BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – For Osbaldo Hernández and Dennis Ramey, their Mexican/Mestizo and queer identities are an important part of the story that led to the creation of El Sueñito Brewing Company. Meaning “the little dream” in Spanish, El Sueñito represents a culmination of identity, culture and love.

Ramey and Hernández are partners both in business and in life, starting the Frelard tamale business in Seattle a decade ago, shortly after they started a relationship.

Hernández is originally from Mexico and came over with his family in 2002 to be with his father who worked as a migrant worker. As most of his family did not have documentation at the time, Hernández’s mother sold tamales door to door for work. Helping his mother make and sell the tamales showed Hernández the ropes to later make the dish that kicked off their business a decade later.

“After middle school and high school, when I was here, I would get off school, go home, [and] my mom would have a [little igloo] cooler, ready for me with like, 40 or 60 tamales. And I would take up a King County Metro bus and go knock doors and random apartment buildings,” he said. “I was making tamales for the need of making money to bring in money into the household, because one couldn’t work besides under the table.”

Hernández said that the choice to start selling tamales was to share the family recipe with the people of Seattle that did not have many options for tamales in the northern part of the city.

Papel picado banners hang along El Sueñito’s outdoor covered patio. The colorful Mexican craft is celebratory and hangs year-round at the establishment. Photo by Emma Toscani

“I’m not sure why we did this, but we said, ‘Let’s give up our weekends and start selling tamales at farmer’s markets,'” Hernández said. Both were working full-time jobs at the time, Hernández in the government and Ramey in biomedical research.

Their tamales grew in popularity over time and eventually they established a brick-and-mortar walk-up window in Seattle’s Green Lake area. When that business took off, they decided to pair their tamales with beer in an official capacity, creating a brewing company that served the corn-husked dishes.

As for location for the business, Bellingham came up on their radar as it was more affordable than the Seattle area and the couple had already frequented the region as avid outdoorsmen. El Sueñito was founded in 2021, and their grand opening of their Sunnyland location was in early 2023.

“I hate the idea of hanging up a queer flag just for Pride or doing something just for Pride. And if you read the text on our Pride beer, we say, ‘We know Pride is not just June. We hope that people celebrate Pride year-round.'” Osbaldo Hernández said.

Now, the married couple calls Whatcom County home, living in Maple Falls. They regularly go paddleboarding on Silver Lake and Ramey skis and snowboards at Mount Baker in the winter.

“Obviously, Bellingham is gorgeous, and it’s nice to be here for getting that city, more urban experience, and then we’re also very excited to retract when we go home to like a wooded forest,” Hernández said.

Hernández said that he finds Bellingham and Whatcom County to be a welcoming place for their business. As an openly queer-owned business, they host drag brunches regularly and sell gay-themed merch and beer. Their Pride “Un Poco Gay” Hazy IPA proudly displays a rainbow-colored wolf’s head on the can.

A banner above the El Sueñito’s Bellingham taproom’s draft pour line says in multicolor letters “Sounds Gay, I’m In” along with rainbows. Photo by Emma Toscani

Though El Sueñito is not the only bar to produce pride-themed beer or host drag brunches in Whatcom County, they welcome the diversity that comes with their work in the community.

“We strive to be a space that’s welcoming and friendly and inclusive, and I think most importantly, representative of queer community,” Hernández said. “We’re two cisgender men that identify as gay men, so we’re not encompassing of the entire LGBTQ+ alphabet and so we’re cautious, but very proud and optimistic and hopefully being able to curate and support, nourish a space where people feel seen.”

Hernández relayed a story about a time when he was thanked for providing an inclusive space by an older lesbian married couple.

“I hate the idea of hanging up a queer flag just for Pride or doing something just for Pride. And if you read the text on our Pride beer, we say, ‘We know Pride is not just June. We hope that people celebrate Pride year-round,'” Hernández said.

Hernández hopes their presence in the community provides inspiration for BIPOC and LGBTQ+ community members to be business owners and work in the predominantly white brewing industry.

El Sueñito offered free meals and jobs to people who lost their employment following fires in Bellingham, namely the 2023 Terminal Building fire and State Street Bar’s fire in 2024. Hernández also said they offer free meals to anyone that needs it. That program started in the summer of 2023.

“I think it’s what we do, and the actions we take that speak more for themselves and the community knows we’re trying to be good members of the community by doing the various things we do when we can,” Hernández said.

We Are Whatcom is a weekly column featuring Whatcom County residents making a positive impact on the community. To submit a Whatcom County resident to be featured, click here.