Lucky Envelope Brewing in Seattle’s Ballard Neighborhood Opens

Seattle’s latest brewery opened this past week just in time for the 7th Annual Seattle Beer Week. Joining the ever-growing beer scene in the Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Lucky Envelope Brewing opened its doors to a standing room crowd on Thursday, May 7th.

Lucky Envelope Brewing’s co-founders, Barry Chan and Raymond Kwan, established the name of the brewery on March 26th, 2014. However the two had been making initial plans for the brewery during the prior year. Now with a business plan fully in hand the two dove completely into the process of opening their new brewery.

The name Lucky Envelope comes from the founder’s Chinese heritage. During the holidays members of the older generation would give the younger generation a red envelope that was filled with money. The color red is said to keep bad spirits at bay and bring good luck to the recipients.

Chan will take on the duties of Brewmaster on the brewery’s new 15 BBL brew system. He began dabbling in home brewing back in 2008 and felt it was the correct time to take the next leap to become a professional brewer.  Seven years later this dream became a reality and during this time he became a Certified BJCP judge and award-winning home brewer,

Kwan is taking the Director of Operations position. Prior to starting the brewery he has a background in finance at NBC Universal and Warner Bros. while in Hollywood. When he moved to Seattle he continued in finance at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a member of their Finance & Strategy team.

“Barry and I had been discussing opening some type of beer-related business since I moved to Seattle, but it wasn’t until the Summer of 2013 that our idea took the turn from being an idea on a napkin to becoming a reality” states Kwan.

Lucky Envelope will offer a 1,000 square-foot Tasting Room that will be open Thursday through Sunday. Beyond its draft offerings, the Tasting Room will also feature local artwork and food trucks. The first featured local artist is Perri Howard that is displaying three different pieces on the brewery’s Art Wall.

For its grand opening Lucky Envelope offered a solid assortment of beers on tap, including six house brewed beers and one soda made in house. During our visit the brewery’s Seattle Helles and its IPA delighted us. The Helles was a strong resemblance to the style and is quite impressive right out of the gate for a lager.

During our visit the brewery’s Seattle Helles and its IPA delighted us. The Helles was a strong resemblance to the style, quite impressive right out of the gate with a lager.

Here’s a description of its beers:

India Pale Ale
Our IPA has a subdued malt profile but finishes with subtle notes of biscuit and toast. We restrain the bitterness to keep your palate intact. Hops include heavy-handed whirlpool and dry hopping of Mosaic, Cascade, and Centennial for flavors and aromas reminiscent of citrus peel, juicy tropical fruit, and pine.
Malts: Washington 2-Row, Munich, Crystal 30, Wheat Malt
Hops: Mosaic, Cascade, Centennial, Magnum
7.5% ABV, 67 IBU

Fog Dart Pale Ale
This American Pale Ale is a sessionable celebration of all things hoppy. We whirlpool with Centennial, Amarillo, and Citra hops, and provide an extra dry hop citrusy kick with Amarillo and Citra. The malt profile is subtle with pilsner malt providing a signature crisp, grainy flavor.
Malts: Washington 2-Row, Pilsner, Crystal 40, DextraPils
Hops: Magnum, Centennial, Amarillo, Citra
5.4% ABV, 42 IBU

Seattle Helles
This German-style lager is a clean, restrained, and malt-forward beer with grainy pilsner and biscuit notes. We add just enough noble Hallertauer hops for a balanced, traditional bitterness.
Malts: Pilsner, Munich, Biscuit
Hops: Hallertauer, Magnum
5.2% ABV, 20 IBU

Thaiger Mom Trippel
A strong golden Belgian-style Trippel that is infused with lemongrass and Thai lime leaves. The Belgian yeast flavors complement the citrusy and herbal components of these classic Thai ingredients.
Malts: Pilsner, Munich
Hops: Tettnanger
9.0% ABV, 30 IBU

British Stout
Our stout is full-bodied, malt-forward with cocoa powder, nutty, and coffee flavors, but it finishes dry and roasty. East Kent Goldings provide a subtle but distinct earthy and spicy hop finish.
Malts: Golden Promise, Victory, Crystal 65, Chocolate, Black, Flaked Oats, Flaked Barley
Hops: East Kent Goldings, Magnum
9.0% ABV, 30 IBU

Cherry Stout (limited availability)
Our British Stout infused with 15lbs of tart and sweet organic cherries

Tasting Room Hours:
Thursday/Friday: 3:00 to 9:00pm
Saturday/Sunday: Noon to 9:00pm

Lucky Envelope Brewing
907 NW 50th Street
Seattle, WA 98107