Beer News...On the Road Again!

Hi All,

I am off to Florida! Any ideas of great beer experiences in the Sarasota area on the west coast? Let me know. I am not taking my laptop so I will not be checking email or blogs. I am going el natural! I will be leaving the grid until April 6th when I will return just in Time for The 13th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest at the Oregon Convention Center. I hope to see you all there! Before I leave, I wanted to post the Beer News for the next couple of weeks. Please look to www.guestontap.com for late breaking news and our regular stories. Mind you, I do the breaking news so do not espect alot of new things while I am away, but the new story by Lisa Morrison on April 3rd is a good one! Make sure you check into Guest on Tap in The Portland Tribune on Tuesday April 3rd and while you are there check out the program for the Spring Beer & Wine Fest. Have a great week. On to beer news!

Cheers! Prost!

Dave Dronkowski

BEER NEWS

Concordia Ale House is back! Skagit River Brewery will have a special meet the brewer event on Thursday March 29th at 6 PM. The Brewer, Ron Browning, from Skagit River Brewery, will have some tasty brews on hand. Concordia Ale House 3276. N.E. Killingsworth Ave. (503) 282-2411.

The 13th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest have received permission from the OLCC to have minors at their festival this year! Kids will be allowed until 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday April 6th and 7th, 2007 of this year's Spring Beer and Wine Fest in Portland, Oregon.

COME DRINK BEER!!! Come out to the Horse Brass Pub on Thursday April 5 to celebrate the release of Conspiracy, a Belgian Style Black Beer created and brewed by Gabe Fletcher (Headbrewer, Midnight Sun Brewing, Anchorage, AK) and Ben Love (Former Brewer at Pelican Pub & Brewery, now Headbrewer at HopWorks Urban Brewery). The beer was brewed in Alaska this January. The beer is dark, smooth, full of flavor and weighs in at 8.5% ABV! Gabe is making the trip to Portland for the release party and is also bringing along kegs of Midnight Sun’s Envy Imperial Pils (9% ABV), Gluttony Triple IPA (11%) and FH Double IPA (9%). This will be your only chance to try these beers on draft outside of Alaska. Come party and call in sick Friday! Conspiracy, Envy and Gluttony will be $3.50/glass & FH will be $5/pint. (Horse Brass Pub, < http://www.horsebrass.com/> 4534 SE Belmont ,Portland, Oregon 97215 USA , #503.232-2202)There will also be a bottle release event on Friday, April 6 from 5-7 p.m. in the new café at Belmont Station. Gabe Fletcher & Ben Love will be there to pour and talk about Conspiracy. Guests will be able to purchase a 4oz taster or a bottle to enjoy there or take home. Bottled Conspiracy will be available in limited edition 22oz bottles. The bottles will be available at selected bottle shops in Oregon and Alaska. Beer fans can have the beer shipped to them through Belmont Station (http://www.belmont-station.com/).

Pyramid Brewing Company will be doing some additional draft beers on tap in the future. According to Tom Hugh, Brew master at the Portland Pyramid Brewery location, we have had some great success with some specialty products including our recently departed, Imperial Hefe Weizen. Because of the huge success of this product, the Imperial Hefe Weizen is slated to appear in bottles in the fall. Currently, you will find a bourbon barrel aged Snow Cap on at MacTarnahan's Taproom. MacTarnahan’s Taproom at Portland Brewing (2730 NW 31st, Portland Oregon, 97210 , Telephone: (503) 228-5269 )

Alameda Brewing Company has some plans for the release of some new organic beers and a major expansion in the future. There famous Beaumont Bock will be coming out soon. Head Brewer, John Eaton cut his teeth in the brewing industry at Lagunitas Brewing Co. in Petaluma, CA. He has worked for six years as a professional brewer, including stops at the San Francisco Brewing Company and Pyramid Brewery in Berkeley, CA. John is a 1997 graduate of the UC Davis Master Brewer’s Program. He has a passion for beer, and is dedicated to continuing the tradition at Alameda Brewhouse of producing high-quality hand crafted ales. Check out Alameda Brewhouse is located at: 4765 NE Fremont St , Portland, OR 9721 Call: 503-460-9025 < http://www.alamedabrewhouse.com/home>

Congratulations! Andrew Stromberg from Vancouver, Washington! Winner of a $25 Gift Certificate from F.H. Steinbart and a free beer brewing class! Andrew entered at F.H. Steinbart Company at 234 SE 12th, Portland. Call # (503) 232-8793 for information on brewing classes and directions.

ATTENTION HOMEBREWERS! The Sasquatch Homebrewing Competition is now accepting entries for 2007.
Together with the Cascade Brewers Society, the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation is sponsoring the 2nd annual Sasquatch Homebrewing Competition. The competition is sanctioned by the American Homebrewers Association and the Beer Judge Certification Program. Judging will take place in the days preceding the Sasquatch Brew Fest on June 2, 2007 in Eugene, Oregon. The deadline for entries is May 24, 2007.
Prizes will be awarded at the Sasquatch Brew Fest to the top three finishers in the following BJCP style categories:
English Pale Ale: Best Bitter, ESB
American Ale: American Pale Ale, American Amber
IPA: American IPA, Imperial IPA
Strong Ale: Old Ale, American Barleywine
The competition is open to homebrewers in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. For entry instructions and additional information, visit http://www.sasquatchbrewfest.org/homebrew.html

Full Sail’s Brew Pub’s(Hood River, OR) re-opening has been postponed. According to Jamie Emmerson, Executive Brewmaster, Full Sail Brewing Company, “the Full Sail pub in Hood River is not ready to open yet. We do have a Chef hired for the kitchen (he's really into beer), and the kitchen drywall is up, but there have been some delays with the HVAC. So, instead of pushing too hard, and not wanting to steal Double Mountain's opening thunder (Charlie and Matt used to work for me, and I wish them all the best), we're going to target a later opening date.” Jamie (http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/, 506 Columbia St., Hood River, OR 97031, #541.386.2281)

SPRING IS HERE; TIME TO HIDE SOME WINTER BEER

SPRING IS HERE; TIME TO HIDE SOME WINTER BEER
By Preston Weesner

Honorary Beer Scribe

With spring sprung, and the onset of better weather it is only a matter of time until the spring beer releases hit the shelves and taps. I definitely am looking forward to crisp Pilsners, sweet Maibocks and fresh pale ales, but most of all, the lawn mower beer, and my lawn needs it. .

With the spring comes the end of the winter, and all the big beers that made it tolerable. So what’s a beer enthusiast to do? Get yourself to the store and stock up on your winter favorites before they are gone! After you have hidden away you treasure, reward yourself for a job well done with a mini- pub crawl with some friends to have a last pint of winter cheer from your favorite brewery or pub.

Why hide some big winter beers? Several reasons, almost all of the winter releases will certainly hold up another month, or three. Bring one of your treasures out to share with a friend in a few months and see how it has changed; think of it as continuing your beer education. What better way to cap off that Pale ale you were drinking while you braved the heat from the grill for the first big BBQ of the season than with a nice after dinner glass of vintage beer from your cellar.

How do you know what you can put away for a while without the beer going bad? A couple of general rule to go by are 7%- 8% and above. Keep your beer out of the light. And keep it cool, either in a beer fridge, or if you have a basement you can start or add to your beer cellar. The colder you keep the beer the slower it will change. No beer cellar? Find a cool place in the house like a closet or under the kitchen sink or in a cooler by the couch if need be. Although the last one might be met with a little resistance, desperate times call for desperate measures!

Want to further your beer education? Split the beers up between the fridge and the cellar and see how the beer changes. You will see noticeable results and might find you like one method better than the other. Hop monsters will have softened. Beers that were spiced or had a noticeable heat from the higher alcohol content will have mellowed as the malt and hops that were seemingly at odds now complement each other.

Want to try something new? Grab that big strong ale that was bursting with hop aroma when you first tried it a few months ago, and has now given way to a complex malty beer with a lingering hop after taste and give it a splash of that new IPA that just hit the shelves and you can transport your treasure back in time. The most important thing is to enjoy your treasure, it won’t last forever, it never does.

Minors to by allowed at the 13th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest in Portland, Oregon

BREAKING NEWS!!!!
The 13th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest have received permission from the OLCC to have minors at their festival this year! Kids will be allowed until 7 p.m. both Friday and Saturday April 6th and 7th, 2007 of this year's Spring Beer and Wine Fest in Portland, Oregon.
More to come!
Stay tuned to this station!

BEER NEWS:

NEW BEERS FROM LAURELWOOD Remember the old Crossbow Scottish? According to Chad Kennedy, Laurelwood will ber releasing something similar this week in the Public House. Make sure you go by and check it out this week! Other news, brewing should begin at the new location on NE Sandy Blvd. on April 1st. The Organic grains will be arriving to fill those new silos that were all over the television news last week. For more information go to http://www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com/ or visit the Laurelwood Public House and Brewery at 1728 NE 40th Avenue, Portland, OR 97212, #503.282.0622.

COME DRINK BEER!!! Come out to the Horse Brass Pub on Thursday April 5 to celebrate the release of Conspiracy, a Belgian Style Black Beer created and brewed by Gabe Fletcher (Headbrewer, Midnight Sun Brewing, Anchorage, AK) and Ben Love (Former Brewer at Pelican Pub & Brewery, now Headbrewer at HopWorks Urban Brewery). The beer was brewed in Alaska this January. The beer is dark, smooth, full of flavor and weighs in at 8.5% ABV! Gabe is making the trip to Portland for the release party and is also bringing along kegs of Midnight Sun’s Envy Imperial Pils (9% ABV), Gluttony Triple IPA (11%) and FH Double IPA (9%). This will be your only chance to try these beers on draft outside of Alaska. Come party and call in sick Friday! Conspiracy, Envy and Gluttony will be $3.50/glass & FH will be $5/pint. (Horse Brass Pub, < http://www.horsebrass.com/> 4534 SE Belmont ,Portland, Oregon 97215 USA , #503.232-2202)There will also be a bottle release event on Friday, April 6 from 5-7 p.m. in the new café at Belmont Station. Gabe Fletcher & Ben Love will be there to pour and talk about Conspiracy. Guests will be able to purchase a 4oz taster or a bottle to enjoy there or take home. Bottled Conspiracy will be available in limited edition 22oz bottles. The bottles will be available at selected bottle shops in Oregon and Alaska. Beer fans can have the beer shipped to them through Belmont Station (http://www.belmont-station.com/).

ATTENTION HOMEBREWERS! The Sasquatch Homebrewing Competition is now accepting entries for 2007.
Together with the Cascade Brewers Society, the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation is sponsoring the 2nd annual Sasquatch Homebrewing Competition. The competition is sanctioned by the American Homebrewers Association and the Beer Judge Certification Program. Judging will take place in the days preceding the Sasquatch Brew Fest on June 2, 2007 in Eugene, Oregon. The deadline for entries is May 24, 2007.
Prizes will be awarded at the Sasquatch Brew Fest to the top three finishers in the following BJCP style categories:
English Pale Ale: Best Bitter, ESB
American Ale: American Pale Ale, American Amber
IPA: American IPA, Imperial IPA
Strong Ale: Old Ale, American Barleywine
The competition is open to homebrewers in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. For entry instructions and additional information, visit http://www.sasquatchbrewfest.org/homebrew.html


Just in time for the annual 8 day of Passover! Shmaltz Brewing presents ORIGIN Pomegranate Ale. A renewal of their original HE'BREW Beer covenant, brewed once again after 10 years with the juice of over 10,000 luscious Pomegranates, ORIGIN is a complex, rich and balanced Imperial Amber Ale with a truly unique character. A slight reworking of their 10th Anniversary Genesis 10:10, ORIGIN amazingly enough remains the only nationally distributed Pomegranate Strong Ale in the country. You should see 22 ounce bottles should be hitting shelves any day.

Another State of Beer

ANOTHER STATE OF BEER
By Angelo De Ieso II

Since the microbrewing revolution of the 1980s, many Vancouver, Wash., residents have commuted to Portland to sate their palates with a decent selection of handcrafted bottled beverages. But now, thanks to By the Bottle, Southwest Washington’s perception of native beer is changing.
By the Bottle is Vancouver’s premier bottled-beer shop, offering more than 400 selections including local, import and hard-to-find micros. Started by husband-and-wife team Arlene and David Nuñez, the downtown shop is giving both Washington and Oregon beer zealots something to feel good about.
Opening their doors on St. Patrick’s Day 2006, the couple turned their passion for exemplary beer into an outlet for their community to explore a plethora of local and international favorites ranging from Belgians to small Washington micros.
Short of making the trek south into Portland to places like Belmont Station or John’s Marketplace, the people of Vancouver were without many options in their own town.
“There was literally no place to buy specialty beers in Clark County, Wash., especially beers that are brewed in the state of Washington,” Arlene Nuñez says. “We thought, ‘How could that be?’ We live in a region filled with so many great beers. Why should they be so hard to purchase locally?”
Due to strict distribution laws of both Washington and Oregon, many of the highly desirable microbrews of each state are not available for retail sale on the other side of the Columbia.
This means you won’t find the beers of Boundary Bay (Bellingham), Silver City (Silverdale), and Harmon (Tacoma) for sale in Oregon. Similarly, you won’t find many of their Oregon counterparts over in Washington.
Now following a successful inaugural year on West Evergreen Boulevard and neighboring Salmon Creek Brewing, By The Bottle is celebrating with a March 24 tasting open to the public.
This will include the store’s first Belgian beer tasting, additional surprise beer samples, and giveaways, raffles and prizes. When asked of obstacles involved in the operation of the shop, Nuñez mentioned “finding and securing” the beers.
“Local distributors do not carry the brands and the styles of beers we wanted,” she says. This means making the haul up to Seattle distributors to obtain a majority of their sought after offerings. “This literally makes (us) a ‘specialty’ beer shop, not only for Vancouver residents, but for beer lovers in Oregon as well,” she says.
As fervent proponents of local businesses, the two take great pride in their customer base and credit much of their success to the support of their customers.
“Our customers arrive with stories relating to their travels or various occasions where beer is a part of their memories. Their excitement when they encounter the beer at By the Bottle rekindles those memories and makes their beer shopping experience fun and extra special,” Nuñez says.
Her customers take a personal ownership of By the Bottle because it is the first of its kind in their neighborhood.
She says, “One newcomer dropped to their knees, reached toward the heavens and said, ‘Finally, my own bottle shop!’ ”
So what can we expect next?
“The future is bright for By the Bottle,” Nuñez says. “We plan on adding 100 to 200 more beers to our collection and will continue to provide our customers with a fun, personal, great beer buying experience.”

Join By the Bottle for its First Birthday celebration, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 24, 104 W. Evergreen Blvd., Vancouver, Wash., 1-360-696-0012, www.bottledbrews.com for event details

A weekly listing of 6 new and interesting brews available around town.

This week’s six-pack features new hoppy delights from Belmont Station:

Alaskan IPA - India pale ale

Thiriez XXtra - dry-hopped farmhouse ale

Poperings Hommel Ale - Belgian blonde

Houblon Chouffe - hoppy Belgian hybrid ale

Coniston Bluebird XB - English Bitter

Alesmith IPA - India pale ale

The beers featured in the 6-pack of the week are available at Belmont Station (4500 S.E. Stark St. Portland, Oregon, 97215, 503-232-8538, http://www.belmont-station.com/) and other fine local retailers.

BEER NEWS:

COLLABORATOR BEER RELEASE
Widmer Bros. Brewing, Blue Dog distributing and the Oregon Brew Crew invite you to the release party for the newest Collaborator Beer - Continuum Brown. The Collaborator Beer series is a unique, ongoing collaborative effort between the homebrewers of the Oregon Brew Crew and Widmer Brothers Brewing. The Collaborator Project asks the OBC Homebrewers to come up with a superior example of a lesser-known variety of beer which is then brewed commercially by Widmer Brothers Brewing. For each Collaborator keg sold, Widmer donates money to the Oregon State University's Glenn Falconer Brewing scholarship. So the pint you buy today ensures better beer for the future. Meet Continuum's Brewer Scott Sanders as well as Rob Widmer, Wednesday, March 21st, 6-9pm at the Brooklyn Park Pub, 3400 SE Milwaukie Ave. Collaborator Beers are available from Blue Dog Distributing (503-516-6310, info@bluedogales.com).

263 MILLION BOTTLES OF BEER ON THE WALL: OREGON BREWERIES NEAR HALF BILLION MARK IN RETAIL SALES!
That total ranks Oregon second in the nation for total production of craft beer. Since the closure of the Blitz-Weinhard Brewery in 1999, all beer production in Oregon has been by independent craft breweries. Portland has 28 microbreweries within its city limits which is more than any other city in the world. The Oregon Brewers Guild anticipates four more breweries opening within the city limits in 2007, bringing the total to 32. The Portland metro area is the largest craft brewing market in the United States. It is the only area to sell more than 1,000,000 cases of micro brewed beer according to Information Resources Inc. Seattle and San Francisco are the second and third largest markets respectively.

IRISH STOUT - A VICTORY OVER THE ENGLISH

IRISH STOUT - A VICTORY OVER THE ENGLISH
By Abram Goldman-Armstrong

On Saturday, Feb. 24, the Irish beat the English at their own game. In front of 82,000 people in Dublin’s Croke Park stadium the Irish rugby squad annihilated the English 43-13. It wasn’t the first time the Irish have succeeded against the English with the odds stacked against them.
In the 1700s, a new beer style was taking England by storm. First brewed in 1722 in East London, porter, or entire butt as it was initially called, had gained massive popularity with the new class of urban workers.
When a young Irishman by the name of Arthur Guinness leased a four-acre brewery in the Liberties, a run-down area of central Dublin in 1759, for 9,000 years, and began brewing porter people thought he was mad.
Under the colonial rule of the British Crown, Irish industries, brewing included, were squeezed by unfavorable tariffs. By 1800, though, thanks to Guinness’ porter, Ireland had gone from being a net importer of beer from England to a major exporter.
Originally an ale brewery producing a range of products, Guinness devoted itself only to the production of porter in 1800. Soon it was brewing a special version, dubbed “Extra Stout Porter” for export to the Caribbean, where the black stuff is still very popular.
Even after the decline of porter in England at the end of the 1800s, Guinness’ porters and stouts continued to dominate the Irish beer market, and it was the largest brewery in the world in 1914. Across the globe, beer-drinkers came to know the black pint with the creamy head and harp logo as the quintessential symbol of Ireland.
Over the years, Guinness expanded its original brewery to 64 acres, and now operates breweries in nearly 50 countries. Nigeria, home to the first Guinness brewery outside of Ireland and Britain since 1963, is the third largest market.
In recent years, however, stout has been losing ground at home to lager
Guinness, owned by global spirits giant Diageo, brews Anheuser-Busch Budweiser for the Irish market. In an attempt to bolster sales, Guinness recently has released a series of special-limited edition or seasonal stouts, available only in Dublin.
In the late 1990s Ireland saw a resurgence of small breweries, which had disappeared in the Guinness-dominated beer market. Most Irish microbreweries and brew pubs The produce a stout, a red ale and a lager.
Some however, such as Cork’s Franciscan Well and Dublin’s Messrs. Maguire brew pubs, are a bit more adventuresome, taking inspiration from Northwest craft brewers, using new world hops such as Cascades.
Dublin’s Porterhouse brew pub, which has a production brewery outside the city, even has opened a brewery tap in London. Ireland’s brewers are still at it, bringing their interpretation of porter back to its homeland.

A weekly listing of 6 new and interesting brews available around town.

This week’s six-pack features new favorites from Belmont Station:

Midnight Sun Arctic Rhino - Coffee PorterMidnight Sun Arctic Devil - BarleywineBoulder Mojo Risin' - Imperial IPAHe'Brew Origin - Strong Ale w/ PomegranateAktien Maibock - MaibockRodenbach Grand Cru - Flemish Sour Red Ale

The beers featured in the 6-pack of the week are available at Belmont Station (4500 S.E. Stark St. Portland, Oregon, 97215, 503-232-8538, www.belmont-station.com) and other fine local retailers.

BEER NEWS:

FOUR DAYS AND COUNTING! ST. PATRICK’S DAY IS SATURDAY! McMenamin’s and Kell’s will re-start their countdown for next year’s celebration on Sunday!

THE OFFICIAL S.N.O.B. GATHERING for March is on March 24th from 3- 6 PM at the Broadway Grill and Brewery, 1700 NE Broadway in Portland,#503.284.4460. Become a SNOB Member “Supporters of Native Oregon Beers”, call 503.288.BREW or e-mail Brian Butenschoen at orbrewingguild@msn.com or go to http://oregonbeer.org/snob.html for more information.

MACTARNAHAN’S BREWING COMPANY TURNING 21 YEARS OLD
MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company invites new and old friends of Mac’s to attend “Mac’s Madness”, a MacTarnahan’s 21st birthday celebration on March 14th at the MacTarnahan’s Taproom in Northwest Portland. MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale has be spotted sporting new “clothes” – a redesigned label and new packaging - designed by Portland’s Sockeye Creative, the agency of record for MacTarnahan’s Brewing. The new packaging features a diagonal banner with the distinct red MacTarnahan’s logotype displayed on a forest green and craft tan background, accompanied by a stamp stating, “Portland’s Original Amber Ale”. The award-winning recipe for MacTarnahan’s will remain the same. MacTarnahan’s will put some of its 21st birthday money towards innovative marketing efforts starting in March including: “Mac’s Madness” at the MacTarnahan’s Taproom, grocery store sampling throughout the Portland area, a co-promotion with a local gourmet pizza restaurant, an on-premise promotion at MacTarnahan’s Taproom and participation in the Spring Beer Festival in Portland April 6-7. Everyone is invited to attend “Mac’s Madness” at the MacTarnahan’s Taproom in Northwest Portland on Wednesday, March 14th. More details about the celebration can be found at: www.macsbeer.com.

Mac's Becomes Legal

Mac's Becomes Legal
By Lisa Morrison

MacTarnahan's Brewing has reach "legal drinking age" -- and there's going to be a party to celebrate.

MacTarnahan's Brewing Co., formerly Portland Brewing Co., was a pioneer in the craft beer industry and among the first craft breweries in Portland. Now an affiliate of Pyramid Breweries Inc., MacTarahan's brews up MacTarnahan's Blackwatch Cream Porter, Oregon Honey Beer and, of course, MacTarnahan's Amber Ale, which won a silver medal last fall at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival in Denver.

So, to with two reasons to celebrate, the folks at MacTarnahan's Brewing are throwing a party -- and everyone is invited.

"MacTarnahan's is a Portland original, a pioneer, and one of the most loved brews in the booming craft beer category," said Scott Barnum, President and CEO, Pyramid Breweries Inc. "Our goal is to get better beer lovers in Oregon and surrounding areas to discover or rediscover this truly great brand. Mac's has been kind of 'low-key' the last couple of years, and so, we're celebrating its 21st birthday with a big bang. Now that Mac's is of 'legal age,' we're giving the brand some new clothes and some spending money to mark the occasion."

What else could a 21-year-old want? But this time, the "new clothes" are for MacTarnahan's Amber Ale, which is now sporting a redesigned label and new packaging. The new look features a diagonal banner with red "MacTarnahan's" printed on a forest green and tan background, accompanied by a stamp stating, "Portland's Original Amber Ale." The new packaging also speaks of Portland's pioneering tradition in the world of craft beer.

If you fear change, though, there's no need to cry in your beer; despite the new togs, the award-winning recipe for MacTarnahan's Amber Ale will remain the same.

"It's important to let everyone know that despite a new set of clothes, we are keeping our award-winning recipe," said Tom Bleigh, Head Brewer, MacTarnahan's Brewing Co. "MacTarnahan's remains dedicated to maintaining the integrity of a true Northwest Portland original. Mac's Amber Ale uses a balance of caramel malts and assertive Cascade dry hopping to create a distinct citrus-floral aroma, with a crisp, smooth finish."

The aforementioned "spending money" means a new marketing push for Mac's as well, which includes grocery store samplings in March throughout the Portland metro area, a promotion with a yet-to-be disclosed local gourmet pizza restaurant, several giveaways of meals at the MacTarnahan's Tap Room and an appearance at the Spring Beer & Wine Festival April 6-7 at the Portland Convention Center.

The big event, though, is "Mac's Madness," a party that is open to the public at the MacTarnahan's Tap Room, located on the grounds of the Pyramid Brewing Co., 2730 NW 31st, in Northwest Portland. The party starts at 5 p.m. on March 14. There will be live music featuring the Pagan Jug Band, bagpipers (it is almost St. Patrick's Day after all), raffle prizes and door prizes, along with some pub food and plenty of Mac's Amber Ale to wash it all down.
What a way to "come of age!"

New Beers for Spring

New Beers for Spring
By Gary CorbinHonorary Beer Scribe for Guest on Tap

The heavy beers of winter are about to make way for the lighter, livelier beers more fitting for longer days and warmer weather of spring. Once again, there are fewer spring seasonals this year than last, which in turn had fewer than the year before. The market — that’s you and me, folks — hasn’t supported the beers, saleswise. At least in the bottle market.But there is an intrepid cadre of brewers that continues to introduce new beers, particularly on draft. Here are a few to look for. Rogue has released “Brew 10,000,” John Maier’s 10,000th batch for Rogue. Not brewed to any style, this big, dark brew (22 Plato, 60 IBU, 30 Lovibond) will be available in 750 mL black swing-top ceramic bottles. On the lighter side, Rogue is releasing Kells Irish Style Lager (12 Plato, 28 IBU, 9.8L, 6 percent ABV) for St. Patrick’s Day, a beer “perfect for floating Guinness,” Maier says. It will be available both on draft and in 22-ounce bottles. Also celebrating with the Irish, Laurelwood releases Brigid’s Irish Red in March. This Irish red ale was brewed in honor of Ireland’s patron saint of brewers, St. Brigid (457 to 525 A.D.). Mellow and malty with a deep red color, with caramel sweetness and a light hop flavor (15 IBU), Brigid’s surprisingly high alcohol content (6.5 percent) may make its drinkability dangerous. Roots Brewing is celebrating the first day of spring — and the brewery’s second anniversary — with the new East Side Abbey, a Belgian Dubbel. Craig Nicholls fermented Roots’ Red ale with an Abbey yeast. The release party is on the spring equinox (March 21) starting at 6 p.m., and will feature live music as well as their usual food and grub. Widmer’s ’07 Summit Pale Ale should be familiar to most Portland beer connoisseurs by now. Named for the Summit Hops that give the beer a citrusy, tangerine character, it drinks much smoother than its 36 IBU’s might lead you to believe. The Lucky Lab will release three new beers this spring. The first is Rose City Organic Red, an Irish-style session beer (4.2 percent ABV, 28 IBU) made with four different malts and Summit Hops. The second beer, due March 17, is a Belgian ale brewed with the Wyeast 1762 Abbey II yeast, which sports some oats and rye in the grist and somehow managed to absorb a full box of candi sugar in the brewery’s 7-BBL system. It was fermented warm (75 degrees) to maximize esters, so this should be a fruity one; brewer Dave Fleming predicts “hints of apricots with a warm, yet dry finish.” Also, the Lucky Lab’s Maibock returns later this spring. Bayern Brewing’s Killarney Irish Red is a mix of three worlds — an Irish-style ale made with German malts and American (Cascade) hops. It’s available only on draft, but be careful drinking this low-hop beer — its 5.7 percent ABV will sneak up on you. By contrast, it’ll be easier to drive after some of Dick’s Brewing’s Irish Red Ale (4.5 percent ABV). Melanoidin malt gives this beer a toasty flavor and that lovely red color. English-style hops and yeast make for a smooth finish. The big news — and biggest source of new beers — is the upcoming, long-awaited opening of Max’s Fanno Creek Brew Pub in Tigard. Max’s will open with an IPA, a Vanilla Cream Porter, a Scottish-style amber, a Golden Ale, and two Belgians — his “Farmer’s Daughter” Saison and a Wit. In addition, from Max’s aged-beer cellar, he’ll roll out a three-year-old barleywine, a two-year-old Imperial Stout, a one-year-old Tripel, a smoked Marzen, and a Dubbels, Kriek, and Frambois, all aged in French oak barrels. Probst!

Oregon Brewers Guild Expands Board

Oregon Brewers Guild elects new expanded Board of Directors.
New Board Officers are in place for 2007.

At the 2006 Annual Meeting, the Oregon Brewers Guild elected an expanded board of directors to oversee the affairs of the Guild. Past boards have had seven elected members. The new board has been expanded to nine members, eight brewery members and one allied trade member. The board chose to expand its size to increase the input from the Oregon Brewers Guild general membership.

At the first meeting of 2007, the board elected its slate of officers for 2007.

Oregon Brewers Guild Officers for 2007

Van Havig – President
Senior Brewer, Rock Bottom Brewery, Portland.

Christian Ettinger - Vice President
Owner and Brewer, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland

Kurt Widmer - Treasurer
Owner and Brewmaster, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, Portland

David Logsdon – Secretary
Owner, Wyeast Labs, Odell

New and re-elected Board Members

John Harris - Brewmaster, Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River
Jamie Floyd – Owner and Brewer, Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene
Fred Bowman - Pyramid Breweries, Portland
Jack Joyce – Owner, Rogue Ales, Newport
Ben Love - Brewery Manager, Pelican Pub and Brewery, Pacific City

The Oregon Brewers Guild is Oregon’s non-profit trade association for the state’s independent breweries. The Guild, which receives no state funding, comprises 43 brewing companies, 27 associate or supplier members and more than 1,430 enthusiast members or S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer). For more information, see www.oregonbeer.org

Beer News for March 2, 2007!

BEER NEWS:

MACTARNAHAN’S BREWING COMPANY TURNING 21 YEARS OLD- Birthday Celebration Featuring MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale is planned. Pyramid Brewing Company announces the reintroduction of the award-winning MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale to mark the company’s 21st birthday. The company also invites new and old friends of Mac’s to attend “Mac’s Madness”, a MacTarnahan’s 21st birthday celebration on March 14th at the MacTarnahan’s Taproom in Northwest Portland. Starting this week, MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale will be sporting new “clothes” – a redesigned label and new packaging - designed by Portland’s Sockeye Creative, the agency of record for MacTarnahan’s Brewing. The new packaging features a diagonal banner with the distinct red MacTarnahan’s logotype displayed on a forest green and craft tan background, accompanied by a stamp stating, “Portland’s Original Amber Ale”. The award-winning recipe for MacTarnahan’s will remain the same.
MacTarnahan’s will put some of its 21st birthday money towards innovative marketing efforts starting in March including: “Mac’s Madness” at the MacTarnahan’s Taproom, grocery store sampling throughout the Portland area, a co-promotion with a local gourmet pizza restaurant, an on-premise promotion at MacTarnahan’s Taproom and participation in the Spring Beer Festival in Portland April 6-7.

Everyone is invited to attend “Mac’s Madness” at the MacTarnahan’s Taproom in Northwest Portland on Wednesday, March 14th. More details about the celebration can be found at: http://www.macsbeer.com./

BEER DINNER AT JAKE’S
Alan at Hair of the Dog has planned a Beer dinner for March 11tth at Jake's Grill on SW 10th. The dinner Starts at 6:30pm and includes 5 Beers and 4 courses for $39.95 (including gratuity). Please call and make reservations (611 SW 10th Ave., 503-220-1850)

FULL SAIL BREW MASTER’S DINNER
On Thursday March 15th, Full Sail Brewery and the Good River Restaurant are having a Brew Masters Dinner, offering four delicious courses with four amazing beers for $40 per person (gratuity excluded). Reservations, call 541-478-0199 or info@goodriverrestaurant.com. (904 2nd Ave., Mosier, OR, mailto:info@goodriverrestaurant.com)

MAX’S FANNO CREEK BREW PUB
"It's all about the hops!” The Grand Opening celebration of this much anticipated brewery and public house will be coming very soon if things go as planned. Max will be breaking out some great cellared beers, as well as breaking in their great bar, wait, and kitchen staff. In the meantime, check out the website at www.maxsfannocreek.com. Look for a story about the opening soon. (12562 Main Street, Tigard, OR)

NEWS FROM THE LOMPOC WORLD
On tap this week is the OLD TAVERN MOUSE, an absolutely outstanding small beer. If you like the Old Tavern Rat barleywine, you should check this one out for sure. It's starting to be on tap at all four pubs, though not immediately available in some. TRIVIA AT 5-Q: The same team that does trivia nights at the New Old Lompoc is now coming to do it at the Fifth Quadrant. John Doyle will start to test your little brains at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 7 and every Wednesday after that (Fifth Quadrant, 3901-B N. Williams Ave. PDX). Don't forget Katie Shimer's trivia nights at the New Old Lompoc at 7:30 p.m. every Monday (1616 N.W. 23rd Ave., PDX). ARTWALK AT THE HEDGE HOUSE. The Hedge House is proud to be a sponsor of the Southeast Area Art Walk Saturday and Sunday, March 3 & 4. This is a great community event that has area artists displaying at 45 locations between S.E. Hawthorne Ave and Powell Blvd. and Southeast 12th and 42nd avenues. LOMPOC BLUEGRASS JAMS: Got that mandolin up in the attic? Come on out to the Off-Key Easy Bluegrass Jams. These jams are meant for people who are beginners, haven't played with other people before, maybe not rock stars, but would like to play with other people at a comfortable level. The Lompoc will be pickin' and grinnin' 1-4 p.m. Sunday, March 11 and April 8 at the New Old Lompoc (1616 N.W. 23rd Ave., PDX). If you want more information or to get on the bluegrass mailing list, drop us a line at offkeylompoc@yahoo.com

BELMONT’S NEW DIGS
Have you been to the new store yet? In early January, they schlepped all their beers to the corner of 45th Avenue and Stark Street, four short blocks straight north of the original store (and of course the world famous Horse Brass Pub). A few tidbits about the new store: MORE BEER! Now their selection is over 700 beers and growing; NO MORE WAITING for them to dig in the vaults. All the beer is on display for your easy access; ALL LIGHTING IS UV FILTERED to keep the most harmful light off your precious beer. Fresh is always paramount at Belmont Station; EASY PARKING on our new block. There is always a close spot to park now. Finally, they’ve added wine, munchies, beer glasses and more. With new stuff every week.