Port of Skagit & the Skagit Farm to Pint FEST Roadshow

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Agriculture is an important industry in the Skagit Valley, and the Port of Skagit is committed to building opportunities to support, sustain and advance the local agricultural industry.

The Port of Skagit has invested significant resources into value-added agriculture infrastructure and business recruitment over the past decade to build the Ag sector at our properties.  Events like Skagit Farm to Pint Fest align with the Port’s vision to support and promote agriculture and all the attributes that this industry brings to our community:  exceptional food and products, high-quality of life, innovative technology, and a cooperative ecosystem where growers and producers support and encourage one another.

In 2013, the State of Washington designated the Skagit Valley as an Innovation Partnership Zone focused on value-added agriculture, with the goal of using research, innovation and opportunities to strengthen and enhance the agricultural industry.  One of the strategies stemming from the IPZ was the creation, and recent approval of, the Genuine Skagit Valley federal certification mark.  This federal certification mark is based on origin and will help to increase demand and preference for Skagit Valley agricultural products.

There is something very special about products grown in this rich, fertile valley.  On behalf of the Port of Skagit Commission and Staff, thank you for your participation in the Skagit Farm to Pint Fest Roadshow, and on a larger scale, for your support of Skagit Valley agriculture and the people who make it happen.

Skagit Farm to Pint FEST 2021 Live Stream Concert

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The Skagit Farm to Pint FEST 2021 Live Stream concert is now available for your viewing enjoyment! Experience the roadshow pairings, buy some beer to go, or fill up those growlers and sit back and enjoy the show featuring Dean’s Honky Tonk Dream, The Enthusiasts & Ebb, Slack & Flood!

Tulips, Artists, and Beer: The Best of Skagit

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Gain a behind-the-scenes look at the best Skagit Valley has to offer while exploring one of the most scenic bicycle routes in the Pacific Northwest with Experience International. Visit tulip fields at peak bloom, meet inspiring local artisans, and follow grains of barley from the fields all the way to your pint glass! Between adventures, enjoy gourmet local food and award-winning ales along the Skagit Farm to Pint Ale Trail. With so much to offer, this is a once-a-year tour you will not want to miss!

 

Experience International is a non-profit that believes the best excursions include more than just recreation and beautiful vistas, but actually, change us for the better. The getaways that leave us changed are also the ones we never forget. We’ve been facilitating transformative experiences for over 30 years, and in response to the pandemic, we’re drawing from our shared passions for sustainable agriculture, resource conservation, and outdoor recreation to share what makes this bioregion such a special place to call home. Whether you were born and raised in the Pacific Northwest or this is your first time visiting the region, our immersive ecological adventures will leave you more deeply connected to the land and sea of this region and provide you with the experience of a lifetime!

Trip Highlights

  • This two-day, Best of Skagit bike tour will explore tulips in peak bloom, engage local artisans, and follow barley from the seed all the way to the glass!
  • Visit Tulip Town during what is predicted to be the peak bloom event for the Spring 2021 season
  • Behind the scenes view of brewing, fermenting & bottling craft beers with Chuckanut Brewery and Garden Path Fermentation
  • Take a private, guided tour of the Museum of Northwest Art to discover the powerful ways local artisans have influenced our way of life in the PNW
  • Visit local galleries and engage with inspired craftspeople
  • Tour a commercial barley farm and learn how it is transformed into the basis for beer at Skagit Valley Malting
  • Receive an introduction to distillation over a Locally Sourced Wood Fire Pizza lunch on Sunday at Terramar Brewstillery in Edison
  • Rest at ease Saturday night at the luxurious La Conner Channel Lodge, with a room overlooking the water
  • Enjoy a gourmet dinner with your party at one of several exquisite restaurants just a short walk from your hotel (price of dinner not included)
  • Experienced guides & fun-loving facilitators

Daily Trip Summary

This two-day Best of Skagit journey allows participants to explore what makes this such a spectacular place to call home. From visiting the tulip fields at peak bloom, being introduced to incredible local artisans and their works, to exploring nearly every aspect of the brewing, from growing and malting barley to brewing, fermenting, and bottling the final product. Remarkably, this can all be accomplished over just a 40 mile round trip journey on flat terrain. This special, once-a-year opportunity is arranged to maximize your fun and enjoyment while deepening your appreciation for the connections and collaborative partnerships that are working to preserve the future of the Skagit Valley.

Day One: Saturday

Day one begins at 9:00 am at Samish Bay Cheese in Edison, WA. Participants will meet here and leave vehicles on off-street parking. After taking a guided tour of the working farm and dairy, the ride starts with a gentle 45-minute ride through the quaint town of Edison heading south along the Farm to Market road to the Port of Skagit, a one of a kind industrial district home to the Washington State University Bread Lab, Skagit Valley Malting, Chuckanut Brewery, and Garden Path Fermentation!

Skagit Valley Malting (SVM) is the region’s only small-batch custom malting operation. The malts produced here provide the basis of award-winning ales for iconic PNW breweries such as Garden Path Fermentation, Fremont Brewery, and Pike Brewing in Seattle. After taking a behind-the-scenes tour at SVM and Chuckanut brewery, we will visit Garden Path Fermentation, a hyper-local brewery that specializes in regional ingredients, native yeast, and barrel-aged ales. Here we will enjoy a locally prepared picnic-style lunch and learn what makes brewing with native yeast and local ingredients so special.

After exploring this unique industrial park and filling our minds with a deeper appreciation for both the art of craft brewing and the many partnerships needed to make this iconic industry possible, we will hop back on our bikes for a relaxed thirty-minute ride to Tulip Town, one of the region’s premier commercial tulip farms. There we will have a two-hour pass to explore this spectacular farm during what is expected to be the peak bloom of the season.

We will finish the day with an easy half-hour ride to your hotel at La Conner Channel Lodge, right on the waterfront. The evening is free to enjoy on your own. For Dinner, there are several exquisite options just a few minutes walk in either direction from the hotel.

Day Two: Sunday

Begin the day by soaking in the view of the Swinomish Channel right from your balcony and enjoy a continental breakfast featuring fresh local ingredients at La Conner Channel Lodge. At 9:45 am, the group will meet outside the hotel for a short walk to the Museum of Northwest Art, where we can enjoy a private tour of one of the best collections of northwest art, learn about the NW School and explore how our NW environment has inspired artists, writers and craftspeople alike.

After this enriching and inspiring experience, we will hop on our bikes and begin a leisurely ride north. We will traverse along Padilla Bay and stop to visit select galleries along the way to meet a few of the many talented and inspired craftspeople who call this region home. Back in Edison, not far from where we began, we will enjoy a delicious wood-fired pizza lunch at Terramar Brewstillery. While we wait for our food, we will receive an introduction to distillation from local staff and complete our journey from seed to spirits!

After a relaxed outdoor lunch overlooking the water, we will ride just five minutes back to Samish Bay Cheese, where we will arrive by 3:00 pm. There we can say farewell to our new friends before parting ways.

For information on additional opportunities during your visit to the Skagit Valley, check out Visit Skagit Valley.

Meals

We are committed to supporting our local community – food for our programs is sourced from local providers and sustainable producers.

Light snacks and refreshments are always on hand, just ask your friendly guide if you are hungry or run out of water.

Please let us know if you have any dietary restrictions on your registration and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Day One
Lunch

A pre-packaged picnic lunch for the program is included and will be prepared fresh to order on the day of the program by local licensed food providers. After program registration and 30 days before the trip start date, participants will receive a menu from which to select food preferences for meals.

Dinner
Saturday evening is free to enjoy on your own. You will be able to choose from one of several gourmet dining options within a few minute’s walk from your hotel.

Day Two

Breakfast
A delightful continental breakfast featuring fresh local ingredients is included at the La Conner Channel Lodge, where guests can start their day with serene views directly over the water.

Lunch
A delicious wood-fired pizza lunch featuring locally sourced ingredients is provided by Terramar Brewstillery. Located on a historic property in the beautiful Pacific Northwest where land (Terra) meets sea (Mar), Terramar Brewstillery is a brewery & distillery that focuses on sourcing hyper-local ingredients to craft beer & spirits with a sense of place. We could think of no better place to learn about craft distillation and enjoy a delicious lunch than with our good friends at Terramar Brewstillery.

Lodging

Channel Lodge, directly on the waterfront in downtown La Conner, WA. La Conner’s only waterfront hotel boasts Northwest styling, water views and has an ideal location for relaxation and fine dining. Here you can take in the beauty of the Swinomish Channel while relaxing in this truly memorable town and unforgettable accommodations.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE DETAILS AND RESERVATIONS

New Garden Path Fermentation Beer Release

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Garden Path Fermentation announces the release of their newest beer, The Subtle Blend Cherries, a native yeast ale refermented on multiple varietals of Skagit Valley cherries harvested from the Washington State University research orchards in Mount Vernon, and bottle conditioned with local fireweed honey.

A truly balanced product, this beer’s light fruit notes play delicately overtop a dry, carefully blended base, finishing with a touch of juicy tartness and a lingering hint of almonds and baking spice. The Subtle Blend Cherries will be available for sale at Garden Path’s taproom beginning Friday, March 5 as well as throughout the region and beyond.

Please visit their online store for local pickup, regional delivery, and in-state shipping or email us to inquire about availability in your area.

Garden Path Fermentation

 

Good Beer, it’s in the Water

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Beer is 95% water, and here in the Skagit Valley, our breweries have been able to thrive thanks to reliable access to good-tasting, clean water.

“You may assume water is just water,” said Kevin Tate, community relations manager for Skagit Public Utility District, “but the quality of water used in brewing beer will make a big difference in the final product.”

judy reservoir

Distinct styles of beer require different types of water to create the desired taste and flavoring. The same recipe using another water source can produce a drastically different beer. Brewers need to know what’s exactly in their water because there are so many variables. Hard water, high in calcium and magnesium, can lead to an intensely hoppy flavor, while water with chloride in it is great for those malty porters and stouts.

In other parts of the country, breweries may choose to invest in filtration systems to strip everything out of their water before adding back in desired minerals. However, here in the Skagit Valley, brewers can pull their water straight out of the tap.

gilligan creek rapids

“Skagit PUD maintains a profile that is a good starting point for brewers,” Tate said. “Skagit PUD has relatively soft water, which makes it an excellent base to create certain beers.”

Tate says Skagit PUD regularly communicates to its customers about water quality. Because the source is surface water, seasonal changes can dramatically affect pH and alkalinity and require the PUD to adjust its water treatment process.

“Skagit PUD helps support the Valley’s beer industry by providing area brewers with a chemistry report to look at the water’s exact chemical composition,” Tate said. “It’s a way for brewers to know whether they’re getting a consistent profile. Consistency is one of the biggest things they need.”

To ensure long-term reliability, Skagit PUD is investing $160 million over the next 10 years in infrastructure to aid in efficiency, conservation, and maintaining water quality. The investment is good news for brewers since it takes 3 to 7 gallons of water to brew a single gallon of beer. That’s not including the gallons of water needed to keep equipment clean and sanitary during and after the brewing process.

“Sound infrastructure ensures that we deliver water safely and dependably while saving water by reducing leaks,” Tate explained. “Communities can grow when a public water system has the water resources and infrastructure to deliver a reliable supply of clean, safe water.”

Skagit PUD encourages local breweries also to keep conservation in mind. Keeping track of water usage to see where they can conserve and ensure no accidental water loss due to a rogue leaky valve. It’s all to keep Skagit’s water clean, reliable, and beer-friendly for years to come.

“Great water makes great beer,” Tate said. “We are excited that the brewing industry is growing here in the Valley and that Skagit PUD’s water can play an essential role in its success.”

New Garden Path Fermentation Beer Release

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Garden Path Fermentation announces the release of their newest edition of Ron’s Not Bitter, a native yeast fermentation take on a classic UK-style bitter.

This flavorful ale was brewed with roasted unmalted rye, hopped with PNW Fuggle and Golding, and keg and bottle conditioned with local blackberry honey. Light in body and alcohol at 4.3% ABV with a delicate but pronounced malt focus, Ron’s Not Bitter is equally great as an accompaniment to a nice meal or just as a refreshing afternoon treat.

This second edition bottle will be available for sale at Garden Path’s taproom beginning Friday, February 19 as well as throughout the region and beyond. You can visit the online store at http://shop.gardenpathwa.com for local pickup, regional delivery, and in-state shipping or email to inquire about availability in your area.

Garden Path Fermentation Release

Skagit Farm to Pint FEST ROADSHOW!

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We know Skagit Farm to Pint FEST and Skagit Beer Week is something that we all look forward to every year, but we also know that things look a little bit different this year. For us, community safety and well-being are at the top of our priority list. So, we’ve decided to change things up. Skagit Farm to Pint heart and soul, the craft and the community, will remain unchanged.

CLICK HERE FOR TICKETS:  Skagit Farm to Pint FEST Roadshow.

BEER & BITE

Here’s what we’re doing this year. You, the craft beer supporter and participant, can purchase a ticket, which includes the FEST GUIDE. The guide has a stamp area for each of the Skagit Breweries where you will receive a Sample Beer made with Skagit Valley Malt and a paired bite which will include a local ingredient. For some of the breweries, your paired bite will be included in your FEST Swag Bag. You will have the month of April to visit each brewery for your beer and bite experience.

OVER $1,000 IN PRIZES

Your FEST Guide will also include a scavenger hunt checklist to complete to enter to win over $1,000 in prizes. During April, you will use your FEST Guide to visit our local breweries and other locations to fill out your checklist and to show social media support for our breweries and all of our amazing sponsors.  At the end of April, you will turn in your scavenger hunt checklist, and we will be drawing names for prize giveaways, including the grand prize kegerator, a Yeti cooler, swag, and gift cards!

LIVE STREAM CONCERT

We will also have a live stream concert from the Lincoln Theatre on April 3rd to support our local musicians and kick-off the FEST’s start by awarding lots of great prizes!  The first band to announce is The Enthusiasts! A local Skagit Valley band naturally.  The Enthusiasts will be playing original music and covers they wish they wrote!

CRAFT BEER COMMUNITY

In the end, we want to show our local breweries the love and support they deserve. We are hoping to rally our craft beer community around them. We wish things looked a little bit different this year, but we’re so grateful to be a part of a supporting and caring community during these trying times.

2020: The Year of the Pivot for Skagit Valley Malting

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by Skagit Valley Malting

2020 will be remembered by many as the year of the pivot. As challenges presented themselves, we adapted, pivoted, and overcame. We went into the year with high hopes of smashing our numbers from our 2019 Year-End and ended the year with new ideas and strategies to continue to support our customers, growers, and goals.

2020 Accomplishments

  • Announced our Salmon-Safe Malt Program with the addition of two of our growers getting Salmon-Safe certification
  • Launched our Webstore to offer products direct to homebrewers, including 5lbs bags that better fit their way of purchasing
  • Built out a Gluten-Free product line by retrofitting a machine to handle Millet and standardizing our SOP to hit numbers for FDA approval
  • Donated 43,390lbs of malt to be made into hand sanitizer
  • Donated Oregon-grown Wintmalt Pale to be used in beers benefitting the Oregon Brewers Guild
  • Sponsored Washington Pint Day to support the Washington Brewers Guild
  • Pushed towards deeper ties with the Craft Malt Guild with 8 customers joining the guild and becoming Craft Malt Certified
  • Further developed our Talisman Barley line by adding True British Ale
  • Collaborated with 20 breweries in San Diego to launch and build our footprint in the market
  • Created and developed staff sensory training to increase base knowledge during state-mandated lockdowns
  • Learned the ins and outs of Instagram Live while shipping over 500 sample bags of Smoked and Peated malt to build a unique experience with our friends at Westland Distilling

While no one knows what 2021 will bring, we are confident that the lessons we learned this year, the new products and lines we were able to build, will offer us a strong year and provide more value to our customers.

We also have some incredible projects that we can’t quite announce yet, but they include new varieties, grains, and collaborations! Let’s do this 2021!

Skagit Farm to Pint Ale Trail – Our Breweries are Open!

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Anacortes Brewery

Explore Skagit Valley’s wide-open spaces from snowshoeing in the North Cascades to kayaking at Bowman Bay and supporting our breweries on the way!  We have touched base with each of our great Skagit Valley breweries to guide you through the Ale Trail.  With vaccines already starting, we are wishing you all good health and cheer as we are in the last stretch.  Be kind, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and drink beer!

Anacortes Brewery

Anacortes Brewery and the Rockfish Grill is offering food, beer in cans and growlers, wine bottles, and cocktails to go with curbside delivery right in front of the Rockfish Grill.  You can order by phone or online.  20% off all keg orders.  Purchase a gift card and get a 10% bonus.  Family Meal Deals to-go available every day!
Outdoor Seating:  YES – Outdoor dining is in the covered, heated, and lighted beer garden with projection screen TV.
360-588-1720 | Order Here

Bastion Brewing Outdoor Seating

Bastion Brewing Co.

Bastion Brewing Company is open for in-person ordering/pickup and outdoor dining.  Every day barbecue open until sold out.  Wednesday is all ages trivia @6 (in-house & online).  Friday is 50% off kids’ meals.
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-399-1614 (phone or online orders will not be available during heavy in-house patronage)

 

Birdsview Brewing

Birdsview beer garden is open with heaters and take-out services. A family-friendly outside area is available. Call-in orders or order online. Hours remaining the same: Tuesday-Thursday 12-7, Friday/Sat 12-8, Sunday 12-7.
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-826-3406 | Order Here

Cardinal Craft Brewing Academy

Cardinal Craft is offering crowlers of student-produced brews, gift cards, and logo merchandise.  Pre-order online for contactless curbside pickups every Thursday from 3-7.
Outdoor Seating: no
Order Here

Chuckanut Brewery

Chuckanut Brewery has a covered heated pavilion outside with lots of room for social distancing. Open Wed-Thur 3-6 and Fri-Sun 1-6. Bottles of Chuckanut in many varieties, fill growlers and 1/6 bbl and ½ bbls kegs too! Curbside pickup –call ahead!
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-752-3377 (option #2 to place your beer, growler, or keg order to be ready for pick-up)

District Brewing

District Brewing has pizza available via online ordering or by calling the brewery. Take & Bake options available—Crowlers and beer to go.
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-873-6714 | Order Here

Farmstrong Brewing

Farmstrong Brewing hours: Mon/Tuesday closed, Wed-Thurs 12-6; Fri-Sat 12-8 and Sunday 12-6.  To-Go Food, Beer, and outdoor dining featuring Rooted Kitchen Food Truck.
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-873-8852 | Order Here

Garden Path Fermentation

Garden Path Fermentation

Garden Path Fermentation bottle shop open. New tabletop heaters in the outside patio area. Garden Path now offers in-state shipping and provides local and regional deliveries of their products and everything in the bottle shop.
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-503-8956

La Conner Brewing

La Conner Brewing is open for take-out and limited outdoor seating. Thursday/Monday 3-7, Friday/Sat/Sunday 12-7. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-466-1415

Northsound Brewing

Northsound has beer to-go and outdoor seating areas with a fire pit. Cans, growlers, or kegs to go. Curbside service is also available –call ahead. A new Hazy IPA is back on tap!
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-982-2057

Temperate Habits Brewing

Temperate Habits is open Wed/Thu 3-8 and Fri-Sun 12-8. Come on in and try their Gluwein made from scratch!  Enjoy this hot spiced wine on the patio and keep yourself warm on these wintry nights.  Offering pickup and delivery options.
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-399-7740 | Order Here

Terramar Brewing & Distilling

Terramar Brewing & Distilling

Terramar is open for outdoor covered fireside dining, curbside pickup & delivery Wed-Mon 12-7. House-crafted beer, cider, soda, spirits, cocktails and wood-fired pizza. Check out the “ORDER TAKEOUT” tab on their website for takeout menu package deals, bottled wine, cocktails to go, keg orders & 32 Oz crowlers. Visit our online “SHOP” tab for merch and gift cards. The first bottles of our Skagit Valley grown and malted single-malt whiskey, vodka, and gin will be available on Dec. 19. Check the website for any updates. terramarcraft.com
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-399-6222 | Order Here

192 Brewing

192 Brewing is offering curbside pickup for food to go along with growlers of beer and cider.  Outdoor dining with big screen TV and heaters.
Outdoor Seating: YES
360-424-2337

 

 

Chuckanut Brewery Wins 3 Medals at GABF 2020

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The Great American Beer Festival just announced that Chuckanut Brewery has won 3 medals for their lager beers in 2020. The virtual festival this year had over 8,800 beers entered and awarded 272 medals to 240 breweries across the country for the best beers in 91 categories covering 170 different styles of beers. “This year’s GABF competition may have looked a little different, but the beers entered into the competition were as impressive and innovative as ever,” said Chris Swersey, competition manager, Great American Beer Festival. “This has arguably been one of the most challenging years breweries have ever faced, so we hope these awards serve as a symbol not only of brewing excellence but also the resiliency of the craft brewing community as a whole.” . There were 115 judges from 21 states judging an average number of 97 beer per category! There were only four breweries who won three or more medals in the competition and Chuckanut was among them!

Chuckanut won Gold for it’s Maibock, a rich, higher ABV lager beer aged more than 3 months. This beer has won multiple medals from WA Beer Awards and North American Beer Awards but this is the first time it was entered in the GABF. Chuckanut’s spring Maibock is deep golden, rich and malty with a full body and easy finish. The new Chuck Light, 103 calories per 12 oz pour, is light and refreshing and it won a Silver medal this year. It’s sessionable toasty, lightly malty flavor is flavorful and surprisingly satisfying even with its low ABV. Chuckanut Rye Lager is a medium body, amber lager with a spicy finish due to the use of Rye malt. This northern inspired lager won Bronze at the GABF 2020 but has won multiple awards at the WA Beer Awards and the North American Beer Awards in the past. Chuckanut is happy to see all these beers recognized in the largest craft beer competition in the world!