Here are some shots of Beer Garden; The Home of the Best Open Bar in the West!

Thanks to Ricardo Alonzo for hooking up the best Open Bar ther is

This Post Shout Out Goes to Nicole; Happy Birthday Girl!; Lis, Jesus, Nelson & The One and Only Shabella!…enjoy!

The landlord of a town centre pub in Nantwich hopes to change his licence conditions so punters can use the rear beer garden for longer.

Mark Garrett, who runs the Union Vaults on High Street, has applied to vary his premises licence which currently states the beer garden must be closed after 11.30pm.

He wants it to remain open for as long as the pub is open – currently 1am on Friday and Saturday nights, and as late as 2am on Bank Holidays and Christmas Eve and Boxing Day.

The application is to allow customers to smoke outside in the beer garden while the premises remains open.

However, one nearby resident has objected to the plan, and environmental health officers have recommeded it be rejected because of the “public nuisance to neighbouring dwellings.”

The application is to be discussed at a Cheshire East Licensing Sub Committee meeting this Thursday November 26.

Last week, around here at least, it officially became a new season.  Our Beer Garden here at Boundary Bay Brewery closed up for winter when the hop vines were cut back and the tent was taken down.  Thankfully, saying goodbye to our beer garden season also means saying hello to Cabin Fever and to the beginning of the holidays.

Cabin Fever, our winter seasonal beer, was released at the beginning of November and has been on tap here at the brewery since.  Next week, on Wednesday November 25th, Cabin Fever will finally be available in our 22 oz. bottles too!  (And, luckily, our new 4-pack carriers for 22’s will be available then too!)  For those of us here in Bellingham, the appearance of Boundary’s Cabin Fever signals the opening of Mt. Baker (hopefully!) and the beginning of skiing/snowboarding season.  It conjures up memories of past winter nights being warmed by this big, hearty beer and the spicy stews or rich winter dishes this beer pairs so well with.  For me, it is a tradition…a ritual that I need to mark the coming of winter.

And, speaking of traditions, Thanksgiving is once again upon us.  We will be open on Thanksgiving from 10-2…for beer to go ONLY. There will be no food service or bar service available.  But, you can stop in and grab a few 22’s, a growler or even a couple kegs to grace your Thanksgiving feast.  Now THAT’S something to be thankful for!! On Friday, November 27th, we’ll reopen for business as usual and take part in Downtown Bellingham’s Shop Where Your Heart Is event.  Fight Black Friday madness and Buy Local instead.  Help make our community stronger and celebrate downtown with a week-long independent holiday extravaganza! This year’s event includes specials at participating businesses, live music, free refreshments and prizes to welcome you to the holiday season downtown! Visit www.DowntownBellingham.com for a list of participating businesses…including us.  During Shop Where Your Heart Is you can score 15% off our new 4 pack 22 oz. bottle carriers…with mix and match 22’s!

Our Christmas Brew-tique will be up and running and jam-packed with Boundary Bay goodies to satisfy your holiday gift shopping needs!  We’ve got lots of new stuff coming in like fleece jackets, winter hats and stickers for your bicycle.  Plus, all the old favorites you’ve come to love (like disc golf discs and bike jerseys)…and some new colors for our traditional hoodies and t-shirts too!  Starting Wednesday, November 25th, a personal shopper will be at your disposal between 4-8pm Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays and 12-8 pm on Saturdays  to help you stock up for the season!  But don’t worry, you’re not out of luck if those hours don’t work for you.  If you’re shopping during other hours, you can just take your bounty up to the bar to purchase it or shop online through our website.

Bring on the holidays…Boundary Bay Brewery is ready!

We hiked with friends to the coveted and hard-to-find tourist club, a German bier garden in the forest above Muir Woods, and enjoyed a few pitchers of Hoegarten and Paulaner and a game of Boggle while the sun set above the redwood trees. Good times indeed.

(courtesy soulardoktoberfest)

I wouldn’t mind if there was a beer garden on every block in New York. They preach big beers, community (tell me you haven’t clinked glasses with a complete stranger with those giant liter mugs), and most importantly, being outside. Good news is that someone noticed there aren’t enough of these establishments and decided it was their turn to put something up in a Borough not visited by Prince Akeem and Semmi*. There’s a new beer garden about to pop up at 64 Frost Street in Williamsburg. They’re just waiting on their certificate of occupancy and then they’re going to slap some picnic tables on some concrete and take your cash for cans of Tecate.**

*Arsenio played a bunch of characters in Coming to America, but my favorite character name (from IMDB) is “Extremely Ugly Girl.”

** I have no idea what their plans are and I guess I should hold out some hope that it’s more Bohemian Hall than Studio Squared.

It’s time for the 10th Annual Alpine Safety Awareness fundraiser!  This Saturday, in the Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden, for dinner (all you can eat fish tacos!), live music by Bentgrass and a silent auction/raffle from 5:30pm to 10pm. Pay attention all you winter sports lovers: this is a great opportunity to get some great deals on winter gear AND raise money for a cool organization at the same time. Plus, our winter seasonal beer Cabin Fever will be on tap so you can celebrate the coming of winter RIGHT!

The Alpine Safety Awareness Program (ASAP) is a community-based effort that uses local resources to teach alpine safety skills to children and adults throughout the Pacific Northwest. We aim to save lives and reduce injuries by proactively increasing alpine safety awareness. Since 1999, we have reached more than 30,000 students and adults through our programs. Our goal is to make safety a habit among all winter outdoor enthusiasts. The Alpine Safety Awareness Program was founded in Bellingham, Washington in 1999 by a local ski patroller after several preventable deaths occurred in the backcountry of the North Cascades mountains. The curriculum is based on the Canadian Avalanche Association and their Snow Smart program with the goal of saving lives by preventing future avoidable accidents from happening.

Bentgrass is a Bellingham string band that plays traditionals, originals and unusuals!  They play superb bluegrass loaded with quick-picking songs and energetic, fun original tunes and, somehow, the sound that Bent Grass achieves really brings you back to a time when things were a little slower and simpler.

Join us this Saturday for great local music and IN support of a wonderful local nonprofit organization founded right here in our own community! This is an all ages, family friendly event. Tickets $10.00 each, $30.00 for families. Dress warm (you’ll be in the beer garden)! If you can’t attend Saturday’s fundraiser, but would still like to help, donate here!

So despite running the risk of sounding like a “foodiot” (please see “Food For Thought” for details), I’ll tell you we started the night off at Olive Garden.  Jay had a random craving for the unlimited salad bowl and breadsticks, so the guys and I just succumbed and went back for a taste of suburbia (minus the price on the menu).

But we ended the night on a much less commercial note, at Bia, the latest in city beer gardens.  Think an easternized La Esquina meets Paradou.  Courtesy of Michael Bao, owner of the previously-blogged Baoguette and PhoSure, the store front is not unlike his other shops.  But for passage to the beer garden, much like La Esquina, one must wait before the steel-metal-latched door then pass through the kitchen and a beer bottle-lined walkway before entering the open garden in the back. 

On the menu is a list of a dozen or so Vietnamese beers and small plates.  Beers are ordered by six packs, but returnable if unfinished.  While we experienced the late-night version, Bia Garden has received recent press surrounding its unlimited beer brunch special.  It’s probably not ideal for someone looking for a full-fledged dinner, but a great compromise for a group with a flair for Oriental beers, looking for a relaxing drinking venue and a little snack on the side.

THIS Saturday, Oct. 24th!

This Saturday, October 24th, the Bellingham community is coming together to celebrate the International Day of Climate Action.  Transition Whatcom is joining up with RE-Sources for Sustainable Communities for this event in Bellingham WA, which is joining thousands of other cities on October 24 for an international day of climate action and we need your help.  Here’s what you can do:

Meet us at 1:00 in front of Boundary Bay Brewery for a group photo, an 80’s dance extravaganza and an 80’s-themed party in the Boundary Bay Beer Garden (1:30-4), with DJ Fundi and $3.50 pints.  Groups will be gathering in various locations around the city and marching to converge at the Farmers’ Market at 1pm. When we reach critical dance mass, the 80’s dance party in the Boundary Bay Beer Garden will commence!

Crank It Down! is Bellingham’s response to the call for participation in the International Day of Climate Action. This event is one of thousands around the world, calling for an aggressive carbon reduction plan to get the planet back to 350 ppm (parts per million). Since we haven’t seen that number since the 1980’s, Bellinghamsters are grabbing their leg warmers and hightops, ratting our bangs and puttin’ on the blue eye shadow.  So, put on your raddest and baddest 80’s garb, dance, see what local organizations and businesses are doing to reduce their carbon footprint and support the local community.

Groups from around the world are organizing similar creative events as they participate in the most widespread day of environmental action in the planet’s history. Every event will highlight the number 350–and people will gather at some point for a big group photo depicting that all important message. At 350.org, all the photos will be assembled for a gigantic, global, visual petition.

WORCESTER, Mass. — So, I spent most of August (and part of September) in Prague taking a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) course, then a couple more weeks seeing parts of Austria, Italy and Germany before flying back to Massachusetts. As you might imagine, that left little time for blogging — or, at times, even collecting my thoughts long enough to form a coherent sentence. Now that I’ve finally got a little time on my hands, here’s a few observations about life across the pond:

• No one there seems to be in any hurry. They don’t have to be. The trains, trams and buses run on time, they’re clean, they’re roomy and they take you wherever you have to go. Same thing with restaurants. You go in, order your food, eat, drink and stay as long as you like without anyone giving you the bum’s rush. What’s not to like?

• Regardless of the hour, I always felt safe in whatever city I was in. This wasn’t the case when I walked from where I’m staying now to the local library, which was about a mile or so away (mind you, this was during the middle of the afternoon.) I was accosted for money several times (like I have any to spare) and witnessed a few drug deals. I saw panhandlers and beggars in Europe, but they weren’t nearly as aggressive as those I’ve encountered here.

• Dogs are everywhere (and I do mean everywhere; in malls, restaurants, in buses and on trains — but their waste is not.) The dogs are very well-behaved, and so are their owners. Except for the occasional bark, the canines blend into the background so well you don’t even notice they’re there. One day, a couple brought their Weimaraner into a mall in Prague, told him to sit (which he did), tied his leash to a bench in the center of the aisle, then walked into a store for about 10 minutes. The dog sat there quietly and didn’t move or make any disruption when a couple of children walked up and petted him. I was amazed.

• More people — and not just the older folks — read newspapers, and they tend to read more than one paper to get different perspectives. They’re also keenly aware of U.S. news — and aren’t afraid to quiz Americans about current events. Granted, the European newspaper industry hasn’t experienced the same level of blood-letting that’s gone on in the States, but it was heartening to see people reading papers nonetheless. (Hmm, maybe I’ve been working on the wrong continent.)

• During the course of about six weeks, I ordered food in several countries using my broken Czech, Italian and German and always received what I had requested. For the most part, the food was great. (Note to the Czechs: If you’re going to serve pizza to Westerners, let it sit in the oven for about another five minutes — that’s what we call done. I’m sorry, but that doughy stuff just won’t cut it.) Anyway, during my first night back in the States, I stopped at a McDonald’s in Boston’s South Station (don’t even get me started on why Boston has two main train stations) and it took them three tries to get my order correct. Go figure.

• I’ve seen more obese people, particularly children, during one trip to the local Wal-Mart than I saw in six weeks in Europe. It seems to me that there’s just as much fatty food being dished out across the pond as there is here in the States, so I’m guessing the Euros do a much better job of exercising than we do. It probably helps that many cities there are so pedestrian-friendly; walking, hiking and riding bicycles seem as much a part of the culture as the car is here. I think they’re on to something.

• Speaking of culture, Prague served as my introduction to beer gardens. Later, in Germany, I met the real McCoys — some of which could hold up to 10,000 people. The concept is simple: folks bring their own food to what is essentially an outdoor restaurant and eat it there (or order food there); if you want to drink alcohol, however, you must buy it and consume it at the beer garden. Despite the large number of people and free-flowing amounts of booze, everyone was very well-behaved — even the younger crowd. (I don’t know what the drinking age is in any of the countries I visited, but it’s clearly below 21. From what I saw, there didn’t appear to be any open-container laws, either.) All the beer gardens were bigger than I expected; none were anywhere near as rowdy as I thought they’d be. Who knew?

What did I miss while I was gone? Family, friends, loved ones.

What didn’t I miss? Television. Driving. Being tethered to the world. Most days, I didn’t even carry my phone with me, much less use it. Hell, most of the time I didn’t even know what day it was — and that’s a feeling I really could get used to.

Like I said, I think the Europeans are on to something.

© 2009

Vellcome, Oktober.

Two huge, salty thumbs up for Wolff’s Biergarten in Albany.

[Murph ordering a pretzel and some mac and cheese.]

We plopped down at one of the two long stretches of tables, bellied up on a bench, and watched glass boots full of beer dance above heads in the crowd.

There were some dart games going on in the back, great music, and my father’s one main condition for a great bar: a floor covered in peanut shells.

Interestingly enough, the way to the ladies’ bathroom is by walking in front of the line of fire of the darts. Murph had solid clearance but I was wearing platform shoes and found myself checking my hair for stray darts while I was on the john.

[Shellin' nuts.]

I had a brat with sauerkraut and some mashed potatoes. Sadly, no boot of beer. That’s next time.

[Serious eats: Rob's meatloaf and cuc salad.]

[Typical Wodehouse table graffiti.]

[Aww.]

It’s a big, busy day today here at Boundary Bay Brewery!  We’re welcoming October in with two special menus.  Upstairs, in our bistro and taproom, you can Eat Local all day long.  We’re participating in Sustainable Connections‘ Eat Local Every Week program.  Eat Local Every Week is your chance to take an extra step—or ten—in eating local. There are major environmental, economic, and social benefits of buying food from local farms.  Doing so says you believe in the importance of keeping our farmland in agriculture and knowing that your dinner had a positive effect on the land, water, and people from whence it came.  In our global food system, it can be a big challenge to change our habits and eat local.  Eat Local Every Week is an opportunity to try it on, just once or twice a week for the growing season—to go a little further into our local foodshed than you’ve been before!

So join us today, here at Boundary Bay Brewery, and treat yourself to our special Eat Local Menu sure to please your tastebuds and your conscience!  For our appetizer (available all day), we’re serving Caprese Salad: heirloom tomatoes sliced and layered with fresh basil and house made ricotta cheese, served with garlic baguette toasts (tomatoes: Cloud Mountain Farms, ricotta: Breckenridge Dairy Milk, garlic: Red River Farms and bread: Breadfarm).  For lunch, you can grab an Oyster Po’Boy: breaded pan fried oysters served with mesclun greens and a sweet pepper remoulade on Parisian Rolls, served with choice of salad or roasted potatoes (oysters: Taylor Bay Shellfish, peppers: Cloud Mountain Farms, potatoes: Red River Farms, bread: Breadfarm and dairy: Breckenridge Dairy).  If you’re coming for dinner (only available after 5pm), you’ve got to make the tough choice between salmon or spaghetti with clams!  We’ve got Grilled Salmon with an Heirloom Tomato and Ground Cherry ‘Salsa’ with mashed Yukon Gold potatoes and Seasonal Veggies (salmon: Barleans, tomatoes: Cloud Mountain Farms, potatoes & veg: Red River Farms, cherries: Holistic Homestead Farms and dairy: Breckenridge Dairy).  Or try Spaghetti Vongole: Taylor Bay Manila Clams sautéed with garlic and tomatoes with a lightly spiced white wine broth over fresh pasta (clams: Barleans, tomatoes: Cloud Mountain Farms, garlic: Red River Farms and pasta: Bellingham Pasta Co.).

But that’s not all folks!  Nope, we’ve got even more special treats for you today here at the brewery.  Down in our beer garden, at 4pm, we’re kicking off our Oktoberfest celebration!  Not only do we have a FIRKIN keg of our Harvest Ale that’s been fresh hopped with hops from our very own beer garden, but our brewers decided this morning to pull out a keg of Dunklesbock to really make it a party!

We’re serving up a special Oktoberfest menu too.  We’ve got The Best of the Wurst: Your choice of Brat, Bock or Knockwurst served with sauerkraut and mustard on freshly made buns from Ralf’s Bavarian Pretzels.  Served with German potato salad.  Of for the vegetarians and vegans: Your choice of Tofurky Polish Kielbasa or Tofurky Beer Brat served with sauerkraut and mustard on freshly made buns from Ralf’s Bavarian Pretzels.  Served with potato chips.  And, if you’re not really in the mood for wurst, try our Ploughman’s Lunch: Ham, aged cheddar and Gruyere served with a freshly made bun from Ralf’s Bavarian Pretzels.  Served with pickled onions and German potato salad.

Courtesy of Teske’s Germania Restaurant & Beer Garden

255 N. 1st St.
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 292-0291
www.teskes-germania.com

Reminiscent of actual beer gardens in Germany, this restaurant has an outdoor seating area set up like a little garden where their waitresses with German accents serve you. If you come for dinner, there’s also live jazz playing some nights. As cute/romantic as it sounds, the ambience I got actually didn’t feel very cute or romantic as it would seem. However, that’s the point of german beer gardens. In Germany, beer gardens are more of a place for socializing and eating rather than a date place.

Before I begin my review of the food, I have to admit that the photos really don’t look that appetizing. Normally I don’t like to use flash for my photos because flash makes the photos come out less natural. Anyways, my friends and I came here in celebration of a birthday among us. Prices aren’t cheap at this place so if you’re not too hungry, sharing wouldn’t be too bad of an option. Just a warning though, to split an entree costs $10 extra dollars; sharing appetizers has no extra penalty.

What this restaurant is best known for are their sausages. Their Sausage Combo Platter comes with 4 different flavor sausages: Knackwurst, Polish, Bratwurst, and Bavarian Bratwurst. I wish I remembered which sausage was what in the photo, but that is just beyond me. All I can really remember is that the top sausage was spicy and the third one from the top looks and tastes like a hot dog. What I can do, is tell you a bit about what’s in each of these 4 types of sausages (according to various online sources). The Knackwurst, a.k.a. Garlic Sausage contains finely ground cuts of pork, veal, and beef and is highly seasoned with a garlic flavor. Polish sausages are almost always made with pork and seasoned with garlic and pepper. Similar to the Knackwurst, the Bratwurst is also made with a mixture of pork, veal, and beef meat. The spices used for seasoning can include caraway, coriander, cumin, ginger, and the such. Bavarian Bratwurst is made with only lean cuts of pork and seasoning. The sausages were all highly seasoned and very filling. Maybe I don’t appreciate this dish enough, but I felt that they were a bit salty for my personal preference.

Whew, that was a mouthful. I’ll try to keep the rest of this entry short. We also ordered the German Potato Pancakes appetizer served with applesauce. This dish just tastes like any ol’ fried mashed potatos, except with a slightly sour aftertaste. Another thing I was able to try was the Marinated Herring in Cream Sauce. Save your stomach; I wouldn’t recommend this dish. It could just be me, but I expect my cooked fish dishes to be hot dishes, not cold. So when I put it in my mouth, I was very surprised. I’m not a fan of this dish at all.

Teske’s final analysis? Honestly, I don’t think I would come back to this place. I’m not sure if it’s just because I don’t appreciate German food enough, but nothing I tried was memorable enough for the pricetag attached. I’d rather spend my money on mediocre food elsewhere.

スターホテル横浜のビアガーデンでいっぱい飲んで　絶景を見た

その日の風はけっこう強かった

それは　最後の歌

夏　さよなら

。

これは最後夏のことを記録した

これから　秋のことを記録している

。

。

。

＊＊＊＊＊

Finally.

I’m relatively sure everyone can remember what it was like to be a kid, waiting 365 WHOLE DAYS each year for Christmas morning to dawn with goodies and treats and fun aplenty. You TRIED to be patient, but during the weeks and hours leading up to the big day, you were a big jumbled mess of excitement and anticipation. Nothing could happen fast enough. Minutes seemed to drag out forever. Seconds lasted an eternity. It was torture.

And then, all of a sudden, it was upon you. The day that never disappointed, was always full of surprise and magic, and found you with a smile on your face for the duration. The VERY BEST day of the year.

At some point, we all grow up. Christmas is still pretty great (especially when there are kids around), but for me, at least as far as yearning for something to GET HERE ALREADY is concerned, Opening Day of the State Fair has surpassed all other days of the year. And when you think about it, this is perfectly reasonable, when you consider how many delightful, delicious, hilarious, exciting, see-it-to-believe-it things are contained inside ONE Fair Park in ONE three-week period.

Taste explosions, anarchic animal hijinks, psychological evaluation, sculpting with butter, cooking competitions, great Fair friends, dressing up livestock, public transportation, beer, Bavarian delights, fried stuff, more fried stuff, new fried stuff, old fried stuff, physical exertion — they all have their place at our State Fair. Now tell me, who WOULDN’T get excited about all of that?

Of course, the simple arrival of the Fair is reason enough itself to love Opening Day and to slide it into the #1 spot on my countdown, but there are very particular reasons why I think this day is the VERY BEST on which to attend the Fair. Things that make Opening Day the most special Fair Day of them all:

1. Everything is spotless. The Fairgrounds, the trashcans, the streets, even the animals — brushed, buffed, and polished shiny,  just waiting for the first visitors to tear through the gates.
2. New grease. That would be “fresh.” New grease makes all fried products taste good. 2-week-old grease has a certain, let’s say “quality” to it that is interesting as well, but nothing really beats fresh grease when you’re ingesting a truckload of fry.
3. The Glue-A-Shoe contest. It happens on no other day.
4. The Vendors are REALLY happy to see you. The purveyors of fine Fair food are a jolly bunch anyway, but on Opening Day, they’re really excited. They’ll watch you eat something new and then nervously ask, “what d’ya think?” They’ll hand over that first corny dog with a super-dramatic flourish and dump extra powdered sugar on whatever sweet fried thing requires it. It’s an energy thing — they haven’t had to survive ten elementary school Fair Days or the insanity of TX-OU weekend yet, so they’ve still got oodles.
5. The REALLY cool people are there. Those who love the Fair as much as I do make plans to be there on Opening Day. They travel to Dallas from places afar. They perform relentless machinations on their work schedule, put in extra hours at night or on the weekends and MAKE SURE that a half- or (better) whole day off from work and at the Fair is a possibility every year. Some employers just give in and make Opening Day a holiday. I’m a big fan of such decrees. Opening Day of the State Fair really is the most important national holiday of Texas.
6. Bragging Rights and Information. If you’ve gone to the State Fair on Opening Day, you have the exclusive privilege (and responsibility) of reporting back to friends, coworkers, etc. How does fried butter taste? Is Fried Birthday Cake as good as it sounds? How ’bout the Fried Yam? Was DART-ing to the Fair about 10,000 times easier than having to pay and park? Who had the winning entry in the Glue-A-Shoe contest? (me, perhaps?) Has Big Tex gained weight? Which new cars at the Auto Show were coolest? (Please don’t ask me this question. I never know the answer.)

It is, quite simply, the greatest day of the year. For me, attending tomorrow, for ANY amount of time, is a MUST. This countdown has made me so ridiculously hungry for all sorts of goodies that I can barely function. No “normal” food has tasted good to me for at least a week, and I’m sure it’s because I’ve been describing Fair food for a month.

I’m going to have to make a date with the State Fair Food Locator tonight to map out my “hit list” tomorrow. After I finish my Glue-A-Shoe, of course.

Christmas morning, folks. It’s here.

Photos by Clare , Nikki, and my parents.

Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro is pleased to be hosting a most excellent all ages hip hop show Saturday, September 26 @ 6pm in the beer garden with performances by Seattle rapper D.Black, local Bellingham rap group The Productionists and rap upstarts Fresh Ave.

D.Black has been a fixture in the burgeoning Seattle hip-hop for many years.  His parents were both members of pioneering northwest hip-hop groups The Emerald Street Boys and The Emerald Street Girls and at the age of 18 he was given part ownership of Seattle hip-hop label Sportn’ Life Records by his father.  D.Black’s performance at Boundary Bay Brewery will also mark the release of his new album Ali’Yah, his critically acclaimed sophomore effort.

The Productionists have been hard working members of the Bellingham hip-hop scene for a number of years.  Their performance at Boundary Bay Brewery will be the culmination of months of practice and preparation with a live band featuring members of SpaceBand and other special guests.

This is definitly a show you DO NOT want to miss!  The beer garden opens @ 4pm with a BBQ and $6 admission will be charged starting @ 6pm.

The Bellingham Bay Marathon is happening right outside our doors this Sunday! We’ll have the beer garden open during the day and our BBQ fired up for spectators and race participants. All ages are welcome. No cover.

The Bellingham Bay Marathon is a great way to experience the natural beauty of Bellingham Bay, San Juan Islands and the Interurban trail in Bellingham, WA. Enjoy what many runners have commented is “the most beautiful marathon in the Pacific Northwest.  Want to participate?  You’ve still got time to register! Online registration ends at 11:59 pm on Friday, September 25, 2009. You may register at packet pickup on Saturday, September 26, 2009 (Fox Hall 3985 Bennett Drive, Bellingham WA 98225.  11 am to 7 pm).

The full and half marathons start together on Railroad Ave in front of Market Depot in downtown Bellingham. The course runs through Bellingham, makes its way through neighborhoods and then along the waterfront.  Participants get to experience the South Bay Trail, Boulevard Park, panoramic views of Bellingham Bay and beautifully tree covered sections of the Interurban Trail. (click here for full course description and to download a pdf of the full course)

Awards are given to the overall top male and top female place in the Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K. In addition, the top male and top female in each 5-year age category in the Marathon and Half Marathon receives an award. Awards will be presented at the Boundary Bay Brewery – garden level, adjacent to the Start/Finish line, on Race Day.  5K and Half Marathon Awards at 2 pm, Marathon Awards at 3 pm and then live music by Cabin Fever band at 3:45 – 5:30.

The Boundary Bay Brewery garden level will be open during the day for spectators and race finishers. All ages are welcome. No cover. We’ll be serving up Salmon Burgers, Organic Beef Burgers, Veggie Burgers and Brats (all with fries) and our usual array of hand crafted beers!

Net proceeds from the marathon will benefit the Bellingham Bay Swim Team and the WFC Rangers soccer club. The Bellingham Bay Swim Team is a year-round, non-profit club that was founded in the fall of 1995.  This parent board-run club offers swimmers from all skill levels, novice to elite, the opportunity to improve themselves and their swimming through the continued development of advanced swimming technique and conditioning in the sport. Bellingham Bay Swim Team (BBST) is comprised of over 100 swimmers of all ages, abilities, and commitment levels. The team offers something for everyone, from beginning swimmers to highly skilled swimmers competing at the national level.  Whatcom Football Club (WFC) Rangers is the select soccer program in Whatcom County, situated in District One of the Washington State Youth Soccer Association.  WFC Rangers is a not for profit 501(3)c corporation governed by a volunteer Board of Directors who oversee a coaching and development staff of 50+ soccer professionals. Club membership is made up of 450 boy and girl soccer plays, playing on 28 teams in several leagues.

De frequente en niets ontgaande bezoeker heeft het intens gave Twitter boxje ergens rechts op deze blog al ontdekt en is het met bewondering gaan volgen! Voor de duizenden (misschien wel miljoenen) andere bezoekers: IK HEB EEN TWITTER ACCOUNT speciaal zodat jullie niets van mijn Schotse leven hoeven te missen. En ik kan de doelloze levens van bekende en onbekende bekende mensen volgen. Maar nu het verhaal van het eerste familielid dat op bezoek kwam, en Karel.

Terwijl het straatbeeld van ons Edinburgh zich met de dag vulde met meer en meer mensen kwamen Janneke en Karel gezellig mee de spits afbijten voor het komende festival spektakel. Nu heb ik in een eerder blog al vermeld wat voor shows we gezien hebben met dit toch wel dynamische duo dus om niet in de herhaling te vallen zal ik dat niet nog eens vertellen. Wat we nog wel hebben gedaan wat het vermelden waard was, zijn de bezoekjes aan de Beer Garden van de Beehive Inn. Het was namelijk weer heerlijk weer tijdens hun verblijf (en jawel ze hebben ook een regenbui mogen meemaken).

De traditionele tour door de stad werd extra bijzonder gemaakt door Karel de architect en zijn fascinatie voor de combinatie van oud en nieuw. We kwamen op onze tour ook langs het bekende parlementsgebouw, een gebouw dat overduidelijk nog voor de krediet crisis (is dat al voorbij ik heb al zeker een week niemand het woord horen gebruiken?) gebouwd was. Je mag er gratis naar binnen en dat is het voor de grote vergaderzaal ook wel de niet erg grote moeite waard. De buitenkant is niet helemaal mijn smaak maar toch imposant! Ik zag nu ook dat het dichtbij Artur’s Seat was. Onze grote makkelijk te beklimmen berg! Het avontuur leverde in ieder geval deze schattigheid op.

Een beetje poseren bij de berg. Die gruwelijke tent op de achtergrond, dat is Dynamic Earth en dat schijnt ernstig klote te zijn. Niet aan mij vragen om daar heen te gaan.

Janneke en Karel, die intussen volledige mountainbike freaks zijn, wilde ook hier een fiets ritje wagen. Helemaal mee eens dat wil ik ook wel eens zien, helaas werd ik knoer hard uitgelachen door de fiets verhuurder. Het was ontzettend druk die week en komende. Volgende keer plannen we dit vooruit! Een bezoek uit Nederland kan natuurlijk niet zonder een bezoek aan een pizza restaurant. Nu is er hier een keten dat zich Pizza Express noemt en die zie serieus overal in de stad. Het oogt wat sjieker dan de gemiddelde Pizza Hut (wat niet heel moeilijk is maar het ziet er echt goed uit). We wilden die Pizza Express dus wel even uitproberen en dat beviel erg goed!

Later volgde dus nog een leuke avond en dag vol met show spektakel, een zeer geslaagd bezoek en we zien ze wel weer terug met regenpakken en een mountainbike reservering!

Zeer binnenkort de langverwachte avonturen met de gebroeders van Ravesteijn!

Cheers!

Oct. 1st in the Boundary Bay Brewery beer garden

We’re gearing up for our own Oktoberfest celebration here at Boundary Bay Brewery and we were wondering how many other people out there loved this awesome beer celebration like we do?  As it turns out, lots and lots and LOTS of people give a hoot about Oktoberfest!

Oktoberfest is a sixteen-day festival held each year in Munich, Germany during late September (and running to early October.) It is one of the most famous events in Germany and the world’s largest fair, with some six million people attending every year.  The Munich Oktoberfest, traditionally, takes place during the sixteen days up to and including the first Sunday in October and is an important part of Bavarian culture.

The original “Oktoberfest” occurred in Munich, on October 18, 1810 and by 1960, the Oktoberfest had turned into an enormous world-famous festival.  Today, the idea of Oktoberfest has spread like wildfire – with festivals happening in Argentina, Colombia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and Palestinian territories (to name just a few!).  It’s even inspired fictional festivities…in World of Warcraft there is a “Brewfest” event that takes place in early October each year.  What can we say?  People know a good idea when they see one!

For our Boundary Bay Oktoberfest, we’ve planned festivities in our Beer Garden to celebrate craft beer.  It all kicks off at 4 pm on Thursday, October 1st when we’ll be tapping a very special Firkin Keg of Harvest Ale that has hops from our very own beer garden in it!  The Boundary Bay Harvest Ale is a red-orange beer with rich malty flavors. This is our Autumn seasonal beer that bears only a distant connection to the German “Oktoberfest” style from which it gets its inspiration.  Our take on the Oktoberfest style results in a  full bodied beer with maltiness as the predominate flavor…perfect for our cool fall evenings.  We’ll be serving up a special Oktoberfest menu too, so dust off your Lederhosen and get on down here.

This is the kind of celebration where families are welcome and costumes are encouraged.  To prove our point, here are a couple pics from last year’s Oktoberfest right here at Boundary Bay Brewery:

Join us on Thursday, October 1st for Oktoberfest…Boundary Bay Brewery style!  The show starts at 4pm with the tapping of the Firkin Keg.  Maybe you can be the one to shout out “O’zapft is” (Angezapft ist) or “It’s tapped!”, the cry that goes up every year when the Lord Mayor of Munich hammers a spigot into the very first keg of Oktoberfest beer.  See you there!  

If I had to guess as to the single factor in my genetic makeup contributing most heavily to my overwhelming love for the State Fair, I think it would have to be the fact that I have a father who grew up in Ennis, Texas and then decided to raise his own family there.

By way of explanation, Ennis (which is about 35 minutes south of the State Fair of Texas on I-45) is not only the Bluebonnet Capital of the World, but is also a town boasting a significant number of descendants of persons who originally hail from the nation formerly known as Czechoslovakia. Ennis is proud of its Czech heritage, and hosts an annual Polka Festival (over Memorial Day weekend) to prove it. At some point, this blog may devote itself to my 30 Favorite Things About the Ennis Polka Festival, but for now, let’s just say that the event features the following: LOTS of beer-drinking, quite a few fried products, dancing in the streets, accordions, funny clothes, kolaches, and (most importantly!) sausage-on-a-stick.

By now, you are no doubt grasping the similarities between the Polka Festival and the State Fair. I know for a fact that I have attended Polka Festivals from the age of 7 months forward, and that I may very possibly have visited while still enwombed — we’d have to get confirmation from my mom on that one. Regardless, I like to think of the Polka Festival as my State Fair-with-training-wheels.

Which is probably why Hans Mueller’s Beer Garden and Tent of Bavarian Delights (this is not the official name, but I believe it better describes all of the wonderful facets of the joint far better than simply “Hans Mueller Sausages”) remains one of my favorite haunts at the State Fair. Now, please understand — I am well aware that vast differences exist between Czech and German heritage. I would never EVER try to tell you that these are the same thing. I know better, I promise.

But the Beer Garden and Tent of Bavarian Delights is reminiscent of the Polka Festival in ALL the best ways (most especially in terms of the important presence of beer and sausage), while maintaining some distinct (and delicious) differences.

First of all, I would like to recognize the company involved in both these pursuits. Sunni and Clare have been my stalwart companions for many successive visits to both the Polka Festival AND Hans Mueller’s, and I think this is a truly important point of distinction. Mainly because I don’t know anyone who appreciates fine beer and sausage-on-a-stick more than the three of us do. Sunni and I have found that both of these items are particularly satisfying after Saturday morning marathon training. Yes, our regular long-run routine in the fall often includes a 15-20 mile run, followed by a fast-as-possible drive from White Rock Lake to the Fair (no showering allowed, which can be unsettling for anyone standing or sitting nearby — we try to maintain radius of at least 5 feet between ourselves and innocent bystanders  so as not to ruin the Fair for others), and a beeline to Hans Mueller’s for sausage, beer, and a seat at one of the long picnic tables. There are few better running recovery meals, in my opinion.

Hans Mueller’s also has the distinction of being THE PLACE to purchase your ginormous BBQ turkey leg at the Fair, should you have a hankering. It also a terrific spot to buy beer — you have your choice of the waxed cup variety, or, if you have more refined tastes, a menu of more authentic options that are served in bottles.

To be honest, though, Hans Mueller’s Beer Garden and Tent of Bavarian Delights is simply a great area to sit down, people watch, and enjoy fine food and drink. Nothing seems too rushed in the Beer Garden, which makes it perfect for long, involved storytelling. Last year, Sunni and Clare took full advantage of our Hans Mueller visit to recount all the beer-drinking-in-a-foreign-country hijinks they’d experienced during a recent trip with some of our other friends to Oktoberfest in Munich (the REAL Germany). It was the perfect setting for such a tale.

Finally, Hans Mueller’s Beer Garden and Tent of Bavarian Delights has the distinction of being the only area at the fair that displays person-sized replicas of their most famous food products. (Check out the photo at the top of this post for examples.)

I think the Fair may be the only place in the world where it is not only appropriate but downright awesome to hang from the ceiling a turbo-ginormous model of a food product already renowned for its sheer size.

Photo of Hans Mueller’s food product replicas by Clare.

Crossville, Tennessee Comes Alive for the Annual Oktoberfest
Authentic Bavarian music, genuine German Cuisine, dancing and a biergarten are among the numerous family fun that can be found at the Crossville, Tennessee annual Oktoberfest.
http://www.associatedcontent.comarticle/2163233/crossville_tennessee_comes_alive_for.html

Alright all you fans of Boundary Bay Brewery…get ready to clear your calendars for the end of THIS week.  You better just plan on moving in here at the brewery!  This Wednesday, September 16th, is the official 14th Birthday of Boundary Bay Brewery.  Some of you loyal fans have been right there along with us since we opened our doors in 1995 and we can’t even begin to explain to you how much that matters to us.

parking at Boundary Bay Brewery!

We’re celebrating our birthday on Thursday, September 17th down in the Beer Garden.  Come join us for free cake and ice cream during our Happy Hour (4-6 pm) and stick around for Happy Hour Music brought to you by Robert Sarazin Blake.  We chose to delay the celebration by one day so we could all celebrate this momentous occasion by raising a glass of this year’s very first Harvest Ale.  Making it’s debut as our Thursday Cask Ale this week, this Autumn seasonal ale comes once a year and is brewed in limited quantities so don’t miss this chance to taste this beautiful red-orange beer with rich malty flavors. This is our Autumn seasonal beer that bears only a distant connection to the German “Oktoberfest” style from which it gets its inspiration.  Our take on the Oktoberfest style results in a  full bodied beer with maltiness as the predominate flavor…perfect for our cool fall evenings.   Get here by 4 pm to get your first taste.  But, if you miss out on Thursday’s cask, it will be officially on tap here at the brewery Friday, September 18th.

movies in our Beer Garden

And speaking of Friday, the 18th…here’s what so many of you have been waiting all summer for!  It has been a summertime tradition for Boundary Bay and the Pickford Theater to join forces and show movies in the beer garden.  Sadly, this summer, it didn’t happen.  But, we just couldn’t let a whole summer go by without at least ONE movie in the garden.  And, if we can only show ONE movie…it’s gotta be The Big Lebowski!  Come dressed in costume if that’s your thing and bring blankets or pillows for comfy movie viewing.  The movie will start around 9 pm, but come early to score a sweet seat and grab some beer battered rockfish and chips from our Beer Garden grill to satisfy your munchies before the movie starts.  The grill – and our Garden Bar – will be open at 4 pm!

On Saturday, September 19th, if you’re still  looking for a little Boundary Bay Brewery action, you’ve got a couple options.  The Bellingham Traverse starts and ends right here at Boundary Bay Brewery so come get an eagle eye view of this area’s best racers!  All teams gather to finish the last leg together as they “trek” the last 1/2 mile to the finish line at the Depot Market Square and Boundary Bay Brewery where they are awarded a nice cold Traverse Ale.  Each year we brew the Traverse Red Ale and welcome the racers to the finish line with open arms right here at our brewery!  A generous amount of Vienna, Crystal, and Chocolate malts give this ale a big malty body with a deep ruby color.  The addition of Centennial, Mt. Hood, and Liberty hops provide a smooth refreshing finish, creating a perfect summer session beer to cool off with after a long “Traverse.”  The awards ceremony for the racers begins at 6 pm and then live music from The Special Purpose kicks off at 7pm!

September 19th is also, strangely, Talk Like A Pirate Day and you can be sure of a little pirate party here at the brewery to celebrate such a strange and silly holiday.  Costumes are welcome all day long and we’ll be sportin’ our pirate attire and talkin’ like a pirate whenever we can.  As the Traverse awards ceremony wraps up, our Pirate Party will be moving down into the beer garden with our own Master of Ceremonies (David Ney of Pirates R Us!) will be taking the stage at 9pm.  There will be a costume contest (with prizes!) and awards given for Best Pirate Joke and Best Pirate Haiku!