Great Notion Ballard is now serving hazy fruit-forward IPAs and culinary-inspired sours and stouts in Seattle.

Seattle’s Ballard neighborhood has gained yet another beer destination. When Great Notion Ballard officially opened at noon at the corner of NW 51st Street and 14th Avenue NW, it became Great Notion Brewing’s fifth location, and its second location to open in 2020, after the company opened a taproom on Seattle’s Airport Way South in August. For the time being, the new spot is only selling merchandise and packaged beer to go, but CEO Paul Reiter says that when COVID restrictions are eased again it will become an all-ages taproom with indoor and outdoor seating and full dining service. And although the menu hasn’t yet been finalized, Reiter says it’s getting close.

“We really wanted to launch a fried chicken / hot chicken concept, but with COVID we are working on something better suited for to-go,” he explains. “[We] landed on some amazing new sandwiches featuring our own bbq sauces, hot sauces, mustard sauces, etc., that have Great Notion beer in them, such as our carolina gold mustard sauce featuring Ripe IPA, or our maple ancho hot sauce with Double Stack [Imperial Stout].”

Great Notion began scouting potential Seattle locations in the summer of 2019, and while a single address in Ballard was the original plan, construction delays led the company to pull the trigger on a space in Georgetown first.

“A wine tasting room was going out of business and we had the opportunity to hop on it super quickly,” Reiter says. “The rent was decent, it was on a great street and it was available ASAP. So we said why not?”

Since launching with a Portland brewpub in 2016, Great Notion has sold all of its ales and lagers directly to consumers, eschewing traditional beer distribution channels. So with this second Seattle spot now open, the award-winning brewery is sure to strengthen its presence in a Washington market that hasn’t had easy access to the pastry stouts, fruited sours, and hazy IPAs that have excited beer drinkers for the past five years. 

Across the street from Reuben’s Brews and mere blocks from more than half a dozen other taprooms, Great Notion Ballard joins a thriving brewing district that continues to be a bright spot for the city. Like its Beaverton and Georgetown locations, Great Notion Ballard features 20 taps (plus cider and wine in cans), and between bar seating and table seating, will be able to accommodate 75 drinkers and diners at some point in 2021. A large vinyl decal mural depicting several Great Notion characters by label artist Chad Eaton adds color to the corner unit with windows on both sides. Longtime Great Notion employee Sam Johnson is at the helm as general manager in Ballard, with new hires to come in the months ahead. 

Reiter says that plans for the new year include direct shipping statewide to Washington residents, delivery within Seattle via DoorDash, “a badass new collabo with our friends at Cloudburst called Huge Deluge as well as some other Seattle surprises.” And besides his excitement to welcome people to the brewery’s newest outpost, he’s also eager to introduce new features to the Great Notion app. Fans shouldn’t be too surprised by the many goals that Reiter and his co-founders, James Dugan and Andy Miller have set for themselves however. The trio has been nothing but ambitious since day one. 

“[We’re] finally rolling out some awesome games, augmented reality, [and] Instagram filters on our app for people to unlock and [we’re] also launching some new levels that folks can reach,” he reveals. “You will shortly be able to bring a few of our characters to life!”

GREAT NOTION BALLARD - 5101 14th Ave NW, Ste. 101 Seattle, Washington

Originally published December 24, 2020, updated February 25, 2021.