Still deciding what to do tonight? You can visit the Viscon Cellars (WSB sponsor) tasting room and try two just-released Washington red wines that are both new and not-so-new:

(Photo courtesy Viscon Cellars)

Winemaker Ben Viscon explains, “These are new vintages of some of our longtime customer favorites – our new 2021 Heart Box Red Merlot, and our 2021 Rhyme and Reason Syrah.” The Viscon Cellars tasting room – where you can also enjoy wine by the glass – is at 5910 California SW, open 5-9 pm tonight and 1 pm-6 pm tomorrow (Saturday, November 11).

Thanks for the tips. Almost four years after opening Nos Nos Coffee at Upton Flats in High Point (35th/Graham), Khalid Agour has sold the shop to his longtime coffee provider, QED Coffee. Contacted by email, QED’s Matt Greenfield explained why it’s been a low-key transition and what’s ahead:

Having worked as Nos Nos’s coffee partner for years, when Khalid approached us about taking over Nos Nos we were both excited and honored. Nos Nos has a special place in the community and my partner lives only a few blocks away, so it is also part of our personal neighborhood. We took over Nos Nos on somewhat short notice because we did not want to see it sold off to some random “no longer local” group.

In the short term we will be transitioning to QED signage in the next few weeks and will slowly be expanding Nos Nos’ beverage and food options. However, it is our intent to keep most of Nos Nos unchanged. We were lucky enough to retain the same kitchen staff and our in-house food options will continue to be the same.

So Nos Nos may be transitioning to QED, but we intend to retain the things that made Nos Nos the special place that it is.

QED actually had a West Seattle shop for a while last decade, in the space now occupied by (for a few more weeks) Youngstown Coffee.

P.S. Nos Nos founder Agour continues to work on an expansion of his original West Seattle establishment, Itto’s Tapas on the north end of The Junction (California/Genesee). He says that “will be more of a wine bar with different food than Itto’s.”

Thanks to Dave for the tip. A beloved West Seattle Junction business is entering a new chapter, with a change of ownership – though you could say it’s staying in the family. The Beer Junction‘s longtime proprietor Allison Herzog announced the change via email this morning (we’re excerpting it with permission):

(Photo courtesy The Beer Junction)

Yesterday was my last day as the Owner of The Beer Junction. I’m very happy to say that Corey, our General Manager, and his wife, Shanel, purchased the business and are the new Owners effective today. The store will open a little late today (we’re targeting 4:00 pm, but maybe earlier!) to finalize a new Point of Sale system and The Beer Junction will continue under new leadership.

If you’ve followed our story, you’ll know I have a lot of love and memories at The Beer Junction. It has been part of my life for thirteen years, through good and bad times. The bad times: losing Morgan to cancer and learning to run the store without him. That was the hardest. But also: Fear of going bankrupt in the early years. Fear of going bankrupt again during Covid shutdowns. Fixing broken fridges. Losing internet service (why does it always happen on a busy Friday?)

But those are outweighed by the good times: the West Seattle community, who was here with me through it all. The friendships and relationships I’ve made that I will carry with me. You know who you are. Brew day for our anniversary beer each year. Inside jokes with employees and customers (too many to list!). And the amount I’ve learned—about beer, about business, and about myself.

To be clear, this is not goodbye. I still live in West Seattle. I still plan on visiting The Beer Junction for a pint or two. I’ll just be on the other side of the bar.

After I made the decision to sell the store, it was important to me that it continue much as it is today, under someone with beer knowledge and experience running a bottle shop/beer bar. It didn’t take long for me to find that person—it was obvious that it was Corey. If he’s ever given you a beer recommendation or if you’ve attended one of the recent tasting events he’s hosted, you’ll know how knowledgeable he is. Like me, he is a Level 2 Certified Cicerone, but I must admit his beer knowledge far surpasses mine. And before he worked at The Beer Junction, he was the General Manager at the well-respected Teku Tavern. Corey has already made positive changes since he has taken over as General Manager here, and I am grateful that The Beer Junction is in good hands.

Allison’s late husband Morgan Herzog opened The Beer Junction in July 2010 in a small commercial building that was demolished for the construction of Junction 47, leading to the shop’s move to 4511 California SW less than two years later.

Meantime, new proprietor Corey says in the announcement, “I am thrilled to continue the legacy and the great work that has been done at The Beer Junction. … I can’t wait to continue to provide our community with great beer, excellent service and a place to feel at home.” He explains that he had long dreamed of opening a beer bar, before coming to work at The Beer Junction, and so this now makes that dream come true. You can read the entire announcement, and see photos from the shop’s history, by going here.

Also – you’re invited to a sendoff celebration for Allison on Wednesday, September 6th starting at 5 pm. And in the short term, as mentioned above, the shop is opening late today for some point-of-sale-system work – they’re hoping for 4 pm-ish.

Back in May, we brought you first word that White Center’s Future Primitive Brewing would open an outpost at 2536 Alki Avenue SW. Thanks to Ian for the tip that Future Primitive has just announced it’ll open there this Friday (August 4th). Hours will be 11 am-10 pm seven days a week.

If you’ve been to Alki in the morning or early afternoon recently on a Saturday or Sunday, you might have noticed the new coffee cart outside Driftwood (2722 Alki SW). Jackie from Driftwood emailed to tell us that it’s Numa, a new mobile coffee business launched this spring by West Seattleites Nathan and Seth. They’re operating as a pop-up 8 am-2 pm weekends throughout the summer. The proprietors have been best friends since college and a combined five years of experience in the coffee-service business, for companies small and large. Their philosophy is that “coffee is a gift to be stewarded well while service is an opportunity for creativity and goodwill.” According to the Numa website, they’re serving coffee from Olympia and Passenger. As for the name – they explain that “Numa is the Greek word for spirit.”

Several people have asked about work under way at 2536 Alki SW, the site vacated by West Seattle Brewing at the end of last summer, when a redevelopment project was expected to start soon for the site holding this small building and the home of Ampersand Coffee next door. That hasn’t happened; Ampersand has stayed in its location, and now another brewery is preparing to open an outpost next to it: White Center’s Future Primitive Brewing. After noticing via state records that they had applied for a beer/wine license for the Alki space, we inquired both there and at their WC location, and got confirmation that Future Primitive is opening at the beach. After some renovation work, they’re hoping to be open sometime in June, and once they open, we’re told, hours will be 11 am to 9 pm, seven days a week. Future Primitive opened its headquarters in White Center more than four years ago. As for whatever happened to the project on the Alki site, described previously as a renovation of the two commercial spaces with a residential addition above them, we have an inquiry out; city files show no new documents filed for more than a year.

(Tony Larson and Derek Moon – photo courtesy Revelry Room)

West Seattle entrepreneurs Derek Moon and Tony Larson are putting the finishing touches on the bar they’re opening behind the new home of Moon’s Jet City Labs at 4547 California SW – Revelry Room. We stopped by this morning to talk with Moon about their plan for what was previously speakeasy-style In The Heart. He said they’ve just gotten the last pre-opening approval, so it’s full speed ahead for opening night Saturday (April 1st).

(WSB photos from here down)

The space has many woodwork touches, against the walls, in the center, and at the bar, which has been moved back from its previous location, for more room to work the beverage magic.

Among the unique features at Revelry Room, they plan to highlight Black-owned spirits, wine, and beer providers. The cocktails will be “nice but not super-pretentious,” Moon says, prepared with a process that won’t leave you waiting long once your order’s in. “Elegant but approachable,” he says. And of course the atmosphere is meant to live up to the bar’s name – fun. That’s what the retro mural, across the south wall, still awaiting its final additions, which will depict – what else? – “revelry – the vibe we’re going for in this space”:

On the north wall, a screen can roll down – that might also bring in streams from whatever’s happening in Jet City Labs’ event/pop-up space in front, Moon explains.

There are plans for live entertainment, too – a DJ space in a corner, for example. Moon is hoping to showcase upcoming artists and entrepreneurs. Some guest-chef food pop-ups too, as they’ve had in the space during open-house previews the past few Sundays. Regular fare will include tamales and snacks like cheese curds and jerky. The event space out front has been in action for a while – you might have stopped by during the West Seattle Art Walk, for one – and now it’s time for Revelry Room to join the party. Look for the door off the alley. Hours wil be 4 pm-midnight Sundays-Thursdays, 4 pm-2 am Fridays and Saturdays.

Just out of the WSB inbox, a big party starts tomorrow at The Admiral District’s award-winning The Good Society Brewery and Public House:

We are celebrating turning 3 and we’ve got some good stuff lined up for you!

On Friday we will release our 3rd Anniversary DIPA, 3rd Time’s a Charm. We added Phantasm and used a thiol-boosting yeast to release some awesome tropical notes. Combined with the boozy 8.7% abv, it’s reminiscent of sitting on the beach with a drink in hand!

We are also release Rye Hard 2: Rye Harder. We took Rye Hard, our Imperial Rye Stout we brewed late in 2021, aged it in rye whiskey barrels, and then blended it with a young batch. We will have a sixtel of the original on as well.

On Saturday, we are doing weekend versions of Music Bingo and Trivia! We love these events and often hear how folks have trouble making it to these events during the week, so here’s your chance! Come win some prizes!

We also partnered with our friends at Shug’s Soda Fountain to bring you ice cream sandwiches and beer floats!

The Good Society opened on Valentine’s Day 2020 on the southwest corner of California and Lander.

Animated Café proprietor Melanie (aka “Ana”) just sent word that her coffee trailer is now open at its new location, a week later than originally hoped, so we went over for photos. We reported on the move 2+ weeks ago. Animated Café is now on the same Triangle lot as the Chapulín Oaxaqueño taco truck, at 4518 Fauntleroy Way SW [map]:

She first opened her coffee stand last winter at its original location in Westwood. She offers a deal on weekends where customers who come dressed in the spirit of the weekend “theme” get $2 off; the November schedule is in our previous report.

(WSB file photo)

Thanks for the tips. 3 1/2 years after opening at 35th/Webster, Best of Hands Barrelhouse announced today that it will close as of November 30th. From the announcement made via social media:

As many of you know we were only open for normal operations for a year before the pandemic hit. Unfortunately, among other things, the toll of the pandemic, the slower than expected recovery, and the skyrocketing costs of everything from CO2 to raw ingredients has made it unsustainable for us to continue to operate even with our current skeleton crew. We’d like to thank everybody for their support and interest through the years.

If you have any questions or know of anybody looking for two talented brewers, please don’t hesitate to reach out to nicholas@bestofhandsbarrelhouse.com

Thank you West Seattle!

Best of Hands opened in the cow-topped former Corner Deli spot in March 2019.

Thanks to Eric for the tip. Till Dawn is soft-opening today at 5048 California SW, but note that it’s a very soft open – mostly for coffee (Boon Boona), no food or games yet. But at least it’s an opportunity to see inside what its founders intend to be a “super-nerd bar”:

Once Till Dawn is up to full speed, its regular hours will be 8 am-10 pm Tuesdays-Sundays. (We first reported on this plan for the former vehicle-licensing space last October.)