Duo of Breweries in Edmonds

American Brewing's owner and brewmeister, Neil Fallon and Skip Madsen, were already selling kegs on grand opening day.

This past weekend marked two special events for Washington beer lovers: first, the eagerly anticipated grand opening of American Brewing (and beers from its brewmeister Skip Madsen) in Edmonds, and the Washington Beer Open House, sponsored by the Washington Beer Commission. More on American Brewing below, but first about the open house:

Thirty-plus breweries from Bellingham to Puyallup and Spokane to SoDo opened their doors Saturday in a coordinated effort to bring awareness and beer drinkers to the taps of Washington breweries. All events were free and open to the public. Some breweries, like Black Raven Brewing in Redmond tapped special casks for the event, others, like Diamond Knot Brewing in Mukilteo, offered tours. Look for more open-house events like this--perhaps monthly--in the future.

I headed to Edmonds, which now has the distinction of having not one but TWO breweries: Gallaghers' Where-U-Brew and American Brewing. And they happen to be located right next door to each other.

Housemade creations and brewery staples on tap at Gallaghers'.

Gallaghers', opened in 1995 by Dennis and Sandy Gallagher, is a wine and u-brew facility that serves several of its finely crafted beers on tap. It's packed most evenings and weekends with home-brewing enthusiasts, many of whom are brewing regulars or members of the "mug club." As you walk in the door, your olfactory senses are treated to the sweet aroma of malted grain that permeates the space. My eyeglasses immediately steam up as well. Batches of beer gurgle in the half-dozen copper kettles, and the bottling station clangs with activity as customers bottle their creations, after it's spent two weeks or so fermenting in the chilled walk-in.

For about $160, you can brew a batch of beer from their recipe book that has over 50 original creations from light lager-style beers to rich, creamy stouts. One batch is 13 gallons, which works out to about five cases (you can also take away your beer in kegs). Their most popular beer is Galley Mac--an ale with a rich amber hue and a bright hoppiness, thanks to the trio of Willamette, Cascade, and Columbus hops. Some brewers at Gallaghers' bring in their own recipes or adapt the existing ones. The brewmasters on staff are knowledgeable and generous with their advice.

Gallagher's just moved to a new, larger facility in the Harbor Square complex adjacent to the train tracks, near Edmonds' waterfront. They are open Tues.-Fri. 2-8 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. In addition to pints for sale, they also fill growlers to go. Along with their new neighbors, American Brewing, they are helping make Edmonds a true beer destination.