Yes, Peaks & Pints offered a Chuckanut Brewery beer flight last November. Yes, we’re offering another Chuckanut flight today. You would, too, if you had a beer bar. The Burlington, Washington, brewery has added cans to their core line-up — and we’re celebrating with Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Chuckanut Cans on this Friday. The five-taster flight isn’t all cans, but their Pilsner and Kosch are in cans in our cooler for weekend drinking.
Yes, you also have heard their story a million times; now it’s a million and one. In 1984, chemical engineer and homebrewer Will Kemper and his culinary crackerjack wife Mari left Boulder, Colorado, and opened Thomas Kemper brewery on Bainbridge Island, Washington, then quickly moved it to Poulsbo. In 1992, Thomas Kemper merged with Hart Brewing, which went on to be Pyramid Breweries. The Kempers signed a non-compete and left to become consultants with East Coast and international breweries. After a bunch of traveling, they moved to Bellingham where they opened Chuckanut Brewery in 2008 — a convergence of technical and engineering concepts developed from more than two decades of professional involvement with craft brewing both home and abroad. They hired Josh Pfriem as their head brewer, and later Kevin Davey grabbed the head brewer paddle. In late 2016, Chuckanut transferred most of their production from their Bellingham brewery to a new 40-barrel production facility, Chuckanut South Nut, in Burlington, and closed their Bellingham location in October 2021. The canning line is up-and-running full-time now.
Tune-in to Grit & Grain Episodes 50 and 51 to hear Mari and Will fill in the blanks with their accomplishments and amazing stories on their journey to open Chuckanut Brewery. Cheers!
Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: Chuckanut Cans
Chuckanut Kölsch German Ale
4.5% ABV,
Chuckanut Kölsch German Ale maintains a bitterness that is quite restrained, although the palate is light-bodied and bone-dry, with a soft malt flavor in the center giving way to a drying, slightly acidic finish. The flavor is big and full, bready, crisp, with a nice bite at the finish.
Chuckanut Pilsner
5% ABV
Following their passion for German pilsners, the Kempers brewed their own golden, vivid, crisp version with Pilsner malt and secret noble hops. The multiple award-winning pilsner pours a light gold color with good head retention and lacing. Expect a pilsner-like nose with honey, biscuit dough and light pepper notes. The flavor profile replicates the nose with an excellent crisp, bitter finish. The beer is quite light, crisp and refreshing, and the drinkability is superb.
Chucaknut Rye Lager
5% ABV
Historically country brewers in Finland and Russia used rye in their beers. Chuckanut Rye Lager is autumn inspired with a deep golden color and toasty flavor due to generous portions of rye malt and Spalt hops. This unique beer has a spicy rye bitterness rounded out with a creamy finish
Chuckanut Stout Ale
6% ABV
Chucknaut Stout is the seasonal ale for winter. Brewed with Pilsner, Munich (German), Chocolate and Roast malts (UK and Argentina), and then hopped with German hops for a clean bitterness while accenting the roasted flavor among the notes of coffee and chocolate. A small addition of oats amp up the creamy mouthfeel without becoming overly sweet and a velvety smoothness coats the palate with hints of biscuit and toast.
LINK: Peak & Pints beer and cider cooler inventory
