If you go north, keep going north but then stop just before the Great White North, there’s a .01% chance you’re in Bellingham.
Bellingham, located roughly midway between the cities of Seattle and Vancouver (both known for their beer), is, unsurprisingly, an awesome place to drink beer. Just ask me! I did it. I hit up 4 breweries in less than 2 hours. Or was it 5 breweries…
In any case, there are plenty of reasons to stop in this fun town. When you plan your Big Beer Excursion and fly into Vancouver or Seattle, you’ll want to take the train from one to the other (thank me later). However, instead of sitting through the 5-hour ride without a break, stop in Bellingham (thank me later).
For the best beer you can get just shy of the border in this specific area of the country, check out these spots.
Places to Drink Beer in Bellingham, WA
When I went to Bellingham for the first time with a few friends, I demanded that we go to Structures Brewing before anything else. They had just put a Brut IPA on tap (back when they were new) and of course I had to drink it. I also tried a few other IPAs that they had since IPAs are what they’re known for. This place does not disappoint.
While at Structures we learned that breweries weren’t open very late on Friday nights, and our gauntlet began. The next stop was Wander Brewing, which was playing Blue Scholars and had a dope outdoor area (mind you, this was the summer). Great atmosphere, great beer.
After was Chuckanut Brewery, because there’s more to life than just IPAs. The Chuckanut Pilsner is immortal in my friend group, and the rest of their lagers are among the best you’ll find in the area. To round things out, we stopped at Aslan Brewing for a beer and dinner.
Pro Tip: No time to stop at Aslan in Bellingham? They’ve opened a location in Seattle!
And so went my 2 hour journey through Bellingham. I have to say, it was fun, and I’ll be doing it again soon.
Other Bellingham breweries that deserve love
Melvin Brewing (for their great distro cans)
Kulshan Brewing (for their up-and-coming brews)
Gruff Brewing Company (for their downtown location)
Beers To drink in Bellingham
No matter which style of beer you like, you can find it in Bellingham. Depending on your go-to style, here’s where you should go and what you should get:
Structures The Fuzz IPA
Chuckanut Pilsner
Aslan Dawn Patrol Pacific Ale
Wander Correspondent Stout
Been to Bellingham? Know Bellingham’s brew scene? Leave any huge omissions in the comments below!
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