Given the region’s sprawling brewery scene, it’s no surprise that breweries across the North Sound won big at the 2024 Washington Beer Awards.
Twenty-eight beers from 12 breweries in Whatcom and Skagit counties, as well as the San Juan Islands, took home medals. Larrabee Lager Co. in Bellingham also won the prestigious designation of Small Brewery of the Year.
1,219 beers from 170 Washington breweries were entered into this year’s competition. Just 100 Washington breweries took home medals, with winning beers spanning 70 categories.
In addition to winning Small Brewery of the Year, Larrabee Lager Co. was recognized for three beers: Larrabee Original Lager (gold in light German-style lager category), White Duck (silver in German-style wheat beer category) and Keller Pils (kellerbier or zwickelbier category, bronze).
Kulshan Brewing Co. (Bellingham) had seven winning beers, whereas Farmstrong Brewing Co. (Mount Vernon), Stemma Brewing (Bellingham) and Beach Cat Brewing (Birch Bay) had three. Wander Brewing (Bellingham), San Juan Island Brewing Company (San Juan Island) and Chuckanut Brewery (Burlington) were awarded two medals apiece. Terramar Brewstillery (Bow), The North Fork Brewery (Deming), Boundary Bay Brewery (Bellingham) and Fringe Brewing (Ferndale) took home one.
The Washington Beer Awards is an annual craft beer competition that “allows all brewers to compete and raises awareness of Washington craft beer both within the state and on the national level.” Beers are judged in a blind tasting using nationally-recognized Brewers Association style guidelines.
For a full list of winners, visit wabeerawards.com.
Cocoa Laney is CDN’s lifestyle editor; reach her at cocoalaney@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 128.
