It’s approaching that time of year once again when hops are ready for harvest. This year, our five varietals have all grown really well. The wet spring and late arrival of summer benefited the initial growth of our crop though we noticed some mildew on the leaves this year. Aphids, a perennial issue with hop growing, were especially prominent early on, but we noticed less spider mites hanging out on the tops of the bines than we did last year. This is our third year with these rhizomes and it seems they are doing quite well.

The Cascades and Centennials are doing exceptionally good this year and the Goldings, Nuggets, and Willamettes are beginning to bud nicely as well. Looking ahead to the weekend, the Willamette Valley can expect the hottest days of the year so far. Reports have Portland reaching the mid to high 90s on Saturday and Sunday, which is good news for the hops. Just make certain to give them plenty of water.

Growing hops does require a little work in order to ward off mildew, pests, and snags, but in the end, a well maintained hops trellis can be very rewarding and may yield a lot of resinous and spicy cones used for beer and tea brewing.

Posted under beer me

As you might suspect, Brewpublic takes a lot of time and energy. Thankfully, we’ve got some great sponsors who have been supportive of our efforts. Without these proponents who have a love for community and an appreciation for what we do, Brewpublic would be much more difficult to maintain. We don’t do this enough, but we would like to take a minute to thank the following supporters of Brewpublic:

Thanks to these awesome sponsors for their support as well as to past sponsors. If you haven’t visited these businesses or checked out their beer yet, you really should. And, please tell them that Brewpublic referred you.

If you would like to support Brewpublic by becoming a sponsor please visit our Support Us page. It’s a great way to show the Oregon and Northwest craft beer community that you like what you read here while getting great exposure for your business doing so.

Thank you!

Brewpublic

Posted under beer me

Posted under beer me

Looks like another tight race between Portland and Asheville, North Carolina for Beer City USA. Vote now through May 23 for the winner…

Posted under beer awards, beer me, beer to do list

Happy Mother’s Day! We thought it’d be fun to list a few beers that Mom might enjoy on this Sunday afternoon.

New Belgium Mothership Wit: New Belgium Brewing’s first venture into organically-produced beer, Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer is a unique rendition of the tradition Belgian wit style. The term “Mothership”, refers to the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. It also ties in to the inter-connectivity of live and the earth that we call home. To make matters better, Mothership is certified organic by Oregon Tilth. It is a wonderfully zesty brew worthy for mom with wheat and barley malt, as well as coriander and orange peel spicing resulting in a balance of citrus and sour flavors held in suspension by a bright burst of carbonation.

Laurelwood Mother Lode: One of Laurelwood’s lightest and most refreshing ales, the Mother Lode is a perfect-for-spring golden ale with a nice grassy hopped nose and a crisp bready finish. Sipping through the moderate eggshell white head, Mom can discover a hint of floral hops in the aroma as well. Of course, she wants to enjoy more than one beer on her special day, and Mother Lode is perfect for her sessioning pleasure. As the brewery states, this beer “eliminates the need for training wheels,” so you can enjoy one too, junior.

Oskar Blues Mamas Little Yella Pils: Another delicious Colorado craft beer, this one from the town of Lyons, is the brewery’s first lager produced with their 20-barrel brewhouse. This pilsner is a clear golden color pouring a rich white head. Four additions of Saaz hops lend a spicy-floral hop component more pronounced than most traditional pilsners. To make matters even better, Mama’s Little Yella Pils is available in 12-ounce cans. This means Mom and you can enjoy one camping, hiking, or just relaxing in the yard.

Rogue MoM Hefeweizen:  Also referred to as “Half-E-Weizen”, this brew is a special twist on the hefe brew. “Dedicated to the Mom in each of us. Mom Hefeweizen is a refreshing, unfiltered fusion of wheat and Northwest Harrington malts, coriander, ginger, and Saaz hops in the Belgium style” says Rogue. The mesh of spicy and flavorsome ingredients lends itself to another sunny day beer for the woman of all women. At about six percent alcohol by volume, this brew is distinctively smooth yet prickly and effervescent on the tongue. Available in 22-ounce bottles or on draught at most of Rogue’s taprooms. Named for Port of Newport director Mo Niemi,(owner of Mo’s restaurant chain, long recognized as an “Oregon institution”, Mo was as well known for her generous spirit as for her clam chowder), an inspiration to the founders of the Newport brewery. Cheers to great women and great beer!

Whatever Mom’s preference in beer, make sure to celebrate her every day. After all, where would you be without her?

Posted under beer me

….says the behemoth breweries. It goes along with the old joke “The doctor told me I can only have one beer a day.” So, here’s a picture forwarded to us from Brewpublic Marc. Too bad it isn’t a Fort George Vortex or a Caldera Amber.

The doctor ordered his patient to have not more than one drink a day.

The next week the patient reported that he was following orders and was up to March, 2015.

Posted under beer me

Brewpublic has just received news of what beers New Old Lompoc will be providing for thirsty crawling for this Saturday’s BrewPubliCrawl at their Hedge House location.

The beers at the Hedge House will include: Batch 69 (a Baltic Porter), Saison the Beach, Old Tavern Mouse (a small beer version of the Old Tavern Rat), and a vintage keg of Simcoe Survivor Belgian IPA.

Brewer Zach Beckwith from the NW 23rd location will be on hand to meet and greet the crawls when they arrive.

The New Old Lompoc Brewers (Zach Beckwith in yellow)

The Hedge House is also a great stop to grab some food if you get hungry and also has a great outdoor patio. The weather is expected to be sunny and about 70 degrees Fahrenheit!

If you are planning on attending the BrewPubliCrawl paying in cash would really help the bars and save time for everyone. Please know your limits. There’s a lot of beer to be had. Make arrangements in advance if you need a ride. Designated drivers, taxi cabs, and public transportation are encouraged. Pace yourself and have fun! The Hedge House is only the second stop of the crawl. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Hedge House is the second stop of the crawl and is located at 3412 Southeast Division Street. Meet brewer Zach Beckwith here between 1:30-3PM Saturday March 20, 2010.

Posted under beer events, beer me, beer news

We just made a small run of Brewpublic t-shirts that we plan on having available at Saturday’s March 20 BrewPubliCrawl. If you would like to purchase one please email Margaret at Brewpublic dot com. The last run we did were gone in one day.

These are 100% pre-shrunk cotton Gildan t-shirts screened by Portland’s Black Jack Graphics. These handsome shirts are $15. They are available in S, M, L, XL, XXL.

Also available are one-of-a-kind Brewpublic sweatbands with our chic logo. These are for sale for $5.

All proceeds of sales go to continuing this kick-ass beer website. Thank you humbly for your support of Brewpublic!

Posted under beer events, beer me, beer to do list

Brewpublic had an awesome evening last night as guests on Geek in the City Radio from the site that was recognized by the Willamette Week as thee ““Blog That Isn’t a Total Waste of Time”. Geek in the City, founded by Aaron Duran, a multifaceted dude with his finger on the pulse of pop culture and a champion of the basement dwellers. Duran, when not serving as lead dog of Portland’s coolest comic shop, Things From Another World, is an independent filmmaker, and has his hands in various media.

On Geek in the City’s podcasted radio show, Duran and his venerable radio crew consisting of Scott Dally and Dan Clark delve into all things geek related. Dally and Duran started Film Fever Radio dedicated to topics surrounding movie culture and were regularly featured on the popular Rick Emerson Radio Show. Clark is a pirate enthusiast also known as Captain Redgoat and runs PDXYAR Portland Pirate Gaming and runs things at Guardian Games. He is also quite the beer geek, but claims his wife is an even more brew obsessed.

Since the expansion into all things within the realm of geekdom, the crew took us aboard to re-realize our extreme obsession with craft beer. For this fun show recorded at Things From Another World–an amazing setting with figurines, thematic candies, toys, and more comics than one could ever read in a lifetime (though Duran probably has read most of them).

Going into this experience, we didn’t know what to expect. Would these guys come off as Jeff Albertsons and was I stepping into The Android’s Dungeon & Baseball Card Shop? The contrary. These geeks did give us a little razzing for swirling and sniffing my beer, but were quite understanding and receptive considering their own pleasurable pastimes.  Further, these guys like beer. Seeing as how it was St. Patrick’s Day, Duran brought a six pack of Smithwick’s Ale and was adorned in slick Green Lantern attire. Our bewhiskered matey Clark, who looked like your everyday Portland brew dude, was sporting a Rogue Ales hat (still a pirate-appropo adornment) and brought a bottle of Upright Brewing’s Oyster Stout (also pirate friendly).

For the interview, we brought some of our favorite Oregon geek beers: 2007 Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws, 2007 Hair of the Dog Fred from the Wood, Cascade Sang Noir Sang Rouge, and Full Sail Bourbon Top Sail. Everyone had a great time and the beers were excellent. The highlight of the night for us was drinking from an Aquaman pint glass. We look forward to joining the Geeks on the show in the near future. Thanks lads!

Do yourself a favor and visit GeekInTheCity.com now! Comic book nerds, D&D dorks, and all who love fun stuff like that, you MUST pay a visit to Things From Another World (4133 NE Sandy Boulevard), Portland’s best comic shop since 1979. The geeks shall inherit the earth! Prost!

Posted under Oregon beer, beer me

Posted under beer me