Local breweries earn accolades at the World Beer Cup, brewers collaborate for Beer Prom and beer garden/block party season kicks off with Ski to Sea. Plus, Atwood Farm Brewery finally brews an IPA. Happy May!
World Beer Cup wins
Whatcom and Skagit breweries brought home big wins earlier this month from the World Beer Cup. Wander Brewing earned Gold for Wander Litely and Silver for Correspondent Stout — all the more reason to celebrate its eighth anniversary this month. Kulshan Brewing earned Silver for Transporter, and Chuckanut Brewery earned Bronze for Bohemian-style Pilsner.
Established in 1996, the World Beer Cup is the “Olympics of beer” — medaling in this prestigious competition means beating out thousands of global entries. This year, 10,542 beers were entered from 2,493 breweries in 57 countries. I think it’s safe to say that we have some world-class brewers in Cascadia.
Beer industry professionals from across the globe (including many from Bellingham) traveled to Minneapolis, Minnesota during the first week of May for the Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) and World Beer Cup awards announcement. Staff from Wander and Kulshan were in attendance at CBC, where they received their awards in-person. Congrats to all of the winners!
Last call for Beer Prom
Beer Prom, the third annual event benefitting Lydia Place, takes place Saturday, May 21 at the Hotel Leo Crystal Ballroom. This hybrid beer fest and ’70s-themed dance party pairs up 15 Washington breweries, resulting in seven unique collaboration brews. So far, Boundary Bay and Kulshan Brewing have teamed up to create Super Seniors Cold IPA for the event. You’ll have to attend Beer Prom yourself to see what else is on tap.
More than just a reason to dress up, drink and dance, Beer Prom is a fundraiser to fight homelessness in our community. Proceeds from Beer Prom will be used to support housing, parent education, mental health counseling and rental subsidies that impact more than 250 households at any given time. Tickets ($25) are available at lydiaplace.org.
Block parties and beer gardens
Ski to Sea, held during Memorial Day Weekend, is fast approaching. Festivities for the annual multi-sport race kick off Friday, May 27 with the official Ski to Sea Block Party at Boundary Bay Brewery. Beer garden doors open at 4 p.m. followed by live music from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Funkways, Hot Damn Scandal and Elk will perform at the free, all-ages event. Boundary Bay brews a special batch of Race Day IPA for Ski to Sea each year.
Separately, Stones Throw Brewery in Fairhaven will throw its own block party on Saturday, May 28 from noon to 9 p.m. Though Stones Throw’s party is not officially affiliated with Ski to Sea, it’s no less of an occasion. Babycakes and Badd Dog Blues Society will bring the tunes at this free, family-friendly block party. A portion of all Stones Throw block party beer sales will be donated to Vamos Outdoors Project.
On Ski to Sea race day (Sunday, May 29), Boundary Bay Brewery will host a beer garden at the finish line. Head down to Marine Park in Fairhaven to watch kayakers finish the race. In addition to Race Day IPA, Boundary Bay will offer a pale ale, blonde and scotch on tap. Cider and wine will be available, too. At 5 p.m., the Ski to Sea award ceremony will be held at Marine Park.
Atwood Farm Brewery recently released its first IPA, Denial. The Farmhouse Session IPA will be followed by four more IPAs inspired by the five stages of grief, including Anger, Depression, Bargaining and Acceptance. (Photo courtesy of Atwood Farm Brewery)
Atwood Farm Brewery launches IPA series
Several years ago, Atwood Farm Brewery founder and brewer Josh Smith told me that he’d never brew an IPA at his brewery. This made sense at the time. Brewing in a barn, on his family farm in Blaine, Smith was making farmhouse saisons, sours and even an oyster stout. With such a unique and experimental lineup, why add yet another IPA to the oversaturated market? Well, times change, and Smith is rolling with the punches.
“Change and adaptation is a part of being alive, and part of running a business,” Smith said in a recent press release. “My livelihood is derived primarily from selling beer, and IPAs are the most popular styles of craft beer.”
Going all-in on these claims, Smith will be brewing not one, but five IPAs over the next several months. Atwood Farm Brewery will release IPAs inspired by each of the five stages of grief: Denial, Anger, Depression, Bargaining and Acceptance. The first, Denial, is a Farmhouse Session IPA brewed with Skagit Valley Malt, local hops from Bredenhof Hop Farms in Chilliwack, British Columbia, and “a smattering of modern German hops varieties for particular fruity effects.”
Denial is currently available in cans and on draft at select locations. Use Atwood Farm Brewery’s beer finder on their website to locate some, or place an online order for “barnside” pickup, available from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. most Saturdays.
Brandon Fralic’s Drink Cascadia column runs every other Wednesday. Reach him at drinkcascadia@gmail.com.
