EYELUVBEER

Growler Fills at Gas Stations?

2012-03-04T18:00:00.002-08:00

I’m not sure how I feel about this. I just read an article that Sunoco started a Craft Beer Exchange program which allows customers to fill growlers with craft beer at the same place they fill up their gas tanks. Currently, the program is only present in New York state with 40 of Sunoco’s APlus convenience stores equipped with beer filling stations. The company plans on expanding in to coastal South Carolina where 13 locations are slated to serve up growler fills. The typical Craft Beer Exchange offers as many as 12 rotating craft beers and the selections would change seasonally. I don’t think we’ll see this on the west coast just yet, as Sunoco operates most of its APlus convenience stores on the east coast. The fact that it could happen and most likely will at some point makes me feel indifferent. Part of me thinks it’s a really neat idea, but the other half thinks it’s bad. It makes me wonder if people will actually start going to the gas station to fill up their growlers and not patronize local breweries, pubs and bottle shops. I can see a larger corporation being very competitive with their growler fill prices and taking away business from the smaller guy. It also makes me wonder if this same concept could expand to say your local box store. I guess it all comes down to personal choices. We all have the right to choose where we shop, how we live, etc. Thoughts?

Typical Growler Filling Station
(Picture obtained from The Foaming Head)

SOURCES:
USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-03-04/cnbc-sunoco-beer/53323880/1
Craft Beer Exchange Blog:
http://craftbeerexchange.wordpress.com/

Leap Year: Looking Back / Looking Ahead

2012-02-29T11:09:00.000-08:00

A leap year typically occurs every 4 years, so I thought I better post a few words out in cyberspace to commemorate this semi-special occasion. I think about the time span most when I hear leap year. Over 4 years a lot shit goes down. Personally, I got engaged, my Uncle passed, my Grandma turned 90, my doctor checked my colon with her finger, I went to Mexico, traveled to Dubai, my dog’s health began deteriorating, I started this Eyeluvbeer thing, struggled like hell through these hard economic times, had a wicked spell of Vertigo, bought a bicycle, sold my motorcycle, did the naked bike ride, fractured my foot, etc. Today, maybe take a moment to think about what has happened to you over the past 4 years and what you can accomplish before our next leap year in 2016.

Cheers,
Chris

Beer O'Clock Radio with The Beer Goddess, Lisa Morrison

2012-02-27T11:57:00.002-08:00

Just a quick plug. We were recently featured on Lisa Morrison’s aka The Beer Goddess’s radio show, Beer O’Clock which airs every Saturday from 3-4pm on Portland’s 101 KXL. Attached is a sound clip that Lisa kindly provided from her February 18^th installment.

Link to Lisa's blog post: http://beergoddess.com/articles/2012/02/20/heard-on-beer-oclock----links-for-21812/

Interview: Humble Brewing's Chad Freitag and Scott Davis

2012-02-24T08:47:00.001-08:00

STATS
Name: Chad Freitag
Hometown: Corning, CA
Website: http://humblebrewing.com/
First Beer Consumed: I seem to remember it being a sip of my dad’s Löwenbräu.
Favorite Style of Beer: For the typical ‘go to’ beers, I enjoy a nice cloudy IPA or Saison. Otherwise, it largely depends on the season.
Preferred Watering Hole: Amnesia Brewing is a favorite of mine.
Best Place for Pizza: Atomic Pizza on Killingsworth.

STATS
Name: Scott Davis
Hometown: Portland, OR
Website: http://humblebrewing.com/
First Beer Consumed: Don’t ask! I’m guessing it was probably Keystone Light.
Favorite Style of Beer: It varies by season, but my year-round choice is IPA.
Preferred Watering Hole: Amnesia Brewing on a sunny afternoon.
Best Place for Pizza: Double Mountain Brewery in Hood River.

I met Chad Freitag at the 1^st Annual Winter Beer Festival at Plew’s Brews in December, 2011. Chad told me that Humble Brewing was at the event having their coming out party. Humble debuted a CDA (Cascadian Dark Ale) that evening. It turned out to be one of the most favored beers at the festival. As a matter of fact, the (2) kegs that they brought ended up empty on the second day. Below, Chad and Scott, Humble Brewing’s founders kindly volunteered their time to answer a few questions.

How did you guys meet?
We live on the same block, and beer brings neighbors together.

When did you begin Humble Brewing?
The planning and “research” began in 2010, but we weren’t legal until late 2011.

Read more »

New Eyeluvbeer Website!

2012-02-20T10:28:00.000-08:00

The new Eyeluvbeer website is live. A big thank you goes out to the many folks that helped make this happen.

Piet van Zoen: Portland based Web Developer, Graphic Designer, fellow craft beer lover and all around great guy. If you need a kick ass website, he's your man. Check him out here: http://pietvanzoen.com/

Kim Nguyen-van Zoen: Portland based corporate, headshot, wedding, fashion, editorial, photojournalist, food & resturant, portrait & art photographer. Kim's an expert at capturing the moment and her work is amazing. Go to her website now: http://www.photosbykim.com/v6/

Ian McGuinness and Natalia Laird: Natian Brewery Owners and Brewers. These guys were generous enough to volunteer their time and good looks for a few pics wearing Eyeluvbeer gear. If you haven't had their beer, you need to. I recently had Natian's Vertical Horizon NW Red Ale for the first time the other night and it was delicious, just like the other styles they put out. Visit thier website at: http://www.natianbrewery.com/

The Plywerkers: Kjell and his crew kindly threw some shirts on for a few pics and it it's greatly appreciated. Plywerk provides a unique, artistic medium for displaying your photos. Plus, they do it eco-consciously. If that wasn't enough, they were also recently featured in Whole Living Magazine (a Martha Stewart publication). Place your order now at: http://www.plywerk.com/

Wendy: My fiancee provided valuable input and helped review content.

If you've read this far, we would like to thank you for that and for your continued support. It means the world to us.

Cheers All,

Chris

Pliny The Younger hype. Tell us what you think.

2012-02-17T09:49:00.000-08:00

Should you believe all the hype that surrounds Pliny the Younger? You tell us.

Here's a picture outside of APEX from a few days ago.

(Courtesy of Brewpublic, taken by Dennis Brostuen)

Hoops and Hops at Portland's Rose Garden

2012-02-16T08:17:00.000-08:00

The Hoops for the Trailblazer/Wizard game Tuesday night were a disappointment, but the Hops prior to the game were a hit. It all began at Bridgetown Beerhouse around 4pm. We were told that Pliny The Younger was going to be draft and hiding out behind the bar, but from the looks of the place, the secret had spread fast. Mike, one of the owners, was making pour after pour for the thirsty line of Pliny lovers. It wasn’t long before Mike said “that’s it”, meaning the keg was spent. Fortunately, we were able to have one snifter type glass of the famed, rare Younger version of the Elder. It was delightful.

Thirsty for the Pliny

One happy camper

Our next stop was the main event. Hoops and Hops at the Rose Garden. My wonderful sweetheart surprised me this Valentine’s Day with tickets to this pre-game tasting series. I think we were both a little skeptical going in, but that all changed once we saw the variety of beers and breweries being represented. Some of the bigger players were there, like Widmer, Hopworks, Blue Moon and Ninkasi, but the event also featured some of the smaller guys, such as Breakside and Amnesia. Another appealing aspect of Hoops and Hops was seeing several brewer’s, owner’s and beverage representative on hand to answer questions about their product. We had a nice conversation with Blue Moon’s rep about an upcoming small batch series named Vintage Blond Ale that they had on hand. It was certainly interesting. It combined beer and chardonnay wine. We thought it tasted similar to sparkling wine and would pair well with a warm, summer day. Blue Moon is also releasing a red wine version of this unique blend.

The official tasting room

Blue Moon's beer and chardonnay beverage

There were two other beers at the event that neither of us had tried before. One was a spiced IPA from Widmer’s Rotator series, a beer brewed with malty assam black tea, ginger, cinnamon, clove, star anise, black pepper, and cardamom. It was definitely one of a kind, like Blue Moon’s Vintage Blond Ale. We enjoyed our 4oz. taster. The second beer that was new to us, was Laurelwood’s Espresso Stout; a beer that was collaboration with Portland Roasting Company. This Stout was the ultimate beer coffee, or coffee beer mix. It was rich, full of flavor and smelled amazing. Juan Valdez would certainly give this 5 stars.

7 pm rolled around fast. We still had a few tasting tics left in our pockets that didn’t want to go unused. We traded them in for a pint of Laurelwood Gearhead IPA. After making quick work of the IPAs we headed across the commons to the Rose Garden for some Trailblazer action, which turned out to be inaction. We lost what should’ve been an easy win. Even though Batum had a great game, I read he said that the loss to the Wizards “maybe the worst game we’ve played this year”. Agreed. It was nice to see Batum start though. LA’s ankle roll was unfortunate and I hope he returns as soon as possible, but I think the team could have carried this game without him.

There are still three more Hoops and Hops series left. If you like the two B’s (beers and basketball) then you should definitely attend. You can find more information here: http://www.nba.com/blazers/tickets/packages.html

Let’s hope our Blazers get back the spunk they had when the season started. I think they can do it!

Some more photos from the evening

Michael De Kalb, Owner of Laurelwood and a silly Blazer fan

Ben Edmunds, Head Brewer at Breakside

2 Craft beer lovers, Amnesia Brewer, Sean Thommen and
another silly Blazer fan

Representing my team and where
I established my roots.
Go 'Cuse!

The view from the tasting quarters

Disappointed fans

30,000 Hour View/Beer Consumption Tracking Project

2012-02-10T12:07:00.000-08:00

When I’m not writing about beer or doing Eyeluvbeer related things, this is my view for at least 40 hours/week, or roughly 2,000 hours/year. This has been my view for about 15 years now, which equates into approximately 30,000 hours. If that isn’t scary enough, I’m beginning to wonder how many beers I’ve consumed within that time frame. On that note, I may embark on a self beer consumption tracking project. I’m not sure if I want to know the results though.

Enjoy the weekend!

SF Beer Week

2012-02-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

I love Portland and we rule the beer world, but SF Beer Week looks like a great event. I can’t make it, but hopefully you can if you happen to live in the Bay Area or will be traveling there in the upcoming days. The festivities start this Friday, February 10^th and run through the 19^th. The opening celebration kicks off on the 10th at the Concourse Exhibition Center in San Francisco’s SoMa District. For $65 you’ll receive a commemorative glass and enjoy unlimited samples of new, rare and classic beers.

Read more »

Cancer Sucks IPA Tap Takeover Weekend at Plew's Brews

2012-02-06T11:36:00.000-08:00

Next weekend on Friday, Febuary 10^th and Saturday, Febuary 11^th please make it a point to stop by Plew’s Brews in St. Johns for a Cancer Fundraiser for Steve Occhi, a member of the homebrew club, NoPo Brews. There will be an IPA tap takeover, some rare bottled beers, great live music and a raffle with some generous prizes. You know if it’s going down at Plew’s it’s going to be a good time.

Address: 8409 N Lombard St, Portland, OR 97203

Here’s the 411 from the source:

“Nopobrews is hosting a Cancer Fundraiser, Cancer Sucks IPA Tap Takeover Weekend, Feb 10th -Feb 11th @ Plew’s Brews to help out Steve Occhi, a fellow Nopobrews member, in his time of need. He was diagnosed with lung cancer and just completed 2 rounds of chemotherapy. The good news is the cancer is responding well, but he will have more chemotherapy treatments coming up. For a living, Steve is a self- employed contractor. The chemo has put him unexpectedly out of work, and to top it off, the state’s Health Care plan has limits to its coverage. To help with the crazy bills that are stacking up, Nopobrews and Plew’s Brews are coming together to put on a “hopping” good time. The fundraiser will start off with an IPA tap take over Feb 10th. 8 epic selections of IPA will be on for everyone’s enjoyment starting at 7pm. The list includes: Lucky Lab’s Superdog, Alameda’s Yellow Wolf, 7 Brides Frankenlou, Fort George Vortex, Stone’s IPA, Oakshire’s Watershed IPA, Ninkasi’s Tricerahops, and Boneyard’s Notorius which will be a 10 ounce pour. On the side, Nopobrews will have a tasting flight consisting of 6 -different single hop IPAs that were brewed by club members in the fall. The experience shows you just how much one ingredient can change the flavor of the beer! At 8pm, the music will start rocking with Michael Manning and the Carolina Pumphouse. The Chancers, a local Irish Band, will follow with a rowdy set. Between songs and bands there will be a donation bucket passed around and winners of the raffle items will be announced. You can win even if you are not present. Some of the prizes include a private party with appetizers for 25 people at Uptown Billiards, an upright bike made from St. John’s bike-builder, Neal Fegan, a signed copy of Lisa Morrison’s book, “ Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest”! We’ll also have some VERY rare bottles from Hair of the Dog, Deschutes, etc. Raffle tickets will be on sale for $1/piece before the event at Plew’s Brews. Please check www.nopobrews.com for a complete list. Cheers!”

Steve rockin' some grains and representin' our Blazers.

Super Bowl XLVI, Fun Beer Facts

2012-01-31T09:21:00.000-08:00

Super Bowl 46 will be touching down this Sunday, February 5^th at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Patriots and Giants will give us a good battle to watch, and certainly the commercials and half-time show will keep us glued to our boob tubes. If you’re consuming beer on game day, you may not be aware that you're contributing to some notable statistics. The cleverly designed poster by Save On Brew breaks it all down for us.

Genesee Beer: Never Forget Your Roots

2012-01-26T08:54:00.000-08:00

I will never forget my roots. I moved to Portland in 1996 from Central New York. Syracuse to be exact. Syracuse was a great place to grow up and it was where I had my first beer. I couldn’t have been more than 13 or 14 when my friend Dave, who was a few years older than me, introduced me to his father’s stash of Genesee beer. His dad kept the cans cold in the garage fridge, making it easy for us to snag a few and sneak out the back door. Our regular beer swilling spot became the State Park up the street. We’d typically frequent the park at night after it was closed. Cans in hand, we roamed the grounds aimlessly for hours under the light of the stars. At the time, I recall not liking the taste of beer, but it felt cool to be doing something that we were not supposed to partake in. I felt that way during most of my teenage years and to this day, I still find myself having those moments.

The beer that started it all.

Many beers were consumed here.

Drinking Genny’s became a regular weekend activity for us. I’m not sure how Dave’s dad never noticed the beers missing from the fridge. We never took a lot, so maybe that was key, or maybe his father was just letting us be boys.

Since then, many other beers have journeyed into my belly. The 3+ past decades have been quite the barley, water, hops and yeast adventure. Things have certainly changed since the early ‘80s. Microbreweries have popped up all over the United States and we have a plethora of brands and styles of beer to chose from. I heart my craft beer, but the beer names that I can easily associate past memories with seem to be the ones that were with me prior to micros; Genesee, Molson, Moosehead, Piels and Rolling Rock.

Keg Theft

2012-01-17T09:18:00.000-08:00

Apparently, beer kegs are a hot commodity. I came across this article in the Publican’s Morning Advertiser where police seized 1,000 aluminum beer kegs worth over $153,000 in north London. There is also an organization called Kegwatch that works on behalf of the brewery industry to try and stop the theft of kegs, casks and dispense gas cylinders. With metal prices at an all time high, I wonder if this has become prevalent in the States.

Read the article here: 1,000 Beer Kegs Worth £100k Seized in Raid

2nd Annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfest at EastBurn

2012-01-13T12:16:00.000-08:00

Do you have plans for this Sunday? Do you like beer? If you answered NO to the first question and YES to the second question, then you should scurry your butt over to EastBurn for the ‘2ND Annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfest’. The festival is taking place this Sunday, January 15 from 12pm until 8pm and celebrates the breweries that are contained within the Buckman and Kern neighborhoods in Portland, OR. See the map I made below using my mad GIS skills. It shows the neighborhoods, breweries and where EastBurn is located. Enjoy if you attend this beerepic event!

Click me to enlarge.

Beer Buzz 01: Widmer, The World Famous Kenton Club and The End of The World

2012-01-03T21:08:00.001-08:00

We hope your 2012 is off to a great start. Since the end of the world is scheduled for December 21^st, we thought we better get out as many blog posts as possible. Yeah right. We do have a few updates to share with ya though. My friend, and fellow guest blogger, Mark turned me on to an article last July that said Widmer was going to build an outdoor beer garden (see our original post: 'Widmer Brothers to Build Beer Garden'). The rumor was true at the time, but on a recent, pre-Blazer game visit to their Gasthaus Pub I was informed that it was put on hold for at least a couple of years. I also inquired about a remodel to Widmer’s innards. That I was told may happen within the next year or so. Regardless, Widmer is always great, and will continue to be my go-to spot before a Rose Garden/Coliseum events. I heart their Pitch Black IPA!

The second round of news came by word of mouth. Angelo, from The World Famous Brewpublic told me that he saw on OLCC’s website that The World Famous Kenton Club applied for a brewing license. It looks like it has been in the works for a while judging from some old articles I came across, including this one in The Willamette Week: 'Drink 2011: The World Famous Kenton Club'. Hopefully it happens. I love the Kenton Club. As a matter of fact, we’re playing there this Saturday! Check it: http://kentonclub.com/event/428/. Sorry, I couldn't resist throwing in a personal plug.

Enjoy the rest of the year, and remember to book your Escape Earth 2012 Tickets. I highly recommend the Superluminal Package!

The Beer Offerings of Victoria, British Columbia

2012-01-01T20:45:00.001-08:00

By Eye Luv Beer Senior Canadian Travel Correspondents Mark and Brenda

Over our holiday break, we took a short trip to Victoria, B.C. After a ride from Seattle on the Clipper, we checked into a great boutique hotel, Magnolia Hotel that would serve as headquarters for the next two days. It proved an excellent choice given the hot chocolate with mint whipped cream available in the lobby, gas fireplace in our room, and nightly reception stocked with Canadian craft beers! We had to research what this Canadian craft beer was all “aboot”, eh?

Our first stop was Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub. Spinnakers crafts beer, bread, chocolate and cheese, some of the best things in life in these bloggers’ humble opinions. We started with a Scottish style ale and a festive saison (brewed with coriander and Cointreau) and then moved on to the Cascadia Dark Ale. All the standard ales were served in imperial pints, that’s 20 full ounces of beery goodness for those of you that aren’t glassware geeks. The beers were all outstanding! Spinnakers was made all the more appealing through the friendly service and the excellent meal we enjoyed – including a “Pub pie” with squash in a puff pastry over root veggies. We ended our meal with beer and truffle pairings! You may be asking yourself – how did they muster the strength to leave this place?

Our next beery stop on our tour was at Buckerfield’s Brewery located in Swans Hotel. We took refuge at this brewery after taking a soggy tour of the beautiful light display at Butchart Gardens. Buckerfield’s offered solid beer and food in a central downtown Victoria location. The beer offerings that we tasted were the IPA (very good and hoppy), an oatmeal stout and we finished with another Scottish ale.

While we didn’t actually stop by Phillips Brewing, we enjoyed two of their beers at Irish Times Pub. We had a “Service 1904”, a sweeter ale, and the chocolate porter which was like the beer version of chocolate milk – smooth, rich, and delicious.

Our last sudsy stop on our tour of Victoria was Canoe Brewpub. As you might suspect, Canoe has a nautical theme and is located near the water (we can imagine this spot on a warm summery night). Their seasonal, Winter’s Gale Strong Ale was very good – dark, warming, and lots of spices. The Beaver Brown Ale was pretty dark with tastes of chocolate and coffee. The salmon dinner we had was absolutely phenomenal - delicately grilled salmon over a bed of farro risotto.

Oh Canada! Thank you for your friendliness, delicious food, and of course, plethora of excellent craft beers.

Best Barbies on Bikes in B.C.

One of your bloggers outside of Spinnakers

One of your bloggers inside of Spinnakers

Beer and truffle pairings

Twas The Night Before Christmas

2011-12-24T12:27:00.000-08:00

Okay, so last night wasn’t the night before Christmas, but there was a very special occasion at Belmont Station. It was a total surprise to us. It was Carl Singmaster’s Birthday. Carl is the owner of the Station, is a regular guest on Beer O’Clock Radio, a huge Motorhead fan, and an all around great guy. Thanks to Holly, the amiable manager of the Biercafé for making this happen. It was the first time in the 26 years of Carl’s career in retail that he enjoyed some beers instead of working. On hand was a 2005, (3) Liter bottle of Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard that Carl purchased at the Station before becoming the owner, as well as a variety of tasty cupcakes. It was a nice celebration right before the Holidays. Happy Birthday Carl!

Random dude, Beer Goddess, Lisa Morrison and
the man himself, Carl Singmaster.

1st Annual Winter Beer Festival at Plew's Brews

2011-12-21T13:13:00.000-08:00

The 1^st Annual Winter Beer Festival at Plew’s Brews was a major hit this past weekend. Key organizers, Greer Martin of NoPo Brews, Trevor Thurston (Plew’s Craft Beer Expert/Event Chair and Competition Co-Chair of NoPo Brews/The Festival's Organizer/Homebrew Exchange employee), and Randy Plew, Owner of Plew’s did an excellent job at making this first time event a huge success, but they couldn't have done it without all the kind volunteers that donated their time to make sure our glasses weren't empty. Excellent promotion significantly helped as well. Words written by beer bloggers, a few radio segments highlighting the event, a ton of posters tacked up around Portland, Facebook, and Twitter helped draw people from all over to wonderful, downtown St. Johns. I actually met a couple from Seattle that came down just for the festival.

Greer Martin of NoPo Brews / Festival Super. One great gal!

Lee of NoPo Brews and Trevor Thurston of Plew's / Festival
Organizer. Trevor contributes tons to the Portland beer scene
and we totally appreciate his dedication.

The Man himself! Randy Plew hanging with (2) lovely,
horned ladies.

The house was hoppin’on Friday when the doors opened and a continued steady stream of people kept the festival's momentum going strong until close on Saturday. Sunday afternoon was a little lighter, as to be expected, but Plew’s still saw its fair share of hardcore beer enthusiast. Many came to the 3-day festival to check out the offering being made by a brand-new brewery, Humble Brewing. Humble was serving up a CDA (Cascadian Dark Ale), which according to one of the brewers, Chad Freitag, is something a little different for them. Chad said that Humble’s aim is for a more simple, single-hop type of beer using minimal grain varieties. I’m sure whatever Humble does, it will be great. Their CDA was nicely done and the (2) kegs they brought ended up empty on Saturday.

Action packed evening.

Avid beer fan (name unknown), Jocelyn from The Homebrew
Exchange and Chad from Humble Brewing.

It was great to see some of Portland’s finest in attendance at Plew’s. The entire crew from The Homebrew Exchange popped in to partake in the action. Angelo, from renowned, Brewpublic made it by as well and volunteered his superior beer pouring skills behind the bar. I’ve know Angelo from his KPSU days. He always has something interesting to say that is worth lending an ear to, and if you have a question about beer, he’s the man. Bottles owner, Brant Kunze made it by too. If you haven’t been to his place on NE Fremont, check it out. They always have an excellent rotating draft selection and coolers stocked with bottles to go. Brant said that their famed outdoor patio is enclosed and heated for the winter months. Lastly, many members of the North Portland Fermentation Association (NoPo Brews) were roaming around. A friendly bunch of lads and gals that brought several homebrew kegs to the festival. Two that really stood out to me were their Sour and Dr. Pepper beer. The Sour was done with Chartreuse, a green liqueur which made the beer, yes you guessed it, green. I thought it was the ultimate Holiday beer! Their Dr. Pepper concoction was a little too sweet for my taste, but I heart Dr. Pepper and had to try it. It’s great to see NoPo Brews pushing the brewing boundaries with their unique creations.

Brant Kunze from Bottles, with his wife and friend.

Grinch approved green beer.

Besides beer, the event also featured delicious food. Veggie and carne tacos, Philly Cheese Steaks, Silly Cheese Steaks (veggie version), hot dogs and sausages were available to tame hunger. Local vendors were also on-hand. Olive & Vine and Salty Teacup were there showcasing their products. If you still need to complete your Holiday shopping, check them out. Olive & Vine actually supplied spices for the food that everyone enjoyed.

Salty Teacup and Olive & Vine showcasing
their goods.

Hot dog or sausage anyone?

The festival came to a close Sunday evening and it appeared that everyone was pleased with the results. Although we were all a little tired, it was well worth it. If you didn’t attend this year’s Winter Beer Festival at Plew’s, then you should at least stop by their 8409 N Lombard location for a pint. The price is right at $3.50 for 16 ounces of goodness, plus you can get your Growler filled for $7.00! It’s not the prices that make Plew’s attractive though, it’s the people and the atmosphere. You feel at home there. I can’t think of many places in Portland that have that vibe.

Some additional pictures just because - - -

My good friends, Jeff and Kay showed up
Saturday and Sunday!

The girls serving it up. It was nice to meet you Ruth!

Plew's Brews ceiling entertained me for hours.

Sunday afternoon began with some nice classical
guitar Christmas tunes.

If I wasn't engaged...

Just one of the fantastic Hombrew Exchange posse.

Guys rockin' some ugly Holiday sweaters.

Where the awesome tacos and cheese
steaks were made with love.

Canine craft beer enthusiast are always welcome

at Plew's too!

Bridgetown Beerhouse Redux

2011-12-15T09:12:00.000-08:00

The taps will be a flowin’ soon. Mike of Bridgetown Beerhouse was getting his hands dirty last night working on completing the remodel to his store. Soon, Bridgetown will not only have a great bottle selection, but they will also have awesome draft choices. To top things off, they will be installing a large HD TV to watch Blazer games and other sports. Mike has the Bridgetown Growlers ready to go and we can’t wait to fill one.

Mike getting it done.

Remodel is getting close to completion.

See part one of our story here: Bridgetown Beerhouse will soon have taps!

Everybody's Brewing (Brew-venture in the Gorge, Part 1 of 3)

2011-12-14T09:07:00.000-08:00

It’s frickin’ cold outside, so I thought I would reflect on a trip that we made out to the Columbia Gorge over the summer; a trip that involved a concert at Maryhill Winery, but more importantly, visits to three breweries. This is the first installment. When will the other remaining parts be written? That my friend, is a good question.

It was August 5th. The truck was packed to brim as if we were moving across the country. For some reason we always bring way too much crap with us camping. By camping, I mean car camping. It’s the only way to go, and it’s the only way that you can bring the kitchen sink. Anyway, we hit the road mid-morning and planned a stop at Everybody’s Brewing on our way out to Maryhill State Park. Everybody’s Brewing is located in White Salmon, Washington. White Salmon is an attractive, quaint town that sits perched above the Columbia Gorge. It sees it fair share of people passing through on their way to enjoy recreational actives, such as kiteboarding, sailboarding, hiking, camping, and white-water rafting.

White Salmon, WA

When we arrived in White Salmon we had a little trouble finding the brewery even though it’s basically located on the main strip. We parked our rig near a place that was close to Everybody’s street address. We asked a middle aged man who was sitting on a street-side bench where the brewery was. He pointed down the hill and said “right past the opening with the chain link fence”. He also said that he just came from there and how much he likes it. He was a friendly gent and looked to be a local.

We entered Everybody’s bar/restaurant area which was sparsely populated. We figured it just opened for the day and was getting warmed up. The fact that it was quiet inside benefited us though, because we didn't have to wait long for the ordered taster tray to arrive. Our server briefed us on every beer as she handed us a laminated card with beer descriptions that had a number assigned to each one. The number corresponded to one etched into the nicely crafted, wooden vessel that was used to transport our micro-pints. The taster tray design was actually part of the room, meaning it played off of the other attractive wood elements that were used in the interior. Oh, I did fail to mention that in addition to trying Everybody’s (9) standard beers, we also had (1) seasonal that day called Summer Lovin’. Some of that ‘Summer’ part sounds nice right about now.

8 holes, 9 standards and 1 seasonal. Oh my!

Beer info. front.

Beer info. back.

We had tried Everybody’s Brewing’s beer before on tap at Laughing Planet in Portland, which actually inspired us to make the stop there on our way out to Maryhill. I will admit, being that we visited there over the summer, and the fact that I didn’t take any notes regarding what we drank, I have little to tell you about each beer or what we favored. On that note, my aging memory does recall that every beer we sampled was decent and worth a taste. Everybody’s food also impressed us. The quality of the ingredients and the way they were combined made for some tasty bites. I had the Greek Salad, which was by far the best I’ve had, and my Fiancée had the marinated grilled chicken sandwich that she raved about. Their web site says they “strive to use locally sourced and organic produce and are committed to serving naturally raised beef, pork, lamb and chicken”. I would say that’s not a lie.

We hope you enjoyed the beer, oh, like I mean the movie, eh.

We left Everybody’s Brewing feeling completely satisfied. We enjoyed everything; the service, beer, food, and atmosphere. We didn’t have a chance to visit the brewing facility, but we were able to peer in where all the magic happens from their back deck. The shiny, steel barrels can be seen through windows on the westside. You may miss them though if you’re there on a nice day, because the view south of Mt. Hood will steal your eyes and knock your socks off.

View off the back deck!

Superheros protect the brewery.

Shiny steel.

The facts.

Sasquatch and the taps.

Hops grownin' near the deck.

Vicious VW Bus watch dog

Baja Brewing Co.

2011-11-30T21:36:00.001-08:00

My very first trip to Los Cabos was amazing. The people were very hospitable, the food was delicious (loved eating chilaquiles for breakfast everyday) and of course you can’t beat the 80 some degree weather and sunshine. For a majority of the trip my beer loving fiancée and I hydrated our bodies with the standards; Corona, Tecate, Pacifico and Negra Modelo, all of which are decent, day long drinking beers. Apparently it’s the equivalent to H20, as conveyed by our waiter one night who asked if I would like another Mexican water. However, not far from us was artisanal craft brewery that my good friend turned us on to called, Baja Brewing Company. Established in 2007 by Coloradans, Baja Brewing is the first and only one in the state of Baja California Sur. They have three locations that are relatively close to one another. The main brewery and original restaurant reside in San Jose del Cabo. Unfortunately, we didn’t make it there, but we did go to their pub at the Cabo Marina in Cabo San Lucas. Blocks away from us, was Baja Brewing’s third location, which sits perched upon the rooftop of the Cabovillas Resort.

Recognize Baja California Sur!

We entered the pub from the marina side where there was a small Latin style band playing to a captive audience. The room was very airy and had some TV’s hanging on the wall that were broadcasting futbol and futbol Americano universidad. We decided to sit at the bar, and as soon as are bottoms hit, a menu was handed to us by our friendly bartender. We were amazed to see (7) different styles of beer on tap:

1. Blonde
2. Raspberry
3. Black (Swartzbier)
4. Wit
5. Red
6. Pale/IPA
7. Stout

Without hesitation, we ordered a sampler, and the tasting had begun. We both had different beers that we favored, but came to a mutual conclusion that the beer we wanted a pint of, was the Red. The Red was well balanced in terms of hops and malt, plus it had a pleasing caramel aroma. Of disappointment, and something that I forgot to mention, was that they were out of the Pale/IPA. We really heart our IPA’s and wanted to try it. To bypass the missing link, other notables for me were Baja's Stout and Raspberry. The Stout had a mellow coffee scent and went down smooth. The Raspberry, well, was raspberry. It was very similar to Widmer’s, Widberry beer (do they still make that). I thought it would be great on a hot, sunny day. I think Cabo has a surplus!

If 6 was 7.

The innards.

We now had our pint of Red sitting in front of us and we were getting hungry. Our bartender recommended the pizza. We love pizza, so this was a no brainer. It came, and it was pretty darn delicious. They did it right by adding a generous layer of heavy cornmeal on the bottom.

Yummo, as that awkwardly sexy bitch Rachael Ray would say.

It was now time to move on. As we left, we passed one of the owners, Rob Kelly. I was going to say hello, and probably should have, but Rob was entertaining friends and I didn’t want to intrude. To wrap things up, I think Baja Brewing has definitely brought craft beer to Mexico. I did enjoy my many Mexican waters, but it was a pleasure sit down and challenge my taste buds.

Nice apparel Baja!

Missing this more than ever, but happy to be home.

The Love of Beer

2011-11-18T08:52:00.001-08:00

Man, my commute from Hillsboro to Portland Wednesday was horrible. It always seem like this happens when I want to be somewhere at a specific time. Last night, “somewhere” was Saraveza. Alison Grayson was screening her new documentary ‘The Love of Beer’ in their Bad Habit room; a flick celebrating the women in the Pacific NW beer industry.

Some random guy and film creator, Alison Grayson

My fiancée and I arrived at Saraveza a shortly after 6pm. The movie was being shown at 7, but there was a tasting being offered prior for an additional five dollars. The extra five bucks proved to be a wise investment. Sarah, of the Saraveza fame was pouring samples of some incredible beers. Several were from her own personal collection, including a rare beer from Walkingman that was given to her as a Birthday gift a few years ago from Jacob Leonard, Walkingman’s former head brewer who now plays for Widmer. Thanks for sharing Sarah!

Some of our awesome taster friends

The tasting wrapped up a little behind schedule, but all was good, because it appeared that everyone was thoroughly enjoying their beer. In retrospect, we thought it was the perfect prelude to the film. That being said, someone did eventually come forth and say “should we start the movie”. That’s when Alison commanded our attention up front and gave the full house a brief introduction to her film, ‘The Love of Beer’.

The documentary began with brief highlights of different woman in the Pacific NW beer industry and was paired with some unique camera work that captured the eye and drew you in. Alison then profiled each of the women in detail. She did this in a way that kept a flow to the film and the viewer focused. She would let someone tell a portion of their story on how they ended up in the industry and then moved on to another topic or individual profile. So basically, you ended up being exposed to the same person throughout the film, but it was planned in a way that would not allow you to become tiresome of their talk. Alison also did an excellent job with the camera. The hop farm footage took “artistic master piece” to the next level.

As ‘The Love of Beer’ website implies, the movie is not for feminism or equality. The film was done to show us that the craft beer movement is seeing a change. Sam Calagione of Dogfish Head stated in the film that the beer industry has predominantly been a sausage fest, but that he sees women in the field as a welcome change. Some of the key players profiled in the film and that are producing that change included brewer, Tonya Cornett from 10 Barrel, Teri Fahrendorf, Founder of The Pink Boots Society/2^nd female Brewmaster in the United States and Sarah, of Saraveza. Other local notables making appearances were Chris Crabb of The Oregon Brewers festival and Lisa Morrison, a.k.a. The Beer Goddess.

To conclude, I will say seeing this film is a must if you love beer or just want to see a well-made documentary on the subject. It will further expose you to what is happening in our thriving Pacific NW beer culture; a culture that has some pretty talented and intelligent woman making their mark in the industry.

Alison and Sarah feilding questions after the film

The Love of Beer trailer from Lingering Illocutions on Vimeo.

Warning Portland: The Pissed LiBEERian is coming!

2011-11-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

In a few weeks all hell is sure to break loose in Portland. From November 18^th thru the 20^th, Tacoma beer blogger, The Pissed LiBEERian has confirmed that she will be descending upon our city. Upon arrival, she will be on a quest to hit as many breweries and pubs in (3) days. This will be her second time visiting the Portland beer scene. Her first visit included stops at Laurelwood, New Old Lompoc, The Lucky Lab, Bridgeport Brewing, Rouge and Deschutes. On her upcoming trip, The Pissed LiBEERian’s tentative plans are to hit the following:

Alameda Brewing
Belmont Station
Burnside Brewing
Cascade Barrel House
Coalition Brewing
HUB
HUB Bike Bar
Hair of The Dog
Horse Brass
The Green Dragon
Plew's Brews

Her squeeze and renowned photographer/world beer connoisseur, MGD will be joining her. The two of them are sure to give the Portland Beer scene a run for its money. If you happen to cross paths with them say hello, or better yet, buy them a pint! In the meantime, please check out her well written and highly delectable blog: http://pissedlibeerian.blogspot.com/

The famed Pissed LiBEERian

MGD and The Pissed LiBEERian
Don't be fooled by their cuteness!

The Bräuler!

2011-10-28T11:35:00.000-07:00

Another great Growler is on its way and it’s straight out of Portland! The Growler, called the Bräuler (love the name) is Zythos Project’s brilliant invention. As you can see from the photos below this thing has extreme sex appeal. The design was well planned. Here are some of the Bräuler’s unique features that take the Growler to the next level:

Wide (2.5”) mouth makes it easy to fill and clean
100% light proof; deep-thread cap holds carbonation and freshness longer
Unique threaded collar receives multiple accessories, including basic cap, plus a handle, bail top, and a CO2-chargeable draft cap system.

I believe the CO2-chargeable draft cap system is still in development, but when complete, this will be a huge break though. You will be able to keep your beer as fresh as when it left the tap; that’s if you don’t drink it all at once!

Currently, they are only excepting commercial orders. If you are a brewer or beer seller of any kind contact them for more information: info@zythosproject.com

Thank you Zythos for making your idea reality. I think the Bräuler has a bright future.

Sexy!

Premature Winter Beerulation

2011-10-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

What the heck! Is it just me, or are winter beers being released way too early? I’m not ready for winter and I’m sure not ready for winter beer. I haven’t even inked my summer tour of three breweries in the Columbia Gorge. I think I may wait to write it until December or January when it’s cold, dark and rainy; the perfect time to crack open a winter release. I can visualize myself in pajamas all day, sorting through sun ladened Gorge pictures, writing and sipping on a nice winter seasonal. This is the time that warrants the warmth provided by a cheery beer. It comforts the soul, as a bowl of warm chili or a hot cup of cocoa would. So, why are winter beers appearing on our shelves and taps so early? I heart’em, but now is not the time. It’s like seeing Christmas movies, commercials and store decorations appearing before Thanksgiving. For crying out loud, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation was on TV the other night. A great holiday movie, but why so soon? What’s the rush?

Store display seen today!

Bridgeport Ebenezer Ale on tap...ran across this last night.

Shiters full!

Portland Fresh Hop Tastival

2011-10-09T14:51:00.000-07:00

In Portland, at The Fresh Hop Tastival at Oaks Park, people gathered to celebrate the fact that Oregon is the second largest hop producing state in the United States, most of which are grown right here in The Willamette Valley. To be honest, I am not super fired up on fresh hop beer, but the fore mentioned fact makes me proud knowing that Oregon hop growers play a key role in helping produce one of the things I enjoy entertaining my mouth with, beer.

The Fresh Hop Tastival is an Oregon Brewers Guild event. The Guild’s Director, Brian Butenschoen oversaw the festivities and did an excellent job at coordinating volunteers and making sure everything stayed on track. The breweries in attendance brought a variety of fresh hopped beer styles; some even featured two or more selections. The #1 hit for me was Double Mountain’s, Killer Green, a beer that ran out shortly after the festival began. I am sure some of this was due to the fresh hop preview event that took place the evening before. My favorite non-alcoholic drink of choice was Portland U-Brew’s, Homemade Root Beer. This stuff was amazing, and both the kids and grown-ups kept coming back to get their fix. Unfortunately, it was the 2^nd keg to kick that day. I hope U-Brew realizes that they are sitting on a potential root beer gold mine.

To conclude this post, I leave you with photos. They say a picture is worth a thousand words.

Oregon Brewers Guild, Brian Butenschoen
headed up the festival.

Glasses and tickets patiently waiting
to be loved.

Thank you sun for hanging out with us all day.

Lots-o-fresh hop beer to choose from.

The beer lines were not bad at all, which
was nice.

It was a pleasure to have actual restrooms rather
than the standard beer festival porta-potty.

Philadelphia's brought the killer cheese steaks.

Curbside Grill was there to satisfy.

These things kept me alive while working. I was
pop chipped out at the end of the day.

Festival shirt. Sweet!

Brewvana Tour

2011-10-05T12:15:00.000-07:00

Have you experienced Brewvana yet? If not, you are missing out. I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first. I mean, I have been to most of the breweries, craft beer bars and bottleshops in Portland, so why did I need to take a special tour? To challenge my own question and stubbornness, I booked a tour with fellow friends and did it! Looking back, it was one of the most memorable Portland beer experiences I have ever had. The bus, Angel, our guide, Ashley and the tour combined to create a trifecta of fun.

Angel, the bus, was the coolest thing I had ever ridden in. It was equipped with drink holders, a fridge, interior rope lighting, a great ceiling mural and lots of other groovy, beer related knick-knacks. When you go, make sure you read the 'The Rules' of the bus above the rear emergency exit; serious, but entertaining. I think Shaggy Rogers, the owner of the Mystery Machine would proud of Ashley's decked out Beer Machine.

The Goonies with Angel.

Only the cool people got to ride in the back.

Ashley, our brew-venture guide was awesome. She knew mucho about beer and the brew scene in Portland. She has worked at Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) since it sprouted up on Powell and has been involved in the industry since age 17. You can not shake a stick at that. Ashley did an excellent job at sharing information with us along the tour, but she was never overbearing. If you asked her a question, she had the answer. She kept the tour relaxed. It actually felt like she was part of the group; something we all appreciated.

Our kick ass guide and owner, Ashley.

The overall tour schedule was well planned. We started at HUB on Powell in their downstairs, secret brewing empire. From here, we were handed over to Brew Master guru, Walker who filled our complimentary Brewvana glasses with samples and lead us on an amazing tour of their environmentally friendly facility. I thought this was a great way to kick off our outing. It was the educational section about how beer was made and the different tastes that result from combining various ingredients; it was the prelude to the rest of the afternoon. Our hats go off to Walker who did an outstanding presentation job.

Walker was da man!

Drinking from the source...it doesn't get
much better than that!

The next stop was Belmont Station. Not a regularly schedule stop on the tour, but Ashley can arrange whatever you like. At Belmont Station, we enjoyed a full beer of choice and were given ample time to chit-chat. Everyone was amazed at the incredible draft and bottle selection and loved the beer paraphernalia that scattered the walls. Before leaving we snagged (2) bombers of Hale's Supergoose to enjoy on our ride to Breakside Brewery. I think I forgot to mention that you can drink on the bus! Yet another reason why Angel is so cool.

The crew at Belmont Station

Breakside Brewery was our lunch and beer pairing stop. Ashley phoned in our lunch order in advance to make sure Breakside would have our food ready to go when we arrived. Sure enough, the food was promptly delivered after we were seated and it looked incredible. As we began to dig in, Scott, the owner, and Ben, the Brewer came by and provided each person with their own (6) glass taster tray. Each beer was explained to us by Scott; a nice touch.

Awesome Mac-n-Cheese + Great Beer = Happy Belly

Breakside's main man, Scott delivering the goods.

With our bellies happily full of Breakside's delicious food and brew, we set off to our final stop, Old Lompoc's, Sidebar. The Sidebar was a perfect way to wrap up the tour. The intimate setting gave us a chance to talk about what an excellent day we had while enjoying a few more generous pours of fine beer.

Serious beer talk.

Thanks Brewvana for a great time!

Bridgetown Beerhouse will soon have taps!

2011-09-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

Bridgetown Beerhouse on N. Shaver will soon have taps! I stopped by last night on my way home for a couple of bombers and had a brief chat with the owner, Mike. I had asked Mike during the summer months if they were ever going to have beer on draft. He said that they were planning on it in the fall; awesome news! So, last night, with fall just one day away, I popped the question again. Mike said that they were working on upgrading the bathroom and had set a tentative date of Oct. 15^th. He anticipates having 5 taps of unique beers; ones that are not commonly found at most places. Living 4 blocks away, I must say that I am really looking forward to this. Mike is a nice guy, very knowledgeable about beer and always has a great bottle selection. The taps will certainly increase his already popular status.

Entrance to beervana.

Rumored location of taps.

Bridgetown always has a great selection of
beers to choose from.

SeptemBEERfest!

2011-09-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

I woke up Saturday morning to the sound and smell of rain and was thinking the weather was going to put a damper on this year’s Septembeerfest. Around 10 am, I packed up my truck in the wet drizzle and hit Interstate 5 southbound for Corvallis, Oregon. Fortunately, about half-way on my journey the rain ceased, but the dark, purplish-grey clouds still looked ominous. As menacing as the sky was, it never did rain at Septembeerfest. I think Mother Nature was looking out for us beer lovers.

Ominous clouds, but Mother Nature was on our side.

Septembeerfest commenced at 2 pm at The Benton County Fairgrounds and gained momentum within an hour. Soon, a line of folks were waiting to enter the festival; a welcomed site. The Brew Station school bus kept the line solid, hauling beer enthusiasts to and from downtown Corvallis. Many people opted to use pedal power and were given plenty of prime parking right beyond the entry gate. Scott Caul, the festival chair and his crew did an excellent job at providing alternative transportation options. Scott also did an outstanding job as the festival’s lead. Scott, Irene and several others were always roaming the grounds making sure everyone had what they needed.

A welcomed sight.

The Brew Station school bus got folks back and forth
from Corvallis.

Beer, bikes and pretzel necklaces. What else do ya need!

Captain Caul did an excellent job.

I only managed to sample a few beers at Septembeerfest. I was singly manning the Eyeluvbeer mobile headquarters and could not stray far. I was in excellent proximity to Dave Wills and his Oregon Trail Brewery Covered Wagon Brew Truck. A unique, classic vehicle designed to deliver beer from its (4) built-in taps. Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales was also directly to the side of me. Joel Rea, owner and manager of Corvallis Brewing Supply furnished one case of Logsdon’s, Seizoen and another case of their Seizoen Bretta. The cases were kindly donated by Dave Logsdon. Both were in high demand and supplies dwindled fast. After I had a taste of both I could certainly see why. This stuff was like gold. I would not mind having a few bottles of Logsdon on hand for special occasions. Logsdon’s label, designed by Seaberg Einarsson was top notch as well. The only other beer I sampled at Septmebeerfest was Ninkasi’s Fresh-Hopped Tricerahops, which had a nice aroma to it as do most fresh-hopped beers. The brewery that I heard the most hype about at the event was Corvallis’s own Flat Tail Brewery. A brewery that I went to around 10:30pm post festival, but realized I better not go in or I would never leave Corvallis. I ended up heading east back to the 5 and north to Portland. Another visit will ensue.

Dave Wills and Co. setting up their famed covered
wagon brew truck.

Logsdon's label. Designed by Seaberg Einarsson.
So nice!

To conclude, Septembeerfest was great and is only getting better. Granted, this was only my second year, but the event appeared to be more organized and had an improved layout. The increase in attendance also boosted everyone’s spirits, as this was a benefit for the Linn Benton Food Share and OSU Fermentation Science Students.

Don't be fooled by their cute faces...these guys knew their sh*t!

Rockin' into the night. 38 Special would be proud!

Cheers to Eyeluvbeer!

The official drink token provided by Brew Toppers.
Pretty sweet!

Brew Toppers HQ was right next to Flat Tail in downtown
Corvallis. Must be love!

We love EASTERN Oregon Beer

2011-09-12T20:17:00.000-07:00

Guest Blogger Contribution from Mark and Brenda:

My wife and I have been enjoying craft beer around the Portland area for nearly a decade and a half, but we’ve been hankering to explore the wide-open expanses of Eastern Oregon and the bounty of great beer that the area offers. We finally took time off work, packed up the truck and dog and set out east. Our first stop along our Eastern Oregon beer quest was Pendleton. Neither one of us had spent much time in this town known for the Pendleton Round Up, but we were pleasantly surprised by its quaint downtown area, cowboy feel, and the newly established Prodigal Son Brewery. A taster tray introduced us to six of their ales. Their Wheatstock Hefeweizen, Bruce/Lee Porter and Fatted Calf Sacrificial Stout were real standouts along with the tasty food offerings.

The next stop along the way was Enterprise, home of Terminal Gravity Brewing. T.G’s IPA is a favorite in our household, and we were excited to visit the headwaters. The brewery/pub has a nice outdoor seating area. We didn’t mess around with a taster tray at TG. We promptly ordered a Weed Wacker, a session beer and a Cascadian Dark Ale that I can’t recall the name of. We also sampled their imperial IPA, which was quite tasty but we both preferred their original IPA. Before leaving, we filled up the growler and traveled the short distance to Joseph and Mutiny Brewing.

At Mutiny, there were only three beers on tap, but they were all very good: Sssswheat, Superpale and Saddler’s Brown. Now, typically, neither one of us is a big fan of wheat beers but the Sssswheat was flavorful and refreshing, especially in the Eastern Oregon heat. Mutiny also had a comfortable outside seating area where our four-legged friend, Raymond, could relax, and the wait staff was nice enough to bring our parched pooch a pale water.

After spending a couple nights on the banks of Wallowa Lake, we again hit the road in search of fermented goodness. Our journey took us to Baker City and Barley Brown's Brewing. Their small system allows them to brew many batches of beer, and they had 10 of their own on tap. We had to order a sample tray to taste them all. While we had only recently discovered Barley Brown's, it came as a surprise to us that they have been open since 1998. Some of the highlights from Barley Browns were the Shredders Wheat, the Whiskey Malt, the Turmoil (a black IPA) and Awesome CDA (originally brewed by a local homebrewer). Tyler, the owner, was kind enough to spend some time with us and talk about Oregon craft beer. We departed with a growler and a new appreciation for the fine work that is happening in the eastern part of the Beer-ver State!

The Tacoma Craft Beer Festival

2011-09-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

First off, let me say that weloved The City of Tacoma and the people that we met. Designated a City, Tacoma still has that small town feel;everyone seems to know one another. Afeeling I knew growing up, but unknowingly it slipped away when I moved to Portland. I do love where I live now, but there are severalthings absent in a larger metropolitan area.

Tacoma rocks!

Okay, let us talk festivaland beer now. The sun was shining, the temperature was perfect, and thelocation picked for this year's Tacoma Craft Beer Festival could not have fitthe weather better. For the past twoyears the festival had been held inside at The Foss Waterway Seaport Building on Dock Street; a nauticalthemed building with elderly charm. This year, organizers took thefestival literally down the road and outdoors to the 21^st Street Park. Situated beneath the structurally attractive 21^st StreetBridge, the park proved that it could make the event alfresco and imagine keepthat way for years to come.

The grounds and with the structurally pleasing
bridge overlooking.

The festivities kicked-off atnoon and slowly gained momentum. At first,it was a breeze to fill your 5 oz souvenir taster without a wait in-line, butas the afternoon progressed, you may have found yourself 6-8 people deep; aneasy feat by any means. I pleased mypalate with a number of fine beers throughout the day. However, being the bad beer drinker that I am,I did not jot down a single note. Itypically add some chicken scratch to the event program which contains eachbeer and its brewer, but unfortunately at this year’s Tacoma Craft BeerFestival one was not furnished. Granted,this was a minor glitch for this remarkable event.

Let the tasting begin!

So, who was the winner at the festival? Well, we thought we were! We hada great time manning the Eyeluvbeer roaming HQ, chit chatting with folk,including our new friend BrewDad andTacoma staple The Pissed Libeerian (it was great to finally meet MGD), and ofcourse, tasting the variety of amazing beers from Washington, Oregon,California, Alaska, Colorado, and even Canada. As much fun as we had, the real winnerof this 4,000 person attended, sold out event was The Boys and Girls Club of South Puget Sound. The sponsors,breweries, volunteers and the TCBF team all worked their booties off to bringus together for a great cause and some excellent beer. A special thank you goes out from us tofestival organizers, Roxanne and Bennett! You guys rock!

Super Powers: BrewDad and Eyeluvbeer.

Tim and Renee Rockey from M-T Head.
Love their beer!

Awesomeness!

Best display award goes to 7 Seas!

A big high five to TCBF and The Boys and
Girls Club of South Puget Sound.

Beer and Corn Hole go together like a horse and carriage.

Things picked up about mid-afternoon.

A few musicians were on hand to entertain.

Nice shirt.

My favorite shirt seen at the festival.

The Pissed Libeerian and MGD at the post TCBF get together
at the Parkway Tavern. A place we fell in love with at first sight.

The 2011 TCBF Participating Breweries:

7 Seas Brewing, Airways Brewing Co., AlaskanBrewing, Alpine, American Brewing Co., Anderson Valley, Avery Brewing,Deschutes Brewing, Diamond Knot Brewing Co., Engine House 9 Brewing, FirestoneWalker, GeorgeTown Brewing, Great Divide, Harmon Brewing Co., Hopworks, KonaBrewing, Lagunitas, Lazy Boy Brewing Co., Leavenworth Brewing, M. T. HeadBrewing Co., Mac & Jacks Brewing Co., Mad River Brewing, Naked City, NewBelgium Brewing Co., North Coast, North Coast Brewing, Odin Brewing Co., PikeBrewing Co., Port Brewing/Lost AbbyFish Brewing, Red Hook, Reel Ales, SchoonerExact, Scuttebutt, Silver City Brewing, Snoqualmie Falls Brewing Co., SoundBrewing, Spire Cider, Stone Brewing Co., Trade Route Brewing, Unibroue, WidmerBrothers Brewing, Wingman Brewing.

Ninkasi Pit Stop

2011-08-31T09:49:00.000-07:00

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.

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

2011-08-18T11:59:00.000-07:00

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!

Casual Encounter with a New Growler

2011-08-04T17:03:00.000-07:00

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

Widmer Brothers To Build Beer Garden!

2011-07-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

This is article was obtained from: http://www.neighborhoodnotes.com
The beer garden will be a much welcomed addition indeed!

Land Use Approvals
Widmer Brothers To Build Beer Garden

Red marks the location of the approved Widmer Bros. beer garden.
Photo: Google Maps

Eliot
BDS has approved the Widmer Brothers Brewing Company's plan to construct a beer garden in the unoccupied northwest corner of their site at N Russell Street and N Interstate Avenue. The garden will be lined with pavers and will be planted with trees both inside the garden and outside the garden's proposed perimeter wall along the street. (LU 10-188018 HD Z)

The Oregon Brewers Festival’s, Chris Crabb

2011-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

The Oregon Brewers Festival kicks-off in Portland in a week. This will be the 24^th installment of the festival and it is estimated to attract 80,000 beers lovers throughout its four day run. It takes a lot of effort from the employees, brewers, vendors and dedicated volunteers to make the event happen. As a vendor, one person that I have had the pleasure of meeting and corresponding with is Chris Crabb. She has been the head of media relations for the Oregon Brewers Festival for the past 16 years, and also is heavily involved with the North American Organic Brewers Festival and The Holiday Ale Festival. Chris is an expert at what she does. She always responds promptly to whatever question I may have, is always on-site at events to make sure everything is running accordingly, and will always lend a helping hand where needed. As professional as Chris is, she is also very personable, as you typically find with many craft beer enthusiast. You may not know Chris, but when you are at the this years Oregon Brewers Festival, please raise your mug in her honor as she well deserves it, as do the many other ‘unknowns’ that make the Oregon Brewers Festival such a success year after year.

Chris in action at The Oregon Brewers Festival

Chris with beer writer extraordinaire, John Foyston

10th Annual Roadhouse Brewfest Review

2011-07-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

I will have to say, I was surprisingly impressed with the beers at the10th Annual Roadhouse Brewfest. The eight participating McMenamins Breweries and ten Brewers done brought it. Each brewery provided a different style of beer that excelled in its class. Below is a list of the beers we sampled along with their detailed description:

Click to enlarge

Click to enlarge part II

My Saturday afternoon spent at the Cornelius Roadhouse & Imbrie Hall was fantastic; great setting, no rain, good entertainment and quality time with my lady and her wonderful parents that were here on a visit. Without further delay, I leave you with this:

McMenamins employee showing off the
official sign

Outside taps

The beer Cicerones

Came across another happy customer!

The boys of Hillstomp: Lord Johnny Buckets and

Hurricane Henry tearing it up!

The beer line grew throughout the day,
but the wait was never long.

Souvenir mugs

All I want for Christmas!

Joe Mishkin "The Balloon Guy" was on hand to entertain.

These guys really dressed up for the Brewfest!

First Annual Cans Fest Review

2011-07-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

We thought we were going to be late for our volunteer shift at the first annual Cans Fest from unintentionally staying too long at The Mississippi Street Fair, but our lightning fast 3 and 5 speed bikes combined with fuel from The Whole Bowl and a pint of beer got us there with time to spare. We arrived to be greeted by Jim Austin, the Cans Fest volunteer coordinator. Jim took us inside the Guild Public House and gave us the 411. Our task sounded easy enough and as it turned out it was. We had to check for wrist bands and crack open cans. I will have to say, my right index finger is frickin’ huge now. It received a great workout and now my other digits envy its size. Opening cans can be dangerous work too as my lovely Eyeluvbeer assistant found out. She received a minor cut from the mouth hole of 21^st Amendment’s, Hell or High Watermelon Wheat Beer. Maybe this guy was to blame?

The biggest feat that I personally accomplished while volunteering at the Cans Fest, was being able to refrain from drinking the beers that sit open in front of me. Man was that hard. The most enjoyable aspect of volunteering; the conversation with fellow beer fanatics.

My sexy beer wench serving it up!

Angelo from Brewbuplic enjoying Maui Brewing's, Flyin' HI.P.Hay

After our shift ended, we were rewarded with a tasting mug, (10) tickets and a Public Guild House can koozie. Not bad I thought for pouring beers for a few hours. As we headed out to taste, we crossed paths with the Natian Brew crew: Ian, Natalia and their good friend Pete. Ian and Natalia always make an appearance wherever their beer is flowing; whether at a festival or at a local pub. I thought Natian made the Cans Fest even more entertaining by being the only brewery that offered a challenge. They had their lovely La Luz Summer Ale in both cans and in a keg. For two dollars you got to partake in the taste-off challenge; a challenge that I failed. I was not successful in determining the keg beer from the can beer. However, as Ian said, as long as both beers went in my mouth, I was a winner. Agreed! My hot pants, supervisor passed the test with no problem…damn her!

The Fab 4: Pete, Wendy and Natian Brewers, Natalia and Ian

We also had the pleasure of meeting Spencer Gotter who is the head brewer at Fort George in Astoria (See our write up on Fort George here). His dog Sasha actually introduced us. Sasha is so darn cute. I think we liked the dog better than Spencer! Just kidding folks! Spencer was awesome and we hope to see him and Sasha at future beer events.

Spencer, head brewer from Fort George and his
beautiful companion, Sasha

I was going to present you with a list of beers that I sampled, but that is pretty darn boring, plus I am beginning to realize that no beer is undrinkable (please do not mark my words). Yes, some beers are better than others, but it all comes down to what one enjoys.

Overall, I think Jesse Cornett and the rest of the gang at the Guild Public House did an excellent job at hosting the Cans Festival. I expected to see more people in attendance, but Portland’s summer weekends are always bustling with plenty of events. If you were not at the Cans Festival last Saturday, I highly recommend you stop by for what I am sure will be a regular July, Craft Beer Month event.

What to look for if cruising on Burnside.

Can display by:
The Cascade Breweriana Association
Beer Collectibles Club, Est. 1978

As I have said before, drummers rule! I think these guys
were The Eventuals

My view well relieving my bladder.

The 2011 North American Organic Brewers Festival: Photo Recap

2011-06-28T08:30:00.000-07:00

Home Base

The early bird beer herd .

The best idea since sliced bread.

The BREWCYCLEPORTLAND mastermind.

Jocelyn and her squeeze from the Homebrew Exchange using
solar power to whip up a batch of delicious beer.

Metrofiets Beer+Bike; an engineering marvel.

The traveling tap room.

Our very nice neighbor recycling beer caps into
high quality ear rings. Email BEER RINGS now!

My favorite organic beer lover!

Saturday's bathroom line was a sight.

Shitter's full!

Love a good tee!

Best dressed!

Beer festival or Dead show?

Best dog we met: Chewbacca

Another sweet shirt!

The gals at Foody Blues BBQ done brought it!

One happy customer at a time.

Winner of the "Best Purse" award.

The last band and the best band of the fest. Of course
I can't recall their name.

Feel the love!

Drummers rule!

Lame Ass Misses The 1st Annual Fruit Beer Festival

2011-06-22T11:27:00.000-07:00

This is a long overdue post that has been patiently waiting for me in my ‘My Documents’ folder. Sorry my loyal (7) followers. My simple life is just slightly more important than this blog. So without further delay, I leave you with this:

Well, I did not make it to the 1^st annual Fruit Beer Festival at Burnside Brewing. I actually rode by it on my bike on Sunday after stopping at the Portland Rose Festival Dragon Boat Race to see my friend’s wife kick some booty on the Willamette. It was my first time ever going to see a Dragon Boat race and I was impressed. I think there were about 90+ teams racing for glory. All the teams deserve a round of praise, as it takes a lot of dedication and practice to do what they do. I could actually feel my arms becoming weaker and weaker as I watched them paddle an intense sprint from the Marquam to the Hawthorne bridge.

Lame ass that did not go to the Fruit Beer Festival
(Shown here at the Dragon Boat Races)

Okay, so why am I writing about crap that is not beer related? Well it is beer related. I think most of the recreational things I do correlate with beer in some respect. I did at least ride by the Fruit Beer Festival, right. I was going to head in, but I was beer-ed out from the past (2) nights. Occasionally it does happen to the best of us.

Here is a brief recap of those (2) nights. AKA, my lame excuse for not going to the Fruit Beer Festival:

Friday was spent a few blocks from my house with friends at the new Hopworks Bike Bar and Old Lompoc’s Side Bar. A nice combo by the way. The Side Bar was a welcomed change after the hustle and bustle of HUB. The Side Bar is a quiet and warm space to enjoy fine beers and conversation. It reminds me of a wine bar, but with beer. Saturday, I was out in the Montavilla neighborhood at Thatchers watching the Timbers play. Thatchers is not a brew pub, but it does have some good taps, plus it has that great neighborhood tavern feel. According to my friend, they make a great burger as well. So on Sunday I was not game for more beer. I was a little worried about myself, as this seldom occurs. I guess my ass is getting old. Anyway…from what I read, the Fruit Beer Festival was a huge success. I am looking forward to being in attendance next year.

Hot damn! The North American Organic Brewers Festival is almost here!

2011-06-18T13:58:00.000-07:00

We are super excited to be at this year's 2011 North American Organic Brewers Festival. The festival is taking place at Overlook Park in N. Portland in less than week and we can not wait! This will be our first year participating as a vendor. I have been to the event in the past and it is always well hosted with plenty going on. This is taken directly from the NAOBF’s webpage:

“Two of Portland's beloved industries - organic beer and sustainability - come together in an annual celebration designed to raise awareness about organic beer and sustainable living. We serve up organic beers and ciders from around the world, accompanied by live music, organic food, sustainability-oriented vendors, non-profits and a children's area - all in a beautiful tree lined setting that overlooks downtown Portland. Come visit the North American Organic Brewers Festival and see why we're Portland's best kept secret of beer fests!”

There is no parking provided for this event. Festival attendees are encouraged to use the MAX, walk, or bike to Overlook Park to help minimize their carbon-impact. If you pedal to the park, The Washington County Bicycle Transportation Coalition has kindly volunteered their time to watch over your wheels while you sample the many fine beers that will be available.

Below, is a list of the amazing beers for your mouth to ponder until June 24th reveals itself.

(The following is from the NAOBF's webpage)

Brewery	Beer Name, (Style)
Alameda Brewhouse Portland, Oregon	El Torero Organic IPA, (American IPA)
Alpenfire Cider Port Townsend, Washington	Pirates Plank, (Bone Dry)
Ambacht Brewing Hillsboro, Oregon	Ambacht Golden Spiced Ale, (Belgian Specialty)
Ambacht Brewing Hillsboro, Oregon	Golden Rye Farmhouse Ale, (Belgian Farmhouse Ale)
American Brewing Co Edmonds, Washington	Hop, Skip & Go Natural, (American Pale Ale)
Beetje Brewery Portland, Oregon	Summer Tonic, (Belgian Farmhouse Ale)
Bison Organic Beers Berkeley, California	Organic Honey Basil, (Fruit/Spice beer)
Bison Organic Beers Berkeley, California	Chocolate Stout, (Dry Foreign Style Stout)
Captured by Porches Brewing Co St Helens, Oregon	Invasive Species IPA, (IPA)
Captured by Porches Brewing Co St Helens, Oregon	Doppelganger, (Doppel Dunkelweizen)
Deschutes Brewery Bend, Oregon	Green Lakes Organic Ale, (Amber)
Eel River Brewing Co Fortuna, California	Organic Acai Berry Wheat, (Fruit infused American Crystal Wheat Ale)
Eel River Brewing Co Fortuna, California	Organic IPA, (English Style IPA)
Elliott Bay Brewing Co Burien, Washington	Black Ops IPA, (Cascadian Dark Ale)
Elliott Bay Brewing Co Burien, Washington	Organic Demolition Ale, (Strong Pale Ale)
Fish Brewing Co Olympia, Washington	Fish Tale Organic IPA, (American IPA)
Fish Brewing Co Olympia, Washington	Fish Tale Organic Blonde Ale, (American Style Blonde)
Fort George Brewery & Public House Astoria, Oregon	Spruce Ale, (Tree Beer)
Fort George Brewery & Public House Astoria, Oregon	Quick Wit, (Belgian Style Wheat)
Hopworks Urban Brewery Portland, Oregon	Rise Up Red, (NW Style Red)
Hopworks Urban Brewery Portland, Oregon	Galactic Imperial Red, (Imperial Red Ale)
Laht Neppur Brewing Co Waitsburg, Washington	Strawberry Cream Ale, (Organic Fruit Beer)
Laht Neppur Brewing Co Waitsburg, Washington	Peach Hefeweizen, (American Hefeweizen with Fruit)
Laurelwood Brewing Co Portland, Oregon	Organic Pale Ale, (Pale Ale)
Laurelwood Brewing Co Portland, Oregon	Organic Green Elephant IPA, (IPA)
Lompoc Brewing Co Portland, Oregon	Notorious, (IPA)
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub Portland, Oregon	No Pity Pale Ale, (Pale Ale)
Lucky Labrador Brew Pub Portland, Oregon	Rose City Red, (Red Ale)
Mateveza Ukiah, California	Organic Black Lager, (Black Lager)
Mateveza Ukiah, California	Organic Yerba Mate IPA, (IPA)
McMenamins Concordia Brewery Portland, Oregon	Oopsopsadilly IPA, (Organic IPA)
McMenamins Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Hillsboro, Oregon	Build a Bonfire Red, (Organic Red Ale)
McMenamins Crystal Brewery Portland, Oregon	Organic Hipster Ale, (Organic Altbier)
McMenamins Oak Hills Brewpub Portland, Oregon	Kerfuffle Kolsch, (Organic Kolschbier)
Natian Brewery Portland, Oregon	CoDA, (Cascadian Organic Dark Ale)
Natian Brewery Portland, Oregon	Makeshift Golden Ale, (Golden Ale)
New Belgium Brewing Co Fort Collins, Colorado	Mothership Wit, (Belgian Style Wit)
Oakshire Brewing Eugene, Oregon	Organic Subtext PNW Red, (Red Ale)
Oakshire Brewing Eugene, Oregon	TBD
Pike Brewing Co Seattle, Washington	Pike Dry Wit, (Belgian White)
Pike Brewing Co Seattle, Washington	Pike Monk's Uncle, (Tripel Belgian)
Rock Bottom Brewery Portland, Oregon	Vandeventer, (Cascadian Dark Ale)
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery Santa Cruz, California	Horse Tale Ale, (California Common)
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewery Santa Cruz, California	People's Porter, (Coffee Porter)
Terminal Gravity Enterprise, Oregon	TG Organic Pale Ale, (Pale Ale)
Uncommon Brewers Santa Cruz, California	Siamese Twin Ale, (Dubbel)
Uncommon Brewers Santa Cruz, California	Golden State Ale, (Golden Ale)
Upright Brewing Co Portland, Oregon	Reggae Junkie Gruit, (Farmhouse Style Gruit)
Widmer Bros Brewing Co Portland, Oregon	Dude, (Granola Golden)

Hopworks Bike Bar Now Open!

2011-06-06T16:36:00.000-07:00

We missed some great beer events this weekend as we were at the Oregon Coast soaking up the sunshine, but we did make it back on Sunday afternoon for the debut of the Hopworks Bike Bar. We may have totally missed it if it was not for our friend Mark who sent us the great news as we were driving back to Portland. It was not well publicized that Hopworks’s North Williams location was going to be open this weekend, which turned out in our favor as we were able to grab a seat and mugs of beer with ease. I am sure a grand opening will ensue at a later date. I leave you with this brief, semi-photo essay taken with a smart phone (bad blogger forgot his camera again).

Christian Ettinger, Owner/Brewer was on hand to

say hello and answer any questions.

He was caught here pedaling energy back into the grid.

First beer at the new Hopworks Bike Bar: Crosstown Pale Ale.

The bar area with (11) amazing beers to choose from.

Do not forget to look up and check out the custom

built bike frames from local area craftsman.

Zero emission Hopworks employees.

99 Bottles...

Was Ziggy Stardust guided by this light?

Our good friend Kris popped in to fill his growler.

Eco-Toilet in the unisex restroom.

Innovative and green, but getting to the sink

is awkward. Worth checking out on your visit.

Worthy 'green' bathroom advice!

The Plug Out Cycle received a great work out and both patrons

and the environment benefitted.

Bike racks are waiting and hungry for you!

BRAIN vs. LIVER: The organ clash over the soon to be Hopworks Bike Bar.

2011-05-25T10:49:00.000-07:00

As you most likely know, Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) will be opening their second location on N. Williams Ave in mid-June. What does this mean? It means us North Portland peeps will have another great brew pub to frequent. It also means not having to trek across town to take in their award winning beers and delectable food.

You may be wondering why I am blogging about this when there is already a wealth of information on HUB’s soon to be second home. The reason is personal; ever since news broke that HUB was moving in to the neighborhood my brain and liver have been at battle. My liver feels great places already exist within walking distance to drink amazing beer. It enjoys Lompoc’s Fifth Quadrant, which is literally next-door to HUB’s future location. It is also an Amnesia groupie; a brewery about 8 blocks west. Oh, and that guy below the lower part of my right ribcage told me not to forget about the other fine beer purveyors slightly further out, such as Saraveza, Breakside, McMenamins, Widmer, The Hop and Vine and The Lucky Labrador.

Please do not get me wrong, my liver loves HUB’s beer, which is why my brain is so concerned. My brain is afraid that my liver will dedicate a good portion of its free time to drinking beer at HUB and slowly forget about the other places that it once patronized.

So, what will happen? Good question. After some thought, I believe I have determined that my brain and liver are two separate entities. My brain has made the decision to remain true to the other incredible beer establishments in the area; HUB will certainly become part of the rotation. My liver says “f%#k you brain, when HUB opens you are going to be my bitch.” However, I still believe my aging brain has capable power to trump the desires of my weakening liver.

Stupid Liver

Homer and I have some things in common

Welcome to the neighborhood HUB! Well almost.

With Love,
Brain and Liver

Puglandia @ MacTarnahan's Brewing Company

2011-05-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

Puglandia in pictures!
(An Oregon Humane Society benefit that took place yesterday at MacTarnahan's Brewing Company)

My First Blog-icized Beer Review: Sierra Nevada’s Estate Homegrown Ale

2011-05-10T11:42:00.000-07:00

I love beer, or eyeluvbeer, but I typically do not geek out on trying to describe it in detail. Since I had a rare-ish bottle of Sierra Nevada’s Estate Homegrown Ale in my possession, I thought I would challenge myself and attempt to describe my tasting experience with words. I swear I did not look at any reviews of Sierra Nevada’s Estate Homegrown Ale before writing this. This was on purpose. I wanted to compare my notes to those who write about beer tasting on a regular basis. I will admit there were some hints on the bottle's label as to what I was supposed to expect. Words like, grapefruit-like flavors, layered spicy aromas, toasted flavors, etc.

So with out further delay, here is my review. More of a synopsis taken from my bastardized sticky notes.

Sierra Nevada’s Estate Homegrown Ale

(Alc. 6.7% by Vol.)

Bottle:

Standard 22 ounce bottle with a well designed, attractive label that conveyed the beer's origin. I think Sierra does a great job with their labels.

The label described the beer as an organic, wet hop ale.

Waxed sealed top. Took a little effort to remove, but was worth it.

Disappointing, standard Sierra Nevada Pale Ale bottle cap. I was expecting something nicer since this was deemed a rare beer on the label: “One of the few estate made ales produced anywhere in the world”.

I feel pretty, oh so pretty...

Nicely done Sierra!

The 411

Pour and Visual Analysis:

Left the bottle like any other beer, but the rich, caramel coloration grabbed my eye.

Good carbonation; tiny bubbles wandered up through the slightly unfiltered/cloudy liquid to produce a nice head.

Nice head! Standard SN Pale Ale cap =(.

Cloudy, unfiltered look. Hi tiny bubbles!

Smell:

Pleasantly fragrant; strong caramel overtones and a somewhat grassy/earthy smell from the fresh hops.

Taste:

Bold, sweet, citrusy, spicy, not overly hoppy, border-line barley wine.

My professional beer tasting notes.

Conclusion:

My mouth and nose were very impressed with Sierra Nevada’s Estate Homegrown Ale. As mentioned, it did have a slight barley wine flavor, which I still have not developed an inkling for, but it was not so over powering as to take away the many other excellent qualities of this beer. Part of me is beginning to regret opening this bottle as it was not a special occasion. With beer, I seem to be like the kid at Christmas who can not wait to open presents. I was especially disappointed with myself when I went back to the market where I purchased this gem and it was gone. Is this beer as rare as the label conveys? Nonetheless, each sip was thoroughly enjoyed. It is now time to search the net to see what others are saying about Sierra Nevada’s Estate Homegrown Ale.

Dinining Out For Life, Blazers and Pasties at Saraveza

2011-04-30T11:10:00.000-07:00

Thursday evening we hit Saraveza to watch the Blazers game, drink some amazing beers and support a great cause, Dining Out For Life. Sara and crew were donating a generous portion of their dinner hour sales to Portland’s HIV Day Center, OHSU Partnership Project and Dining Out For Life. Even better, in Saraveza’s back room, Double Mountain, Firestone Walker and Nectar Ales generously donated kegs for the evening. The back room was hosting a 6-10pm happy hour which was sweet! I would have paid full price though, because 100% of Double Mountain, Firestone Walker and Nectar Ales proceeds went back to the fundraiser .

We showed up at Saraveza around 6pm and met our good friend Mark who was already sitting at a table sipping a pint of Terminal Gravity Double IPA. This was the first time the three of us had seen this beer on tap. I thought it looked nice in the glass, but after a taste I was not moved by it. I think Mark felt the same, because when he finished what was left he went for a pint of Amnesia’s Trail Hazer. Actually, that is what we all ordered. Trail Hazer came out around the winter holidays. I believe it was supposed to be a seasonal release, but it was so popular, Amnesia decided to keep it on tap. However, it is still not listed on their main menu board. Hopefully, with the end of the Blazers season, they will not decide to remove Trail Hazer for the season as well. Trail Hazer is an amazing, very drinkable year round beer.

When our server came around again, we all put in an order for ‘The Potater’ pasty and grabbed a tavern treat; house baked Chex Mix. The Chex Mix came first. It was standard Chex Mix with flair. It had some mixed nuts and some spice added. It paired well with our beers. The pasties showed up and looked delicious, and delicious they were. My friend Mark commented that they looked like a calzone, which they did. I was not sure on the origin of the pasty so I looked it up today. I read that the exact origin is unclear, but it has a strong association with Cornwall. I guess in Cornwall during the 17th and 18th centuries, tin miners and other workers adopted it due to its unique shape, forming a complete meal that can be carried easily and eaten without cutlery. So there you go. If you happen to see pasties on a menu, do not expect a pair of breasts with the areola and nipple covered.


Tasty Pasty!

Tasty Pasty?

We spent the 1^st half of the Blazers game in the front portion of Saraveza. The TV sound was muted. This was somewhat disappointing, but I guess we were not at a sports bar. People were still cheering on the Blazers though. I would say about 75% of the people at Saraveza were watching the game. I think some of the non-interested parties were startled when excited fans, including ourselves, would shout out a YEAH or an AH. My beer goddess has severe sports turrets. It is highly entertaining! However, I almost lost my hearing in my right ear one time while watching a football game with her.

For the 2^nd half of the game we went to the back room. This meant going outside and walking down the sidewalk to gain access. A little awkward, but it was nice to take in a breath of fresh air. My buddy Mark had left us at this point. He went to grab his squeeze at the airport. We wish Mark would have stayed. He was a valuable part of our Blazers cheerleading squad. Mark and his honey caught the remainder of the game at their neighborhood haunt, Breakside Brewery. Oh, and I forgot to point out that the sound was pumping in Saraveza's back room. Sweet!


Wallace, Aldridge and Matthews checking out their fans at Saraveza


Come to my mouth

As you know, the Blazers did not pull off the win Thursday night. I thought for sure they were going to do it. It was disappointing, but I believe we will have an even stronger team next season. The big winner of the evening was The Dining Out For Life fundraiser! A well deserved win!

A Microhopic Saturday!

2011-04-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Saturday! What a day! The sun was out and it was surprisingly temperate. Not only that, but the Trail Blazers won their second home game of the finals. GO BLAZERS!!! As nice as the day was, I was looking forward to the evening. We were going out with great friends for dinner and for an event taking place at Migration Brewing called Microhopic. Microhopic is Brewpublic’s baby. This would be their third installment of the ongoing series and it was fantastic. The affair showcases new and interesting breweries and beer styles from around Oregon. Brewpublic did an excellent job at hosting the event and the breweries represented all brought something different to tantalize the taste buds.

The evening began early; around the 4^th quarter of the Blazers game. My friend showed up with a case of 22’s of his latest homebrew; a super hopped IPA that is to die for. I think he said it was around 108 IBUs. Yowza! He has been brewing beer for over a year now and has it dialed in. It would be great to see him advance to nano brewery status.

A delicious homebrewed beverage

After a few pints of scrumdiddlyumptious home brewed IPA, the nail biting Blazer game wrapped up in our favor and lifted our already good spirits even higher. It was now time to take the jaunt to Ken’s Artisan Pizza for dinner. We waited for a table for about an hour, but it was well worth it as always. Our friends had never been and thought it was delicious. A must visit if you like pizza, just do not get in the way.

Our hour wait at Ken's was soothed with
a variety of fine beers

Where's my pizza!

With our bellies full of pie and pints, it was time to hit the main event: Microhopic at Migration Brewing. We arrived to find it not as busy as we had anticipated. There were some staples from the beer community present, including Angelo and crew from Brewpublic, Carl from Belmont Station and several brewers. Ashley’s Brewvana bus, Angel was parked street side with a dog in the driver’s seat. I asked the dog if it knew Ashley’s whereabouts, but the furry little fellow was too busy trying to figure out how to get the bus started so he could hit the nearest Petco.

Hop on the bus Gus

Brewpublic's mastermind, Angelo and
some random guy

We seated ourselves at a table in Migration and my hop goddess ordered us a taster tray of the (5) beers being represented. Breakside Brewery furnished a Rye Kolsch and used their famed randall filter to give us a special treat; a beer infused with juniper berries and cucumbers. Our neighborhood favorite, Amnesia, provided a fine dry-hopped ale called Red Handed. Burnside Brewing presented their Stock Ale, which I tasted at their headquarters a few weeks ago. The Stock Ale is a nice ESB that is rich in copper color and goes down smooth. My favorite of the evening was Migration’s baby dubbed PDX. It was similar to a Kolsch, but had a hoppy bit and well balanced flavor. I have only been to Migration a few times before this evening’s event and had never taken a strong hold to any of their beers, but this one had me at hello. Beetje, a nano brewery that operates out of their garage and relatively new to my vocabulary was also in the house. They brought forth a Belgian Inspired Ale that was favored by the patrons.

The crew at Migration

This was my first Microhopic event and it was a good one. I am looking forward to the next one Brewpublic graces us with. Thanks guys!