Craft brew depot: 99 Bottles earns ‘best beer store’ honors

99 Bottles was created by beer lovers, for beer lovers.

The Federal Way store was recently named “Best Beer Store in Western Washington” by KING 5 TV’s Evening Magazine 2009 consumer poll.

Craig and Tiffany Adamowski opened 99 Bottles in January 2007. From ales to lagers to ciders, the store stocks more than 1,000 different regional, national and international brews. The inventory is based on beers the owners like as well as research that tracks what customers like.

“I would love to be able to carry everything, but some just don’t sell,” said Craig Adamowski, noting that cases and kegs can be special ordered.

The current top seller, Quilter’s Irish Death, comes from Ironhorse Brewery in Ellensburg. 99 Bottles sells five cases of 22-ounce bottles (12 per case) per week as well as six kegs a month. While some customers may be drawn to the skull-and-crossbones label, Adamowski said Irish Death is “just a fantastic beer: Deep, dark, sweeter. This one is not hoppy at all.”

As for his current personal favorites, Adamowski picked two from the shelf:

• Goose Island Bourbon County Stout, which is aged in bourbon barrels by a Chicago-based brewer and clocks in at 13 percent alcohol by volume.

• Duchesse De Bourgogne, a Belgian Flemish red sour ale, described as a very complex, very irony type of flavor, not tart, with a cherry sweetness and 6.2 percent alcohol by volume.

Supporting local breweries is important to the owners of 99 Bottles, which meets a demand for craft beers in the South Sound area, Adamowski said.

“It’s nice we can support the little guys,” he said. “That audience is down here in Federal Way to get specialty beers.”

99 Bottles will host a tasting of four different coffee beers from 10 a.m. to noon Nov. 7 at the store, located in The Crossings at 348th Street and Pacific Highway South, right next to Blue Island Sushi. To learn more, call (253) 838-2558 or visit www.99bottles.net.

Local winners

14 businesses in Federal Way were voted among “The Best in Western Washington” by KING 5 TV’s Evening Magazine 2009 consumer poll.

• 99 Bottles: Best Beer Store (1st place)

• Wild Waves: Best Water Park in the Northwest (1st place)

• Pac Island Grill: Best Asian Fusion (2nd place)

• Sonic Funk Orchestra: Best Music (2nd place)

• Dash Point: Best Windsurfing (3rd place)

• Janice’s Critter Care: Best Pet Sitting (3rd place)

• Akasaka: Best Japanese Food (4th place)

• Dr. Graham Egger, DDS: Best Favorite Dentist (4th place)

• Puget Sound Adventure Boot Camp & Victory Get Fit Club: Best Fitness Instructor (4th place)

• Johnnie’s Dog House: Best Hot Dog (4th place)