Cruises blend scenery with beer, wine tasting and bird watching

Published 11:33 am Friday, August 9, 2013

Beer. Wine. Birds.

Pick your passion and hop aboard.

San Juan Cruises in Bellingham offers speciality drinking and bird-watching cruises.

The summer cruise season is in full swing, but there are still plenty of voyages in the next month.

The Bellingham Bay Brews Cruise features Boundary Bay Brewery and two other Northwest breweries each week. Upcoming cruises include Mukilteo’s Diamond Knot Brewery and Lazy Boy Brewery of Everett.

A representative from each brewery brings the beer and answers question on the weekly Wednesday cruises.

It’s not a floating beerfest. It’s more of a scenic sampling.

“We don’t bill it as all-you-can-drink,” cruise spokesman Sean Berry said. “The three breweries each bring three different beers in little sampler glasses.”

Nine sampler glasses are generally enough for the 90-minute cruise. The $35 fare includes snacks such as crackers, cheeses, chips and wings.

The UnWINEd on the Bay cruises on Thursday evenings have different themes each week, with about 15 to 20 different wines to sample.

The wine and beer cruises each seat up to 100 people, ages 21 and up.

Reservations are recommended. “Just about all eventually sell out,” Berry said.

All ages are welcome on the Saturday seven-hour bird-watching cruise through Bellingham Bay, the San Juan Islands, under the Deception Pass bridge and through the Swinomish Channel.

The captain and professional naturalists talk about and help spot a variety of birds.

Common bird sightings include pigeon guillemot, rhinoceros auklet, bald eagle, great blue heron, cormorant, black oystercatcher, gadwall, turkey vulture, red tail hawk and belted kingfisher.

The vessels depart from Alaska Ferry Terminal in Fairhaven.

The company also has sightseeing tours to the San Juan Islands, crab dinner cruises and private charters.

Take a cruise

Bellingham Bay Brews Cruise: 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Sept. 11. Arrive 30 minutes before departure. Cost: $35. Must be 21.

Boundary Bay Brewery teams up with two breweries on each cruise.

• Aug. 14: Elysian Brewery in Seattle has more than 200 beers from classic to experimental. Georgetown Brewery, a Seattle microbrewery, brews the popular Manny’s Pale Ale.
• Aug. 21: Lazy Boy Brewery has a tap room in Everett, with beers available throughout the Pacific Northwest. Port Townsend Brewery is known for its Pale Ale and Brown Porter.
• Aug. 28: Diamond Knot craft brewery has an alehouse on the Mukilteo waterfront. Schooner EXACT Brewing Co. of Seattle makes Profanity Hill Porter and a dozen other varieties.
• Sept. 4: Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Co. offers year-round and seasonal beers. Ram Brewing at Northgate brings a selection of special beers.
• Sept. 11: North Fork Brewery, a restaurant, brewery and wedding chapel, produces beers in the style of British ales. Hale’s Ales in Seattle brings a selection of beers.

The UnWINEd on the Bay cruises: 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays through Sept. 5. Arrive 30 minutes before departure. Cost: $35. Must be 21.

• Aug. 15: “Around the Sound With Summer Sippers.” Wines for warm weather, outdoor activities and barbecues. proseccos, sauvignon blancs and hearty reds.
• Aug. 22: “Explore off the Shore.” Wines from Washington, Oregon and California.
• Aug. 29: “Sparkling Sensations From Around the World.” Selections include Spanish cava, Italian prosecco, French Champagne, Australian shiraz, California and Washington sparkling wines.
• Sept. 5: “Chardonnays and Cabernets: The Classic Showdown.” Two classic varietals featured by regions around the world.

Bird watching cruises: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays through August 24. Cost: Adult, $79; youth 6 to 17, $39.50. Children 5 and under are free.

Food and beverages can be brought on board. Snacks and beverages are available for purchase.

Bring binoculars, sunscreen and a jacket.

San Juan Cruises information: go to www.whales.com or call 800-443-4552.

Andrea Brown; 425-339-3443; abrown@heraldnet.com.