Ski to Sea Weekend with Boundary Bay

Before the Race and After the Race at Boundary Bay

Friday, May 23 was the most successful Ski to Sea Block Party in the past few years! We shutdown the alley and introduced our 22-foot alley bar, complete with a barrel wheel system, to the public (see photos). The Block Party wouldn’t be complete without awesome entertainment! And the Atlantics brought the house down, per usual. Their saxophonist, Mark Kelley, and vocalist/pianist, Paul Klein, led a Conga Line through the Beer Garden, alley, Brew House, Bistro and Taproom before arriving back on stage.

On Saturday, May 24 we hosted the annual Bellingham Firefighters Pipes and Drums fundraiser with music from The Nubbins, and of course, the Pipes and Drums Band.

After the race on Sunday, May 25 we held a low-key BBQ with live music from local musician Kevin Chryst’s newest band, Fence-Fire.

Photos from the Ski to Sea Block (below)

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Boundary Bay Team Party

Every year, we invite some of the best athletes in the Pacific Northwest to be a part of Team Boundary Bay! The day before the race we always have a fun meet-and-greet and team party. This year, we held our team meeting in the Edgemoor neighborhood in South Bellingham. The racers, family and friends enjoyed Paella from Paellaworks, a giant rope swing, cornhole and of course, Boundary Bay Ski-to-Sea ESB, which is a brand-new recipe this year!

Below are photos from Team Boundary’s meeting and party!

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Team Boundary Ski to Sea

They don’t call it an Adventure Race for nothing. This year’s Ski to Sea Race presented a variety of new obstacles, especially for the Boundary Bay Men’s team. Trail runner Connor Whan nearly collapsed, toward the end of his leg, due to a health condition, barely making it to his finish line. After a rough start the Men’s team roared back into action. The canoe tandem had quite the finish. Team Aeromech just edged out Team Boundary Bay at the canoe leg finish line. (video)

Boundary Bay kept the competition close with Team Aeromech, until a deer collided with cross-country cyclist Kevin Calhoun, causing him to ride most of the leg with a flat tire. The kayak leg went quite smoothly for Dorian Wolter, even though high speed winds whipped across the bay. The handoff to Mountain Biker Russell Stevenson went flawless, but a BNSF freight train created a small layover for Stevenson as he waited for the lengthy train to pass. A race official timed how long Stevenson needed to wait, and subtracted it off the team’s overall time. Here’s a video of Stevenson waiting and waiting and waiting. (below)

We are quite proud of both of our teams! Here are the results. Photos are also below.

The Women’s team did a great job, as they always do, bringing home the Top Spot for their division (Competitive Women) for the 16th year in a row!!! After having a back and forth battle for first overall for a Women’s team they finished only 20 seconds behind Kulshan Cycles (who were in the Whatcom Open Division).

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Will Travel to Bellingham for Beer!

Seattle Beer Week is kicking off on May 13th and we’re pretty sure there’s gonna be lots of brew hounds hot on the trail of craft beer!  So, if you’re looking for a little beer trip beyond the ordinary, come check out Bellingham’s local craft beer scene! Just 85 miles north of Seattle and a mere hour south of Vancouver, B.C., Bellingham is known for our friendly people, authentic communities, cultural attractions and a clean environment. There’s something here for everyone: adventure, relaxation, mountains, forests, bays, boating, hiking, biking, cycling, shopping, dining, art, culture and more!  Not to mention beer!

Beer has been brewed commercially in Bellingham since before the city officially incorporated in 1903.  Prohibition put an end to all the brewery shenanigans in the late 20’s, though, until Ed Bennett (owner of Boundary Bay Brewery) came to the rescue in 1995!  He opened Boundary Bay Brewery in a restored historic warehouse in downtown Bellingham and has never looked back!  Since then, our beer has gone on to win over 70 awards at regional, national and international levels, we’ve been voted the Best Brewery in Washington (Readers Choice Poll, Northwest Brewing News) for the last two years and named 2009 Small Business of the Year by the Whatcom/Bellingham Chamber of Commerce.  We’ve even been the largest selling brewpub in the nation for 2007 and 2008 (numbers not available for 2009 yet).  And if all that isn’t enough to sweet talk you into ditching Seattle for the day (or longer!!) you can check out these other great beer spots while you’re here:

Located just a block away from Boundary Bay,  The Honey Moon serves locally made wine, cider and mead.  Or head in the other direction another couple of blocks and find yourself at the North Corner Brewing Supply Store or Chuckanut Brewery.  And if you’re up for a little adventure a bit further from town, hop back into the car to head to the mountains to check out North Fork Brewery and their Beer Shrine or to the waterfront for Anacortes Brewery and Rockfish Grill.

So, now that we’ve talked you in to it…how do you get here?  Well that’s easy!  You can hop on the train right in downtown Seattle for beautiful scenery and a relaxing commute for under $30.  You can even put your bike right onto the train (for an extra $5) and explore Bellingham like the locals do!  Amtrak trains depart for Bellingham at 7:40 am and get you up here before 10 am!  Or if 7:40 in the morning just sounds too darn early for you, you can catch the bus for about $20 bucks (still through Amtrak!) at 12:20pm and get up to Bellingham by about 2:30.

If you’d rather drive, we definitely recommend Chuckanut Drive (Route 11)…a beautiful and slow paced alternative to I-5!  Going North, the exit is just north of Burlington and marked on exit sign #231. Chuckanut Drive takes you through gorgeous farmlands, in and out of the towns of Allen & Bow, with some of the area’s best restaurants, bed & breakfasts and antique & art galleries. The Drive continues along the rock shoulder of the Chuckanut Mountains and from here you overlook the San Juan Islands from any of the many viewpoints along the way. There are also many spots for picnics or just getting out and stretching your legs. Try one of the many hikes, either to lakes on Chuckanut & Blanchard Mountains or to the beaches at Larrabee Park or Teddy Bear Cove. The Drive continues all the way to the 1880’s brick town of Fairhaven, now a suburb of Bellingham. From the North you can do it in reverse by taking the Fairhaven Pkwy exit #250 at the south end of Bellingham.

Medals at the World Beer Cup

Brewers from six continents earned awards from an elite international panel of judges this week in the 2010 Brewers Association World Beer Cup—the world’s largest-ever commercial beer competition. The eighth bi-annual competition announced awards to brewers from 19 countries ranging from Australia and Italy to Iceland and Japan.  This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 U.S. states vied for awards with 3,330 beers entered in 90 beer style categories. The entries in each category were eligible for gold, silver and bronze awards. Judges presented a total of 268 awards.  And three of those awards went to Boundary Bay Brewery!

We are happy to announce that our Imperial IPA was awarded a Bronze Medal as was our Cabin Fever.  And our Dunklesbock brought home a silver medal!  We’ve got all three of these medal winners on tap now, so come try a pint or two!  It’s always an honor to compete against the best beers in the world, and to bring home a medal is just icing on the cake.  We think it’s amazing, as a small local brewery way up here in Bellingham, to be getting consistent attention on an international playing field.

We count our biggest successes, though, right here at home.  Boundary Bay Brewery was awarded the 2009 Small Business of the Year by the Whatcom Chamber of Commerce and was voted the Best Brewery in Washington for the last two years by the readers of Northwest Brewing News.  We’ve always placed a great value on having strong connections in our community.  We think it’s important to be a place that feels like home to our customers as well as to our employees.  Maybe that’s because we’re a family owned and operated business.  We’re happy to see locals feel that way too!  Check out what the 2010 Spring Entertainment Guide for the Cascadia Weekly had to say about Boundary Bay Brewery:

“One could easily say you can’t be a proper Bellinghamster without logging the requisite number of hours inside Boundary Bay.  But that’s not the case.  In order to truly be considered one of us, you must know the number of pints of the brewpub’s tasty but deceptively potent award-winning beer you can consume without succumbing to drunken foolery.  You also must know what your favorite menu items are and what nights you like to drop in to hear some of the plentiful live music that takes place there.  And when you realize you now spend your holidays at Boundary (everything from St. Partrick’s Day to New Year’s Eve comes to mind) instead of with your own family, that’s when you’ll know you’re here to stay.”

Whether at home or afar, it’s always nice to know that others like what we’re brewing. We’ve always brewed what we like to drink and it’s important to us to do it our own way.  We might not follow traditional style classifications, but we brew beers that we believe in.  We’re thrilled to add these three new awards to our collections.  Please visit our website to view the complete list of Boundary Bay Brewery’s awards.  Cheers!

Got Cabin Fever?

October is already over and cold weather seems to be upon us.  But don’t despair!  Our Cabin Fever will officially be on tap Friday, November 6th. This winter warmer has a dark red-brown color and a rich malty flavor that will complement your favorite spicy dish or any rich, hardy meal.

Specially brewed and bottled for the Pacific Northwest winters, this beer has been cold conditioned for a smooth, dry-hopped flavor.  Made with Mt. Hood, Warrior and Crystal hops, this big beer has a 7.2% alcohol level and is deceptively strong!  Just the thing to ward off the dark nights and cold weather. Our Cabin Fever has won a number of medals including a silver medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup (also won a bronze medal at the 2006 WBC!), the gold medal at the 2004 NABA, a bronze medal at the 2002 GABF, and a silver medal at the 1999 GABF.

Hurry down to the brewery on November 6th to grab yourself a pint of the long-awaited Cabin Fever.  Try it with our Mac and Cheese (everyone’s favorite!), our Hummus plate or one of Ralf’s soft pretzels if you’re looking for something a little lighter!

And, if you just can’t wait for the OFFICIAL release, join us for our Thursday Cask Night Happy Hour on November 5th.  We’ll be tapping the very first keg of our Cabin Fever for a little pre-release party!  Cheers.

Luckily, for those who don’t have the luxury of hanging out at the brewery as much as some of us, Cabin Fever will be available in 22 oz. bottles on Wednesday, November 25th!

Boundary Bay’s Christmas in July!

The Boundary Bay Brewery Cabin Fever is a strong ale or “Winter Warmer” with dark red-brown color and a very rich malty flavor.  While this big beer is deceptively strong, it tastes very smooth thanks to extra long cold conditioning.  Cabin Fever goes very well with richer, heavier foods or any spicy dish, but is equally satisfying by itself.  Made with Warrior, Mt. Hood, and Crystal hops and Premium 2-row, Munich, Carastan, Dark Crystal, Chocolate Malt, and Oats to round out the flavor.  Our Cabin Fever has won a number of medals including a silver medal at the 2008 World Beer Cup (also won a bronze medal at the 2006 WBC!), the gold medal at the 2004 NABA, a bronze medal at the 2002 GABF, and a silver medal at the 1999 GABF.

Now keep in mind that the Cabin Fever you’ve tasted before…and the same beer that has won all those medals…is made in the winter months with extra long cold conditioning.  But, for those of you lucky enough to make it in to the brewery during July will have the pleasure of tasting Cabin Fever that has been aged for eight months and allowed to fully ripen into it’s unique flavors.

Wikipedia says that “Old ale is a term commonly applied to dark, malty beers in the UK, usually above 5% abv, often also called Winter Warmers. Sometimes associated with stock ale or, archaically, keeping ale, in which the beer is held at the brewery. American brewed old ales will tend to be of a barley wine strength.  Because of the time required for the aging process, some investors would buy mild ale from brewers, age it into old ale, and sell it at the higher price. Eventually, brewers began to keep some beer behind at the brewery, age it themselves and sell it to the pubs.”

A century ago, big beers like our Cabin Fever and other strong ales were the rule rather than the exception.  They were generally high-gravity, high-alcohol ales brewed in the winter months in hopes of preventing contamination from airborne microflora.  It became common practice for those first mashes to provide a “stock beer” that was stored for the summer months.  And so, in keeping with the traditions of old, every winter when we here at Boundary Bay Brewery brew our Cabin Fever, we put away some of this winter warmer to age and ripen and tempt our palettes come July.  Hurry down to the brewery to grab yourself a pint of aged Cabin Fever.  Bring some friends and compare this ripened brew to your memories of Cabin Fever from last November.  Try it with our Mac and Cheese (everyone’s favorite!), our Hummus plate or one of Ralf’s soft pretzels if you’re looking for something a little lighter!

Got Cabin Fever?

Ah the joys of winter…frosty weather, impending holidays, and seasonal beers to soothe all our wordly woes.  I am oh so happy to say that Boundary Bay Brewery’s winter warmer, Cabin Fever, will FINALLY be on tap at the brewery this Tuesday, November 18th.  With an original gravity of 1.072, this big beer is deceptively strong.  We use Mt. Hood, Warrior, and Crystal hops along with Pale 2-Row, Munich, Caraston, Dark Crystal, Chocolate Malts, and Oats.  Specially brewed and bottled for the Pacific Northwest winters, this winter warmer’s dark red-brown color and rich malty flavor will complement any rich, hardy meal as well as your favorite spicy dish.  However, with it’s cold conditioned, smooth, dry-hopped flavor, Cabin Fever is very satisfying all by itself.  Come in from the cold and grab a taste of this beer that won a Silver at the World Beer Cup in 2008, a Bronze at the World Beer Cup in 2006, a Gold at the 2004 North American Beer Awards, a Bronze in the 2002 Great American Beer Festival, and a Silver at the Great American Beer Festival in 1999.  Don’t go crazy this winter…get your Cabin Fever now!  And don’t forget, next Tuesday, you can grab yourself some 22 oz bottles of Cabin Fever since we’ll be bottling all day Monday.  This year, be the favorite guest at the Thanksgiving table…bring enough Cabin Fever for everyone!

The Largest Brewpub in the Nation is Bottling Beer Today!

Earlier this year, Boundary Bay Brewery was declared the largest brewpub in the nation (based on 2007 beer production) according to the “New Brewer,” the official publication of the Brewer’s Association, which is the national craft beer organization. Each year, the Brewers Association compile statistics based on the amount of beer barrels sold, and in the case of brewpubs, how much of that beer is sold on site.  They define a brewpub as a restaurant-brewery that sells 25% or more of its beer on site; a company would be classified as a microbrewery if its distributed beer sales exceeded 75%. Being a brewpub, we here at Boundary Bay consume most of our beer on site thanks to our loyal patrons and employees!  The second largest percentage of our beer gets distributed to restaurants and bars from Bellingham to Olympia and even into Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho.  (click here to find places that carry our beer near you!)  Once those demands are filled, we bottle what we’ve got left and sell 22 oz. bottles here at our brewery and in select grocery stores in the region.  We are finding it harder and harder to keep our 22’s in stock and we’ve been sold out even here in the brewery for a good portion of the summer.  Luckily, though, today marks the end of that sad drought!  Our brewers are working hard today to bottle our ever popular IPA and our Scotch Ale…both longtime favorites of myself and many others (as proven by our long list of awards for these two brews!).  And just about this time next month, the long awaited Cabin Fever will be available in bottles for the first (and possibly only) time all year!  Luckily, those 22’s will come out just in time to grace Thanksgiving tables everywhere!  Come on down to Boundary Bay this week to pick up some IPA and Scotch Ale to kick off your Halloween night right.  And then mark your calendars for the last week of November so you don’t miss your chance to grab everyone’s favorite Winter Warmer!

Beer in Transit…getting ready for the GABF

So, those of you who religiously follow the world of craft beer, you’ll know that on the very near horizon sits the Great American Beer Festival.  The GABF hosts one of the world’s largest tasting competitions and beers from around the world are judged within over 70 categories of beer styles.  Nearly 50,000 beer lovers are expected to attend this years festival!

beer lovers unite!

Currently, Ed Bennet, the owner of Boundary Bay Brewery is driving from Bellingham to Denver with lots and lots of beer in tow.  By the end of this week, all the breweries competing in the Great American Beer Festival must have their beer to Denver in order to be sorted and grouped into the appropriate categories in preparation for the extensive tasting and judging to begin.  For at least eight years, Ed has been driving Boundary Bay’s beer to the competition…but, even cooler, he’s been taking beer for other breweries along the way as well.  Anacortes brewing, Elliott Bay brewery, the RAM, and Pike brewing all sent their lovely brews to nestle in with Boundary’s beer for the long ride to Denver…in total, Ed’s carrying beer from 13 breweries to the Great American Beer Festival.  We, and many other breweries, like to personally hand deliver our beer to the competition to ensure quality.  Even if a beer sample is shipped overnight, it can sit for too long at the wrong temperature or, worse, arrive broken thus taking that sample out of the competition.  Maybe it’s our commitment to quality and the effort Ed takes to make sure our beer stays at the correct temperature that has resulted in so many awards from the GABF in our past.