Portland Beer Blog

Holiday Ale Festival Posts the Beers for this Years event!

2008-11-23T14:36:00.000-08:00

Many have you been asking, now you can see what will be there in Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Checkout <http://www.holidayale.com/thebeers.php>
The Promoter writes:
I could go on, but I think the site says it all. Same address www.holidayale.com all new look.

See you there for a beer!

Dave Dronkowski

Holiday Ale Festival has an early gift for beer lovers

2008-11-02T10:45:00.000-08:00

announces Wednesday opening with rare vintage beers
The Holiday Ale Festival is giving beer lovers a gift by opening one day early, and rewarding those who come with a selection of rare and vintage kegs. The 13th annual Holiday Ale Festival will take place Dec. 3 through 7 at Pioneer Courthouse Square, located at 701 SW Sixth Ave. in downtown Portland. Hours for the event are 3 to 9 p.m. Wed., 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thurs. through Sat., and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun. The event has also expanded, increasing its capacity to better accommodate the crowds.

In addition to the three-dozen specialty winter beers that will pour all five days, the festival will tap a limited selection of hidden treasures on opening day; once they run dry, they’re gone. Beer aficionados can look forward to tasting 2005 Samichlaus, the strongest lager in the world; BridgePort Old Knucklehead, Fred Eckhardt Vintage No. 11; 2006 and 2007 Jim, a strong ale blended specifically for the festival by director Preston Weesner and Hair of the Dog Brewing Co.; 2007 Scaldis Noel from Brasserie Dubuisson; 2007 Allagash Curieux, a Belgian tripel aged in Jim Beam barrels; and 2007 Anchor Foghorn, among others.

These rare beers will join the festival lineup of winter warmers, most of which cannot be found outside the event. Among the highlights, look for Alameda’s Papa Noel’s Special Reserve, Cascade Brewing’s Drie Zwarte Pieten “Sangnoir”, Deschutes’ Mirror Mirror Barleywine, Collaborator Hallucinator, Firestone Walker’s Velvet Merkin Stout, Full Sail’s Dry Hopped Wassail, Golden Valley’s Oaken Bomb, Hopwork’s Noggin Floggin Barleywine, Lagunitas’ Black Pepper Chocolate Stout, Lompoc’s Brewdolph, New Belgium’s Abbey Grand Cru, Stone’s Smoked Porter with vanilla beans, Rogue’s Yellow Snow IPA, Sierra Nevada’s Bigfoot Ale, Pyramid’s Snow Cap’n & Tennille, and Track Town’s Oak Rum Stout. A complete list is available at www.holidayale.com.

Admission into the venue is free. To taste beer, the purchase of an initial $20 tasting package is required, which includes a souvenir mug and 10 beer tickets. It takes four tickets for a full mug of beer, or one ticket for a taste. Additional beer tickets can be purchased for $1 apiece. The festival stops selling beer tickets one-half hour prior to taps closing. The Holiday Ale Festival is for ages 21 and over.

Despite being held outdoors in the chilly month of Dec., more than 15,000 festival attendees stay warm and dry under a large clear-topped tent that covers the venue. Gas heaters create a cozy ambience beneath the boughs of the region's largest decorated Christmas tree. In addition to beer tasting, the festival also features on-site food, event merchandise, complimentary root beer for designated drivers, mead sampling, and seasonal background music.

Returning to the event is the fifth annual Belgian Beer Brunch taking place on Dec. 7 from 10 a.m. to Noon on the upper level of Pioneer Courthouse Square. The auxiliary event features European pastries, meats and cheeses to accompany an assortment of Belgian winter beers not available at the festival itself. Tickets cost $35 and are available at www.holidayale.com.

About the Holiday Ale Festival
The Holiday Ale Festival is the most prestigious winter beer sampling opportunity on the West Coast, and is a joyous tradition among beer lovers who treasure the big beers of winter. Held outdoors in the chilly month of Dec., the festival pours more than three-dozen robust winter craft brews, the majority of which have either been created specifically for the event, or are vintage or reserve beers not available in the general market. For more information, visit www.holidayale.com or call 503-252-9899.

BREWPUBLIC.com

2008-10-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Hello, great readers of Guest on Tap. This is Angelo, local Portland beer writer. I would first like to apologize for not putting a post up here in sometime. I have been jumping headlong into my very own website, BREWPUBLIC. As a contributor to Guest on Tap, David Dronkowsi's noble work, I have had the opportunity to put my thoughts on beer and have you read them. I can't thank Dave enough for all that he has done for me. I still plan on poking my head in here and adding a post now and then, but if you are interested in checking out my writing in a larger capacity, please visit http://Brewpublic.com I hope you will like what you read there. Currently there are reviews of new breweries, brewpubs, and some humorous rants. I guess, this post is to inform you that I have this new site and promote it. Thanks for your time and readership. If you have a desire to post here, please contact Dave@guestontap.com If you would like to shoot press, comments, or hate mail my way, you may do so at angelo at brewpublic dot com. Prost!

Muddy Boots Organic Festival: A Soulful Celebration of Sustainable Living

2008-09-02T14:55:00.000-07:00

The third annual Muddy Boots Organic Festival is happening September 5 and 6, 2008 @ St. Philip Neri Church at 2408 SE 16th Avenue (near 18th & Division) in Portland, Oregon.

The theme of this year's festivities is "nurturing growth from seed to soul."

The annual Muddy Boot Organic Festival is a city-wide festival celebrating local organic foods and sustainable living in Portland, Oregon.

The festival will feature local organic brews from companies such as Roots Organic Brewing and Hopworks Urban Brewery in Portland.

Under the sunny skies of early September, people from the Portland Area will experience a vibrant and enriching event. With live music, wine, and food you will experience an event like no other in Oregon. The booths, workshops, speakers and walking tours of local sustainable projects will allow you to share in the experience of living naturally.

The festival will spotlight a variety of local music, organic food, and many interesting workshops. For a list of these great events, go to: http://www.muddyboot.org/schedule.php

Astoria 7th Annual Pacific Northwest Brewcup September 26-28

2008-08-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

From the good folks at Fort George Brewing:

Summer may be ending, but things are just heating up on the coast! You’ll have a chance to taste some of the best craft beers the region has to offer in Astoria at the 7th annual Pacific Northwest Brewcup this September. Festival organizers aim to have a variety of beers, which are new and diverse to the coastal beer drinking community.

The focus of this year’s festival is to promote handcrafted artisan brews. An estimated three-dozen northwest microbreweries will have beers available for sampling. Root beers and ginger ales will also be available, making this a family-friendly event. There will be food vendors, three days of live music, and an opportunity to vote for your favorite beer.

This year, organizers from the Baked Alaska Restaurant are joining forces with Astoria’s newest brewery, the Fort George Brewery + Public House. The Fort George hopes to make this an especially brewer-friendly event, and is inviting other regional brewers to participate and attend.

Proceeds from the festival will go to the Clatsop County Food Bank. Nearly one third of the county’s residents tapped into the food bank last year to help their families. A new food pantry is in the works to meet the growing need and volunteers are gearing up for a long winter, providing to families in especially tough economic times.

The Pacific Northwest Brewcup takes place in downtown Astoria September 26th, 27th and 28th at the Astoria Public Plaza on Duane between 11th and 12th streets.

For more information log onto www.fortgeorgebrewery.com or call (503) 325-PINT and ask for Jack or Chris.

">

Laurelwood Releases 5 New Brews

2008-08-29T10:01:00.000-07:00

Helgaweizen
This super-refreshing German Hefeweizen features a tart wheat character, banana aroma, and a clove-like spiciness. Helgaweizen derives these wonderful flavors from imported German malt and yeast. No fruit or spices were added. This style is a perennial favorite at the brewery. It is historically correct to serve it with or without a slice of lemon- try it both ways. Prost!
5% ABV 13 IBUs O.G. 11º Plato
(available at Pizza Co)

Straight Up IPA
No smoke and mirrors here- this is just a good 'ol fashioned Straight Up IPA. We took some of our favorite malts and favorite hops and brewed them up into this simply delightful combination. In a world of crazy big IPAs (yeah we love 'em too!), this beer offers traditional, good-time, beer-drinking fun.
6.2% ABV 60 IBUs O.G. 14.5º Plato
(available at 51st)

Tre Otto Amber
To celebrate 8-8-08 we brewed Tre Otto - an American Amber Ale with Liberty and Cluster hops. Expect a balanced ale with a slight toasty and fruity character offset nicely by an American hop character.
5.7% ABV 45 IBUs O.G. 13º Plato
(available at 51st and NW locations)

Weizenbock
Our Weizenbock is a complex beer with that distinctive Bavarian wheat flavor. The aroma reminds one of bananas and apples while the finish is spicy with cloves. Wheat malt and yeast give a distinctive haze to this stronger and darker hefeweizen.
6.5% ABV 10 IBUs OG 16° Plato
(available at Pizza Co)

Liberty Red Single Hopped Ale
The seventh beer in our series of single hop Red Ales, Liberty Red brings us the wonders of the Liberty hop. Liberty hops are the American version of the German Hallertau and are known for their aromatic properties and mild bitterness. This beer features a nice citrus flavor with subtle earthy tones. Liberty Red is hopped like an American Pale Ale, with medium bitterness and a bit of dry hop aroma.
6.0% ABV 48 IBUs O.G. 14º Plato
(available at Pizza Co.)

By the Bottle now open on Sundays

2008-08-28T10:41:00.001-07:00

By the Bottle, Southwest Washington's premiere beer shop has announced that it will be open on Sundays 11am-4pm starting August 31st, 2008. The small shop started in 2006 with less than 100 beers and has grown to near 1,000 at last tally. Next door to Salmon Creek BrewPub @ 104 W. Evergreen in downtown Vancouver.

BTB owner Arlene Nunez loves helping customers find the right brew(s)

Owners Dave and Arlene Nunez have many beers from around the world including many that are unavailable in Oregon due to state mandated distribution laws. If you haven't been to By the Bottle, go check out what you've been missing.

Prost!

By the Bottle owner Dave Nunez (center) with Laughing Buddha brewers Joe Valvo and Chris Castillo

BridgePort Hops to Another Harvest Ale

2008-08-27T12:23:00.000-07:00

By Angelo M. De Ieso II

Brewers Jeff Edgerton (left) and Karl Ockert (right) add fresh hops to the hop jack at BridgePort.

On Tuesday August 27th, 2008 BridgePort brewers fired up their hop jack and poured a massive amount of whole cone Centennial hops fresh off the vine. 250 pounds of large, sticky, lupulin-rich green hops per brew (about 67 barrels constitute one brew)were used. This was in addition to between 75 and 80 pounds of pellet hops used for bittering the base beer. This beer according to brewers Karl Ockert and Jeff Edgerton was similar to the original Blue Heron recipe from the '80s...only a bit bolder.

The brewing process began as plump Centennials--some more than three inches long--were harvested at BC Hop Farm in Woodburn, Oregon. Centennials are dual-purpose hops used by many brewers for both bittering and aroma and impart a pungent, citrus-like flavor and aroma. The 2008 BridgePort Hop Harvest ale will brew to around 7% ABV and will possess a green, earthy flavor profile. In total, 255 barrels of this year's Hop Harvest will be brewed. The beer will be available in 22-ounce bottles following a release party at the BrewPub on September 6th at 6PM. For more information, visit BridgePort Brewery at 1313 N.W. Marshall St. call 503-241-7179 or go on-line to www.BridgePort.com

BridgePort brewmaster Karl Ockert with fresh Centennial hops in the jack.

Interview with Oakshire (Willamette) Brewing Brewer Todd Friedman

2008-08-27T11:05:00.000-07:00

BIERBEERPIWO is a podcast with some interviews of brewers and beerfolks. Yesterday at the Green Dragon Bistro and Pub, I interviewed Oakshire Brewing's Todd Friedman.

bierbeerpiwo.mypodcast.com

Oakshire head brewer Todd Friedman

Oakshire Meet the Brewer Event

2008-08-26T08:45:00.000-07:00

Tuesday Aug. 26th @ Green Dragon Pub and Bistro
6PM
Meet the brewer (every Tuesday)

Oakshire Brewing from Eugene, Oregon (formerly Willamette Brewing) will represent their lovely brewery. Brewer Jeff Althouse will be on hand to discuss his product with patrons.

Try Oakshire's Espresso Stout with one shot of espresso per pint. Wow!

Hopworks Releases Another New Brew

2008-08-26T07:59:00.001-07:00

Evelyn's Imperial Sunshine is a self-proclaimed "big and beautiful double IPA" brewed in celebration of the birth of Master Christian's first daughter, Evelyn Sunshine Ettinger.

7.6% ABV 100+ IBUs

In addition to this new IIPA, the brewery also has a Secret Alt on tap as well as another alt and a biere de gaard selected from a recent homebrewing competition. Hopworks will also be releasing their delicious red ale soon.

More to come...

Interview with Barley Browns' owner Tyler Brown

2008-08-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

By Angelo M. De Ieso II

Far from the majority of Oregon's craft beer community, Barley Brown's is one of the eastern-most breweries in the state, not to mention one of the best. At home in Baker City, the brewery is not the most likely spot for full-bodied craft beers with rich hop and malt profiles. Sitting off Interstate-84 about 45 miles east of La Grande and a few hours from the Idaho border, the high desert city is rich with history and 19th Century architecture. Once Oregon's most populated community during the bustling Oregon Trail days, Baker City today is a laid back blue collar community of farmers and small business owners. Proprietor Tyler Brown, with his parents came to Baker from Connecticut in 1974 when their automobile broke down on the way to Seattle. The family liked the town so much, they decided to call it home. The building at 2190 Main Street in the heart of Baker wad erected as Gwilliam's Bakery, in the 1940's. Brown's parents bought the property in 1976 and ran a bakery there until 1983. Tyler took over the space in 1998 and converted it to Barley Brown's in June of that year. Since then the quaint brewpub has grown into a thriving local stop for tasty pub fair and undeniably delicious brews. With the help of current brewer Shawn Kelso (who is also a professional painter), Bailey Brown's has become a destination for beer lovers everywhere. The brewery has received numerous accolades including 10 medals at the N.A.B.A. (North American Beer Awards) in 2008, following five in 2007, eight in 2006, and two in 2005--the first year the brewery entered the contest. In 2006, Brown's Tumble Off Pale Ale (aka AM Pale Ale) won one or the most prestigious awards in America, a gold medal at the Great American Beer Awards. The brewery is especially well recognized in its area, locally being voted the best burger, best place to take a friend, and for having the best server by the Baker City Herald's readers. Further, Historic Baker City awarded Barley Brown's with a Downtown Business Success Award. With the tremendous success of the cozy establishment, comes a lot of pride in the business and a humble approach to the trade by Tyler Brown. He recently answered some of my questions over some hoppy treats.

Tyler Brown and brewer Shawn Kelso @ Barley Brown's

Angelo De Ieso II: What spawned your interest in craft beer and brewing?

Tyler Brown: Swiping good beer out of my parents restaurant when I was younger, and a home brew kit, that was put to use in the restaurant kitchen in the early days on slow nights.

AD: How did the brewery come to life?

TB: A dream, a restaurant in need of a facelift, and an IPO of our local bank...

Head brewer Shawn Kelso

Barley Brown's owner Tyler Brown

AD: You are so far away from the majority of Oregon's craft beer community. What is it like doing what you do where you do it?

TB: Sometimes it takes a week to get a malt order from Portland... I don't make it to Portland very much so I don't know what we're missing. We have loyal brewery friends that fill a shelf in our cooler with growlers and bottles of beer from brewers all over Oregon.

AD: Do you have any connections or interaction with the other breweries in the "area" (Terminal Gravity, Beer Valley, Idaho etc)?

TB: Pete (Ricks)from Beer Valley usually stops in on his way through, and I try to do the same. Also have got to know Josh King the brewer at Sockeye Brewing in Boise pretty well. The Boise Brewers refer a lot of friends to our place if they are going our way. Dean (Duquette) from TG (Terminal Gravity) was in the other night, we're a long twisty road apart from Enterprise--a perfect road if you're on two wheels.

AD: What do you foresee for BB's in the future? Expansion? World Domination?

TB: We will keep on making the best product we can. Expansion... why not?!

Stop by Barley Brown's Brewpub in Baker City and enjoy a wide assortment of flavorful brews and delicious food. For more information go to www.BarleyBrowns.com

Barley Brown's high alpha hopped Imperial IPA and Double Whiskey Malt!

Snoqualmie Falls and Meantime Ales Tasting & Meet the Brewer @ Belmont Station

2008-08-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

Taste Snoqualmie Falls PGA Amber, Steam Train Porter, Copperhead Pale Ale, Wildcat IPA, & Summer Beer, and chat with Janelle Pritchard, brewer from this special brewpub in Snoqualmie, Washington. Snoqualmie Pale Ale & a rare Cask Conditioned keg of Wildcat IPA on draught. The cask will be Thursday night only! Bottles to take home on sale. This tasting is Thursday August 22 from 6-8PM.

Tuesday August 26, 2008 from 6-8PM Meantime Ales Tasting and meet the brewer.
Meet Alastair Hook, the Brewer of Meantime Ales from Greenwich, England. Alastair will give a brief talk about his brewery and beers in the Biercafe at 6:30 and we'll be pouring tastes of his IPA and Porter from 6-8PM. Sale on the bottles during the tasting.

All tastings are free and open to all over 21.

Two (more) Awesome Beers @ Belmont Station this Tuesday

2008-08-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

Portland's home of 1,000 brews, Belmont Station is featuring two killer sour beers on tap in their biercafe. On Tuesday
August 12th @ 5PM the Station will feature a "Puckerfest Flashback" Special Tapping of two rare kegs: Russian River Supplication (Brown ale aged in Pinot Noir wine barrels for one year with sour cherries, Brettanomyces yeast, and Lactobacillus & Pedicoccus bacteria) and Walking Man Blootvoeste Bruin (Barefoot Brown soured with Kombucha culture). Both these beers were on the schedule for Puckerfest but arrived too late.
Get them while you can, and remember to save me some!

ps-Check out the recently expanded craft beer tap selection at Belmont's biercafe, featuring such brews as Stone's Oaked Bastard and a few tasty selections from Fort George Brewing. Yum!

Stone Vertical Epic Out Now! 08.08.08

2008-08-08T09:34:00.000-07:00

Stone Brewing Company's Vertical Epic Ales are a series of beers that began in 2002. They are specifically designed to be aged until December 12, 2012, provided you can wait that long. Collectors have paid upwards of $400 a bottle to complete their sets. With each release, "vertical" tastings along the way, show how a beer ages in the cellaring process.

Each recipe is unique to the year it is released, and each one is released one year, one month, and one day from the previous edition. So last year's was released on 07-07-07, and this year's is unveiled on 08-08-08, and so on until December of 2012 (unless another month is added to our calendar).

An email today from By The Bottle in America's Vancouver claimed they have some on hand right now!

The 08 Epic is a Strong Golden Belgian-style ale highly hopped with American hops. Here is a detailed description from Stone's Head Brewer, Mitch Steele:
http://www.stonebrew.com/epic/080808/notes/initial.html

For more info on the Vertical Epic Series, click here: http://www.stonebrew.com/epic/index.php

Back label of Stone's Vertical Epic 08.08.08

...and check out Stone's head brewer Greg Koch's vBlog HERE!

The Green Dragon expands, opening huge beer garden

2008-08-07T09:22:00.000-07:00

(Portland, OR) The Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub is expanding. Owner Ed Schwartz has leased the building & lot adjacent to the Green Dragon. The lot will become a beer garden with 9 picnic tables for outdoor seating. The landscaping will consist of bamboo and planters to help conceal the busy street.

There will be an additional wifi router for the outdoor area so patrons can get some work done or just surf the net while enjoying a beer. There will also be electrical outlets outside so customers can keep their laptops powered up.

The expanded space will be open to the public and will be available to rent for private parties or events. Future plans for the space include a covered canopy with decorative lighting as well as heaters.

Weather permitting, future meet the brewer events will be held in the new outdoor area.

In addition to expanding into the lot, the Green Dragon will also be taking over the Q Hut. A large Green Dragon logo will be painted on the outside and the space inside will be renovated. A coffee roaster will reside in the Q HUT offering fresh roasted artisan coffee.

More changes to come in the next few weeks.

For information: www.pdxgreendragon.com

Contact: kefinteractive@gmaildotcom

Phone: 503-869-7408

Lagunita's Tasting @ Belmont Station this Wednesday

2008-08-05T13:10:00.000-07:00

Wednesday August 6th 6-8PM @ Belmont Station. LAGUNITAS TASTING. In case you live under a rock or haven't had the latest greatest beers from them, Lagunita's has an extensive variety of delicious brews from their brewery in Petaluma, California: IPA, Pale Ale, Pils, Sirius, Maximus Imperial IPA, Imperial Stout & Censored Ale (aka the Kronik) & the newest in their Frank Zappa series: We're Only In It For the Money Tripel. Lagunitas six packs on sale. Bonus: Hop Stoopid on draught in the Biercafe.

The Bite of Oregon

2008-08-05T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here's the info on The Bite of Oregon going on this weekend at Tom McCall Waterfront Park (Home of the OBF) from Brian and the Brewers Guild:

FRI Aug 8, 2008 11am-11pm
SAT Aug 9, 2008 11am-11pm
SUN Aug 10, 2008 10am-8pm

http://www.biteoforegon.com"

New this year for Craft Beer Lovers!

* The Oregon Brewed Craft Beer Garden featuring Organic Craft Beers
* Choose from a wide selection of Craft Beers from across the state
* Bite of Oregon Exclusive! Rogue Brewery's Debut Release of Double Dead Guy Ale
* Pelican Brewery’s Doryman's Dark Ale and Kiwanda Cream Ale exclusively at The Bite

Deschutes Brewery - Bend
Green Lakes Organic Amber Ale ABV 5.2%, IBUs 45
Inversion IPA OG 1.069, IBUs 75, Alcohol By Volume 6.8%

Golden Valley Brewpub & Restaurant - McMinnville
Organic Chehalem Mountain IPA Alcohol 6.1%, 55 IBU
Red Hills Pils - ABV 5.2%, IBU 42

Hopworks Urban Brewery - Portland
Hub Organic Lager 5.1% ABV 11.5° Plato OG 32 IBU
Crosstown Pale Ale - Organic 5.3% ABV 12.5° Plato 45 IBU

Laurelwood Brewing, Portland • Website »
Organic Free Range Red - 6.1 ABV. 14 º Plato O.G. 2.5 º Plato T.G. 60 IBU
Organic Tree Hugger Porter - 5.6 ABV. 13.5 º Plato O.G. 3.0 º Plato T.G. 30 IBU.

Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City
Kiwanda Cream Ale - 12.5 degrees Plato, Alcohol: 5.1% by volume, Bitterness: 25 IBU, Color: 5 lovibond
Doryman's Dark Ale - 14 degrees Plato, Alcohol: 5.8% by volume, Bitterness: 42 IBU, Color: 33 lovibond

Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub, Portland
Zomer Wit - 4.8 % ABV 12 IBU
Blond Bock

Rogue Ales, Newport
Double Dead Guy Ale - 20º PLATO, 60 IBU, 78 AA, 25º Lovibond
Brutal Bitter - 15 degrees Plato, IBU 59, Apparent Attenuation 76, Lovibond 14.2

Roots Organic Brewing Co., Portland
Island Red - . IBU 62.5 ABV 5.6%
Woody IPA - IBU 73.3 ABV 6.0%

Standing Stone Brewing Co., Ashland • Website »
German Hefeweisen
India Pale Ale

Terminal Gravity Brewing, Enterprise
Belgian style Tripel.
Extra Special Golden

Admission and Special Promotions 2008
Regular Admission:
Adults–$7.00 at the gate • Children–12 and under FREE
General admission fee covers entrance and entertainment but does not included food and beverage. Same day reentry allowed with approved hand stamp.

Special Admission Promotions:
There are several great ways to enjoy the Bite and save this year!
TGIF – All Adults $5 before 5pm. Good on Friday only.
Sunday - All adults $5 after 5pm. Come celebrate with us on the last evening of the festival!

Attn: Providence Bridge Pedal Participants – There is No Gate Admission charge to enter the Bite on Sunday, August 10th from 10am to 2pm. A donation of $3.00 to Special Olympics Oregon is suggested. Please show your Bridge Pedal bib or bracelet at the gates for entry.

Bite Super Saver 3-Day Pass – Adults only $12. Come enjoy the Bite of Oregon all three days for one low price! Purchase your Bite Super Saver 3-Day Pass online now - Limited Quantities!

A Fantastic Four Days

2008-07-28T09:11:00.000-07:00

By Angelo M. De Ieso II

2008's Oregon Brewers Festival was the best yet with more beer and more attendees than ever before. The state's rich culture of craft beer was highlighted by more than 70 breweries offering their tasty selections to a boisterously jolly quaffing crowd.

The crowds on a Thursday afternoon at the OBF are big, but nothing compared to those on Friday and Saturday.

I always enjoy getting down to the festival early to ensure short lines and that the beers I really want to sample are still available. One thing I've learned from years past is that by Friday and Saturday, the festivities are in full swing and Tom McCall Park can feel a bit more like a moshpit with seemingly endless lines. Another time that I like to visit the festival is early Sunday afternoon. At this time I hoped to try the remainder of the beers undiscovered by my palate in hopes that many of them will still be available.

People from all continents visit Portland for the Oregon Brewers Festival during the last weekend in July each year.

After a week or so of preparation, I've mapped out some of the beers that I anticipate as being the "buzz beers." Usually there is one that shines about the rest, but there is usually at least a handful that I anticipate will be gone by Saturday and may not be available to me again for some time. Talking to some folks in the media tent on Thursday, I get clued in to a must-try beer, the Old Market Brewing Pub & Brewery's "Hopcask" Triple Tripel Organic. This beer describes itself as an "overly-hopped" Belgian Tripel and includes a few of my favorite hop varietals, Simcoes, Amarillos, and Centennials. I've enjoyed Old Market's brews in the past, but honestly never thought they might be thee buzz beer at this prestigious event. With a rich orange-amber body and a wispy white head, this Triple Tripel is just as big as the hype surrounding it. Funky armpit hopped nose with slight bubblegum and candy esters, this beer is undeniably delicious. I could have spend an hour with a couple full mugs of this beer, but I had a lot of "work" to do. I had to be sure this was the one.

After reading through the handsome festival program that read like a craft beer lover's bible, I decided that I would aim for something light on the tongue that was hard to find here in Portland. The Wild River Harbor Lights Kolsch from Grants Pass seemed fitting, and was available at the first table which made the decision even easier. A bright, glowing fruity beer with a sharp yeasty carbonic clove bite, this beer was very satisfying.

The Deschutes Brewing keg trailer was one of many attractions at this year's OBF

Previously in the media tent, I had sampled a few beers that, if not considered the festivals buzz beer, would certainly stand out as some of the more unique offerings. One particular stand out brew was the Roots Organic Brewing Calypso Ale. Brewed with 70% organic red wheat and gently hopped with the German Hallertau hop, the character that set this hybrid apart from the rest was a distinct smoky hot pepper profile. Light in body and low in alcohol, the Calypso was far from overwhelming considering its daring recipe. Employing Oregon-grown apricot and scotch bonnet peppers, the Calypso had a mild bite and as my friend put it, tasted like chips and salsa.

Volunteers are a huge part of the festival's success

One of my all-time favorite brewery's, Bells Brewery, from Comstock, Michigan offered their dark and roasty porter. With a creamy, beige head and a big nutty, chocolaty character, this porter was a great example of why the oldest craft brewery east of the Mississippi is a perennial buzz beer candidate.

Not being a coffee drinker, I was still interested in approaching the Surley Brewing Company's Coffee Bender Brown Ale. Surley is one of those breweries that is unavailable for distribution in Oregon and I had read a lot of praising reviews about it in publications such as Celebrator and Beer Advocate magazine. Overwhelmingly coffee, this beer was an explosion of espresso flavor, yet with a thinner body than your typical coffee brew (often a stout or porter). If you like beer with your coffee, this is definitely the beer for you. It still wasn't my choice for a buzz beer at this festival, unless of course, you count the caffeine jitters that would have certainly ensued had I partook in a full mug.

Craft beer lovers congregate under one of the large tents at Tom McCall Waterfront Park

It seems every beer crowd has a league of IPAs that duel to out-hop one another. I was certain that the Russian River Pliny the Elder Imperial IPA was its usual amazingly delicious self. But it had made previous appearances here and I wanted to see what other hop monsters, if any might give Pliny a run for its money. I had previously enjoyed Lagunita's Hop Stoopid, the Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale, and BridgePort Brewing's latest, greatest, the Hop Czar, so I took a gander at the beer that boasted the highest IBU level at this year's festival (113), McMenamins Hillsdale Brewery & Public House's Madman Jack's Insane Pale Ale. I was to assume this beer was as big of a mouth-full as the name itself. Pouring a hazed amber-orange body, the nose of this supposedly off-the-charts brew was surprisingly subdued. Winner of the 2008 McMenamins Battle of the Belt competition, the Madman was perhaps a little nutty, but lacked the extremeness that might hoist it to the apex as this year's OBF winner.

An eclectic array of live music adds to the ambiance of the bustling festival

Making my way down the line of keg trailers, I was compelled to partake in a few of my favorite breweries at the festival. Ashland, Oregon's Caldera Ginger Ale seemed promising considering how delightful their two canned offerings, the IPA and the pale consistently prove to be. For me, a lot of ginger spice goes a long way, and while I have enjoyed some of the genre's offerings like the Hitachino Ginger and the Laughing Buddha Ginger Pale Ale, I have known myself well enough to realize that I am not a ginger beer person. Well, I thought so until I had what Caldera was serving up. A very mild gingerbread and hops nose with a gentle biscuity spine, this sessionable spiced brew was an instant classic. I would certainly return for a full mug of this beer before the weekend was over.

Down the line even further was another brewery I have grown to like tremendously. The regular availability of Chicago's Goose Island beers has disappeared from the area to many people's dismay. Something to do with Widmer and Anheuser-In-Bev-Alliance dealings I've heard, which is, in my opinion, a crying shame. Goose Island's Matilda, a Belgian-styled Reserve Series beer proved easily to be one of my favorite beers at the entire festival! An orange hazy body imparted a well-balanced Brettanomyces yeastiness that projected a lavish, creamy, candy body. Mildly spiced with a perfect hop floralness, this beer was worthy of a four-token topper.

So many other beers graced my palate over the course of the afternoon, it was a sort of sensory overload and almost too much of a great thing. Almost. Other standouts included the Standing Stone Almond Brown Ale (another fabulous brewery from Ashland, Oregon) and New Holland Brewing Company's Dragon's Milk Barrel Aged Strong Ale (Holland, Michigan) yet there was one beer that separated itself as the perfect balance of ingredients and was suited perfectly for a Northwest crowd of beer lovers amidst a warm summer's weekend.

Boundary Bay Brewing Company's Dry Hopped Crystal Pale Ale. This beer from Bellingham, Washington was made specially for the OBF and fully and completely hit the spot. An American pale ale with a light amber body and a crisp, biscuity, bitter grassy, earthy, floral complexity was off the hook! The server spoke to me as handed him my first token, "This is one people are coming back for seconds for."

A busy shift for this gentleman serving up the Boundary Bay Dry Hopped Crystal Pale Ale

"Better fill that one" I said as I handed him three more tokens. After all, everything I've ever had from Boundary Bay has been superb. The Crystal was long gone before I returned on Sunday at opening time. Several other wonderful beers were poured and enjoyed. To be honest, and I know this might be hard to believe, I don't think there was a bad beer at this year's OBF. Some I enjoyed more than others, but it was evident that the brewers and staff put their best foot forward to ensure a spectacular beer festival. Great food, music, and vendors illustrated the amount of preparation and work that went into it all. Watching the eclectic crowd of people peruse the ground was a treat in and of itself. T-shirts with witty and outrageous slogans unraveling the multiplicity of beer culture that coalesced for this amazing event. People from all around the globe coming together for a sip of Brewtopia. Just another shining example of why it is so great to live in here Beervana.

BridgePort's Big Beer Series Rolls on with Hop Czar IIPA

2008-07-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

BridgePort Brewing Company has (finally) released an imperial IPA as a part of their new "Big Beer Series."

By Angelo De Ieso II

Say hello to the Hop Czar, a light amber-orange bodied hop bomb with an inviting, blanketing white head. Brewed with three different malts and four hop varieties, the Hop Czar has a deep malt background with an
enthusiastic citrus and floral notes paired with uber hop bitterness.

8.0% ABV OG 17.9 IBU 100

The Hop Czar is available in 22 ounce bottles at select retail outlets and also on draught at BridgePort's BrewPub.

I talked to BridgePort's Jeff Edgerton, who was instrumental in producing the big brew. Edgerton said, "We'd been talking about it for a while. We thought it would be best if we not wait before hops are incredibly expensive." Edgerton is a ten-year veteran with BridgePort, and started brewing at the now defunct Blitz-Weinhard Brewery in 1989.

According to Edgerton, the Hop Czar is based on the brewery's flagship IPA, but with more grain, producing more alcohol, and employing almost three times as much hops. "We brewed 115 barrels in total" said Edgerton. "In these we used over 300 pounds of hops." The brew was bittered with Nugget hops in the kettle and made use of two hop jacks for additions of Cascade, Chinook, and Centennial.

"One thing about hop flavor" Edgerton continued, "It is volatile. So the beer is unfiltered. It sat in tanks for three weeks to let it chill."

The response to the Big Beer series has been great according to the brewer. "It is always fun doing this kind of thing like with the Hop Harvest Fresh Hop Ale" said Edgerton. "I stuffed my Four-runner with fresh hops for that one. That's my favorite one. We will be making that one again as our next Big Beer in September."

Edgerton also clued me in on another Big Beer that the brewery has on it's back burner : a wine barrel-aged imperial porter. "We killed our original porter for a while" said Edgerton. "Karl (Ockert) and I worked to make a better porter. The recipe was completely reworked to make it black and dark and roasty." The forthcoming porter will be much bolder and aged in surplus pinot noir and bourbon barrels acquired for the latest Old Knucklehead and Stumptown Tart.

More to come...

A Joint Adventure; New Belgium and Elysian Share Breweries

2008-07-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

A Joint Adventure; New Belgium and Elysian Share Breweries

New Belgium Brewing, of Fort Collins, Colo., and Elysian Brewing Company, of Seattle, announced Friday that they were entering a partnership in which both breweries would serve as a second home of sorts to the other's brewers in a new model within the craft brewing industry.

The two breweries called the new partnership an "artisanal collaboration," saying it will allow their brewing teams to use each other's brewhouses while remaining independently owned enterprises.

"By coming together, New Belgium and Elysian have the ability to increase efficiency, encourage creative experimentation, and take a bold collaborative step into the future of American craft brewing," the breweries' representatives said in a news release Friday.

According to the news release, the collaboration will provide Elysian the opportunity to make bigger batches at the New Belgium brewhouse, and will assist the Seattle brewery in its distribution endeavors as it reaches out to new U.S. markets. Elysian recently entered the New York market, for example.

New Belgium representatives said that brewing in smaller batches at Elysian will allow them to expand their experimental beer innovations, such as their Lips of Faith series, while getting closer to their
customers in the "fertile Pacific Northwest brewing scene."

"With mutual love of interesting beer as the primary driver, this alliance doesn't appear to fall into any typical business stratagem,"
the breweries said in the news release. "As the craft brewing scene evolves, adventures such as this may soon become commonplace as groups of brewers utilize each others' strengths to bring world-class beers to an expanding audience while staying true to the spirit and origins of the craft brewing movement."

Full Sail and Double Mountain release new summer brews

2008-07-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

Two of Hood River's favorite breweries introduce tasty new summer beers in Portland.

Wednesday marked the release of Double Mountain's first ever summer seasonal, a pilsner. The kick-off took place at Henry's 12th Street Tavern in Portland, Oregon, where giveaways and good times where enjoyed.

Ezra Johnson-Greenough of Belmont Station enjoys a pint with Double Mountain owner-brewer Charlie Devereux @ Henry's Tavern.

"Our first summer seasonal, Double Mountain Pils is a true lager, featuring a Czech yeast strain and six to eight weeks of aging. The malt bill is predominately Gambrinus Organic Pilsner malt, with a dash of imported German Vienna malt. The hops are 100% Sterlings, grown locally in the Yakima Valley.

Stylistically speaking, Double Mountain Pils will combine the upfront hoppy attack of a distinctive German-style pils with the slightly richer malt body often found in the Czech beers. Our Pils will be calibrated to the Northwest palate (translation = more hops!) and, as with all Double Mountain beers, will be served unfiltered."

Full Sail, similarly has released a summer brew on Tuesday, July 8th @ their Pilsner Room on Portland's southwest waterfront. The beer is a hazy, full-bodied summer weizen beer brewed in their Brewers Share series. The Brewers Share series is in celebration of Full Sail's 21st birthday. Cheers to beers!

Jimmy quaffs a Summer Weizen @ Full Sail's Pilsner Room in Portland

Laurelwood Infrared Red Ale

2008-07-08T13:59:00.000-07:00

Following in the foot steps of beer like Bear Republic's Crazy Ivan, Laurelwood Brew Pub presents its Infrared Red Ale, a version of their Free Range Organic Red Ale.

According to the brewery:
Infrared is what our Free Range Red would be like if brewed in Belgium. Brewed with Belgian yeast and malt and a heavy does of European hops, we've shown that molecular absorption spectrometry really can be fun.

6.8% ABV 55 IBUs O.G. 16º Plato

Infrared Ale is now on tap at Laurelwood Public House & Brewery (51st and Sandy).

Belmont Station presents Meet the Brewer w/ Walking Man

2008-07-06T20:30:00.000-07:00

MON JULY 7th 6 - 9PM @ Belmont Station. WALKING MAN MEET THE BREWER & BIG BLACK HOMO Release Party! Meet Walking Man Brewers "Walking" Bob and Jacob Leonard as they unleash their latest perambulatory project: A dark malt version of one of our all-time favorites: Homo Erectus. Also on tap from the talented duo: IPA, Old Stumblefoot, & Sasquatch Legacy (yes, all the proceeds from the Legacy go to the Glenn Hay Falconer Foundation).

Belmont Station
4500 SE Stark St.
Portland, OR 97215
503-232-8538

Fourth of July Six Pack

2008-07-03T21:27:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, America! Today is the day to celebrate 232 years of independence from Britain. What does this mean? Well, really, it usually equates to starting a few fires, the barbecue and some fireworks, while cracking some cold beers and enjoying the prime of summer at the head of a three-day weekend. Sounds great, and it is! So, for the Fourth, I have a few suggestions, in fact six, of beers you might want to grab to celebrate. Belmont Station, Portland's premiere beer store will be open on this day from 10am-7pm, so there's no excuse for not grabbing at least a few of these...

1. Rogue American Amber: A tasty mildly hopped tawny amber ale with a roasted malt flavor and a bitter finish. This crowd pleaser comes in 22-ounce bottles dawning an American Flag; an obvious choice for Independence Day.

2. Bass Pale Ale: Yes, this is an English beer, but that is just the beauty of it. The Bass & Co Brewery was established in 1777 and was one of the first breweries in Burton upon Trent. It might boost your patriotic ego to think the US of A's dismissal of the monarch a year prior is responsible for motivating the Brits to drink more. Either way, it's a tasty, time-tested brew worthy of hot summer quaffing.

3. Butte Creek Revolution XI Imperial IPA: Celebrate the Revolution with one of your own. Over the top and bold, just like the people who made American great, the Rev XI is a chewy, gritty, hop monster that will leave your palate stickier than your fingers after grubbing wings off the grill.

4. Flag Porter: Yeah, this is another English beer, but c'mon, the name says it all. America loves to wave a flag in the face of adversity, and this one is one with conviction. A perfect example of a classic porter with the complexity of an American. Chocolate, coffee, malt, caramel, raisin, and grains with a nice mild bitter tinge. At 5% ABV, you won't end your party too soon with this session porter.

5. Victory Prima Pils: This hoppily spiced pilsner is a one of a kind and just the thing for July afternoons. From the state of Pennsylvania where Thomas Jefferson inked the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Victory can be yours again and again.

6. Chimay Red, White, and Blue: This is three great Belgian Trappist beers in one. The Red aka Première is a dark brown 7% ABV peppery brew. This beer possesses a nutty character much like a few of your pyromaniac pals. The White is an 8% ABV Trippel also known as the Cinq Cents. It is of a light orange hue and a very crisp and bitter. The Blue aka Grande Réserve is the classic Chimay beer with a copper-brown body and a creamy head. It possesses a mildly bitter taste. It's fruity, peppery character is fun and festive like a summer holiday should be. These three beers together may make you a likely candidate for finding a designated driver. Have fun, share with your friends, and be sure to be responsible.

Hoppy Independence Day!

Brothers Grimm Launch - Rumpelstiltskin!

2008-07-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

Baron Brewing from Seattle will be releasing a new Brothers Grimm Series beer in one week.

The Rumpelstiltskin rauchdoppelbock has a blast of smoked malt that is rounded by a
sweet dark body. It has a deep-amber to black brown color with a thick tan head. There is a rich and complex smoky maltiness in the aroma that shows subtleties of toffee and caramel. A touch of roast mixed with the beechwood smokiness in the forefront soon gives way to a dense, sweet, malt body finished by a clean hop ending.

According to the brewer:

"We will be launching the next beer in the Brothers Grimm Series on July 10th at The Pub at Pipers Creek (in Seattle) starting at 6:00pm. Come by to give it a try! This is a very limited release so get it early. Bottles will be available in our taproom. A few cases will be going to local bottle shops."

This beer should be available alongside the Seven Swabians Eisbock at fine area locations such as Belmont Station (Portland, OR) and By The Bottle (Vancouver, WA).

Hopworks New Beer Release: Washoeweizen

2008-07-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

Hopworks Urban Brewery is pleased to announce the release of a new brew to kick off Oregon Craft Brewers Month.

A traditional Bavarian style hefeweizen with notes of clove and banana (not your brothers hefeweizen) brewed in anticipation of the Intergalactic Washoe Tournament to be held at H.U.B. on July 6.

Wonder what Washoes is and how to play? Click HERE.

Play the game that’s sweeping up and down the west coast beer scene - WASHOES! The game is a cross between horseshoes and skeeball and played with 1 inch washers. Teams of 2 will compete for the title of “Intergalactic Washoe Champions”. Whether you’re a seasoned Washoe vet or a newcomer, everyone will have fun! As always – we recommend you ride your bike or Tri-met.

$30 entry fee per team gets you:

-Two “Intergalactic Washoe Tournament” Shirts

-Your First Pints

-An afternoon of fun and debauchery

Tournament is double elimination/bracket style - Limited to 20 two person teams- Event starts at noon - Sign up with hostess

Fort George Goes "South"

2008-07-01T09:23:00.000-07:00

South, according to Fort George brewers, is an extremely rich and complex beer, with fruity notes of raspberry, yet dry. This is the brewery’s summer Belgian-style ale, which is being released in conjunction with Oregon Craft Beer Month.

Made with 100% French pilsner malt, brewers fermented the beer with Belgian Wit yeast, aged half in Adelsheim French Oak Pinot Noir barrels, half on 80 pounds of fresh raspberries in stainless steel tanks, and then blended the two together.

“We were excited to taste the amazing flavors we could get from aging beer in wine barrels. The French malt and French oak seemed like a natural combination, and we’re very pleased with the outcome,” said Chris Nemlowill of the Fort George Brewery.

Nemlowill would like to send a special thanks to the Adelsheim winery in Newberg, Oregon, for providing the wine barrels to his brewery.

South is currently on draught at the Fort George Brewery + Public House in Astoria, as well as several locations throughout the state. In Portland, South is available at the Horse Brass, Belmont Station, Bailey’s Tap Room, the Green Dragon, and in Eugene at the Beer Stein. Each release will be at the discretion of the bar owner, so you may want to call ahead to make sure South is available.

Anheuser-InBev? Not just yet.

2008-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Photo by Andrew Harrer / Bloomberg News

Anheuser-Busch CEO August Busch IV told investors on Friday June 27 that his company has a gameplan from brand building: Cost cutting.
The suggestion is that InBev's £23.3 billion ($46 billion/$65-per-share) bid on Thursday for the company is too low. A-B executives have claimed to have devised a plan to cut around $1 billion of costs from the company between now and 2010. That is an increase the from $500 million in savings A-B mentioned in February.

The savings would be generated by A-B’s “Blue Ocean” program, which is driven by a recognition that “we needed to break from a conservative culture,” Busch said. The plans A-B laid out reveal “a new Anheuser-Busch.”

Busch IV sent a letter to InBev Chief Executive Carlos Brito saying the offer greatly undervalued the largest U.S. brewer, calling the $65-a-share price "financially inadequate" and not in the best interests of its shareholders.

InBev Chief Executive Carlos Brito (AP Photo by GEERT VANDEN WIJNGAERT)

The question is: Will A-B’s plan be enough to persuade investors to pass up InBev’s offer?

Press reports prior to the call suggested that, despite the posturing of the two companies, InBev and A-B might reach a friendly deal – particularly if InBev sweetens the pot.

According to the CNN and the St. Louis AP, Busch IV had this to say to Brito and InBev:

"From your standpoint, we see that now could be opportunistic timing for you to make this acquisition, given the weak U.S. dollar and sluggish U.S. stock market," Busch said in the letter. "From the standpoint of the Anheuser-Busch shareholder, however, a transaction with InBev at this time would mean forgoing the greater value obtainable from Anheuser-Busch's strategic growth plan."

Earlier in the day, InBev filed a suit in Delaware court, where Anheuser-Busch is incorporated, seeking to officially declare that shareholders can remove all 13 members of Anheuser-Busch's board. Such a declaration could be the first step to rally Anheuser-Busch shareholders to accept InBev's offer, even if management is opposed to it.

"This is an extremely aggressive step," said Douglas Cogen, a mergers and acquisitions attorney with the Fenwick & West law firm in San Francisco.

In most acquisitions, a rejection from the target company's board of directors might draw out a sweeter offer. InBev's move suggests it's not interested in a lot of bartering, Cogen said.

"Before this was filed, you could have guessed about whether (InBev) would have another round and upped their bid," Cogen said. "To sort of come right out and say we're looking to replace the board ... it's about as aggressive as you can get."

From Reuters:

KBC Securities analyst Wim Hoste said InBev had two options: either to raise its offer towards $70 per share or go hostile at the existing $65, with a preference for the former.

"I can imagine they might try through informal contact to see if there is scope to talk about an offer. If not then they would take the hostile route," he said. "But the friendly approach is clearly better for public opinion and the workforce. The company is a U.S. icon."

According to the Business.Scotsman.com:

Anheuser-Busch's board members called the offer inadequate, saying it failed to take into consideration its "Blue Ocean" cost-cutting initiative.

This is expected to see a raft of job cuts and the possible sale of the group's SeaWorld theme park in Florida.

InBev, responsible for Stella Artois and Beck's and the world's second-largest brewer, is now likely to approach shareholders directly with their offer.

New Beervana Websites and Blogs

2008-06-30T06:09:00.000-07:00

WOW! Isn't it great? The internet is alive and well in Portland, Oregon. In the last several months several new websites and blogs about beer have appeared. I am talking about the new Oregon Brewers' Guild site , the new Portland Beer Wiki, the Bridgeport Brewery's new website, and then there is the new blogs! I noticed that the Oregon Brewers Guild Blog has used part of our parent's sites name calling itself "On Tap", it does kind of look like Guest on Tap which was originally called "On Tap" but changed due to the Northwest Brewing News "On Tap" Beer Column.

My question for you dear readers is "What do you think of these new sites?" Likes, dislikes, or opinions? Is it the more the merrier? Are some good and some bad? I like some of the ideas for sure, but I was wondering what you all like or dislike. Please post your comments here.

Cheers,

Soon to be released Publisher and Editor of Guest on Tap
Dave Dronkowski

Oregon Brewers Guild Partners with Oregonlive.com to Offer Oregon Craft Beer Month Sweepstakes

2008-06-28T10:58:00.000-07:00

July is Oregon Craft Beer Month and the Oregon Brewers Guild is partnering with Oregonlive.com for a unique contest to give one local beer enthusiast a complete Oregon Craft Beer Month Prize Package. The contest officially begins today, Friday, June 27th and runs through Sunday, July 13th. Entry is simple, users visit www.oregonlive.com/contests/craftbeer and fill out the entry form for a chance to win.

The Oregon Craft Beer Month Prize Package is valued at more than $250 and includes:
• Two tickets to the Oregon Brewers Guild “Brewers Dinner” on Wednesday July, 23rd, 6-8:30 pm, Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland
• Two “Supporter of Native Oregon Beer” memberships for 2008/2009
• Two July is Oregon Craft Beer Month T-shirts
• Two tickets to the Brewers Brunch on Thursday, July 24th
• Two $40 gift certificates to the Oregon Brewers Festival

For complete contest details and eligibility requirements or to enter please visit http://www.oregonlive.com/contests/craftbeer. For more information on Oregon Craft Beer Month visit oregonbeer.org

Oregon Craft Beer Month Kick-Off

2008-06-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

OREGON BREWERS GUILD CELEBRATES OREGON CRAFT BEER
MONTH WITH KICK-OFF EVENT AT THE HORSE BRASS PUB

What:
It’s official, with a proclamation from Governor Ted Kulongoski, July is Oregon Craft Beer Month. The Oregon Brewers Guild is ready to get the month-long party started right with an official kick-off event at Portland’s Horse Brass Pub. Don Younger and the Horse Brass team have searched far and wide for a selection of new releases, world premier exclusives, rare and vintage beers to commemorate the special occasion. All told, there will be 25 taps of these truly memorable Oregon beers. The first keg to be tapped will be a firkin of Kolsch 55 from Rock Bottom Brewery by Oregon Brewers Guild President Van Havig.

Rock Bottom's Van Havig

With more than 100 beer events taking place across the state in July – 21 events on July 1st alone – there are plenty of opportunities for craft beer aficionados to celebrate Oregon’s craft brewing industry at their local pubs.

When:
Tuesday, July 1st at 5:00 p.m.

Where:
Horse Brass Pub
4534 SE Belmont
Portland, OR 97215

Fish Tale Tasting @ Belmont Station June 26th

2008-06-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY JUNE 26 6-8PM FISH TALE TASTING
Kick off the big Organic Beer Weekend in Portland with tastes of the Fish Tale Organic Ales: Amber, IPA, & Wild Salmon Pale. Plus (non-organic) Fish Tale Blonde, Old Woody, and Detonator Doppelbock. Old Woody on draught (now that’s a rare treat!). Fish 6 packs on sale.

All Tastings are free and open to all over 21 years of age. Over the course of this year you can sample over 400 beers and ciders, just by showing up at the Station!

Belmont Station is located at 4500 SE Stark Street @ the corner of SE 45th and Stark in Portland. For more info call 503 232 8538 or go to www.belmont-station.com

By The Bottle 4 Play Friday

2008-06-25T12:02:00.001-07:00

By the Bottle owner David Nunez

Vancouver, Washington's By The Bottle (no it's not in Oregon, but it is in the Portland metro area) is pleased to announce 4 Play Friday. The event is a tasting (we hope to see more of these events in the future) From 4pm to 8pm this Friday, June 27th, to sample a FOURPLAY of delicious beers. By the Bottle is Clark County's premier beer store offering almost 1,000 bottled beers and is located at 104 W. Evergreen in Downtown Vancouver, WA (next door to Salmon Creek Brew Pub).

Sample a 2-ounce pour of one, two, three, or four different refreshing ales for $1.00 each, cash only, please, while supplies last, and pick up a few to go. See more details below.

This particular tasting will feature 4 Hopped-out favorites: Full Sail Prodigal Sun IPA, Lagunitas Lucky 13 Ale, Ninkasi Total Domination, and Ninkasi Tricerahops.

Lagunitas Lucky 13: This summer seasonal ale is a big red ale, for sure, and a BTB favorite. Loaded with sweet, robust malt flavors, and tremendously satisfying over and over again.

On deck will be a trio of IPA'S:

Full Sail Prodigal Son IPA
Floral hop, pine aromas waft over a bright orange color bit of sunshine. This aggressive IPA is packed with strong hop flavor and bitterness. The crisp, clean mouth makes this IPA very drinkable. This irresistible hop pleasure is available now through September.

Next up, Ninkasi Brewing's Total Domination IPA
Read why this beer has an overall 93 score at ratebeer.com

Finally, how do you turn a dinosaur into a beer?
TRICERAHOPS: BIG and SCARY
Ninkasi Brewing's Double IPA pours a hazy orange glow color then a wallop of citrusy, hop, grapefruit aromas hits you right up front. Matching initial flavors are balanced quite well with sweet malts. The finish is crisp and dry. This beer just drinks amazing. Don't be afraid, ok?

www.bottledbrews.com

BridgePort Launches New Website & Launch Party

2008-06-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

BridgePort Brewing releases a new website:
http://www.bridgeportbrew.com/

Thanks to Kendall at R/West for this info:

Bridgeport Brewery, Oregon’s oldest craft Brewery, is celebrating the launch of their new Web Site www.BridgePortBrew.com (going live on June 26) and will be hosting a launch party, free and open to the public, with give-a-ways and live music provided by Royal Houser, a classic rock group from right here in Portland. Royal House is featured on KBEER, the new online radio music scene hosted by BridgePort Brewery’s website that plays songs produced by local artists.

BridgePort’s new website would like to welcome everyone to Beervana.

BridgePort challenges you to renounce your past party affiliations and all your past indisgressions associated with the mass produced beer water of the big brewers. Become a citizen of Beervana! Tour the city, listen to local Portland musical artists on KBEER, peek inside the brewpub, visit the BridgePort tattoo parlor, and more! Citizenship entitles you to a “Keep Portland Beered!” bumper sticker and the security of knowing that for as long as you enjoy BridgePort Ales, you’re enjoying the absolute best craft beer available. Period.

When: Thursday, June 26. Party starts at 5pm, Music starts at 6pm

Where: 1313 NW Marshall in the Pearl

We hope you’re able to join us and please feel free to help spread the word and share information with your readers and fellow beer-loving friends.

BridgePort Brewery Hosts Book Signing for UC Davis Brewing Professor

2008-06-24T16:31:00.000-07:00

From BridgePort Brewing:

BridgePort Brewery will welcome Charles Bamforth, author and UC Davis brewing professor, on July 12 for a reading from his new book, Grape vs Grain. The new book is a tongue-in-cheek comparative of wine to beer written from a brewer's perspective. Its free and open to the public.

We hope you’re able to join us and please feel free to help spread the word and share information with your readers and fellow beer-loving friends.

When: 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 12, 2008

Where: BridgePort brewpub + bakery, 1313 NW Marshall

What: Charles will give a short talk about his new book, Grape vs Grain, answer questions and sign books! The event is free and open to the public.

Grape vs Grain will be available for sale at $27 each.

July is Oregon Craft Beer Month

2008-06-23T13:26:00.000-07:00

JULY 1, 2008 – JULY 31, 2008
Here's a staggering list of event taking place in Oregon during the month of July.

All month Long
July 1st - July 31st
Eight Guest Taps from Oregon Craft Brewers
Horse Brass Pub, 4520 SE Belmont, Portland
Daily, Monday - Friday 11am to 2:30am, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 2:30am
503-232-2202 • www.oregoncraftbeer.com
Come and enjoy Oregon craft beer all month long, from the smallest to the largest craft brewers in the state.

July 1st - July 31st
26 Rotating Oregon Craft Beers
McCormick & Schmick’s Harborside Restaurant & Pilsner Room, 0309 SW Montgomery, Portland
11am to 12am daily
503-220-1865 • www.mccormickandschmicks.com
Come and meet Oregon brewers from around the state and enjoy a rotating selection of Oregon Brewed beer all month long while visiting the home of the Full Sail at Riverplace.

July 1st - July 31st
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
10 Oregon Beers + 25 Track Town and Rogue Ales on tap. Daily 3pm Brewery Tours. Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups. Bathroom Tours

July 1st - July 31st
Full Sail Brewery Tours
Fully Sail Brewing Co., 506 Columbia Street, Hood River
Daily at 1, 2, 3, 4pm
541-386-2247 • www.fullsailbrewing.com
Get a behind the scenes glimpse into the world at Full Sail Brewing Co., as the team opens their doors to tours running at four convenient times throughout the day, every day during the month of July, as they celebrate Oregon Craft Beer Month.

July 1st - July 31st
Rogue House of Spirits, 2122 Marine Science Drive, Newport
541-867-3670 • www.rogue.com
Daily 4pm Distillery Tours. Sunset views of Yaquina Bay Bridge and Pacific Ocean. Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups. Bathroom Tours

July 1st - July 31st
Rogue Ales Wolf Eel Café, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport
541-867-3474 • www.rogue.com
Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups

July 1st - July 31st
Rogue Ales Portland Distillery and Public House, 1339 NW Flanders St., Portland
503-222-5910 • www.rogue.com
10 Oregon Beers + 25 Rogue Ales on tap. Daily 3pm Distillery Tours. Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups. Bathroom Tours. Oregon Brewer’s Fest tokens, mugs, and t-shirts available.

July 1st - July 31st
Rogue Ales Astoria Public House, 10039th St (Pier 39), Astoria
503-325-5964 • www.rogue.com
10 Oregon Beers + 25 Track Town and Rogue Ales on tap. Daily 3pm Root Beer tours. Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups. Bathroom Tours. Tours of Pier 39 Historic Hanthorne Cannery Interpretive Center

July 1st - July 31st
Rogue Brewers on the Bay
2320 SE OSU Drive (inside Rogue brewery), Newport
541-867-3664 • www.rogue.com
10 Oregon Beers + 25 Track Town and Rogue Ales on tap. Daily 3pm Brewery tours. Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups. Bathroom Tours

July 1st - July 31st
Rogue Bayfront Public House, 748 SW Bay Blvd, Newport
541-265-3188 • www.rogue.com
10 Oregon Beers + 25 Track Town and Rogue Ales on tap. Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups. Bathroom Tours

July 1st - July 31st
Rogue House of Spirits, 2122 Marine Science Drive, Newport
541-867-3670 • www.rogue.com
Daily 4pm Distillery Tours. Sunset views of Yaquina Bay Bridge and Pacific Ocean. Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups. Bathroom Tours

July 1st - July 31st
Rogue Ales Wolf Eel Café, 2820 SE Ferry Slip Road, Newport
541-867-3474 • www.rogue.com
Free Rogue Nation Sign Ups

July 1st - July 31st
Standing Stone Celebrates Oregon Craft Beer Month with our new chef Eric Bell.
Standing Stone Brewing Co., 101 Oak St., Ashland
541-482-2448 • www.standingstonebrewing.com
Chef Eric Bell will be featuring food specials made with Standing Stone Ales.

July 1st - July 6th
Free Rogue Bus shuttle!
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Free Rogue Bus shuttle to the 2008 Olympic Track and Field Trials at Hayward Field.

July 1st - July 31st
Eight Guest Taps from Oregon Craft Brewers
Horse Brass Pub, 4520 SE Belmont, Portland
Daily, Monday - Friday 11am to 2:30am, Saturday and Sunday 9am to 2:30am
503-232-2202 • www.oregoncraftbeer.com
Come and enjoy Oregon craft beer all month long, from the smallest to the largest craft brewers in the state.

July 1st.
Rogue Ales Releases John Maier’s special “John’s Locker Stock”, Latona Ale
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
5pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
To kick off Oregon Craft Beer Month, there will be a Firkin tapping of Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s special “John’s Locker Stock”, Latona Ale.

July 1st
Rogue Ales Releases John Maier’s special “John’s Locker Stock”, Latona Ale
Portland Distillery and Public House, 1339 NW Flanders St., Portland
5pm
503-222-5910 • www.rogue.com
To kick off Oregon Craft Beer Month, there will be a Firkin tapping of Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s special “John’s Locker Stock”, Latona Ale.

July 1st
Lompoc Brewing Company's Lompizer release party
Oaks Bottom Public House, 1621 SE Bybee Blvd, Portland
4 pm to 6 pm
503-232-1728 • www.newoldlompoc.com
Lompizer is Lompoc Brewing's craft beer salute to light ales and lagers. A great way to kick off Oregon Craft Beer month.

July 1st
Kick Off Party for Oregon Craft Beer Month
Horse Brass Pub, 4520 SE Belmont, Portland
5pm on
503-232-2202 • www.oregoncraftbeer.com
Come and meet the Brewers of the Oregon Brewers Guild at the Kick Off Party for Oregon Craft Beer Month.

July 1st
New Beer Release: Washoe Weizen
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
All Day
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
A traditional Bavarian style hefeweizen brewed in anticipation of the Intergalactic Washoe Tournament.

July 1st
Two New Brews Tuesday
Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby, Portland
5pm
503-517-4352 • www.luckylab.com
Join us when we tap two new kegs from breweries including Bend Brewing, Siletz Ales, Klamath Basin Brewing, Big Horse Brewery in celebration of the Oregon Craft Beer Month.

July 1st
Tuesday Special Blend - blended, barrel aged, different every week
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
All Day, 'til the taps run dry
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com

July 2nd
Eugene City Brewery Bingo.
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
7:30 - 9:30pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join host Dave Stark for 11 games of bingo and 1 game of black out bingo.

July 3rd
Rock Bottom Brewery Celebrates the Return of the Blitzen Belgian Triple
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
5:30 to 6pm
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com
Back in the mix, Blitzen Belgian Triple will be available at the Rock Bottom Brewery in conjunction with the Oregon Craft Brew Month.

July 3rd - July 6th
Rogue Ales and Art in the Vineyard Festival at Alton Baker Park
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
11am-11pm daily.
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Art in the Vineyard Festival at Alton Baker Park. Featuring live music, crafts, and Track Town and Rogue Ales.

July 4th
Rogue Plays Traveling Trivia with Mr. Bill
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
8pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join the infamous Mr. Bill for a night of trivia, music, and prizes.

July 4th
Fort George Brewery Hold 4th of July Parking Lot Party
Fort George Brewery and Public House, 1483 Duane St., Astoria
6pm
503-325-PINT • www.fortgeorgebrewery.com
Join us as we celebrate the nation's birthday. The city of Astoria puts on a display of fireworks on the waterfront which will be viewable in our parking lot celebration!

July 4th - July 6th
Pyramid's Beer & King Crab Dinner Special
Pyramid's MacTarnahan Tap Room, 2730 NW 31st Ave, Portland
4pm
503-226-7623 • www.pyramidbrewery.com
Pairing select hand crafted beer with King Crab is the work of great creators and at Pyramid's MacTarnahan's Tap Room, that's exactly what you'll discover. Seating is limited, please call for tickets or more information.

July 4th -July 7th
Rogue's Annual 4th of July Garage Sale
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
Begins at 11am daily.
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Garage Sale featuring great deals on Rogue ales, wearables, and other merchandise.

July 4th -July 7th
Rogue's Annual 4th of July Garage Sale
Portland Distillery and Public House, 1339 NW Flanders St., Portland
Begins at 11am daily.
503-222-5910 • www.rogue.com
Garage Sale featuring great deals on Rogue ales, wearables, and other merchandise.

July 4th -July 7th
Rogue's Annual 4th of July Garage Sale
Rogue Ales Astoria Public House, 10039th St (Pier 39), Astoria
Begins at 11am daily.
503-325-5964 • www.rogue.com
Garage Sale featuring great deals on Rogue ales, wearables, and other merchandise.

July 4th-7th
Rogue's Annual 4th of July Garage Sale
2320 SE OSU Drive (inside Rogue brewery), Newport
Begins at 11am daily
541-867-3664 • www.rogue.com
Annual 4th of July Garage Sale featuring great deals on Rogue ales, wearables, and other merchandise.

July 6th
Hopworks Urban Brewery Intergalactic Washoe Tournament
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
12pm
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
Play the game that’s sweeping up and down the west coast beer scene - WASHOES! The game is a cross between horseshoes and skeeball and played with 1 inch washers. Teams of 2 will compete for the title of “Intergalactic Washoe Champions”. Whether you’re a seasoned washoe vet or a newcomer, everyone will have fun! As always – we recommend you ride your bike or tri-met. Early registration at the Hopworks hostess stand.

July 7th
Lucky Lab Warms up to Winter Ales in July
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
5pm
503-236-3555 • www.luckylab.com
Think its warm enough? Not quite yet, come in and enjoy the winter ales that remind us of the holiday season's warmth, just in case July wasn't keeping you toasty enough.

July 8th
Lompoc Brewing's Secret Beer Vault with Geraldo Brewvera
Hedge House, 3412 SE Division St., Portland
4 pm to 6 pm
503-235-2215 • www.newoldlompoc.com
Expert Beer Hunter Geraldo Brewvera has discovered a secret beer cooler at the Hedge House. Geraldo plans to open the vault and expose all its secrets and contents to the public for consumption.

July 8th
Lucky Lab's Two New Brews Tuesday
Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby, Portland
5pm
503-517-4352 • www.luckylab.com
Join us when we tap two new kegs from featured breweries Bend Brewing, Siletz, Klamath Basin, Big Horse in celebration of the Oregon Craft Beer Month.

July 8th
Rock Bottom's Tuesday Special Blend - blended, barrel aged
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
All Day, 'til its gone
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com

July 8th
Hopworks Urban Brewery's New Beer Release: Bourbon DOA + Bourbon Barrel Day
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
3pm - close
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
All the Hopworks bourbon barrel aged beers on tap at the same time! Kentucky Christmas, Bourbon IPA, Bourbon DOA, and possibly another?! Beers tapped at 3pm.

July 8th
Meet the Brewer and the Beer - Full Sail Brewer's Share Series
Full Sail at Riverplace, 0307 SW Montgomery, Portland
5 to 7pm
503-222-5343 • www.fullsailbrewing.com
Come celebrate Oregon Craft Beer Month and kick off our latest Brewer's Share series beer with Full Sail brewer Greg Lizama.

July 9th
Eugene City Brewery Bingo.
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
7:30 - 9:30pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join host Dave Stark for 11 games of bingo and 1 game of black out bingo.

July 9th
Double Mountain Pils Premiere Party
Henry's 12th Street Tavern, 10 NW 12th Ave, Portland
5pm
503-227-5320 • www.henrystavern.com
Come celebrate the Portland debut of Double Mountain Pils, a true lager for the summer season. Meet the brewers and join the raffle for Double Mountain t-shirts and glassware.

July 9th
Hopworks Beer and Oregon Cheese Pairings with Steve’s Cheese
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
7pm
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
Join us for a tasting of Hopworks beers paired with Oregon craft cheeses. Guided by the Hopworks brewers and Steve from Steve’s Cheese. Get insight on the brewing and cheese making process while enjoying some excellent pairings. See the Hopworks hostess for tickets.

July 9th - July 13th
Concordia Cup
Concordia Ale House, 3276 NE Killingsworth, Portland
Wednesday 11am through Sunday Midnight
503-287-3929 • www.concordia-ale.com
10 of the Best Oregon Imperial IPA's battle it out for first place in a blind taste test. Winning brewer will captain the Oregon Beer Brawl II team. Votes will be gathered from July 9th starting at 11 am until July 13th at midnight. Taster trays are $10 to participate and vote for your favorite. Admission is free.

July 10th
Deschutes' Munch & Music
Drake Park, Bend, OR
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
www.munchandmusic.com
Free Music Event featuring a Deschutes Brewery Beer Garden

July 10th
Meet the Brewer and the Beer - Full Sail Brewer's Share Series
Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub, 506 Columbia Street, Hood River
5 to 7pm
541-386-2247 • www.fullsailbrewing.com
Come celebrate Oregon Craft Beer Month and kick off our latest Brewer's Share series beer with Full Sail brewer Greg Lizama.

July 10th
Rock Bottom Announces Return of Black Peter - Belgian Noire Ale
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
5:30 to 6pm
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com
Looking for a new beer? Maybe you're craving an old favorite. If that's the case, the Rock Bottom Brewery has what you need. Join their team when they bring back Black Peter, the Belgian Noire Ale. You won't be disappointed with this hand crafted beer.

July 11th
Laurelwood Open House and Beer Release of Double Oregon Hefeweizen.
Laurelwood Public House and Brewery, 5115 NE Sandy, Portland
2pm-5pm
503-282-0622 • www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com
The Brewery Open House and tours start at 2 pm along with a stronger version of American Hefeweizen called Double Oregon Hefeweizen or as it's better known aroung the brewery as DOH.

July 11th
Falconer Scholarship Benefit Party for Don's, Lisa's, and Scott's 156th Birthday!
Produce Row Cafe, 204 SE Oak Street, Portland
5 pm
503-232-8355
Just when you thought you were getting old, the special birthday guests, Lisa Morrison the Beer Goddess, Don Younger owner of the Horse Brass Pub, and Scott Willis owner of Point Blank Distributing celebrate a combined birthday of 156 years old with a dinner party where a $1 from every pint benefits the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation. Now that's a birthday party!

July 11th - July 13th
Pyramid's Beer & King Crab Dinner Special
Pyramid's MacTarnahan Tap Room, 2730 NW 31st Ave, Portland
4pm
503-226-7623 • www.pyramidbrewery.com
Pairing select hand crafted beer with King Crab is the work of great creators and at Pyramid's MacTarnahan's Tap Room, that's exactly what you'll discover. Seating is limited, please call for tickets or more information.

July 11th
Rogue Plays Traveling Trivia with Mr. Bill
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
8pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join the infamous Mr. Bill for a night of trivia, music, and prizes.

July 12th
Party for the 2,000th Oregon Brewers Guild Supporter of Native Oregon Beer (SNOB)
Horse Brass Pub, 4520 SE Belmont, Portland
2 to 5pm
503-288-BREW • www.oregonbeer.org
Come celebrate the 2,000th SNOB member with a party at the Horse Brass Pub.

July 12th
Bridgeport Brewpub Hosts Brewing Professor Charlie Bamforth
Bridgeport Bakery & Brewpub, 1313 NW Marshall, Portland
1 - 4pm
503-241-7179 • www.bridgeportbrew.com
Come and be a part of the excitement as Brewing Professor and writer Charlie Bamforth signs his new book "Grape vs. Grain". It's time to learn from one of the greats, boys and girls!

July 12th
7th Annual McMenmins Roadhouse Brewfest
McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse & Imbrie Hall, 4045 N.W. Cornelius Pass Rd., Hillsboro
11am – 10pm; music at 4pm
503-640-6174 • www.mcmenamins.com
Free admission, All ages welcome (21 and over to sample ales), Featuring Eight McMenamins ales, live music by The Old Elbows, food specials, balloon guy and more! Try eight different McMenamins ales and talk to the brewers who brewed ‘em! This noncompetitive celebration of beer "puts the brewer back in brewfest," featuring our very own McMenamins brewers ready to answer your questions throughout the event. Not only that, but you can listen to live music, enjoy summery food specials and much, much more!

July 12th - July 13th
Deschutes Celebrates Summer at the Bend Summer Festival
Downtown, Bend, OR
July 12th, 11 am to 10 pm
July 13th, 11 am to 6 pm
www.bendsummerfestival.com
Come visit the Deschutes Brewery Beer Garden.

July 12th - July 13th
Where It All Began Beer Fest
Produce Row Cafe, 204 SE Oak Street, Portland
Saturday Noon to 9pm, Sunday 11am to 6pm
503-232-8355
Come celebrate the 30th Anniversary of Produce Row Cafe. $5 at entry gets you a cup and 4 tickets, 12oz cup, 3oz per ticket. 14 Oregon Beers outside and 21 retailers inside. Cash only outside. $10 minimum purchase inside for all cards. Several speciality beers will be brewed by Oregon Brewers for this event.

July 13th
Rogue's Bloody Mary Pajama Brunch.
Portland Distillery and Public House, 1339 NW Flanders St., Portland
10am
503-222-5910 • www.rogue.com
Bloody Mary Pajama Brunch. Wear your PJ’s to breakfast, build your own Bloody Mary, and try the Chocolate Stout pancakes.

July 13th
Rogue's Bloody Mary Pajama Brunch
Rogue Ales Astoria Public House, 10039th St (Pier 39), Astoria
10am
503-325-5964 • www.rogue.com
Wear your PJ’s to breakfast, build your own Bloody Mary, and try the Chocolate Stout pancakes.

July 13th
Rogue's Bloody Mary Pajama Brunch.
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
10am
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Wear your PJ’s to breakfast, build your own Bloody Mary, and try the Chocolate Stout pancakes.

July 13th
Rogue's Bloody Mary Pajama Brunch.
2320 SE OSU Drive (inside Rogue brewery), Newport
10am
541-867-3664 • www.rogue.com
Wear your PJ’s to breakfast, build your own Bloody Mary, and try the Chocolate Stout pancakes.

July 13th
Hopworks Urban Brewery Hosts Pimped Out Bike In Event
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
12pm - close
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
Show off your hottest ride! Tall bikes, short bikes, cruisers, choppers, road bikes, mountain bikes, kids bikes, recumbents. Just like a classic car cruise in.

July 13th
Rogue's Bloody Mary Pajama Brunch.
Rogue Bayfront Public House, 748 SW Bay Blvd, Newport
10 a.m.
541-265-3188 • www.rogue.com
Wear your PJ’s to breakfast, build your own Bloody Mary, and try the Chocolate Stout pancakes.

July 14th
Lucky Lab Warms up to Winter Ales in July
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
5pm
503-236-3555 • www.luckylab.com
Think its warm enough? Not quite yet, come in and enjoy the winter ales that remind us of the holiday season's warmth, just in case July wasn't keeping you toasty enough.

July 14th - July 20th
Puckerfest
Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark St., Portland
Monday thru Thursday 3pm to 11pm, Friday and Saturday Noon to 12am, Sunday Noon to 9pm
503-232-8538 • www.belmont-station.com
Specials on tap and in the bottle throughout the week. Unofficially named the "Puckerfest," several sour beers, including a year-old Berliner Weiss from Portland's BJ's Brewpub, will also be pouring at the adjoining biercafé.

July 15th
5th Quadrant Hosts Beer Trivia with Katie Shimmer
5th Quadrant, 3901 N Williams St., Portland
9 pm to 11pm
503-288-3996 • www.newoldlompoc.com
Classic beer trivia with world famous Katie Shimmer.

July 15th
Lucky Lab's Two New Brews Tuesday
Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby, Portland
5pm
503-517-4352 • www.luckylab.com
Join us to tap two new kegs Tuesday from the featured breweries Bend Brewing, Siletz Ales, Klamath Basin Brewing, Big Horse in celebration of the Oregon Craft Beer Month.

July 15th
Hopsworks Urban Brewery Releases New Brew: Sunset Ale
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
All Day
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
Hoppy, refreshing and imminently drinkable. This British style summer ale is perfect for nice summer days spent on the back deck at Hopworks.

July 15th
Rock Bottom's Tuesday Special Blend - blended, barrel aged
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
All Day, 'til its gone
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com

July 16th
Eugene City Brewery Bingo.
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
7:30 - 9:30pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join host Dave Stark for 11 games of bingo and 1 game of black out bingo.

July 16th
Laurelwood's New Beer Release - One Day at a Time Weizenbock
Laurelwood Pizza Company, 1728 NE 40th Ave, Portland
11:00 a.m.
503-943-6157 • www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com
A traditional German dunkel weizen brewed to bock strength chock full of the aromas and flavors of banana's and cloves. Named after the Laurelwood Brewing Co.'s favorite sitcom from the 1975-1983 television era.

July 17th
Deschutes' Munch & Music
Drake Park, Bend, OR
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
www.munchandmusic.com
Free Music Event featuring a Deschutes Brewery Beer Garden

July 17th
Rock Bottom's New Beer Release - Congo Queen
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
5:30 to 6pm
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com
Treat yourself to the new release of a Belgian Style Colonial Golden Spiced Sorghum Ale at the Rock Bottom Brewery.

July 17th
McMenamins' Thirsty Thursday
McMenamins Lighthouse Brewpub, 4157 N. Highway 101, Lincoln City
7pm 'til the beer is gone
(541) 994-7238 • www.mcmenamins.com
Sample a new beer style every third Thursday! In this monthly event, we reserve the third Thursday of every month to try out a new beer style. You can meet and talk with our brewer, try our limited edition beer and order lunch or dinner. Admission is free, must be 21 and over to taste.

July 18th
Rogue Plays Traveling Trivia with Mr. Bill
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
8pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join the infamous Mr. Bill for a night of trivia, music, and prizes.

July 18th - July 20th
Pyramid's Beer & King Crab Dinner Special
Pyramid's MacTarnahan Tap Room, 2730 NW 31st Ave, Portland
4pm
503-226-7623 • www.pyramidbrewery.com
Pairing select hand crafted beer with King Crab is the work of great creators and at Pyramid's MacTarnahan's Tap Room, that's exactly what you'll discover. Seating is limited, please call ahead for tickets or more information.

July 18th - July 20th
Portland International Beer Festival
North Park Blocks in the Pearl, Portland
Friday 4 -10pm, Saturday Noon to 10pm, Sunday Noon to 7pm
www.seattlebeerfest.com
Purchase 10 Beer Tickets for $20, with an official glass. Additional tickets can be purchased for $1 for a 4oz. pour.

July 19
Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic Feast
Broken Top Golf Club, Bend, OR
Begins at 5 pm
541-385-8606 • www.sagebrush.org
$225 - Join us for a gourmet feast prepared by 18 celebrity chefs and paired with Deschutes Brewery beers. Dancing outdoors to live music caps off the night. One never had so much fun doing so much good — proceeds benefit numerous Central Oregon charities serving children and families.

July 19th
Oregon Trail Brewery's Mystery Beer Tasting
Oregon Trail Brewery, 341 SW 2nd Ave, Corvallis
Brewery Tours 3-8 pm
www.oregontrailbrewery.com
This event features live music featuring a Deschutes Brewery Beer Garden. Also, there will be mystery beers to represent every beer style that is a craft beer, including an IPA, Wit, Brown, Ginseng Porter, Bourbon Porter, Kolsch, and light ale.

July 19th
McMenamins' Brewers Dinner
McMenamins Old St. Francis School, 700 N.W. Bond Street, Bend
7pm
541-382-5174 • www.mcmenamins.com
Here's a party to toast our Bend brewers -- let's make that brewers across Oregon! Tickets to the event are $50 and reservations are required. Guests must be 21 years of age & over. The menu features a Meza platter with hummus, marinated olives, feta, & grilled pita, with IPA. For a salad, guests can enjoy field greens with grape tomatoes, spiced Marcona almonds and grilled lemon vinaigrette with a Copper Moon. As for the main course there is Moroccan-spiced grilled flank steak with grilled vegetables skewers and quinoa with the
Brewer's choice of ale. And last but of course never least, for dessert there's a Lemon tart with pomegranate sauce and a Ruby Ale. So many treats to feast upon!

July 19th
McMenamins' 6th Annual Roadhouse Brewfest
Cornelius Pass Roadhouse & Imbrie Hall, 4045 NW Cornelius Pass Rd, Hillsboro
4 to 11pm
503-640-6174 • www.mcmenamins.com
Savor ales from eight McMenamins breweries, along with food specials and chats with McMenamins brewers. Live music provided by the Scraff Orser Band and the Freak Mountain Ramblers. Joe Mishkin "The Balloon Guy" will entertain the kids.

July 19th
Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub's Beer and Sausage Fest
Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub, 7424 SW Bvtn Hillsdale Hwy, Portland
1 to 10pm
503-296-0110 • www.raclodge.com
Featuring a variety of grilled sausage and live music.

July 20th
Hopworks Urban Brewery's Homebrew Demo
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
2 to 6pm
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
Finally you can learn how to brew at home like the great brewmasters. Get information and watch a homebrew demonstration in the brewery parking lot at Hopworks.

July 21st
Lucky Lab Warms up to Winter Ales in July
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
5pm
503-236-3555 • www.luckylab.com
Think its warm enough? Not quite yet, come in and enjoy the winter ales that remind us of the holiday season's warmth, just in case July wasn't keeping you toasty enough.

July 22nd
Rogue Hosts Fred Eckhardt’s 17th Annual Beer and Cheese Tasting
Portland Distillery and Public House, 1339 NW Flanders St., Portland
Seating begins at 5pm, tasting begins at 6pm.
503-222-5910 • www.rogue.com
Join Fred Eckhardt, the dean of American Beer Writers for a unique tasting of 10 microbrewes with 10 gourmet cheeses. Ticket prices: $25 for Rogue Nation Members, $30 for advance ticket orders, and $35 at the door.

July 22nd
New Old Lompoc's Festivus in July
New Old Lompoc, 1616 NW 23rd Ave. Portland
5 pm to 6 pm
503-225-1855 • www.newoldlompoc.com
Festivous Celebration with Portland Brewers and an Aluminum FesivouvsPole. A spin off of the classic Seinfeld Holiday episode focusing on the brewing industry. The airing of the grievances and the Feats of Strength will be the focal point while sipping traditional Christmas ales.

July 22nd
Lucky Lab's Two New Brews Tuesday
Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby, Portland
5pm
503-517-4352 • www.luckylab.com
Join us when we tap two new kegs from the featured breweries Bend Brewing, Siletz, Klamath Basin, Big Horse in celebration of the Oregon Craft Beer Month.

July 22nd
Hopworks Urban Brewery's Special Blend Night
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
3pm
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
Christian, Ben, Jaime and one lucky Hopworks employee compete to see who can make the best Hopworks blended beer. Hopworks IPA+Velvet ESB blend? HUB Lager+Survival Stout+DOA blend? Something else?! This one will be crazy!

July 22nd
Rock Bottom's Tuesday Special Blend - blended, barrel aged
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
All Day, 'til its gone
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com

July 23rd
Eugene City Brewery Bingo.
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
7:30 - 9:30pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join host Dave Stark for 11 games of bingo and 1 game of black out bingo.

July 23rd
Oregon Brewers Festival Presents the Oregon Brewers Guild Brewers Dinner
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, SW Bill Naito Parkway & Oak St, Portland
6:00 to 8:30pm
503-288-2739 • www.oregonbeer.org
Some of the biggest names in craft brewing attend this informal BBQ as a prelude to the Oregon Brewers Festival. The ticket price of $50 ($40 for SNOBs) includes dinner, a souvenir pint glass, and six half-pints of Oregon beers that are not featured at the festival. Proceeds benefit Oregon Brewers Guild. Attendance is limited to 600.

July 24th
Deschutes' Munch & Music
Drake Park, Bend, OR
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
www.munchandmusic.com
Free Music Event featuring a Deschutes Brewery Beer Garden

July 24th
Widmer Brother's Brewing Co. Presents Oregon Brewers Brunch and Parade
PGE Park, 1844 SW Morrison St, Portland
9am to noon
503-778-5917 • www.oregonbrewfest.com
Presented by Widmer Brother's Brewing Co., Mayor Tom will be leading the Oregon Brewers Parade. Tickets cost $20 a piece. Each ticket includes brunch, beer, a parade T-shirt and a 2008 souvenir festival mug.

July 24th -27th
Catch a Ride on the Rogue Bus to the Oregon Brewer's Fest!
Portland Distillery and Public House, 1339 NW Flanders St., Portland
503-222-5910 • www.rogue.com
Free rides on the Rogue Bus to Oregon Brewer’s Fest.

July 24th – July 27th
Oregon Brewers Festival
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, SW Bill Naito Parkway & Oak St, Portland
Thursday - Saturday Noon to 9pm; Sunday Noon to 7pm
503-778-5917 • www.oregonbrewfest.com

July 25th
Rogue Plays Traveling Trivia with Mr. Bill
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
8pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join the infamous Mr. Bill for a night of trivia, music, and prizes.

July 25th
McMenamins' Third Annual Sasquatch Brew Am Golf Tournament
McMenamins Edgefield Inn, 2126 SW Halsey St, Troutdale
8am to 1pm
www.sasquatchbrewfest.org
Pair up with celebrity brewers for a round of golf at one of the coolest courses in the area. $75 fee includes golf, picnic lunch, prizes, games, goodies, and a golf shirt. Proceeds benefit the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation to support its brewing scholarship program.

July 25th - July 26th
Homebrewing Demo
Tom McCall Waterfront Park, SW Bill Naito Parkway & Oak St, Portland
Friday and Saturday Noon to 6pm
503-288-2739 • www.oregonbrewcrew.com
Watch attentively as handcrafted beer is made by the Oregon Brew Crew. Isn't it time you learned some of the tricks of the trade from the masters?

July 25th - July 27th
Pyramid's Beer & King Crab Dinner Special
Pyramid's MacTarnahan Tap Room, 2730 NW 31st Ave, Portland
4pm
503-226-7623 • www.pyramidbrewery.com
Pairing select hand crafted beer with King Crab is the work of great creators and at Pyramid's MacTarnahan's Tap Room, that's exactly what you'll discover. Seating is limited, please call ahead for tickets or more information.

**THIS EVENT NEEDS ADDITIONAL INFO**
July 26th
title t/k
Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark, Portland
503-232-8538 • www.belmont-station.com
**THIS EVENT IS NEEDS ADDITIONAL INFO**

July 27th
Hopworks Urban Brewery's Sunday OBF Recovery Brunch
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
9am to 2pm
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
What’s better after a long week at the Oregon Brewers Festival than an excellent Sunday brunch, and who know’s more about hangovers than brewers? That’s why Hopworks Urban Brewery is proud to present the “Sunday OBF Recovery Brunch”. A special menu of breakfast pizzas, cheeseburgers, tater tots, and pancakes. Wash away the haze with a Hopworks Bloody Mary or a world famous HUB-OSA (HUB Lager+Orange Juice). We’re opening early (9am) for this soon to be legendary event!

July 27th
Sassy Sunday and re-release of Rogue’s newest brew, Imperial Younger’s Special Bitter
Horse Brass Pub, 4520 SE Belmont, Portland
3pm
503-232-2202 • www.horsebrass.com
Two great events, one great cause, the premier pour (cask conditioned) Imperial Younger's Special Bitter will be held at 5pm. The first 10 bottles of Imperial YSB ever produced will be signed by Rogue Brewmaster John Maier and Horse Brass owner Don Younger and auctioned to raise funds for the Glen Falconer Foundation. Featuring multiple unique and one off beers - all proceeds will be donated to the Glen Falconer Foundation.

July 27th
Rogue Ale's Sasquatch Sunday
Portland Distillery and Public House, 1339 NW Flanders St., Portland
5pm
503-222-5910 • www.rogue.com
To honor former Rogue brewer Glen Falconer, a simultaneous toast at all Rogue Public Houses will be made with Glen Ale, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s tribute beer. Proceeds will be donated to the Glen Falconer Foundation.

July 27th
Rogue Ale's Sasquatch Sunday
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
5pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
To honor former Rogue brewer Glen Falconer, a simultaneous toast at all Rogue Public Houses will be made with Glen Ale, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s tribute beer. Proceeds will be donated to the Glen Falconer Foundation.

July 27th
Rogue Ale's Sasquatch Sunday
Rogue Ales Astoria Public House, 10039th St (Pier 39), Astoria
5pm
503-325-5964 • www.rogue.com
To honor former Rogue brewer Glen Falconer, a simultaneous toast at all Rogue Public Houses will be made with Glen Ale, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s tribute beer. Proceeds will donated to the Glen Falconer Foundation.

July 27th
Rogue Ale's Sasquatch Sunday
2320 SE OSU Drive (inside Rogue brewery), Newport
5pm
541-867-3664 • www.rogue.com
To honor former Rogue brewer Glen Falconer, a simultaneous toast at all Rogue Public Houses will be made with Glen Ale, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s tribute beer. Proceeds will donate the Falconer Foundation.

July 27th
Rogue Ale's Sasquatch Sunday
Rogue Bayfront Public House, 748 SW Bay Blvd, Newport
5pm
541-265-3188 • www.rogue.com
To honor former Rogue brewer Glen Falconer, a simultaneous toast at all Rogue Public Houses will be made with Glen Ale, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s tribute beer. Proceeds will donate the Falconer Foundation.

July 27th
Rogue Ale's Sasquatch Sunday
Rogue House of Spirits, 2122 Marine Science Drive, Newport
5pm
541-867-3670 • www.rogue.com
To honor former Rogue brewer Glen Falconer, a simultaneous toast at all Rogue Public Houses will be made with Glen Ale, Rogue Brewmaster John Maier’s tribute beer. Proceeds will donate the Falconer Foundation.

July 28th
Lucky Lab Warms up to Winter Ales in July
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Portland
5pm
503-236-3555 • www.luckylab.com
Think its warm enough? Come in and enjoy the winter ales that remind us of the holiday season's joys that keep us going throughout the year.

July 29th
Lucky Lab's Two New Brews Tuesday
Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, 1945 NW Quimby, Portland
5pm
503-517-4352 • www.luckylab.com
Join us to tap two new kegs Tuesday from the following breweries Bend Brewing, Siletz, Klamath Basin, Big Horse in celebration of the Oregon Craft Beer Month.

July 29th
Hopworks Urban Brewery's New Beer Release: Whoop Whoop Wheat
Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell Blvd, Portland
9am to 2pm
503-232-4677 • www.hopworksbeer.com
Named for former Portland Mayor Bud Clark and his famed call, Whoop Whoop Wheat is a refreshing, slightly tart wheat beer perfect for the hot days of summer. Served neat or with raspberry or peach juice, this is definitely one beer you’ll want to expose yourself too.

July 29th
Rock Bottom Brewery's Tuesday Special Blend - blended, barrel aged
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
All Day, 'Til its Gone
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com
What better way is there to begin to wrap up a month of celebrating Oregon's Craft Beer than to share a special blend thats been blended and barrel aged? There just isn't a better way.

July 30th
McMenamins' Limited Edition Beer Release Party
McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse & Imbrie Hall, 4045 N.W. Cornelius Pass Rd., Hillsboro
5 to 10 pm
503-640-6174 • www.mcmenamins.com
One Night Only, or 'Til the Beer is Gone! Step right up and into the historic Roadhouse itself to try a just-release limited-edition brew, the first of many once-a-month. No admission fee; pints for $4.15. Must be 21 years old & over to taste.

July 30th
Eugene City Brewery Bingo.
Eugene City Brewery, 844 Olive St., Eugene
7:30 - 9:30pm
541-345-4155 • www.rogue.com
Join host Dave Stark for 11 games of bingo and 1 game of black out bingo.

July 31st
Deschutes' Munch & Music
Drake Park, Bend
5:30 pm to 8:30 pm
www.munchandmusic.com
Free Music Event featuring a Deschutes Brewery Beer Garden

July 31st
Rock Bottom Brewery's New Beer Release - Belgian Wit
Rock Bottom Brewery, 206 SW Morrison St, Portland
5:30 to 6 pm
503-796-BREW • www.rockbottom.com
Be there when the Rock Bottom Brewery launches the new release of the Belgian Wit.

A lifetime's free beer to first Austrian scorer

2008-06-16T09:56:00.000-07:00

VIENNA, June 10 (Reuters) - A Vienna brewery is promising a lifelong supply of free beer to any Austria player who scores a goal for the co-hosts in their remaining Euro 2008 group matches against Poland and Germany.

Will one of these Austrian ballers be the recipient of a lifetime supply of brew?

Austria, competing in the finals of the tournament for the first time, made a disappointing start with a 1-0 defeat against Croatia on Sunday.

'Maybe this is the kind of motivation that will give them the last kick our team needs to be successful,' Ottakringer Brauerei AG chief executive Sigi Menz said in a statement, adding he would personally deliver the brewer's supply for the first year.

Austria, ranked 92nd in the world, take on Poland in Vienna on Thursday before completing their Group B fixtures against Germany at the same venue on Monday.

Next game: vs. Germany, 16 Jun 2:45pm ET

Organic Beer Festival Showcases Green Beers

2008-06-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

From Abram at the NAOBF:

Showcasing over 75 ales and lagers, the North American Organic Brewers Festival June 27-29th, 2008 is the world’s largest gathering of organic brewers. The event will be held in Overlook Park, in Portland, Oregon and features live music, sustainability-oriented vendors and local and organic foods
Established in 2003, the NAOBF will serve beers made with organic ingredients from more than forty breweries. Brewers around the world are doing their part to save the planet, making everything from pilsner to IPA, stout to amber ale with organic ingredients. Organic breweries such as Roots, Bison, Crannóg, Nelson and Hopworks, from throughout Cascadia will be pouring their finest malt masterpieces. Other breweries including Widmer and Pelican, have brewed organic beers just for the event. A new “bottle garden” highlights European organic beers from England, Scotland, Germany, and Belgium.
“Organic beer is the next step in the craft-brewing revolution” says festival organizer Abram Goldman-Armstrong. “These brewers are returning to traditional beer styles and production methods, but traditionally grown ingredients.”
Organically grown barley produces better malt than that grown with chemicals as many brewers are discovering. Drinking organic beer preserves the health of farmers, the air, soil, and water. Come taste the beers that are helping save the planet. A full list of the beers is available online at www.naobf.org

A Green Event:
The NAOBF features compostable tasting glasses made from corn-starch. Conventional plastics not only take up landfill space, but have been linked to cancer, and are made from foreign petroleum. Our glasses are made from US-grown corn, and will break down in a commercial composting facility. On-site composting and recycling receptacles will be provided and all food vendors will use compostable flatware. A Biodiesel-fueled generator provides the festival’s energy needs, and attendees are encouraged to take MAX light-rail to the event. Vendors at the NAOBF promote sustainable living through their wares and services.

Live Music:
Throughout the festival a diverse range of local musicians will be performing. From Irish traditional music, to jazz, hiphop, rockabilly, and folk the festival celebrates the talents of the Portland music scene. Visit www.naobf.org/music.html for listings.

Charity:
A benefit for Oregon Food Bank, Leukemia Lymphoma Society, and Oregon Tilth, the NAOBF celebrates numerous facets of sustainability. The chemical pesticides and fertilizers used in conventional agriculture are one of the leading causes of cancer. The Leukemia Lymphoma Society, helps those suffering from leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. The Oregon Food Bank feeds the hungry, and Oregon Tilth promotes sustainable agriculture and is one of the most stringent organic certification bodies in the nation.
This year the festival also features a special guest beer, the Falconer Foundation Memorial Brew, the proceeds from which will benefit the Glen Hay Falconer Fund, which maintains a scholarship to the Siebel Institute of Technology brewing school. Eugene brewer Glen Hay Falconer was an organic beer pioneer while at the Wild Duck Brewpub in Eugene. The Imperial Vienna, brewed by last year’s Falconer Foundation scholarship recipients Corey Blodgett and Jacob Leonard, uses organic malt.

Details:
Overlook Park is located at North Interstate Aveune and Fremont Street, Portland, Oregon. Three MAX light-rail stops from downtown Portland.
Hours: Friday June 27 3pm-9pm, Saturday 12-9pm, Sunday 12-5pm. Admission is free, a tasting glass is $5, and 4oz samples of beer are $1. A full glass is 4 tickets. Strong beers (over 8% alcohol by volume) and certain imported beers will cost more. A $1 discount will be given for a valid Tri-met transfer OR three cans of (preferably organic) food for the Oregon Food Bank. The event is all-ages. Service animals only. There is no onsite parking. Attendees are encouraged to take public transit. (MAX Yellow Line to Overlook Park stop). Bicycle parking will be provided.
For more information visit www.naobf.org or call Roots Organic Brewing 503-235-7668

Advance tasting glass and ticket sales: Belmont Station 4500 SE Stark Street, 503-232-8538
Media contact: Abram Goldman-Armstrong 503-730-5597 abram@naobf.org

Beers at Oregon Brewers Festival

2008-06-13T12:43:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Chris Crabb of the Oregon Brewers Festival, here's a list of beers to be featured at the 2008 festival taking place July 24-27:

Brewery/Origin/Name/Style
21st Amendment Brewery SanFran,CA Hell or High Watermelon Fruit Wheat
Alameda Brewhouse Portland,OR East Village Amber Amber
Alaskan Brewing Co Juneau,AK Alaskan Summer Ale Kolsch
Allagash Brewing Co Portland,ME Allagash White Belgian-Style Wheat Beer
Amnesia Brewing Co Portland,OR Copacetic IPA IPA
Anderson Valley Brewing Co Boonville,CA Poleeko Gold Pale Ale Pale Ale
Bayern Brewing Missoula,MT Bayern Pilsener German Pilsener
Bell's Brewery Comstock,MI Bell's Porter Brown Porter
Bison Brewing Berkeley,CA Organic Chocolate Stout Dry Foreign Style Stout
Blue Frog Grog & Grill Fairfield,CA Blonde Frog Ale Pale Ale
Boulder Beer Co Boulder,CO Hazed & Infused Dry-Hopped Amber Ale
Boulevard Brewing Co Kansas City,MO Lunar Ale Belgian Style Ale
Boundary Bay Brewery Bellingham,WA Dry Hopped Crystal Pale Ale American Pale
BridgePort Brewing Co Portland,OR Blue Heron Organic Pale Ale Pale Ale
Caldera Brewing Co Ashland,OR Caldera Ginger Ale Summer Ale
Cascade Brewing Co Portland,OR Razberry Wheat Fruit Beer
Collaborator Portland,OR Resurrection Rye American Pale Ale
Deschutes Brewery Bend,OR 20th Anniversary Wit Belgian-Style Wheat
Dick's Brewing Co Centralia,WA Dick's IPA IPA
Eel River Brewing Co Scotia,CA Organic IPA IPA
Electric Brewing Bisbee,AZ Electric Beer American Lager
Eugene City Brewery Eugene,OR 100 Meter Ale Red Ale
Fearless Brewing Co Estacada,OR Clackamas Cream Ale Cream Ale
Fifty Fifty Brewing Co Truckee,CA Foggy Goggle White Belgian Style Wit
Flying Fish Brewing Co Cherry Hill,NJ Love Fish Abbey Dubbel Beglian-Style Dubbel
Four + Brewing Salt Lake,UT Rype Orange Wheat Beer
Full Sail Brewing Co Hood River,OR Full Sail Ltd 02 Pale Bock
Golden Valley Brewery McMinnville,OR Cote d'Or Belgian Style Golden Ale
Goose Island Beer Co Chicago,IL Matilda Belgian Style
Grand Teton Brewing Co Victory,ID Bitch Creek ESB ESB
Great Divide Brewing Co Denver,CO Titan IPA IPA
Green Flash Brewing Co Vista,CA Hop Head Red American Red Ale
Hales Ales Seattle,WA Hale's Kolsch Kolsch
Hazel Dell Brewpub Vancouver,WA Vancouver IPA IPA
Hopworks Urban Brewery Portland,OR HUB Lager Czech Pilsner
Iron Horse Brewery Ellensburg,WA Quilter's Irish Death Dark Ale
Kona Brewing Co Kailua-Kona,HI Lavaman Red Ale American-Style Red Ale
Lagunitas Brewing Co Petaluma,CA Lagunitas Hop Stoopid Imperial IPA
Lang Creek Brewery Marion,MT Mandarin Hefeweizen American Wheat
Laughing Dog Brewing Ponderay,ID Rocket Dog Rye IPA
Laurelwood Brewing Co Portland,OR Workhorse IPA American IPA
Lompoc Brewing Co Portland,OR Lompoc Extra Special Pale ESP
Lost Coast Brewery Eureka,CA Great White Belgian Witbier
Lucky Lab Brewing Co Portland,OR Solar Flare Ale Solar Powered Beer
MacTarnahan's Portland,OR MacTarnahan's Sling Shot Extra Pale Ale Extra Pale Ale
Mad River Brewing Co Blue Lake,CA Jamaica Red Ale Amber
McMenamins Hillsdale Portland,OR Madman Jacks Insane Pale Ale Double IPA
Michigan Brewing Co Webberville,MI Celis White Belgian Wit
New Belgium Brewing Co Fort Collins,CO Mighty Arrow Pale Ale Pale Ale
New Holland Brewing Co Holland,MI Dragon's Milk Barrel Aged Strong Ale
Ninkasi Brewing Co Eugene,OR Soulstice Bavarian Weisse Bavarian Hefe Weisse
Oakshire Brewing Eugene,OR Oakshire Brewing Amber Amber
Old Market P&B Portland,OR "Hopcask" Triple Tripel Organic Hopped Tripel
Pelican Pub & Brewery Pacific City,OR Surfer's Summer Ale English Style Summer Ale
Pyramid Breweries Seattle,WA Pyramid Crystal Wheat American Style Wheat
Redhook Ale Brewery Woodinville,WA Lat Harvest Autumn Ale American Bitter
Rock Bottom Brewery Portland,OR Congo Queen Belgian Spiced Sorghum Ale
Rogue Ales Newport,OR Glen Strong Ale
Roots Organic Brewing Portland,OR Calypso Ale Hybrid
Russian River Brewing Santa Rosa,CA Pliny the Elder Double IPA
Sacramento Brewing Co Sacramento,CA Red Horse Ale American Amber
Sierra Nevada Brewing Chico,CA Summerfest Pilsner Style Lager
Sprecher Brewing Co Glendale,WI Mai Bock Blonde Bock
Standing Stone Brewing Ashland,OR Standing Stone Almond Brown English Nut Brown
Steelhead Brewing Co Eugene,OR Bulldog Pale Ale American Pale Ale
Stone Brewing Co Escondido,CA Stone Levitation Ale Amber Ale
Summit Brewing Co St Paul,MN Summit Extra Pale Ale English Style Pale
Surly Brewing Co BrooklynCtr,MN Coffee Bender Coffee Flavored American Brown
Terminal Gravity Enterprise,OR IPA Northwest IPA
Trumer Brauerei Berkeley,CA Trumer Pils Pilsner
Widmer Bros. Brewing Co Portland,OR Full Nelson Imperial IPA
Wild River Brewing Grants Pass,OR Harbor Lights Kolsch Style Ale
Wildfire Brewing Co Bend,OR Wildfire Summer Seasonal Golden Blonde Ale

“Liberate the Ales” Festival: Fort George 4th of July Party

2008-06-13T09:35:00.000-07:00

This Independence Day, the Fort George Brewery + Public House will liberate the ales with a beer garden, music you can dance to and a barbecue. The festival takes place in the Fort George parking lot in Astoria July 4th from 4:00 p.m. until the fireworks. According to the local chamber of commerce, this is the only community event of its kind happening this year.

There is much anticipation within the local music scene for the reunion of Los Comatosos kicking off the party at 4:30. The band broke up several years ago, leaving its fans thirsty for more of its catchy, rhythmic songs in its unique genre of Latin-folk.

Reggae group, Ma Barley, headlines the entertainment at 7:00 p.m. Ma Barley made its debut at the Fort George about a year and a half ago, and with its covers and originals, has since become known for creating a dancer’s delight wherever the band perform around the area.

Fort George craft beers will be flowing, including the brewery’s non-alcoholic Wasabi Ginger Ale for the kids. Jerk chicken hot off the BBQ, along with jicama salad will also be available to festival-goers.

In July, breweries across the state, including the Fort George are holding special events for Oregon Craft Beer Month. The craft beer industry is a major economic driver and part of the state’s brand, as Oregon is the second largest craft beer market in the US.

All ages are welcome and there is no cover charge to participate in the festivities.

The Fort George Brewery + Public House is located at the corner of 15th and Duane Streets in Astoria, Oregon. For more information, call 503-325-PINT, or go to www.fortgeorgebrewery.com.

Fort George Brewery + Public House  1483 Duane Street Astoria, OR 97103
(503) 325-PINT www.fortgeorgebrewery.com

Fort George Celebrates Summer with Parking Lot Music Series & BBQ

2008-06-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Local contractor and home brewer, Anthony De Luz, enjoying lunch at the Fort George’s first BBQ, held in May.

On June 21st, 2008, Fort George Brewery and Public House will get summer rolling with a bang. Live music and the smell of the barbecue will fill the air outside in the Astoria Brewery's parking lot (1483 Duane Street).

And of course there will be beer.

The party will be free and open to all ages from 2 - 6pm and will feature the music of Brownsmead Flats starting at 3pm. Food and beer, crafted with fresh, quality ingredients from Fort George, will be available for purchase including southern-style barbeque ribs, corn on the cob, and baked potato bar.

More on Brownsmead Flats
The Brownsmead Flats have been performing their folk-bluegrass “Crab Grass” throughout the northwest for more than two decades. They are well known for playing traditional and original songs that appeal to all ages. Their music explores the historic, political, and humorous sides of life. The musicians create a fun-loving atmosphere, where the audience is encouraged to participate, according to the band’s web site.

Also, local blacksmith, David Curl from Solstice Forge, will be coming for a live demonstration, forging steel into various items. Forging is to make or shape a metal object by heating it with fire and beating it or hammering it.

It’s all part of the Fort George Parking Lot Music Series + BBQ happening the third Saturday of each month through September. For more information, call (503) 325-PINT or visit www.fortgeorgebrewery.com.

Local Beverage Distributors to Merge!

2008-06-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

LOCAL BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTORS TO MERGE

Columbia Distributing Co. and Mt. Hood Beverage Co., both based in Portland, and Medford-based Gold River Distributing have announced plans to merge and form a new distributorship which will be named CoHo Distributing. The plan is to merge the companies' Oregon and Washington beer and nonalcoholic beverage distribution businesses, following their respective suppliers approval. Final completion of the merger is not expected until Fall 2008. The merger will not include their wine distribution businesses. Operating out of consolidated facilities in Seattle, Everett, Portland, Eugene, Medford and Bend, the new company's headquarters will be based in Portland. Effective January 2009, the Mt. Hood Beverage operations in Yakima and Kennewick in Washington will be included in the merged company. Annual sales are expected to be more than 35 million cases of beer and nonalcoholic beverages.

Guest on Tap needs help

2008-05-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in helping design Guest on Tap for the next generation, please contact Dave Dronkowski at Dave@guestontap.com . Thank you.
Cheers!

Laurelwood Releases Green Elephant IPA in bottles

2008-05-19T11:11:00.000-07:00

From the desk at Laurelwood Brewing Co.:

The Green Elephant is big, strong, and green -- organic that is. A relative of the American IPA, the Green Elephant takes big hop flavor to the next level. Brewed with 100% organic malt, Cascade, Amarillo and Ahtanum hops, this is a unique and beautiful creature. The Green Elephant's smooth and subtle malt character gives way to a bold, aggressive hop flavor. But be warned, this is one elephant that can sneak up on you.

16° Plato OG 3°Plato TG

68 IBU 6.9% ABV

GREEN ELEPHANT 22oz BOTTLES ARE AVAILABLE AT ALL LAURELWOOD LOCATIONS FOR $4.70 + $.05 deposit. Limited supplies - get yours now!

Other Laurelwood News:

Outdoor seating now available!
All Laurelwood locations have outdoor seating available, perfect for soaking up the sun with a Laurelwood brew in hand. Just ask a Laurelwood crew member for outdoor seating when you stop by!

New Brews @ Laurelwood

Indy's Strong Golden Ale
This one's named after the dog. What started out as an innocent, light ale, became a big, hoppy beer. Loads of malt and heavy dose of Czech Saaz and Liberty hops make this a strong yet smooth ale.
8.2 % ABV 57 IBUs O.G. 18.7º Plato
Available 5/21 only at Laurelwood Public House & Brewery.

Mibütsr Brown
This American Brown Ale contains 6 malts and 4 hop varieties creating a quaffable, amber colored beer. Medium bodied and medium hoppiness.
5.7% ABV 35 IBUs O.G. 14º Plato
Available 5/16 only at Laurelwood Pizza Company!

Beer Finder!
We're constantly pouring something new at Laurelwood, and keeping up with our seasonal releases can sometimes be difficult. So we've added a section to our website where you can see what's on tap at each location.

Seattle's Baron Brewing Announces Grimm Brothers Series

2008-05-06T10:47:00.000-07:00

Baron Brewing in Seattle has announced their Seven Swabians Eisbock Release Party, Bottle Sale and BBQ at the brewery to kick off the Grimm Brothers Series of extreme brews.

The tasting takes place on Saturday May 3rd. 3:00PM
1605 S. 93rd. Building E Unit L, Seattle WA 98108 - 206-764-1213

From the folks at Baron:

"Stop by the brewery on Saturday and pick up your own bottle of the Baron Seven Swabians Eisbock. Weighing in at over 13%, this Eisbock will kick the series off just right. Very few cases will be sold outside of the brewery,so this may be your only chance to pick a few up before it is gone. The Eisbock is very limited and very few cases have been bottled it is very likely all the bottles will sell out that day. Pick up the limited edition Grimm Brothers Series T-shirt when you there.
We will have the tap room open serving all of our regular beers, and small tastings of the Eisbock will be available in 4 ounce servings. We will also have the grill going and cooking up hot dogs all afternoon."

Grimm Brothers Series
Baron is excited to announce the unveiling of the Grimm Brothers Series. This series will include 6 very rare big beers all bottled in limited edition 22oz. Every special beer will represent a folk tale from the Grimm Brothers collection.
To follow up with the Eisbock the next inline for the Grimm Brothers Series will be:
Rumpelstiltskin Rauch Doppelbock - This smoked Doppelbock will showcase a big bold Doppelbock with a blast of smokiness that is sure to guarantee not remembering the little dwarfs name.
Bremen Town Musicians Big Doppelbock - This Doppelbock will be like a pumped up Liberator on steroids.
Rapunzel WeizenStarkBier - The Rapunzel will be a big wheat Doppelbock guaranteed to make your hair grow.
Juniper Tree Klosterbock - The fifth release in the series will be a take on the monastery bocks from Germany.
Frog King Winter Bock - The final release in the 2008 series will be a bock worth for a king.

Spring about to Spring at Ft. George Brewing

2008-05-01T10:26:00.000-07:00

The Astoria brewery celebrates one year in business, brews a special beer for mom, and the first lager in Clatsop County since Prohibition.

Enjoy a pint of The Illuminator at Ft. George on Mother's Day, May 11, 2008

Astoria, Oregon's Fort George Brewery announced the forthcoming release of the Illuminator. Not just any old doppelbock, according to brewer and owner Chris Nemlowill, the beer will weigh in at around 10% ABV and has been sitting in Jim Beam barrels for the last four months. Nemlowill says the brew is "warm and inviting, the beautiful, dark brown color sparkles as it catches the light. Illuminator tastes rich and malty, with an intriguing hint of bourbon, and a nice dry slightly hoppy finish to balance it out.”

Nemlowill says of a good bock: "It's a sign of spring. It hasn't felt like spring in Astoria yet. Mother's Day is the day (when) I feel spring really begins here. The Farmer's Market opens this day."

The brewery is also featuring the Lovell Lager. Named for the family who originally owned the building, the Lovells operated a car dealership and autobody shop at the current Fort George location. Nemlowill says, "This beer is a part of history. There hasn't been much written about the history of brewing in the area. (Lovell Lager) is the first lager produced in Clatsop County since the Prohibition. The last brewery here to make a lager was North Pacific Brewing Company."

Fort George celebrated their one year anniversary on March 9, 2008. "On March 1st, we introduced our mug club and sold out of mugs in two weeks. The response from locals has been fabulous" says Nimlowill. "People heading home from their jobs stop by and enjoy our beers and that is great."

Fort George will feature some delicious brews at the Green Dragon on Tuesday May 6. Nimlowill's partner Jack Harris will be on hand to showcase popular brews such as the robust Coffee Girl Imperial Stout.

Magic Hat plans to purchase Pyramid

2008-04-30T12:24:00.000-07:00

According to the Seattle PI Intelligencer, Seattle-based brewery, Pyramid Breweries, Inc. has agreed to be acquired by Magic Hat Brewing Company & Performance Arts Center Inc. of Burlington, Vermont. Magic Hat is currently run by CEO R. Martin Kelly, former chief executive of Pyramid until 2004. The move will put Pyramid, a publicly owned company, under the umbrella of a privately owned company. According to the PI Intelligencer, the deal is valued at around $25.2 million, based on 9.2 million shares outstanding as of March 10, and is expected to be completed by the end of August pending a review of Pyramid's business and legal affairs by Magic Hat and regulatory approval. Magic Hat, known for quirky and innovative beers like the #9 apricot ale, the highly sought after Chaotic Chemistry bourbon cask-aged barley wine, and the organic Orlio series.
For more information on this story, check out the following:
Seattle Times

Seattle PI Intelligencer

The Big Brew Returns to Oregon!

2008-04-25T03:31:00.000-07:00

THE BIG BREW RETURNS TO OREGON!

On Saturday May 3rd, it is National Homebrewing Day!

Go by F.H. Steinbart Company at 234 SE 12th Avenue in Portland
from 9:15 AM to 1 PM for some free food and a great home brewing Demo being done by the Oregon Brew Crew.

Call #503.232.8793 for more information.

The Big Brew is always the First Saturday in May http://www.beertown.org/events/bigbrew/index.html

OREGON BREWERS BREAK RECORD PRODUCTION NUMBERS

2008-04-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

OREGON BREWERS BREAK RECORD PRODUCTION NUMBERS

PORTLAND, Ore. (April 24, 2008) – Figures released today by the Oregon Brewers Guild show 2007 was a banner year for Oregon’s craft brewing industry as production across the state grew at a rate of 8.1 percent. Total beer production for the state was approximately 860,000 barrels, or 285 million bottles of beer. That is an increase of more than 64,000 barrels, up from 796,000 barrels in 2006.
The industry posted strong growth despite increases in hop and barley prices, the two main ingredients in craft beer. Portland, Oregon currently has 32 microbreweries within its city limits, more than any other city in the world. The state of Oregon has 64 brewing companies operating 90 brewing facilities, with strong growth anticipated throughout 2008.
“The impact of the brewing industry stretches far beyond the breweries themselves,” said Brian Butenschoen, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “A strong production year supports a variety of local products including barley, hops, yeast and glass producers as well as providing nearly 5,000 family wage jobs and a draw for tourism across the state.”
Oregonians don’t just love to make great beer, they love to drink it, too. Of the beer brewed in-state, more than 11.4 percent, or 308,000 barrels, were purchased and consumed in Oregon. For draft beer, that percentage is even higher, with Oregon breweries producing 42 percent of all draft beer consumed in the state. This is the highest percentage of local craft draft beer consumption in the country. 2007 marks the first year that Oregon brewers have sold more than 300,000 barrels in state. A barrel is equal to 31 gallons or 13.77 cases or 331 bottles of beer.
“For years we’ve been producing some of the best and most unique beers in the world,” says Oregon Brewers Guild President Van Havig. “No wonder Oregon is known as Beervana and has become a mecca for craft beer enthusiasts.”
Oregon’s largest craft beer producer is Widmer Brothers Brewing Company of Portland, which produced 283,000 barrels in 2007. During 2007 one of Oregon's smallest breweries to open, the Heater-Allen Brewery in McMinnville, produced 36 Barrels.
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 59 brewing companies, 30 associate or supplier members and more than 1,860 enthusiast members or S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer). For more information, see www.oregonbeer.org.

2008-04-24T13:33:00.001-07:00

Meet Lompoc Brewers!

2008-04-24T13:32:00.001-07:00

LOMPOC MEET THE BREWER
Meet the Lompoc Brewers Monday April 28 at Hedge House, 3412 SE Division between 5 and 7. Brewers Jon and Brian will be bringing in a special keg for the event.

FredFest 2008!

2008-04-23T06:30:00.001-07:00

FredFest 2008 Honors Memory of Michael Jackson
PORTLAND, Ore. — What started as a surprise 80th birthday party for world-renowned beer writer Fred Eckhardt is coming back around in its third year as a fundraiser in the memory of fellow beer scribe, Michael Jackson, also known as the Beer Hunter.
More than 15 rare and unique beers created by some of Oregon's most celebrated breweries will be on tap at FredFest 2008. The event will take place from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, May 10 -- the actual date of Eckhardt's 82nd birthday -- at Hair of the Dog Brewing, 4509 SE 23rd Avenue in Portland.
The beer menu is still being firmed up, but brewers are promising to pony up something special for the event. The number of beers for FredFest will increase from last year, according to co-organizer and chief beer wrangler Preston Weesner. Some of the breweries that already have committed to the event include: Hair of the Dog (with a special keg of Jim 07), BridgePort, Deschutes, Widmer, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Rogue and others.
Attendees will be treated not only to a rare assortment of hand-selected beers, but also light fare including pastrami cured with Hair of the Dog Fred ale and a birthday cake -- complete with a round of "Happy Birthday" -- for Eckhardt. Cheeses, chocolate, candy and even cereal will be offered in abundance so attendees can experience some of Eckhardt's famed beer-and-food pairings.
Cost for the event is $50 in advance and includes a souvenir glass, free ticket for a raffle of bottled specialty beers and four hours' of sampling, sipping and story-telling with Eckhardt. Admission is limited to 200 attendees. The event is selling out quickly. Tickets are available through PayPal. E-mail fredfest@comcast.net to purchase tickets.
Additionally, this year, a silent auction featuring bottles of rare beers running in conjunction with FredFest, allowing Fred fans across the country to be a part of Eckhardt's birthday and the FredFest celebration and fundraiser.
As always, proceeds from FredFest and the related online auction will go to a charity of Eckhardt's choice. This year, Eckhardt named Parkinson's Resources of Oregon, the local affiliate chapter of the National Parkinson Foundation, as the featured charity in memory of his longtime friend and fellow beer writer Michael Jackson, who died in 2007 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.

Bridgeport's Latest Big Brew is a First!

2008-04-15T07:30:00.000-07:00

Bridgeport’s Latest Big Brew is a First

by Ken Kane

“Remember when the only bottled craft beers on the shelf were Redhook, Pyramid and Bridgeport Blue Heron?” asked Bridgeport’s brewmaster, Karl Ockert recently, a bit wistfully. “Those were the days!”

Things certainly have gotten more crowded in supermarket and package store coolers over the years. But with competition comes inspiration.

Take Ockert’s latest brew, Stumptown Tart, Bridgeport’s first-ever fruit-infused beer. “I’ve never done a beer like this before … period,” said Ockert. “It was a real stretch.”

Inspired by fellow brewemaster Dan Carey at Wisconsin’s New Glarus Brewing Company, Ockert wanted a big beer flavored with real, whole fruit; something akin to that brewery’s cherry Belgian Red. Ockert e-mailed his friend for advice, but was politely rebuffed. “He said he’d tell me about anything else in the brewery, but he wouldn’t tell me about the Red, so I had to come up with this on my own.”

Ockert began with a strong golden ale with very little hops (8 percent ABV but only 8 IBUs). “This is one Northwest ale that doesn’t feature Northwest hops,” he said. But it does feature a ton of Oregon marionberries … literally 2,000 pounds, which works out to more than a pound per gallon. Two-thirds of the original golden ale was refermented with the berries. The other third was aged in French oak casks which had previously held pinor noir from Carlton Wine Studio. After several months of aging, the two radically different beers were blended at the beginning of April.

The result is a pink-purple beer with a big berry aroma and taste, but with a crisp, dry finish. “I wanted to come up with a beer with some complexity – not just another fruit beer,” said Ockert, “but a beer that had some distinct, other flavors in it and had a nice snappy, tart finish.”

“The beer coming out of the casks tasted entirely different than the fruit beer,” he continued. “Now I know what to expect from a beer aged in casks and what a fruit beer can do. I can play around with different fruits and different casks. So, from here I think we can make a lot of interesting beers using similar strategies,” he said.

“It’s wonderful to make beer like IPA everyday but [all of our brewers are] interested in trying something new” said Ockert. “Everyone is always asking me ‘What do you have new coming up – what are you doing differently?’ Well, this and the other Big Brews are very different. And we may never make this beer again. That’s kind of fun to do.”

Though the label calls it a “Belgian style” ale, Ockert thinks of Stumptown Tart more as a big, Northwest brew. Yes, it contains fruit like many Belgian beers, but it uses Bridgeport’s standard strain of yeast, so it doesn’t have a typical Belgian yeasty finish. Though Stumptown Tart hits the shelves Apr. 24 and is Bridgeport’s Big Brew release for the summer, it shouldn’t be confused with a beer to chug while mowing the lawn.

“It’s 8.3 percent alcohol,” said Ockert. “This is a beer to close the day with, more than an opener!”

Laurelwood Opens on Pdx Concourse E

2008-04-14T14:14:00.000-07:00

LAURELWOOD OPENS ON CONCOURSE E

By Don Klover

All the buzz at the Portland airport last week was about the new Laurelwood Public House and Brewery opening up on Concourse E. Yes, there's already one on Concourse A that you may have run across over the past year, but up until now there hasn't been any place like it over on E.

There's often something especially satisfying about seeking refreshment while traveling. Happy as the next guy to find a fast food counter when I'm really in a hurry, I prefer to search out a more comfortable perch where I can relax a bit and explore a more varied menu. Historically, airport fare was right up there with hospitals and convenience stores when it came to their food and drink options, so I'd try to take care of those needs off site. Fortunately, Portland knows a thing or two about quality.

Quietly opened at PDX a few weeks previous, the new Laurelwood Public House and Brewery was officially kicked off last Thursday at a formal ribbon cutting ceremony. Their might have been a better turnout if it hadn't been held on the 'secure' side of security. But there were upwards of forty in the crowd as it was. And with all of the passengers on Concourse E coming and going right though the middle of things, it turned out to be a bit of a spectacle.

Represented were the Port of Portland (the landlord), SSP America, (the operator), Laurelwood (the local business), even the Oregon Brewers Guild (the industry). It seems the process of opening and operating a new location at the airport is a bit more involved than one of its counterparts in town. But that's fair, as all of the players have a stake in the outcome. I'm happy to say that in Laurelwood's case at least, it works.

The Port, proud of its "Best Airport in the US" ranking from Condé Nast, supports and promotes locally owned businesses, runs a rigorous recycling program, and insists that its tenants offer travelers the same items at the same prices that they'd get in town. SSP, the operator, competing in 125 airports around the world, is especially motivated to differentiate itself in part by engaging local businesses in the healthy and organic niche. Laurelwood was a natural – and important - match with their already locally famous organic and sustainable foods and beers. An having all of this occur at PDX, where hundreds of thousands travelers pass through

You can now go either to Concourse A or E for the same quality of food and service you've come to expect at their pubs here in town. The prices are the same. In fact, they offer happy hour and several of their same house-made beers.

Beer Valley’s Extreme Brewing is More Than Words

2008-04-10T15:33:00.000-07:00

By Angelo De Ieso II

Oregon’s easternmost brewery is Beer Valley Brewing Company located just west of the Idaho border in the small town of Ontario. Head brewer Pete Rick’s developed his model for Beer Valley while living and brewing in the Southwestern United States. His design grew out of his work as a Southwest correspondent for Celebrator Beer News and his partnership with Santa Fe Brewing in New Mexico.

A self-proclaimed extreme brewer, Ricks brewed his first four batches of a mammoth imperial stout called Black Stout at Santa Fe. The eleven-percent brew began with distribution in New Mexico, Arizona, and Southern California before making its way to Oregon. Employing eight different malt varieties and four different hops while boasting over 100 IBU, the brew remains abysmally dark and recklessly bitter. “Most people don’t like dark beer, and most people don’t like really bitter beer” says Ricks. “What I intended to do with that beer was make it the darkest, bitterest beer you could pretty much buy everywhere.” When Ricks made the move to Oregon in the summer of 2007, he had a relatively wide distribution base already in tact. He sought the input of former Stone Brewing brewmaster Lee Chase. “(Chase) helped me in Ontario when we were first planning and formulating Black Flag” explains Ricks. “He looked at my recipe for Black Flag and said ‘Are you sure you want to put that much hops in your beer?’ Hearing that from the former brewmaster at Stone, I though ‘Alright, now we’re on the right track!”

Ricks has been making extreme beer from day one and claims he is surprised by the response from the get-go. “The response has been great. Not just in our local market, but everywhere.”

Other beers in Beer Valley’s repertoire include: the Pig Skin Pale Ale—a strong American pale that Ricks wanted to be as robust as any IPA.

Owyhee Amber Ale—perhaps the only session beer on the menu at Beer Valley, at 5.5% ABV, this is as easy drinking as they come.

Highway to Ale Barleywine Ale—a year-round barleywine with a potent hop kick as well as a strapping dose of malts. At over 10% ABV, this beer this is another testament to Ricks passion for extreme brewing.

Leafer Madness Imperial Pale Ale—the latest brand added to the list, this maddeningly hopped beer scoffs at the idea of a hop shortage with a balmy 100+ IBUs and over 9% ABV. When asked about the difficulty of incorporating this bold new beer to the line-up considering the shortage, Ricks admits to feeling lucky about locking in a contract. “Dr. Bill Pengelly of Brewers Supply Group kind of saved our ass this year. It’s been kind of a tough year to start a brewery. Barley prices have doubled. Hop prices are anywhere from triple to tenfold where they were a year ago. Some breweries weren’t able to get hops this year, so we feel very fortunate.”

So what is on the horizon for Beer Valley Brewing? Ricks divulges his plans to release the Double Flag, a souped-up version of the already colossal stout. “A lot of people find it hard to believe, but it’s true. The Double Flag will not only be stronger, but will have more hops.”

So what do the locals in Ontario and Eastern Oregon think of Rick’s craft brews? “It’s obviously a whole different demographic (than Portland). There’s more farmer and rancher types (in Eastern Oregon). But we’ve been surprised that we’ve sold as much of our beer out there in Eastern Oregon as we have. It just goes to show you that there are people who enjoy craft beer in just about every part of this country. Maybe not so much as Portland, but every area you go to, there’s a good feeling about it.”

Laurelwood opens at the Airport on April 3rd!

2008-04-01T12:19:00.000-07:00

LAURELWOOD PUBLIC HOUSE & BREWERY OPENS AT PORTLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

The Grand Opening Event and Ribbon Cutting has finally arrived! Laurelwood Brewing Company, the Port of Portland and Food Travel Experts, SSP America, invite local travelers to come join the official grand opening of Laurelwood Public House & Brewery at PDX.

WHERE: Portland International Airport7000 NE Airport Way Portland, OR 97218 (Concourse E)

Speakers: Speakers at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony will include:
Les Cappetta, chief executive officer, SSP America
Mike De Kalb, owner, Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
Chris Madsen, general manager, business and properties, Port of Portland
Chad Kennedy, head brewer, Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
Brian Butenschoen, executive director, Oregon Brewers Guild

DETAILS: Known in Portland for its “Original Certified Organic Beer,” sustainable food options and family friendly pubs, the new Laurelwood Public House & Brewery at PDX presents travelers with a unique dining experience while passing through the concourse. This opening marks the second of two new Laurelwood locations at PDX.

Oaks Bottom Has a meet the Brewers Night!

2008-03-31T13:24:00.000-07:00

Oaks Bottom in West Moreland has a Meet the Brewers Night!

Come meet the brains behind the Lompoc Beer Brewing on Monday April 7th from 5 PM to 7 PM. This event on Monday, April 7th from 5-7 pm at the Oaks Bottom Public House in Sellwood is the first installment of the "Meet the Brewers of Lompoc Night". Bryan, Jonathan, and Derek will attend this interactive session of social frivolity and will bring a 1/6 or 1/4 bbl of something special from the Brewer's Reserve Series for all to enjoy. Hope to see ya' at the "Bottom". says JonathanLompoc Brewing, LLC
Jonathon, Bryan, and Derek will be on hand with some very special beers from their collection. Some of the beers are more than 5 years old! Don't miss this special beer night at Oaks Bottom Public House in West Moreland Neighborhood! Oaks Bottom Public House is at 1621 S.E. Bybee Blvd., 503-232-1728, 11 a.m. to midnight daily

New Portland Beer Guide Book signing this Saturday!

2008-03-27T04:56:00.000-07:00

New Portland Beer Guide Book Release and Author signing at Lucky Labs this Saturday
"Letters From the Monkey "
by J Mark Angelus

This great new Beer Book signing will be this Saturday March 29th from 12 noon to 2 PM at the Lucky Labrador on 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd and from 3 PM to 5 PM at the the Lucky Labrador on 1945 NW Quimby both in Portland. J Mark Angelus was the almost beer drinker of the year this year from Oregon. He will be selling/signing copies of his book, Letters From the Monkey at the Lucky Labs on Saturday. His great Little guidebook to the breweries/his favorite alehouses/and other things beery in Portland, Oregon visited by public transportation. "Letters From the Monkey" is pocket sized (big pockets) and reasonably priced as well. If you would like any additional information, you can reach him at J. Mark Angelus <bitterroots@excite.com> or call #503-812-5246.

Spring Beer & Wine Fest 2008 Beer Winners!

2008-03-25T10:11:00.000-07:00

14th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest Beer Competition Winners Announced

The following are the winners in the Spring Beer & Wine Fest competition that was held SaturdayMarch 22, 2008 at the Oregon Convention Center.

The People's Choice award ballots are still being counted. That winner will be announced ASAP.

Amber, Brown & Red
Gold – Pelican Pub & Brewery Anglers Amber
Silver – Lost Coast Brewery Downtown Brown

Belgian-Style
Gold – North Coast Brewing PranQster
Silver – Widmer Belgian Golden Ale

Double IPA and other Strong Ales
Gold – Stone Brewing Ruination IPA
Silver – Lang Creek Brewing Zeppelin Imperial Ale

Golden & Pale Ales
Gold – Stone Brewing Pale Ale
Silver – Pyramid Curve Ball Blond Ale

IPA
Gold – Laurelwood Public House & Brewery Organic Green Elephant IPA
Silver – Henry Weinhard’s IPA

Lager
Gold – Pabst Blue Ribbon
Silver – Kona Longboard Lager

Porter & Stout
Gold – Stone Brewing Imperial Stout
Silver – Deschutes Obsidian Stout

Wheat
Gold – Deschutes Wolf Mountain Wit
Silver – Blue Moon Belgian White

Your Editor, Dave Dronkowski, on TV for the 14th Spring Beer & Wine Fest

2008-03-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

It is what you have all waited for on this blog, Beer Video! Enjoy:

Valentine's Day Beer and Chocolate at Rogue 2008

2008-02-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

Valentines Day Beer and chocolate at Rogue: 2008
Fred Eckhardt fills us in on this year's program:

Just in case you were curious, this was the program last Thursday, along with the audience choice listings:

FRED'S TWENTIETH ANNUAL -- BEER AND CHOCOLATE EXTRAVAGANZA Rogue Public
House, Thursday, 6pm, Feb 14, 2008 by Fred Eckhardt

1. Rogue Kell's Irish Lager tap (US-OR), 11P, 4.8%abv, 28ibu
CHOCOLATE: Rogue Chocolate Chip Cookies
MUSIC: to be selected by Scott Gallagher
2. Old Lompoc Condor Pale Ale tap (US-OR), American Pale ale, 13.3P, 4.8%abv, 40ibu
CHOCOLATE: Trader Joe's Peanut Butter cups
3. Rogue Issaquah Frog in the Rye tap (US-WA) 13.9P, 5.3%abv, 24ibu OUR OWN DAVE CATO'S RECIPE FOR ADAM FLAVORED TRUFFLES
CHOCOLATE: Dave Cato's Chocolate Adam Truffles - (503) 291-1963 otec@crunchyfrog.net he makes them in his kitchen!
4. Rogue Hazelnut Brown tap, (US-OR), 14P, 5.5%abv, 35ibu
CHOCOLATE: Apple dipped in Chocolate Fondue
THIS WAS RANKED SECOND BY THE CROWD. IT WAS A SHOCK to me. Suggested by Rogue Manager Scott Gallagher. I knew it wouldn't work! So much for the genius of the famous Fred! I loved it, and so did the crowd and so would you:
5. Ninkasi Total Domination IPA tap (US-OR), 14.9P, 6.1%, 65ibu
CHOCOLATE: A whole Jalepeno pickle (warmed a bit
and) dipped in Chocolate Fondue
BREAK BREAK BREAK BREAK 5-MINUTES
6. Rogue Hot Buttered Rum (brown sugar, butter, hot water, spices and Rogue Dark Rum).
NO CHOCOLATE WITH THIS. and not much rum. But the beers were all rather strong so we had to be careful.
7. Rogue Chipotle Ale, tap, (US-OR), 13P, 5.5%abv, 33ibu
CHOCOLATE: Rogue Pepper Fudge
THIS WAS RANKED THIRD BY THE CROWD:
8. Hair of the Dog Fred, tap (US-OR), 24.8P, 10.3%abv, 50ibu
CHOCOLATE: Oreo Cookie dipped in warm Fred
9. Rogue Olde Crustacean Barleywine tap, (US-OR), 26P, 11%abv, 100ibu OUR OWN MICHAEL BROWN'S RECIPE:
CHOCOLATE: Michel Brown's Barleywine Chocolate Cheesecake, by Rogue.
THIS WAS THE CROWD'S FAVORITE, AS IT USUALLY IS:
10. Rogue Chocolate Stout tap, (US-OR), 15P, 6.2%abv, 69ibu
CHOCOLATE: Chocolate Stout Ice Cream float

Astoria Brewing Looking for New Brewer!

2008-02-23T05:44:00.000-08:00

Astoria Brewing Co. Looking For New Head Brewer

Wet Dog Cafe/Astoria Brewing Co. is looking for a new head brewer. Or they would also entertain having someone fill in as a contract brewer until they find the right person.

Contact Steve Allen, owner, at steve@allenpcas.com for more information.

Usual disclaimers apply. I just happen to like their Bitter Bitch Double IPA a lot!

(Speaking of which, Steve assures me that he will squirrel away a few kegs of the BB for the Spring Beer & Wine Fest. It was the People's Choice last year!)

Cheers,

Lisa Morrison
Spring Beer & Wine Fest

Sierra Club and Beer!

2008-02-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

Join us for Sierra Club and Beer!

Wednesday, February 27th
The Goodfoot (2845 SE Stark)
Doors open at 8pm (downstairs bar)
LIVE Bluegrass Music
Admission is free!

Sierra Club and Beer is always the last Wednesday of the month. It’s an opportunity for the good folks of the Portland metro-area to get together for live music , enjoy a pint of great beer, and learn about what we can all do to help our Mother Earth. Come and find out what the Sierra Club’s global warming campaign has planned for the spring and learn about what you can do to reduce your carbon footprint.

Sierra Club and Beer. Saving the Planet together since 1892.

Christine Caurant
Conservation Organizer Sierra Club
2950 SE Stark St., Suite 100 Portland, OR 97214
P:(503) 243-6656 ext 302 F: (503) 238-6281
www.sierraclub.org/community/portland

Get Schooled at the 14th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest

2008-02-22T08:06:00.000-08:00

This just in from a Beer Goddess:

PORTLAND, OR -- What does an education taste like? Find out at the 14th annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest, it might be the sublime flavors of a bite of blue cheese paired with a sip of an India Pale Ale or the tantalizing tastes of perfectly grilled salmon with an Oregon pinot gris.

No matter what tastes you discover, you'll get some schooling at the Spring Beer & Wine Fest, March 21 & 22 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. With the motto "A Taste of the Best," the Fest is a sampler of the finest among local and regional wine, beer, spirits and food.

"The essence of the festival is mixing entertainment with educating taste buds," says event promoter Steve Woolard.

A success in its first year, the Tour de Cheese has expanded, and features tempting samples from world-class cheese makers. Festival-goers are encouraged to find their favorite flavor combinations by trying different cheeses with their beverage samples.

Looking for some extra credit? Check out the Chef's Stage, where you can watch special demonstrations on cooking with wine, beer or spirits -- and eat the tasty results from the class. Or, sit in on a seminar. Several will be held each day, including a repeat of last year's standing-room-only Cheese Smackdown, a "battle" between wine and beer experts as they match their beverages with selected cheese -- and let the audience decide which pairing is best.

"It's kind of like the American Idol of food," says fest Marketing Director Lisa Morrison, adding that other seminars include Chocolate 101, Classy Cocktails With Indie Spirits and a panel discussion on beer and food pairings with some of the industry's brightest luminaries.

The Spring Beer & Wine Fest also is a competition for both wineries and breweries, with experts judging entries either ahead of the festival, as is the case with wineries, or during the fest, which what happens for breweries. Winners are announced at the fest, which can help attendees discover something new to sip. Fest-goers also are encouraged to participate in the People's Choice awards and name their favorite quaffs at the fest!

Even the most studious of classmates wants a break once in a while, which is why the Music Stage will be kicking it up with some of the Northwest's hottest bands, including The Insomniacs and Eric Hatcher and the Worker Bees, Ty Curtis and Sweet City Slang.

"The festival encourages responsible drinking by additional features such as cooking demonstrations, outstanding live music with a dance floor and our Food Court, offering gourmet items from local restaurants," Woolard says. "Even our vendors and exhibitors have products and services -- including arts and crafts, jewelry and massages -- for those looking for more to do."

So sharpen your wits and your taste buds, because glass is in session at the Spring Beer & Wine Fest. An education never tasted so good!

Green Dragon Meet the Brewers nights for March-April 2008

2008-02-21T10:06:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Meet the Brewers:

Feb. 26: Laughing Dog Brewery of Sandpoint, Idaho

March 4: Double Mountain Brewery of Hood River

March 11: Block 15 Brewing of Corvallis

March 18: Fish Brewing of Olympia, Wash.

March 25: Full Sail Brewing of Hood River

April 1: Cornelius Pass Roadhouse of North Plains

April 8: Beer Valley of Ontario

April 15: Cascade Brewing of Beaverton

April 22: Widmer Brothers Brewing

April 29: Klamath Basin Brewing of Klamath Falls

The Green Dragon is at 928 Se 9th AvePortland, OR 97214 #(503) 517-0606

Beer Giants Face Probe from the Wall Street Journal

2008-02-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

Beer Giants Face Probe
By David Kesmodel
Word Count: 271 Companies Featured in This Article: Anheuser-Busch
A handful of state attorneys general have issued demands for documents from U.S. beer giants Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Miller Brewing Co. in connection with an investigation into their marketing practices for caffeinated alcoholic drinks, according to three people familiar with the matter.
Attorneys general in Maine, New York and several other states have issued so-called ...

Max Tieger leaves Max's Fanno Creek Brewery

2008-02-20T14:21:00.000-08:00

It was with great sadness to learn this week that Max Tieger, Brewmaster at Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub is no longer part of their team. His great beer styles will continue under the watchful eye of owner, Marvin Bowen.

A Great Commercial but a little Political

2008-02-02T00:38:00.000-08:00

BridgePort to releases bourbon Old Knucklehead in bottles

2008-02-01T19:44:00.000-08:00

After a few years without finding its way into bottles, BridgePort Brewing's Old Knucklehead Barley Wine Style Ale, No. 12, salutes a pillar in the local brewing community, John De Benedetti, as the latest "knucklehead." Since 1989, BridgePort has honored figureheads in the community with this esteemed honor. De Benedetti joins the ranks of Fred Eckhardt and former Mayor Bud Clark as people in which the beer has been dedicated. De Benedetti, the steward and owner of F.H. Steinbart Company, provided essentials to BridgePort’s brewmaster, Karl Ockert, when he was making his first batches of home brew in his mother’s basement.

Brewed with double the malts and hops and aged in bourbon barrels, the 12th vintage of Old Knucklehead is a slightly stronger version at 10-percent ABV (alcohol by volume) and will be sold in 22-ounce bottles.

"What gives the bourbon a nice vanilla flavor is the American oak." said Ockert "What it does for the beer is it really compliments that malty caramelly flavor. By putting ten percent of the beer in the oak, it gave it complexity in the finish as compared to the finished beer as compared to a regular heavy ale. Twice the amount of barley and three times the amount of hops that a regular beer would be."

BridgePort's Old Knucklehead Barley Wine Style Ale, No. 12 Stats:
IBU's: 60
ABV: 10.0%
Color: Dark Amber, Toffee
Ingredients: English and American hops, blended with three types of pale and
roasted malts.
Description: A barley wine style ale that is aged in American Oak Bourbon
barrels, creating notes of vanilla, toffee and sherry.

On Tuesday, February 5 at 6 p.m. BridgePort is hosting a changing of the "knuckleheads," a "knuckling-in" ceremony and tapping of a cask conditioned Old Knucklehead firkin. Free and open to the public, attendees can be among the first to sample the new brew and purchase the limited-edition 22-ounce bottles of Old Knucklehead. The Old Knucklehead release celebration is at BridgePort brewpub and bakery in the Pearl at 1313 NW Marshall St.

According to the company, seventy-five barrels, or 1,100 cases, of BridgePort’s Old Knucklehead have been made. Beginning February 5th, 2008, beer enthusiasts will be able to find BridgePort’s Old Knucklehead on tap at BridgePort brewpub and bakery, BridgePort Ale House and other draft outlets. Twenty-two-ounce bottles will be sold at BridgePort brewpub and bakery and at finer grocery retailers in the Portland area.

"It was a brave man who first ate an oyster" -Jonathan Swift

2008-01-31T09:44:00.000-08:00

A recipe for love on the eve of Valentine’s Day—oysters and stout… That’s the theme for the Fort George Brewery & Public House’s February beer pairing dinner, on Wednesday 13th. Oysters and stout are both considered aphrodisiacs, so this event could wet your appetite in more ways that one!

The five-course meal includes a Trio of Oysters on the Half Shell, Savory Oyster Flan, Champagne Oyster Brie Bisque, Oyster & Mushroom Stuffed Pork Roast, and Coffee Girl Stout Sorbet.

Diners will receive a stout beer paired with each food course. The stouts include some of the most highly coveted and eclectic in the beer community. February is Stout Month at the Fort George, with eight stouts on tap. The dinner will feature both house and guest taps on draught, and bottled varieties as well. The current menu includes Beamish Dry Stout, Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout, Lucky Lab Pavlov's Russian Imperial Stout, Deschutes Abyss Imperial Stout, and Fort George Brewery Coffee Girl Imperial Stout.

“There’s a longstanding relationship of pairing oysters and stouts. The robust-bold qualities of stout compliments the earthy flavor of oysters,” said Publican, Chris Nemlowill, of the Fort George.

The dinner will include information on beer and culinary pairings. The bond between oysters and stout can be dated as far back as the 18th century, when the waters of England and Ireland teamed with oysters, which the working class widely consumed along with their stout.

“The dry assertive bitterness and roast of the beer intersects with the brininess, texture, and sea flavors of the oyster in a way that nothing else can. One can almost imagine the beer as the knife that cracks the oyster open. There seems to be a primal connection between them,” according to The Brewmaster’s Table by Garrett Oliver.

The dinner is limited to 30 people, so you’re encouraged to reserve your spot as soon as possible. All-inclusive tickets include food, beverages, and gratuity. The cost is $50 per individual. Call (503) 325-PINT, or drop by the Fort George Brewery and Public House, located at 15th and Duane Street in Astoria.

Fort George Brewery & Public House • 1483 Duane Street Astoria, OR 97103
(503) 325-PINT • www.fortgeorgebrewery.com

MAGIC BEER: THE MCMENAMINS DRINK TANK

2008-01-30T07:30:00.000-08:00

MAGIC BEER: THE MCMENAMINS DRINK TANK

By Fred Eckhardt Issue date: 01/29/2008
Honorary Beer Scribe for Guest on Tap

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin have built themselves a modest empire of wondrous proportions. They operate some 54 mostly historically important establishments, including 23 breweries and brew pubs, a vineyard, a winery and a distillery. There also are nine theaters, a golf course, eight hotels, and bed-and-breakfast inns in locations from north of Seattle to Roseburg in central Oregon.
My favorite McMenamin establishment has to be Portland’s White Eagle on North Russell Street, opened by two Polish immigrants in 1905 (nickname then: “Bucket of Blood” from the fighting there). Offering recreation, poker, liquor and beer to young Polish immigrants, it featured an opium den downstairs and a brothel upstairs.
The breweries reference some 200 recipes and up to 500 different brews. Each brewer is expected to make the major McMenamin brews, but they also are given artistic freedom to invent their own.
Artistic? Well, yes! Mike McMenamin says he considers his brewers to be artists. And why not? This is an organization that has a company historian, Tim Hill, a poet or two and a number of paint artists; all of whom are given great creative license.
The most distinctive and interesting brew the brothers make is the annual anniversary beer to commemorate the 1983 beginning of their first (combined) venture, the Old Barley Mill Pub, on Portland’s Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard. Each year’s brew is distinctive.
These anniversary brews are fascinating, not only for their taste, which is great, but for their design and their effect when you drink them. They are designed by what can only be called a drink tank — usually 12 to 25 people, each of whom brings a strange or exotic ingredient to add to the current anniversary brew. Magic beer, indeed.
Lunch is served and the meeting is convened at a secret location. Sometimes it’s at their first brew pub: Portland’s Hillsdale Brewery and Public House.
The genial Mike McMenamin supervises the activities. The wort for the base beer will be at a full rolling boil. Each drink tank participant brings a favorite libation, herb selection, flower, poem or article to read, and there always is a musician to contribute musical selections from time to time.
The various libations, including many McMenamin beers, wines and spirits, will be sampled by everyone, after which the remaining liquor will be poured into the offerings vat. The contents of that vessel will be added to the finished brew in the kettle.
I remember their first brew in 1989: Wisdom Ale. Fig Newton cookies, rosemary, thyme, sage, peaches and sunflower seeds. There also was ceremony: Irises were laid on top of the cover to the brewery’s open primary fermenter, and there were readings from wise books of the ages.
The herb selections were from Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs. That beer had a magical effect, because after the first sip I felt wiser; but my newfound wisdom was gone by day’s end.
Later, there was Longevity Ale (1990), and that was even better.
In 1991 there was Invisibility Ale. I have a hard time remembering that one, but I may have turned invisible because the herbs were designed to make one scarce — not a problem to one’s neighbors. The brew included amaranth, chicory, edelweiss, mistletoe, poppies and some secret stuff. There was Grateful Dead music (“Stella Blue” by Jerry Garcia). I may have stayed invisible for a week.
The 1992 Hallucinator Ale was downright scary, as was the ingredient list. The first sip set me to giggling. Suddenly I felt older, wiser, slightly invisible and giggly.
All at once I knew the secrets of the universe. I forgot them immediately and decided to bark at the moon instead; but it was high noon and I was completely discombobulated.
Some of the herbs included althea (protection, psychic powers), angelica (protection, healing, visions), lavender (love, longevity, happiness, peace), mint (love, money and psychic powers). You get the picture. That was a rich marinade to inject into a beer.
When Pat McNurney, Edgefield grounds manager (who had collected the herbs), actually sipped from the marinade, Mike McMenamin tried to protect him. But his cry, “Pat, stop. Don’t drink that. You’re too important to lose,” was too late. McNurney recovered in a few weeks time, but I still feel giddy.
For the first eight years there always was a bottle from a case of Lanson “champagne for connoisseurs only,” acquired from an old brewmaster of the now-long-gone Blitz-Weinhard brewery, in France, in 1945, just after World War II had ended.
The ’45 was a banner year for that champagne. We may have consumed the planet’s last bit of that great vintage in 1996.
My notes are indecipherable, but I think the 2006 (2005?) confab featured 55 additions, with samples of 20 McMenamins and other brews (including first bottling Hammerhead, and Lucky Lager’s final bottling).
Four herbal and floral offerings, followed by Krug champagne, readings from James Joyce, and a Henry Weinhard ad from The Oregonian from November 1914, tiny copies of which were added to the tub. Remember — Oregon went dry in 1916.
There were various other additions including songs, poems and who knows what all. I contributed a bottle of my own sake, and led the congregation in the Prohibition-era Starvation Army song: “On the right side of Temperance we now take our stand. …”
In conclusion let me state that “Sanity is for sissies; a he-man needs another beer!”

The Rising Price of Beers seem to be coming to Portland

2008-01-28T21:05:00.000-08:00

Bob F writes: "A $5 pint of beer can be nursed considerably longer than a $5 glass of wine."

Michael writes "I was at Belmont Station tonight and they were in the process of changing prices on MANY beers, for instance Jolly Pumpkin Fuego del Otono was going from 10.49 to 14.99, Dick's Grand Cru from 1.59 to 2.79...STEEP price increases. Be afraid, be very afraid... "

Bob F writes again: "

Reminds me of the Carter years (pre bar coding). It was a period of high inflation. You sometimes found the store personnel were too lazy to remove a label when they were raising prices, so they just placed a higher priced label over a lower priced one."

Have you seen prices inching up? Please let us know at Guest on Tap! Reply here.

Cheers,

Editor

PELICAN PUB & BREWERY WINS THE TOP PRIZE

2008-01-28T13:29:00.000-08:00

Stormwatcher’s Winterfest takes the competition by storm yet again
This past weekend in Anchorage, Alaska, the Pelican Pub & Brewery had another great showing at the Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival—Stormwatcher’s Winterfest 2006 came home with the top prize—the Gold medal in the prestigious Barley Wine competition!

This English-style Barley Wine surpassed 33 competing entries in one of the largest organized Barley Wine competitions of the year. Just last year, the 2005 vintage took home the Silver medal in the same category. There is no doubt that this beer impresses the palates of judges around the globe—in addition to its honors at the Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival, Stormwatcher’s Winterfest has won a Gold medal at the North American Beer Awards (2003); Silver medals at the Australian International Beer Awards (2005, 2006, 2007) and a Silver medal at the Great American Beer Festival (2006).

“The level of competition in Alaska is intense, and all of us here at the Pelican are thrilled that Stormwatcher’s Winterfest has brought home top honors,” said Darron Welch, head brewer at the Pelican Pub & Brewery. “It is especially satisfying after the great performance it had last year!”

The 2006 vintage of Stormwatcher’s Winterfest has a deep amber-red color, with an aroma and flavor of caramelized and toasted malts, rich dark fruit and earthy hops. This extremely full-bodied brew has a subtle residual sweetness balanced by alcoholic warmth in the finish. Its big, rich flavor makes it the perfect complement to a stormy Oregon Coast day.

Beer aficionados can taste Stormwatcher’s Winterfest all the way back to 2003. This deep vertical tasting of 2003—2007 vintages is available at the Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City, Ore. for just $8.00. The draft and kegged 2006 vintage is sold out, but bottled Stormwatcher’s 2006 is still available in limited quantities.

For more information on the thirteenth annual Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Festival, visit http://www.auroraproductions.net/beer-barley.html.

The Pelican Pub and Brewery, located 22 miles south of Tillamook on the majestic Oregon Coast, has become a Northwest landmark for craft beer and fine food enthusiasts. The oceanfront facility includes an outdoor patio and banquet room with unobstructed views of Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock. Celebrating its 11th year in Pacific City, the Pub has created masterpieces such as Kiwanda Cream Ale, India Pelican Ale, MacPelican’s Scottish Ale, Tsunami Stout and Doryman's Dark. The three-time Great American Beer Festival “Brewpub of the Year” winner is open seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more information, call 503-965-7007 or visit http://www.pelicanbrewery.com/.

Fort George Brewing: February is Stout Month

2008-01-22T09:30:00.001-08:00

From the desk of the fine folks at Fort George Brewing:

February is Stout Month: Bourbon Aged Cavatica & Coffee Girl Unveiled

Stout Month, a celebration of dark, rich, bold beers begins February 1st at the Fort George Brewery & Public House in Astoria, Oregon. There will be eight eclectic and extremely coveted stouts within the craft beer community on draught.

These specialty stouts are some of the hardest to find in the nation, made in very small batches, due to the expensive ingredients, and extra time that makes the beers so good.

For example, in the bourbon barrel conditioning process, brewers order barrels from Kentucky, age the beers in the barrels, and then have to get the beer back out of them. Barrel conditioning of stouts develops extremely complex flavors.

You can try this style of stout for yourself with the Fort George’s new Bourbon Barrel Aged Cavatica Stout.

“It has a very subtle, oak and peaty bourbon flavor, layered into the ordinarily fabulous flavors you’d find in our Cavatica Stout,” said owner, Jack Harris.

The Fort George Brewery will also be unveiling in February, Coffee Girl Imperial Stout, an espresso stout. The union of coffee and beer was only a matter of time, especially to pub patrons, who have been lobbying for co-owner, Chris Nemlowill to materialize in beer, his marriage to the owner of a local coffee house, Coffee Girl.

“Dark, rich, and malty, balanced with a rich espresso aroma and an aftertaste of roasted dark chocolate, you just might fall in love with the Coffee Girl too,” said Nemlowill.

Special events for stout month at the Fort George Brewery & Public House include a craft beer appreciation class for women on February 9th, and a beer pairing dinner including stouts and oysters on February 13th.

Ask for a taster tray so you can try all the stouts on draught at the Fort George. The lineup includes: Cavatica Stout—Astoria, OR, Bourbon Barrel Aged Cavatica Stout—Astoria, OR, Coffee Girl Imperial Stout (Espresso Stout)—Astoria, OR, Stone Russian Imperial Stout—San Diego, CA, Deschutes Abyss Stout—Bend, OR, Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout—Ashland, OR, Lucky Lab Bourbon Barrel Aged Stout—Ashland, OR, and Rogue Chocolate Stout—Newport, OR.

Fort George Brewery & Public House • 1483 Duane Street Astoria, OR 97103
(503) 325-PINT • www.FortGeorgeBrewery.com

Panty Dropper Ale Available in Select Portland Locations

2008-01-18T10:31:00.000-08:00

I recently found a new IPA on tap at Anna Bananas in St. Johns on N.Lombard Avenue. Betwix tap handles for Hopworks' HUB IPA and Pyramid Snowcap, There was a new tap handle I'd not heard of before. The label read "Panty Dropper Ale." I've heard of others dubbing potent libations under such a moniker, but never found a brew actually called such. I inquired with the nice man working behind the counter and he informed me that it was a beer "brewed by a woman in Hillsboro, or something." My facination grew after I sampled the hoppy treat. I am a nut for finding new micro brews. And one from the Portland area...even better!

The next day I employed Internet search engines only to find one entry that appeared to match. It was for the Portland Spring Beer & Wine Festival. Apparently they were to carry the Panty Dropper. From this site, under brewers' web sites, there was just an email. So, I emailed what, when, where, who was Panty Dropper. To my delight, I was replied to by a kind lady named Linda Hansen. Linda wrote in detail about her fine brew:

"Ours is somewhat of an unusual story. We too are "beer geeks". In fact we were home brewers that were attempting to develop an I.P.A. that we could drink at home (we have 4 kids!). Long story short, we now sell to right around 10 local establishments. We had developed our "signature" beer, and everyone kept telling us how good it was, and how much they would love to be able to purchase it. Of coarse the friends and family were expected to say that right?......but total strangers were very impressed with our beer. Enough so, that I decided that it was worth a shot to get licensed with OLCC, and BAFTA. Once getting through that red tape I could now sell beer legally to a bar/pub.

"We went from stovetop, to garage, to shop, to bigger shop, until finally contract brewing. We were supplying 3 pubs by hand crafting our product in a large shop off of a two keg home brewing cooker that we had welded ourselves. Pretty amazing now that I think back on it, but we had many late nights. I can remember us in the shop brewing until 1:30-2:00 am, in anticipation for the next keg that our client would need. Did I mention that we both have real jobs!! I am an Oncology R.N. full time, and Denny is a hodd carrier (brick/mason) full time, so these late nights although worth it, took it's toll. We wanted to get our beer into more places but were afraid that we would be unable to keep up, so we approached Max Tieger at Tucks Brewery if he would be willing/interested in a contract brew? Max took us on willingly, and in the process was a phenomenal teacher. We attempted to manipulate our recipe from brewing 1 keg at a time, to brewing a batch on his 5 barrel system. Ultimately we felt successful, and were very proud of our product.

"Tucks Brewery sold, and Max was in the process of opening his own brewery (Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub). In the mean time we had picked up a few more accounts, and were at a cross roads. Either we went back to brewing one keg at a time, found someone else willing to contract brew, or quit altogether.

"I started the phone chain of brewers in the Portland area. Gosh what a great group of people. As a big nobody, I was half expecting the cold shoulder, but people were so willing to help out, it was just that the beer boom was on the rise, and they really just did not have any extra fermenter space to brew a contract and still keep up with their own. It was David Flemming from Lucky Lab, who suggested that I contact "The Tylers" at Silver Moon Brewing in Bend, OR. Tyler Reichert (the owner), and Tyler West (head brewer).

"I met with Tyler Reichert, and he thought they would be able to do it. Now we were needing to manipulate our recipe from a 5 barrel system to a 10 barrel system. Ultimately after a few attempts, we now once again had our "PDA" as we call it or Panty Dropper Ale. We have continued to work with "The Tylers", and Silver Moon Brewing for over a year. In fact we were both in the Spring Beer Festival last year, as you had mentioned."

By definition PDA is an American Style Pale Ale, due to the high IBU's (82-83), and borderline ABV (around 5.6-5.8%).
Linda says "...We make what we like!!! Typically the pale ales/IPA's are summer seasonal, but we have found tremendous success year round. We do have a few establishments that just feature PDA as a seasonal tap.

"We self distribute our beer, thus keeping it very local, usually under 10 establishments. We have one signature beer! It had taken off so fast, and has continued to do so well, that we really have not had much time to play around with other recipes, although Denny is a HUGE Belgium beer fan, so I see some Belgium experimentation on the horizon."

-Silver Moon Brewing is located at 24 N.W. Greenwood Ave., Bend, OR (541-388-8331)

www.SilverMoonBrewing.com

Look for PDA Friday, March 21 & Saturday, March 22, 2008 at the 14th Annual Spring Beer & Wine Fest

It may still be available at Anna Banana's Coffee, with two locations in Portland.

Lucky Lab to Release Monster Beer

2008-01-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

Portland's Lucky Labrador Brewing Company just announced it will be releasing a port barrel-aged Pavlov's Russian Imperial Stout. Brewer Ben Flerchinger said "We got a hold of a port barrel from Abacella winery in southern Oregon. The day they emptied it of port we drove it to Portland and filled it with imperial stout. There it sat for a good six months soaking up all the complex flavors of the wine soaked oak. Good raspberry, vanilla, black currant flavor that gives way to a caramel roasty finish."
Pavlov is slated to be sold at the Lucky Lab NW Quimby location on January 18th, 2008 for $8.95 for a 22-ounce bottle.

PDX Beer Guide

2007-12-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

PDX BEER GUIDE

By Don Klover

Not Portland, but PDX the airport. Ever find yourself there with some time to kill? If you think a decent, local micro draught might help the wait, here’s what you need to know:

The only places that are accessible to those without a boarding pass are found in the Oregon Market, which is that long row of shops located on the main level just past ticketing and just before security (see OM on diagram). The big ones are Stanford’s and Rose City Café. Both feature several taps (including Deschutes, Rogue and Widmer). Pizzicato is in the nearby food court with taps that carry Laurelwood, Deschutes and Widmer ales.

A boarding pass gets you by security where your choices actually increase. While the Port’s web site proudly states that “Each concourse provides the opportunity to eat, shop, and play,” there’s no one says you have to stay in your own concourse. In fact the secret to remember here is the Concourse Connector (CC on diagram) which obligingly offers you access to all five concourses without having to go back through security. This is good news for you because if your plane is scheduled to board at Gate D6 in an hour and you want a pint of, say Bridgeport IPA with a quick bite, you can make your way over to Capers Café on Concourse B and slake that particular thirst. Here’s the rundown:

Concourse A has only one venue and it’s a good one. Laurelwood Brewing Company offers several of their own beers on tap, along with many of their signature dishes from their menus back in town. Word has it that they’ll be adding several tables soon to accommodate a pretty steady business.

For beer, Concourse B has only one place to go too: Capers Café. They currently run two rotating taps of local micros, but are considering adding more in the not-too-distant future.

The airport’s longest, Concourse C has several outlets to offer. Gustav’s and Good Dog / Bad Dog, about halfway out, have several taps between them. Only a couple are given over to a local beer maker (Widmer), so you can also find Bass and Sam Adams if your tastes go that direction. Out near the end gates you’ll find another cluster of shops, including Sandoval’s Margarita Bar (Widmer & Mexican beers on tap) and a Made In Oregon shop which offers a large number, and probably the largest selection here, of individual bottle beers from several Oregon brewers. But these are sold to go and not refrigerated.

The international gates along Concourse D cause shop schedules to be more erratic. But this is where, by the end of the year, Rogue will open a new pub with many of its own brews available on tap. Look for a second Good Dog / Bad Dog coming in the spring, much like the one on Concourse C. Just down the walkway at the Made In Oregon’s wine kiosk you may still find an end display of Rogue’s Dead Guy on hand.

Finally, Concourse E has a Laurelwood ‘kiosk’ along one side of the walkway. This cold case may be the only place you’ll find their bottled beers right now – four different styles. Sometime before the end of the year they plan to open a new taproom in the same location.

Now you know how to navigate all the airport’s beer spots. Cheers! You’re on your own for boarding schedules.

Replication the finest form of Flattery!

2007-12-20T07:49:00.000-08:00

It has been three years since we launched Guest on Tap. It continues to grow. Do you thinking anyone is watching!

Dave Dronkowski
Publisher and Editor
Guest on Tap

What's on Tap: A Guide to Seattle Suds
beer brewing micro-brew micro home tap bars bartenders ballard belltown pioneer square Seattle
"Reader Blogs"
Editor's note: This is a P-I Reader Blog. P-I Reader Blogs are not written or edited by the P-I. They are written by readers, for readers. The authors are solely responsible for content. If you see any posts you consider inappropriate, please send us a note at newmedia@seattlepi.com. · Want to blog for the P-I?
« Winter Beers - Part I Main

Travel for Beer - Port Townsend
While there is plenty of good beer in Seattle to keep me busy, I love heading out of town to visit some of the brewpubs spread around the Pacific NW. I try and do a trip as often as I can, which usually turns out to be one trip every 3 months or so, outside of the immediate Seattle area.
Port Townsend is situated in a beautiful spot out on the Olympic peninsula and is about a 2 hour trip, including the 30 minute ferry ride from Seattle to Bainbridge. BUT, through early January a passenger only ferry(no cars) will run 4 times a day from Seattle to Port Townsend and back. The crossing time is 90 minutes. That's a pretty sweet option, if you can take advantage of it.
Our only focus for the night in Port Townsend was the wonderful beers from Water Street Brewing and Port Townsend Brewing Company. I'm sure the town has plenty of other things to offer...but, um, I like beer.
This was my 3rd trip to Water Street Brewing, and it did not disappoint. Brew Master Skip Madsen makes some adventurous beers and isn't afraid to experiment. The brewpub itself just rocks. It's got a very relaxed, small town feel that puts you right at home. It is quite large, with several rooms and even an upstairs with a couple of old pool tables. To make our visit even better, they had a Grateful Dead cover band playing the night we were there; nothing like a little Dead and some tasty beverages to make for a wonderful evening. In addition to their standard lineup of beers, they had the Sheba Coffee Stout, Burrs Frosty Winter Ale and the Panama Red(holy hopness). All 3 of the specialty beers were fantastic.
Water Street is one of my favorite brewpubs to visit anywhere in WA, and if I ever found myself living in Port Townsend you could probably find me in their more often that not.
A perfect time for you to make your first visit would be their upcoming Strange Brewfest on January 26th and 27th. My first visit to Water Street was during this festival 2 years ago and it is an all out blast(with over 35 NW breweries). If you go, check out the wonderfully convenient Water Street Hotel directly above the brewpub. $50/night for 2 queen size beds during the winter can't be beat; especially when it is time to stumble home.
Port Townsend Brewing Company is located a little ways away from downtown(a decent walk, if you came over on the pedestrian ferry) in a small industrial park near the water. They are mainly a production brewery, but last year added a nice tasting room that was filled up with the after work crowd of locals when we arrived. We grabbed a tray of about 8 tasters for $6 and took a seat at the bar. Their Scotch Ale, Barley Wine and Winter Ale all stood out above the rest. I especially enjoyed the barley wine which packs in a ton of flavor. This is definitely a nice stop for a couple of pints and a perfect place to get you ready for a night at Water Street Brewery down the road.
After a late night in Port Townsend, we headed out the next day to the Mora Campground at Rialto Beach on the coast with a couple growlers full of good beer for a night of camping in 20 degree weather(Yes, we were the only ones there). Nothing like a pint of Scotch Ale to keep you warm.
Image thanks to mmpartee on Flickr
Posted by
document.writeln(showE2("gocubbiesgo","gmail.com","Geoff Kaiser"))
Geoff Kaiser at December 19, 2007 6:45 a.

Green Dragon Announces Meet the Brewer Tuesdays!

2007-12-18T17:04:00.000-08:00

The Green Dragon Announces Tuesday Meet the Brewers Night schedule:

Now every Tuesday will be meet the Brewer night, starting at 6 p.m.

Dec. 18 Christian Ettinger and Ben Love of Hopworks Urban Brewery. They'll have HUB Lager (although, considering theirlocation next door to the Safari strip club, I have suggested renaming the beer Lap Dance Lager), IPA, Red, Abominabale and Kentucky Christmas (barrel aged Abominabale)

Dec. 25 and Jan 1 none

Jan 8: Larry Pratt of Salmon Creek Brewery and Pub. He has promised to bring at least oneof his Belgian styles.

Jan. 15 Sean Loring of Lazy Boy Brewing in Everett. He has just introduced his beers to the Oregon Market.

Jan. 22 Kevin King of Amnesia Brewing. A rare public appearance of one of the least attention-seeking brewers you'll find. He promises some special treats.

The 2007 Holiday Ales Festival maybe the Biggest and Best ever!

2007-12-11T05:57:00.000-08:00

Holiday Ale Festival 2007 Attendance continues to grow dispite the weather!

It's Official:

Holiday Ale Festival decks the halls with record attendance

PORTLAND, Ore. - Dec. 11, 2007 - Despite driving rain, gusting wind, and a UO/OSU Civil War game, the Holiday Ale Festival witnessed record-setting attendance at the 12th annual event. The Northwest's most prestigious winter beer festival brought in more than 17,000 beer lovers, an increase of 10% over 2006. The festival took place Nov. 29 through Dec. 2 at Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland.

The Holiday Ale Festival presented more than 40 robust winter craft beers on draught, the majority of which were created specifically for the event. These winter warmers were all designed to ward off the chill of winter and warm both the palate and soul. Complex in aroma and flavor, these beers were rich in color, big in body, and high in alcohol.

The People's Choice winner, which was determined by the beer that went through the most kegs, was Jim II, a blend of oak-aged Hair of the Dog beers based on a recipe created by homebrewer Preston Weesner. Jim II, which was only available at the festival, sold 12 kegs. Ironically, the People's Choice runner up with 11 kegs sold was Collaborator Hallucinator Olde Ale, another beer based on a recipe by homebrewers, in this case Gary Corbin and Michael Rasmussen.

A visible trend at this year's event was barrel-aged beers: five breweries served barrel-aged beers, with flavors hailing from oak, Bourbon, and wine barrels. Blended beers were also on tap: Jim II, BJ’s On Comet, Deschutes Brewery’s Oak Aged Jubelale, and Cascade Brewing's Barrel Select Baltic Porter were each created from two or more existing beers.

Festival attendees stayed warm and dry under a large clear-topped tent that covered the venue while allowing for views of the city lights. Gas heaters created a cozy ambience under the boughs of the city's Christmas tree.

In addition to beer tasting, the Holiday Ale Festival also featured on-site food from Rogue Ales, beer merchandise, complimentary Crater Lake Sodas for designated drivers, mead sampling, and seasonal background music.

The roots of brewing special winter and holiday beers trace back to the mythologies of Greece and Rome. The pagan celebrations of the winter solstice marked the return of light to the world, and triumphant ale was brewed to mark the occasion. In the Middle Ages, monasteries encouraged the brewing of special beers for special occasions, particularly Christmas. Holiday brewing traditions traveled to the United States with early immigrants, but they died out during Prohibition. It wasn't until Anchor Brewing Co. came out with "Our Special Ale" in 1975 that the old holiday beer style made its contemporary comeback.

Next year's Holiday Ale Festival will take place Dec. 4-7, 2008. For more information about the Holiday Ale Festival, visit www.holidayale.com or call 503-252-9899.

We at PdxBeer Blog and Guest on Tap want your Holiday Ale Festival Stories and photos. Please post comments here and email us photos at Dave@guestontap.com

Cheers,

PdxBeer

2007-12-06T08:09:00.001-08:00

SAMUEL ADAMS HAND-CRAFTED LAGER GLASS
Created by Samuel Adams founder Jim Koch and a team of sensory experts, this one-of-a-kind lager glass is a MUST for any beer aficionado. This lager glass is tapered at the bottom for an easy grip; flairs out in the middle to a bowl-shape for maximum aeration and then curves back in and then out at the top thereby placing the beer in the correct spot on the tongue for maximum flavor. Although any lager can be drunk in the Samuel Adams Lager Glass; it was designed based on the flavor profile of the Samuel Adams Lager.The Samuel Adams Lager glass is available in packs of 4 from http://www.samueladams.com/ <http://www.samueladams.com/> . MSRP: $30 / 4pk (beer not included)

Paint a Pabst Truck in Portland

2007-12-05T22:16:00.000-08:00

Those crazy folks at PBR are looking for area artists to paint their trucks!

Pabst is currently running a contest to see who can do the best Job of painting one of their area trucks. Check out http://www.paintourtruck.com/. to see how you can be a part of the fun.

Socyberty List's Three Most Expensive Beers

2007-11-26T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here is an interesting link to a list of the three most expensive beers. Socyberty is a self-proclaimed "user powered website dedicated to providing you with the highest quality society oriented content on the web."

A few other pricy offerings available around Portland include:

Bush/Scaldis Prestige

Pours a hazy orange-amber with a hugely carbonated top. Nose of sour and sweet grass and sugars. Oaky and musty notes. Fruity and vinous finish. Once in a lifetime opportunity to try this expensive beer. Runs around $50 for a 750ml bottle.

Bosteels DeuS Brut des Flandres Belgian Strong Ale

Commercial Description:
First brewed at Bosteels, transfered to the Champagne region of France were it is treated much like a champagne with the bottles inverted and the yeast expunged and bottle recorked. Approximately $40 for a 750ml bottle.

Also, if you are looking to find one of the most touted Trappist beers in the world, the Westvleteren 12 Belgian quad is running for around $50 bucks for a six-pack on eBay. Couple that with shipping charges from Belgium running another fifty bucks or so, this beer available for purchase exclusively from the monastary, can be quite spendy.

Lompoc Breweries bring a six pack of Holiday Seasonals to the Portland Area!

2007-11-26T06:39:00.000-08:00

At PdxBeer Blog, we look for updates from the brewers themselves. We had asked
Derek Clark, Head Brewer, Lompoc Breweries to tell us in his own words what they have to offer this holiday season. Here is what he reported:

Winter is an exciting time for the local Lompoc Breweries, having historically produced five distinct beers for the Holiday and Winter season. This year the brewers at Lompoc have added a sixth beer, encouraged by Preston Weezner (beer afficionado), of Holiday Ale Festival fame, to brew a new and unique beer to be showcased at that great event. Brewdolph is a Belgian-style specialty ale highlighting the flavors of joviality and abundance in which the Lompoc brewers, using sound brewing techniques and a lot of bravado, the Lompoc is proud to premier

Lompoc's usual Winter favorites-- C'Son's Greetings, an extremely popular (and strong) Imperial pale ale; Holiday Cheer, a PORTlandER with hints of vanilla; Blitzen, Lompoc's spiced golden ale; Jolly Bock, the well-loved German-style doppelbock; and the ever anticipated Old Tavern Rat Barleywine that has been aging for a year--will be featured at the Lompoc pubs and select venues around the metropolitan area.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Detailed descriptions of the Lompoc Winter Beers.

Brewdolph--A Belgian-style specialty ale with distict fruity notes of Pommegranate, Plum, and Persimmon. 8.8%abv. Light to medium body, light amber color. Slight hop presence expressing mostly balance, hop spiciness and minimal "greeness". Similar to a Belgian trippel.

C'Son's Greetings--The big brother for C-Note. A lot of malt. A lot of Hops. A lot of good times. 8.5% abv.

Holiday Cheer--Our winter porter (PORTlandER). A dark beer, but not tipped to roast, nor charcoal. Velvetty to the palatte, hints of vanilla from whole bean extraction during the brew. 7.0% abv.

Blitzen--Lompoc's lighest beer offering. Lower in potency (5.0%abv), but warming in the spices used during brewing. This is the Lompoc Winter Tonic, an apertiff, a digestiff. Gentle but settling.

Jolly Bock--Lompoc's German-style lager for the season. Sweet and dry, this malty beer gives a bit of a kick. Certainly for a traditional and purist palette; malt heavy for the Northwest Hophead. 7.9%abv.

Old Tavern Rat--The favorite Lompoc barleywine. It's a barleywine! The initial brew had to have a second batch brewed just to balance (id est-Dilute). 11% abv.

Thank you, Derek! We hope to be sampling your wears throughout this joyous season!

New Stout available at MacTarnahan's Taproom in Portland!

2007-11-20T21:03:00.000-08:00

MacTarnahan's Tap Room has a great new Brewers Reserve Stout available right now! George Arnold, Master Brewer at Pyramid Breweries writes:
"The product is brewed with 2 Row Barley Malt, Caramel 80, Munich, Roasted and Black malts. It is hopped with Nugget and Liberty hops. We target a 15.5 ° Plato wort and finish at around 4.5° Plato apparent extract. It has a bitterness of about 52 IBU.
Art did a fantastic job with this product. The aroma is very enticing and the flavor robust. It is a perfect beer to dispense with nitrogen.

I hope you enjoyed it as well."
Go by and try some out yourself! MacTarnahan's Taproom@.2730 NW 31st Ave.Portland, OR 97210; ph. 503.226.7623 info@macsbeer.com

Hopworks Dock Sales Start This Week

2007-11-19T19:02:00.000-08:00

This just in from Hopworks Urban Brewery's Ben Love:

Hopworks Urban Brewery will start doing regular dock sales this Wednesday, just in time for the long Thanksgiving weekend! Dock sale hours will be from 2-6pm Wednesday November 21. We'll be filling 1/4 bbl and 1/2 bbl Hopworks kegs and peoples personal 5 gal cornies. We ask that cornies come cleaned and filled with sanitizer. Hopworks Organic IPA, Organic Red and Organic Abominable Winter Ale are available.

Prices are:
$130 - 1/2
$70 - 1/4
$55 - 5 gal

Deposit for 1/2 and 1/4 bbl are $100.

We don't have a credit card machine set up yet, so sales are CASH or CHECK ONLY.

Hopworks Urban Brewery is located at 2944 SE Powell Blvd in the old Sunset Fuel Building. People coming for dock sales should come around the back of the building. Turn on 29th Avenue (next to Wendy's) and drive through the ABC Roofing parking lot.

Our regular Dock Sales hours will be Friday's from 5-7pm, starting Friday November 30th. We ask that people wanting their cornies filled for Friday drop them off by Thursday at 6pm, cleaned and filled with sanitizer. We'll have their kegs ready to roll during dock sales hours the next day.

Please contact Assistant Brewmaster Ben Love if you have any questions. Ben@hopworksbeer.com

Checkout www.hopworksbeer.typepad.com to track our progress!

Hopworks Organic IPA
Our flagship IPA is a classic Northwest IPA that is generously hopped with Amarillo, Centennial, and Ahtanum hops in the kettle, hop-back, and dry-hop. This judicious use of hops is balanced by hte finest organic malts available, namely Canadian organic Pilsner malt and German organic Munich and Caramunich.
15 degrees Plato Original Gravity
2.7 degrees Plato Terminal Gravity
6.6% Alcohol by Volume
75 International Bitterness Units

Hopworks Organic Red Ale
Our NW Red Ale has a huge floral and citrus hop aroma from copious use of locally grown Cascade and Centennial hops. Backed up by a full flavored malt bill of 100% organic Canadian Pilsner malt, American Caramel malt and German Caramunich and Carafa malts. Our re is balanced, hoppy and delicious.
13.5 degrees Plato Original Gravity
3.0 degrees Plato Terminal Gravity
5.7% Alcohol by Volume
45 International Bitterness Units

Hopworks Organic Abominable Winter Ale
Our Winter Ale features a floral, spicy and cirus hop aroma backed up by a subtle, yet complex hop flavor and just the right amount of malt sweetness. Made with organic Canadian Pilsner malt, German Caramunich and Carafa malts, American Caramel malts and Cascade, Centennial, Amarillo and Simcoe Hops.
17 degrees Plato Original Gravity
4.4 degrees Plato Terminal Gravity
7% Alcohol by Volume
55 International Bitterness Units

Redhook-Widmer Merger more bloggers write

2007-11-17T06:01:00.000-08:00

A Great Blogger of our times Jay Brooks writes in his blog:<http://www.brookstonbeerbulletin.com/>

Craft Brewers Merge, Too
by J @ 2:38 am. November 14th

The last time I took a trip, that one to Denver for GABF, Miller and Coors merged their domestic operations. Now I’m in Munich, Germany on my last day of a long beer trip and Widmer Brothers and Redhook announce, they too, will be merging. I have got to stop leaving the house otherwise who knows what might happen next.
Maybe it’s because the news reports I read were from Seattle newspapers, but I was surprised that Redhook is the buyer because Widmer has been the much stronger performer ever since Anheuser-Busch purchased minority stakes in both breweries in the late 1990s. Shortly thereafter, Redhook was called “Budhook” derisively by many craft beer aficionados and their reputation, as well as their business did appear to suffer. Certainly Redhook was not as active in the community as they had been before. Widmer Brothers, on the other hand, seemed to maintain their reputation and sales continued to grow. But perhaps more importantly, the Widmers continued to be active in the brewing community and were out in the public, effectively managing to keep the perception intact that they are a quality-minded small craft brewery.
Redhook reportedly will buy stock in Widmer valued at about $50 million. The new company’s name, with no touch of irony, will be called the “Craft Brewers Alliance.” Both Widmer and Redhook will continue to brew beer as before at their respective breweries.
Their combined output will be approximately 600,000 barrels, enough to catapult them into the top ten, probably around eighth or ninth. The pair separately was number 11 and 12 last year. Kurt Widmer will become the chairman of the Craft Brewers Alliance, which also has a stake in Chicago’s Goose Island Brewing and a distribution agreement with Hawaii’s Kona Brewing. Paul Shipman, who helped found Redhook will be given the title chairman emeritus, but effectively retiring from the day to day operations of the business.

Widmer-Redhook Merger comments keep coming

2007-11-17T05:39:00.000-08:00

Subject: before the big boys come in and buy everyone out

mksgrist writes:

"I think we need to hold on to what we have, brewery wise, before the
big boys come in and buy everyone out. The ruin of the American Beer
revolution may be paved by over sizing, takeovers and greed."

Vasilios Gletsos, Head Brewer-BJ's Brewery, Portland, OR writes:

" Maybe it's just me and my position in the brewing industry, but I feel
this is a short cut to thinking, and promotes a mythical narrative to
the history and growth of the beer industry that's more detrimental than anything else.
I don't believe it can possibly be as black and white as he suggests.
I'm not ignorant of the effects of big money on beer, but one of those
effects is investment in brewers and science and equipment. There are
examples of beers that were 'once upon a time' great breweries, but
dumbed down there beers. You hear this all the time in our small
community (relative to the total beer market,Portland, Oregon). Part of it, I believe
is nostalgia, part changing tastes and part a change in the beer. But
why sit shiva over your can of Balantine or whatever? Craft breweries
exist because there is a market for them. They get bigger because of the nature of the market.
Believe me, I respect and admire those breweries who resist expansion,
perhaps to their own financial detriment if not ruin, because of any reason:
they are satisfied with their size, even if they can't meet demands,
they make a unique product that can't be made on a large scale or
whatever, god bless them, and, hopefully they can keep going, but
there are many shades of amber between light lager and imperial stout.
When I think of how much traffic and adoration we give, rightfully so,
to the support several of the bigger breweries around town give our
club(The Oregon Brew Crew) or home brewer's at large, not to mention continuing to come out with distinctive and challenging beers, I feel we are dumbing down our
opinions faster than they are their beer (if they are?). Buy the beer
you like or brew the beer you like. no corporate captain is forcing
you to, and Rob and Kurt(Widmer), I am sure, look the same last week as they
do this week, and will continue to make decisions that serve their best interest.
There is also this sense of the rock star brewer, individualistic and
mountain tops and machismo. This is an image, just like all the other
images in our personal pantheons of consumer preferences. and it masks
the reality of the beer in front of you. If that's your thing, and you
need the fetish to enjoy beer, fine, but it's fabrication. I've heard
many times people tell me their favorite brewery is some hyped up,
super extreme brewery that isn't even available in Oregon (or perhaps
only their most mainstream product) and they have tried only a couple
times. This illusion may be more harmful to local beer and craft brew than good.
Alright, I going to stop now and make some mediocre corporate brew,
woe is me."

Vasilios Gletsos
Head Brewer
BJ's Brewery
Portland, OR

The Merger: Widmer and Redhook

2007-11-15T04:13:00.000-08:00

The following story is from the Portland Business Journal. We would love to here your comments on this story from the beer lovers POV. Please click on comments at the end and give us your thoughts. We will be posting some comments from other home brewers later. Thank you.
Pdx Beer

Widmer and Redhook to merge
Portland Business Journal
Two giants of craft brewing -- Widmer Brothers Brewing Co. and Redhook Ale Brewery -- have agreed to merge. The two breweries said their company will be known as the Craft Brewers Alliance, but that Widmer and Redhook will remain separate brands.
Shareholders of Widmer and Redhook will hold 50 percent of the outstanding shares of the new company.
Red Hook, based in Woodinville, Wash., is publicly traded, and the new company will continue to trade on NASDAQ under the Redhook symbol (HOOK). It will have offices in Portland and Woodinville.
Portland-based Widmer Brothers' Chair Kurt Widmer, will serve as chair of the new company. Red Hook founder Paul Shipman will serve as chairman emeritus. Dave Mickelson, president of Redhook, will serve as co-CEO of the new company with Terry Michaelson, president of Craft Brands Alliance, Redhook and Widmer's sales and marketing joint venture.
Subject to shareholder and regulatory approval, the transaction is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008.
The brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer founded Widmer brewery in 1984. The company's flagship beer is its Widmer Hefeweizen. It is the nation's 11th-largest brewery.
Redhook had $35.7 million in sales in 2006. The company's most popular product is Redhook ESB.
Redhook shares fell less than 1 percent to close at $6.10. The deal was announced after markets closed.
Three years ago, another local craft brewing icon, Portland Brewing Co., was purchased by Seattle-based Pyramid Breweries Inc. for $4.2 million.
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
Cheers! Prost!

David K. Dronkowski C.M.C.
Publisher and Editor
Guest on Tap
Every Tuesday The Portland Tribune
www.guestontap.com

Pyramid at the Garden

2007-11-09T13:57:00.000-08:00

PYRAMID AT THE ROSE GARDEN
Pyramid Brewing has moved into the Rose Garden, taking over the former Garden Club space and converting it to a new and improved restaurant. The official name of the new space, which is on the main concourse, is the Pyramid Taproom at Bill Schonely's Place, in recognition of the team's longtime play-by-play announcer. The new restaurant can accommodate 250 people, compared with 120 for what was buffet-style dining inside the old Garden Club. All your favorite Pyramid brews are on tap so stop by the next time the Blazers are in town.

A Beer that will only Get Better!

2007-11-09T06:31:00.000-08:00

Sam Adam's Utopias by The Boston Beer Company is fabulous right now, but will only grow better with time!
Upon tasting this magical liquour, we were blinded by the beauty of this fantastic brew! To think that this was not distilled, we were amazed with wonder flavours throughout the glass and the legs on this beer!n We tasted the limited 2007 Edition Batch#11823 at the Oregon Brew Crew meeting last night. We all agreed this was one amazing "beer"? More comments will be added later.

Sustainability in the Brewing Industry

2007-11-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Methane bubble and water treatment plant at New Belgium Photo by Andrea Hendrickson

SUSTAINABILITY IN THE BREWING INDUSTRY

By Abram Goldman-Armstrong
Honorary Beer Scribe for Guest on Tap

Beers once were marketed on flavor alone with straightforward ad slogans such as “finest malted barley.” Now brewers across the country are touting sustainability as a major virtue of their beers.
On coasters and in ads and other marketing materials, breweries such as Laurelwood, New Belgium, Deschutes, Full Sail, McMenamins and Widmer boast about their use of wind power.
For many brewers, the emphasis on sustainability goes beyond mere greenwashing. The Earth-saving practices implemented by breweries like New Old Lompoc often are simple no-frills affairs, consisting of smart use and reuse of energy and resources.
Some of the more glamorous sustainability projects have been implemented by industry leaders such as Colorado’s New Belgium and Northern California’s Anderson Valley.
Both treat their wastewater on site, the former capturing methane with an anaerobic digester to generate electricity for the brewery, the latter using it to irrigate hops.
Anderson Valley boasts Northern California’s largest solar array, which can provide the brewery with two-fifths of its energy needs. In Chico, Sierra Nevada is at work on its own solar array, which, along with hydrogen fuel cells, can provide enough energy to take the brewer 90 percent off the grid.
Packaging materials are an important factor in sustainable brewing. Full Sail uses 100 percent recycled paperboard for its six-packs and cases. Portland Bottling’s manufacturing plant uses about 50 percent recycled glass; even New Belgium, in Colorado, purchases its 22-ounce bottles from it.
Water conservation, too,s can make a big environmental impact. Breweries typically use six to eight gallons of water for every gallon of beer produced. Through various methods, water use can be reduced to as little as 3.45 gallons (Full Sail) or 3.9 gallons (New Belgium).
At Olympia’s Fish Brewing Co., it’s about the water — not in the beer, but in the streams, rivers and oceans of Cascadia. Fish has brewed environmental fundraising beers since 1999, including Wild Salmon Pale Ale, which benefits Save Our Wild Salmon, and draught-only Thornton Creek Pale Ale, dedicated to the restoration of a nearby watershed.
Since releasing its Organic Amber in 1999, Fish has transitioned the bulk of its production to organic, committing to keeping pesticides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers out of streams and rivers.
Fish’s seasonal Detonator Doppelbock is “dedicated to the removal of salmon-killing dams and the restoration of free-flowing rivers.”
Juneau’s Alaskan Brewing recently launched a program to donate 1 percent of proceeds from its IPA to an organization called Coastal CODE (Clean Oceans Depend on Everyone), which gives grants to “individuals and organizations taking action to preserve the health of oceans,” says Alaskan’s Human Resources Manager Heather Conlon.
Oregon’s own Solv was one of the first grant recipients for its annual beach cleanup.
Other sustainability practices at Alaskan have arisen from necessity. Due to its location, Alaskan had to pay a premium to import carbon dioxide and began harvesting carbon dioxide from fermentation in 1998, a practice usually employed only by much larger breweries.
The recovered carbon dioxide is cleaned and stored, and then used to carbonate finished beer.
Here in Portland, a number of smaller breweries are doing their part. They may not be able to install massive infrastructure items such as solar arrays, wastewater treatment plants or carbon dioxide recovery plants, but smaller breweries still can have an impact.
Roots Organic Brewing Co. and the Alameda Brewhouse use “cap” fermenters to trap carbon dioxide in beer as it’s produced. Hopworks Urban Brewery will utilize biodiesel to power its brewhouse.
Most local breweries send their spent grain to farmers, who feed it to livestock, and many brewpubs, such as Widmer’s Gasthaus and Roots, compost their food waste.
Little by little, brewers are moving toward a sustainable future.

New Beer Radio Show in Portland!

2007-11-06T04:18:00.000-08:00

Mac is Back!
A new Beer Radio Show comes to KXL Radio in January 2008! The "On Tap Show" will start its new season on January 12, 2008 from 3-4 pm, and will broadcast state wide on 750 KXL! So tune in and drink up, they should have some great shows and more live remotes than studio time, with many prizes to give away....stay tuned for more on Mac’s "On Tap Show" on 750KXL!

Ninkasi presents Oatis

2007-11-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

Just in time for the rainy season, Ninkasi Brewing Company of Eugene, Oregon has released the fullbodied oatmeal stout "Oatis."

The newest member of the Ninkasi family is named after Otis, the black lab of the company's working brewer and part owner Jamie Floyd.

Floyd promises "Rich robust flavor, silky oatmeal body, and cheek-warming strength fights off the cold winter months."

The heartwarming 7% ABV brew will be made available around Portland at fine establishments such as Bailey's Tap Room, Horsebrass, Moon and Six Pence, Oaks Bottom, 9 Muses, Kays, and the Skybox sports bar will be featuring the beer on cask.

If you don't get a chance to experience it at one of these places, you can sample it alongside a vast array of winter warmers at the Holiday Ale Fest in Pioneer Square November 29-December 1, 2007.

On a different note, Jamie was invited to participate as a "star" in the local version of Dancing With The Stars. This was a charity event hosted by Upstart Crow Studios. Upstart Crow Studios is a non-profit youth performing arts organization. Their collaborative arts education center showcases programs in performing, visual and applied arts.
See Jamie's performance below!

Life of Brian Release Party at Horse Brass

2007-11-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

-- Brian Butenschoen turns 40 years old! The Oregon Brewers Guild's Executive Director, Brian Butenschoen, celebrates his 40th birthday with a beer for him called Life of Brian! It was brewed at Laurelwood, and at 4 percent alcohol, it's a true session beer -- "the perfect third pint," Butenschoen says. Release party, 5 p.m. Thursday November 8th, Horse Brass Pub, 4534 S.E. Belmont St.; proceeds go to the Glen Hays Falconer Foundation.

November 8th Thursday-Evening 5ish
A benefit for the
Glen Hay Falconer Foundation
The Oregon Brewers Guild & Laurelwood
Bring you a firkin of Life of Brian
A flavorful Golden Ale
4% ABV

Hair of the Dog Anniversary Sale this weekend!

2007-11-02T04:26:00.001-07:00

Anniversary Sale
It is time for Hair of the Dog Brewery's 14th Anniversary Sale. This year it is November 10th from 10:00 till 4:00 at the Brewery. I will be releasing 2007 Doggie Claws and Fred from the Wood. This years Claws is 11% abv and
as usual, Fred from the Wood will be limited to one case per person.
Also new this year, my Beers are now Organic. This summer I switched the base malt for all my Beers to Organic Pilsner malt and I have
been very happy with the flavor and color improvements to the Beers.
Come join Alan Sprints and my family to celebrate another year, he will have shirts, hats, and some vintage Beers available as well.

Alan Sprints
4509 SE 23 Avenue
Portland OR 97202
#503-232-6585

Morrison Hotel serves up the city's best clam chowder

2007-11-02T04:12:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, Ore - Oct. 31, 2007 - The results are in, and the Morrison Hotel serves up the best New England-style clam chowder in Portland. The recently opened bar, located at 719 SE Morrison, won the coveted People's Choice Chowder Cup at the second annual Chowder Challenge. The blind tasting competition took place on October 27 at the Fifth Quadrant in North Portland. The Morrison Hotel also swept all three of the judge's categories, winning Best with Beer, Most Authentic and Most Flavorful. Rogue Ales Public House came in a close second by one vote for the People's Choice award. The New Old Lompoc, last year's reigning champion, came in third. Other participants included Oaks Bottom Public House, Horse Brass Pub, Concordia Ale House, Fifth Quadrant, Hedge House, Alameda Brewhouse, Lucky Labrador Beer Hall, and Harry's Fresh Foods. The family-friendly event was a fundraiser for Locks of Love.

Ebenezer Ale is Back at BridgePort

2007-11-02T03:42:00.000-07:00

BRIDGEPORT BREWING COMPANY SPREADS HOLIDAY CHEER WITH EBENEZER ALE
Known to Transform the Mood of Any Scrooge, Seasonal Winter Ale On Tap and In Stores Now
PORTLAND, Ore. - BridgePort Brewing Company releases Ebenezer Ale, a traditional winter ale available only during the holiday season. Marking the eighth brewing year for this festive, holiday favorite, Ebenezer Ale is a delightfully complex brew that will transform even the coldest miser's heart. BridgePort's Ebenezer Ale is now on tap at BridgePort's brewpub + bakery, BridgePort Ale House and at restaurants throughout the Portland and Seattle area. BridgePort's Ebenezer Ale can also be found at select retail grocery stores throughout Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Texas and Washington.
A Malty Treat to Keep All the Ladies Dancing and Lords-a-Leaping this Holiday Season A winter warmer at 6.4 percent ABV, Ebenezer Ale is a smooth-tasting bottle conditioned ale with a complex palate derived from four different roasted malts and a blend of local and imported hops. An international award winning brew holding a deep mahogany color, this malty, full-bodied beer is balanced with a light hop aroma, leading to a caramel finish.

About BridgePort Brewing Company
As Oregon's oldest craft brewery, BridgePort is celebrating its 23rd anniversary this year. The brewery has reached this milestone by evolving from a microbrewery to a regional leader in the craft brewing market, while remaining faithful to its commitment to producing high-quality, innovative craft ales. In addition to BridgePort IPA, other ales in the BridgePort family include ESB, Black Strap Stout, Ropewalk Amber Ale, Blue Heron Pale Ale, and seasonal beers, Beertown Brown, Haymaker Extra Pale Ale and Ebenezer Ale. BridgePort Brewery is located at 1313 N.W. Marshall St. For more information, call 503-241-7179 or visit http://www.blogger.com/www.bridgeportbrew.com.

Roots Organic Brewery releases Epic in Bottles & Expands

2007-11-02T03:27:00.000-07:00

1. Roots Organic Brewing company set to Releases its second certified organic 22oz. bottle in oregon, washington and california.

2. Roots Organic Brewing Company completes first phase of brewery expansion.
Roots Organic Brewing Company to release 2007 Epic Ale, Winter Strong Ale.

Portland, Or, October 30, 2007: It’s Here…..The second certified Organic 22oz.bottle of beer. The Roots Island Red is to be released on December 1st. 2007. Celebrate the Organic revolution at Roots Organic Brewing company 1520 se 7th, Portland, Oregon, 97214 All through the month of December, Come in and get your case or bottle at the brewery and Of course look for it at all major store outlets!

· Going on our third year of business, we are happy to say that we have just completed the first phase of our brewery expansion. Just shy of Doubling our capacity from 70 bbl.s to 130 bbl.s has allowed us to expand our distribution arm not only through the whole state of Oregon, but now into Washington and California.

· Roots Epic Ale will be released on December 21st 2007 at Roots. Kickoff party starts at 6 pm. In our third year of releasing this Great Ale, we will follow in the tradition of a great party, new label, and of course the limited release of the jeroboams. This year we will be bottling 120 Jeroboams. They always go within the first week, so we hope to see you at the party, as that’s the only place to get your Jeroboam!

· ROOTS ORGANIC BREWING COMPANY is the first certified all Organic Brewery in the state of Oregon. Opened in March 2005, Roots is an industry leader in the Organic movement, unique beers and brewing techniques. Roots main objective is to help sustain healthy living and a healthy planet and of course make the best quality beers on the planet! Remember” Drink Organic Save the Planet One Beer at a Time”