When Boundary Bay Brewery closed its legendary Railroad Avenue doors last September after a historic 30-year run, it felt like a giant piece of the Bellingham beer soul went dark. For months, the taps felt just a little bit emptier.
But you can’t keep Northwest craft beer pioneers down for long.
We recently stopped in at their brand-new spot, Boundary on State (located at 954 N. State St. in the old Time & Materials building), and it is officially time to celebrate. They are back!
The New Boundary Bay is Boundary on State in Bellingham
Stepping into the new State Street location was like test driving a new car. It’s a leaner, meaner nanobrewery setup, and you could feel the Boundary Bay vibe the second we walked in. The best part? The staff was visibly excited to be back in the game. It felt like a family reunion where everyone actually wanted to be there. Seeing those familiar faces behind the bar, totally fired up to be pouring Boundary Bay beer in downtown Bellingham again, made the whole visit.
The space has a great atmosphere with that fresh new car smell, perfectly balancing the classic Boundary Bay community warmth with a crisp new chapter.
The Boundary Bay Craft Beer Never Disappoints
We couldn’t just settle for one style to christen the new bar top, so we divided and conquered the draft list. I opted for The Don, their heavy-hitting DIPA while Brady opted for the Boundary Lager.
The Don DIPA
The Don hits the glass with an aggressive hop profile backed by a seriously robust malt spine. Heavy hitters like El Dorado, Citra, and Azacca step up to the plate, delivering a big wave of tropical fruit and intense citrus. It’s a massive beer that balances that high-octane hop character with enough sweet, malty backbone to keep it from completely stripping your tongue. It’s bitter, it’s resinous, and it commands respect.
Untappd Rating: 3.5 Caps 🍺
Boundary Lager
Brady decided to dial things back a bit and went for the ultra-crushable route with the Boundary Lager. While I was swimming in heavy hops, he was living the clean, crisp life. This one is exactly what you want out of a classic house lager, light, perfectly balanced, and incredibly refreshing with just the right touch of bready malt sweetness and a clean finish. It’s the ultimate palate cleanser, and honestly, it stole the show a little bit.
Untappd Rating: 3.75 Caps 🍺
We’ll Be Back for a Visit on State Street
Bellingham just didn’t feel quite right without Boundary Bay anchoring a night out. We absolutely loved the new layout, the trimmed back menu looks wonderful, and the pure joy from the staff made it a standout visit.
Consider this a massive, hearty welcome back to the crew. We’re already planning our next trip up north in the very near future. If you haven’t checked out the State Street location yet, get your boots on the ground and go save the ales!
Clark believes that the best professional relationships are built on shared experiences and a bit of fun. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, Clark has been a vocal advocate of the local craft beer scene for years. He enjoys exploring the unique flavors and community-driven atmosphere of Washington’s and Oregon’s many breweries while working through the complex software architecture opportunities presented by social interaction. After a hard day of work, Clark can often be found on the karaoke stage any day of the week belting out 80’s rock and heavy metal tunes while bringing the same passion and energy to his performances as he does to his startups; valuing confidence, engagement, and the power of a good song and a bourbon barrel aged beer to bring people together.
