Cardinal Craft Brewing is run by the Skagit Valley Community College Craft Brewing program that takes students “from grain to glass”. We are pretty sure that they have the best IPA in the Valley.
Yes. A bold statement that we will stand behind.
Of course, our taste buds seem to be affected by the service, the bar tenders, the patrons, and the overall vibe of a place. All of which maaaaaay have made the beer taste better.
Lemme share with you how this night went.
We were planning on heading directly to the Garden Path Fermentation and were delighted to see that Cardinal Craft was open. It has really very limited hours–like Fridays from 4-8 only–as it is meant to be a learning exercise rather than a full-fledged bar/brewery. So, we were going in happy. Then, we discovered that they had a food truck outside. Not just any food truck but a pizza food truck. What is better than pizza and beer on a Friday night? Not much. We yucked it up with the food truck folks and folks in line. Then, went and got great, friendly service by the two bartenders. We chatted, briefly, about pizza at weddings with a fellow patron. The vibe was a-ok, too. It was a fairly open space, not overly decorated with great big windows and a spot for us to stand.
And, then, the beer. It was good. Really good. I had a flight. Cas had an IPA. He voted it the best in the Valley. Which should earn those students an A+.