Friday, Aug. 4, kicks off the grand opening of Larrabee Lager Co. in Bellingham, owned by Western Washington University alumnus Sam Milne and his wife Kate Milne.
Larrabee Lager Co. will host their grand opening Aug. 4 to 6 from 11a.m. to 10p.m. On Saturday, Aug. 5, they will be offering coupons for company “swag.” On Sunday, they will be joined by a pop-up Maple Bar Coffee Shop where donuts and coffee will be sold.
Sam, described by his wife as being the “brewer extraordinaire,” began his home-brewing journey while at Western, making beer in his college house. From there, he worked for multiple Washington breweries, including being head brewer at Bellingham’s Kulshan Brewing Company.
In 2018, Sam was awarded the Glen Falconer Brewing scholarship which gave him the opportunity to study German lagers at Doemens Academy in Munich, Germany.
Upon arriving back in Bellingham in 2021, Sam and Kate worked to realize their dream of owning their own brewing company.
After years of building their tap list, they will open with eight of their own brews, mostly consisting of German-inspired lagers as well as an IPA.
In addition to drinks, a food menu of six different pizzas, a few appetizers and salads are available. The kitchen is managed by Sam’s brother, Ben Milne.
Their 8,000-square-foot space located on Meridian Street is inspired by traditional European brewing cultures and is complete with 13 beer hall tables, bar seating and a kids area. Kate said by next summer, they plan to have an outdoor seating area open.
Because Kate calls the business “a big family affair,” the Milnes wanted to make the space family-friendly. Having children of their own inspired them to create a designated space for children in their restaurant. This way, parents can focus on enjoying their beer and their children can stay entertained, said Kate.
Updates for the opening can be found on their Instagram and website. They are located at 4151 Meridian St., Suite 100.
Grace Eaton (she/her) is finishing her third year at Western, majoring in communication studies with a minor in journalism-public relations. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, playing lacrosse and reading.
You can contact her at graceeaton.thefront@gmail.com.
