25 Best Washington Beers to Drink in 2026
Washington beer is inseparable from Yakima hops, but the state’s best breweries also excel at precise lagers, rich dark ales, seasonal pumpkin beers, and inventive non-alcoholic releases. This 2026 ranking gathers 25 packaged beers that show the range from Seattle and Burlington to Spokane.

Bodhizafa IPA
Brewed by Georgetown Brewing Company
Georgetown's modern Seattle flagship remains a benchmark for aromatic, balanced Northwest IPA.
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Bodhizafa layers mandarin orange, grapefruit, tropical fruit, and a flicker of pine over a lean malt base. Its saturated aroma and controlled bitterness explain why this Seattle flagship remains so dependable.
Drink it as fresh as possible in a clean tulip or IPA glass. Spicy fried chicken, fish tacos, and sharp cheddar all meet the citrusy hops without smothering the beer’s crisp finish.

Dark Star
Brewed by Fremont Brewing
Fremont's foundational imperial stout combines serious roast with unusual softness and balance.
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Dark Star leads with espresso, bittersweet chocolate, caramelized malt, and faint dried fruit. Oats round the texture, keeping the substantial roast and alcohol from turning the stout coarse or overly sharp.
Let the pour warm briefly in a snifter before pairing it with smoked brisket, chocolate cake, or aged Gouda. The rising temperature reveals malt depth that disappears when the beer is served refrigerator-cold.

Crikey IPA
Brewed by Reuben’s Brews
A Ballard-brewed IPA that connects classic Northwest bitterness with contemporary fruit-forward aroma.
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Crikey delivers grapefruit peel, pine, orange, and tropical fruit with enough clean malt to keep its bitterness composed. It reads as unmistakably Pacific Northwest without feeling stuck in an earlier IPA era.
Serve it fresh and moderately cold with a peppery burger, grilled salmon, or spicy wings. A wide-rimmed glass gives the hop aroma room, while fatty food softens the resinous finish.

Schwarz Lager
Brewed by Chuckanut Brewery
Chuckanut proves dark color need not mean heaviness in this precise German-style lager.
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Schwarz Lager offers toasted bread crust, cocoa, light coffee, and gentle herbal hops in a surprisingly nimble body. Clean fermentation keeps every dark-malt note distinct rather than muddy or burnt.
Pair it with bratwurst, roast chicken, mushrooms, or a pretzel with mustard. A tall lager glass showcases the ruby highlights and lively carbonation that make this dark beer especially refreshing.

Field to Ferment
Brewed by Fremont Brewing
A harvest release built around Washington hops moving rapidly from field to fermenter.
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Field to Ferment captures the bright, fleeting character of freshly harvested Washington hops: citrus peel, green resin, flowers, and a lightly grassy edge. The pale malt stays intentionally quiet beneath that harvest aroma.
This is a freshness-first beer, so choose the newest package available and drink it promptly. Pair it with grilled sausages, herb-roasted chicken, or simple pizza that will not obscure the hops.

Contact Haze
Brewed by Elysian Brewing
Elysian's hazy IPA favors juicy aroma and a smooth body while retaining useful structure.
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Contact Haze brings peach, orange, mango, and soft grain across a rounded body. Its bitterness stays restrained, but enough citrus pith remains in the finish to prevent the beer from tasting sugary.
Pour it into a clean tulip while the package is fresh, then match it with Thai curry, pepper jack, or a spicy fried-fish sandwich. Those flavors amplify its fruit without flattening the hops.

Pilsner
Brewed by Reuben’s Brews
A polished lager that gives malt, bitterness, and fermentation equal attention.
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Reuben’s Pilsner balances cracker-like malt and fresh bread with floral, lightly spicy hops. Firm bitterness arrives cleanly, then exits without roughness, showing how much character a carefully made pale lager can carry.
Serve it cold in a narrow pilsner glass with schnitzel, fried oysters, potato chips, or a fresh pretzel. Clean glassware matters here because delicate malt and hop aromatics expose stale residue immediately.

Fresh Hop Lush
Brewed by Fremont Brewing
The fresh-hop version of Lush turns Yakima harvest character into an intensely aromatic seasonal IPA.
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Fresh Hop Lush adds a just-picked green edge to the beer’s mango, citrus, and evergreen profile. The result feels vivid and seasonal, with aromatic intensity that packaged hop products cannot fully duplicate.
Buy it close to release and keep it cold; fresh-hop character fades quickly. Grilled pork, spicy tacos, and aged cheddar are sturdy enough for the hops while leaving the harvest aroma intact.

Robust Porter
Brewed by Reuben’s Brews
An award-winning porter that delivers deep malt flavor without imperial strength or excess sweetness.
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Robust Porter layers cocoa, caramel, roasted coffee, and dark bread into a smooth, medium-bodied pour. Its roast is assertive enough to satisfy stout drinkers but stops short of an acrid finish.
Allow it a few minutes to warm, then pair it with smoked meat, charred mushrooms, chocolate brownies, or nutty cheese. A nonic pint emphasizes the beer’s easygoing pub character.

Märzen Lager
Brewed by Chuckanut Brewery
Chuckanut's autumn lager showcases rich continental malt through exceptionally clean fermentation.
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Chuckanut Märzen centers toasted bread, biscuit, and restrained caramel rather than sweetness. Precise lager fermentation and a dry finish keep the copper-colored beer inviting through an entire stein.
Pair it with roast pork, grilled sausages, pretzels, or a sharp mustard. Serve it cold but not icy in a mug, allowing the layered malt aroma to emerge as the beer warms.

Winter Ale
Brewed by Fremont Brewing
A sturdy cold-weather ale where rich malt and Northwest hops share the same frame.
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Fremont Winter Ale combines toffee, dark bread, caramel, and a touch of dried fruit with citrusy, resinous hops. The hop structure prevents the strong seasonal malt profile from becoming cloying.
Serve it cool in a tulip alongside roast beef, glazed ham, aged cheddar, or bread pudding. Its higher strength rewards slower drinking, and a little warmth opens the caramel and fruit notes.

Hazealicious IPA
Brewed by Reuben’s Brews
A fruit-forward hazy IPA with enough finishing shape to remain lively rather than sweet.
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Hazealicious brings pineapple, mango, and orange across a soft, hazy body. Its fruit impression comes from hops rather than added sweetness, while a subtle pithy edge keeps the finish from drifting flat.
Drink it young in a tulip with spicy noodles, grilled shrimp, or a salty grilled cheese. Keep cans refrigerated, since warm storage quickly dulls the aromatics that define this style.

Night Owl
Brewed by Elysian Brewing
One of Elysian's defining pumpkin beers balances actual squash and familiar baking spice.
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Night Owl combines pumpkin with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and toasted malt in a firmly beer-like frame. The spice is recognizable without turning the finish into liquid potpourri or dessert syrup.
Pair it with roast turkey, butternut squash, pork chops, or ginger cookies. A standard pint at cool cellar temperature lets the spices open while preserving enough carbonation for balance.

Stay Frosty
Brewed by Reuben’s Brews
A cold-fermented IPA that pairs modern hop aroma with unusually lean, lager-like drinkability.
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Stay Frosty channels citrus and tropical hops through a lean, highly attenuated body. The cool fermentation and light grain bill sharpen the finish, giving the beer a distinctly crisper outline than most hazy IPAs.
Serve it fresh and cold with fish tacos, fried chicken, or a peppery burger. A narrow IPA glass concentrates the aroma while reinforcing the brisk carbonation and dry finish.

Grapefruit IPA
Brewed by Fremont Brewing
Real grapefruit intensifies the citrus already present in a classic Northwest IPA structure.
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Grapefruit IPA layers fresh grapefruit aroma and pith over citrus-forward hops, light pine, and clean pale malt. The fruit tastes integrated rather than candy-like because its bitterness echoes the hop finish.
Drink it fresh with ceviche, grilled salmon, spicy tacos, or goat cheese. Avoid an aggressively chilled glass; a modest rise in temperature makes the grapefruit and hop aromatics far easier to distinguish.

Fresh Hop Double Crush
Brewed by Reuben’s Brews
A high-impact harvest beer that compresses fresh Washington hop character into a double IPA.
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Fresh Hop Double Crush amplifies citrus, green resin, tropical fruit, and just-picked hop aroma over a sturdy malt base. Its strength adds warmth, but the harvest character remains the main event.
Choose the freshest can you can find and share it from a tulip with sharp cheddar, sticky ribs, or spicy barbecue. Time is the enemy of its vivid green-hop aroma.

Cucumber Lime Gose
Brewed by Fremont Brewing
A culinary gose that turns cucumber and lime into a focused, highly refreshing summer beer.
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Cucumber Lime Gose offers cool cucumber, vivid lime zest, gentle acidity, coriander, and a restrained saline note. The additions feel purposeful because the light wheat base gives each flavor room.
Serve it very cold with ceviche, oysters, tacos, or a cucumber salad. A stemmed glass preserves carbonation and focuses the fresh produce aroma, especially during warm-weather drinking.

The Great Pumpkin
Brewed by Elysian Brewing
Elysian's stronger pumpkin ale builds genuine squash and spice into a substantial autumn pour.
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The Great Pumpkin brings roasted squash, caramelized malt, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, and warming alcohol. Greater strength provides enough malt depth to support the spice rather than simply making it louder.
Pour it into a tulip and let it warm beside roast pork, pumpkin pie, blue cheese, or bread pudding. The generous alcohol and spice make a smaller, slower serving the most rewarding approach.

Apollo Squatch
Brewed by No-Li Brewhouse
A Spokane-brewed hazy IPA that delivers the Squatch series' fruit character at approachable strength.
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Apollo Squatch presents orange, peach, and tropical fruit over a soft grain base with restrained bitterness. At six percent, it offers the series’ juicy profile without the heat of its imperial siblings.
Serve it fresh in a tulip with spicy chicken, curry, or citrus-dressed seafood. Refrigerated storage protects the hop aroma, while a clean glass keeps the soft body from seeming heavy.

Imperial Squatch
Brewed by No-Li Brewhouse
A powerful hazy IPA that scales No-Li's juicy fruit profile into a slow-sipping imperial format.
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Imperial Squatch concentrates mango, orange, and peach in a full body supported by noticeable malt and alcohol. Its sweetness is substantial, yet enough hop character remains to keep the finish moving.
Split the can or drink it slowly from a stemmed glass with blue cheese, spicy ribs, or a rich burger. A few minutes of warming broadens the fruit while revealing its strength.

Juicy Squatch
Brewed by No-Li Brewhouse
No-Li's biggest hazy Squatch pushes tropical hop saturation into double-IPA territory.
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Juicy Squatch layers pineapple, mango, citrus, and rounded malt in a dense imperial hazy IPA. Its nearly double-digit strength shows, but broad tropical aroma prevents the beer from becoming one-dimensional.
Use a small tulip and pair it with spicy barbecue, pungent cheese, or a peppery burger. Freshness still matters at this strength, because fading hops expose sweetness and alcohol quickly.

Festbier
Brewed by Reuben’s Brews
A bright modern festival lager designed for full-steins drinkability rather than heavy caramel.
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Festbier emphasizes fresh bread, light toast, and gentle floral hops in a clear golden body. It is leaner and paler than old-fashioned American Oktoberfest beer, making the finish cleaner and more repeatable.
Fill a mug and pair it with bratwurst, roast chicken, pretzels, or alpine cheese. Moderate cold preserves the lager snap while still allowing its delicate continental malt aroma to emerge.

Party On IPA
Brewed by Reuben’s Brews
A hop-forward non-alcoholic option that keeps IPA aroma and bitterness in an easygoing package.
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Party On IPA delivers citrusy hops, light tropical fruit, lean grain, and brisk carbonation without standard IPA strength. Its dry outline helps the non-alcoholic beer avoid the wort-like sweetness that can plague the category.
Serve it very cold and fresh with tacos, pizza, or salty snacks. Because aroma does most of the work here, refrigerated storage and a clean, wide-rimmed glass make a meaningful difference.

Non-Alcoholic Orange Wit
Brewed by Fremont Brewing
A citrus-led alcohol-free wheat beer that favors classic witbier refreshment over imitation strength.
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Non-Alcoholic Orange Wit combines orange peel, coriander, soft wheat, and lively carbonation. The familiar witbier structure suits lower alcohol especially well because spice and citrus provide character without requiring a heavy malt base.
Pour it cold into a wheat-beer glass with brunch, grilled fish, salad, or soft cheese. A gentle swirl awakens the citrus, but leave sediment behind if you prefer a cleaner texture.

Punkuccino
Brewed by Elysian Brewing
Coffee and pumpkin meet in one of Elysian's most distinctive seasonal experiments.
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Punkuccino blends cold-brew coffee, pumpkin, cinnamon, and toasted malt into a roasty autumn ale. Coffee adds bitterness and aroma that check the squash and spice, producing a surprisingly coherent hybrid.
Let it warm slightly in a stemmed glass beside cinnamon rolls, chocolate cake, or vanilla ice cream. The pairing works best after dinner, when coffee roast and dessert-like spice feel intentional.
Keep your Washington beer trail going
From Seattle hop showcases and Yakima fresh-hop releases to precise lagers and richly roasted dark beers, Washington offers another worthwhile pour in every direction.