Three Impressions of the Old Ballard Liquor Co. Cafe

Since opening in the summer of 2013, the Old Ballard Liquor Company (OLBC for short) in south Ballard has earned a reputation for its amazing line of aquavits and other liqueurs and spirits. Recently they redesigned their cozy distillery space, putting in a Scandinavian cafe; owner Lexi is also responsible for the new Nordic popup restaurant Tumble Swede. I stopped by the café recently, and here are three impressions from the visit.

The Drinks: While the new café and food menu is swell, don’t forget (I certainly won’t): This is a distillery , so the drink choices come first. And because it’s a distillery, you can have four 1/2-ounce “tastes” per person, in accordance with state liquor laws. But the way they offer those tastes is really creative. You can have straight “Snaps” of what is being made there—and as aquavit is often paired with food, this isn’t a bad idea—or you can have Mini Cocktails. I suggest a little of both! On the cocktail side, the Valhalla, with OLBC rhubarb brandy, a golden raspberry puree, bitters, and soda was a tart and berry-y delight. The coyly named Knotty Viking was super refreshing and a great way to try their Riktig aquavit, which is a caraway-forward version, here mixed with lime, cucumber and soda. On the straight side, having their Strawberry Bounce, (a strawberry liqueur made in traditional fashion) with dessert was an inspired duo. Be sure to do some mix and matching, so you really get a feel for the products.

The Food: This is an ideal café menu for Ballard, with a focus on preserving the Scandinavian immigrant culture that’s such a part of the neighborhood’s history. It has a SEA (or fish) section, highlighted by the tasting plate of five different herrings; they included Classic or Inlagd Sill with mustard, lemon mint, mustard cream, sour cherry, and smoked herring, and a LAND section, which includes Rullepølse, or pork loin roulade. I had to ask a Norwegian pal how to pronounce it, and it made him very excited to hear it was available. There’s also a Garden section for vegetarians, which featured a lovely vegetable terrine with caramelized onions and turnips in a wild mushroom broth, and FIKA (desserts). Be sure to start it all off with the extra crispy house-made rye crispbread and house-churned butter. Luscious stuff.

The Space: As they say on the menu, this is a working distillery in an industrial area. And the café is right there, within the operating distillery, which means you’ll see piping and a fun plywood cabinet of tools and another of still parts. This is great! Being able to see how what you’re drinking is made is a really good experience. It’s a small space, with just twelve-ish seats: mostly one big shared table and a few stools at a side bar. This coziness lends itself to a communal feel, with people talking as they eat and sip and chat with each other and the friendly folks working there. And when you decide which drink you liked best, you can purchase a bottle. Plus, there are a few other delicacies for sale, like Deckhand’s Daughter smoked herring. One last highlight is the menu itself; near the back you can find a page of aquavit education with FAQs. As this is one of the least-known spirits, I found this very helpful.