Of COURSE there is a brewery trail in Bellingham and it’s surrounds. There are 13 breweries in the city limits and 15 in the county. That is a lot of beer! We are in the right place. This list will be continually updated, as we make our way through the breweries. Stay tuned.
- Aslan Brewery: Our first Bellingham brewery. And what a fantastic way to start. I asked the bartender to serve me a flight of four of his favorite IPAs. And, oh yum! Did you know that almost all of the hops in the US come from Washington? So imagine how good Washington beer is! Brewing AT the source is where it is at! We went to their Depot tasting room (they have three locations–each doing something slightly different) where they have a few of their experimental beers on tap. My mix had some of their standards and a few experiments. I really enjoyed the Alligator Suitcase, though, that is brewed with Azacca hops that has a combo pine/orange flavor that I dug. They push for sustainability and even source hops that are certified salmon friendly–which I didn’t even know was a thing. Combine the excellent beer with excellent service (shout out to Will!), and we’d be regulars here in no time if we live in Bellingham!
- Boundary Bay: I’ve mentioned before that I think that some of the older craft breweries have not stayed innovative. I know, I know, controversial. But, I will use Boundary Bay as an example. They have great beer, the big guys agree. But, it is just not exciting. It doesn’t seem unique or “craft” anymore. So, they don’t get to be at the top of our list. But they get to be ON the list. That seems fair.