Have you heard about the newest craft beer taphouse in Whatcom County? It has 11 taps, a fantastic selection of craft brews, plus ciders and wine, and a lively atmosphere, all presented in a restored building, with reclaimed wood on the fireplace, beautiful artwork on the walls and a creative bike rack out front. And surprise! It’s not in Bellingham! (But it is nearby.) Overflow Taps is located in Lynden, and it’s the first taphouse to be established in the quaint, Dutch-themed town (that I know of).
Gorgeous inlaid wood for the bar and flight paddles, by Blackbird Longboards.
Located in the beautifully-restored Waples Mercantile Building at the corner of Front and 5th Streets, the Overflow Taps entrance is on the 5th Street side, just past the Inn at Lynden. The first floor of the building also houses Avenue Bread, Village Books and Drizzle Olive Oil bar. All the businesses are open to each other, which is very convenient for ordering food to be delivered in while you enjoy your beer, or for browsing books afterward.
I stopped by to meet owners Jesse Nelson, Josh Libolt and Adam Stacey, and to see what they had on tap. The list was very impressive.
Seeing that they had nine beers on tap, my Research Support Professional (RSP) and I decided a flight of all nine would be perfect. The two-ounce pours gave us a nice overview of the styles and breweries listed on the board. And what a variety! Everything was worth at least a try, if not a pint. These guys have great taste, as I could tell by the Structures Brewing gear two of them were wearing, as well as the Wander Brewing coasters on the bar.
Our flights were tasty. I didn’t get a chance to try the rum-barrel-aged cider.
Our nine tasters were from near and far:
- Farmstrong Lynden 125 Pilsner, brewed in Mount Vernon in honor of Lynden’s 125th birthday
- Chuckanut Vienna Lager
- Aslan Northwest Red
- Commons Urban Farmhouse
- Dogfish Head 60-minute IPA
- Melvin Asterisk Double IPA
- Anacortes March Point Porter
- Destihl Dry-hopped Sour
- Victory Storm King Imperial Stout
There were two ciders on tap that night: Bull Run Bramble Berry and 2 Towns Bright Cider, plus a Sea Cider rum barrel-aged cider poured from the bottle. Overflow Taps also keeps one wine on tap as well as Woods Coffee’s cold brew on nitro. Several bottled wines are available as well.
Raising Money for Access to Clean Water
Overflow Taps has a cause bigger than just providing delicious beverages to the people—they’re also providing clean water to people who need it, by donating 25 cents for every pint sold to charity: water. So far, they’ve donated $2014. What a great idea!
Overflow Taps owners Adam, Josh and Jesse (left to right, below) opened their taphouse to fill what I consider a basic human need: to enjoy a craft beer in one’s hometown. “We didn’t want to have to drive to Bellingham to get a great beer,” said Josh. And judging by the fact that every seat was filled that evening, I’d say they weren’t the only ones who felt that way. Can you blame them?
At Overflow Taps, what’s on tap is thoughtfully curated to provide a range of styles from lager to sour, IPA to porter, and the selection changes constantly. In fact, the board changed twice while my RSP and I sat at the bar for a couple of hours. I heard that soon they’ll have a selection or two (maybe more?) from  Structures Brewing on the line, which is super exciting, since for now there is really nowhere but the brewery to get it. And they’ll be doing a special event featuring The North Fork Brewery’s beers soon.
April Brews Day Pre-Party April 29
In honor of this weekend’s April Brews Day, they’ll be hosting a pre-event party on Friday the 29th, and tapping a Structures Brewing grapefruit/hibiscus Saison. Plus, they’ll be donating 50 cents for every pint served from this keg, along with 25 cents for every other pint, to the Max Higbee Center.
So whether you live in Lynden, are passing through, or make a trip especially for this special event, you’ll enjoy your time at Overflow Taps. The owners, the beer and the atmosphere are all awesome. And you’ll get to help someone else enjoy something we all take for granted: clean water.
Overflow Taps, 106 5th Street, Lynden, WA 98264
Open noon to 10:00 Sunday – Thursday, noon to midnight Friday – Saturday
For more great local beer ideas, see our Beer Page or the full list of Teresa’s articles.
About the Author: 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.