The Sammamish brewpub where everybody makes you feel like family - 2022's Best
Car fanatic turned brewer John Julum and family celebrate a second Best of Western Washington win. #k5evening
Author: Saint Bryan, KING 5 Evening (KING 5)
Published: 7:15 PM PST November 17, 2021
Updated: 12:41 PM PST November 16, 2022
SAMMAMISH, Wash. — Big Block Brewing is the winner of Best Brew Pub in 2022's Best of Western Washington viewers poll.
"We have a lot of car memorabilia here," Jess Julum said.
That's the first thing you notice when you walk into Big Block Brewing. The car stuff. There's the Best of Western Washington certificate for winning in 2019. But mostly car stuff.
"We have different pieces of art that we've gotten from different places," Julum said as she showed Evening host Saint Bryan around. "We do have a front end of a Chevy up there."
"Let me ask you about this picture here," Bryan said. "Are you attached to this picture? Do you think that's like maybe the best thing you could put up there? I'm just asking. I don't mean to be annoying. I'm just asking."
"I think it fits us," Julum said.
"Because I think there might be something better than that and I think I may have it right here because the viewers of Evening have selected Big Block Brewing once again as the best brew pub in Western Washington!"
"That would look so much better up there!"
"It would look better up there."
It's the day of our big surprise but owner and car fanatic John Julum is out of town. Still, his mark is everywhere.
"This is a very very cool burnout that he did on the bar," his daughter said. "That was done by his 1967 Ford Galaxie 500."
You can tell that Julum is the type of guy who makes people feel at home.
"We're not just a brewery," Jess Julum said. "We are a family. We care about our people. Our people care about us."
The most dedicated patrons are "Blockheads," a term of endearment for members of a club who get their own specially named glasses.
"The way that I look at this place is that it's 'Cheers,'" said Blockhead Cory Browning. "There's so many people here that I never would have known that have become my best friends."
"Once you're part of the family you don't want to leave," Jess Julum said.
Then she hangs up the new certificate and gives her sister Shelby a big hug.
Big Block Brewery has two locations. One in Sammamish and another in Redmond.
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