Seattle’s axe throwing venue Blade and Timber will now serve alcohol in a primary for WA state

After several years of fighting with Washington’s Liquor and Cannabis Board, an ax throwing stretch in Seattle is now allowed to serve beer in a premiere for the state.

Blade and Timber opened as the first ever ax throwing experience in Seattle in March 2019, bringing the growing trend across the country to the Emerald City. The location is on busy Broadway East, one block from the light rail. It’s popular for team building events and parties, as well as those looking to relieve some stress by throwing sharp objects.

The Kansas City-based chain was founded by Matt Baysinger and Ryan Henrich, who branched out from the escape rooms in 2017 to open their first ax-throwing business. Since then, they have opened six outposts across the country to cater to what they want for shared experiences.

But the company has been messing with the state alcohol board since it opened two years ago to expand its business by serving alcohol to older diners. Initial applications were denied or withdrawn, but Blade and Timber continued to resist.

Blade and Timber Ax Throwing opens on Capitol Hill on Friday. The Broadway commercial has 18 litter tracks that can be rented publicly and privately and will eventually serve food and drink.Genna Martin

Now it appears the liquor board and Blade and Timber buried the hatchet when the venue was finally granted a snack bar liquor license this week. The company called the new license a “victory” as it is the first time an ax-throwing facility in Evergreen State is allowed to sell alcohol products.

“We have three years of experience operating ax-throwing sites across the country where more than 100,000 guests have been safe while serving alcoholic beverages,” Baysinder said in a press release. “We are incredibly proud and excited to show how successful we will be doing this in Seattle starting this week.”

As part of the new pilot program, the venue will limit customers to two beers during their 90-minute stay. While the company plans to expand into wine and cocktails along with a larger menu, only domestic and local beers are currently served. The venue also allows customers to bring their own food or snacks.

The company’s co-founder Ryan Henrich is setting up his newest ax throwing range, which opened on Capitol Hill this week: Blade and Timber. The Broadway commercial will have litter tracks available for public and private rental and will eventually serve food and drink. The company and Henrich are based in Kansas City, where their first venue opened in 2017.Genna Martin

And while mixing alcohol and sharp objects doesn’t seem like the best idea at first, Blade and Timber have strict safety rules for guests and employees. Before guests can even throw in their own fully enclosed lanes, they are trained by staff who are all certified by Ax Safety in the correct technique for throwing.

“Everyone can teach themselves how to do it [throw an axe] But everyone did it differently, “said Henrich to the PI in Seattle.” We had to start at the end and work backwards: the ax has to turn once with as little effort as possible. “