Beer says a lot about a person. Or so we’d like to think. Maybe beer is kind of like Bellingham’s own astrological sign. “Oh, she’s a stout person, uh?” “Your favorite beer is a Belgian wheat?!…hmmm…” Favorite beers represent not just one’s palate, but their experiences and personality. Beers remind of us favorite moments, reflect a period in our life, or just beers that we love.

Tap Trail is always trying to bring you the faces behind the beer you love. Tap Trail brewery owners and their brewers are members of this community and getting to know them means every pint you drink tastes that much better. With that in mind, I reached out to the brewers and owners of Bellingham’s breweries and asked,

“What is in your dream 6 pack?”

This six pack could be six different beers and could be from all over the world. There’s six spots in that pack. Fill ’em up!

Some breweries provided stories with their answers, some breweries provided answers from multiple brewers or employees and some answered a little tongue in cheek 😉

After reading through these, head on over to our forum and tell us what’s in your Dream 6 Pack.

Aaron Jacob Smith, Boundary Bay Brewery, Brewer

1. Trappistes Rochefort 10
2. Pliny the younger
3. The Abyss – Deschutes
4. Adam From The Wood – Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
5. Lindemans Gueuze Cuvée René – Brouwerij Lindemans
6. Sierra Nevada Bigfoot Barleywine Style Ale – Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

Bryan Krueger, Boundary Bay Brewery, Brewer


1. Trinity 365 or Red Swingline
2. Anything from North Fork
3. Crooked Stave (vielle saison)
4. A foudre beer from DeGarde
5. Ale Apothecary LaTache (with a campfire Ribeye and foraged greens)
6. Anything from Double Mountain (So cool that they rinse and reuse their bottles!)

Bryan Cardwell, Chuckanut Brewery, Head Brewer

1. Big Wave, Kona Brewing Co.
2. Rohaus Tannenzäpfle
3. Augustiner Helles
4. Orval
5. De Dolle Oerbier
6. Allagash White

Frank Trosset, Aslan Brewing Company, Head Brewer

1. Prairie Artisan Ales: Bomb!
2. Olympia
3. New Belgium Brewing Co: La Folie
4. Off Color Brewing Co: Apex Predator
5. Our Mutual Friend Brewing Co: Any
6. Boulevard Brewing Co: Dark Truth

Wander Brewing, Chad Kuehl, Owner/Head Brewer

My immediate thought is beer that I have enjoyed while traveling and the beers that accompanied those adventures and experiences. Some dark, some malty, some light. For fancy domestic six packs I will just go to Elizabeth Station.

1. Laurentina Preta
2. Tui East India Pale Ale
3. Falcon Bayerskt
4. Beerlao Light
5. Primus Biere
6. Gorkha Beer

Kulshan Brewing, David Vitt, Owner

Some of Dave’s choices were a bit tongue in cheek. They mainly reflect some good memories for him. 

1. PBR
2. Rainier
3. Hamm’s
4. Montucky Cold Snacks
5. Chuckanut Pilsner
6. Cariboo Lager


North Fork Brewing, Eric Jorgenson, Head Brewer

Erik provided some great personal insight into his picks!

1. GEUZE BOON!!It is so wonderful and impossible to find in Whatcom county. Super duper effervescent, musky and weird. I could be happy just smelling its insane bubbles….

2. Anything the Brewers at Midnight Sun in Anchorage are stoked on at the time.

3. The best fresh, crisp, bright, beautiful lager from CHUCKANUT! (Once again Brewers choice, I would probably go for Pils, but what do I know.)

4. Red cullin ale from Isle of Skye Scotland. I went to the brewery and drank this with the Brewers. Me: “I brew on a little 3 barrel in Washington also using open fermentation.” They looked at me confused as if there is no other way to brew. There were wood ladders leaning on these strange open fermenters. The reason this goes in my fantasy 6 was drinking it all night on cask in a magical tiny town called Applecross. It was the best beer drinking session I’ve ever had.

5. That first home brew!

6. 86′ Oly. It’s a long ass family story. Involving a load of characters and stories

James Alexander, Structures Brewing, Owner/Head Brewer

rsz_1structures1. Drie Font Golden Blend
2. Hill Farmstead Anna or Arthur
3. Tired Hands Guillermo
4. Chuckanut Vienna or Helles
5. Upright Seven
6. Hill Farmsteads Earl

Rob Whitney, Menace Brewing, Brewer

1. Foundation Epiphany Double IPA
2. Founders Breakfast Stout
3. Russian River Sanctification
4. Cascade Barrel House Sang Noir (2012)
5. North Fork Kriek
6. Chuckanut Fest