Herbert B Friendly Brewing

Loved this quirky nano brewery in Renton. It is literally in someone’s garage, so don’t be surprised when you drive through a residential neighborhood. The beer here is excellent! I had the IPA with lemongrass. This was really good and I’m not much of an IPA drinker. I also tried the cream ale which was also great. There were a couple that were out, so I will be back to try their other beers sometime. I like coming go these small breweries because you actually get to talk to the brewers and owners. Talking to Eric and Kitty was also fun. Would recommend a stop by for some different beers and fun conversations!

I visited this backyard brewery a couple of weeks ago and left satisfied and happy I randomly ended up in Renton on a Saturday afternoon. You’ll think you’re lost when you pull into a working class neighborhood and realize that there aren’t any commercial looking buildings around. But then you spot the mailbox with the HBF sticker and the sign indicating they are open. Yes, this is a backyard/​garage brewery. Don’t let that deter you.
We were greeted in the driveway by Robo Kitty, an eccentric, purple-​haired woman with a completely friendly, albeit quirky, personality. She sat us down in the garage and promptly made suggestions.
I sampled the About a Girl IPA with lemongrass and found the lemongrass to be too subtle, so subtle that I couldn’t taste or smell it. Indeed, I primarily tasted the hops. I was recently in Kona and had sampled Kona Brewing’s lemongrass seasonal and did a comparative analysis for Robo Kitty. She listened intently and was incredibly open to my criticism. That’s how good beer becomes amazing beer, a willingness to take the good and the bad.
I also sampled the Banana Bread Golden Stout. And loved it. It’s not gimmicky like many flavored stouts tend to be. The taste was incredibly well balanced and it was a wonderfully flavorful stout. It didn’t taste like you were drinking banana bread. It tasted like you were drinking a refined and malty stout that hinted at banana bread – sweet and roasty and delicious. Well played.
While we drank, we spoke with Robo Kitty extensively. She was more than willing to share their beer making process and setup with us. She told us a number of tall tales, some perhaps a little less believable than others, but all equally entertaining. Her company, like the beer, was intoxicating.
I can’t say enough about how she makes the HBF experience a good one. She allowed us to sample brews that weren’t available (including her expertly done chile beer) and also afforded us a sample of the Banana Bread Stout’s secret ingredient (interesting).
Herbert B. Friendly is the epitome of what I like in a brewery: great people, great beer, and the ability to try something unexpectedly delicious.

Second time I’ve been here and I felt like I should finally write a review! I’ve been to many different breweries with friends, and this was a memorable place. They have a great variety of beer, and I liked pretty much everything I tried. My favorite is their brown ale. The owners are very friendly. The tasting room is in their garage, so I almost drove past it the first time, not noticing the sign out front. If you’re in the neighborhood it is definitely worth stopping by.

Herbert B Friendly is how regional breweries begin. Great ideas and execution… this isn’t your father-​in-​laws home brew. Bring your growler, you’ll want to take some home with you (or don’t…they stock them so you’re covered).

I had their Imperial Cookie Stout and that was so addicting that I ended up filling 4 growlers worth and sharing it at a party. It did not last the night! The brewmaster always comes up with crazy new brews and their shop makes it way too easy to lose track of time hanging out and rambling. If I lived up there, I’d be there every weekend!