Boundary Bay Brewing Company
Bellingham's longest-running brewery, closed in 2025 after 30 years.
Boundary Bay Brewing Company, also known as Boundary Bay Brewery & Bistro, was a brewpub in Bellingham, Washington. Founder Ed Bennett, who held dual master’s degrees in finance and wine chemistry and studied brewing at the University of California, Davis, leased and remodeled an old transit company station building originally built in 1992. The brewery opened in 1995. Its name comes from Boundary Bay, a bay north of Bellingham that straddles the U.S.-Canada border; during Prohibition, rum-runners and bootleggers used the bay to smuggle alcohol into the United States. Boundary Bay closed permanently on September 20, 2025, after an all-day block party, marking the end of Bellingham’s longest-running brewery. In 2008, *The New Brewer* (a Brewers Association publication) reported it was the largest brewpub in the nation by barrels sold. By 2015, it was the largest brewpub in Washington and the tenth largest in the country. The brewery also won numerous awards in national and international beer competitions.
Quick Facts
- Hq Location
- Bellingham, Washington, United States
- Owners
- Janet Lightner and Ed Bennett
- Founded
- 1995
- Industry
- Alcoholic beverage
- Products
- Beer
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The brewery was founded by Ed Bennett, who earned dual master's degrees in finance and wine chemistry and studied brewing at the University of California, Davis. In 1994, Bennett leased and remodeled an old transit company station building originally constructed in 1992, and the brewery opened there in 1995. The brewery is named after Boundary Bay, a bay north of Bellingham that is partially Canadian and partially American territory. During Prohibition, rum-runners and bootleggers crossed illegal alcohol into the United States through this unique geological feature. On September 20th, 2025, Boundary Bay closed permanently, marking the closure of the longest-running brewery in the city; the business hosted an all-day block party to commemorate.
Reader's Guide
Boundary Bay Brewing Company held a significant place in the American craft beer landscape. In 2008, it was recognized as the nation's largest brewpub based on number of barrels sold, according to The New Brewer, a publication of the Brewers Association. By 2015, it remained the largest brewpub in Washington state and was the 10th largest in the nation. The brewery also won numerous awards in national and international beer competitions. Its closure in 2025 ended a 30-year run as Bellingham's longest-operating brewery, a milestone marked by a community block party. The brewery's name and location carried historical resonance, referencing Boundary Bay and its Prohibition-era rum-running routes, adding a layer of regional lore to its legacy as a pioneering brewpub in the Pacific Northwest.
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