. Especially if they’re the light variety.

You get excited about beer releases.

And you don’t blink at driving two hours or more just to see what’s new on tap. Or even to check out a newly opened beer bar or brewery. Because the journey is always worth it when the destination promises to deliver.

You know which glass pairs with which beer.

And you wouldn’t be caught dead sipping anything from a mason jar (let alone a can, which is just beneath you). There’s an art and science to matching the right pour to the right glassware. There’s a reason why pilsners, steins and tulips were made for specific beer styles. Get it right, people.

You’re known for making our own beer at home.

Let’s face it, there’s nothing you like bragging about more than being your own craft brewmaster. And submitting your artful flavors to local beer tasting contests. And daydreaming about one day having your brew featured in a cask at your favorite local brewery…

Hops to It

Think you’ve got the makings of true beer snobbery? Tell us how you stack up in the comments.

Located in Gilman Village, The Black Duck is definitely different than anything else in Issaquah.

While there are plenty of 21 and over dive bars, these are also places where patrons go to fill up on cheap booze. But you won’t find the everyday mill-of-the-road generic beers here.

At our neighborhood pub, it’s all about our customer’s experience: great food, great service, great music – and of course, great beers.

And we truly mean our beers are great. We can honestly say there isn’t a dud on the list, which we’ve narrowed down to 17 of the finest. Because “in matters of taste, there can be no disputes.” When we order beers, our goal is to make sure they’re highly rated and preferably local (though we may feature a non-local beer if it meets our high standards).

Just like with our beers, we’re pretty picky about our food, too. You’ll never dine on any freezer-to-fryer foods here. We put a lot of thought behind every dish we create and every menu we list on our menu.

As for the atmosphere, our pub has a restaurant feel that also brings a welcome level of comfort. Our level of service is kind of a hybrid between restaurant and pub, or what you’d find at a higher-end steakhouse. At the end of the day, our focus is on making sure everybody is happy.

We had a pretty successful turnout at our grand opening, and we’ve been full every night since. People know us mostly by word of mouth, yet we push around 200-300 tables a night. And so far, we’ve found that our guests really appreciate the design of our pub and the uniqueness of our hybrid service style.

 

 

About Gilman Village

Decades ago, a group of unwanted buildings had created an eyesore for the old farming and mining town of Issaquah. But in 1972, that all changed when as the buildings were saved, one by one. They were soon repurposed into Gilman Village, a specialty shopping center that brought its fair share of tourism to the Issaquah community.

Visiting here became an experience for families who wanted to get away “to the country.” Parents and kids would come from around Washington to shop at the quaint retail stores and lunch at local eateries.

Today, Gilman Village serves as a major Issaquah landmark. It features a mix of independent shops, local restaurants and personal services, with some places having popped up more recently and others having been in operation for decades.

Hops to It

Haven’t been by our neighborhood pub yet? Sneak a peek at our online gallery and see what we’ve been up to. Or you can check out what’s on tap.