A city united by soccer and beer:

Why the beautiful game has always been part of the Reuben’s story

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approached and Seattle prepares to host 6 matches, excitement for the beautiful game is building everywhere you look. Bars and breweries that once only showed NFL Sundays are getting ready to host a new set of fans from around the world, and neighbors are starting to discover the joy of the sport. This surge in enthusiasm is something we should all celebrate – it builds on the momentum the game has been gaining across the region for years.

Soccer has been woven into our DNA at Reuben’s for years, and we’re thrilled to encourage and share that passion with all fans as we head towards hosting the World Cup here in our wonderful region!

Growing up in the UK, I learned early on that football (yes, I struggle to call it soccer!) is about more than the game itself. Each town has its own club, London alone has more than a dozen professional teams. You support the club your family supports, and from an early age that team is part of your DNA. I remember vividly when I was about 10 we did a class project at school summarizing all the teams our classmates supported. I remember the day after losing in the 1986 World Cup finals, all my classmates bringing in the newspaper and talking about how distraught we all were.

At the 2021 Ballard FC launch party, I quoted Ted Lasso when I said “Football is life!” It’s a sentiment I truly believe – and has been ingrained in me since my childhood. Today, I personally have coached youth soccer for about a decade. Firstly with my eldest son, and now I coach my youngest son’s team. Last weekend, three generations of our family went to watch a game with our local supporters club.

But our support from day one is memorialized in our large Henry mural in the taproom patio – which became part of that first season’s jersey!

We also express our love for the beautiful game through what we know best – brewing beer.

When Ballard FC needed a beer to celebrate its inaugural season, and build a rallying call, I suggested the phrase “Up the bridges!” Let’s celebrate the Ballard bridge being up as a quirky symbol of the wonderful place we call home, allowing us to enjoy the Lake Washington Ship Canal rather than berate the delay it has caused our journey. And with that first collaboration beer for the newly formed team, a chant was born – Up the Bridges! is called out many times a game.

Our football-fueled brewing goes back even further, back to our original taproom in 2014. When Tottenham Hotspur announced they were playing a friendly against the Sounders we had to get involved. As a lifelong Spurs fan, I wanted to welcome the club to Seattle in a unique way. We teamed up with Gorilla FC and Seattle Spurs to brew London Calling – raising money for Street Soccer Seattle. And Tottenham’s long-time captain, Ledley King – who I saw play on the pitch each week when I had a season ticket living in London – came to the taproom to tap the first cask. It all reminded me why I fell in love with this city: since I moved here in 2004, it is easier to watch my beloved Spurs on TV than it was back in England, and Seattle’s beer culture quickly captured my heart.

In 2024 we joined the Sounders Craft Alliance – a group of local breweries and cideries committed to the Rave Green. We know that great clubs build community, so we jumped at the chance to partner with our local MLS club that we had been watching from the stands for years. That sentiment of unity is what drives us – whichever formation you prefer, we must always remember: we are all Sounders.

With the world’s game coming to Seattle in 2026, we need to remember the soccer stories that have existed for years in our city and will continue to play out long after. Stories of countless supporters clubs, youth leagues, and community pitches – shows that the love affair the region shares for the game runs deep. We’ve brewed beers to welcome overseas clubs, helped kick start local organizations, and joined alliances to make match days taste better because the sport is part of who we are.

So as you gear up for the World Cup, we invite you to experience the game the way we do: through pride, community and a good pint. Come by either of our taprooms for a watch party, and celebrate soccer’s growing popularity in the region. Whether you’re a lifelong supporter or discovering the game for the first time, there’s a place for you in this community – and we can’t wait to raise a pint with you.