Beer, Bread
& Whiskey
Tour
Grains for Change
A Beer, Bread & Whiskey Tour
Skagit Valley’s food revolution is built on sustainable, regenerative farming methods and local agriculture systems. The artisans on this itinerary use locally grown grains to elevate their craft and your tasting experience.
Where to Start:
Hop off the freeway at Farmstrong Brewing. Farmstrong brews 100% with Skagit Valley Malt and, as they say, “grown here, malted here, and brewed here,” making this a wonderful introduction to the Valley.
To check in at your stay, take a relaxing ride through the Samish flats to Blanchard Mountain Farm Stay in Edison. The beautiful 1-bedroom guest house allows you to stay at their certified organic farm. For dinner, take a five-minute drive to Terramar Brewstillery. Terramar brews craft beer and spirits (including Whiskey!) with Skagit Valley malt and creates mouthwatering entrees, including pizza featuring local Cairnspring Mills flour.
Grains
The next morning, follow the local grain fairy tale to Breadfarm and Tweets for decadent breakfast treats in the adorable town of Edison. If you are visiting on the weekend, pick up artisanal local flour directly at Cairnspring Mills to heighten your home recipes. Local pickup is every Saturday from 10-1 (preorder on their website). Right next door, see and smell Cairnspring Mills flour in action at Water Tank Bakery. While you are in the neighborhood, we recommend visiting Garden Path Fermentation. Garden Path is hyper-locally focused exclusively using Skagit-grown grain, fruit and honey and ferment in oak with 100% native Skagit yeast.
If you’re in the mood for lunch, walk to Skagit Landing to taste the “bounty of the county” with a creative menu that reflects the seasons. If you are in the mood to learn, the Bread Lab offers King Arthur Baking School classes on weekends (be sure to register ahead of time). Welcoming all bakers, no matter your skill level, classes range from introductory demonstrations for beginners to intensive week-long professional courses, with a wide variety of hands-on classes for adults and children.
Local Breweries
Stop by The Fairhaven featuring local grains from Cairnspring Mills, Skagit Valley Malting, and Fairhaven Mill. Would you like to take a growler of local grains home with you? Skagit River Brewery, Temperate Habits Brewery, and District Brewery are all located in downtown Mount Vernon. Before you hop back on I-5, don’t miss the Apple Cider Caramels made with Farmstrong Brewery’s Ragged & Right hard cider artisanally made by Forté Chocolates.
Skagit Food Trail
Skagit Food Trail tours are self-guided journeys through local gardens, family-owned farms, markets, bakeries, eateries, artisanal producers, farm stays, and experiences around the magical Skagit River Valley & Salish Sea. These curated trails will help you explore the bounty of the Skagit Valley. View them all on the Skagit Food Trail page.