As part of its 30th anniversary this year, Bend, Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery reached out to past brewers to collaborate on seven new beers. I’m highlighting each of these beers in a blog post each day leading up to the brewery’s anniversary on June 27.

Mark Vickery – name TBD (Golden Ale)

Description: 30th Anniversary Collaboration with Mark Vickery (500 ml or 750 ml bottles). Mark Vickery was the second brewer at Deschutes Brewery and spent his early brewing days at Deschutes in the pub brewhouse with John Harris. Vickery led brewing operations at Deschutes after John Harris’s departure and during the commissioning of the production facility on Simpson Ave. where he helped ensure flavor match of Deschutes’ core brands. Vickery remarks about the collaboration, “Working with the new generation, Ben Kehs and Veronica Vega [of Deschutes] has been fun. Thirty years and so many batches of beer good times. We were all young [back then] and had no worries.” Well known for his high energy and positive nature, Vickery worked with Assistant Brewmaster, Ben Kehs to brew a golden ale that is aged in white wine barrels and will be bottle conditioned using the methode champenoise.

Beer Geek Information:  10% ABV |  15 IBUs
When: Will be released when the beer is ready
Where: Limited availability sold exclusively at Deschutes Brewery Pubs and Tasting Rooms

Mark Vickery was instrumental in developing a number of the core classics, including Mirror Pond Pale Ale. After leaving Deschutes, Vickery worked at Golden Valley Brewery, co-founded Grain Station Brew Works, and is now a Lucky Labrador Brewing in Portland.

Brewer Quotes

Mark Vickery

“I have one particular memory that took place at the pub when I had the feeling that Deschutes Brewery was going to be really big. My good friend and Bend local, Justin Wadsworth, had made the 1994 Olympic Team for cross country skiing, and we had a gathering to congratulate him at the pub. Unbeknownst to me, Roger Gildersleeve, a coach at Central Oregon Community College, had promised Justin that if he made the team, he would dance in his underwear at the pub. After toasting Justin there was a pause and then Roger stood on his chair, the music was turned up, and he proceeded to strip down to his skives and dance away for a minute or two with a big grin while we all clapped and howled laughing.”

Most of these anniversary collaboration beers will be on tap at the Brewery’s Party in the Park on Saturday, July 30 — but not this one, alas. It will be out hopefully sometime this fall.

And happy anniversary to Deschutes!