Seattle Beer Week Pop-Up: The Lost Abbey

In Illa Brettanomyces Nos Fides reads an eight-foot sign hanging over the entrance to the barrel room of The Lost Abbey in San Marcos, Calif. It’s a Latin phrase that, translated precisely, means “in this place we have faith in British fungus.” Less literally, it means “in wild yeast we believe,” which is a fitting mantra for one of the most celebrated brewers of sour ales in the U.S. Inside the barrels contained in that room, billions of yeast and bacteria cells are churning, changing the liquid inside to sought-after sours such as Red Poppy and Cuvee de Tomme. Because Brettanomyces and other funky strains take so long to impart their most unique aspects onto a beer, many of these barrels won’t see the light of day for years.

Today marks the launch of Seattle Beer Week. More than 200 events are scheduled over 10 days, including several “Pop-Up” happenings at Peaks and Pints. Today, from opening and close, Peaks and Pints presents Seattle Beer Week Pop-Up: The Lost Abbey with five of the California brewery’s craft beers on tap.

Named the Best Small Brewing Company in the world at the World Beer Cup when it opened in 2006, The Lost Abbey has continued to excel, especially the avant-garde, Belgian-inspired The Lost Abbey component. Acclaimed master of barrel-aging Tomme Arthur crafts sour, Brettanomyces-spiked, and liquor-laced beers of mind-boggling diversity. Peaks and Pints will pour Tomme Arthur’s take on the Flanders red ale, Red Poppy, his bourbon barrel aged sour cherry Cuvee de Tomme, his 2015 Angel’s Share barrel aged strong ale, his 2016 Track 10 bourbon barrel aged imperial stout with cocoa nibs and coffee, and his 2018 Serpent’s Stout, an imperial stout with deep roasted malts, cocoa, coffee and a touch of vanilla.

Peaks and Pints will host several Seattle Beer Week Pop-Up events featuring notable breweries visiting Western Washington during Seattle Beer Week’s 10-day run.

SEATTLE BEER WEEK POP-UP: THE LOST ABBEY, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday, May 10, Peaks and Pints, 3816 N. 26^th St., Basecamp proctor, Tacoma, no cover