Doug Engler, pictured, and Lizzie Myers run this Redmond beer and wine shop/tavern. They are more than happy to share their extensive (and I mean extensive) beer knowledge and make recommendations on what to buy.

The shop's impressive beer selection includes 900 bottles and 9 (soon to be 11) taps. All tap beers are available for filling your Growler and priced by the ounce. They will fill smaller containers as well -- they filled our one liter Growler. Some of the rare beers can be costly to fill, but are reasonably priced for what you are getting.

Taps are continuously rotated. Expect an IPA or two, a Pilsner, a couple of Belgian or Belgian Style beers, some seasonal selections, and some surprises.

They host weekly beer tastings on Fridays from 5:30 - 8:00. They have a nice wine selection as well. Bring your own food and pull up one of their tables.

Greg Plumis runs the retail shop at Mac & Jack's in Redmond. The brewery is located in a business strip right off of where Redmond Way and East Lake Sammamish meet. Just when you are questioning if you are in the right place, look for the grain silo.

Mac & Jack's doesn't bottle their beer -- so if you want it at home, it is kegs to go or Growlers. The place is fun and friendly with T-shirts and other merchandise for sale.

They have 4 solid beers on tap and all are available for tasting: African Amber (probably what you know as a Mac and Jack's), Serengheti Wheat (our personal favorite of the local hefeweizens), Blackcat Porter (pretty tasty porter), and an IPA (no cute name, but there is an elephant on the tap handle).

They have a counter-pressure Growler filling machanism. Which is beer-geek speak for "your growler will last longer because there is less oxygen in the bottle."

We have loved Manny's Pale Ale for some time, but found out about Manny's by the Growler by accident. We were picking up some tile next door when we saw the "Beer That Way" sign. It was Growler love at first sight.

Their front door is located in the back of the original Rainier brewery in Georgetown (which is not the newer, old Rainier/Tully's you see off I-5). Georgetown Brewing does a hopping Growler business. Lisa Uhrich who runs the retail shop said they sell 600 Growlers a week and 80% of them are filled with delicious Manny's Pale Ale.

You can try any of their beers before purchasing. Aside from Manny's, they sell Chopper Red, 9lb. Hammer, and Roger's Pilsner. All are tasty, although if we don't get Manny's we tend to get the Chopper Red.

They also have a counter-pressure Growler filling machanism to keep the Growler carbonated longer. We've kept it for 2 weeks without a problem.

They charge extra to fill a non-Georgetown Growler.

Wilkommen! Baron Brewing was the funniest stop of the tour. Mike Eppley runs the taps. The guys sitting on the 8 bar stools run the at-times-hilarious conversation.

We felt a little like we stepped into that movie "Beerfest" as we sat down on the two end seats. The tasters are generous and you can try any/all of the 3-4 regular or seasonal beers that are pouring.

They import all their brewing ingredients and ideology from Germany -- the results are great. We sampled the Helles Bock, which is the current seasonal, and the Schwarzbier -- both were excellent.

They have started a new series of beers called "The Brothers Grimm." They will offer limited releases of brews inspired by the stories of the Brothers. Rumpelstiltskin is due out on July 1, 2008.

Another brewery tucked into a business park, be persistent... it is worth finding. They are only open Friday and Saturday with limited hours.

Around the corner from Baron, you can taste Laughing Buddha's beers in their Tiki Lounge complete with Laughing Buddha shrine. We chatted with owner and brewmaster Joe Valvo -- a former microbiologist about his and Chris Castillo's brewery.

The goal at Buddha is to make Asian influenced beer in a modern way. Dragon King Lager is the closest they have to a traditional Asian beer. Otherwise they strive for great tasting beer that incorporates Asian ingredients in a meaningful and tasty manner. We bought their Pandan Brown Ale which includes pandan leaves and palm sugar in the ingredient list. Their other two beers are Mango Weizen and Ginger Pale Ale.

We loved stopping here. John gave us a tour. Chris had just left on a delivery. Chris' mom was leaving when we arrived -- she had helped bottle the beer. It was the type of place where you leave hoping for their success.

They are only open on Friday and Saturday with limited hours.

Über Tavern is located on Aurora Ave a bit North of Greenlake. They hold a tavern license which allows them to sell beer and wine to go or to stay.

Laura was wo-manning the 17 taps when we visited. She spoke with us about their Growler program which makes up about 15% of their business.

They sell what can only be described as an Über Growler -- a metal handled/banded, behemoth with a seal-tight lid. At $26 it carries an über price, but it will hold your beer fresh for a while longer than the screw top variety lid. If $26 makes you cringe, you may want to spend $3 on a 32oz mason jar.

Regardless of your pick, their beer is priced by the ounce and (on June 13th) ranged from $.20 to $.60. The kegs change regularly, so they put out a daily menu complete with notes.

The also sponsor the Seattle Beerfest which is at Seattle Center's Mural Amphitheater from July 4 - 6, 2008.

We tried to limit this tour to non-food establishments, but we broke the rules for Maritime Pacifc because, well, it's just a fun place to go for a beer.

Maritime Pacific's Jolly Roger Tap Room is located in what we lovingly call Frelard (that weird area that's not quite Ballard, not quite Fremont). Tucked into the shadow under the West Side of the Ballard Bridge, the pirate-themed bar draws a surprising (and increasing) crowd.

Their 14 taps (including 3 cask and one nitro) showcase their beers in a variety of ways. While we were there, you could get the Islander Pale 3 ways -- on CO2, on cask, or dry-hopped on cask.

Growlers cost $4 for the bottle. $7 for a refill. $9 for a foreign refill... Arr! Belay that bilge. Also, neither nitro nor cask is available for Growler refills.

Try the Lil' Mahis and don't be surprised if you're asked to share your table.