You can’t talk South Sound beer without mentioning 7 Seas Brewing. Founders Mike Runion and Travis Guterson opened 7 Seas Brewing in 2008, but a fire in January 2009 at the original downtown Gig Harbor address meant the two young beer makers and co-owners had to relocate. Popularity and growth forced them to move to a larger location back in downtown Gig Harbor. 7 Seas Brewing Co. now occupies the 11,000 sq. ft. former QFC grocery store with an 8,600 sq. ft. production facility and 2,400 sq. ft. taproom with long tables and outdoor seating in Gig Harbor AND an 80,000-square-foot expansive taproom, marketplace and production facility with 10,000 sq. ft. basement for barrel program in downtown Tacoma at a site that once held part of the Heidelberg Brewery. Along the way Guterson and Runion managed to be the first brewery in Washington to can craft beer, won “Best Brewery in the South Sound” eight years running by readers of South Sound Magazine and “Best Brewery in Tacoma” by the Weekly Volcano. Today, Peaks and Pints presents a flight of 7 Seas we call Craft Beer Crosscut 8.20.18: A Flight of 7 Seas.

7 Seas Water Chopper Gose

4.8% ABV

Gose. It’s an old style of beer, somewhat overlooked. It originated along the river Gose, which flows through the town of Goslar in the German state of Lower Saxony. Traditional versions are quite sour and salty. The saltiness in particular likely came from the naturally saline, mineral-rich water from around Goslar and Leipzig that was used for brewing. The style is similar to a Hefeweizen, in that it’s made with high amounts of malted wheat. It has very low hop bitterness. However, this beer can have some dryness and spice from additions of coriander and salt. 7 Seas brews one of the better Goses, fermented with Lactobacillus in conjunction with the brewery’s house ale strain, and brewed with 35 percent malted white wheat and German Pilsner malt. For local flavor, 7 Seas Brewing added San Juan Island sea salt, and a pinch of coriander as the Gose-style dictates.

7 Seas 253 Pilsner

5.2% ABV, 32 IBU

There is a Chinese saying that goes: “If you want happiness for an hour, take a nap. If you want happiness for a day, go fishing. If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help somebody.” 7 Seas Brewing and 253Heart joined together to craft a beer that supports the Pierce County community by donating a portion of the 253 Pilsner proceeds to a variety of local non-profit organizations. Two organizations are selected at any one time to receive a portion of the sales, up to $5,000. After the goal is hit the two organizations continue to select small, local, state certified 501C-3 and 501C-6 non-profits. The goal is to find the local non-profit organizations that this money would make a large impact to. In regards to the 253 Pilsner 7 Seas co-owner and head brewer Travis Guterson brewed more than five test batches, with different hops and different malts, to dial-in the recipe. “Travis settled on Sterling and Cascade hops,” says his business partner, Mike Runion. “It’s a Northwest interpretation of a pilsner.” Guterson and Runion brewed the 253 Pilsner with Northwest Pale and Pilsner malt, hopped with said hops, for a 100 percent Washington, refreshing, dry and crisp authentic premium pilsner.

7 Seas Never Say Die Nomadic IPA

6.3% ABV, 72 IBU

A simple malt base of pilsner and 2-row malts, this golden hued IPA is brewed with Amarillo, Azacca, Mosaic and Idaho 7 hops for aromas and flavor of fresh mango and tangerine. Softly bitter with a light/medium body, this IPA is lively, clean, and decidedly aromatic. “This Nomadic IPA seeks to change path each year, traversing new territories, and never settling,” according to Never Say Die hype.

7 Seas Rude Parrot IPA

5.9% ABV, 75 IBU

7 Seas Brewing’s Rude Parrot IPA has become one of the more reliable low ABV, well-balanced IPAs in the Northwest. Brewed with Vienna, light Crystal, and a touch of Honey malt, this golden hued IPA is aggressively hopped with Simcoe and Citra hops. Checks all the boxes you’d expect from an IPA with pine and citrus notes in both the smell and taste. Taste is rich and full with sharp orange rind and grapefruit followed by a minty coolness and an off dry, pleasantly bitter finish. It’s an everyday IPA, especially if a barbecue is present.

7 Seas Ballz Deep

8.4% ABV, 82 IBU

We’ve been meaning to ask 7 Seas owners Mike Runion and Travis Guterson if they pondered naming their double IPA “Great Ballz of Fire.” After all, a fire in their Gig Harbor brewery set them back six months for their 2008 opening. No matter. They’ve been on fire ever since, offering Washington state its first canned craft beer, brewing in a sustainable manner, and operating production and taproom facilities in downtown Gig Harbor and downtown Tacoma. Anyway, Ballz Deep is all about caramel-sweet malts and dank pine with a citrusy finish.