For us, the New Year begins on Labor Day. Labor Day is when everything shifts for us; the weather finally cools back down, the foot traffic shifts from visiting tourists to returning students, key members of staff inevitably move on so new staff step in, and both of my children return to school, necessitating and facilitating changes to my personal work schedule which affects everything else. All as we clean up and recover from our personal weeklong New Years Celebration, PAX.

And with every new year, comes changes. The two biggest for us so far this year are taps and our schedule.

Yes, that’s right. I just said TAPS! With custom D20 tap heads no less!

Thanks to an unprecedented collaboration between ourselves, Maeloc Cider, Fremont Brewing & the Seattle Indies, we were able to get our initial tap system fully installed, tested and operational just before PAX and now it’s ready for you try out too.

We’re currently offering our ever popular Strawberry Cider, Fremont’s amazing seasonal Lush IPA and Odin’s Gift Amber on tap and will be rotating through a range of seasonals, many of which will be selected by you through our tip wars voting system.

Draughts are $6 and pitchers $15. We look forward to serving you.

Additionally, after seeing how many people were trying to get in early every day to get some of our great espresso now that Stumptown has closed, we’re going to be opening every day at noon and staying open until 11pm, 1am on Fridays and Saturdays, making us a great stop for all your lunchtime and afternoon coffee needs.

So come on by, get yourself a drink, play some pinball, and check out some of our events. You’ll be delighted that you did.

– Eric

Though PAX is indeed amazing. And massive. And filled with everything that you love and are interested in. You may still find yourself wanting a little break.

Break? Break from what? Whatever could he be talking about?

And when you do, we’re just a short walk away in Seattle’s legendary Capitol Hill neighborhood.

A mystical land where all the crosswalks are actually rainbows!

And, just like PAX,* we’ve got everything that you love and are interested in here too as well, like and gaming, special guests, pinball, draught beer, pizza, and Dennis Rodman’s favorite sandwich, the Grilled Kimcheese! No, for real. We really do have those. Bolt invented them. They’re frickin’ good too. I know. I wouldn’t have thought so either. But they are.

Say, did I mention that we’re ALL AGES?!!??!

Or that we’ve got all your other favorite stuff too, like , espresso, and cocktails?

Heck! This Saturday night, September 2nd, we somehow even got permission to do a free screening of Rise of the Planet of the Apes in our private back lot. Which, if I’m following it’s trailer correctly…

…is actually a remake of 1972’s Conquest of the Planet of the Apes…

…thus possibly making it the greatest film of all time, ever, period. I don’t know. But we’ll find out together this Saturday Night!

Can’t wait to see you there.

-Eric

*Okay. How, “just like PAX,” we are is totally up for debate. But we do have lots of games.

That’s right, we’re just a short walk from the convention center and we’ve got food, drinks, swag and events all weekend long to make it worth your while when you do. We’ve even got espresso from 10am on if you want to coffee up on your way down! It’s glorious around here these days, I tell you. Just glorious.

And it all starts on Thursday, March 2nd with our annual Comicon Trivia Night hosted by all of your favorite nerdlebrities from a podcast for all intents and purposes, nerdhole & .

Then, after your amazing first day of the con on Friday, March 3rd, come out for our Queer Comics Mixer with the editors of the Northwest Press and Jetspace Magazine!

But our (if not THE) biggest party of this year’s comicon is definitely going to on Saturday, March 4, when takes over hosting duties for our massive annual cosplay contest & all night party!

On Sunday, March 4 we recover from hangovers with our Geek Girl Brunch.

And on Monday, March 5 we’ll be OPEN ALL DAY from 10am – 10pm for all of your last chance gaming, comics and pop cultural needs on your way back out of town.

To learn more about any of the events I listed here (or the bunch, like our Comicon Hearthstone, Magic the Gathering and Android Netrunner tournaments, that I didn’t!) head on over to our Events Page and see what we have for YOU this very special Emerald City Comicon weekend!