Wednesday 13th of April 2011 08:54:54 PM

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We visited on a Wednesday afternoon about 3:30 pm for snacks and beers. They have nine beers on tap and we tried two of their pick-your-own samplers, each sampler is 4 beers for $6.00. All the beers were very good, my favorite being the English Bitter. They have a limited selection of their beers available in 22 ounce bottles and everything in growlers. They have a 25 barrel system in operation at the brewpub. We also ordered some chips and salsa. Their home made fire roasted salsa was excellent. Service was excellent. There is ample seating and they do catering and special events. There is plenty of parking on the streets surrounding the brewpub. There is a train track right next to the brewpub; a train went by while we were there and gave a scare to a few in our group. No smoking facility.

Saturday 1st of January 2011 07:39:27 PM

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I hadn't been in the Skagit for many years as on my last visit I hadn't found anything particularly outstanding in their beer lineup and the food was just average pub grub, with a lack of fresh seafood (meaning no oyster shooters or steamed mussels). I ordered 2 sampler trays this time so I could taste all 8 of their beers they had on tap. They were all very good and a good representation of the different styles of ale plus a nice Hefeweizen. They were all very clean, with no off flavors and served at the right temperature. My favorite was one of their current seasonals, Gospel IPA. I had a pint of it a few days later in Anacortes and it was as good there as at the source. The stout was quite excellent and made a great choice for dessert. Their clam chowder was very rich and creamy. The rest of the menu did not inspire me to try anything beyond the chowder (no fresh seafood/shellfish).

Thursday 16th of December 2010 10:23:28 PM

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On a recent tour of Mt. Vernon pubs we visited Skagit River Brewery. We had earlier stopped at Skookum, in Arlington, and North Sound Brewing so we were primarily interested in a place with both beer and food. We were not disappointed. The place was busy but service was efficient, food mixed (great pizza but I'd skip the sausage plate). We only tried a pitcher of their IPA. It was moderately hoppy and smooth. Good enough to take home a couple of growlers.
The place deserves a return visit to focus on the overall beer selection. I would go back on a night other than Friday as it was busy enough to make leisurely sampling a bit uncomfortable.

Tuesday 18th of August 2009 06:52:09 PM

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I found this place completely by accident one night on my way home from Deception Pass. We were driving aimlessly around Burlington and Mt. Vernon for a decent enough sounding place to grab some food and beer. My beer radar must have been guiding me, because this place isn't in a very easy to find location for someone who doesn't know Mt. Vernon at all.

In my "surprise new brewery" enthusiasm, I ordered a pint each of the porter, scotch ale, and IPA. All three were superb. I ordered a standard bacon cheese burger with a side cup of beef stroganoff. The beef stroganoff was so fantastic, I had a full bowl for dessert. I purchased a few of their growlers while I was at it too just to keep on with my splurge.

Having this brewery in that area has been great for me as I'm up there for my outdoorsy recreation quite a bit. I've made it in to a regular stop, and always have a good experience. I still can't bring myself to give it 5 stars, but it's a solid 4.5.

Sunday 16th of August 2009 02:34:21 PM

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I've been here about 8 time's I think. All of the visits have been about the same. Good experience over all. I try to go a little before or after then lunch crowd. Pizzas are great. Beers are good. They didn't have Sculler's the last time I went in. Before that it was almost a year since the last visit. Didn't look like things have changed all to much. I will defanitly go back though.

Wednesday 21st of January 2009 04:37:08 PM

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Skagit has excellent beer and it’s well worth visiting just for that. But it’s also got good pub atmosphere. The overall feeling is local and welcoming. There have always been varied customers when we’ve visited - not city-like but more friendly.

The beers cover a range of ale styles. There are seven regular beers and three seasonals. The Skuller’s IPA is one of the best NW IPAs brewed. (You can also buy a growler of beer to-go.)

The building itself is an old brick building right next to the railroad tracks. The brewery is behind the pub in the same building and you can see it from various angles through glass windows - stacks of kegs, fermenters, the mash tun, etc. Out in front is a raised wooden deck with seating. Inside is a fairly large space with old wooden floors and wooden tables and chairs as well as a few booths. The bar area is small with a standard wooden bar. Overall the feeling inside is somewhat barn-like since the middle of the space has a taller ceiling and there are wooden posts and beams.

The food isn’t tremendously inspired, but the wood-fired pizza choices are good and there is seafood and more traditional pub food.

Tuesday 20th of January 2009 05:57:49 PM

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4th stop for the day I found Skagit River Brewing in Mt Vernon WA and this being my first time it was a pretty neat small town. Not far from I-5 and easy to find this was an old farming type ban that had been many other businesses over the years. They finally got the brewery in there and it was perfect. Lots of parking out front and you will find they have tons of room inside. The old wooden floors and great brew pub feel. I was greeted with a cavalcade of beers to choose from. I was able to order a sampler tray of some great beers. I started out with the Del Rio Lager next the English Best Bitter, Washington Wheat, the Shiver Me Liver Barley wine which had some wonderful flavors. I finished my tasting with the Sullivans Stout which was wonderful nectar for the stout gods. This was a great place to stop. They are close to the tulip festival also so there can be several things to do in the area also. I did not have any food but it was that of the pub faire.

Monday 28th of January 2008 02:04:00 PM

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When wife Persimmon & I first began our quest to sample all the beers Washington has to offer, we found ourselves in Ellensburg sipping with a pair of fellow adventurers from Juneau, Alaska. They, of course, touted that state's wonderous brews (and I admit, they do cook some incredible beers) but then the pair, when they heard of our journey, told us we must visit, without delay, the Skagit River Brewery in Mount Vernon.

Ohhhhh-Kay, we replied. Mount Vernon was certainly closer to our home (50 miles) as opposed to Ellensburg (90 miles) but we were ashamed to learn that, in our research before heading out on the beer highway, we somehow had overlooked that stop and Alaska had to turn the page for us.

Mount Vernon is in the middle of tulip-ville...the annual mecca of tourists who come each Spring to see the spectacular fields with their dazzling rainbow-colored fields of flowers. And set in the middle of town, in a converted railroad station is the Skagit River Brewery.

Most of the station remains intact (and yes, the trains still run) although a beer garden has been added. Nice place to while away part of an afternoon...if you don't mind the earth-rumbling of the boxcars.

The menu features a wide variety of typical pub fare along with different items like beef brisket sandwiches & shepard's pie, crab cakes and an all black bean vegetarian burrito.

But the beer is what attracts the masses. Locals are very familiar with Skagit River. We met one friend who had just returned from a 400 mile bike ride to Idaho to spread his father's ashes and kept thinking about Sculler's IPA as he slowly made his way up those mountainous hills there & back.

Bartender Sam let us know that in October when the winter beers arrive, he'll see folks in ordering the barleywine & Trumpeter Stout "and won't see 'em again for 10 months."

Persimmon & I were early so another time, another trip. That doesn't mean we were treated to some incredible tastes. -
- - the Highwater Porter @ 7.2% with a strong, rich coffee aroma & subtle levels of sweet, dark chocolate
- the Huntsman Oktoberfest, tangy & crisp and a kissing cousin of a barleywine that makes a good summer to fall transitional brew
- Even the Sculler's IPA (again, 7.2%) which turns in a performance that's a real face puckerer. This is a true hopheads dream beer
- But our favorite was Jenny's Scottish Ale, a liquor-smelling beer with a sweet, caramel flavor & a hearty, full-body that leaves to quickly and begs another taste. All I can say is, yum!

We were fascinating too by the huge magnum(? or bigger!) bottle of Barleywine tempting us from up above the cooler. Sam reported the owner, Charlie Sullivan might have as many as 7 such bottle stored away and didn't know "if he would ever crack one open."
That's like Mom telling children she's just baked a mountain of chocolate chip cookies and they're in the jar and "don't touch 'em."
Well we all know that those children will do anything, ANYTHING to get at those cookies.
C'mon, Charlie. Open up the jar or the villagers may revolt!

Only way for Persimmon & I to find out is to re-visit and say "Hi" to friends we haven't seen in 10 months & order up a round or two of the Trumpeter.

Maybe we'll see you there!