Baja Brewing Co.

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

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!