That's not a growler. THIS is a growler...

How, in all our years in this city, have we missed Elliot Bay Brewing? I guess "missed" isn't the right word. We knew it was there, but the joint is unassuming, and I think they like it that way. Easy to overlook, but impossible to forget.

After an afternoon strolling Lincoln Park (and finding our destination bar closed for the holiday) we stepped in. We ate the finest happy hour grub ever... delectable pulled pork sammiches and a pile of homemade 'slaw for $4.99. That's $4.99 for two sammiches, chappy. We bellied-up with the locals. We sampled all the brews, and we took our favorite home in a growler.

This vessel is now the crown jewel of our small collection. Screen-printed labels? You've been outclassed. Stickers? Step aside. This growler has set the bar, and it is colored gold, chappy. 2009 is the year of gold. And yes, I'll stop calling you chappy.

The beer's good... brews ranging from meh to m'awesome. We took home the very tasty IPA, and were just as happy to leave the stout and weizen behind. The beer was just a sidenote to the atmosphere, anyway... "West Seattle's neighborhood brewpub" is vintage 1980's Cheers, set among the drugstores and cookie-cutter retail of California Ave.

Everyone seemed to know each other, but not in the "we sit here all day and stare at our whiskey" way of sadder watering holes. More like, "Hey, here comes Joe. How was the snow today, Joe?". And to the kid weaving his way between tables and barstools, "What's up, buddy? Sure, I'll come explore with you in a second."

Gold. And bacon.