Industry News: Bellingham: Bellingham Beer Week returns, September 9th - September 18th
The fifth annual Bellingham Beer Week will be held Sept. 9-18, 2016. Bellingham Beer Week began in September 2012 with a like-minded group of publicans, craft brewers, and supporters of great beers. In 2016, Bellingham’s many craft breweries (Chuckanut, Boundary Bay, Kulshan, Aslan, Wander, Structures, Menace and Stones Throw) plan to participate, as well as numerous beer pubs, restaurants, and supporting businesses. Participating brewers’ 2016 beer week events are listed below.
Kulshan Brewing (K2)
Location: 1538 Kentucky Street, Bellingham.
Friday, Sept. 9: In honor of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, the inaugural Kulshan Beer Olympics will kick off Bellingham Beer Week. There will be 10 teams of four; 5 breweries and 5 teams of patrons competing in a number of events. Enjoy beer specials, prizes (bronze, silver and gold), music and food. This event takes place 5 to 9 p.m. and is free to the public.
Sunday, Sept. 18: Don’t miss the Brewers Boutique and Craft Market from 4 to 9 p.m. Local vendors and craft artists will be showcasing and selling handmade goods out in the brewery. This market will feature live music with Mustafa, a food truck, beer and one-of-a-kind items.
Chuckanut Brewery
Location: 601 W Holly Street, Bellingham
Saturday, Sept. 10: The memorable Chuckanut Brewery Oktoberfest from noon to midnight. Celebrating like the Germans with Chuckanut’s award winning German style beers is the highlight, but so is the costume and yodeling contest. Music all day long, both with local rock bands and German oompapa keeps things moving. A bouncy house for kids makes this event fun for the entire family.
Wander Brewing
Location: 1807 Dean Ave, Bellingham.
Sunday, Sept. 11: Wander Brewery will host their Wander to Wander 1k race, proceeds benefitting the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center. The race will begin at Johnny’s Donuts and end at the Wander Brew Hall. Advanced registration is $20 and $25 day of, including race admission, a pint and medal. Check-in will begin at 11 a.m. To register, visit wandertowander.bpt.me.
Elizabeth Station
Location: 1400 W Holly Street, Bellingham.
Friday, Sept. 9: Elizabeth Station is hosting Silver City’s 20th Anniversary Celebration. Since its founding in 1996, Silver City has become one of the highest-volume Washington restaurants west of Seattle and a top-10 Washington brewery by production. Elizabeth Station will be serving up Silver City’s finest beers, including rare sours and barrel-aged selections from 5 to 10 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 12: Fremont’s Super Awesome Night of inCANity takes place at Elizabeth Station from 5 to 10 p.m. Adrian from Fremont Brewing will conduct a Build-Your-Own Box Can Derby and will dole out some sweet brewery duds. This event also features a Fremont Heron Coloring Contest, fresh hop beers and more.
Wednesday, Sept. 14: “Crooked Melvin” will take place from 5 to 10 p.m. at Elizabeth Station. Be ready for the Sours & IPA showdown. Folks from each brewery will be present to celebrate and mingle. Crooked Stave is sending their first ever IPA out for the event.
Friday, Sept. 16: Elizabeth Station caps off an epic beer week with the “Best of Firestone Walker,” an annual showcase featuring proprietors beers, core beers and sours from 5 to 10 p.m. Entrance is free.
Boundary Bay Brewery
Location: 1107 Railroad Ave, Bellingham.
Saturday, Sept. 10: The 10th Annual “Compete for a Cause Cribbage Tournament” will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the beer garden. Proceeds will benefit the Whatcom Dispute Resolution Center. Play in the tournament or just come to watch. There will be mimosas in the morning, Simmering Tava food truck in the afternoon, and the beer garden will be open all day. Boundary Bay Brewery will also have live music and raffles throughout the event. Advanced registration is $25 general and $20 for students and seniors or $30 at the event.
Wednesday, Sept. 14: Celebrate women in the beer industry at the Third Annual FemALES event from 4 to 8 p.m. in the beer garden. This free and all ages event will give guests opportunities to mix, mingle, taste and chat with professional women in Bellingham’s local beer industry. We will be releasing a special collaboration beer designed, brewed and kegged by female brewers and professionals from Boundary Bay, Stones Throw, Chuckanut, Menace, Kulshan, Aslan, Wander, Tap Trail, Homebrewers Association and more.
Friday, Sept. 16: Boundary Bay Brewery will celebrate its free 21st Birthday Block Party from 4 to 10 p.m. This all-ages event includes 21 beers on tap, fish fry, food trucks, live music by Baby Cakes and Polyrhythmics, circus performers, carnival games, face painters, video game theatre, a Railroad Avenue Zipline and more. Boundary Bay has some special surprises for guests born on Sept. 16, 1995.
Aslan Brewing
Location: 1330 N Forest Street, Bellingham
Friday, Sept. 9: During Bellingham Beer Week, Aslan Brewing will be having a Ten for Ten Fundraiser, with 10 percent of beer sales to 10 local, environmentally-oriented nonprofits. Wear a t-shirt from a local brewery at “Wear Local Day” to get $3 pints all day. All Whatcom County breweries are included: Boundary Bay Brewery, North Fork Brewery, Chuckanut Brewery, Kulshan Brewing, Menace Brewing, Wander, Structures Brewing, Stones Throw Brewing, Bellingham Beer Lab, Gruff, Atwood Ales and Subdued. It’s Aslan’s way of saying thank you to the awesome breweries and beer lovers in the Bellingham community.
Wednesday, Sept. 14: Aslan will be screening the film “DamNation” at 8 p.m. for their Brewshed Alliance event. Brewshed Alliance is an organization that believes healthy and clean waterways make for great beer. This 2014 documentary sheds light on the ecological cost of two centuries of dam construction in the U.S. During the event, Aslan will donate 10 percent of beer sales to the Brewshed Alliance.
Friday, Sept. 16: Aslan will be setting sail on the Schooner Zodiac again this year. Join the crew for aSunset Beer-Tasting Cruise and experience this classic 90-year-old sailboat. The Schooner will depart from the Fairhaven dock at 5:30 p.m. and return at 7:30 p.m. Guests will work together to raise the largest mainsail on the west coast. Schooner Zodiac’s onboard chef will turn out delicious fare to pair with Aslan’s 100-percent organic beer. Visit this link to register for the cruise. This experience is $65 per person, ages 21 and over.
Saturday, Sept. 17: To close off beer week, Aslan is hosting a free Cornhole Tournament with Schweinhaus Biergarten. Starting at noon, half the teams will compete at Aslan and the other half at Schweinhaus with a final game at 7:30 p.m. at Aslan. Aslan will have live music going all day on the patio stage. Guests are encouraged to bring their best costumes, dance moves, and cornhole skills to compete for Beer Week glory. Two-person teams should register by Sept. 12 on aslanbrewing.com.
More activities
Throughout the week, McKay’s Taphouse will host their Bicycle Scavenger hunt popular game. The Local (Menace Brewery) will feature a Nano Night, Strange Brew Fest and tap takeovers as a fun way to encourage tasting new and different beers. The ever-popular Barleywood Squares will once again take place at the Copper Hog in town. This crazy contest with well-known brewing personalities in the squares involves participants who must decide whether the answer given to their question is true or false. Pretty silly but fun. Stones Throw Brewing Co. has a special beer collaboration in the works with Tony’s coffee. Details for a Stones Throw block party will be announced soon.
Keep up to date on Bellingham Beer Week events on http://bellinghambeerweek.com/ or visit thefacebook page.
N.W. Beer Guide