Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Ninkasi Pit Stop

We made it a point to stop at Ninkasi on our way to our favorite campground in the Redwoods.  Getting to Ninkasi from Interstate 5 was a breeze.  It only took a few extra miles and couple of turns before we reached their brewing command center.  On approach, we observed that the brewery’s architecture was rather industrial for the neighborhood that it inhabited, but then again, the City of Eugene has a pleasingly eclectic feel, so it made total sense.  The main street side attraction for us was the nicely crafted entry gate.


The sweet entry gate and Ninkasi HQ in background

The same industrial feel carried through to the inside.  We entered the tap room which was simple and clean, airy in height, but modest in floor space.  However, there was ample room outside to accommodate plenty of beer lovin’ folk.   We chose to order a sampler from the bar, which included a few beers that we have never tried before; Ice Nine, Vanilla Oatis and Quantum Pale Ale.  We were intrigued by the well engineered taster tray that they were presented on; made of a brushed metal, it was one of a kind coolness.  We also loved the fact that each taster came with a baseball-like trading card, naming the beer on the front and giving you the stats on the back.  The new beers that we sampled lived up to Ninkasi’s well known reputation of producing excellent craft beer.


After finishing our mini-beers on the outside patio, we headed inside to settle our tab.  This is when the lure of the taps convinced us to order one more pint before continuing our journey south on the 5. 

The bar area with some nicely crafted beer lights.

The goods

Beer stats similar to a collector baseball card.  NICE!
The expansive patio.
Tap list on our visit.
Indeed a success!  Congrats guys!
Had to add an ELB sticker to the chair.
Street view.
Dream job!
Our last stop before hitting the road to the Redwoods.
The Red Barn has a great beer selection, a quaint cafe and
is a nice, local grocery store.    


Thursday, August 18, 2011

Deschutes Stoic Release & Black Butte Porter Reserve Draft Night at Belmont Station

If you have not been to Belmont Station before then shame on you!  Established in 1997, it helped pioneer the Northwest craft beer movement.  Today, Belmont Station’s bottle shop contains over 1,300 different beers and their Biercafé always has an amazing draft selection consisting of approximately 17 taps.  Tack on events and tastings that occur weekly and you will realize why I consider this place Beertopia.  

Last night proved once again why I love Belmont Station.  It was Deschutes Stoic Release & Black Butte Porter Reserve Draft Night.  Which meant Belmont Station was serving up Deschutes Black Butte XXI, XXII and XXIII, plus their latest reserve series, The Stoic.  The Stoic is described as an American Quadruple, remarkably smooth, yet complex, featuring pomegranate molasses, dark candy sugar, Pinot Noir and Rye Whiskey barrel-aging.  It would be my first time tasting all four of these on draft and they proved to be palate pleasers.  My favorite was the XXII.  Containing negro chilies, it gave the Porter a hint of spice.  I thought this beer would be great on a cool fall or winter day.  From what I read, the XXII is a draft-only release due to a problem with the chocolate that Deschutes used separating in the bottle. So if you can find it, consider yourself very fortunate.

The Deschutes Stoic and Black Butte XXI, XXII and XXIII and some frickin'  awesome nachos.
My new RV!
Mega Tap.
The line was out the door, and I was not sure if those were hops in the zip lock or  something else.
Cheers to great friends.
Philly was in da house.
Most expensive pint ever!
Angleo from Brewpublic and a local Portland rockstar!
It's your turn in the barrel.
Heaven's gate!
  

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Casual Encounter with a New Growler

I came across one of these bad boys at the Hopworks Bike Bar on a recent trip to fill up my standard, glass Growler.

WIMPY!
HEFTY!
I was wondering what someone was doing filling up a giant water bottle with beer, so I asked if I could see it.  It said ‘Laurelwood’ on the bottle.  Was this a new type of Growler?!  It certainly was, and it was the best thing I have seen since my first encounter with sliced bread.  The Growler’s owner said they picked it up not long ago and really liked it.  They said they even gave it a test by accidentally leaving it in the trunk of their car on a hot sunny day for 8 hours.  The result: The beer was just as cold as when it left the tap.  This high-tech, double wall vacuum insulated beer transportation device is manufactured by Hydro Flask, which is located in Bend, OR.  You can find them in Portland at the Laurelwood Public House & Brewery for $49.99, which includes a beer fill of your choice, or on the Hydro Flask web site for the same price, plus $10.95 for shipping and handling.  Initially, I thought the price was a little steep, but after mulling it over I think it is a great investment, especially  if you like to take your beer to the beach, the disc golf course, hiking, etc.  Also, it will be something that you will have forever and I am sure will certainly cherish.
Standard 64oz Hydro Flask