THE BAR Archives - Page 6 of 17 - Skagit Farm to Pint

Skagit Cider Fest- A Roadshow VIP Experience

February 18, 2022/0 Comments/in EVENTS, FESTIVALS, THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

Calling all Cider lovers! Meet the makers, learn about the cider-making process and sample some of the best ciders in Washington.

Viva Farms + Skagit Farm to Pint present

Skagit Cider Fest

Join us in the expansive Farmstrong Brewing beer garden to meet the makers, learn about the cider-making process and sample some of the best cider around, including:

Alma Cider, Bauman’s Cider, Bull Biter Cidery, Dragon’s Head Cidery, Greenbank Cidery, Greenwood Cider, Hammered Dwarf Cider, Locust Cider, Lost Giants Cider Co., Madrone Cellars & Cidery, Misfit Island Cider Company, Ragged & Right Cider Project, Renaissance Orchards, Soundbite Cider, and more.

Play your favorite lawn games, eat great food from Rooted Kitchen, purchase your favorite cider to take home from our festival store, and stay a while longer for an incredible afterparty concert from the legendary Baby Cakes!

SKAGIT FARM TO PINT ROADSHOW VIP TICKETS INCLUDE ENTRY TO THIS EVENT!

Tickets are also sold separately. Stand-alone tickets available HERE.

The sampling event is 21+ for ticketed guests only. The afterparty is at 5 pm and is open to all ages and free to the public up to capacity: rain or Shine.

Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow Cornhole Tournaments

February 17, 2022/0 Comments/in EVENTS, THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

Celebrate spring with the Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow Cornhole Tournament! Sound Beverage sponsors the Competitive Tournament with $500 cash prizes, and District Brewing sponsors the Social Tournament with $150 in District Brewing gift cards. 192 Brewing provides their vast space for the Tournaments, and Upper Left Cornhole provides their expert organizing and hosting skills! For Tournament participants, show your Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow Ticket/Guide and receive a gift card from 192 Brewing!

All of your entry fees go to support the non-profit Viva Farms and its mission to create a more just and resilient local food system.

Two Tournaments – Competitive & Social

Bring your partner and see how you stack up with the competition. Competitive Tournament is experienced teams that get more bags in the hole than on the ground, and the Social Tournament is for backyard players. The entry fee is $50 per team for Competitive and $25 per team for Social when you pre-register. Spots will be available the day of (if not sold out) for $6o per team Competitive and $30 per team for Social. You can prepay for your team thru PayPal upon pre-registering on the Scoreholio app. Accepted on the Tournament day are Cash, Venmo, and CashApp.

All ages and skill levels are welcome. You will play two games to decide preliminary ranking and then go into a Double Elimination bracket for some fantastic cash prizes to the top three teams!

Cash Prizes

Competitive Tournament

1st place team: $300 cash
2nd place team: $150 cash
3rd place team: $50 cash

Social Tournament

1st place team: $100 District Brewing gift card
2nd place team: $50 District Brewing gift card
3rd place team: District Brewing swag

Sign Me Up

Professional quality equipment, including digital scoreboards that allow you to follow and track your results from your phone, will be utilized! Please bring your bags or use ours. Social Tournament starts at noon with check-in from 11–11:30 AM. We will wrap up by 3:30 PM to allow the Competitive Tournament to begin by 4 PM and wrap up before 9 PM. Have a question regarding the Tournaments or need assistance registering? Email: upperleftcornhole@gmail.com.

Pre-register by clicking on the following links from your SmartPhone.

COMPETITIVE TOURNAMENT SIGN-UP

SOCIAL TOURNAMENT SIGN-UP

Thank you, Sponsors!

Viva Farms to host month-long beer, cider and bounty celebration: Skagit Farm to Pint ROADSHOW

February 17, 2022/0 Comments/in EVENTS, THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

Viva Farms is hosting the 4th Annual Skagit Farm to Pint ROADSHOW, presented by the Port of Skagit, this April. Farming is at the heart of what makes Skagit Valley such a precious place, but that legacy is at risk. In the next 20 years, 70% of all Washington State farmers are expected to retire. Meanwhile, the Puget Sound region has lost 60% of its farmland since 1950. If this trend continues, the last acre of farmland in the region could be bulldozed or paved over by 2053. Viva Farms is aiming to raise $60,000 through Skagit Farm to Pint ROADSHOW to support their work to preserve sustainable farming for future generations.

“Skagit Valley is a special place. Surrounded by natural beauty and rooted in a deep agricultural heritage, Skagit is home to some of the best beer, locally-grown ingredients, and skilled brewers and makers around. We think that’s something worth celebrating!” said Michael Frazier, Viva Farms Executive Director.

Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow 2022

The ROADSHOW is a month-long local beer, cider and bounty celebration held at breweries around Skagit Valley featuring craft beers brewed with Skagit Valley Malt and delicious bites highlighting local and handcrafted ingredients. Join other local beer, cider and food enthusiasts, as you enjoy exclusive beer and bite pairings on a self-guided brewery adventure. Participants can also join in the fun of a homebrewer’s competition; cornhole and trivia tournaments; or become a VIP to create a truly magic Skagit experience.

2022 Ale Trail Pale Ale Homebrew Competition

The homebrewers competition gave homebrewers eight weeks to create a pale ale using Skagit Valley Malting Pilot Pale malt. Skagit Valley College’s Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy will brew the winner’s beer which will be featured at Anacortes Brewing during the ROADSHOW. Prizes include a $100 gift certificate to Northwest Brewers Supply will provide gift certificates for winners: 1st: $100, 2nd: $50 and 3rd: $25.

Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow Games & Prizes

Every Wednesday during April, head on over to Farmstrong Brewing for the Skagit Beer Month (ROADSHOW) Trivia Gauntlet. Voted editor’s pick for Best Trivia from Bellingham Alive Magazine, this trivia night is not to be missed. Teams of 2-6 people play every week for a cumulative score with CASH PRIZES for the top 3 teams, and raffle prizes each week!

On April 23rd, join our friends at UpperLeft Cornhole at 192 Brewing in Mount Vernon for the Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow Cornhole Tournament for all skill levels. Sign up for the competitive division for a chance to win up to $300 in CASH, or just play for fun by entering the social division for a chance to win cool, local goodies.

Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow VIP Experience

Looking to elevate your adventure? Celebrate Skagit Valley’s agricultural bounty in style by becoming a ROADSHOW VIP. Get complimentary tickets to explore the legendary acres of vibrant floral color at Northwest’s premier tulip farm, Tulip Town. AND get complimentary tickets to the first-ever Skagit Cider Fest held in the expansive Farmstrong Brewing beer garden. This event lets cider-lovers meet the makers, learn about the cider-making process and sample the craft of over 15 PNW cideries. And stick around for the Skagit Cider Fest Afterparty featuring Whatcom County R&B legends, BABY CAKES! Skagit Cider Fest tickets will also be sold separately.

Water, Beer & Art

Did you know that beer is 95% water? We have united water conservation, breweries, art, and the Viva Farms Farm to School program altogether to create the Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow Rain Barrel Project! Skagit PUD has donated and delivered the rain barrels to participating breweries, artists are painting the rain barrels, and Viva Farms will be delivering to local school gardens after the Roadshow. The painted rain barrels will be on display all together on a Facebook photo album for you to vote for your favorite.

Long Live Farms!

All proceeds from Skagit Farm to Pint ROADSHOW go to benefit Viva Farms. Viva Farms is a bilingual (Spanish-English) farm business incubator and beginning farmer training organization based in Burlington, WA with a mission to create a more resilient and just local food system. They teach beginning farmers sustainable farming practices and farm business management, and provide access to land, training, equipment, infrastructure, markets and capital. Learn more about Viva Farms mission and how you can support here.

Tickets, starting at $55, are on sale 2/22/22 here.

Homebrewers Keep it Local with Skagit Valley Malt

December 9, 2021/0 Comments/in FESTIVALS, THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

The 2022 Ale Trail homebrew competition kickoff begins! The 2022 Ale Trail Pale Homebrew Competition slots are available immediately at Northwest Brewers Supply. Only 50 spots are available, and the last two years sold out quickly. The entry cost is $55 and includes malt donated by Skagit Valley Malting and one general admission entry to the 2022 Skagit Farm to Pint FEST (valued at $55/on-sale in February), a month-long, local beer and bounty celebration held at breweries around Skagit County during April 2022. “We are happy to sponsor this event which helps raise awareness of the Skagit Valley and its contributions to the local beer scene across Washington. Our farmers grow a wide variety of crops that barley plays a part in, and it’s part of their sustainability program for their soil. So, every pound a brewer uses in a beer helps promote sustainable farming practices in the Valley,” says Erik Youngren, VP, Skagit Valley Malting.

The homebrewers will have eight weeks to create their Ale Trail Pale and will receive 10 lbs. of Skagit Valley Malting Pilot Pale malt to be used as the primary base malt. Brewers can make their beers unique by using any amount and variety of specialty grains and hops. Winner of the 2019 competition, Ben Holm, says “I wanted to create a well-balanced beer with the available ingredients. I think the Pale Ale category was an excellent showcase for Skagit Valley Malting’s products, and that gave me a great starting position to try to keep the hop bitterness and flavors balanced with the malt flavors from Skagit Valley Malting.”

Ben Holm

The judging will take place at the end of February at Cardinal Craft Brewing with 13 judges, including experienced judges, instructors, brewers, brewery owners, and Skagit Valley College Craft Brewing Academy students. “It will be interesting to taste the similarities with the malt, but also the differences with how the brewers add their touch with other grains, hops, and yeast,” says Trevor Lawrence, owner of Northwest Brewers Supply. Tony Savoy, Cardinal Craft instructor, formatted the judging, including notes and scales on appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel, and style.

Cardinal Craft Brewing brews the winning Ale Trail Pale. The winning brew is served during the Skagit Farm to Pint FEST. Prizes include a $100 gift certificate to Northwest Brewers Supply for 1^st place, 2^nd place winner receives a $50 gift certificate, and 3^rd place gets a $25 gift certificate.

All proceeds from Skagit Farm to Pint FEST benefit the local non-profit Viva Farms. Viva Farms is a bilingual (Spanish-English) farm business incubator program based in Mount Vernon. Their mission is to create a more resilient and just local food system. They teach beginning farmers about sustainable farming and farm business management, and provide access to land, training, equipment and infrastructure, markets and capital.

Chuckanut Brewery Wins Large Brewery at WA Beer Awards 2021

November 8, 2021/0 Comments/in THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

On November 5th the WA Beer Awards announced the winners of the WA Beer Awards competition amongst 142 WA state breweries. In a blind tasting format over 1,100 beers were evaluated using the Brewers Association Beer Style guidelines and Chuckanut Brewery won a total of seven Gold and Silver medals for their lager-style beers. Chuckanut Old Fest (Marzen style lager), Asian Style Lager, Rye Lager, Rauch Helles Lager each won Gold medals; Chuckanut Dunkel Lager, Chuck Light and Maibock each received a Silver medal. Winning four gold medals and three silver medals gave Chuckanut Brewery the title of Large Brewery of the Year 2021. This is the third year Chuckanut has won large brewery of the year since the WA Beer Awards competition was created in 2013.

Chuckanut Brewery’s Old Fest is a Marzen Lager, amber beer with a complicated and tantalizing mix of malts finished with enough hops to help create a dry spicy finish. The Asian Style Lager is a year-round Chuckanut beer that was created for the Din Tai Fung Dumpling Houses around Seattle and Portland, OR. It’s a refreshing golden-colored beer that makes a great accompaniment to Asian-style foods. Rye Lager is amber-colored and made unique due to the use of rye malts. A spicy rye bitterness is rounded out with a creamy finish for a smooth and easy-drinking beer. And the fourth Gold medal was awarded to Rauch Helles Lager, no stranger to awards. This delicately smoked Helles-style lager beer has won many Gold medals from multiple competitions over the years. Rauch Helles is a beer with a deep malty flavor spiked with mild smoky overtones due to the use of beechwood smoked malted barley.

The Silver medal awards included Chuckanut Dunkel Lager, a Munich style dark lager with a typical Chuckanut dry finish. Dunkel Lager is a balanced smooth beer with toffee & chocolate notes due to the use of Munich malts. Chuck Light is a light beer with a low ABV and fresh malty notes. This 3.8% ABV lager has only 103 calories per 12 oz pour! Surprisingly flavorful for a straw-colored beer it’s easy to drink! Chuckanut’s Maibock is on the other side of the ABV spectrum but easy to drink non the less. It is a big beer that’s full and malty but golden in color with a 7.4%ABV and aged over 3 months for a smooth rich finish.

Some of these award-winning beers are currently on tap at Chuckanut’s South Nut Tap Room in the heart of Skagit County and at selected accounts around the Sound and Oregon. When you get the opportunity to try a Chuckanut beer please enjoy yourself, prost!

Chuckanut Utilizes Sustainable Practices to Save Water

September 28, 2021/0 Comments/in THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

Chuckanut brewery understands what a special resource water is and has been using many sustainable practices for years. In fact, they started even before they opened Chuckanut Brewery. “Our brewmaster Will Kemper is a brewing and chemical engineer and designs breweries all over the US and the world, and this is a practice he has used since time began,” says Mari Kemper.

Mari describes the water-saving activities at Chuckanut: During the brewing process, the wort (or beginning liquid of beer) goes through a heat exchanger to cool down. Cold water runs in one direction in piping around another pipe which has the very hot wort running to the fermentation tanks. The cold water picks up the heat that comes off the wort and the wort picks up the cold from the water. The wort gets into the fermentation tank at a cooler temperature to be ready for the yeast (it would kill the yeast if it went into the wort at the temp it comes out of the kettle). The water, having picked up the heat, is put into the hot liquor tank to start the next batch of beer. It takes less energy that way to heat the water and the water is not just thrown out after cooling the wort! Way more sustainable to work with water this way.

Chuckanut at Port of Skagit Doubling in Size

September 28, 2021/0 Comments/in THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

Award-winning Chuckanut Brewery has big expansion and contraction changes in store for the rest of 2021 and into 2022. The brewery in Burlington at the Port of Skagit in the heart of Skagit Valley will be more than doubling its size. This expansion will set the brewery up to get deeper into the field of bottling and canning its superb ales and lagers.

At the same time Chuckanut will be opening its P Nut Chuckanut Beer Hall at 920 SE Caruthers St, in Portland OR. This SE Division district beer hall and garden will have indoor and outside seating with beer, cider and sodas by the glass and the option to purchase packaged Chuckanut beers for off premise including party kegs! The contraction part of the equation is that the building in Bellingham where Chuckanut started has been sold and the new ownership wishes to use the building for their own project. Chuckanut will be leaving Bellingham for the time being, but always on the look-out for another good location. With two big projects to work on through 2022 Chuckanut will be busy! The last day the Bellingham site will be open for food and beer will be mid October. If you are looking to visit Chuckanut after mid October make sure to go to either the Port of Skagit South Nut or the new Portland, OR locations (Portland will open sometime in November).

Chuckanut dabbled in packaging their fine beers in bottles and then cans for a short period in 2020 and 2021. It became clear that fans wanted to see more cans and bottles in their neighborhood bottle shops and grocery stores. Because of this request plans were started on how packaging of Chuckanut beers could be accomplished. The Port of Skagit, in support of Chuckanut, will prepare a pad ready area for the expansion of the building at the South Nut production facility. The small batch brewery that was in Bellingham will then be moved and housed in the expanded brewery building which will also hold a packaging house, truck loading docks and staging area as well as a large storage area for cans, bottles and finished brewery product.

Day One Distribution, who handles Chuckanut beers in Oregon, offered a portion of their building to Chuckanut for a beer hall. Because of its great location Chuckanut agreed and has started renovations to have a 76 seat beer hall and additional outdoor beer garden in the location at 920 SE Caruthers St. Chuckanut intends to have visiting food trucks parked adjacent to the beer garden and hall to offer beer drinkers food to accompany their choice of beverages. The P Nut (as it is affectionately called) will offer beer to-go including growler fills, kegs, bottles and cans. Of course, official Chuckanut shwag will be available as well as pre-packaged snacks, cider and sodas. The official opening of the hall will be sometime in November, watch social media for updates.

Meanwhile all of Chuckanut friends in Bellingham are encouraged to come in and say goodby to the outstanding Chuckanut front and back house team in before the closing. The 601 W Holly St in Bellingham was Chuckanut’s original location and opened in 2008, its been a long run of over 13 years! When you visit South Nut the same fabulous brewers will all be working at the Skagit Valley location along with the small team of front house employees. It’s time for big changes for Chuckanut, and the continued support by drinking some of the best craft beers in America and the world is very much appreciated!

Chuckanut Brewery, currently located at both 601 West Holly St, Bellingham and 11937 Higgins Airport Way in Burlington, was awarded National Small Brewery/Brewer of the Year 2011 at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO. Both South and North Nut offer on-site beverages, to-go beer and pick-up for kegs, growlers and bottles of Chuckanut beer. Guests of all ages are welcome at both locations. A full menu at North Nut can be had on site, to go or delivered. The South Nut Skagit Tap Room & Brewery in Burlington is located at the Port of Skagit and works with the Skagit Landing restaurant across the street to deliver food. Please check out additional information on Covid requirements and more about Chuckanut at www.chuckanutbrewery.com

Harvest in the Valley

September 9, 2021/0 Comments/in THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

It’s time to grab those sweaters and plan a road trip to the Skagit Valley to celebrate Harvest Time! The Skagit Valley has lots of different lodging options for you. Book a room, order food-to-go or make some dinner reservations, and check out these great Harvest outdoor activities! Skagit Valley hops are being harvested now and the barley harvest is now wrapped up!

Be sure to check out the Skagit Farm to Pint Ale Trail to taste beer made with Skagit Valley malt and hops. All of our Skagit Valley breweries offer outdoor seating!

Want to learn more about harvesting hops and join the fun! Check out Hop Skagit on Facebook for updates!

BREWFEST ON THE SKAGIT 2021

July 19, 2021/0 Comments/in FESTIVALS, THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

The 19th annual BrewFest on the Skagit, the Skagit’s longest-running Craft Brew Festival, is set for Saturday, August 14th from 2:00 to 8:00 pm at Edgewater Park along the banks of the Skagit River in Mount Vernon. This year’s BrewFest will feature dozens of local craft brews, three of the region’s most popular bands, leisure games, vendors, and local food trucks.

Expect the biggest and best BrewFest ever! Moving the event from Skagit Riverwalk Park to Edgewater Park will provide more room to move and groove.

Tickets: $25 + applicable fees include 6 tastes. Lincoln Theatre Members receive $2 off. Additional scrip for tastes will be available for $2 each at the fest. A special $15 ticket without scrip is available for ‘designated drivers’. Tickets will be $30 at the gate.

Beers, Bites, and Beauty – Skagit Farm to Pint FEST Roadshow

May 13, 2021/0 Comments/in THE BAR /by Skagit Farm to Pint

Guest Post by Marsha Seekins

My husband and I celebrated our 20th-anniversary last year with a trip to Antarctica in February. Then Covid-19 happened. We had tickets to see the Paperboys at the Tractor Tavern on St Patrick’s Day – Canceled. We had a weekend in Vancouver planned around The Mavericks concert – Border Closed, Concert Canceled. We had tickets to The 2020 Skagit Farm to Pint Fest last April – Canceled. This last one was especially painful, as we LOVE local beer and food! We were thrilled to learn that Skagit Farm to Pint Fest had been re-engineered for 2021 – a Covid-compliant, self-guided “Road Show” to last the entire month of April! Woohoo!

Thirteen breweries. Three days. No problem!

Day 1: Farmstrong | North Sound | Cardinal Craft | Garden Path | Chuckanut | 192 | District

Farmstrong Brewing was the first official stop on the Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow. Farmstrong featured a Strawberry and Honey Tulipfest Cider from their Ragged and Right Cider Project, paired with a lovely miniature strawberry parfait. The brewery is a comfortable rustic space, including a special photo ensemble of dogs of the month! Of course, we had to check the doggie board out to answer the trivia question on the Roadshow Scavenger Hunt. We were determined to fill out all the questions and win prizes! While at Farmstrong, we also had to try their award-winning Blackberry Tango cider. Delicious! We will definitely return here to try more cider and beer but didn’t want to have to take an uber!

From Farmstrong, we headed northwest to North Sound Brewing. The taproom has expanded its indoor and outdoor spaces since last we visited. In a cozy room with a fireplace and natural light, we enjoyed a dark cherry wheat ale, paired with a mixed berry tart from the nearby Schuh Farms.

The next three stops on Day 1 were in a nice tight cluster by the Skagit Regional Airport at the Port of Skagit. The Port of Skagit is the presenting sponsor of Skagit Farm to Pint FEST Roadshow. We swung by Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy to get the coveted stamp in our passport. They have limited open hours for folks to pick up growlers and no brewery access; we would taste their contribution the next day. Garden Path Fermentation was next, with a very interesting selection of beers, their own and from all over the world. Though we don’t typically drink this variety of brew, both of us truly enjoyed their Easygoing Drink “Skagitonian grisette” paired with a savory herbed cookie from Water Tank Bakery – a new bakery at the Port of Skagit featuring local flour grown and milled in Skagit Valley.

We have been to Chuckanut Brewery‘s primary location in Bellingham, but had not yet ventured to their Skagit Location, or the “South Nut.” We enjoyed their Fest offering, Skagit Tulip Golden Ale, and decided to try a flight to sample some other beers. All were delicious.

Taste buds tamed, we went back to Mount Vernon and checked into our lovely AirBNB, the Riverclay Apartment. It was super cozy with exposed brick, full kitchen, queen bed, and a smart TV. We didn’t spend a lot of time there, but it was the perfect base of operations for our weekend. It was an easy walk to 3 breweries, downtown restaurants, and the Historic Lincoln Theater.

After getting settled, we walked over to 192 Brewing Company, where we were treated to very friendly service, delicious from-scratch pretzel bites, and a sneaky good Rexville Double IPA. The taproom isn’t very big, but they have a large outdoor area that will be perfect for summer sipping. The sun was setting as we headed back to town for our last tasting of the first day.

We were excited about visiting District Brewing’s space – they are in the former Lyric Theater space and have done a spectacular job in repurposing the building, reusing original materials. In homage to the theater, District’s beers are named for movies. We tasted their Northwest IPA alongside beautifully presented Caprese skewers. Needing a bit of “real food” to cap off the day of tastings, we ordered some Jamaican jerk chicken wings to share and a couple of full pints – Juice Almighty Hazy IPA and Jurassic Amber.

With full bellies and the beer-sleepies, we made the short walk back to our apartment, where we took advantage of the Smart TV to knock out a couple of episodes of Ozark before retiring for the evening. Seven stamps on our Fest Guide, six to go. A successful first day!

Day 2: La Conner | Bastion | Anacortes | Terramar |Temperate Habits

A trip to Skagit County is not complete without breakfast at the Train Wreck in Burlington! We split the pulled pork hash, which was amazing! Next, we headed over to Roozengaard to walk among the daffodils and early tulips in their fields and display gardens. Advance timed tickets helped keep the crowds manageable, so there was no issue of social distancing. And we completely agree with the slogan: Come for the Tulips – Stay for the Beer! Our AirBNB host suggested we swing by Snow Goose Produce for some Lopez Island Ice Cream. Even after a big breakfast, there’s always room for ice cream! Snow Goose has quite the array of produce and local goods, but we were laser-focused on the ice cream. Breakfast – check! Tulips – check! Ice cream – check! Time for more beer!!

We headed to La Conner Brewing where we could choose from any of their beers to pair with our chocolate. I chose the Blood Orange Pale Ale, and Doug had the Raspberry Misfit CDA. We didn’t linger long there, as it was lunchtime, and there were people waiting for tables. We did, however, take the opportunity for a photo opp at Nasty Jack’s – what a great antique emporium! From La Conner, we crossed the river and took the scenic route to Bastion Brewing. A recent change in chefs meant a change in the food pairing for our fest beer tasting. We were delighted to receive pulled pork sliders with our Belgian Saison, and then shared a pint of the Life Giver Black IPA, which was excellent.

Feeling the need to walk off a few calories, we drove up to Cap Sante Park, overlooking Anacortes and Padilla Bay. The walk turned into a short nap, stretched out on a big, warm rock.

With renewed energy, we popped over to Anacortes Brewery & The Rockfish Grill for some amazing vegetarian chili and a trifecta of Fest beers – Sunrise IPA from Anacortes Brewing, Kardinal Kolsch from Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy, and Prize Bird Pale from Tony Engel, the winner of the 2020 Homebrew Competition. We also tasted a few other offerings from Anacortes Brewing, our favorite being the Bourbon Barrel Aged Red Ale.

Next on our route was Terramar Brewstillery in Bow. It was our first time here, and the space is very interesting. We started in the brewery space, where we tried their “A Lager of their Own” alongside garlic-parmesan polenta fries. After the nosh, we wandered over to check out their Speakeasy, noticing a large outdoor space which will be perfect in the coming warm weather.

Having lingered a bit too long in Edison, we had to hustle back to Mount Vernon. We slid into Temperate Habits just in time for a taster of Honey Lavender Blond and some of the best clam chowder I have EVER had! They have a wonderful space; we will definitely return to work our way through their menu. With that, Day 2 was in the books, leaving only one brewery stamp to go. Thankfully, it was a short walk back to our AirBNB and a good night’s sleep.

Day 3: Birdsview and Concert at the Lincoln Theatre

We headed east on Highway 20 to Concrete after a breakfast of cinnamon roll French toast at Billy’s in Burlington. It was a perfect day for a walk along the beautiful Skagit River at Rasar State Park, just a quick 3-miler to justify the big breakfast…and all the beer!

Birdsview Brewing was the last brewery on our list. The taproom is small, but they have a large outdoor space with plenty of tables. Here we enjoyed their Pandemic Haze IPA alongside fresh sliced Granny Smith apples and squeaky cheese curds from Golden Glen Creamery.

Our Road Show Passports were now complete, but our weekend adventure was not. We drove back to Mount Vernon to enjoy a live concert at the beautiful and historic Lincoln Theater. We have missed live music so very much during the pandemic, so this felt like a return to normalcy, albeit still masked and socially distanced. After a presentation by the Port of Skagit County and Viva Farms, we were treated to some trivia fun for beer swag and three live bands – Dean’s Honky Tonk Dream, The Enthusiasts, and Ebb, Slack & Flood.

Having never heard of Viva Farms, we were excited to learn about their mission to grow farmers, community, and food! We decided to subscribe to their CSA and look forward to receiving our first box in June! Worn out from our busy day, we walked back to our Airbnb and turned in for the night. We slept great, with a sense of accomplishment and gratitude.

I want to shout out to the sponsors and organizers for putting together an excellent event under difficult circumstances. I must admit that I actually prefer the Road Show to a single-day, single-venue festival! We got to experience the beers in the brewery spaces. We learned more about Skagit County by exploring restaurants, lodging, and recreational opportunities during our multi-day visit. The concert at the Lincoln Theater was a wonderful addition. And thanks so much for introducing us to Viva Farms; we can’t wait to taste the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor. Now… what beer pairs best with organic rutabaga?

Already looking forward to next year! Cheers!