About
Beers at the Bottom was conceived on a rainy April afternoon in Bellingham’s beloved Village Books. While browsing local hiking guides, we noticed an astonishing quantity and variety of books dedicated to walking in the woods. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have guides about hiking with kids, pets, and creaky knees. There’s also plenty of room on the shelf for trail guides to hot springs, waterfalls, lakes, wildflowers, and more.
So what’s this all have to do with beer?
Near Village Books’ local hiking guide section there stood an equally intriguing bookcase: local food and drink. Curious, we checked to see if there were any local brewery guides. From oldies like “The Brewpub Explorer of the Pacific Northwest” to the more modern “Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest”, there were a handful of guides devoted to the topic.
And that’s when the idea struck: Beers at the Bottom. Because there’s nothing better than a cold, frothy pint after a long day of hiking.
For many Pacific Northwesterners, craft beer and hiking are the perfect pairing. We connect the two without thinking about it. How many breweries on the west coast associate their brand with the great outdoors? How many use mountains and waterfalls for their logos? We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful region of the world, and doubly blessed that we can enjoy a damn good beer on top of it (err, at the bottom).
We built this site to share our trail and ale adventures with you. Want to know more? Check our Team page or email us!
So what’s this all have to do with beer?
Near Village Books’ local hiking guide section there stood an equally intriguing bookcase: local food and drink. Curious, we checked to see if there were any local brewery guides. From oldies like “The Brewpub Explorer of the Pacific Northwest” to the more modern “Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest”, there were a handful of guides devoted to the topic.
And that’s when the idea struck: Beers at the Bottom. Because there’s nothing better than a cold, frothy pint after a long day of hiking.
For many Pacific Northwesterners, craft beer and hiking are the perfect pairing. We connect the two without thinking about it. How many breweries on the west coast associate their brand with the great outdoors? How many use mountains and waterfalls for their logos? We are fortunate to live in such a beautiful region of the world, and doubly blessed that we can enjoy a damn good beer on top of it (err, at the bottom).
We built this site to share our trail and ale adventures with you. Want to know more? Check our Team page or email us!
Mission
We envision this blog to be a space where the natural relationship between the craft beer community and outdoor recreation comes to fruition. One of the strengths of local brewpubs is their tie to the community, and the environment. Lately, we've seen a much welcome shift on the part of breweries to go “green”—Alaskan Brewing Company is powered by spent grain, Anderson Valley Brewing Company is solar powered. Many craft breweries are also striving to go local, partnering with area farms and suppliers. These efforts at preserving natural resources directly link to the goals of land stewardship shared by hiking enthusiasts.
Explorers at heart, whenever we take a trip somewhere there are two main things we research: breweries and trails. For us, a good pint is something to savor, to drink slowly in enjoyment. We celebrate accomplishments with beer. Climbed a mountain today? That warrants a pint. Trekked 10 miles through old growth forest? Cheers to that!
And we're not alone—craft breweries are now marketing their beers to outdoor enthusiasts. Countless Northwest breweries advertise canned beers for campers and hikers. Not to mention the number of breweries which opt for rustic decor in their taprooms. Craft beer and outdoor recreation are made for one another.
That's where our blog comes in. Our aim is to develop a space where craft beer drinkers and lovers of the great outdoors can explore both combined. From the best hikes of a region to the perfect pint in the community's most loved brewpub, we want to share our explorations with you.
Explorers at heart, whenever we take a trip somewhere there are two main things we research: breweries and trails. For us, a good pint is something to savor, to drink slowly in enjoyment. We celebrate accomplishments with beer. Climbed a mountain today? That warrants a pint. Trekked 10 miles through old growth forest? Cheers to that!
And we're not alone—craft breweries are now marketing their beers to outdoor enthusiasts. Countless Northwest breweries advertise canned beers for campers and hikers. Not to mention the number of breweries which opt for rustic decor in their taprooms. Craft beer and outdoor recreation are made for one another.
That's where our blog comes in. Our aim is to develop a space where craft beer drinkers and lovers of the great outdoors can explore both combined. From the best hikes of a region to the perfect pint in the community's most loved brewpub, we want to share our explorations with you.
Ratings + Definitions
Brewhub
For the majority of the breweries we review, there will be more than one hike associated. Instead of just being a brewpub, we like to call them brewhubs, with "spokes" leading out to hikes in the surrounding area. There's more to it though: many of these breweries are hubs in their community. Breweries build connections, sponsor community events, and local music. In order to keep up with the growing microbrew culture, these breweries need to stay innovative, both in the beer they brew and the community space they maintain. Our brewhubs aren't just hubs for hiking, they're hubs for creativity, innovation, and community.
For the majority of the breweries we review, there will be more than one hike associated. Instead of just being a brewpub, we like to call them brewhubs, with "spokes" leading out to hikes in the surrounding area. There's more to it though: many of these breweries are hubs in their community. Breweries build connections, sponsor community events, and local music. In order to keep up with the growing microbrew culture, these breweries need to stay innovative, both in the beer they brew and the community space they maintain. Our brewhubs aren't just hubs for hiking, they're hubs for creativity, innovation, and community.
Hike Difficulty (1 - 5 pints)
After an easy hike, you might reward yourself with a single pint of delicious craft beer. The more difficult the hike, the more beer you may reward yourself with. Hike difficulty is based on several factors including length, elevation gain, and how sore we were the next day. Please drink responsibly. We don't recommend that you actually drink five pints (unless, of course, you can handle that sort of thing and are not driving).
After an easy hike, you might reward yourself with a single pint of delicious craft beer. The more difficult the hike, the more beer you may reward yourself with. Hike difficulty is based on several factors including length, elevation gain, and how sore we were the next day. Please drink responsibly. We don't recommend that you actually drink five pints (unless, of course, you can handle that sort of thing and are not driving).
Travel Distance (1 - 5 hops)
We use a hop scale to list the distance from the trail head to the brewery. Whenever possible, we've limited the distance between locations to 25 miles.
Each hop represents approximately 5 miles. So a trail with three hops is about 15 miles from the nearest brewery (give or take a few).
We use a hop scale to list the distance from the trail head to the brewery. Whenever possible, we've limited the distance between locations to 25 miles.
Each hop represents approximately 5 miles. So a trail with three hops is about 15 miles from the nearest brewery (give or take a few).
All original Beers at the Bottom logos and artwork by Rachel Wood. Photos by Brandon Fralic.
Copyright © 2021 Beers at the Bottom, All rights reserved.
