Bellingham is arguably at it’s best during fall. Clear, sunny days and leaves crunching under our feet make the dropping temperature more bearable. There’s something to be said for the beginning of a season where dark beer and comfort food become a priority, and two local businesses are ringing it in in the most Bellingham way possible.
Camber, the newest local go-to for carefully curated coffee and beer selections, is teaming up with Bellingham favorite Wander Brewing for an Autumnal Beer Dinner event on Monday, November 20 at 6:30 pm.
The event is to celebrate the changing of seasons, and is the first of it’s kind for Camber, who is focused on hospitality and an exceptional customer experience.
“Our goal with Camber was all about creating a welcoming, comfortable space to enjoy good food and drink at any hour. We like taking care of people. We try to generally just make things enjoyable and easy for our guests.” David Yake said, one of Camber’s co-founders.
Guests will enjoy a five course meal with local, fresh ingredients curated and prepared by Camber’s chef, Mac Trux, paired with seven beers from Wander.
“Our chef has been pouring his heart into the menu. His passion for well-prepared fresh, seasonal food is really going to shine. Our team couldn’t be more excited about the evening.” Yake said.
Some of the food and beer pairings that guests can expect include a scallop ceviche and crackers paired with the Blood Orange Millie, a braised short rib with cauliflower grits and broccolini paired with the Global Mutt Porter, and a chamomile cake with pepper streusel and smoked lemon ice cream paired with the Hazy Pale Ale.
Don’t worry, our mouths are watering, too.
“It will be a classy, laid-back affair. We’ll be providing table service and some tasty surprises.” Yake said of what to expect from the event.
Wander and Camber’s relationship started before Camber’s opening this summer. The Camber team frequented Wander, just because they were fans of the beer, and of course the Brew Hall space. This led to a myriad of partnership opportunities, starting with a collaboration between Wander and one of Camber’s coffee roasters, Lucy Molenda.
You might remember it, the Reko Suave Coffee IPA made with Camber’s Ethiopia Reko coffee. It was smooth. It was roasty and hoppy at the same time. It was excellent.
Wander has continually been found on the Camber tap list alongside other local favorites, thanks to Beer Director Steven Wiederspohn.
“The dinner is the brainchild of our Beer Director, Steven Wiederspohn, and Wander’s Sales Rep, Casey Adkins. Steven has really taken our beer program by the horns. He started reaching out to a bunch of exciting breweries months before we opened.” Yake said. “Without all of his knowledge and groundwork, our beer menu wouldn’t be nearly as fun and eclectic as it is.”
As far as Camber’s future beer plans, it sounds like the Autumnal Beer Dinner is just the beginning. Wiederspohn has already implemented both a flight and growler program at Camber, but there are more special beer-related things to come, including more tap listings of hard-to-find specialty beers that aren’t normally found around Bellingham, like brews from Holy Mountain, Dystopian State, and Crooked Stave.
Camber is also working on developing their happy hour menu and late night dessert and drink options.
Visit Camber or Wander if you are interested in attending the Autumnal Beer Dinner. For more information and a full food and beer menu for the night, check out the event page.