This longtime Bellingham brewery to close its operation here, expand south
A longtime Bellingham brewery is making big changes that include closing its Whatcom County operations and expanding in the south.
Chuckanut Brewery announced in a news release Monday, Sept. 27, that it will close its operations at 601 W. Holly St. in mid-October. The company said the building was recently sold and the new owners have other plans for the building.
Chuckanut also announced it will be doubling the size of its Skagit County location, known as South Nut, which will allow the company to grow its bottling and canning operations. Chuckanut is also planning to open P Nut Chuckanut Beer Hall in Portland, Oregon, in November.
Chuckanut owners Will and Mari Kemper did leave open the possibility of returning to Bellingham if they can find another good location, but acknowledged that the two current projects will keep them busy well into 2022.
Chuckanut Brewery got its start in Bellingham in 2008 when the Kempers converted the former Hertz Rental Equipment building into a brewery, starting with an annual capacity of 1,000 barrels. The Kempers are also founders of Thomas Kemper Beers and Sodas.
As the brewery grew in Bellingham, it became known for its award-winning beers, bringing home scores of medals from the annual Great American Beer Festival. The company won Small Brewpub/Brewer of the Year in 2009, the first year it had entered the event.
Through mentorship, the Kempers also played a key role in helping other local breweries get started, kicking off a flurry of brewery openings in Bellingham in the past 13 years.
Chuckanut needed to expand more into bottles and cans to get into more bottle shops and grocery stores, according to the news release. The company worked with the Port of Skagit to expand that South Nut location. The expanded spot will have room for the brewery equipment from Bellingham as well as have a packaging house, truck loading docks and a large storage area.
It was not announced what the plan is for the Holly Street location after Chuckanut Brewery leaves. A check of property records on the Whatcom County website on Monday did not show a change in ownership of the property.
The company is encouraging Chuckanut customers to swing by the Bellingham spot the next couple weeks to say goodbye to the staff as it winds down operations.
“It’s time for big changes for Chuckanut, and the continued support by drinking some of the best craft beers in America and the world is very much appreciated,” the Kempers said in the news release.
This story was originally published September 27, 2021 at 5:37 PM.
