North Sound Brewing Happenings

/0 Comments/in , /by

The latest and greatest from North Sound Brewing!

Support NW Youth Services

Last week for donations of new or lightly used warm outerwear and supplies through the end of the month. Please collect your unwanted items and drop them off at North Sound Brewing or Farmstrong to support this great local non-profit organization. Check out the variety of services NW Youth Services offer to at-risk youth.

Hops on the Rock

The 2nd annual Orcas Island Beer Festival will take over Eastsound on Saturday, Nov 10th from 11- 4pm featuring local eats, live music, not to mention your favorite craft brews from 20+ breweries around the region. Of course we’ll be there!!

North Sound Brewing’s 5th Annual Chicken Wing Thing – Sunday November 4th

Come out to NSB next Sunday to watch the Seahawks take on the Charges in a home match up at the C-link and bring your appetite! The chef line up is almost complete for our “Who makes the best wings” contest but we need you loyal wing lovers to vote for your favorite. Beer, wings, football, need we say more?!

North Sound Brewer’s Notes

A Halloween Treat on tap tomorrow. Pumpkin Spice Sucellus Imp. Porter. Yes it’s as delicious as it sounds. Come get some!

October 2018 Anacortes Brewery Releases and Events

/0 Comments/in , /by

New Releases for October:

Citra Fresh Hop Pale Ale (ABV 5.4% / IBU 50) Our second Fresh Hop of the season is a highly anticipated seasonal made with 2 row and Vienna malts for a dark straw color featuring major hop flavor and aroma from copious amounts of fresh Citra hops collected from Carpenter Ranches in Granger WA.

Erie Oatmeal Stout (ABV 5.8% / IBU 18) Named for the highest point on Fidalgo Island, Mount Erie, this beer is big and roasty on the front end with an inviting chocolate aroma. It’s full flavored with a silky medium-body and a bittersweet coffee note. Columbus, Perle & Cascade provide a delicate balance for a smooth and dry finish.

Broadsword Scottish Ale (OG 1.090 / ABV 8.3% / IBU 35) Black Patent, Caramel, Chocolate, Munich & Peat smoked malts produce dark color, malty flavor and subtle smokiness in this robust Scottish Ale. Perle, Cascade & Mt Hood provide a balanced bitterness.

Events for October (WA State):

Bier on the Pier, Fri-Sat Oct 5-6, Port Bldg, Anacortes

Great Pumpkin Beer Festival, Fri-Sat Oct 5-6, Seattle Center

KISM Knucklehead Launch Party, Fri Oct 12, Rockfish Grill, Anacortes

Mactoberfest, Sat Oct 13, Littlefield Celtic Center, Mount Vernon

Brewer’s Golf Tournament, Tues Oct 16, Flatstick Pub, Seattle

Brewer’s Night, Thurs Oct 26, Creekside Ale House, Lake Stevens

October Beers from Chuckanut Brewery

/0 Comments/in /by

chuckanut_brewery_october_beersWe’ve all been waiting for this cooler weather but sad to see the sun leave us! Yet Chuckanut Brewery is happy that there’s time to make some of their favorite one-off beers. This autumn Chuckanut will have some delicious beers to enjoy in any kind of weather!

New World Ale is the fall seasonal ale from Chuckanut and it’s out early in October. This moderate strength Pale Ale is made unique by the use of new varietal German hops Hallertau Blanc, Ariana and Hull Melon. They give this Chuckanut ale notes of white grape, melon and berries. New World German Ale has just the right amount of hop bitterness not to over power the senses but to end your tastebuds on a slight bitter note.

10 Degree Pils collaboration with Wayfinder in Portland! ABV 4%, 37 IBUs. This collaboration with past Chuckanut brewer Kevin Davey (now at Wayfinder) is a Czech style Pilsner, golden, dry, bitter from Saaz hops and refreshing! 10 Degree refers to the original gravity of this lightweight low alcohol lager. Only available in Portland, both Chuckanut outlets and very selected accounts throughout the Puget Sound region will have this beer in early October.

Chuckanut Rye Lager (5% ABV, 35 IBUs) is autumn inspired with a deep golden color and toasty flavor due to generous portions of rye malt and Spalt hops. This unique beer has a spicy rye bitterness rounded out with a creamy finish! Limited amounts will be around the Sound.

Rauch Marzen Lager (5% ABV, 28 IBUs) is a welcome beer to the fall/winter beer scene. Rich malty smoke dominates the palate finishing dry with rich malty notes. Beechwood smoked malts gently added to the malt bill make Rauch assertive, unique, fascinating and delicious. This is a great match for any food! Available in late October, just in time for Halloween!

Of course Chuckanut will be stocked with Pilsner and Kolsch all through the winter and the next Seasonal Lager is the multi-award winning Dunkel Lager (comes out in November). Fest Bier continues through the month of October and Alt is well stocked since it’s a popular German Ale that continues to be a great go to beer. Also in November there will be limited supplies of Chuckanut Bock Bier as the first of the Heavy Biers Series.

Heads up Chuckanut’s popular Ruby Ale will morf into Scarlet Ale in the future since Mcmenamins has a trademark on the Ruby Ale name (we thought it was an English style beer name but they called us and said their Raspberry Ale named Ruby has the trademark!) and we hope to make that one of Chuckanut’s seasonal ales in 2019.

Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen, located at 601 West Holly St, Bellingham, was awarded the National Small Brewpub/Brewer of the Year 2009 and National Small Brewery/Brewer of the Year 2011 at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO.

Chuckanut Brewery Wins Two GABF Medals

/0 Comments/in , /by

Chuckanut Brewery has done it again! Chuckanut beer was awarded two medals from this year’s GABF (Great American Beer Festival). A Gold for Chuckanut Dunkel Lager and a Silver for Chuckanut Helles Lager were awarded at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, Colorado September 22, 2018. The GABF 2018 had 8,700 beers in various categories by 2,450 breweries that were awarded 306 medals in specific beer-style categories. It is the largest commercial beer competition in the world. Award-winning brewers received prestigious gold, silver, and bronze medals in 102 categories that establish the best examples of each style of beer. The entries were evaluated by around 300 judges from around the world. This is the fourth time Chuckanut Dunkel Lager (2010, 2014 and 2017) has been awarded a Gold medal at the GABF and the first Silver Medal for Chuckanut Helles Lager (it was awarded Gold in 2011 & 2016).

Chuckanut’s Dunkel is a mahogany colored lager capped by an impressively sturdy tan head.  As in all lagers, the flavors in Dunkel are produced directly by the ingredients; in this case some of the malts have been deep roasted, giving Dunkel chocolate, coffee, and even licorice notes. There is just enough bitterness to balance out the sweet tasting malt creating a juicy dark lager beer. Chuckanut Brewery’s Dunkel has won not only multiple Gold GABF medals but also Silver GABF 2009 and 2012, Bronze GABF 2015, Gold World Beer Cup 2010 and Silver World Beer Cup 2014. Dunkel goes great with braised, roasted meats and is the perfect choice for bratwurst, bockwurst, and weisswurst. Fresh briny oysters are highlighted with the pairing of a pint of Dunkel Lager.

Chuckanut Helles Lager has is a golden, bready, light, fresh biscuity lager with a dry finish. As the Pilsner beer spread through Germany in the late 1800’s Munich’s response to the foreign pilsner was the “Helles”. Less hop flavor and bitterness than the Pilsner, the main highlight of the Helles is its bready, malty character. Today Helles beer is the everyday drinking beer in Germany. Its malty, balanced character makes it the breakfast beer in Munich. Helles lager has a well-developed bready flavor that rewards the drinker with sublime balance and a subtle, elegant maltiness. Helles goes very well with grilled sandwiches and pressed Panini. The malt character pairs up with nutty chickpea and sesame flavors as well as shellfish. Just about any pork dish matches beautifully with its maltiness. Whether drinking a dark or light beer Chuckanut Brewery has you covered with award winning choices for flavorful ales and lagers!

Chuckanut Brewery has two locations, the original Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen at 601 W Holly St, Bellingham with a full-service menu and European style award winning Lagers and Ales. And the new Chuckanut Brewery South Nut Taproom at 11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington in the heart of Skagit County. Check out Chuckanut Brewery at: www.chuckanutbrewery.com

Anacortes Brewery Releases / Events August 2018

/0 Comments/in , /by

New Releases for August:

Arts Festival Lager (ABV 4.8% / IBU 18) – The official beer of the Anacortes Arts Festival: Highly drinkable and well-balanced, this refreshing session beer is brewed in the traditional German style. A light maltiness provided by Premium two-row & Vienna malts is supported by restrained bitterness from Vanguard & Perle hops with a soft and dry finish.

This Year in Beer Series: 1776 (ABV 8.4% / IBU 86) – Batch #1776 for the Anacortes Brewery is a Double IPA that greets you with aromas of orange and tangerine from copious amounts of Citra, Amarillo and Simcoe hops followed by a sturdy malt backbone. Celebrate the pursuit of hoppiness the way our forefather’s intended!

Czech Pilsner (ABV 5% / IBU 35) – Bohemian style lager with light golden color from pale & Munich malts, distinct hop character from Saaz hops and lagered for several weeks providing smoothness and subtle malt flavor.

Wild (ABV 9% / 12 IBU) – Barrle aged 7 months with Brettanomyces, this ruby-colored Belgian ale exhibits complex and balanced aromas of sour cherry and fruit leather. Delicate hopping during the boil and months on wood produced jammy fruit flavors with a hint of Brett funk.

Events for August:

Anacortes Arts Festival Fri-Sun 8/3-6, Downtown Anacortes

Brewfest on the Skagit, 4PM Sat 8/11, Mount Vernon Riverwalk

Padilla Bay Foundation Benefit 5PM Sat 8/11, Padilla Bay Research Reserve

Heart of Anacortes Concert Series, 6PM Sat 8/11, 8/18, 8/25

Brewer’s Night 7PM Thurs 8/16, Anthony’s Woodfired Grill, Everett

Washington Beer and BBQ Festival, 12PM Sat 8/18, Lake Union Park, Seattle

Anacortes Cancer Walk, 1PM Sat 8/25, Seafarers Park

Bacon and Kegs Festival, 11AM Sun 8/26, Depot Market Square, Bellingham

Chuckanut Brewery Celebrates 10 Years of Beer

/0 Comments/in , /by

Chuckanut Brewery celebrates ten years of brewing beer with its 10 Days of 10 Years of Chuckanut beginning Friday July 13 through July 22. Each day there will be a special activity to help honor each year Chuckanut Brewery has been in existence! Chuckanut Brewery’s history has been rich and heavily rewarded for brewing some of the best European style Lagers and Ales in the country. It won Small Brewpub of the Year the first time it entered the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) 2009 and Small Brewery of the Year two years later at the 2011 GABF. Chuckanut now has two breweries, the original in Bellingham with it’s full service Kitchen and its production facility in Skagit Valley with its big Beer Garden & Tap Room. The calendar of activities will happen at both North Nut (the Kitchen, 601 W Holly St, Bellingham) and South Nut (Tap Room in Skagit Valley, 11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington).

 

  • Friday the 13th will start with the tapping of Willis Helles Lager. This is the beer everyone has been asking for Chuckanut to brew since opening in mid July 2008. It’s made in honor of the original Thomas Kemper Brewery (Brewmaster/co-owner Will’s first craft brewery started in 1984) Helles Lager. This Helles Lager uses a special yeast to give it a blueberry aroma and flavor. Will and the brew crew were able to track down the yeast from the National Collection of Yeast Cultures (NCYC) in London, England and used it with Chuckanut’s award winning Helles Lager recipe to create the Willis Helles. But this Helles is very different from Chuckanut Helles and here’s the opportunity to roll back the clock! And Thomas Kemper Root Beer will be sold at a reduced price for those under 21 years. This is the soda that came out of the original Thomas Kemper!
  • On Saturday July 14 free tours will be led at North Nut at noon then at South Nut at 3 pm. Just show up to get a look inside and hear more about the magic of Chuckanut Beers.
  • Sunday July 15 the celebration will continue with Brewery Bingo at South Nut 5:30 pm to close and at North Nut in the back covered patio 7-9 pm. Here’s your chance to win some schwag and discounted beer certificates!
  • July 16, Monday is College Night both North and South. Students can show their college ID’s for a $3.50 pint!
  • July 17 features an extra bonus for Kolsch Tuesday. On the 17th when a train goes by at North Nut and when a helicopter flies over at South Nut you can order a $1 Kolsch in it’s traditional 6.8 oz glass stange.
  • July 18, Wednesday we are bringing back Wurst Wednesday with specialty sausages served up in different styles.
  • July 19, Thursday is Keller Night with beer straight from the fermentation (Cellar) tank. This beer has the yeast still in it creating a different flavor and texture to Chuckanut’s brilliant beers. This option will be available at North and South Nut.
  • July 20, Friday we’ll celebrate with A Liter Night Music! Traditionally Chuckanut’s Liter Night is Friday but this Friday live music will be playing to add to the fun.
  • July 21 is Dog Day Saturday. Bring your dog in and get a $4 pint for yourself and a doggie treat for your four legged well-behaved friend (patio seating only).
  • And to complete the 10 Days of 10 Years of Chuckanut Brewery we will celebrate with Schwag Day. Wear your Chuckanut Schwag and your pint is $4 plus you can purchase a new Tshirt for $15 (+tax)!

 

There’s lots of ways to help Chuckanut celebrate 10 years of brewing please come join in the fun when you can!

Chuckanut Brewery Wins Six Medals at WA Beer Awards

/0 Comments/in , /by

On June 16th the WA Beer Awards announced the 117 breweries who won awards in 74 categories out of the 181 breweries that entered. Out of the almost 1,300 beers in the competition Chuckanut won a total of six awards. Chuckanut Marzen Lager and Vienna Lager each won Gold medals; Chuckanut Pilsner received a Silver medal; and Chuckanut Mexican Style Lager, Doppelbock and Dunkel Lager all received Bronze Medals. Last year Chuckanut received an unprecedented eight medals to win Large Brewery of the Year 2017 for many of the same beers.

Chuckanut Brewery’s Marzen Lager is an amber beer with a complicated and tantalizing mix of malts finished with enough hops to help create a dry spicy finish. The Vienna Lager is a year round Chuckanut beer that is amber colored, smooth and easy drinking with the typical Chuckanut dry finish. Chuckanut’s Pilsner is another year round Chuckanut beer known for its golden color, snappy finish and extremely drinkable taste. This beer just won Gold at the World Beer Cup 2018.

The Doppelbock is a bigger beer than the others that won awards with a 7.4%ABV and was aged over 3 months for a smooth rich finish. The Mexican Style Lager is an easy drinking, sessionable blonde lager that is Chuckanut’s summer seasonal lager. Dunkel Lager is one of Chuckanut’s most awarded beers. Dark, juicy, malty with a smooth finish Dunkel is a great beer in any season.

Some of the award winning beers will be on tap at both Chuckanut locations and around the Sound. Chuckanut is now available in very selected accounts in Portland, OR as well!

Chuckanut Brewery Wins Five Medals at North American Beer Awards

/0 Comments/in , /by

This year Chuckanut Brewery was richly rewarded with five major medals at the North American Beer Awards Competition.  This prestigious, long standing beer competition in it’s 22nd year supports the Craft Brewers Association standard of blind tasting judging done by BJCP judges from around the nation. Beers across America enter the competition in 99 categories. Chuckanut won Gold for it’s Alt Bier (German style ale) and Dunkel Lager. The Vienna Lager and Doppelbock Lager each one a Silver Medal and Chuckanut’s Marzen Lager won a Bronze Medal! These beers have won at NABA in the past as well.

The Annual Mountain Brewers Beer Fest was held the weekend of June 1-3rd in Idaho celebrating craft beer and at the same time holds a beer competition. In 2017 there were over 1,700 beers entered into the competition. Chuckanut Brewery holds numerous medals from past NABA competitions and was thrilled to receive recognition again this year for its entries. Some of the beers that were awarded medals are on tap at both South (Skagit Valley) and North (Bellingham) Nuts as well as at selected accounts across Puget Sound. Now would be an excellent time to try them and see if you agree with the NABA!

Chuckanut Brewery & Kitchen located at 601 West Holly St, Bellingham was awarded the National Small Brewpub/Brewer of the Year 2009 and National Small Brewery/Brewer of the Year 2011 at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF). The full service “Kitchen” serves from 11:00am to guests of all ages with an eclectic fresh local menu. Chuckanut’s South Nut Tap Room is in the heart of Skagit Valley, 11937 Higgins Airport Way, Burlington and welcomes guests of all ages.

Anacortes Brewery June Updates

/0 Comments/in , /by

New Releases for June:

Spring Break (ABV 4.8% / IBU 43) A collaboration with Winthrop’s Old Schoolhouse Brewery, this is a Northwest pilsner with a heavy dose of Mosaic and Simcoe hops added in the whirlpool for a juicy, tropical aroma of passion fruit and guava. A light body and bright white head make this easy drinker the perfect summer beer!

Cream Bee (ABV 4.8% / IBU 21)   Brewed with local honey, this smooth cream ale is lagered for crispness and features subtle hop aroma and balanced bitterness from Mt. Hood hops.

Events for June:

Waterfront Festival Noon-5PM Sat-Sun 6/2-3, Cap Sante Marina, Anacortes

Washington Brewers Festival Fri-Sun 6/15-17, Marymoor Park, Redmond

Bellingham Bay Brewers Cruise 4PM Wed 6/20, Bellingham

Methow Valley Singletrack Celebration and Brewfest Sat 6/23, Winthrop

Rock the Depot 5PM Sat 6/30, Depot Arts Center, Anacortes

Know Your Beer Farmer

/0 Comments/in /by

Usually when imbibing your favorite Indie Beer, you are drinking a combination of 4 ingredients: water, malted barley, hops and yeast (if drinking Budweiser add some rice and if drinking Coors or Miller add some corn).  Of these 4 ingredients, barley leads the pack in importance as barley gives beer its color, underlying flavor, sweetness, body, head of foam and mouthfeel.  Today I had the opportunity to ride along with Dave Hedlin, third generation farmer, of Hedlin’s Family Farm in La Conner, WA.  Hedlin’s Family Farm is located less than 10 miles from Skagit Valley Malting where the barley will be malted when harvested in late August.  Today Dave was planting organic Skagit Copeland Barley.

Skagit Copeland Barley is a two-row spring variety which has distinctive regional flavors, such as honey and graham biscuits.  The Valley’s remarkably plump kernal size and proteins make Skagit Copeland distinctive and more intense than typical Copeland grown in the North American Great Plains. What also makes this barley remarkable is Dave the farmer and the maltsters over at Skagit Valley Malting.  Knowing the region where your barley is grown and recognizing the values of the farmers and maltsters, will only deepen your appreciation for your love of drinking beer with Skagit Malts.

Skagit_Valley_Malting_Copeland_Barley

Dave met me this afternoon at the red barn behind the family farm house.  After asking me to not fall off the tractor and giving me some basic tractor safety tips, I hopped on the back of the grain drill above the harrow.  Growing up in Iowa, living in La Conner for the past 22 years, hiring the band The How and the Harrow for Skagit Farm to Pint FEST, you think I would know what a harrow is.  Nope. I thought Dave was saying arrow.  The harrow’s purpose is to cover the seeds once they are metered by the grain/seed drill. Dave carefully watches as he plants the organic Skagit Copeland Barley.  He only looks up to wave at another farmer, to point out a unique bird (Killdeer) and to smile at the crew working in the fields.

I will be following this beautiful field with the Skagit River Delta on one side and the town of La Conner on the other side (which includes the Salish Sea/Swinomish Channel, museums, boutiques, a brewery and some great restaurants) throughout the summer and will ride along with Dave again at harvest time.   “What kind of ice cream would you like?”,  Dave shouts out to the crew before driving me back to my car.  Now that’s the kind of guy I want tending the most important ingredient in my beer!

hedlin_farms_laconner_skagit_valley_malting