To reserve tables for your event, we simply require a minimum purchase of $9 per person per hour. For example, a party of 40 people for 2 hours would require a minimum purchase of $9 x 40 x 2 = $720. This includes all the beer that your guests will drink and assurance that you will have a comfortable space for such a large group.

Remember that Optimism is a tip-free establishment, and taxes are already included in our pricing so that number is exactly what you pay. No hidden fees.

If you choose to book with us, we will send. you a contract to sign and request 20% of the cost of your event up front to hold the date. If your the event is within 30 days, we request a 50% deposit to hold the date. (If you previously put down a 20% deposit, we will request the additional 30% when you are in the 30 day window.) We will request the final payment, on the first business day after your event.

All deposits are non-refundable, but 100% transferable to any another event, as long as the event is cancelled 7 days prior.

No problem, just take a guess and let us know. We request the final count a week prior to the event. We will provide guests with wristbands so there is appropriate tracking of the number of guests and the beers that are counted towards your minimum purchase. You can always ask for more wristbands and we can adjust your final bill appropriately.

Sure, we can do that too! We will provide you with wristbands, so that it is easy for the counter staff to attribute your guest's purchases to your special event minimum. We will still require you to put up the a deposit for the event, but you will likely get a refund depending on purchases. If staff is not notified about guests purchases we are not able to track them properly and their sales will not count towards your event minimum, so please explain it to your guests.

You can even do something in between: e.g. give everyone a raffle ticket to put their first beer on your tab, and then they are on their own dime. It is up to you! We have raffle tickets on hand if you would like to do this.

It depends. For large events we are able to do this, but for small groups we are not. There simply are not many tables outside, so we generally provide these as first-come-first-served.

Yes, please use the ramped entrance on Broadway, and let us know if you will have wheelchair guests so that we can make sure your group is placed at our low tables, rather than the bar height tables.

Yes, we have AV equipment available for rent:

• Projector & Screen $50

• Speakers & Mic $50

Whether it can be used will depend on the size and time of your event, because we are open to the public on the main floor. If you are looking to have a meeting you might be more comfortable in our private Mezzanine space which also has AV Equipment.

We can provide 30 minutes of setup time before your tab starts if necessary. Just let us know in advance.

We do not allow candles or glitter or confetti of any kind. Let’s talk about your decorations in advance.

Absolutely! Optimism does not offer food, just a few snacks. We have a rotating food truck nightly (and we hope you can use their services!), but you are welcome to bring in homemade items, have something delivered, or use a caterer. We can make some suggestions, so let us know if you are interested in that.

Please just bus your own trash and recycling. We are happy to bring trash cans to your area to make it easier for your guests.

Yes, Optimism team members are parents too, so we are happy to have a place where kids and adults can have a good time together, with some guidelines:

• Our kids play area is designed for little kids, <7 years old. Older kids are bored and need more activities to be entertained, so Optimism is not a good place for parties at that age group.

• Our kids play area is open to all guests; we don’t rent it for just your party. That means we need to make sure you don’t invite too many children. Please let us know how many kids will be in your kids party v. adults.

• We offer sparkling water and a housemate sparkling lemonade, but not a lot of other items of interest to kids. You are welcome to bring in your own snacks, non-alcoholic drinks, and desserts — don't forget plates and utensils!

• You also probably know that kids can especially be messy. We would really appreciate it, if you would clean up at the end of your party. We do not allow any sort of cake smash in our space. There is a self-busing station for compost, etc. and if you need a broom please let us know and we can provide one. 

• Please remember, we are not a kids' party facility and we want to keep the place under control for families, as well as child-free guests visiting the brewery, so it is really important that you still monitor your littlest guests. We are a manufacturing facility, so there are places where people really shouldn't be for safety. If you have a several toddlers running about, it can make for a more relaxing party for kids and adults if you have a babysitter on hand to help mind everyone and keep the kids engaged. We will give a warning, but if you can’t keep your littlest guests safe and in your area, we will have to ask you to leave.

Again, we love having families and parties, we just want to help make it successful for all of us.

Of course! We love having dogs in the brewery and we might even come around and snap a few pictures for our social media! We'd really appreciate it if you encounter any messes, to please come to the bar so that we can provide you with lots of rags and Nature's Miracle to clean up. Dogs must be leashed at all times in the brewery and we also have to make sure that they aren't disturbing any guests. If you find that your dog is barking quite a bit, we may ask you to take your dog outside to calm them down.

Yes! We usually have several gluten-free options, including a couple of hard seltzers and often a hard cider from a local cidery.

Unfortunately, no. We cannot allow you to bring in outside alcoholic beverages to Optimism. This isn't about us wanting your money for that drink, our liquor license simply does not allow it on the main floor. Prohibition era laws make it so that no one is allowed to serve themselves alcohol inside our brewery, and we are only licensed to sell our beer and cider. The Washington State Liquor Control Board can revoke our license if we allow you to bring in outside beverages, so we will be very vigilant about this. 

If this is important to you, we are able to serve wine for private events. Learn more about the Mezzanine.