Boundary Bay Brewery’s Salmon Chowder

Everyone loves chowder, don’t they?  It sure seems that way here at Boundary Bay!  It has proven to consistently be one of our most popular dishes and now it’s starring in weekly Chowder Charters here in Bellingham.

the Shawmanee

Boundary Bay Brewery Smoked Salmon Chowder is loaded with  potatoes, smoked salmon, carrots, celery and onion in a rich cream base.  Served with fresh baked bread. You can get it in the brewery for $3.99 a cup or in a bowl for just $5.99. Or you can get it onboard the weekly Chowder Charter on board the 65 ft. Shawmanee (leaving from the Squalicum Harbor).  $45 gets you a 3 hour sail, a wonderful Rosemary Bread Bowl of Smoked Salmon Chowder from Boundary Bay Brewery and an experience you will not soon forget!

The Shawmanee is a U.S. Coast Guard Inspected Vessel certified for as many as 46 passengers for day charters.  They’ve hosted weddings, celebration cruises, graduations, executive retreats, corporate training sessions, family reunions and day trips out on the bay.  Visit bellinghamsailing.com or call 734-9849 to schedule your chowder charter or a full day aboard the Shawmanee for the likes of crabbing, island hopping, whale watching, etc.

 

Sweet Tweetin’ at Boundary Bay Brewery

Last night we had our very first Sweet Tweet at Boundary Bay Brewery!  This year, we’ve gotten into social media pretty deeply and one of our favorite sites is Twitter.  We decided to invite some of our Twitter fans to our beer garden for a tasting menu of our new summer desserts.  We asked them to help us pair each dessert with a beer and to post tweets about it while attending the event.  The tweeters were served the Larabee Cake (a chocolate mouse, meringue and blueberry confection), a Strawberry Shortcake in a honey-champagne glaze and a Cherry Porter Ice Cream cake.  They were each poured tasters of a selection of our beers and asked to taste and tweet and tell us what they liked best.  They even got to try a chocolate wort reduction sauce drizzled over figs as the grand finale!

Larabee Cake

After tallying the votes, here’s the Sweet Tweet results: the crew chose Dunkles Bock as the clear winner to accompany the Strawberry Shortcake (thought the Stout got a few votes too – especially when tasted with the shortcake biscuit!).  “Dunkles Bock brings out some nice complexity and cuts the sweetness.”  When it came to pairing beer with the Cherry Porter ice cream cake, the opinions were much more divided.  As one of our voters stated quite clearly: “With Dunkles = yum.  With Stout = yummier!”  One of our tasters thought the Stout was the undeniable obviously right  choice, while another observed that the “Dunkles Bock makes the cherries pop…”  And last, but not least, the Larabee cake was paired with everything from the lightest (our Lightner Ale) to the Oatmeal Stout.  “Stout works with the chocolate perfectly and cleanses the sweetness.” vs. “Ale works surprisingly well…Ale works best with the more strongly flavored desserts, contrary to my expectations.”

Overall, the Sweet Tweet was a great success!  We were blessed with a group of Twitter techies who were well versed in beer and food as well.  They served as an incredible think-tank and we are so thankful to all of them for being part of this event with us.  If you’d like to read more of the comments posted during the Sweet Tweet, go to search.twitter.com and type #bbst (boundary bay sweet tweet) in the search field to see all the results.  And, if you’re still longing for more Sweet Tweet action, you can check out all the photos from the event on our Facebook Photos Page.

our sweet tweeters

 

Wildcatch Salmon Burgers at Boundary Bay Brewery

Here at Boundary Bay Brewery, we know we’ve got a good thing going, but we’re not content to just coast along on the success we’ve already achieved.  We like to keep growing and changing and trying new things.  We’ve recently decided to add on to our BBQ menu since it continues to be a weekly hot spot in the Bellingham community.  Now, in addition to burgers, brats and bocca burgers, you can also get salmon burgers from Wildcatch – an Alaskan company that harvests only sustainable wild salmon in cooperation with Native, Alaskan, and Pacific Northwest fishers.

We chose to use Wildcatch salmon because they offer the finest natural salmon and seafood products free of antibiotics and synthetic colorings and they rely solely on sustainable fishing practices.  As a consumer, we have the power to make a difference. Choosing to buy seafood from companies that use ocean friendly sustainable yield methods rather than more environmentally destructive farming methods – influences what is acceptable in the fishing industry.

Your choice rewards and encourages other fisheries to operate with an emphasis on a sustainable future. Sustainable seafood comes from fishing methods that allow a threatened or depleted fishery to recover back to healthy levels. These methods also protect healthy fisheries from becoming depleted and help maintain the diversity and health of the oceans and rivers so the fish can live and thrive.  Already, more than 60 percent of world fish stocks are fully fished, exploited, depleted, or slowly recovering. With the demand for seafood on the rise it is critical that sustainable fishing practices are followed.

Come down to the Beer Garden for a BBQ on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday nights and try a salmon burger that you can really feel good about!

 

Green Drinks in Boundary Beer Garden

Green Drinks meets in the Boundary Bay Beer Garden: What is Green Drinks? Green Drinks is an organic networking session that started in London, England and has since caught fire around the world. Like-minded individuals in places from Hong Kong to India, Sweden to South Africa meet every month to catch-up, network and talk about the latest green issues. According to greendrinks.org, these events are very simple and unstructured, but many people have found employment, made friends, developed new ideas, done deals and had moments of serendipity. The best part about Green Drinks is that there is no structure, just good people meeting at a regular place and time.

• Wednesday, July 1st
• 5-7 pm in beer garden
• Admission: always free

 

Boundary Beer for 4th of July

Are you looking for something to do on the 4th of July?  Do ever-tightening budgets and a backseat full of little ones narrow your options for fun ways to spend your day?  Well, look no further!

The Port of Bellingham, the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce and the Haggen Family have all teamed up to bring Bellingham a 4th of July celebration we can all enjoy at Zuanich Point Park from 1-11pm on Saturday, July 4th.  The annual Haggen Family 4th of July Celebration this year will include live bands and children’s activities at Bellingham’s before the evening’s fireworks display!  And, best of all, Boundary Bay Brewery will be there with our beer.

Thousands of people annually view the Haggen Family 4th of July Celebration’s fireworks. Haggen has been the primary sponsor of the Bellingham fireworks display, one of the largest in the state, since 1995.  This year’s Haggen Family 4th of July Celebration will include local bands performing from 1- 9:30 p.m. A Kids Zone will feature a variety of free activities , vendors selling food and crafts and a beer garden (with you know who!!!). The fireworks show will start at approximately 10:30 p.m.   All events will be free. Look for the Boundary Bay Brewery Beer Garden at the Zuanich Park celebration between 5 and 10:30 pm!

 

Boundary Bay Brewery’s Sweet Tweet

Twitter is a relatively new word in the world of small business, public relations and marketing.  Yet, Twitter continues to prove itself as a huge, powerful tool in strengthening brand identity and in creating a community around a business.  At Boundary Bay Brewery, we’ve leaped into social media and are enjoying finding our fans spread across the world (even when our beer doesn’t get distributed further than Idaho!)  Not only is it fun to be a local brewery, but to then also find that we have active supporters as far flung as Tokyo, Russia and Denmark makes for a very rewarding social media experience.  But, we wanted to do more with social media then just hear what people are saying about our brewery and our beer.  We want to get in touch with our fans and get them involved in our business.  That’s why we’re holding our very first Sweet Tweet next Tuesday afternoon in the Beer Garden.

Donica Burnett, of Bantam Cakes, is also our dessert chef and we’ve been very happy to unveil her new Summer Dessert Menu at Boundary Bay Brewery.  Her creations are so popular, her dessert menu actually sold completely out the first night we offered it!  But, since the menu is so new, we haven’t decided on recommended beer pairings for all the creations.  Now, Boundary Bay Brewery Twitter fans have a chance to be part of a unique opportunity…our very first Sweet Tweet! We want Twitterers to come in and sample our new desserts and help us decide which beers pair best with each of the tasty treats.  Twitterers will taste for free, but the deal is they have to tweet for their food (you know…like sing for your supper.)!  We want the Twitter universe to feel like they are tasting with us – sampling Donica’s amazing desserts and debating whether the Dry Irish Stout or the Pilsner set off the flavors of the Larabee Cake better. So, if you attend, plan on tweeting your opinions between tastings.

If you’d like to participate, head to our Twitter page to get all the details!

 

Boundary Bay Brewery Summer Desserts

Donica Burnett of Bantam Cakes is our dessert chef here at Boundary Bay Brewery and she’s just whipped up a new Summer Dessert Menu.  For those of you who haven’t yet heard, Boundary Bay is offering a rotating menu of desserts designed to showcase the flavors and bounty of each season.  There are desserts sure to please…no matter what your sweet tooth prefers.  For those who prefer a good old fashioned dessert we have Strawberry Shortcake or the Strawberries and Lemon Ice Cream Sundae.  Try the Key Lime Pie if you’re gluten free!  For the adventurous, we’ve got the Tao Float with ginger ice cream and peach cream soda and for the chocolate lovers, we’ve got Larabee Cake.  And, of course, the Cherry Porter Ice Cream Cake for the ultimate beer connoisseur!

Strawberries & Lemon Ice Cream Sundae – Creamy ice cream loaded with fresh strawberries, served over a lemon sugar cookie, sprinkled with candied lemon peel & fresh strawberry juice. $6

Strawberry Celebration Shortcake

Larabee Cake – Creamy chocolate mousse layered with melt-in-your-mouth meringue, trimmed with a chocolate shell & garnished with fresh blueberries in a lavender-lemon glaze. It’s gluten free too!$6

Strawberry-Celebration Shortcake Shortcake – topped with strawberries in a Honey-Champagne glaze & a dollop of Vanilla bean whip cream. $5

Lopez Island Key Lime Pie - Gluten Free!!

Lopez Island Key-Lime Pie – Key lime pie with a macadamia nut crust, served with grilled pineapple &  coconut syrup. You won’t believe it’s gluten Free! $6

Tao Float – East & West harmoniously combine when candied ginger ice cream takes a bath in our homemade Peach Cream Soda. Topped off with lemongrass whipped cream, this dessert will take the edge off those warm evenings. $6

Larabee Cake

Cherry Porter Ice Cream Cake – An airy chocolate cake soaked in a chocolate-kirsch sauce, layered with cherry-Porter ice cream, whipped cream & chocolate curls. $6

 

Pilsner Advances in Refreshing Beer Contest

We are happy to announce that our Boundary Bay Brewery Pilsner has advanced to the 2nd round of the Brewing News Global Warming Open – a contest to find the most refreshing beer in America.  Beers were accepted by any brewery choosing to enter the competition and participating breweries were placed randomly into the competition brackets. Judges are choosing the winning beer on a single elimination basis and winners of the each round advance to the next round.

Best of all…the judges, all craft beer connoisseurs, will sample the beer in summer conditions…meaning, they will be sitting in a hot tub while making their determinations! Before the contest, beer lovers also chose their winners for each round on-line and filled out their brackets. A grand prize will be awarded to the person who gains the most bracket points…with the top prize will be a free case of the winning beer. Not a bad contest, huh?  Judges get to sit in hot tubs and drink beer while beer lovers online compete for a case of the most refreshing beer in America!

In the first round, our Pilsner beat out D-Light Kolsch from Atwater Brewing and now we’re pitted against Brute from Ithaca Beer Company.  The next elimination round takes place June 27th in Rochester, NY.  Keep checking the blog for contest updates!

 

Boundary Bay Pilsner!

Within the craft beer industry, seasonal beers are long awaited and much anticipated.  As the Seasonal Beer Throughout the Year website says: “Seasonal Beers and Special Release Beers are the gems of the brewing world. They can come and go in a cyclical fashion, but can also be a one-time release. These beers are to be appreciated, and they represent the best in creativity and passion that a brewer can deliver. Seasonal beers focus on seasonal ingredients and highlight flavors that harmonize with the faire of the moment.”

For us here at Boundary Bay Brewery, the Pilsner is perhaps the most celebrated of all our seasonal beer releases.  It is the sign that summer has finally come to Bellingham, WA!  Our Pilsner is a light, honey colored lager with a beautiful hop aroma and flavor. It is brewed in a traditional manner using only the finest ingredients: Pilsner, Munich, and Vienna Malts and Saaz and Hersbucker Hops. We ferment it at lower temperatures than an ale, creating a drier body, with less fruity esters. (Original Gravity: 1.050)

This summertime brew is a perennial favorite and many a Boundary Bay fan (myself included!) wait all year long to get another chance at savoring long summer evenings with a cool glass of Pilsner out in the beer garden.  In years past, our Pilsner has brought home silver medals from the North American Beer Awards and a gold medal from the Great American Beer Festival.

And this year, our Pilsner’s competing in the 2nd Annual Global Warming Open, a contest pitting refreshing summer beers against one another to determine the most refreshing beer in America. (Click here for more details on the Global Warming Open!) Like the National IPA Championship, beers will be accepted by any brewery choosing to enter the competition. Round 1 of the competition is this Saturday and we’re going head to head with the D-Light Kolsch from Atwater Brewing Co.

So come on in and grab a seat our on our deck or in the beer garden.  Enjoy a Boundary Bay Pilsner and give thanks for seasonal beers and craft brewing.  Cheers!

 

Boundary Bay Brewery Joins EverybodyBIKE Efforts

Did you know that the bicycle happens to be the most efficient form of transportation ever invented?

Boundary Bay Brewery participated in Bellingham’s EverybodyBIKE competition during the month of May. The goals of the EverybodyBIKE are to help local travelers see bicycles as an important form of transportation and increase bicycle trips to the point that they are a significant share of local trips.  So here’s how it worked: the idea was to form teams of 4-6 people and compete for who could make the most bike trips in one month.  People new to biking (or walking) for transportation got double points for every trip they made, as did CEO’s of any company participating.  Here at Boundary Bay Brewery, we formed three teams…one comprised of Ed (the owner) and the brewers, one of Janet (the general manager) and some of our lovely wait staff, and the last made up of those in the underbelly of Boundary: the graphic designers (one of whom was me!), our dessert chef, and our kitchen operations manager.  Overall, we made 230 total smart trips (meaning we walked or rode bikes instead of driving!) totaling 1,639 miles.  Which also means that in the month of May our employees alone prevented 1,332.45 of carbon dioxide! A total of 145 teams registered with over 850 people making bicycling and walking trips during May. On Bike to Work and School Day, more than 8,600 people were counted walking and biking for morning trips, a 15% increase over 2008.

Best of all, though, we are proud to report that our brewing team for EverybodyBIKE (who named themselves the Biped Hopheads!) placed 4th overall in Whatcom County.  Just goes to show ya…the power of Boundary Bay Brewery beer!

the Biped Hopheads as pictured from left to right:  Anthony Stone, Ed Bennett, Aaron Jacob Smith, Gabe Buchanan, Thomas Eastwood and Nick Crandall