June is here, and summer beers abound. Sip your way across Cascadia, from Birch Bay to the San Juan Islands. Celebrate Aslan Brewing’s anniversary and sample new Skagit Valley brews at Cardinal Craft Brewing.
Beach Cat Blinx wins Beer Prom
Quick update on Beer Prom: the sold-out event was a success, raising more than $10,000 for Lydia Place. Cheers to all who showed up and boogied down.
Beach Cat Brewing and Logan Brewing (from Burien) teamed up to create the people’s choice award-winning Blinx Blackberry & Lavender Gose sour ale for Beer Prom. I recently had a chance to try the ruby-red, 4.7% alcohol-by-volume brew on tap at Beach Cat. An easy-drinking, not-too-sour sunny day sipper, Blinx was also available in slushie form. Though the limited release will likely be long gone by the time you read this, Beach Cat’s slushies (including non-alcoholic and cider versions) will be an excellent way to cool down at the beach this summer.
Y’vari Wooten dances to GrooveBot’s cover of “Juice” by Lizzo at ’70s Beer Prom in the ballroom at the Hotel Leo on May 21. The event featured 13 breweries and benefitted Lydia Place. (Hailey Hoffman/Cascadia Daily News)
A taste of the San Juans
For more sunny day sipping around the region, might I suggest some island hopping? After spending a single day tasting post-hike beers and spirits on Orcas Island, I’m ready to pack my belongings and spend all summer on island time.
First stop: Orcas Island Distillery. For a $15 tasting fee (waived if you purchase a bottle) we sipped brandy made from island-grown heirloom apples, along with single malt whiskey and genever gin made with Skagit Valley grains. While the quaint tasting room isn’t big enough for seating, it was well worth visiting for an award-winning taste of the islands. Centrally located in Eastsound, Orcas Island Distillery is open from noon to 4 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.
In Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Brewery crafts lagers and ales in a lofty, modern brewpub space. With a full food menu featuring Wood Stone pizza, this is your best bet for families and groups on the islands. (Photo by Brandon Fralic)
Just 1 mile from the distillery, Island Hoppin’ Brewery offers plenty of seating in a laid-back, family-friendly environment. We relaxed in the outdoor beer garden while enjoying an 8-ounce pour of Feel the Bern Chili Blonde — an approachable chili pepper beer with some satisfying heat on the back end. Island Hoppin’ is open from noon to 7 p.m. daily, offering a selection of appetizers and seven beers (plus a guest cider) on tap.
In Friday Harbor, San Juan Island Brewery crafts lagers and ales in a lofty, modern brewpub space. With a full food menu featuring Wood Stone pizza, this is your best bet for families and groups on the islands. Most of the brews are “highly sessionable,” meaning they are lower in alcohol content so you can enjoy more than one. San Juan Island Brewery is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Wednesday through Monday.
Aslan celebrates eight years
Aslan Brewing will celebrate its eight-year anniversary on Saturday, June 4 at both Bellingham locations. Patio games will be available all day at the brewpub, plus you can participate in a petting zoo, body painting and face glitter activities from 1–3 p.m.
Just one block away, Aslan Depot will serve up Disco Lemonade Berliner Weisse and Juneshine (hard kombucha) slushies all day. Live music kicks off at 2:30 p.m. at the Depot, with several artists lined up including Chong the Nomad and DJ KraymerGDot.
Aslan Brewing will celebrate its eight-year anniversary on Saturday, June 4 at both Bellingham locations. Live music, patio games, a petting zoo, body painting and more will take place throughout the day. Celebrate with a pint of the brewery’s iconic Batch 15 IPA, or break out a barrel-aged bottle for the occasion. (Photo by Brandon Fralic)
The original Aslan brewpub opened in downtown Bellingham in spring 2014, just a couple of weeks after Wander Brewing. Aslan opened its second location, Aslan Depot, in 2018, and in 2019 a third location opened in Seattle.
Known for its organic beer, Aslan is now among Bellingham’s largest and most-loved breweries. Celebrate with a pint of the brewery’s iconic Batch 15 IPA, or break out a barrel-aged bottle for the occasion. I’ll be raising a glass of Floraison — Aslan’s lovely saison with rose hips and hibiscus. Cheers!
Recent releases
Cardinal Craft Brewing — the Skagit Valley College Brewing Academy — is ramping up its release schedule for the next several weeks. The first of six releases, a California Common Lager debuted at the end of May. Stop by the taproom to try a new beer every week in June. Offering beer on tap and to-go, Cardinal’s family-friendly taproom is open from 4–8 p.m. every Thursday.
Brandon Fralic’s Drink Cascadia column runs every other Wednesday. Reach him at drinkcascadia@gmail.com.
