Bite: Malt and Vine

Doug Engler and Lizzie Myers, owners of Redmond’s new wine and beer shop Malt and Vine (16851 Redmond Way; 425.881.6461; maltandvine.com; open daily, hours vary), see themselves as underdogs helping fellow underdogs. The independent downtown Redmond shop specializes in craft beers and small-production wines as well as other beverages from around the world—more than 750 beers and 300 wines. Overwhelmed by the selection? Not to worry. Engler, who worked in software development before quitting to pursue his passion for these beverages, and Myers, a cooperate event planner by day, have tasted every single product in the store and are ready to help customers pick out the perfect drink. If that drink isn’t a beer or wine, they also carry hard ciders and lambics (a distinctive beer brewed only in a specific region of Belgium), sakes, meads (including Klapøjster Mjød from Denmark), Brazilian Xingu beer and Armenian Royal dessert wine which is packaged in a glass sword. Cautious about buying beverages you might not like? Check out Malt and Vine’s beer tastings every Friday at 5:30 p.m. and wine tastings every Saturday at 2 p.m. If you’re a fan of small-production products, these underdogs could be your new best friends.