An Evening Sail Aboard the Zodiac

If you’ve spent time in Bellingham, chances are you’ve caught sight of the the 160ft. Schooner Zodiac crossing the Bay. When The Zodiac Crew suggested a beer and dinner sail this August, Boundary did not hesitate to hop on board. Tuesday, August 5th Boundary and 50 passengers set sail for a pairing cruise aboard the historic,1924 yacht — hopefully the first of many to come.

The Zodiac, restored to the glory of her younger days, is a testament to the majesty and beauty of classic wooden yachts. Her decks are spacious and practical, her sails trimmed and powerful. Her main mast towers over twelve stories high and she proudly boasts the largest working mainsail on the western coast. When you look down her rails, you see polished brass and gleaming brightwork. Her lines are coiled and hung on the rails and the rigging is taut and fast.

Boundary Brewer, Bryan Krueger, connected with Zodiac Chef, Miranda Krone, to devise a four-course dinner featuring Boundary Seasonals paired with complimentary plates. As the sun set beyond the bay, the view of varnished mahogany, oak and teak coupled eloquently with the taste of fine crafted ales and decadent cuisine. The setting was phenomenal, the atmosphere paradisiacal. You can practically savor the tastes and the good vibes of the adventure in the photographs captured by Jonathan Kull. Click the images to look through the gallery!

1. Not Shawn’s Saison + Peach heirloom tomato salad with toasted pine nuts and aged gouda with red wine vinaigrette.
2. Mosaic Single Hop Pale + Tequila-lime shrimp and grits.
3. Scotch Ale +  Blackberry BBQ ribs with garlic mashers and haricots verts.
4. Batch 5,000 Imperial Porter + Maple creme carmel infused with Porter.

We’ll be sure to let you know when the next cruise sets sail!

Buy Your Mom a Beer!

 

It’s a common myth that beer is a boy’s world.  But we know plenty of ladies who love their brews, too.  Which is why we think you should bring your mom here for brunch in our Beer Garden on Mother’s Day!  It’s been a tradition of ours for years and, trust us, the moms come out in full force…and not just because we offer each of them a free Mimosa.

Bring the whole family down to enjoy brunch between 10am and 2pm on Mother’s Day – Sunday, May 11th. Give us a call to make a reservation at 360-647-5593 or tell your server when you’re here having a beer after work and they’ll get you on the list.  Brunch is $25 per person, $17 for seniors, $12 for kids 6-12 years old and FREE for kids 5 years old and under.

On Sunday, May 11th, we’re serving up:

• Scrambled Eggs with Fontina (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
• Roasted Red Potato Home Fries with Paprika and Garlic (Vegan, Gluten Free)
• Assorted Quiches (both vegetarian and with meat)
• Bacon (Gluten Free)
• Sausage Links (Gluten Free)
• Ham Carving Station (Gluten Free)
• Fresh Fruits (Vegan, Gluten Free)
• Caprese Skewers (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
• Grilled and Chilled Marinated Vegetables (Vegan, Gluten Free)
• Spinach Salad with Chevre, Hazelnuts, Fresh Fruit, and White Balsamic-Champagne-Honey Reduction (Gluten Free, Vegetarian)
• Fusilli Pasta Salad with Cherry and Sun Dried Tomatoes, Arugula, Pinenuts, Artichoke Hearts, and a white balsamic tomato vinaigrette (Vegetarian)
• Pineapple Coconut Bars (Vegetarian)
• Lemon Blueberry Scones (Vegetarian)
• 
Mini Chocolate Tarts (Vegetarian)
• Lemon Cream Tarts (Vegetarian)
• Bacon Cheddar Scones
• Banana Bread (Vegetarian)
• Shortbread Cookies (Vegetarian)
• Buttermilk Biscuits (Vegetarian)

 

 

Winter Solstice & Some Cedar Dust

Join us for our 1st Winter Solstice Party & Craft Fair in the Beer Garden on Saturday, December 21st. We’re kicking things off the right way…at 4pm, we’ll tap the first brew in our new Galbraith Mountain Series; Cedar Dust IPA. Named after the Galbraith Mt. Trails, located between Bellingham and Sudden Valley, the series intends to capture a taste of the great outdoors and the adventurous spirit of the PNW.  Be one of the first to try it!

Santa and Mrs. Claus are going to be here too! They told us they’re riding in on a horse and buggy to give the reindeer some rest before the big night. They offered to take anyone who would like, on carriage rides around town. It’ll be free, so bring the kids on down and let them have a little chit chat with Santa. Figure out who’s been naughty, and who’s been nice :  )

We’ve also invited several local artists to set up booths in the garden to sell their hand-made creations. We’ll have items like wine-racks, pottery, jewelry, ornaments, scarves…It’s the perfect opportunity to get a little bit of holiday shopping done!

As always, we’ll provide the refreshments. There will be complementary hot cider, cookies and candy canes plus beer available for purchase. Deigo’s Taco Truck will also be joining us.

Santa, tacos, beer, trees, crafts…might sound a bit unconventional, but it’s the Boundary way, and no matter how strange, it’s always fun! Swing by and join us. Happy Holidays from your staff at Boundary Bay

[Beer Garden] Wonderland

It’s true, Boundary Bay is hosting Bellingham’s 1st Beer Garden Christmas Tree Lot! We’re aiming to revolutionize this annual holiday occasion…so bring the whole family down and hunt for a tree, while you enjoy a brew! We’ll have a range of Fullner Farm trees available for purchase; from small Charlie Brown’s to large 7ft firs, along with wreathes made by Mt. Baker High School.

Join us on the last day of the tree sale (12/21) for the Winter Solstice Party and Craft Fair! We’ve invited several local artists to set up booths in the garden and sell their hand-made creations. It’s the perfect opportunity to get a little bit of holiday shopping done ; )

Shhh we even heard a rumor Santa was going to be dropping in between 5pm and 7pm so we hope you’ve been good this year! Stay tuned online through our Facebook for event info!

Old Bounder Wins Silver

“Old Bounder” Barley Wine took home the Silver Medal at the 2013 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) this past weekend! More than 4,300 beers were entered, representing 745 breweries from around the Country; the largest GABF competition to date.  The Professional Judge Panel awards gold, silver and bronze medals that are recognized around the world as symbols of brewing excellence. These awards are among the most coveted in the industry and Boundary Bay was one of two other WA breweries (American and Elysian Brewing) to receive a medal in 2013.

 “To continue to place at the GABF is an extraordinary accomplishment,” states General Manager, Janet Lightner, “We are so proud of our brewers who continue to bring home medals, especially considering the level of competition the GABF represents.”

This win marks Boundary’s 14th medal at the GABF. Old Bounder was awarded the bronze in 1998, silver in 2002 and another silver in 2004 in the Barley Wine Style Ale category.  “We have been fortunate to win many awards“, says Lightner, “Each of those metals signals a triumph in the craft beer community, but we also measure our success by the connections we build with our community of customers and neighbors who make it possible for us to keep doing what we love.” 

So what we’d like to say is…Thank you for your support, Bounders!  We couldn’t do it without you.

Beer Week at Boundary

Ready for Beer Week Bellingham? The planning is well underway, and we thought you might like to know what we’ve got lined up here at Bbay:

According to the owner of Chocolate Necessities, Kevin Buck, nothing pairs better with chocolate, than a tasty brew (and yes, this includes wine!) Naturally, we think so too : ) so, we’ve partnered up with Kevin to bring you an educational tasting experience that will surely please your pallets. Chocolate Necessities imports and produces some of the finest chocolates you will ever taste… We use a variety of remarkable ingredients gathered through years of inquiry into specialty sources — Amarena cherries, Agostoni chocolate and real pastry liquors from Italy, Vanuatu chocolate from Belgium, vanilla from Tahiti.

Everything we make is handcrafted to give you the best chocolate experience.  So why not offer a two-fer; the best chocolate AND beer experience in one!? Stop by during any day of Beer Week and sample Chocolate Necessities paired with Boundary Bay Beers. How does our Imperial IPA paired with Chocolate covered Lemon Sticks from France sound? Or maybe an Oatmeal Stout with Vanuatu milk chocolate from Belgian? There’s so much more…

On Monday, September 23^rd at 7:00, we’ll be hosting a delicious 5 course beer dinner led by Chef Matt Hansen and our Head Brewer Aaron Jacob Smith. Tickets are of very limited availability and will go fast. They can be purchased at Boundary Bay for $50 a person.  (21+ Only). Here’s how the menu is shaping up:

Roasted Yellow Pepper & Jerusalem Artichoke Soup, w/ Szechuan Peppercorn ESB
Locally Foraged Mushroom and Goat Cheese Parcel, paired with Harvest Rye Ale
Lamb and Rose Stuffed Quail with Harissa and Apricots, paired with Amber Ale
Choucroute Garnie made with local Carne sausages, infused with Scotch Ale
Oatmeal Stout Donut with Irish Stout Creme Anglaise paired with Irish Stout

Oktoberfest in the Beer Garden at 5pm on Thursday, September 26th!  We know we know, its not technically October yet…but we just can’t wait that long. Get ready to put on your lederhosen and tighten up your dirndl, were going to be dancing, drinkin’ and eating pretzels all night long! Not only are we hosting our annual celebration in the Beer Garden, but the next day on the 27^th, we’re also running an Oktoberfest BREWS Cruise on the Bay with San Juan Cruises.  Two days of Oktoberfestitivies…WE THINK YES!

Don’t forget the Beer and Bike ride set for the 29^th at Noon. The biking parade will start at Boundary, head to Kulshan, to Elizabeth Station, Chuckanut Brewery and finally end at the Copper Hog. Last year’s ride was a blast and we cant wait for you to be apart of it!

For more information about beer week, visit http://www.bellinghambeerweek.com!

Bellingham Beer Week 2013

We’re coming up on the 2^nd annual Bellingham Beer Week (Septmber 20-29^th) and this year…we’ve got the events stacked all day and all night.

Celebrate Bellingham’s craft beer scene with an entire week (+ 3 more days because one week isn’t long enough) dedicated soley to the love, exploration, and passion of Craft Brewing. Boundary Bay, and several of the other awesome breweries and pubs in town, are assembling together to give you 10 whole days of non-stop “ale-related” events. (AKA Disney Land for adults.) The possibilities of the potential events you can attend are overwhelming, so TAKE A GOOD LOOK at what might interest you — AND GET OUT AND ENJOY YOURSELVES!

Ski to Sea Weekend with BEER!

For many years, a big part of Bellingham’s Memorial Day tradition has been the Ski to Sea race and accompanying festivities.  The race itself is a 93.5 relay race from MT. Baker to Bellingham Bay encompassing seven different sports:  Cross Country Ski; Downhill Ski/Snowboard; Running; Road Bike; Canoe; Mountain Bike and Kayak.

The weekend of fun also includes a community block party with music and food (and a Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden!), a junior Ski to Sea Race for the little ones, a hometown parade and special events all around town – including plenty of ones right here at Boundary Bay Brewery.

Starting Friday, May 25th, we’ll have all kinds of family friendly entertainment to keep everybody busy.  This Friday kicks off the Official Ski to Sea Block Party in our Beer Garden!  There’ll be music, dancing, food and fun.  It’s a costume party too (NOT required!), so wear your Ski to Sea themed attire for a chance to win a fabulous prize! Dress as an original 1911 racer or a modern day racer…be as creative as you want.  AND, the first 800 racers who show up with their race bibs get an official 2012 Ski to Sea beer glass for free!  Oh, and be sure to enter the Ski to Sea and Alaska Airlines contest for a chance to win two round trip tickets from Bellingham to ANYWHERE Alaska Airlines flies. We’ll have our BBQ up and running and there’ll be live music by The Atlantics, too!

Then, on Saturday, May 26th our Beer Garden will open at 2pm and we’ll have the BBQ running all day.  The Bellingham Firefighters Pipes & Drums band will be performing throughout the afternoon along with performances from other pipe and drum bands from the area.  Around 7pm, we’ll start charging a $5 cover for the live music by Sundance which is all ages till 10pm.

The weekend’s festivities will wrap up on Sunday, May 27th with live music by the True Spokes (formerly Flowmotion) at 8:30pm.  The show has a $10 cover as is 21+only, but the Beer Garden and BBQ open at 2, so people of all ages are welcome to relax down there and enjoy BBQ and beer until around 8 when we’ll start charging covers.

Be sure to try some of our Ski to Sea ESB this weekend, too!  It’s brewed specially to commemorate and celebrate the Ski to Sea annual race and this rare brew of ours only gets released once a year.  It’s available on tap here at the brewpub and in 22 oz. bottles sold here at Boundary Bay Brewery and at local grocery stores like Haggens.

Our Ski to Sea ESB is a copper colored English style pale ale that emphasizes the subtle blend of imported and domestic malts. The addition of dry hops adds a delightful hoppy aroma and a slight floral, grassy flavor.

We’ve even got Ski to Sea ESB tshirts and hoodies if you wanna commemorate your experience here in Bellingham this weekend!

Beer + Kilts = True Love!

Highland Reserve Scotch Ale

If you’re familiar with Boundary Bay Brewery at all, you’ve probably tasted (or at least heard about) our Scotch Ale.  It was our original, flagship beer when we opened in 1995, but we’d planned to have it on tap only as a seasonal beer. However, it turned out that our Scotch Ale was so popular that in 15 years we’ve never once taken it off tap even once!

This Scotch Ale has a thick, creamy head and a beautiful red hue with an incredibly smooth finish that lingers.  We make it with roasted, unmalted barley which provides a distinctive flavor and hop it just long enough to give the beer good balance with just a touch of sweetness.  You can pretty much always find our Scotch Ale on tap here at the brewery, at any number of regional restaurants and bars who have our beer on tap and in 22 oz. bottles here at Boundary Bay Brewery and at regional grocery stores and bottle shops.

But, this time of year, our beloved Scotch Ale gets a little bit of competition!  This Thursday (May 17th) we’re releasing our Highland Scotch Ale which is brewed in commemoration of the Bellingham Highland Games.  Made with Dark crystal and peated malts, this beer is rich and dark with a faint smokey finish and is definitely stronger than our traditional Scotch Ale.  This small batch brew is only available seasonally, so be sure to come try it while it’s on tap!  This beer tends to go pretty quickly around these parts and you won’t find this one in bottles, either, so plan your weekends around a road trip up here to Bellingham!

Blessing of the Firkin last year!

You can also enjoy this beer of ours at the Bellingham Highland Games on June 1st – 3rd  out at Hovander Park.  You’ll find it in the beer garden at the games all weekend, but there are a few opportunities for you to get your hands on it early, too!  Here in the Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden, the Highland Games association will be conducting a blessing of the Firkin ceremony on Thursday, May 24th.

They’ll bless the kegs of Highland Scotch Ale heading out to the games and even have some pipers, dancers, game officials and men in kilts…of course!  Here’s the catch though…that special Firkin they’re blessing?  Well, it’s not gonna get tapped until Friday, June 1st which kicks off the Highland Games festivities.  If you head out to Hovander Park that night, you’ll get to enjoy the Kirkin o’ the Firkin AND a Scottish Idol talent show!  What’s a Kirkin of the Firkin, you ask?  Well, $20 gets you a special mug that allows you to drink as much of the Firkin (filled with our Highland Scotch Ale) as you want till it’s gone…that means even the next day if there’s any beer left!

Irish Dancing and Corned Beef

It’s St. Patrick’s Day this Saturday and we’re going to be celebrating in a major way here at Boundary Bay Brewery!  We’ll open as usual at 11 am and have a full day of fun planned to entertain the whole family!  Please be aware, though, that we have dancers and other performances happening throughout the brewery that day, so we won’t be able to rearrange tables to seat parties larger than eight  people.  Large parties are welcome to split into smaller groups or to stay together down in the Beer Garden.

our Dry Irish Stout

We’ll have a special menu of Irish Fare that will replace our regular menu for the day.  So, instead of your usual Yam Alechiladas, you can feast on a few of our regular standbys like our House Salad, Caesar salad and Pepperoni or Cheese pizzas or head down to the Beer Garden for BBQ.

But why not enjoy some festive faves like Corned Beef & Cabbage, Shepherdess Pie or one of these other delicious meals?

House Salad – Mesclun greens, tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers & croutons with your choice of dressing: bleu cheese vinaigrette, alehouse, caesar, or Thai vinaigrette.  Beef it up by adding grilled chicken or Tempeh.

Caesar Salad – Romaine, parmesan cheese & croutons tossed with caesar dressing, topped with fresh lemon & cracked black pepper. Add grilled chicken or Tempeh to make it a meal!

Irish Stew – A warm & hearty compilation of vegetables, potatoes & tender chunks of beef simmered together in our Scotch Ale.

Smoked Salmon Chowder – Potatoes, smoked salmon, carrots, celery & onion in a rich cream base with fresh baked bread.

St. Patty Melt – 1/3 pound of natural black Angus beef, char-broiled and served on caraway rye bread with caramelized onions and melted Swiss cheese.

Rueben – Seared corned beef on marbled rye made locally by Avenue Bread with sauerkraut, Russian dressing, melted Swiss cheese & your choice of roasted potatoes, house salad or Tim’s potato chips.  Or make it vegetarian with Tempeh!

Cured Salmon Sandwich – Irish Whiskey cured Sockeye salmon sliced thin and served on a locally made ciabatta roll with sliced tomato, caper cream cheese and pickled asparagus.  Served with your choice of roasted potatoes, house salad or potato chips.

Corned Beef & Cabbage – corned beef brisket braised in Amber and Scotch Ale, served with braised cabbage, carrots and red potatoes

Sheperdess Pie – a vegetarian version of shepherds pie with red beans, carrots, celery, mushrooms, peas, corn and pearl onions.

______________________________________

There’ll be free entertainment all day in our brewpub: from Irish Dancers to bagpipers to traditional Irish tunes.

And, after the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade at Noon, there’ll be a Post Parade Party in the Beer Garden with live music from 1-5pm with BBQ food available.

Robert Blake and the Paddy Whackers will play later in the night for a $5 cover (21+ only!).  And, of course, special appearances from The Bellingham Firefighters Pipes and Drums throughout the day!

All ages are welcome in the Bistro and Beer garden till 9pm. 21+ in the tap room.

Penk O'Donnell Irish Dancers here at our brewery

Here’s our lineup for Saturday’s entertainment:

• Derek Duffy: 11am
• GO SEE THE PARADE AT NOON!
• Penk O Donnell Dancers: 1pm
• The Wayfaring Strangers (band): 1:30pm
• Penk O Donnell Dancers: 2:30pm
• The Wayfaring Strangers (band): 3pm
• McGlaughlin Irish Step Dancers: 4pm
• Anna Schaad & the Skagit Ceilidh Band: 4:30pm
• Penk O Donnell Dancers: 6:30pm Band TBA:
• Penk O Donnell Dancers: 8:30pm
• The Paddy Whackers (band): 9pm, $5 cover, in the tap room. 21+

In the Beer Garden
• The Paddy Whackers (band): 1:30-3pm
• Puirt Na Gael (band): 5pm

And don’t forget to raise a glass of our new Irish Red Ale or our Dry Irish Stout to say Cheers to St. Patrick’s Day!