In case you missed it, the Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery in Corvallis, Oregon has been flipping any and all switches when it comes to craft beer. Founder Nick Arzner continues to challenge himself through an ongoing process of designing not only imaginative brews that run the gamut of flavor, but what he’s making is simply delicious.

On Saturday February 27, 2010 Block 15 celebrated their 2nd Anniversary at their downtown brewpub where nearly 400 batches of beer have been brewed to date. With an impressive line-up of at least a dozen (usually more) beers on tap at any given time, Arzner operates on the Belgian brewers creed “Create something new based on age old traditions.” This is not only true of the beers that include high alpha hops behemoths, light session fruit infused pours, and funky farmhouse style wild ales, but it is also indicative of the delectable and sustainable menu options. Pastas, seafoods, salads, all that employ locally harvested ingredients whenever possible. Further, Block 15’s passion for community and art is evident in almost every aspect of the pub. Live music is a regular occurrence here. An ecclectic assortment of zydeco, blues, jazz, funk and blue grass and be felt resonating through the place.

Unique folks who enjoy unique brews is one way of describing Beers For Queers. This promises to be a one-of-a-kind event, at Saraveza, a one-of-a-kind beer bar. Beers For Queers will celebrate diversity of people with a specialty line-up of beers curated by Saraveza’s Mickey Pollizatto.  Pollizatto is the creator and persona, Cabria Jones (CJ), a Tranny Pop Diva who has traveled the world entertaining crowds while sampling a variety of distinct beer styles.  Pollizatto will  be in character for this event and says event is about beer, but without the  music. Says Pollizatto: “I like to keep my act in the night clubs. But that will in no way take away from this party.”  It is also stressed that this event is not simply a beer night for the gay community. “Sarah (Pederson, owner of Saraveza) and I both have an interest in getting more unique people into good beer. The more interesting and diverse the better. (Beers For Queers) is a party to celebrate beer with Trans, Butch, Femmes, Sissy, Freaks, Geeks, their Allies and any other people who fall outside the Hetero, or even the newly established Homo-Normative profile.”

So what can people expect at this festive event?

For those who were not turkeys, the weekend was perhaps quite welcoming. Excessive food, family, football, and of course, in these parts, excessive beer. For those cognizant of what carnage might ensue, perhaps a good bike ride or forest hike was in order. Thanksgiving for many is a time to give thanks for a bounty or the family you might find yourself, at times, trying to dodge. But for the Brewpublicans, it’s the mother of all Thirsty Thursdays.

We recently had the fourth edition of this great event. Cooking with beer is a pleasure and should be included to every day recipes. Brewpubs with kitchens use their own products to create delicious meals, so why couldn’t we?

The guidelines we gave us were simple:

Beer and chocolate, can there be a more perfect combination?  Thanks to Dagoba and Equal Exchange Chocolate for donating their products to the Cocoa Hop, a large variety of chocolate was able to be sampled along six beers last Saturday. Through the Cocoa Hop, Brewpublic was able to raise some money for KZME radio helping to bring them just that much closer to broadcasting on their FM dial.

Here is a list of pairing favorites from the event.

Trade Route Ginger Pale Ale w/ Equal Exchange Organic Orange Chocolate – The Asian influenced ginger ale mixed with the citrus notes of dark chocolate made for a wonderful mix of flavors that felt like you were eating a great Thai meal.

In Portland, OR (aka Beervana) we are truly blessed to live in an area where new breweries open just about as often as it rains. Well, maybe not that much but sometimes it sure does feel like it. The latest in new brews in Portland is something a little different. Harvester Brewing is the creation of James Neumeister and Katrina “Kat” Jensen and is Portland’s first all-gluten-free microbrewery.

Now, put your skepticism away because this brewery is for the celiac and surprisingly non-celiac beer lover alike. Unlike other gluten-free beers Harvester’s selections actually taste like beer! At a recent tasting attended by Brewpublic, the line-up included a Nut Brown, American Brown Ale, Amber, Pale, Pumpkin Ale and a Scottish Ale. While Neumeister has no allergic issues with gluten, he says “Kat is a celiac, as opposed to having a food allergy to wheat or gluten, she cannot have any gluten.”

This weekend, we had a two-hour car ride to the West. Another province of our country: Ontario. We made four stops during this quick trip.

L’autre Oeil – Aylmer www.lautreoeil.com
This pub has the largest beer menu I’ve seen in Québec (over 442 bottles). Taps were mainly from Quebec breweries. I only took (designated driver) a Gouden Carolus Hopsinjoor. Of course it would have been great to taste more beers there, but I’ll certainly be back soon. This pub is located 8 km from Ottawa, so it would be easy to come back with our bicycles on a longer trip.

Brewpublic co-founder and Marketing Director Aaron Miles visits Spokane and the Inland Empire: part 1 of 2, Northern Lights Brewing.

Northern Lights Brewing Company of Spokane, Washington is a brewpub with which some folks from the Northwest beer scene, specifically Portland, may not be very familiar. This is because it is a good five to six hours away from Portland, and less than three hours from Missoula, Montana, by car. Located at the heart of the Inland Empire, Northern Lights is an area favorite, with solid craft brews on tap that are also available in bottles and throughout Eastern Wash and the Puget Sound area. Their brewpub is a recommended destination for craft beer lovers visiting Spokane (”capital of the Inland Empire” and the region’s most populated area).

BridgePort Brewing Company Holds 25th Anniversary Block Party

On August 15th from 4 – 10 p.m., Bridgeport Brewing Company will close down NW 13th in the Pearl District to celebrate. The brewery’s 25th anniversary bash will feature live music along with BridgePort beer and food.
One dollar from every beer sold at BridgePort’s 25th anniversary party will go directly to The Portland Audubon Society. BridgePort Brewing Company and the Audubon Society of Portland have been teaming up to bring great beer with a purpose to Portland for more than 20 years. The two businesses first partnered in 1987 to produce BridgePort’s Blue Heron Pale Ale as a special release specifically for the Audubon Society as they were petitioning with the state to name The Great Blue Heron Portland’s official city bird. Over the years BridgePort Brewing Company has donated the use of the Brewpub many times to allow the Audubon Society to kick off new initiatives and celebrate environmental victories.

Having spent the last week in the Eugene area, I have come to realize just how into being local Eugene is. Many restaurants in the area pride themselves in a concern for organic ingredients from area farms. The same can be said of Eugene’s craft beer culture. Eugene has two “major” breweries-Ninaksi and Oakshire-and most places in The Emerald City carry beers (that’s plural) from both. Now when it comes to bars to drink at around town, the first place that often comes to mind for most familiar with the Eugene area is Bier Stein. But there has to be more to the beer scene then just this one fabulous beer spot, right? During this most recent trip to the area, I set out to experience other great places to have worthwhile beers.

Wandering Goat Coffee Co.: Yes, this coffee house has beer on tap-20 to be exact-and they claim that the majority of them are organic. Being located just a short walk from Ninaski, this is an acceptable spot to stop in have a beer and a lite snake while doing some peoplewatching. This place is often teeming with mega-hippies and anarchist hipsters hanging out front. Their Chupacabra espresso is one of the main ingredients in Oakshire’s beloved, heavily caffeinated Stout. This place is definitely a staple in Eugene and if you want to experience radical culture at it’s pinnacle then this is a good place to start.

Sam Bond’s Garage: Being located just a couple of blocks from Ninaksi, Sam Bond’s Garage is a key place to hit up in the evening. There is music most nights and the food served is organic and local. This place has the feel of an old beer hall. Recently, Sam’s tied for third place in The Eugene Weekly for “Best Selection of Beer on Tap” with Eugene City Brewery (Eugene’s Rogue Brewery. Bier Stein, of course got first place) and was also named as one of the best bars in America by Esquire magazine.