Lucky Envelope Brewing is celebrating 10 years in Ballard next month.
Lucky Envelope opened in May 2015—back when the Ballard Brewery District was just getting going.
“We’re so excited to be celebrating our 10th anniversary next month!” co-founder Raymond Kwan said in a statement. “The craft beer community has been so supportive of us from the early days, through a pandemic, and now as we prepare for another decade of sharing our culturally inspired beers!”
Lucky Envelope’s 10-year celebration event starts at noon on May 3. They’ll hand out their signature red envelopes filled with discounts on beer and merchandise. Original Philly’s food truck will be on-site from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and a lineup of new beer will be available, including a 10° Pilsner, a Calamansi Lime Sour, an Anniversary West Coast IPA, and a Fonio Grisette brewed with an ancient West African grain.
Barry Chan, head brewer and co-founder, says fonio first caught his attention through industry buzz. “I’d been hearing more and more about fonio in recent years, especially from respected brewers like Garrett Oliver of Brooklyn Brewery and Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River, who’ve both used it in their beers,” Chan said.
That curiosity turned into inspiration after tasting Russian River’s Fonio Belgian Blonde at the 2024 Great American Beer Festival. “I was immediately intrigued,” he said. “I knew I wanted to experiment with it in our brewhouse. Fonio isn’t just promising for brewing—it’s highly nutritious and thrives in arid climates without irrigation, making it a compelling climate-resilient crop. And as a bonus, it’s way more delicious than I expected.”
Lucky Envelope Brewing takes its name from the traditional Chinese custom of gifting red-and-gold envelopes during New Year celebrations—a gesture symbolizing luck and goodwill. The brewery embraces a philosophy of “Culturally Inspired Beer,” crafting recipes that blend modern and historic styles, techniques, and ingredients.
Since opening its doors in May 2015, Lucky Envelope has earned multiple honors, including medals from the Washington Beer Awards and the prestigious Great American Beer Festival® (GABF).
Photo: Lucky Envelope Brewing