Do you know that Frelard Tamales used to solely be a tamale place? It’s true — a number of years in the past, Osbaldo Hernandez and husband Denny Ramey had been simply promoting their scrumptious steamed corn husks at farmers market and on-line. In 2018, they settled down (confusingly, from a geographic standpoint) in just a little takeout window close to Inexperienced Lake, the place they’ve been wowing prospects with their tamales, together with vegan choices — the candy potato mole is superb — and even dessert tamales. It was considered one of Seattle’s prime Mexican eating places despite the fact that it wasn’t a full restaurant.
Now, although, like a butterfly sloughing off its chrysalis, Frelard Tamales has closed the window and reemerged in Fremont as not only a full restaurant however a brewery too, the second location of the couple’s El Sueñito Brewing. The restaurant facet of the enterprise continues to be known as Frelard Tamales however the menu simply obtained lots larger. “We’re now going to have tacos, salads, and very nice, crunchy nachos,” says Hernandez. “We’re going from simply providing aqua fresca to providing our beer that we make, and cocktails, and a few NA choices for the oldsters who should not consuming.”
Hernandez traces this part of the enterprise again to 2020, when Ramey determined to depart his job doing pediatric most cancers analysis at Seattle Youngsters’s Hospital and get a grasp’s diploma in brewing with a purpose to flip his beer-making passion right into a full-blown profession. Three years later, the couple opened the primary El Sueñito location up in Bellingham, and as of August 9 there’s one in Seattle.
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The brand new brewery is only a tipsy stroll away from Ballard’s vaunted brewery district, however a pair issues make El Sueñito distinctive. The primary is that although the brewery’s hottest fashion is an IPA — “Northwesterners love their West Coast IPAs,” says Hernandez — it hangs its hat on its Mexican-style lagers. There’s a light-weight one known as Alebrijes in addition to a darkish lager known as Conejo Azteca. “That one’s simply so excellent for any time,” says Hernandez. “It’s darkish, so you may drink it within the winter and really feel such as you’re in season, but additionally it’s so gentle and crisp you may drink all of it summer time lengthy.”
The second factor that units it aside is that El Sueñito declare to be Washington State’s first Mexican and gay-owned brewery — a giant deal since brewers are stereotypically imagined to be straight white man. “We’re excited to alter up the panorama of the trade just a little bit,” says Hernandez. “And I feel it’s resonated with loads of our prospects — we get loads of queer and BIPOC messages about how excited they’re to to see this right here, and in addition how the model represents them. We’re excited for what we’re working towards.”
Frelard Tamales and El Sueñito Brewing are situated at 106 North thirty sixth Road, close to First Avenue Northwest. They’re open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.
