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 the 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! The beneficiary of the funds raised is Viva Farms, dedicated
to sustainable farming through education and support of local farmers. Check
out Viva Farms here. We always love to support a great cause!
Our
twenty-first wedding anniversary was April 1, 2021, so I planned a little
getaway, an hour south of home, to Mount Vernon. We headed down the morning of
the 1st, and popped over to the Burlington Visitor Center to pick up our swag
bag and Skagit Farm to Pint "Fest Guide" - trivia scavenger hunt on
one side, and brewery guide/passport on the other. After meeting Miss Daisy
Berry at the visitor center (and answering that trivia question!), we checked
Yelp! and headed down the street to The Fairhaven. Knowing we shouldn't start
day drinking on an empty stomach, we ordered a Jerk Chicken Sandwich and a
Philly Cheesesteak (both delicious!) and had a little planning session.
Thirteen
breweries. Three days. No problem!
Day 1
Our first official stop on the Skagit Farm to Pint Roadshow was Farmstrong. The
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 our scavenger hunt. While at Farmstrong, we also had to try
their award-winning Blackberry Tango cider. Delicious! 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 their indoor and outdoor spaces since last we visited. We enjoyed a dark
cherry wheat ale, paired with a mixed berry tart, in a room with a fireplace
and lots of natural light.
The next three stops on Day 1 were
in a nice tight cluster by the Skagit Regional Airport. 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 like this variety of brew, both of us truly enjoyed their
Easygoing Drink "Skagitonian grisette" paired with a savory herbed
cookie from Water Tank Bakery.
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 passports, six to go. A successful first day!
Day 2
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 social
distancing. #comeforthetulipsstayforthebeer
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 LaConner 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 op at Nasty Jack's - what a great antique emporium!
From LaConner, 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 The Rockfish Grill for
some amazing vegetarian chili and a trifecta of Pint 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.
Dinner time was upon us, so we walked over to The Old Edison
for delicious fried oysters...and BEER! We look forward to enjoying live music
there again in the near future!
Having lingered a bit too long over dinner, 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
For our "most important meal of the day," we chose
Billy's in Burlington. We knew what we wanted before we walked in the door -
cinnamon roll French toast!!! So tasty!
From Billy's, we headed east on Highway
20 to Concrete. It was a perfect day for a riverside walk 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.
In addition to local food and beer, we also love college
basketball. The NCAA Final Four was being played that afternoon, so we scouted
out nearby sports bars on Yelp! and found Gentlemen Gene's Pub & Eatery.
(No, that's not a typo. It really is M-E-N.) We watched Baylor beat Houston
over a Reuben and some Fish & Chips and a couple of... BEERS!
From Gene's, 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 the Riverclay
Apartment and turned in for the night. We slept great, with a sense of
accomplishment and gratitude.
Done and Done.
We had to make one last stop on our way home Sunday
morning... Cocina Sabores!! This little gem is one of our favorite spots for
breakfast. We both had Nopalitos - eggs scrambled with chorizo and onions,
served with refried beans and fresh tortillas, along with strong coffee - just
what I needed!
What a great time we had, and all within an hour of home!
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 an organic
rutabaga?
Already looking forward to next year! Cheers!
Comments
Post a Comment