It was 10 years ago. Ten! I thought it would be a fun little thing to celebrate my birthday with a bar crawl along the Link—which at that time ran from the airport to downtown. In truth, I stole the idea from a friend in Boston who led a cadre of near-professional drinkers on a similar quest. Perhaps because of this, Drink the Link 2015 was to start at 2 PM, and attempted to fit 13 stops into 9 hours. It didn't work that way.
As the Link got longer, somehow the project became more successful instead of less. Both Drink the Link 2018 and 2019 involved at least one person going wire-to-wire on a 16-stop Link. The COVID-19 pandemic then disrupted Drink the Link for three sad years. It returned as a two-day odyssey in 2023, as the Link expanded to 19 stops, and then decamped to the eastside in 2024 to celebrate the opening of a truncated 2 Line. This year it is returning to the familiar confines of the 1 Line, but with a small modification stolen from Drink the Link 2024: an actually manageable amount of drinking for the event's increasingly geriatric participants.
Drink the Link continue to celebrates two of my favorite things: day drinking and public transportation. As much as it pains me to skip beloved venues, I think it is a necessary step for allowing the event to be a celebration and not a death march. The main, stupid idea remains the same. Enjoy a drink at a watering hole near the station. Join in when you want, and leave whenever. Drink what you like, alcoholic or not. I just want to ride trains with my friends, and your friends, and their friends. I hope you'll join in.
| Arrival Time | Station | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 | Airport | Sourced Market (before security) |
|
I can't imagine Drink the Link without a stop at the airport. It's just so weird heading into the airport with no luggage, spending a half hour there and leaving. Besides, airport beer prices are basically normal beer prices now. |
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| 12:30 | Othello | Taco Street |
| The stretch of the 1 Line along MLK is my least favorite segment of the Link from a design perspective, but it may be my favorite for Drink the Link venues. Café Ibex, Billiard Hoang, and the Ethiopian place that has had many different names and a cool water display behind the bar were all strong candidates, but Taco Street was specifically requested. | ||
| 13:30 | SODO | Orient Express |
| You didn't think a place made of trains would get skipped, did you? Plus without the specter of 10+ stops, it may be possible to actually have a Mai Tai and not regret it. | ||
| 15:00 | U District | My House! |
| We're going to visit the dog! She'll need a walk and some attention. Depending on the weather and preferences we might take her to a brewery or patio, or just drink at home. Food could happen here too. | ||
| 18:00 | Roosevelt | Teddy's |
| I like what Teddy's is all about, and it's not just that it is a bar with carpet. (It doesn't hurt though.) | ||
| 19:30 | Mountlake Terrace | Hemlock State Brewing |
| I wanted to pick one place from the four stops that opened as part of the Lynnwood Link extension. Visiting the sad boomers of Just Left in Lynnwood was tempting, but Hemlock State is a nicer walk and they have a beer named after the Link. | ||
| 21:00 | U District | My House Again! |
| Dog. Afterparty. | ||