Food & Drink

Seattle’s First BYOB Members Club Opens on First Hill

Members can reserve private rooms for special events—a bonus for urban Seattleites with limited space for hosting at home

By Anakaren Garcia December 13, 2019

BirchRoad

This article originally appeared in the December 2019 issue of Seattle magazine.

This article appears in print in the December 2019 issue. Click here to subscribe.

In a First Hill carriage house, built in 1901 and once part of the Stimson-Green Mansion, discerning Seattleites can now scan their fingerprints for entrée into a new private social club and bottle cellar, Birch Road Cellar. The Seattle outpost of this Chicago-based club opened in May. Cofounder Sharon Provins describes Birch Road as a neighborhood clubhouse where members can store their treasured bottles of wine and liquor in temperature-controlled lockers (membership costs $105 or $135 per month, depending on the size of locker) and when they feel so inclined, imbibe while enjoying each other’s company, tucked into armchairs and sofas, surrounded by exposed brick and the soft glow of Edison bulbs, and away from the stress of busy bars.

Members can reserve private rooms for special events—a bonus for urban Seattleites with limited space for hosting at home. Provins says the city’s proximity to wineries, craft breweries and distilleries played a role in the club’s decision to open here. “It’s your best night out that feels like the perfect night in,” says Provins.

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