TGIF! Sometimes I think the end of the week couldn’t get here soon enough, and there’s plenty of beer things going on to make it a big weekend. Here’s the Oregon beer news for Friday the 19th and the rest of the weekend. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I find it, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.
Portland’s Cheers to Belgian Beers starts today! This year the focus is on Oregon brewers showcasing their Belgian-style ales (rather than all brewing with the same yeast as in years past) and it’s a nice-looking list with some new beers being debuted (or specially-brewed). It’s taking place at Metalcraft Fabrication tonight from 5:30 to 8:30pm, and tomorrow (Saturday) from noon to 8. Cost is $15 for the (required) glass and 5 drink tickets, $20 for the glass and 20 tickets (and they are additionally $1 each); they’ll only be pouring samples, no full pours. This is going to be the event of the weekend I suspect, so be sure to check it out if you can!
McMenamins Thompson Brewery & Public House (Salem) has a weekend-long beer tasting they’ve dubbed “The Big Beer Theory,” six specialty beers they’ve put together with $7.50 tasting trays: Pole-Ax Lager, Hoodie Love Lager, Purple Haze, Magnuson Strong Ale, The Big Lebrewski, Dry-Hopped Jam Sessions ISA. Thompson brewer Jen Kent brews up tasty beers so this is definitely something you should be looking to sample if you can make it over to Salem.
Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/19/2013” »
The next Session has been announced for May, and it’s being hosted by Chuck of allbrews: The Business of Brewing.
Like sandlot baseball players or schoolyard basketball junkies, many amateur brewers, including some beer-brewing bloggers, harbor a secret dream: They aspire to some day “go pro.” They compare their beer with commercial brews poured in their local pubs and convince themselves that they’ve got the brewing chops it takes to play in the Bigs. Some of them even make it, fueling the dream that flutters in the hearts of many other home brewers yearning to see their beer bottles on the shelves at City Beer or their kegs poured from the taps at Toronado.
Creating a commercial brewery consists of much more than making great beer, of course. It requires meticulous planning, careful study and a whole different set of skills from brewing beer. And even then, the best plan can still be torpedoed by unexpected obstacles. Making beer is the easy part, building a successful business is hard.
In this Session, I’d like to invite comments and observations from bloggers and others who have first-hand knowledge of the complexities and pitfalls of starting a commercial brewery. What were the prescient decisions that saved the day or the errors of omission or commission that caused an otherwise promising enterprise to careen tragically off the rails?
I wonder how big the pool is of bloggers with such experience? Regardless I’ll bet plenty of people have a lot to say about it so I’ll be curious to read the responses.
The Session kicks off on Friday, May 3, and all are welcome to participate!
Here’s the news in Oregon beer for Thursday, the 18th of April. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.
BridgePort Brewing (Portland): Today is the release party for this year’s version of Stumptown Tart, taking place at their pub from 5:30 to 8pm and it’s sounding like quiet a party: “We’re hosting a Stumptown Tart release party Thursday, April 18 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the BridgePort Brewpub in Portland. Be among the first to sample this new beer while supplies last. As guests are enjoying their first taste, bottle model Bernie Dexter will be puckering up at the Stumptown Tart kissing booth. For $1, guests can snag a smooch from the Stumptown Tart herself and have their bottle signed by the well-known pin-up model. All Donations will go to The American Cancer Society.” This year’s Stumptown Tart includes the addition of blueberries for the first time.
Belmont Station (Portland): Tonight they are featuring a tasting and meet the brewer with Carlton’s Fire Mountain Brewery from 5 to 8pm: “Taste the brand new version of Tan Line, an IPA created specially for spring and summer days. Plus, try the Steam Fired Stout, Oregon Pale Ale, Bad Henry IPA, and Bogart IPA. And swap a few stories with the always fun Henry Gorgas, your brewmaster/host for this fine tasting!”
Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/18/2013” »
Happy Hump Day! Here’s the Oregon beer news for Wednesday, April 17th. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often for updates. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.
Lompoc Brewing (Portland): Tonight at the Hedge House from 5 to 7pm they are holding a release party for Cellar D’or, a Belgian-style golden ale; they’d posted a description previously: “Belgian Farmhouse style that’s golden in color with malted spelt and acidulated malt.” It’s also slated to show up at the Cheers to Belgian Beers fest this weekend, so if you don’t get the chance to try it tonight, look for it Friday and Saturday!
McMenamins Cedar Hills (Beaverton) has got an interesting-looking limited-edition beer tasting tonight featuring a beer named First Light Lemongrass Wheat: “With the spring season upon us, Oak Hills brewer Stephen Harper decided to create a light, flavorful American Wheat ale. Infused with just the right amount of fresh lemongrass, the “First Light” is wonderfully easy drinking ale. Munich malt provides just the right amount of body. Conservative amounts of Sterling and Brewers Gold hops let the flavor of the lemongrass shine through. Perfect for soaking up some rays on a patio.” The tasting starts at 4pm and lasts as long as the keg does; hopefully there’ll be some sun today to match the beer.
Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/17/2013” »
There’s a cool event in Bend this Saturday the 20th that’s put together/hosted by McMenamins Old St. Francis School: a Traveling Brewers’ Dinner Party that’s essentially a progressive beer dinner around the OSF property and, in addition to featuring McMenamins’ own beers, they’ve invited three other Bend breweries to join them: Boneyard Beer, Crux Fermentation Project, and GoodLife Brewing.
If you like to drink good beer and eat good food, this event is for you. Our own brewers, along with GoodLife Brewing, Boneyard Beer and Crux Fermentation Project, will take you around the property, sampling food and drinks at O’Kane’s courtyard, one of our spacious guestrooms, the Fireside Room courtyard and our onsite brewery.
The cost is $50 for which you will need to reserve a spot by calling 541-382-5174, but that’s a $50 well spent based on the menu/schedule they have posted:
Father Luke’s Room
Double Cross Strong Dark Belgian [Crux Fermentation Project]
O’Kanes
Our Pope Vienna Lager [OSF Brewery]
Grilled oysters and a lager mignonette sauce
Crux Pilsner [Crux Fermentation Project]
Mini vegetable skewers marinated in pilsner
OSF Guestroom
29er Brown [GoodLife Brewing]
Risotto balls
Courtyard
Diablo En Fuego Red [Boneyard Beer]
Fresh grilled jalapeño poppers
Brewery
Sweet As Pale [GoodLife Brewing]
Mini reuben
RPM IPA [Boneyard Beer]
Mini salmon slider with RPM glaze
Father Luke’s Room
Black Scratch Chocolate/Vanilla Porter [OSF Brewery]
Molten lava cake
That menu makes me hungry just looking at it. This should be a good evening, and a great showcase both for McMenamins and the participating breweries—and a great example of the brewing camaraderie in the community overall.
The event starts at 6pm, so reserve your spot today!
