Boundary Bay Brewery is Bellingham's oldest and most established craft brewery, operating since 1995 in a large converted warehouse downtown. The taproom is one of the best in the city — high-ceilinged, dog-friendly, with a beer garden that fills up on summer evenings. The brewery produces a core range of Pacific Northwest-style ales alongside seasonal specials, and the food menu (burgers, fish and chips, house-made pretzels) is a solid match for the beers.
The IPA is the flagship and a reliable benchmark for the Northwest style: piney, citrusy, and not excessively bitter. The seasonal summer hefeweizen and the imperial stout that appears in winter both have strong local followings. Boundary Bay is an institution in Bellingham's craft beer scene and a good starting point for a downtown evening.