Island Hoppin' on Orcas is the only brewery I'm aware of on that rock. Not the greatest beer, but nice folks, so worth a quick stop to decide for yourself. I believe there's a brewery on Lopez too, but I really don't know anything about it.
It's worth checking out the food co-ops on San Juan and Orcas, you can find some older bottles there at times even though they're far from being bottle shops. They also have some really good chocolate milk in glass bottles. I agree with beertunes on Island Hoppin.
Ironically started by another Texas guy... https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/san-juan-islands.422611/
Those Texans! In all seriousness, thanks for posting the link - this helps. Thanks for the replies guys.
They do a blend of Old Madrona and something else that they brew which was quite enjoyable...I can't remember what it was (not on the menu,) but I'm sure they'll tell you if you ask.
In Friday Harbor, I seem to remember a sports bar kinda place, just up the street from the old San Juan Brewing/Front Street Ale House spot, that had a good taplist. But, it's prolly been 7-10 tears since I've been over, so, grains of salt.
I thought I'd add a few notes to this old thread, in case other folks find themselves on or near San Juan Island this summer. Short version: It was easier than expected to find good beer. When Mrs. vurt and I got off the San Juan Clipper ferry, we spotted the Cask and Schooner Public House at the bottom of Spring Street and decided for fortify ourselves with a snack and a pint. They had 10 taps which showed a decent range of styles from regional breweries. The average Northwest BA wouldn't be too bored, and the average beer drinker wouldn't be intimidated. Further up the block, Herb's Tavern ("The oldest tavern in town") had a few gems amongst all the macro-craft. They poured a fine pint of Lucille IPA. If you want bottles/cans, the selection at King's Market one block away from Herb's is pretty damn good. I certainly didn't expect to see Breakside or pFriem bottles on San Juan Island, but there they are. Insert standard comment here about making sure you check the dates on the packaging. The San Juan Island Brewing spot at the end of A Street is impressive. Big restaurant space, nice patio. They had a dozen beers on tap and we sampled most of them over two visits. The Outer Island IPA was quite good. The Helles Lager was surprisingly good. I also enjoyed the Powers Out Stout. The rest of the beers were less impressive, but certainly solid, and there really wasn't a bad one in the bunch. Food was tasty, especially the Farmer's Market pizza. Expensive, but what do you expect? They're on an island. San Juan Island brewing had some tallboy 4-packs available: Outer Island IPA, Yachter's Daughter Helles Lager, and Afterglow Golden Ale. If cider is your thing, it looks like there's a cider producer called Westcott Bay, up at the Roche Harbor end of San Juan Island. They do tastings and tours, and their bottles are available at the aforementioned King's Market. We didn't get to check out The Oar House at Friday Harbor Brewing Company, even though they were just a couple blocks from our hotel. Maybe next time. We also didn't get to check out San Juan Island Cheese, a shop whose sign boasts "Artisan Cheese, Wine, & Beer." Again, next time.
