Chuckanut Bay Distillery

Overview of the Distillery

Chuckanut Bay Distillery is a craft distillery in downtown Bellingham, Washington, housed in a renovated, historic 18,000-square-foot building. Here, bourbon, rye and other whiskies are produced from grain to bottle with local ingredients, and the site combines production with a tasting room, Penny Farthing restaurant, rooftop bar and event space.

History

The idea for Chuckanut Bay Distillery took shape in 2011 when Matt Howell and Kelly Andrews decided to build a grain-to-glass distillery in downtown Bellingham. After two years of work on permits, construction and equipment, they launched their first spirit in late 2013, a potato vodka made from local Skagit Valley potatoes. In the startup phase, the potatoes were even ground using a bicycle-powered apple grinder, a story later linked to the double gold medal the vodka earned. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include bourbon, several rye expressions, gin, vodka and liqueurs, while the distillery has accumulated a number of national and international medals and expanded to a larger visitor and events facility in the historic building.

Raw Materials and Production

The production philosophy is consistently grain-to-glass: grain (often unmalted) sourced from local farms within about 25 miles, milled and mashed on-site, fermented in open, traditional wooden washbacks (hand-built Douglas Fir washbacks) and distilled in pot stills. Distillation practices follow American traditions for bourbon and rye with two distillations as standard, but certain expressions like Muzzleflash undergo an extra third distillation, where the heart is taken again to create a lighter, more nuanced spirit. The so-called on-grain method means that a portion of the grain material is carried through the process to influence texture and flavor development. No added color is used and chill-filtration is not performed.

Maturation and Barrel Types

Many of the whiskies mature in American white oak barrels, often new, charred or toasted & charred American White Oak. Some expressions are aged primarily in 53-gallon white oak casks, and the distillery also works with finishing in local wine and brandy casks: Muzzleflash has, for example, received a 12-month finish in local apple brandy casks from Bellewood Farms, and a bourbon expression has been finished in Syrah casks from a local winery. Likewise, used bourbon barrels are used for longer aging of certain liqueur expressions. Some limited releases are bottled at barrel strength.

Whiskies

The range runs from core expressions like Bourbon, Chuckanut Rye (straight rye) and Chuckanut 100% Rye to their Muzzleflash American whiskey and several cask-finished, limited expressions (e.g., Syrah-finish and Apple Brandy-finish). The product line includes both standard bottles and special releases at barrel strength. Many of the whiskies are clearly anchored in local ingredients and traditional wood fermentation and are presented alongside the distillery’s other spirits.

Whisky	Type / Series	ABV	Age	Cask & Style	Flavor Profile	Status
Muzzleflash Whiskey	American whiskey			53-gallon white oak barrels (primary maturation)	A 'true American whiskey' made in small batches with equal parts locally grown corn, rye and wheat. Fermented in traditional wooden washbacks and triple-distilled in a process inspired by Irish traditions, before aging in barrels in Bellingham.	Current; Core range; Spirits only ship within WA State
Apple Brandy Cask‑Finished Muzzleflash Whiskey	American whiskey (cask finished)	46 %	Primarily 2 years in white oak + 12 months in apple brandy barrel	53-gallon white oak barrels (primary maturation) and Apple brandy barrel (finish); finish: 12 months finishing in apple brandy‑fade from Bellewood Farms	A limited, barrel-strength edition of Muzzleflash, where the heart of the distillate is first aged in white oak fade and then rack and finished 12 months in apple brandy fade from a local farm. Produced from local grains in small batches.	Limited; Spirits only ship within WA State
Chuckanut Rye Whiskey	Straight Rye Whiskey	46 %		New charred American oak	A straight rye produced from a grain bill of roughly 60% rye and 40% wheat, all grown within 25 miles. Produced with local milling and fermentation processes in wooden washbacks and aged in new, charred American oak barrels.	Current; Core range; Spirits only ship within WA State
Chuckanut 100% Rye Whiskey	Rye Whiskey (100% rye)	48 %		New charred American oak	A 100% rye expression produced from local unmalted rye grains. Milled, mashed and fermented in wooden washbacks and after distillation aged in new, charred American oak barrels. Bottled at 48% alcohol.	Current; Core range; Spirits only ship within WA State
Bourbon	Bourbon			Toasted & charred American White Oak barrels	A full-scale Bellingham Bourbon produced from locally grown corn, wheat and rye. The grain is milled and fermented on-site, distilled and matured in toasted & charred American oak barrels for slow maturation.	Current; Core range; Spirits only ship within WA State
Syrah Cask‑Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey	Straight Bourbon (cask finished)	62.28 %		Charred American White Oak (primary maturation) and Syrah wine barrel (finish); finish: finished ca. 8 months in Syrah‑fades from Dynasty Cellars to impart dark fruit, tannin and spice notes	A barrel-strength, limited edition of their bourbon, where finishing in Syrah‑fade from a local winery adds dark fruit, tannin and a spicy element to a locally grown, small-batch bourbon base.	Limited; Spirits only ship within WA State
Bourbon Mini Bottle (50ml)	Bourbon (mini)				A 50 ml miniature edition of the distillery's bourbon, suitable as a tasting sample or gift. Contains the same grain and maturation principles as the full bourbon.	Current; Spirits only ship within WA State

The Whiskies' Style and Flavor Profile

From the documented descriptions, the rye expressions come across as distinctly spicy and peppery, often with notes of fresh-cut wood, maple, honey and vanilla from the barrel aging. The bourbons are described as lively and woody, while the cask-finished editions add darker fruit notes and tannins from the Syrah fade, as well as more pronounced fruity sweetness from the apple brandy finish. Together, spice, barrel vanilla and fruity finishes form a cohesive flavor landscape.

Visit the Distillery

The distillery welcomes guided tours and tastings in their tasting room; there are public tours, private tours and bookable tasting experiences. The house also houses Penny Farthing restaurant and bar, a rooftop bar and a ballroom-events hall, so a visit often combines production, tasting and dining. Tours take guests through the production facilities and showcase items from the founding period, including the bicycle-powered grain mill as a curiosity.

Philosophy and Craft

The work is rooted in local sourcing and traditional processes: unmalted, locally grown grain, on-site milling, mashing, open wooden fermentation and in-house distillation. The distillery prioritizes small batches, slow fermentation and maturation, as well as avoiding additives such as color and chill-filtration to let the character of the raw materials shine through.

Prizes and Recognitions

Washington State Distillery of the Year
Silver (Madame Richelieu Absinthe) (2025, Silver, Madame Richelieu Absinthe)
Silver (Madame Richelieu Absinthe) (2024, Silver, Madame Richelieu Absinthe)