Sun shines on April Brews Day

Bellingham turned out a nice sunny afternoon Saturday, Apr. 25, to kick off the outdoor beer festival season around here. Beer lovers lined up at the booths of famous brewers and new brewers alike.

Chad and Colleen Kuehl, whose Wander Brewing is coming up on one year old this week, drew a good crowd here to sample their bourbon barrel aged imperial porter, Global Mutt.  This rich brew won the Peoples Choice award as the favorite beer by ballot.




Beer is keeping construction workers going here in town.  Kulshan is working away on their second brewery and pub, which they are calling K2.  Meanwhile, on the south side, cranes were

lifting used shipping containers up and into a lot in my Fairhaven neighborhood, where Tony Luciano is putting together the new Stones Throw Brewery.  He and his associates took a booth at the festival last week to show the flag and to pour some root beer--the real stuff is on the way, soon.

Tony Savoy came over from Whidbey Island with some good Flyers brews, his well-known Pacemaker Porter and a seasonal Best Bitter called Spitfire.

Construction workers are also working on beer things down in Bothell.  While McMenamins is finishing up their Anderson School brewpub/hotel, printing up statements that it will be open, after x years in the works, October 15, Jim Jamison of Foggy Noggin is hoping to be moved into new quarters in more of a business location sooner than that. Jim brought some Chief Lightfoot Irish Red to town, and we agreed that one would have to have watched Stanford football games a long, long time ago to get the reference there.

Also greeted and toasted: Shawn Loring of Lazy Boy Brewing in Everett, whose Belgian Oatmeal Pale Ale was noteworthy, and the chief server lady from Island Hoppin' on Orcas Island (the two brewers, the Beccanators, couldn't make this party).
(Visited 04/25/15

A sweet six-pack in the 'ham: beer-infused truffles

   Evolve Chocolate Truffles here in Bellingham has come out with the niftiest six-pack idea:
 six of their truffles, each with a flavoring dollop of a signature brew from one of our local breweries.

From Chuckanut, Pilsner,  Kulshan contributes a bit of Russian Imperial Stout.  The Baltic Porter, recently released by Wander in 750-ml bottles, enhances the truffle called Coffee Date. Boundary Bay's consistently popular Scotch Ale goes into a hazelnut dessert. Chili Bravo, a recent addition to Menace Brewing's taps at its pub The Local, spices up another truffle.  And last but not least, in a truffle touching multiple bases, the Ginger Bacon, we have Aslan's Ginger Rye.
What a clever way to get people who profess not to like beer but who love chocolate to dip a toe into the pool of zymurgical delights.

(Encountered 04/04/15)