Everett Craft Beer Festival

Everett Craft Beer Festival
Sat. August 19th Noon-8pm
Downtown Everett (Hewitt Ave. & Hoyt Ave.)

Saturday, August 18th, the Washington Beer Commision will host their first ever Everett Craft Beer Festival featuring 26 local Washington breweries. Over 60 different ales will be poured with names by the likes of Caboose Oatmeal Stout, “Bedraggled” Irish Red Ale & Ziggy Zoggy Summer Lager etc. We’re tellin’ ya, these beers won’t disappoint!  Boundary will be spicing it up with some of our own specialty seasonals…we’re bringing a Ginger Peach Blonde and our newest concoction: Thai-PA.

Ginger Peach Blonde: as a straightforward lighter bodied ale, this Blonde is brewed with generous amounts of German pilsner and Vienna malts that balance with a crisp yet cleansing Noble Saaz hop finish. We added Fresh Hawaiian ginger and natural peach extract creating a just hint of sweet & spicy flavor. OG 1.070

Thai-PA: A honey-ambered colored India Pale Ale with good body, fairly strong alcohol content and an aggressive “fresh hop” quality. Heavily dry hopped with kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass, this beer has a zesty citrus taste. OG 1.052

 

Additional Details

• Entry to the event includes a tasting glass and five tokens (each good for a 5oz. taste).
• Additional drink tokens can be purchased at $1.50 each or four for $5.
• Tickets are $15 in advance online, $20 on the day of at the entrance gate.
• Designated Driver admission will be available for $5 and includes free water and soft drinks.
• Band headliners of the day include Jr. Geezer, Bucula, and Wild Snohomians.

Breweries Expected to Attend

American Brewing Anacortes Brewery

Boundary Bay Brewery Chuckanut Brewery

Brickyard Brewing Diamond Knot Craft Brewing

Dirty Bucket Brewing

Elysian Brewing

Emerald City Beer

Fish Brewing Company

Foggy Noggin Brewing Fremont Brewing

Gallaghers’ Where U Brew

Georgetown Brewing

Harmon Brewing

Hood Canal Brewery

Lazy Boy Brewing

Maritime Pacific Brewing

North Sound Brewing

Odin Brewing

Ram Restaurant & Brewery

Roslyn Brewing Company

Scuttlebutt Brewing Company

Silver City Brewery

Sound Brewery

Twelve Bar Brews

Two Beers Brewing

Looking Back – 2011 at BBAY

Another year is winding down and before we say hello to 2012, we thought we’d say a fond goodbye to 2011 with some of our favorite moments of the past year.  Here at Boundary Bay Brewery, 2011 gave us lots of opportunities to expand on previous successes and was jam packed with brand new adventures as well:

giddy while filling the Dry Fly barrels with Scotch Ale!

* We partnered up with Dry Fly Distillery (in Spokane, WA) to try barrel aging a couple of our beers.  First up was our Scotch Ale which was consumed with gusto and our Oatmeal Stout is currently aging – to be released soon.  The project was a great success and we’re already looking forward to trying more barrel aging in the new year.

* We brewed up our very first Cascadia Dark Ale and cast our two cents in the debate about what to name this elusive beer style.  We still think Black IPA just doesn’t cut it and retain our vote for Cascadia Dark Ale in honor of the region this iconic style was birthed in.

* We jumped in to our first of (hopefully) many Beer vs. Wine dinners at Semiahmoo Resort.  Craft Beer is gaining ground as a food pairing phenomenon and we’ve had a lot of fun challenging Washington wineries like Chateau Ste. Michelle to see which beverage comes out on top.  We’ve got our next Beer vs. Wine dinner on January 28th, so why not make it one of your New Years resolutions to join us and open your mind to the possibilities of beer and food pairings?!

* We began highlighting our Local Connections through short video blogs, which turned out to be a great way to connect our customers and our suppliers.  It’s been inspiring to connect with those who are passionate about what they do, and we’ve enjoyed visiting the farms who grow our food and the great cafés, bars and restaurants who serve our beer!   We’ll start the new year with a behind-the-scenes peek at Ralf’s Bavarian Pretzels and show you exactly why we love working with this awesome local business.

our shirt on the Discovery Channel!

* We came up with some new merchandise to tempt you: a new 2L growler and a Cabin Fever Hoodie.  Our hoodies continue to be known as Bellingham’s unofficial uniform and our Save the Ales slogan is recognized far outside of our little corner of the Northwest.  We hear about our customers being stopped in Disneyland, in New York and even in New Zealand when someone recognizes our iconic shirt.  A lot of you have probably even seen our Munzinger shirt on the Discovery Channel special “How Beer Saved The World.”

* Our relationships with craft beer lovers across the country (and into Canada!) are continuing to grow and strengthen: our beer was officially poured for the first time in Hawaii when we took part in the Kauai Beer Festival, we’ve expanded our distribution into British Columbia which has been received with MUCH enthusiasm and our little brewpub was even written up in the Vancouver Sun, EnRoute: the AirCanada in-flight magazine and the American Airlines in-flight magazine!

* We were honored to find out that Bellingham Firefighters refer to our brewpub as Station 7 (since there are 6 official fire stations here in town) – so, with their input, we created a Station 7 shirt and are donating the proceeds from shirt sales to Camp Phoenix which is a camp for child burn victims.

* We have continued to take full advantage of our own success and to spread that love by doing everything we can to support local nonprofits.  Every year, we donate to over 100 local charities and  this year, for the first time, we became a sponsor of the Dirty Farm Trek – a physical and mental obstacle race put on by the VZ Foundation.

at the St. Patrick's Day Parade, 2011

* The Bellingham Firefighters Pipes & Drums band has, unofficially, become our house band!  We’re delighted that they feel welcome enough here at the brewpub to just drop by for spontaneous performances and entertain our customers with their tunes.

* Our General Manager, Janet Lightner, has been the driving force behind Bellingham’s St. Patricks Day Parade and we were thrilled to help her put on another successful parade in 2011 despite the unfavorable weather.  Amazingly, it’s almost time to start thinking about next year’s parade too!  This year, the 2011 Paddy’s Day Parade will fall on the 17th – St. Patrick’s Day itself, so mark your calendars and plan on a whole day of Irish-inspired festivities.

* We brewed the very first Ski to Sea ESB  – commemorating 100 years of racing and look forward to continuing that tradition next year.  And, the Boundary Bay Brewery women’s Ski to Sea Team enjoyed another win in the Competitive Women’s Division and continues to be the ONLY team in Ski to Sea history to win their division 11 years in a row!

* We are thrilled to have been named the Best Brewery in Washington, the Best Brewpub in Washington and the Best Scotch Ale in the Northwest by the Northwest Brewing News Reader’s Choice Awards and were named the Best Bar in Bellingham by the Bellingham Herald Readers Choice Awards.

* And, the biggest news of all for 2011, is our impending expansion!  We’ll take over the lease of the new space on January 1st and are excited to start the new year with lots and lots of construction.  ;)

As we look back on 2011 and ahead to whatever may come in 2012, we want to take a moment to say thank you to all of YOU – our beloved friends and customers who have become a part of the Boundary Bay Brewery family!  We are so proud to be a part of this incredible community (both Bellingham and the craft beer community at large) and honored to have your support as we move on to another year of handcrafted beer and great local food.  We truly couldn’t do what we do without you.  Cheers, from all of us here at Boundary Bay Brewery!

On To Round 2!

We really, truly love this time of year.  And not just becuase it’s Valentine’s Day, but because it’s time for the annual National IPA Championships (NIPAC)!  Last night, in Buffalo, New York, IPAs from across the nation went head to head in the first round of a 1:1 elimination tournament.  In Round 1, we had our much loved IPA as well as a rare style for us, our Cascadian Dark and we are proud to announce that BOTH of our beers took down their competitors and are advancing to Round 2!

Next Saturday, February 19th, the NIPAC judging moves to Syracuse, NY and our IPA goes up against Lakefront IPA by Lakefront Brewery while our Cascadian Dark takes on Dark Horse Crooked Tree IPA. The Lakefront IPA, according to Lakefront Brewery “pours a hazy orange with a rocky white head that lasts, and leaves soft lace on your glass as you sip this refreshing beer. American Cascade and Chinook hops dominate the aroma, yielding a citrusy, floral bouquet. The hops give a nice bitter bite to the flavor, but this beer is surprisingly well balanced with a full body and smooth malty flavor to back up the hops. It finishes smooth and crisp with a lingering hop flavor reminiscent of fresh ruby red grapefruit.” Dark Horse describes their Crooked Tree IPA as “Heavily dry-hopped to give a big aroma of pine and citrus, the flavors are big but very balanced between fresh hops and malt. Often described as “grapefruity” our hops give this beer an excellent flavor that finishes dry, crisp, and clean.”

There were 19 beers from Washington State in the first round of NIPAC, but they’ve been whittled down to just 9 Washington beers still standing in Round 2.  We’re thrilled to be among those 9 and proud to represent the unique, bold flavors of Washington craft beer.  Cheers!

How Does our IPA Stack Up?

The National IPA Championship (NIPAC) starts this weekend!  Not sure what the NIPAC is?  Here’s how Northwest Brewing News (who hosts the competition) explains it:

Participating IPAs from across the nation will be randomly chosen for a 1:1 single elimination bracket tournament. Winners of the first round will advance to the next. The complete IPA tournament bracket will be published in the February/March issue of Great Lakes Brewing News and posted on-line. The events will be held in several locations, beginning February 13, 2011. The judges will all be brewers.

As with last year, IPA lovers will be able to choose their winners for each round on-line. They will log onto the web and read a brief description of your beer as well as view an image (be sure to fill out the description on the entry form, as well as send an image or logo via email). Prizes will be awarded for readers with correct NIPAC brackets. The top prize will be a free case of the 2011 NIPAC championship IPA.

The Judging Process: All judges will be brewers. They will be organized into panels of 3, and given the task of choosing the best IPA between two beers. The judges will not know what beers they are being served. The majority rules on the voting.

BBAY Cascadian Dark

You still have time to make your predictions, but you’d better hurry because the deadline is tomorrow – February 13th! Visit the on-line Locker Room for full descriptions of each of the IPA competitors: After confirming your age, you will then be able to review the beers and go to our on-line contest . NIPAC winners will be determined by the total points earned from each round…and let us reiterate, you could win a CASE of the CHAMPIONSHIP IPA!  What’s not to love about that?!?

In the first round our Cascadian Dark (black in color, this aggressively hopped ale is smooth with a clean, dry finish. ABV: 7.5%  Hops: Columbus, Simcoe & Tradition) is paired up against Flashpoint IPA from Pumphouse Brewery (an American-style IPA made with Simco, Chinook, Amarillo, Cascade and Centennial hops.  ABV: 6.7%).

And our Boundary Bay IPA (a honey-colored India Pale Ale with good body, fairly strong alcohol content and an aggressive “fresh hop” quality.  ABV: 7.4%  Hops: Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, Cascade and Crystal) is going head to head with Dale’s Pale Ale by Oskar Blues Brewery (America’s first hand-canned craft beer is a voluminously hopped mutha that delivers a hoppy nose, assertive-but-balanced flavors of pale malts and hops from start to finish. First canned in 2002, Dale’s Pale Ale is a hearty (6.5% and 65 IBUs), critically acclaimed trailblazer that has changed the way craft beer fiends perceive canned beer.  Hops: Nugget, Cascade, Columbus, Centennial Hops).

Both should be interesting match ups…we’re excited to see how they turn out! Cheers.

Round 1- February 13th @ Buffalo, NY

Round 2 – February 19th @ Syracuse, NY

Round 3 – February 26th @ Grand Rapids, MI

Round 4 – March 2nd @ Cleveland, OH

Final Round – March 5th @ Philadelphia, PA

Beer Vs. Wine Smackdown

Pairing dinners have become increasingly popular through the last few years.  Whether you’re a wine conniseur or a die hard fan of craft beer, you’ve probably been to an event designed to showcase how your beverage of choice pairs with a wide range of food.  More recently, however, the idea of pitting wine and beer against in each other in a food pairing battle is a growing trend.  And, what can we say?  We’re hopping on the band wagon…and we’re doin’ it in style!

We’re bringing together Ed Bennett, the owner of Boundary Bay Brewery and Bob Bertheau who is the Head Winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle.  Not only will this be a showcase of Washington’s Best Brewpub (as voted by the readers of Northwest Brewing News for the last few years!) and Washington state’s oldest and most acclaimed winery, but this is a settling of old scores as well.  Ed and Bob attended the University of California at Davis together…and were both part of the enology program.  But, after school, where Ed peeled off to join the craft beer revolution, Bob stayed in the wine world.  And for this dinner, we’re bringing them back together again!

Join us on February 5th for a Wine vs. Beer Dinner at Semiahmoo Resort.  The evening will feature multiple courses – each expertly paired with a Chateau St. Michelle wine AND a Boundary Bay Brewery beer.  Guests will get to enjoy a friendly battle between Ed and Bob, each defending their beverage as being the superior pairing option.  The diners, however, will get to be the judges and vote on the winning beverage paring for each course.

And don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a serious, stuffy event where you’ll have to be worried about impressing those around you.  This is just going to be lots and lots of fun! Check out this video with Sam Calagione from Dogfish Head Brewery as he explains the concept of the Beer vs. Wine Dinner…and see for yourself what good entertainment a little head to head competition can provide.

This Ultimate Taste-Off dinner will take place on Saturday, February 5th at 6:30pm and will feature five courses prepared by Semiahmoo Resort’s Executive Chef, Andrew Dixon.  You can make reservations for the dinner only for $59 per person or splurge for a hotel and dinner package from $219 and enjoy an overnight stay at the resort after your fabulous dining experience!  Call Semiahmoo Resort at 1-800-770-7992 to secure your reservation today!

Semiahmoo Resort is located 25 minutes north of Bellingham in Blaine, Washington and offers a waterfront hotel, a full-service spa, gourmet dining options and two golf courses.  They have almost nearly 200 incredible guest rooms – many with wood-burning fireplaces, patios and/or balconies..not to mention incredible views of mountains, islands, Drayton Harbor and Semiahmoo Bay.

 

The Best of 2010

It’s hard to believe, but another year is already drawing to a close and it’s got us in a reflective mood over here at Boundary Bay Brewery.  So, today…we’re looking back!

Cheers to our 15th Anniversary!

2010 marked our 15th anniversary and we had a fantastic party here at the brewery to celebrate!  We ranked as the largest selling brewpub in the nation for the third year running and were voted the Best Brewpub in Washington by the readers of Northwest Brewing News – also for the third year in a row.  The Northwest Brewing News Readers choice awards also named Boundary Bay Brewery for Best Scotch Ale and Best IPA…which makes our IPA the winner for the last five years consecutively!

In 2010, we brewed our first Tripel, made an anniversary ale called “15” and created a special brew to help celebrate the 30th anniversary of Village Books…and all were met with rave reviews! We got a new Mash Tun and installed our very first beer engine which now lets us provide our thirsty customers with not one but TWO cask ales every day.  We brought home medals from the North American Beer Awards, the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup:  Silvers for our Dunkles Bock (WBC) and our Porter (NABA) and Bronzes for our Cabin Fever (WBC), Imperial IPA (WBC) and Imperial Oatmeal Stout (GABF).

our logo come to life in St. Paddy's Parade!

We had the pleasure of helping over 100 local nonprofits and in bringing the community together for Bellingham’s first annual St. Patrick’s Day parade (thanks to Janet, our General Manager!).  We had a Locks of Love donation party with free haircuts in our beer garden and brought together lots of local and sustainable businesses for our very first Earth Day Sustainability Fair.  We surpassed 10,000 fans on Facebook, held our first (possibly THE first ever?) Virtual Brewers Night and took back the tap as the House IPA at Beveridge Place Pub!

And, besides all that, we’ve kept on keeping on…brewing and bottling all our usuals that you’ve come to know and love, serving up fresh and local Northwest food, hosting events here at the brewery throughout the year and doing our best to help keep Bellingham a strong, local, sustainable community.  It’s been a whirlwind and we’ve had a fabulous time!  We just want to say thank you to all of our incredible fans who are such an important part of what we do.  We could never be a success without the love and support we receive from our community.  So, cheers everyone…and thank you!

 

 

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.

Best Brewery in Washington!

Big news for our little brewery!  We were named the 2009 Small Business of The Year by the Bellingham/Whatcom County Chamber of Commerce last week.  And, earlier in December, we were awarded Best Brewery in Washington State by the Readers Choice Awards in the Northwest Brewing News publication.  These particular awards matter a great deal to us because they represent what the people who support our business think of what we do.  We have been fortunate to win many beer awards and each of those medals signal a triumph in the craft beer community.  But the awards we’ve received this month, reflect our connection to our community of customers, neighbors, friends and fans who make it possible for us to keep doing what we do. We have always tried to make strong connections with our customers and our community…in the hopes of making Bellingham as a whole a stronger community.  These awards make us feel like we’ve succeeded in doing just that.  Thank you, from all of us here at Boundary Bay Brewery.  And cheers!  (great image of our brewery posted on a Bellingham blog by lizziviggi.)

Voted Best Brewery in Washington State

We are oh so happy to announce that Boundary Bay Brewery has just been named the Best Brewery in Washington State by the Northwest Brewing News 2009 Readers Choice poll!

Each year, the publication asks hundreds of readers to vote online or by mail for best beer, best homebrew store, best bartender, best beer store, and best brewery…among many, many other categories.  We are honored to receive these awards, particularly because they are from the readers of Northwest Brewing News.  These are the people we make our beer for, the people who come in on a regular basis and sample our craft.  Sure, we brew beers that we like to drink, but with Reader’s Choice awards like this, we get to see that we brew beers that YOU like to drink as well!  And that really, really matters to us.

We want to extend a heartfelt thank you!  Not only to those who voted in this Readers Choice poll, but to all of our loyal customers, friends and fans who have supported us through the years.  We opened our doors in 1995 and have been lucky enough to have been a part of a supportive, involved community since the very beginning.  While our mission has always been to brew craft beers that are excellent examples of classic styles, it has always been equally important for us to have a strong connection to our community.  I think there’s a reason Boundary Bay Brewery has been dubbed “Pure Bellingham.”  And that matters a whole lot to us!

The official results will be printed in the Winter issue of Northwest Brewing News which comes out January 17th.  Click here to subscribe online!

Best of the Northwest

Well folks, it’s that time again. Northwest Brewing News is holding their annual Reader’s Choice Awards where you can cast your vote for best brewery, best brewpub, best beer (by style) and oh so much more! Enter your vote by November 15th by voting online or downloading the entry form and faxing it to (888)665-5007. Or, if you’re here at Boundary Bay Brewery, you can grab one of the voting forms in our foyer, fill it out over a nice big pint to fend off this autumn chill and we’ll fax it in for you when you’re done.

Here’s a look at the voting categories:

• Best Brewery
• Best Brewpub
• Best Pub/Alehouse
• Best Bartender
• Best Beer Store
• Best Homebrew Shop
• Best Beer (by style): Pale Ale, IPA, Amber Ale, Brown Ale, Double IPA, Porter, Stout, ESB, Scotch Ale, Imperial Stout, Strong Ale, Barley Wine, Belgian Ale, Wheat Beer, Pilsner, Bock/Dopplebock, Organic, Herb or SpiceFruit Beer, Wood-aged Beer, Sour Beer and Other.

Last year, Boundary Bay Brewery was voted Best Brewery in Washington State (tied with Elysian Brewing), Best IPA and 2nd place for Best Scotch Ale.  In past years, we’ve collected awards for Best ESB (2005) and Best IPA (2005 and 2006).  You can visit our website to see the list of all the awards our beers have won.  We love the Reader’s Choice awards because it’s the voice of the people we brew our beer for, so thanks to all who’ve cast their votes with Boundary Bay Brewery in the past!