Old Ballard Liquor Co. to shut down and reopen as Nordic bar and restaurant

Geeky Swedes Ballard

For the last six years, Old Ballard Liquor Company has been operating a nano distillery on Shilshole Ave. near the Ballard Bridge, specializing on a Scandinavian favorite: aquavit.

Owner Lexi, who goes by her first name, announced this last week that the distillery is shutting down at the end of the month. Old Ballard Liquor’s inventory is now 50% off, and the distillery is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day until it closes for good on July 31st. (It’s at 4421 Shilshole Ave NW.)

But not to fear, Lexi said she’ll reopen in “mid-to-late August” as a Nordic bar and restaurant. After all, Scandinavian food is another of Lexi’s loves. You may have eaten at “Tumble Swede,” a pop-up restaurant, most recently as a booth at SeafoodFest. Last year, she opened a small Scandinavian cafe inside Old Ballard Liquor Company with such dishes as Tunnbrödsrulle (Swedish street food), potato leek soup and elderflower ice cream. Then earlier this year, she announced a collaboration with the upcoming Skål Beer Hall to create the food concept for the Viking bar.

So a restaurant and bar sounds like a nice upgrade.

Lexi wouldn’t tell us why the distillery is closing — she said she’ll post a “detailed essay” on her website in coming weeks — but she did allude on Facebook to challenging regulations for smaller distilleries. She’s also not sharing details yet about her upcoming restaurant.

We’ll keep you updated, and in the meantime, head on down to Old Ballard Liquor Company for the discounted liquor. Everything must go by July 31st.

Geeky Swedes

The founders of My Ballard

35 thoughts to “Old Ballard Liquor Co. to shut down and reopen as Nordic bar and restaurant”

    1. Out of towners no longer come to seattle because the homeless are allowed to run rampant. Seattle Times published a story about conventions are no longer going to come here.

        1. doesn’t take long for the “durrrr homeless people” idiots to come out of the woodwork here. I wish her the best as well, great spot, great liquor, great everything.

        1. I know that’s true. And the city’s response to homelessness is a mess. But this is a thread about a fucking distillery and food. Jeez.

          2. And you pivoted it to stupidity. Doesn’t mean I’m going down with you. Have a nice day!

          4. Nice try, sockpuppet dfdefrez. You’ll notice my Gravatar symbol next to my real posts. But you have fun.

          5. Jeff the idea of using an avatar from an alt right company formed on 4chan is unconscionable

          1. Glad to see you agreeing with yourself.

            So is that the plan, make the city as disgusting as possible so tourists aren’t here?

        1. I work next to the market too. Good luck trying to find a hotel room, they’re all full and charging premium rates. Because tourists are flocking to Seattle.

          1. A lot of them are taking cruises to Alaska and are just staying in Seattle till their cruise sails.

          2. The cruse ships do bring a lot of tourists to Seattle. Many of them then stay additional nights in Seattle prior to or after their cruises. That’s why it is important to invest in the Port of Seattle cruise facilities.

  2. I love their aquavit, it’s fantastic, especially the cask strength! I ate at the TumbleSwede pop up at this year’s seafood fest and really enjoyed the food as well. I hope they reopen soon.

  4. Nordic is racist. The name must change to “Rainbow Bar” or “Gloria Steinem’s Leathery Face” or “Dog Dads Only”. C’mon people it’s 2018

  5. Other ideas for the bar’s name, perhaps more fitting:

    1) The Fighting Hobo
    2) The Old Manhater
    3) Detailed Essays
    4) Social Justice
    4) Ed’s Place
    5) The Old Cuck and Bull
    6) Trader Hoe’s
    7) Confusing Bathrooms
    8) $40 Shots
    9) Cat Lady and The Man Bun
    10) That Place We Went to Once
    11) The Scheming Junkie
    12) The Phone Bar
    13) The Long Waits
    14) Not David Meinert’s Bar

  6. What a surprise, a post about a distillery and the trolling sock puppet has what, 15 posts whining about homelessness. What a clown. Must have chosen to rent in central Ballard. That area hasn’t been nice since about 1875.

  8. Good luck with new bar and restaurant….,I really don’t eat out in Ballard and as for tourist, I go to Vegas for better food and better prices and better drinks and…. Better Women ! Women in Ballard look like burned out librarians and fat keebler elves….ha ha

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