• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism Logo

Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism

Travel, Hotel and Visitor Information

Bellingham Outdoors Animated Logo
  • Home
  • Places to Stay
    • Hotels / Resorts
    • Vacation Rentals / Bed & Breakfasts
    • Camping / RV Parks
    • Hotel Packages / Special Rates
    • Park n’ Fly Hotel Packages
  • Places to Eat
    • Restaurants
    • Craft Breweries
    • Wine, Spirits & Wineries
    • Coffee Shops & Sweets
  • Things to Do
    • Events Calendar
    • Annual Events
    • Agricultural
    • Attractions
    • Bicycling
    • Bird Watching
    • Cannabis
    • Casinos
    • Fishing
    • Golfing
    • Hiking
    • Itineraries
    • Museums & Galleries
    • Parks & Playgrounds
    • Running
    • Scenic Drives
    • Shopping
    • Snowsports
    • Spas & Health
    • Theaters & Music
    • Tours
    • Water Adventures
    • Summer Activities
    • Fall Activities
    • Winter Activities
    • Spring Activities
    • Whatcom Arts Project
  • Outdoors
    • Bicycling
    • Bird Watching
    • Fishing
    • Golfing
    • Hiking
    • Multisports
    • Parks & Playgrounds
    • Running
    • Scenic Drives
    • Snowsports
    • Water Adventures
  • Getting Here
    • Maps
    • Ground Transport
    • Air Transport
    • Water Transport
    • US/Canada Border
  • Blogs
  • Communities
    • Bellingham
    • Birch Bay
    • Blaine
    • Downtown Bellingham
    • Fairhaven Historic District
    • Ferndale
    • Lummi Island
    • Lynden
    • Mt. Baker
    • North Cascades
    • Point Roberts
    • Sumas
  • Media
    • Media Request Form
    • Articles & Coverage
    • Press Releases
    • Photo Contest
  • About Us
    • Contact
    • Weather
    • Request Information
    • Jobs & Volunteer
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
    • Industry Resources
    • Membership
    • Member Directory
    • Services
      • Event Planning
      • Relocation
      • Business
      • Education
      • Financial
      • Medical
      • Out of Area
Home / Insider Blogs / Kulshan Brewing Opens Second Location: K2 Brewery and Tap Room

Kulshan Brewing Opens Second Location: K2 Brewery and Tap Room

By Teresa Schmidt / June 22, 2015

Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Bellingham, Microbrewery, Craft BeerHey, Kulshan Brewing Co. fans, if you’ve ever stopped by the brewery’s super-popular (okay, crowded) James Street location and said to yourself, “Gee, these guys should expand so that everyone who wants a delicious beer can get one,” then you’re in luck. K2 has arrived!

K2 is Kulshan’s dream brewery come to life—and it’s the biggest, shiniest and state-of-the artiest microbrewery around. The 14,000 square-foot building at 1538 Kentucky St. in Bellingham houses a whopping (by microbrewery standards) 30-barrel brewhouse that immediately offers twice the capacity of the original location (initially, 5,000 barrels/year and at full capacity, 15,000 barrels per year). For comparison, Kulshan’s James Street brewery produced about 3,100 barrels in 2014. This year, they hope to reach 6,000 and in 2016, 12,000 barrels.

The six fermenters are humongous: four have a 90-barrel capacity, while two can handle 60 barrels. The myriad pipes, conduit and lines running from one end of the building to the other are simply mind-blowing. (At least they are to me.) It’s a sophisticated set-up, controlled by computers to reduce the risk of error. And the brewers have a new lab to test yeasts and geek out. Here’s to consistency!

Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Bellingham, Microbrewery, Craft Beer

Kulshan’s most popular beers will be brewed here, leaving James Street to focus on smaller batches of fun stuff and seasonals. Much of what is brewed at K2 will be canned on the brand-new canning line. Don’t worry, Bastard Kat IPA and Full 90 Session Ale fans, they have truckloads of empties on hand, waiting to be filled (below right).

Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Bellingham, Microbrewery, Craft Beer

I also spotted some nice-looking whisky barrels, including several from Seattle’s Westland Distillery. They’re holding delightful barrel-aged (duh) seasonals like Kitten Mittens and the Russian Imperial Stout, which was excellent last year. Can’t wait to try it again.

Of course, the demand for Bastard Kat, Gool Ol’ Boy Pale and the Red Cap Red will ensure that much of K2’s production goes straight into kegs for us to enjoy in our choice of tap room or patio. They have both at K2, because Bellinghamsters sure do love drinking beer in the sun.

Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Bellingham, Microbrewery, Craft Beer

Speaking of tap rooms, K2’s is just gorgeous. It’s a nice combination of wood and metal, but not just any wood or metals. We’re talking reclaimed old-growth Douglas fir, upcycled steel beams and rusted metal sheeting. The main bar is a monster, and throughout the bright, airy room is plenty more seating for everyone—except those under 21. The state of Washington has decided it needs to be 21 and over only. That could change, and I’ll let you know right here if it does.

Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Bellingham, Microbrewery, Craft Beer
Everything’s so new and shiny, my camera couldn’t handle it!

Lucky for me, well-behaved dogs of all ages are welcome on the patio.

Outside the tap room, you’ll find a rotating lineup of food trucks, including Goat Mountain Pizza, whose wood-fired oven is ready to make you a most delicious meal from your choice of their creative and delicious pizzas.

Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Bellingham, Microbrewery, Craft Beer

Not only is K2 bringing craft beer to the Roosevelt neighborhood, they’re also providing new lunch and dinner take-out options for the folks working and living in that area. You don’t even have to order a beer to partake of delicious local food truck offerings. (But you should definitely make plans to do so.)

Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Bellingham, Microbrewery, Craft Beer
No detail was overlooked! Recycled metal art by Wayne Kangas hangs throughout the taproom, including the restrooms.

When you’re looking for more of the Kulshan Brewery beers you love, grab your Bellingham Tap Trail map and head over to Kentucky Street for one of the best taproom experiences you’ll find in the PNW. It’s so great to see locals and our ever-growing number of craft beer tourists embrace Bellingham and Whatcom County microbreweries. Keep the love going at K2!

Kulshan Brewing Co., K2, Bellingham, Microbrewery, Craft Beer

Kulshan Brewing Company
K2: 1538 Kentucky St., Bellingham, WA
Original location: 2238 James St., Bellingham, WA
360.389.5348

[mappress mapid=”69″]

K2 on Facebook
Kulshan Brewing on Facebook

Share:

Filed Under: Insider Blogs Tagged With: Bellingham craft beer, craft beer in Bellingham, Where to drink beer outside in Bellingham, where to find craft beer in Bellingham wa

About Teresa Schmidt

Teresa Schmidt, a copywriter who owns and operates Sprout Creative, comes from a long line of brewers, bootleggers and saloonkeepers. She moved to Bellingham 13 years ago to write, hike, ski and paddle—but it was the beer that really sold her. She also loves wine. And cocktails. And good food. To work it all off, she runs around in the woods at every opportunity.

Footer

Bellingham Whatcom County Tourism
Visitor Center Located at I-5 Exit 253
904 Potter Street, Bellingham, WA 98229

Hours: Due to COVID-19, the Visitor Center is open limited hours: Friday, Saturday & Sunday 10am-3pm. Masks required.

Phone: 360-671-3990
Email: tourism@bellingham.org

Join

Sign up to receive Bellingham Whatcom County events & information!

Share

site by highwaters.net