Going beer-tasting in Ballard is all fun and games until you get sick of drinking the same ones over and over again, spinning in a vortex of Reubens, Stoup, Peddler, and Populuxe. (Or, until somebody falls off the Cycle Saloon.) Trailbend Taproom is a welcome change of pace because it’s still in the Ballard brewery district, but has beer available from everywhere from Bellingham to Belgium. We’ll admit that vulture-stalking for a large picnic table here gets frustrating, especially since this is the U.S. capital of passive-aggressive attitudes. But once you’re in, it’s a fun place to drink interesting things like blueberry ale, aperol cocktails, and spiked coldbrew. We don’t recommend coming to Trailbend starving, but if you do, the pizzas are good enough - especially the margherita.