Ever visited San Juan County? Here's our comprehensive breakdown of two islands, Orcas and the San Juan.
The Northwest Beer Guide presents,
The Beer Guide to San Juan County for 2021.
“We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” -William James
Numbering over 175, the San Juan islands are an archipelago in the Northwestern section of Washington state. Named by the Spanish explorer Francisco de Eliza, in 1791, members of the Lummi nation originally settled the San Juan Islands. Not long after, the first settlers arrived in the 1850s inspired by the stories from British and Spanish explorers. However, it wasn’t until the 1870s that the United States resolved maritime disputes with Great Britain, resulting in waterways surrounding the islands joining the United States. Today the island remains mostly inhabited by residents escaping the shadow of nearby Seattle.
Those who live and work beyond the reach of the ‘Islands, the area is a destination for recreational exploration and commerce. For those who live on the many, inhabitable, islands, there are both rewards and challenges depending on the season.
During the temperate Spring and Summer months, tourists visit the island many by nearby ferry. While during the cooler Autumn and Winter seasons, life is more relaxed but with challenges as many businesses reduce or conclude their operating hours. Therefore, the residents and businesses hope that you will not take it personally, should you arrive during a month in which a business is not open. Instead, they hope you will return, shop and dine, experiencing all the ‘Islands offer.
Foreword
The travel guide you have before you was researched, experienced, and initially written in 2019. Like so many things, articles of this scale are never easy to write and require hours of research before the journey even starts. Back in 2019, after many annual invitations from the organizers of Hops on the Rocks, this writer accepted an invitation and went as far as proposing a travel guide, instead of the usual festival referral followed by a visit to the event in question.
Unfortunately, in part because of personal interruptions, coupled with a complete lack of motivation, this guide sat on a ‘shelf’ unfinished until today. Because of this, we want you, the reader, to know that much of the information remains current, but there might have been some changes, due to the global pandemic that started in 2020.
Most of what you’re reading today was completed in late-2019. Unfortunately, some businesses first visited in 2019 have shuttered or are on a temporary hiatus, because of the pandemic.
Vetted before publishing, this writer feels we have birthed an expanse guide to visiting two of the San Juan Islands’ largest land masses, islands Orcas and San Juan.
As you navigate these pages, know that these businesses, like the rest of the world, will require an understanding that we are still in the midst of a pandemic and they need your patience and your support.
To the organizers of Hops on the Rocks, we cannot wait to return whenever the festival makes a go of hosting. To the tourism board of the San Juan Islands, we thank you for your invitation, your hospitality, and your support. And finally, to the businesses that took time to meet us, to host us, and to support us, we cannot wait to come back to the islands!
Till then, as a show of our support complemented with a dash of mea culpa, we are providing free advertising on our website from now till November 1st, 2021. It’s the least we can do to both thank you and apologize for the delays in getting this expansive guide published.
All the best,
Paul Orchard
Editor, contributor, and co-founder of,
The Northwest Beer Guide.
- Where we visited -
San Juan Island
Of all the islands, San Juan is the most popular tourist destination and the most densely populated of the island chain.
Immediately accessible by Washington State Ferry, via Anacortes, Friday Harbor is the largest town on the island with many of the shops and restaurants, accessible by car or on foot.
Further away from Friday Harbor there are many restaurants, artisan businesses, and clustered communities such as Roche Harbor.
During our stay on the island, we stayed in a nearby bed and breakfast, naturally visited the San Juan Island Brewing Company, dined at Duck Soup Inn, while also taking a drive out to the apple orchards where Westcott Bay Cider makes hard ciders and spirits. At each stop we experienced warm hospitality, friendly staff, and observed guests who genuinely enjoyed their experience.
Why we came to San Juan Island Click to learn more
Orcas Island
Located in the Northerly tip of the San Juan Islands, Orcas Island is the second-population-dense island in the 175+ landmasses, which form the San Juan Islands. Either by ferry, seaplane, or personal watercraft; the island of Orcas is often overlooked for the more-conveniently accessible San Juan. But this shouldn't dissuade one from undertaking the trip to this horseshoe-shaped island.
In fact, during our visit we took advantage of a traditional french bakery, consumed fish and chips in a tavern, dined at a Inn with a view, strolled with a made from scratch ice cream cone, and finally concluded our evening at a cozy cocktail lounge.
Did we mention we chose to visit, for Orcas Islands annual “Hops on the Rocks” beer festival?
Why we visited Orcas Island Click to learn more.
About this guide
The following guide is a comprehensive breakdown including lodging, restaurants, points of interest, and breweries. Unlike so many travel guides which are focussed on personal experiences, which inspire an arbitrary rating system, we have a mathematical formula using the following sources.
Lodging. Our breakdown of hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts, or vacation rentals is based on a score (star rating, 1 - 5 x number of reviews, which equals a score) where the higher the score the better the rating. This means if a place of rest has only 2 reviews but 5 stars, it will weigh less than a business with a 4 star rating but 245 reviews. As always, your individual experience will vary. We derive scores from travel website, Tripadvisor.com, and search engine, Google.com.
Food and Beverage. We base our breakdown of food and drink on a score (star rating, 1 - 5 x number of reviews, which equals a score) where the higher the score the better the rating. This means if a place of rest has only 2 reviews but 5 stars, it will weigh less than a business with a 4 star rating but 245 reviews. As always, your individual experience will vary. We derive scores from consumer satisfaction website, Yelp.com, and search engine, Google.com.
Where we ate and stayed. We base our review of the businesses listed within on a preference or suggestion from the local tourism board. As always, our review is honest and your individual experience may vary.
