Great tour. Our docent was really knowledgeable. He fielded the questions from a spirited group of visitors with great excitement. We got to sample 4 of the 5 offerings they have. We left with a nice buzz and a logo beer glass. The place is a bit hard to find, tucked away in a business park. Tour was over in less than 30 minutes. They distribute, draft only, in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. So for me, I'm out of luck. I'll have an African IPA on my next visit to Seattle. I've toured many breweries of all sizes, this ranks right up there. read more

We stopped in while in the area, thought we would have a tasting. They had a free tour going on, but I didn't feel like waiting there for 45 minutes. (They do them every weekend at 1 and 3). At the end of the tour you get a free tasting. We opted to skip the tour and just have a few samples (they are free even if you don't take the tour). We thought we would wait and bring our "brew-hoppin' friends"! I use to like Mac & Jacks until we started hitting up all these breweries... now I feel like a beer snob. I hated the 2 ton IPA, too hoppy and bitter beer face for me! But the great thing about this place, hence the 4 star review; The BEER guy knew a lot. He shared with us how to make our own Keg-erator! And not to mention their retail shop has a lot of fun things for the BEER lover in your life! T-shirts, posters, glasses, sweatshirts, coasters, growlers.... I love kitchy souvenirs!! read more

For a free tour, free beer, and a free pint-glass... it really can't be beat. But they've updated their tour now, and the quality of the tour really depends on the guide giving it. One tour guide will take you in back and show you the cleaning area and explain a lot more about the process. Other guides will drone on about the history of the brewery and give common beer facts. The same information you can get at ANY brewery, while rushing you through the actual tour. "Home brewers: A certain amount of water, grain, hops and yeast sit in there for a certain amount of time. Moving on." .. that was a direct quote. :-( BTW,.... did I mention the tour is FREE? read more

Mac and Jacks is a really great brewery! I went here on a date with my partner in February. I have always been a fan of their amber ale (which is still their best) but I enjoyed a flight from them. The service is really casual and friendly, but they do not sell food-you can order in though. They have games, or you could just chill and bring a laptop or a book. Kid and dog friendly! read more

Good beer, great service! Dog friendly too! They even took pictures of our fur baby for a "dogs of Mack & Jack's" wall.

In addition to glass growlers and aluminum kegs, you can get any of their beers on tap in a big can that looks to be about a quart. They typically have about a dozen brews on tap on any given day, many are small batch and experimental and you can't find them anywhere else. Staff is very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable! read more

Mac and Jacks. A Pacific Northwest staple for craft brewing. Always enjoyed the beer. The staff is always friendly, helpful and willing to discuss their delicious beer. It appears they have made a little of a turn to put out some new beers lately, and I personally could not be happier. This part of my review, of coarse, is based on my personal taste. Very pleased, please keep up the great work and keep #4 into contention for a permanent beer or rotation! I love the fact that I can go to mylocal grocery store and get a six canned of the newer resolution IPA. read more

Mac & Jack's Brewery - Breweries Near Me - Redmond, Washington

Just had a growler filled with the Ibis IPA, and glad I did! I've been looking for an IPA that compares with Russian River's "Pliny the Elder," (since it is unavailable in this region)... Found it! Awesome structure and taste! Get it while it lasts! read more

Loved the wide variety of Mac & Jacks, chill atmosphere, and great friendly staff.

visited during Washington beer open house lots of people line in the counter is not moving we left after 15 minutes of waiting will try some other day read more

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Go here for the free beer! Seriously, if you have yet to taste the delicious nectar of goodness that is Mac and Jacks, stop by on Sunday when they give there complimentary tour that starts at 3:00pm. Another great reason (as if free beer wasn't enough) is the chance to try some of their other, equally wonderful, offerings. If you stop by a bar and ask for a Mac and Jacks, you will more-than-likely be dealt their terrific African Amber. It's the beer most synonymous with Mac and Jacks an the one you will find anywhere that serves their brewery. On a side note, I was lucky enough to try their experimental Yerba Mate IPA during the WA Cask Beer Festival and HOLY DAMN was that good. Brew that intriguing liquid and I will pick up two growlers. read more

Its nigh impossible to have spent any significant amount of time in the PNW and not have had a pint of African Amber. And if you haven't, and were actually visiting people here, well they will have to be extradited. I've been on the tour 3 times, its only on Sunday at 3pm. After the first time its fairly repetitive, but I go for the free pint glass(I mean can you ever have enough pint glasses?) and to fill up my growler. read more

Good beer, good tour, a good afternoon of fun. It's free; they line you up when you get there and you file past the taps and they give you a few-oz sample of one of the 4 kinds of beer. (IPA, amber, wheat and porter.) You don't get to pick; everyone gets the same kind. Then you go on part of the tour, then you come back and get a sample of another kind. Repeat until you have seen the whole place (it's not very big) and tried all the beer. They let you keep the pint glass at the end. Buy something or don't (cash only, please.) Go home happy. read more

Mac & Jacks has one of the best tours in the area now that the $1 Redhook tour is gone! And this one is completely FREE! Tours are offered Saturdays and Sundays at 1 and 3. They last about an hour. When you show up you are given four or five drink tickets which let you sample their delicious beers throughout the tour. You can try the classics, like the African Amber, or whatever specialty brews they have going on. I thoroughly enjoyed the C-U Lator Barleywine Ale. The tour guide gave us some interesting information about the history of the company and the beer making process while also acknowledging that, let's get real, everyone just wants the free beer! He sent us home with a Mac & Jacks pint glass. Awesome! We also left with a growler fill and a sweatshirt. They have a nice little merchandise stand too. What a great time! read more

$7-ish growlers of the most fantastic, non-bottled beer in the Northwest? Yes! Straight from the beer cow! And you can get all four elusive varieties: Blackcat porter, IPA, Serengeti wheat, and the standard African Amber (although does require an initial investment in the growler, about another $7, I think, don't quote me) Kind of like a more official version of purchasing your beer from somebody's garage, but totally the best deal for the best beer ever. (they also do kegs and sell some neat Mac & Jack's themed swag) read more

Nicest guys! This review isn't about their beer, or even their brewery really. I give them 5 stars because they give us their spent grain (malted barley) left over from brewing. Our piggys love it. :) read more

When I first had Mac & Jack's I instantly fell in love with them. I had the Serengeti Wheat. It was so good and bready! Naturally I had to go to their brewery in Redmond. The set up here is kind of odd. The brewery does not serve their beer in pints or any other sort. Instead they give you free tasters which is very generous and sweet but it would be nice if they did serve beer there. The other beers I did get a taste of was their African Amber and the Black Cat Porter. Those two beers were delicious as well! Despite unable to serve I just can't be harsh to them about because their beer is so gosh darn good! If you go in with a growler they can fill that up for you so that is probably the best way to get a generous portion of their beer. At this time they do not bottle their beer either which makes it even trickier to find, unless they just started doing it and I missed their label. Even with those impediments to accessing their beer if you eat out enough or go to various kinds of bars in the metro area you are bound to come across Mac & Jack's in which I encourage you beer drinkers to give them a try! read more

I've been drinking Mac & Jack's since I moved to the Seattle area. The beer is great - the retail shop is small and easy: you buy a growler for $7.50 and get refills for $7 a pop. Great deal and perfect for Friday afternoons at work so you can write angry emails with the profanity filter off while laughing with your teammates. Notes: - BRING CASH - WASH YOUR GROWLER - don't leave your growlers in the car parked in the sun - the hot bottles can shatter from sheer delight when the ice cold beer hits it - actually it's just the glass reacting to the abrupt change in temperature, but who passed chemsitry anyway? They sell merch here too. I've bought a few pint glasses and my buddy got a fleece vest. There's shirts, caps, coasters, tap handles - even light-up wall art. read more

I was not a huge fan of Mac And Jack's beer, but my boyfriend is. Since its not bottled, you can only get it on tap at local restaurants, or by visiting the Mac and Jack's Brewery. So when we moved to Redmond, my boyfriend was ecstatic to find out we would be living so close to the brewery. I recently tried their Serengeti Hefeweizen, and loved it! I am a huge Hefeweizen fan, and theirs is delicious. So now I have a reason to visit Mac and Jacks too! They do a great job of explaining the growler process to you. Make sure and drink it within a week of buying it, and also drink it within a day or two of opening the growler. We usually only get it on the weekends, or when we will have other friends sharing as well. Its kinda hard to find, cuz its hidden in an business park. Which is kinda weird. I wish they had a brewery where there was a little bar attached too. I don't need any food, but a place to have a pint after work would be nice. Its a super small place. There are also apparently tours on Sunday afternoon at 3 pm. Free. maybe? Great prices for great beer, close to my apt? Yes Please! read more

It took several years before I was able to venture out and take the trek the the illusive "free brewery tour complete with tastings and pint glass". And totally worth it. This place is not easy to find. But once we did one Sunday afternoon, I found out what the hype was all about. Informational tour- not fancy by any means, but the price is right. The beer tastes pretty good, - we ended up with a growler of the African Amber. Fun experience, and not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon! read more

Love their beer! Also very friendly guys and no hassle. Just to compare: on Wednesday afternoon I decided I'd better get a keg for the company party on Friday. I stopped by Malt and Vine and it was already too late: they're not a brewery so there is a lead time to get a keg (it's about two days). So I stopped in M&J's and they have a ton of kegs all ready to just throw in your car. Also I was happy to see they sell growlers and for those of you who are in to homebrewing, they will fill your Corny keg for $55. That's not a bad deal at all, I spend about that much to make my own batch anyway. The only problem is that they will not take any kind of bank cards: cash or check only. Unfortunately this was a deal breaker for me since I had the company card, don't carry checks anymore, and have no money in my bank account! I ended up with a keg of Red Hook ESB instead. Not quite as good, and they were a little snotty that I hadn't called 24 hours ahead to "reserve" a keg. Gimme a break, how many thousands of gallons of beer do you guys produce per day and I have to make a reservation? Blah. read more

Took tour Saturday in December. Great job The tour is small but the brewery is small. The Tour Guide youngbuck was friendly, nice, and open to all questions and answered to his best ability. U definitely get the vibe that everyone at Mac n Jacks love their job and have a passion for it. They give a free pint glasss and 4free beer samples... More than Trumer Pilsner & Anchor Steam did for tours. Generous of them, woudn't u say? :D We were sold with the samples (they're smart). we enjoyed the Dark Cascadian beer and took a jug of it home. Delish. I really wish Mac N Jacks was in SF...they'd blow this sht up! read more

Great Brewery! Mac 'n Jack's African Amber Yummm.... Go for the growlers and stay for some sampling. super delicious beers and you can take a fun tour on the weekend. worth the visit. read more

*Don't get me wrong, its a "decent" beer but never struck me as something to get excited for especially if there is a Manny's or Roger's on tap, now THAT's a kick ass beer *DO yourself a favor and go with Georgetown Brewing instead, hands down better product and way better and friendlier brew shop read more

As a homebrewing fanatic, this was quite the inspirational experience. If you are looking for fine dining, or dining at all, it's not happening here. If you are looking drink some free beer, walk away with free pint glasses, and see the guts of a really good brewery, you're on the money at Mac n Jacks And it's a free Brewery tour. I recommend paring the trip with an event at Mary Moore park. read more

Even though their prices have recently gone up, I really love heading here to have a growler filled. Staff is friendly and fun and the latest beers coming out of their are better than I expected. Be sure to head down for a tour--very informative and fun to actually be able to get close to the equipment to get an idea of the full process. Free tour with free beer and a glass? There's a reason my cupboard is full of them. Note: Cash or check only read more

While I don't drink beer, I have a lot of friends who do. So we decided to go with a fairly substantial group of people to do the brewery tour. The only thing that was a bummer was that we literally spent more time waiting in line than it took to take the tour. And it was cold and wet. There isn't really a good place to stand that is out of the rain or wind. There is some really cool info and history about the brewery if you go. You also get a full size nice pint glass and four tasting tickets. Cam's favorite is their classic African Amber. I did try a few tastes of different beers and I'm still not a fan of beer. But if I had to drink one, I found the Serengeti to be the most palatable for me. Free! Always good. read more

Mac & Jack's African Amber is probably the best beer that I have ever tasted. I am a home brewer and a lover of all micro brews and this beer takes the cake. I went to visit the brewery and the person running the store and talking to people is the exact person I would hope for and expect. A friendly, larger guy with a beard. The brewery itself is very nondescript. I drive right by it! Anyway, it's only about 15-20 minutes from Seattle and well worth the trip. The people are happy to answer questions, let you sample until your heart is content and give you a tour on Sundays. We were there maybe 45 minutes and at least 20 people (no lie) came in to refill their growlers. As a Seattleite that is now in San Francisco, it makes me sad that I cannot get Mac & Jack's in the bay area. read more

Mac and Jack's makes the wildly popular African Amber found on draft all around Seattle. It deserves the popularity is receives as it is an incredibly balanced easy to drink amber ale. Mac and Jack's does brew 3 other beers though worth giving a try. They make an excellent porter and a wheat beer not typical of the popular Pacific NW wheat beer offerings such as Pyramid and Widmer Bros. I took the 3pm Sunday tour recently and really enjoyed getting to see the workings of a microbrewery that puts out more kegs of beer than any other in the state except Red Hook.The tour is given by workers at the brewery so it's fun to get info straight from some of the brewers. They also make it pretty entertaining for those you might drag along that know less about brewing beer. You get to sample all 4 of their beers (Black Cat Porter, Serengeti Wheat, and IPA are the other 3) and keep the pint glass at the end. This is also a great place to get growlers filled, just remember to bring cash because they don't accept credit cards. read more

I live in San Francisco and I wish they sold Mac & Jack's here!! I'm not a huge beer person, but I love Mac & Jack. All of the beer choices are money and refreshing. They offer tours on Sundays and free tastings every day that they're open. Just a side note: If you fly Virgin America the restaurant by the VA terminals sell Mac & Jack. It's my favorite part of the airport :) read more

There is a special place in my heart that is held constantly for Mac n' Jack's African Amber. Quite possibly one of the best beers I've ever tasted. I've only been to the brewery once - bought a growler, got it filled and then promptly put it on ice for my drive south to Southern California. I think it made it one night. Goddamn i love that stuff. To give you an idea of how much I love Mac N' Jack's African Amber: Whenever I'm in any restaurant and they ask what I'd like to drink I, as probably anyone ask, "what do you have?" As they start to list off their beers on tap, if they mention "Mac N' Jacks" anywhere in that list, I stop them right there. "mac n' Jack's it is." Top 5 beers I've ever tasted. Love it. read more

What impresses me about Mac & Jack's isn't necessarily the beer, which is good btw, but the unbelievable efficiency this brewery runs at. I know most people probably don't appreciate what they're pulling off here, but it is beyond impressive. Mac & Jack's is the highest producing all cask brewery in the world. They produce over 40,000+ bbls (1bbl=31 gallons) per year on a microbrewery system. Every single brewery that produces as much as they do has at least a 60bbl brewhouse. M&J's is doing what they do on a system 1/3 that size with a 20bbl brewhouse. And not only is their brewhouse small, so is their storage abilities. They sell kegs as fast as they can fill them. The overall efficiency here is amazing, and something to be admired by all brewers and beer lovers alike. Now, we've all had the African Amber. I'd be really surprised if you haven't, because it's everywhere. More Mac & Jack's African Amber is sold in Seattle than any Budweiser, Miller, Coors, or any other macro-swill brewery. I applaud the people of Seattle for passing up the nationally popular near-beer for a quality local product. The African Amber is a fine beer, and a world class example of an American Amber Ale. My only complaint is the consistency of the product. I've had several pints that were among the best Amber Ales I've ever had. But I've had just as many that were barely drinkable, and on one occasion I had to send the beer back to get something else. Their other examples range from fair to excellent. The one other beer I feel is worth mentioning is the Black Cat Porter. It is one of my favorite local porters, but can be incredibly scarce. If you can find it, do yourself a favor and order one. It has a very roasty, stout like quality. The Brewery itself does not have a taproom, but you can go to their retail area to fill up growlers or to purchase merchandise. Sundays at 3pm is their weekly tour which I took for the first time yesterday. The group was large (50+ people) so getting samples took some time, but it was awesome to see and hear how this place operates. It's also a bonus that you get free samples and a pint glass. Overall, awesome brewery for us to have. No matter what bar you go to around here, no matter how limited their beer selection is, you know you can always have M&J to get you through those tough times. read more

One of the pathway to my heart is a Mac 'n Jack's African Amber. This review is purely on the deliciousness of the brew. (I gotta get on that keg-o-rater so I can have fresh MnJ at home after a hard day at work) read more

A 3 star? Really? It's BEER! I drink quite a bit of beer. That said, the African Amber is really the only thing that pops for me from the Mac & Jack line-up. To be clear, it popped so much that we had a kegerator in the office stocked up with it. But, this review is for the storefront. Storefront is somewhat of a loose term here. There's a warehouse with a counter, and it's situated in the back corner of a lot in an industrial district, across from an auto mechanic. The guys are great, friendly and you can fill up growlers on the spot. Can't beat that. That said, it's not a place to go "enjoy" beer, so much as it's a place to fill your growlers. Why go to Mac & Jack? * Your kids are at Emerald City Gymanstics and the last thing you want to do is spend a full hour with a bunch of parents jammed into a little room watching 6 years olds fall off the balance beam. * You're driving home from Redmond to the Plateau and don't want to pay $10/bottle for beer at Whole Foods. * You want fresh African Amber and/or have a kegerator in your office. If any of those are you, 5 star! Otherwise, go grab the African Amber on tap at Pine Lake Ale House. read more

I love this place. I've done the tour twice now, and the second time was so much better than the first because it was a smaller group--we're talking maybe 40 people the first time, and 7 the second time. It's not a big brewery or a long tour, but you get free pint glasses, free tastings, and a really good history of the beer. Additionally, with the smaller group, there were a lot more questions being asked. From this, I learned that a lot of their ingredients are sourced locally (they even use filter Redmond city water)! Growler fills are SUPER reasonable, they have great hours, and the staff is really, really friendly. I sometimes wish I could pick up a six pack at the store, but having these guys nearby makes it worth the trip out for the growler fill. Also, although the African Amber is amazing, try all the different types of beer they have, you'll find they're all JUST as amazing as the African Amber. Last time we went on the tour, there were some batches brewed by employees (like experimental flavors), and they were really tasty. I'm not sure if you can get growler fills of those flavors, but you can at least have a taste! read more

I encountered the ol' African Amber early in my beer drinking career, and 'tis a rite of visiting the great state of Washington to partake in two or three upon every visit. The beer itself is fantastic, but I tend to find that's more of a personal preference. On my last time through I was fortunate enough to swing by for the weekend tour, and can validate nothing but five stars for the total lack of pretentiousness going on at this spot, as well as the dope pint glass you get as a free take home. I want to say something along the lines of "never change", but as I don't know when I'll be back up y'alls way, if you decided to do expand your distribution in the not too distant future I'd be much obliged. read more

Nice job boys! Consistent as Hell, and ALWAYS courteous. Still beatin Black Raven by a mile, being a true brewer. Quick reasonable Corny fills! read more

I am quite taken with their African Amber. Mac & Jacks African Amber is not bottled, and only available on draft with local distribution ranging out to Puget Sound, and east to the Cascades. I have taken the recipe and made this brew at home with decent success. I continue to root for this upstart to grow and take on a larger market someday. read more

Such a small place for one of the best beer in PNW. Friendly people, nice tour of the small operation and a free pint glass to keep. Also you can try their beers. The 2 new experimental beers: pale ale and pink peppercorn still need work, very light taste read more

Dear Mac and Jacks, Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? Thy amber art more lovely and more temperate. Two Ton doth shake the darling buds of my mouth, And the rotating tap hath all to short a date. But for cereals guys. This place is awesome. They got far more than the delightful PNW African Amber staple. And now they've bottled two special brews, which having bought and imbibed both I can state with certainty are frackin' FANTASTIC. If you havent come here for the free tour and beer, WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU???!! read more