Hyperlocal, Hyperdelicious: Garden Path Fermentation

There’s no shortage of local sips in our Beer and Wine Department. IPA brewed down the street, wine aged in barrels across the bridge, and a seemingly never-ending supply of craft beers from local breweries here in Skagit and just up the road in Bellingham.

Ron and Amber of Garden Path Fermentation

And now, we’re excited to welcome another outstanding local biz that not only ferments and brews its products on site at the Port of Skagit, but also sources all of its ingredients locally, too. Say hello to the newest addition to our Beer and Wine Department: Skagit Valley’s own Garden Path Fermentation.

Texas Roots, Skagit Blooms

While founders Ron Extract and Amber Watts aren’t Skagit Valley natives, they did make the trek from Texas to Burlington specifically to start their own project celebrating Skagit’s unique agricultural qualities.

Both Ron and Amber were involved with Jester King Brewery in Austin, where they developed their passion for all things fermentation. Ron was an owner and manager while Amber managed the tasting room and front office. Their complementary set of skills made opening their own space in the Valley an attainable goal. Nowadays, they have a team of around 6 at their brewery on Higgins Airport Way, and are still highly focused on local, small-batch brews.

Hyperlocal, Hyperdelicious

Garden Path ferments their beer, cider, mead, and wine locally, and they only use hyper-local ingredients to do so: Skagit-grown grain, Pacific Northwest Hops, local fruit and honey, and 100% native Skagit yeast.

From farm and garden to barrel and bottle, Garden Path prides itself on celebrating the abundance of our Valley in every bottle or can they produce. Even their logo is local! It’s a collaboration between Garden Path’s owners and Skagit Valley artist and designer R. Ben Turpin.

Local apples waiting to be fermented!

Seasonal & Oh-So Special

As with our Produce Department, our selection of Garden Path Fermentation sips rotate with the seasons.

And while that means that you may have to wait a couple of months for the one beer you absolutely love, the anticipation makes it that much more special, just like Skagit Valley strawberries in June and Chelan apples in the Fall. It also means there’s something new to try with every season.

Garden Path visits local farms around the Valley throughout the growing season to handpick fruit and hops for their brews. Because it’s a new process each year, the flavor variation from one bottle to the next is to be expected and celebrated.

Their malt is grown in the Valley and malted at Skagit Valley Malting, and it doesn’t stop there. Garden Path also utilizes a house yeast that is 100% natively cultured and isolated from the very air we breathe in the Valley.

Exploring the Path Less Traveled

Garden paths—they take you from point A to B, all while letting nature flourish in the cracks between steps. Though the paths may not be direct, they do lead you to somewhere spectacular, and sometimes unexpected. This idea is what led Ron and Amber to go with the name Garden Path Fermentation.

The Vinaceous Endeavor Forth

By utilizing unique, hyperlocal ingredients that can change seasonally, Garden Path’s fermented drinks are a departure from the traditional.

As they put it, “Mixed-culture products take time to ferment, and tend toward the complex, interesting flavor profiles that may be surprising to the palate; they’re fermentation’s way of taking you down the garden path to a place you may not have thought you’d end up.”

So if you’re looking to take your taste buds on a journey, or maybe a staycation, you might say, Garden Path Fermentation always has something new to discover, right here at the Co-op.