HOP PURSUIT A NEW BREWMASTER RESERVE BEER FROM FULL SAIL BREWING COMPANY

Hood River, Or – As the sun rises earlier and stays out longer, the Full Sail crew celebrates the coming of spring and the sprouting of this year’s hop crop with a new beer in their Brewmaster Reserve line-up. Hop Pursuit is a crisp, orange blonde extra pale ale with a medium malt body that’s chased by a ton of hop flavor and zing of bitterness. It was
brewed with the less aggressive, old school craft brewing hops- Cascade, Willamette, and Mt. Hood- to celebrate more of the hop flavor and less of the hop bitterness. These give the beer a nice and fresh citrus herbal character without a lot of intensity; instead it has a softly flavorful character with touches of orange and lemon.  The beer was dry
hopped for two weeks to amplify these delicate hop flavors. It will be available in specialty beer stores and pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest from March to June in 22oz bottles and draft. ABV 6% IBUs: 55
The next beer in Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve line up will be Spotless IPA to be released in June.  For a full list of Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve Beers please visit http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/FullSailBrewmasterCalendar.pdf

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment 47 specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer.  Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA,
Pale, LTD, Session and Session Black Premium lager. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 22 years. Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in nineteen states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week.  Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view. www.fullsailbrewing.com

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Congressman Peter DeFazio to Deliver Keynote Address at Craft Brewers Conference

Brewers Association Event Takes Place April 7-10 in Chicago

Boulder, CO • March 4, 2010—Keynote speaker Congressman Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) will officially open the Brewers Association’s (BA) Craft Brewers Conference (CBC) in Chicago, Illinois on April 8, 2010. More than 1,600 of the world’s leading brewers, brewery owners and brewing supply professionals are expected at this year’s CBC.

As a long-time homebrewer and craft beer enthusiast, Congressman DeFazio brings real beer and brewing credentials to the annual gathering of brewers. As a legislator, he also understands the importance of ensuring that the voice of small brewers is heard on Capitol Hill.

This awareness lead Congressman DeFazio to co-found and co-chair the House Small Brewers Caucus in Washington, D.C. Bringing together more than 60 U.S. Representatives, the Caucus serves to educate Congress about the unique issues and challenges faced by America’s small brewery businesses.

Congressman DeFazio has also championed the cause of small brewers through his early and influential support of H.R. 4278, the graduated excise tax reduction legislation now under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Congressman DeFazio is a true advocate for small brewers, and we’re extremely fortunate to have him join us in Chicago” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association. “He has a real passion for the breweries, the brewers and the beer, and he truly understands the unique issues of our industry. Introducing him to the 1,600+ brewers attending CBC will be a real pleasure.”

“American small brewers are true craftsmen, producing some of the finest beers in the world. As a home brewer myself, I have a deep appreciation for the quality of their work. But, perhaps more important than their fine beers, is their place in local communities. These small business men and women create jobs and economic activity, and are an integral part of local community culture. I am pleased to have the opportunity to speak to this growing group of innovative business leaders,” Congressman DeFazio said.

About the Craft Brewers Conference

The Craft Brewers Conference is known for attracting renowned brewing industry professionals and supporters, such as Congressman DeFazio, as keynote speakers. The CBC is the nation’s largest annual gathering of the professional brewing industry. This year’s event takes place April 7-10 at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers.

Conference workshop presenters cover more than 30 topics ranging from technical brewing to how to manage and market a brewery. A complete list of speakers and selected seminar topics is available at CraftBrewersConference.com.

Also at the CBC this year is the BA’s World Beer Cup®, an international beer competition held every two years. Awards for this competition will be presented on Saturday evening, April 10 at the World Beer Cup gala awards ceremony and dinner.

An additional component of the Craft Brewers Conference is BrewExpo America, the nation’s largest trade show for the craft brewing industry, featuring more than 180 of the top vendors in the industry. Attendees will also enjoy numerous social opportunities to sample the diversity of beers available in the Chicago area.

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Deschutes Brewery Releases New “Hop in the Dark” Cascadian Dark Ale

New “Black I.P.A.” style beer has been under development for more than one year

04 March 2010 – Bend, Oregon – What takes 22 brews and more than a year of experiments to reach perfection? Deschutes Brewery’s newest Bond Street Series release: Hop in the Dark Cascadian Dark Ale (C.D.A.). C.D.A. is a new style of beer that emerged recently in the Pacific Northwest, more widely known as a Black I.P.A. There has been a significant movement and debate in the region to call the style C.D.A., and Deschutes Brewery leads the way with Hop in the Dark.

This ominous looking liquid combines prominent Northwest hops with roasted malts to create a black tinted India Pale Ale type beer. Hop in the Dark aromas come from Cascade, Amarillo, Citra and Centennial hops that float over a gentle undercurrent of velvet malt complexities.

“We’ve been serving renditions of this beer in both our Bend and Portland pubs for over a year, experimenting on our customers as we perfected the recipe,” said Brewmaster Larry Sidor. “This beer has subtle coffee undertones born from a blend of oats with dark, Munich and crystal malts. Classic IPA flavors and aromas are due to courageous additions of various hops.”

Hop in the Dark is the latest to join Deschutes Brewery’s Bond Street Series, which originally rose up from the hundreds of beers the brewery has tried out on friends and critics at the Downtown Bend Pub. These local favorites, old and new, are brewed in small batches a few times a year, displaying Deschutes Brewery’s diversity and creativity.

Deschutes Brewery invites beer lovers to take the plunge – a hop, if you will – into this new Dark Cascadian Ale. Many may never even try to swim for shore. Available across the western U.S. in 22 oz bottles and on draft from late May through September.

About Deschutes Brewery

Located in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery is in the business of daring people to expect more from their beer. That’s why we started off in 1988, on the banks of the Deschutes River here in Bend, Oregon, by selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to push the envelope, especially if it makes someone nervous. But for us, the highest praise is a raised glass and a toast of “Bravely Done!” For more information about Deschutes Brewery and its courageously crafted beers, please visit www.DeschutesBrewery.com.

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pELICAN PUB & bREWERY TO BEGIN SELF-DISTRIBUTION

TO PORTLAND THIS WEEK

Pacific City, Ore.—The Pelican Pub & Brewery in Pacific City will begin self-distributing its beer in the Portland area starting this week.  Until now, only the Pelican’s bottled India Pelican Ale (IPA) has been available in select stores. However, in June 2009, the legislature passed a new state law allowing brewpub licensees to distribute their own beer, thereby allowing more brewpub breweries to self-distribute their beer.

“We are thrilled about this expansion,” said Brewmaster Darron Welch.  “Because we will be distributing Pelican beer to Portland ourselves, there will be a better selection, it will be fresher and we expect the price for our accounts and our consumers to come down.”

Due to the small size of the Pelican Pub & Brewery and the large size of the Portland market, Welch said his staff will need to focus on the current outlets first and will then shift to new accounts after that.  A variety of Pelican beer can always be ordered online at www.pelicanbrewery.com.

The Pelican Pub and Brewery, located 22 miles south of Tillamook on the majestic Oregon Coast, has become a Northwest landmark for craft beer and fine food enthusiasts. The oceanfront facility includes an outdoor patio and banquet room with unobstructed views of Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock. Celebrating its 13th year in Pacific City, the Pelican has created countless masterpieces such as Kiwanda Cream Ale, which was named to DRAFT Magazine’s Top 25 Beers in the World of 2008 and 2009.  Other award-winning brews include India Pelican Ale, MacPelican’s Scottish-Style Ale, Tsunami Stout and Doryman’s Dark. The three-time Great American Beer Festival “Brewpub of the Year” winner is open seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more information, call 503-965-7007 or visit www.PelicanBrewery.com

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PYRAMID CELEBRATES SUMMER’S ARRIVAL WITH THE RETURN OF CURVE BALL™ BLONDE ALE

A Deceptively Delicious Diversion

SEATTLE, WA – March 2, 2010 – Sliding into summer and satisfying the demand of those searching for a thirst quenching craft beer to cool the heat, Pyramid Breweries announces the triumphant return of Curve Ball Blonde Ale.

The deceptively drinkable golden summer seasonal is a crisp, clean-tasting, cold lagered ale.  Exemplifying the blonde ale style, Curve Ball pours a beautiful bright golden hue and offers the balanced, refreshing taste perfect for accompanying summer adventures.  Curve Ball delivers a clean, refined malt body, ideal for pairing with timeless summertime treats and BBQ traditions.  Accentuated with subtle herbal and spicy characteristics, thanks to Vanguard and Perle hops, this seasonal offering finishes dry and crisp.

“Curve Ball is a classic representation of a quality craft beer embodying the season in which it’s poured,” said Mike Brown, Commissioner of Inspiration and Aspiration for Pyramid Breweries.  “From the first sip of the season, all the way into summer’s prime – this deceptively delicious beer delivers on full-flavor while providing the perfect companion to all warm weather festivities.”

Available from April through July, Curve Ball will be offered in 12oz and 22oz bottles, 6-packs, and 12-packs as well as on draft.  Curve Ball will also be featured as the seasonal star of Pyramid’s Summer Variety 12-Pack, alongside of three year-round offerings – Audacious™ Apricot Ale, ThunderHead® IPA and Pyramid’s Haywire® Hefeweizen – the standard by which all other wheat beers are judged1.

Curve Ball Blonde Ale is one of four offerings in Pyramid’s strong seasonal portfolio featuring Fling™ Pale Ale (Spring), Juggernaut™ Red Ale (Fall), and Snow Cap® Ale (Winter).

CURVE BALL BLONDE ALE – A DECEPTIVELY DELICIOUS DIVERSION

Availability:     April – July
Style:         Blonde Ale
Malts:                   2-Row, Malted Wheat
Hops:                   Vanguard, Perle
ABV:         5.0%
IBU:                      18
Food Pairings:    Seafood and Grilled Brats

Gold medal in the American-Style Wheat Beer with Yeast category at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival

About Pyramid Brewing Co.

Pyramid Brewing Co. is a leading brewer of specialty, full-flavored craft beers produced under the Pyramid family of ales and lagers.  Pyramid beers continue to be honored by beer drinkers and judges having received 22 medals at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), including a gold medal awarded to Haywire Hefeweizen in 2009 as well as the honor of Mid-size Brewery of the Year in 2008.  The brewery has also been awarded seven medals in international competition at the World Beer Cup.

With breweries in Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, and Berkeley, CA, the Company owns Alehouses at all three locations as well as two additional Pyramid Alehouses in Walnut Creek and Sacramento, CA.

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GOOSE ISLAND’S MATILDA MAKES HER WAY WEST

Award winning spicy Belgian Pale Ale is now available to beer connoisseurs in the West

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MACTARNAHAN’S BREWING COMPANY INTRODUCES SPINE TINGLER TM

A GOLDEN BELGIAN-STYLE TRIPLE….SERIOUS BACKBONE REQUIRED…

Portland, OR- FEBRUARY 23, 2010-  MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company, brewers of Portland’s original Amber Ale,  (2009 Great American Beer Festival Gold Medal) introduces Spine Tingler to compliment a growing portfolio of distinct, bold, and original offerings.

Spine Tingler is a shockingly sublime Belgian-style triple offering an electrifying blend of spicy aromatics balanced with a lively malt palate that is so good it’s scary!  In the tradition of  Belgian-style Triples, Spine Tingler’s complex, but mild spicy character with an additional hint of clove and esters lends itself to be enjoyed during these emerging brighter days of the spring season.  “With Spine Tingler we’re offering an interpretation of a Golden Belgian-Style Triple that combines the use of 2 malts, Northern Brewer and Perle hop varieties, the addition of candied sugar, resulting  in a beer meant to reward big beer enthusiasts (having serious backbones!) with a most interesting and memorable drinking experience”,  says Mark Carver, Director of Pontification and Tale Telling at MacTarnahan’s Brewing.

Spine Tingler  is the third offering in a new series of specialty 22oz big bottle beers from MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co. It follows the successful release of both Lip Stinger TM, a farm house ale fermented with peppercorn and Goose Bump TM, an Imperial Stout w/ coffee. Spine Tingler is the third release in a series of four beers that will be released annually and available only in limited quantities of draft and 22 oz. bottles.

Spine Tingler will be available March through May or while supplies last.  Available in both bars and retail stores, Spine Tingler will also be  featured on draft at the brewery’s own alehouses in Portland, Seattle, Berkeley, Walnut Creek, and Sacramento.  Spine Tingler can be found anywhere MacTarnahan’s other award winning beers are featured in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Alaska.

Spine Tingler Quick Facts:

Malts:  Pilsner Malt, and Wheat

Hops: Northern Brewer, and Perle

Other:  Candied Sugar

IBU:  23

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INDIE HOPS PARTNERS WITH THE 4^th ANNUAL DANA POINT GRAND PRIX OF CYCLING AS TITLE SPONSOR FOR 2010

THE DANA POINT GRAND PRIX OF CYCLING IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE TITLE SPONSORSHIP OF INDIE HOPS FOR THIS YEAR’S USA CYCLING NRC SANCTIONED EVENT APRIL 10-11.

DANA POINT, CALIFORNIA (FEB 23, 2010) –  The Dana Point Community Cycling Foundation (DPCCF) is pleased to announce a new title sponsor for the the 4^th Annual Dana Point Grand Prix: Indie Hops, an aroma hops merchant headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

Indie Hops (www.indiehops.com) supplies Oregon-grown aroma hops to craft brewers nationwide. “Craft beer and action sports go hand in hand,” said Indie Hops owner Roger Worthington. “We think a well- hopped beverage, loaded with xanthohumol and quercetin, is a vital recovery drink for athletes and anyone else who wishes to live life well.”

This year the DPGP will feature the “Killer Cove” time trial on Saturday, April 10^th.  The 2.3 mile circuit will test the racers’ speed, power, descending, climbing and bike handling. The racers will hit speeds of over 45 mph as they enter Harbor Drive, but will drop below 10 mph as they soldier up and over Cove Road, which features an 18% grade.

The criterium on Sunday, April 11^th, will again attract the nation’s top professional and amateur racers. The six turn criterium, which winds through neighborhoods above the bluff overlooking the harbor, ramps up down Pacific Coast Highway (Del Prado) and finishes near Heritage Park, will host a series of public, kids, amateur and pro races from 7 am to 5 pm.

The DPGP has quickly gained accolades among athletes and sports fans as one of the top racing events in the U.S.  In addition to offering world class action on the race course, the DPGP showcases rock and roll music, a beer garden hosted by Karl Strauss Brewery, a vendor area, an In ‘n Out Burgers mobile kitchen and a Fan Zone Expo.  The kids races again promise to be a big hit for the entire family – don’t forget to bring your camera!

“If you like fast action, good music, happy kids, carbon fiber, cheeseburgers, sensational craft beer and watching elite athletes push themselves beyond the limit, then you’re going to want to bring your friends and family down here for the whole day, ” said Worthington, who also double times as voice of the race and the President of the DPCCF.

Indie Hops recently announced its sponsorship of an aroma hops breeding program at Oregon State University. “Our vision for next year’s event is to work with Oregon State to hold a hop sensory panel, featuring Southern California’s top craft brewers,” said Worthington. “The idea is to drive science, unlock the mysteries of hops, play hard and have a whole lotta fun.”

USA Cycling, the governing body of professional and amateur competitive cycling in the U.S., created the National Racing Calendar (NRC) in 1997 as a series of 27 races throughout North America in prestigious cities as Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, St Louis and Dana Point to recognize top pro-level talent in America.

The Dana Point Grand Prix of Cycling is organized by the Dana Point Community Cycling Foundation, a 501 c(3) non-profit corporation with a mission of community cycling advocacy and growth. All proceeds will be donated to charity. In prior years, portion of the proceeds from the race have been donated to the Dana Point Boys & Girls Club and the 5^th US Marine Support Regiment. In 2010, Indie Hops is also sponsoring the Cascade Cycling Classic and the Mt. Hood Cycling classic.

For more information about the courses and registration, please visit  www.danapointgrandprix.com . To learn more hops and craft beer, please visit www.indiehops.com

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Full Sail Brewing Company Releases Brewmaster Reserve Full Sail Imperial Stout

Hood River, Or – The Full Sail brewers have been busy spending the dark days of winter brewing the latest beer in their Brewmaster Reserve series, Imperial Stout. Full Sail Imperial Stout is a hearty brew, black as night with a strong roasted malt character and full body. The chocolate and caramel nuances from the malt blend with the hops for a
wonderfully smooth Imperial Stout.  It will be available in specialty beer stores and pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest from mid-February to March in 22oz bottles and draft.  ABV 8% IBUs: 65

Every year the Full Sail crew brews an imperial style dark ale, releases half the batch and racks the rest in oak bourbon casks where it ages in the cellar until its release next year.  The balance of this year’s Imperial Stout is now resting in 18 and 19 year old bourbon casks from Heaven Hill.  Full Sail Imperial Stout is an ideal cellar beer, so be sure to save a few bottles to compare to next year’s bourbon release. The next beer in Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve line up will be Hop
Pursuit Extra Pale Ale to be released in March.  For a full list of Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve Beers please visit
http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/FullSailBrewmasterCalendar.pdf

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment 47 specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer.  Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA,
Pale, LTD, Session and Session Black Premium lager. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 22 years. Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in nineteen states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week.  Swing by for a pint,
grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view. www.fullsailbrewing.com

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Brewers Association Launches CraftBeer.com

Boulder, Colo.  — The Brewers Association, the trade association representing the majority of U.S. brewing companies, has just launched CraftBeer.com to celebrate the ever-growing interest in craft brewers and their liquid libations. The new site is a consumer portal providing information and community interaction for craft beer enthusiasts everywhere.

“Beer from small and independent craft brewers seems to have everyone—from wine lovers and famous chefs¹ to restaurateurs and celebrities—talking about craft beer,” said Julia Herz, a spokesperson for the Brewers Association. “CraftBeer.com is an extension of that conversation. The site serves everyone, from the beer beginner to the budding beer enthusiast, highlighting the culture, authenticity and broad spectrum of beer from today’s craft brewers.”

Key areas of the website include:

• Beer and Food: This dynamic web area includes information on pairing, serving with and cooking using craft beer. Search through beer and food recipes, comment on those posted or post a personal favorite.
• Stories: Today’s craft beer revolution centers around the more than 1,400 small and independent breweries that have come of age as the U.S. beer culture has matured beyond light American lager to more robust beer styles.
• Beerology: Information is provided on everything from beer and health to selecting the optimal glass for your favorite style of beer.
• Brewery Tours: The majority of Americans live within 10 miles of a brewery. In this section, the user can experience virtual tours of craft breweries from the perspective of the brewers and visitors.
• Style Finder: Given the variety of beer styles available, this area provides an overview of the six main categories of today’s lagers and ales, which are divided into sub-categories and then finally into more than 50 individual beer styles.
• Get Local: This area is rich with resources for enjoying craft beer close to home, including arguably the world’s most extensive directory of the more than 1,500 breweries in the U.S.
• News & Events: Visitors to this section will find out about craft beer dinners, new beers in the marketplace and happenings at breweries, among other news.

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Rogue Dog and Brew Festival

NEWPORT, OR, February 16, 2010 – Rogue Ales Brewery will host the 4th Annual Brewer’s Memorial Ale Festival on May 21-23 in Newport, OR in honor of Brewer, our revered Chairman and resident black lab who passed away in May 2006.  The largest dog-friendly beer festival in the world, this year’s event will include 50+ microbreweries, live music, local seafood, and dog-inspired entertainment.  Proceeds from the event will benefit local animal charities Oregon Coast Therapy Animals and the Central Coast Humane Society.

Held inside the Rogue brewery where Brewer grew up, dogs can participate in Doggie Musical Chairs, Dog Dancing, and Celebrity Dog Look-alike contests.  Canines can also enjoy a variety of dog food and dog accessories.  Humane Society volunteers will host a dog washing station outside within a fenced dog run area overlooking scenic Yaquina Bay.

Over 50 world class microbrews from Oregon, Washington and California will be poured including Allagash, Amnesia, Anderson Valley, Bear Republic, Block 15, Boundary Bay, Calapooia, Caldera, Diamond Knot, Eugene City Brewery, Fort George, Issaquah Brewhouse, Laurelwood, Max’s Fanno Creek Brewpub, Ninkasi, Pelican, Rogue Ales, Skagit River, Standing Stone, Steelhead, and more.

Non-canines will enjoy tours of the Rogue Brewery that includes the new 3150 square foot cooler.  The House of Spirits, Rogue’s craft distillery located next door to the brewery, will also offer tours and tastings of its award-winning spirits like Spruce Gin, Hazelnut Spice Rum and Dead Guy Whiskey.

The festival will also showcase crafts from local artisans, cuisine from area restaurants like Mo’s and Local Ocean, and live music on Saturday with the Ty Curtis Band.

Entry to this 21+ event is $10 which includes a souvenir mug and taster tokens.  Dogs get in free when accompanied by a human.  Rogue Ales Brewery is located on the Yaquina Bay at 2320 OSU Drive, Newport, OR 97365.  Festival hours are Friday, 4-10pm, Saturday, 12-10pm and Sunday, 12-4pm.  For more details, go to www.brewersalefest.com.

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OSU receives $1 million gift for hops breeding and chemistry research

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon’s vibrant craft beer industry received a major boost this week with the announcement that a new aroma hop breeding program will be created in the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University.

A gift pledge of $807,000 from Indie Hops, an Oregon-based hop merchant, will support the new program, which will be led by Shaun Townsend, a research associate and hop breeding specialist at OSU.

Indie Hops already has provided $200,000 to OSU’s Thomas Shellhammer, holder of the Nor’Wester Professorship in Fermentation Science, to foster research in new techniques for developing aroma hops and to study aroma hop chemistry. The new hop breeding program will work closely with Shellhammer’s lab to study hop essential oil composition and how individual oil components impart the characteristic flavor and aroma to beer.

Indie Hops has now committed more than $1 million through the Agricultural Research Foundation to strengthen existing hop research at OSU, specifically addressing the needs of both the craft beer industry and Oregon aroma hop growers. If initial work suggests that there is a good possibility for development of varieties that are desirable to the craft brewing industry, Indie Hops has reserved the right to enter into a research contract with OSU for additional work, Worthington said.

“As the craft beer movement continues to gather speed, the time is right to begin a hop breeding program that is focused on serving the craft brewer’s need for new hops that push the flavor and aroma envelope,” said Roger Worthington, owner of Indie Hops.

“Indie Hops believes that Oregon State has the skill, experience and passion to bring home new hop varieties that will take craft beer to new and loftier heights,” he added.

Oregon is one of the premier aroma hop growing regions in the United States, according to Townsend.

“When you consider the hop research programs and expertise already in place at OSU and USDA-Agricultural Research Service, and that we are neighbors with both the aroma hop growers and craft beer industry, the potential we have to solve problems affecting this industry is outstanding,” Townsend said.

OSU and USDA already collaborate on hop research programs to address disease and insect problems, hop chemistry and its relation to beer quality, and the genetic basis for quality traits. In facilities near the OSU campus, USDA researchers maintain the nation’s largest collection of hops plants and genetic material.

“Oregon State University has a long and strong history of hops related research,” Shellhammer said.  “An unrestricted gift of this size will allow OSU to help strengthen the U.S. hops industry as we investigate what factors lead to better aroma hops, the type of hops which are a cornerstone of the American craft brewing movement.”

“We are excited that there is now a world-class hops research and breeding program focused on the vibrant craft brewing market, and it’s at a public university in the heart of the USA’s premium aroma hops region,” said Indie Hops CEO Jim Solberg.  “OSU will be able to build on their considerable base of knowledge and share new findings with researchers from many disciplines.”

The new hop breeding program will be housed in the Department of Crop and Soil Science at OSU; the fermentation science program is in the Department of Food Sciences and Technology.

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Rogue Spirits Win 3 Golds

GENEVA, Switzerland, February 8, 2010 – Rogue Spirits was the most honored distillery at the 2009/2010 World Beverage Competition, winning a total of six medals including three GOLD in competition with the top distillers from over 30 countries in “The Largest Beverage Competition in the World.”

The World Beverage Competition was founded on the premise that beverage products should be judged not by the strength of their marketing or the budget of their sales force, but rather on the quality and innovation of the product itself.  All spirits in the World Beverage Competition are judged by a panel of industry experts from 6 different continents in a double blind tasting method.

Rogue Spirits won three GOLD medals for Spruce Gin, Dead Guy Whiskey and Dark Rum. Other competition participants included Tanqueray, Bacardi, Corsair and Svedka.

Rogue’s Spruce Gin won the GOLD Medal in the flavored gin category. Spruce Gin is distilled using 12 Ingredients: Cucumbers, Angelica Root, Orange Peel, Coriander, Lemon Peel, Ginger, Orris Root, Grains Of Paradise, Tangerine, Juniper Berries, and Free Range Coastal Water. Rogue Spruce Gin was also a Double Gold medal winner at the 2009 and the 2008 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Dead Guy Whiskey won a GOLD Medal in the whisky competition. Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey is distilled using 6 ingredients: Northwest Harrington, Klages, Carastan and Rogue Micro Barley Farm DareTM Malts, Distiller’s Yeast and Free Range Coastal Water Dead Guy Whiskey was also a Gold medal winner at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Rogue’s Dark Rum won a GOLD Medal in the dark rum category. Rogue Dark Rum was distilled using 3 ingredients: 100% Pure Hawaiian Cane Sugar, Distillers Yeast and Free Range Coastal Water. Dark Rum also received a Gold medal at the 2009 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

In October Rogue will sponsor the 6th Annual Great American Distillers Festival – a gathering of small distilleries from across the country who come to Oregon, the Mecca of craft distilling, to share their products, their passion, and their expertise in hand-crafting spirits.

Celebrating six years of distilling, Rogue Spirits creates award winning multi-ingredient small batch spirits, artisan distilled in traditional hand-crafted copper pot stills. Rogue Spirits have 75+ awards for taste and quality and is distributed in 35 states and four countries. No chemicals, additives or preservatives are used. Visit our website at WWW.ROGUE.COM for more information.

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FEBRUARY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE

PELICAN PUB & BREWERY IN PACIFIC CITY, OREGON

Kiwanda Cream Ale Named to Draft Magazine’s Top 25 Beers of 2008

The Pelican Pub & Brewery’s Kiwanda Cream Ale was named to DRAFT Magazine’s Top Beers in the World of 2009 list for the second year in a row.  Kiwanda Cream Ale is one of only three beers from 2008 to make it on the 2009 list and the only Northwest brew to return for a second year. In the tasting notes, DRAFT says Kiwanda, “…continues to be the one beer every beer drinker should stock in their fridge.”  DRAFT also praises the light-bodied flavor and adds “…there is not a more refreshing beer in America today.”  To see the full list, please go to http://www.draftmag.com/magazine/articles/114.

Pelican Introduces New Belgian-Style Brew, Raz de Rouge

The Pelican is currently working on a one-off Belgian-style beer called Raz de Rouge.  This brew features a complex, fruity aromatic character with notes of sweet spices, toasty malt, caramel and toffee.  A rich, malt-driven flavor profile emphasizes soft caramel flavors with a subtle hop presence.  A background tart character rounds out the finish.  Raz de Rouge is naturally carbonated by re-fermentation in the keg, and completely unfiltered.  Enjoy this unique Belgian-style beer while it lasts because only five kegs of it were produced.  It will be available at the Pelican around the middle of the month.

Riptide Red Available February 12

The seasonal brew, Riptide Red will be available on draft at the Pelican beginning February 12.

Inspired by the traditional red ales of Ireland, Riptide Red has a beautiful amber-red color and a medium bodied presence. This spring seasonal has a malt aroma reminiscent of light toffee and caramel, and a subtle floral bouquet. The lush aroma gives way to a full, rounded malty flavor with caramel notes, and a smooth, well-balanced finish. Riptide Red is the Pelican’s local tribute to Irish heritage.

The Pelican has the Perfect Valentine’s Gift for the Beer Lover

Cupid would like to present you with his recommendation for a Valentine’s Day gift for the beer lover: Belgian-style beers from the Pelican Pub & Brewery.  Each of these brews provide a rich taste but with the carbonation (and pop) of champagne.  They are a great alternative to champagne and pair extremely well with chocolate—just an added bonus.  Cupid would also like to remind you that these same Pelican Belgian-style beers have won multiple international awards.  To order, visit www.pelicanbrewery.com.

Oregon’s Second Zwickelmania

On February 13, the Pelican Pub & Brewery is participating with dozens of Oregon breweries and brewpubs in the state’s second Zwickelmaia, an open house sponsored by the Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG).  This free statewide event offers visitors a chance to tour Oregon breweries, meet the brewers themselves and sample a variety of beers.  The event is modeled after the open houses held by Oregon wineries over Memorial Day and Thanksgiving weekends.  And where did the name Zwickelmania come from?  A zwickel refers to the special sample valve found on brewery vessels.  Tasting beer from the zwickel is like getting tastes from wine barrels using a wine thief.

For this event, the Pelican will have a fresh batch of Riptide Red available on draft as well as samples of Kiwanda Cream Ale, India Pelican Ale, Doryman’s Dark and maybe even a new batch of Saison du Pelican.    For more information about Zwickelmania, visit http://oregonbeer.org/zwickelmania/.

February Brewery Events

• KLCC Brew Fest (February 12-13)
• Zwickelmania (February 13)

The Pelican Pub and Brewery, located 22 miles south of Tillamook on the majestic Oregon Coast, has become a Northwest landmark for craft beer and fine food enthusiasts. The oceanfront facility includes an outdoor patio and banquet room with unobstructed views of Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock. Celebrating its 11^th year in Pacific City, the Pelican has created masterpieces such as Kiwanda Cream Ale, India Pelican Ale, MacPelican’s Scottish Ale, Tsunami Stout and Doryman’s Dark. The three-time Great American Beer Festival “Brewpub of the Year” winner is open seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more information, call 503-965-7007 or visit ww.PelicanBrewery.com.

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Pelican Pub & Brewery’s Kiwanda Cream Ale

Named Again to DRAFT Magazine’s Annual Top 25 Beers List

Pacific City, Ore.—The Pelican Pub & Brewery’s Kiwanda Cream Ale was named to DRAFT Magazine’s Top Beers in the World of 2009 list for the second year in a row.  Kiwanda Cream Ale is one of only three beers from 2008 to make it on the 2009 list and the only Northwest brew to return for a second year in 2009.

In the tasting notes, DRAFT says Kiwanda, “…continues to be the one beer every beer drinker should stock in their fridge.”  DRAFT also praises the light-bodied flavor and adds “…there is not a more refreshing beer in America today.”

Other Northwest breweries that made the list this year include Deschutes Brewery for “Mirror Mirror,” Cascade Brewing Co. for “Vlad the Imp Aler” and Hair of the Dog Brewing for “Adam.”

To see the full list, please go to http://www.draftmag.com/magazine/articles/114.

The Pelican Pub and Brewery, located 22 miles south of Tillamook on the majestic Oregon Coast, has become a Northwest landmark for craft beer and fine food enthusiasts. The oceanfront facility includes an outdoor patio and banquet room with unobstructed views of Cape Kiwanda and Haystack Rock. Celebrating its 12^th year in Pacific City, the Pelican has created masterpieces such as Kiwanda Cream Ale, India Pelican Ale, MacPelican’s Scottish Ale, Tsunami Stout and Doryman’s Dark. The three-time Great American Beer Festival “Brewpub of the Year” winner is open seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. For more information, call 503-965-7007 or visit ww.PelicanBrewery.com.

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CASCADE NAMED IN DRAFT MAGAZINE’S TOP 25 BEERS OF 2009

We were thrilled to learn that our Vlad the Imp Aler was named a Top 25 Beer of 2009 from the editors over at Draft Magazine, putting it in an elite category with other craft beers from around the world. The Top 25 article appears in the January/February issue of Draft Magazine. This marks the second year in a row Draft Magazine has bestowed this honor on one of Cascade’s beers; Cascade Apricot Ale was named a winner from 2008.

A wild-yeast blended beer, Vlad the Imp Aler is a Belgian Strong Pale Ale derived from a blend of oak barrel-aged 23- and 25-degree Plato sour blonde quadruppel, sour bourbon barrel tripel and sour strong spiced blonde (9.5% abv). This is the second award for this beer, which received a silver medal at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival competition in the Wood- and Barrel-Aged Sour Beer category. In that same category, Cascade also took home the Gold for its Bourbonic Plague.

The article’s tasting notes read, “Cascade Brewing stole both gold and silver in this year’s GABF wood- and barrel-aged sour beer category, and though Vlad was the runner-up, it’s still a big winner this year. It debuted in 2009 to healthy buzz and long lines at festivals, turning heads with its full body, palate-smacking acidity, and brazen woody overtones.”

Cascade’s Vlad the Imp Aler is still aging, and will be bottled for retail sale later this year.

WHAT’S ON TAP
This week in the brewery, we’ve racked a Pale Ale and a Northwest Sour Red and brewed a Pale, a Celtic and a Northwest Sour Red. We also added a spice addition to our Spring Gose, which will feature chamomile, lemon peel and Sequim Farm lavender (look for it around the Spring Equinox). On tap right now in the pub is Tap Ten (a non-sour Belgian Red), Frost Killer and Blonde Bombshell; these will likely run out soon, and will be replaced with Busta Nut Brown, our big brown ale; Bain de Brugge, a Belgian Porter spiced with nutmeg, cinnamon, star anise and orange peel; and our new Imperial IPA, which features Columbus, Centennial & Chinook hops, and is dry-hopped with Chinook and Centennials (18.4 Plato and 8.5% abv). We’ve only made 10 barrels of this one, so if you get the chance to try it, grab it – it won’t last.

Our Sang Rouge on draft is trickling into the marketplace; this is a fantastic blend of Northwest sour reds aged up to two years time in barrels. The bottled version has been bottle conditioning at the new Barrel House, and we’re printing the labels this week, so look for it soon at a bottle shop near you!

We’ve bottled 500 cases of our Apricot ‘09, and Brewmaster Ron says this year’s version is even better than last year’s. The beer features a lovely depth of lush, ripe apricot. We’re still getting high end perfume, but rich, mid-summer ripeness. According to Ron, this beer is like a midsummer day with a blast of summer sunshine. Right now it’s bottle conditioning, and should be ready for the Portland market in the next five weeks. However, we have kegged off a bit in draft, and it will be floating around the Portland market soon. The best way to know when and where our beers are being poured is to follow us on Facebook.com/CascadeBrewing.

CASCADE BREWING/RAC LODGE A WORLD’S TOP 50 BREWPUB
The RateBeer Best 2010 Awards, presented by RateBeer.com administrators, is billed as the largest beer competition in the world – more than 2.47 million reviews of 110,000 beers from over 9,680 brewers worldwide were tallied for this year’s competition. Cascade Brewing/Raccoon Lodge was honored to be named one of the Top 50 Brewpubs in the World, coming in at #44. We drink to that, and thank all the RateBeer.com beer reviewers worldwide that helped us achieve our ranking! Click here to read all the results.

CASCADE BARREL HOUSE NEWS

We’re creeping along nicely with the Cascade Barrel House, our barrel tasting room that will be located at 935 SE Belmont St. in Portland. We’ve got all the permits and are working on the framing and finer details. More than 110 barrels are already agingthe space’s aging cellar. No opening date has been determined, but our fans will be the first to know!

ZWICKELMANIA, PRESENTED BY THE OREGON BREWERS GUILD

On Saturday, Feb 13, dozens of Oregon breweries and brewpubs will open their doors to visitors for the state’s 2nd annual Zwickelmania, a free statewide event that offers visitors a chance to tour Oregon breweries, meet the brewers and sample their favorite beers. At Cascade Brewing at the Raccoon Lodge, you’ll have the unique opportunity to taste beers straight from the zwickel and the barrel – Brewmaster Ron plans on having up to three Northwest Sour Reds on hand – as well as sample some of our award-winning bottled beers. Best of all, Ron will be on hand to talk with sour beer lovers. This event is for ages 21 and older and runs from 11 am to 4 pm.

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Brewing a Female Beer Culture:

Standing Stone Brewing Co. Hosts Regional Kickoff Women Enjoying Beer

(Ashland, OR) Standing Stone Brewing Co (101 Oak St, Ashland) will host the regional kickoff gathering of Women Enjoying Beer on Thursday February 11 from 7-9 pm. This event is for women only, and focuses on helping females learn more about many different aspects of beer, have fun doing it and identify varieties. Women Enjoying Beer will be held on a regular basis, providing participants with a chance to try new beers and deepen their knowledge and appreciation in a relaxed, social setting.

This unique concept is the brainchild of Ginger Johnson, a beer enthusiast, industry specialist and consultant who organizes such events and helps breweries develop and serve the female consumer base nationally.

Johnson will lead a guided tasting of 4 beers, facilitate a discussion about qualities and flavors, describe the beer making process and the factors that contribute to a beer’s overall taste experience, and answer questions. The gathering is designed to be an informal, fun opportunity to meet others and explore beer at the same time. The event costs $10 per person. Food may be purchased separately. Interested attendees can call Ginger at 515-450-7757 to sign up or get more information.

Johnson started Women Enjoying Beer in 2008 after seeing a huge opportunity, for both business and consumers, to get a lot more women together over beer. Women approach beer differently than men and are overlooked by beer marketers, leaving them markedly underrepresented in the beer market, less informed about beer and less inclined to explore its diverse offerings. Johnson recently moved to Ashland to join forces with Standing Stone, focusing on customer service, operational efficiency and business development.  She plans to maintain her consulting.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to turn on the beer switch for women who may not otherwise have an opportunity to explore and discover all that beer has to offer, and they really welcome and savor the experience,” says Johnson. “For women, Women Enjoying Beer is a great way to enjoy good company and beverages simultaneously. For businesses, it’s all about developing and serving the female beer consumer though events, presentations and workshops.”

Johnson has spoken at the Craft Brewers Conference and the California Small Brewers Association, is a member of the Brewers Association and the National Beer Wholesalers Association, and is on the board of BreweryFans.com. She engages consumers and industry alike around the female beer experience and best practices in customer service through her blog and website, www.womenenjoyingbeer.com

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Deschutes Brewery Releases Its Once-A-Decade Ale: Jubel 2010

This Reserve Series ale was last bottled in the year 2000

BEND, Ore. – Deschutes Brewery, the sixth largest craft brewery in the nation, announces the release of its first Reserve Series beer for the New Year and decade, Jubel 2010.  Jubel 2010 is a deeply dynamic presentation of the flavors found in its festive winter seasonal, Jubelale.  Available on tap around the holidays at its pubs as “Super Jubel,” February 2010 marks only the second time the Brewery has ever bottled this immortal libation. The first and only other time this special brew was bottled was to celebrate the new millennium as Jubel 2000.

Jubel was discovered by accident two decades ago when a clumsy burglar didn’t realize the weight of his stolen keg of Jubelale. He dropped it outside to freeze in the season’s sub-zero temperatures – only to be discovered the next morning by Gary Fish, Deschutes Brewery owner. More than half the liquid in the keg had frozen and the remaining beer was a very cold, highly concentrated “Jubelale on steroids.” It was so good that the brewers set about recreating it, coming up with an annual “Super Jubel” that is aged in Oregon oak pinot barrels.

A limited amount of Jubel 2010 will be available in 22 ounce wax-dipped bottles and on draft all over the west this February.

Beer Geek Information:

· 10% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

· 55 International Bittering Units (IBUs)

· Serving Temperature: 50-55 degrees F

· Glassware: Snifter or Goblet

· Drink one now and cellar one to enjoy a year from now.

About Deschutes Brewery

Located in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery is in the business of daring people to expect more from their beer. That’s why we started off in 1988, on the banks of the Deschutes River here in Bend, Oregon, by selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to push the envelope, especially if it makes someone nervous.  But for us, the highest praise is a raised glass and a toast of “Bravely Done!”  For more information about Deschutes Brewery and its courageously crafted beers, please visit www.DeschutesBrewery.com.

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Redhook Ale Brewery’s Copperhook Now Available Year-Round

Woodinville, Wash., Jan. 25, 2010: This month, Redhook Ale Brewery (NASDAQ: HOOK), rereleases Copperhook Copper Ale, its popular crisp, drinkable, caramel ale. Previously available only in the spring, Redhook has responded to consumer demand and has made Copperhook available year-round in grocery stores and on draught in the Western U.S.

“Copperhook is a refreshing beer. It’s brewed in a German Altbier style and offers a bit of a spicy citrus flavor with a clean malt profile. The beer pairs well with anything from smoked seafood to your favorite barbecued beef and we’re excited to open up distribution year-round.”

– Greg Deuhs, Redhook brewmaster

Tasting Notes:

· Copperhook Ale has a brilliant copper color with distinctive caramel notes, light maltiness and a smooth refreshing finish.

· The ale is brewed in a German Altbier style and is expected to appeal to amber and pale ale drinkers alike.

Copperhook Copper Ale Rundown:

· Brewed in a traditional German Altbier style

· Alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5.8 percent

· 25 international bittering units (IBUs)

· 178 calories per 12 ounces

· Now available year-round in the Western U.S.

· Will continue to be sold as Redhook’s spring seasonal in the Eastern U.S

·

.

Recommended Pairings:

· Smoked oysters or salmon, barbecued

shrimp, chicken, or roast pork.

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Crispin Cider Company Acquires Fox Barrel Cider

Company

Crispin Cider Company (Crispin) announced today the acquisition of California based Fox Barrel Cider Company (Fox Barrel) in an all-stock transaction, terms of which are not disclosed.

The acquisition includes all assets, including the cidery located in Colfax, Calif., and liabilities.

“The Crispin Cider Company is now very well placed in terms of scale and diversified super-premium portfolio to compete at the highest levels within the global cider market. With the manufacturing and R&D capability located in our cidery in Colfax we can now accelerate our expansion plans across the US and beyond.”

“Our existing investment, positive partnership and friendship with the Fox Barrel deserved to be taken to a higher level in order to fully exploit the cider category, a category that continues to outpace other alcohol categories in terms of growth.” said Joe Heron CEO Crispin Cider Company.

INNOVATIVE TO THE CORE

The acquisition brings together two clear brand platforms through which Crispin will be able to comprehensively satisfy the refreshment needs of current and new cider drinkers worldwide.

The greatest adventures happen over ice; Crispin Super-Premium, Natural Hard Apple Cider. Serve over a glass of fresh ice and experience crisp, clean, pure natural refreshment.

Classically refined, and not styled as a traditional “sweet beer” beer alternative, Crispin ciders are crisp and clean, not sweet and sticky and never sacrifice superior refreshment for overbearing complexity. The Crispin product line is comprised of the classic “blue line ” varietals of Original, Brut and Light, as well as the unique new world Artisanal Reserve Cloudy Hard Ciders – Honey Crisp and The Saint.

Award winning, natural craft ciders; Fox Barrel ciders are considered the United States’ most decorated hard apple ciders, awarded multiple medals, including the California State Fair, West Coast Brewers Festival, the Great Lakes Olde World Syder Competition and the prestigious Three Counties International Cider Competition in Great Britain, amongst many other awards.

Fox Barrel ciders are available in original apple and reach their peak with the superb all natural flavors of pear and black currant.

Naturally superior; Crispin and Fox Barrel hard ciders are naturally fermented using fresh pressed apple juice, never from apple juice concentrate, from a premium blend of US West Coast apples, with no added malt, grape or spirit alcohol. Crispin and Fox Barrel’s all natural flavors are smoothed with pure apple juice or from natural organic sugar sources like honey or maple syrup, and contain no added colorants, sorbate or benzoate preservatives and are filtered cold for crisp refreshment.

“The combination of super-premium ingredients and hand-craftsmanship yields hard cider that’s as good as any you will find worldwide, with compelling drinkability and an engaging complexity,” said Bruce Nissen, founder of the Fox Barrel Cider Company and now COO and Head Cider Maker, Crispin Cider Company.

“The growth in the US cider category is attractive to investors, particularly when one looks at how undeveloped the US cider market is relative to the United Kingdom, Ireland, Europe and South Africa,” said Mr. Melvin Jay, United Kingdom investor in the Crispin Cider Company. “We see a major opportunity in terms of the combined company’s innovation record, quality reputation and single-minded focus on superior in-market execution.”

For more information: www.CrispinOverIce.com and www.FoxBarrel.com

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BREWED TO TURN it UP

PYRAMID LAUNCHES NEW IGNITION SERIES

SEATTLE, WA – January 13, 2010 – In the spirit of perpetual invention, Pyramid Breweries announces the launch of the Ignition Series – a new, limited release draft series of big beers available in 2010.

The Ignition Series is a line up of unconventional brews that set out to ignite conversation and satisfy the discerning palates of those looking for more beer in their beer. Consisting of three distinct styles featuring bold and complex flavor profiles, the Series offers beer enthusiasts a challenging new tier to explore beyond Pyramid’s year round and seasonal offerings.

“As passionate as we are about brewing, we appreciate that there are equally passionate beer enthusiasts continually seeking out dynamic, fresh tastes,” said Mike Brown, Commissioner of Inspiration and Aspiration for Pyramid Breweries. “We’re excited to continue our quest to provide ever-evolving unique beers and the Ignition Series delivers a few coveted gems that go beyond the expected.”

The first in the Series, Barbed Wire, is a bountiful Imperial Hefeweizen that takes Pyramid’s gold medal Haywire® Hefeweizen to impressive new heights. The gratifying result delivers a rich and full-bodied wheat character, robust hop balance, and punched-up alcohol content. Barbed Wire will be available from February – April. Following the first release, spring welcomes an Imperial IPA (May – August), and the Series will round out with a Dark IPA in the fall (September – December).

BARBED WIRE

Availability: February – April

Style: Imperial Hefeweizen

Malts: 2-Row, Wheat, Munich

Hops: Nugget, Tettnang

ABV: 7.5%

IBU: 30

While the Ignition beers are big, production will be limited to one 100-barrel batches per style. Explore the Ignition Series at the Pyramid Alehouses and select better beer bars in Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, and San Francisco/Bay Area, CA.

Please visit www.PyramidBrew.com, fan us on www.facebook.com/PyramidBrew, follow us on www.twitter.com/PyramidBrew, or contact us at host@PyramidBrew.com for details

About Pyramid Brewing Co.

Pyramid Brewing Co. is a leading brewer of specialty, full-flavored craft beers produced under the Pyramid family of ales and lagers. Pyramid beers continue to be honored by beer drinkers and judges having received 22 medals at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), including a gold medal awarded to Haywire Hefeweizen in 2009 as well as the honor of Mid-size Brewery of the Year in 2008. The brewery has also been awarded seven medals in international competition at the World Beer Cup. With breweries in Seattle, WA, Portland, OR, and Berkeley, CA, the Company owns Alehouses at all three locations as well as two additional Pyramid Alehouses in Walnut Creek and Sacramento, CA.

SEATTLE, WA – January 13, 2010 – The Pike Brewing Company introduced the 2009 vintage of Old Bawdy Barley Wine in early December to rave reviews. On January 31, 2010 Pike will host two different vertical tastings in their Micro Brewery Museum, featuring aged examples of Old Bawdy going back more than a decade. A small cache of properly cellared older vintages was recently discovered; only enough for 25 – 5 oz. servings. This VIP tasting is confirmed by reservation only and is limited to 25 guests.

Pike Head Brewer, Drew Cluley describes the 2009 Pike Old Bawdy as perhaps more balanced and refined than the last few vintages. He continues, “This year we lightened up the color ever so slightly by using only 80 degree Lovibond Crystal malt (last year we used 80 degree and 120 degree). Our choice of flavor hops for the middle addition was Cascade and Centennial giving the beer the a subtle hop character and malty caramel aroma with citrus and conifer undertones that Washington State’s Yakima Valley is rightly famous for”. Drew explained that “last years choice was Chinook and Centennial and it will be interesting for guests at our vertical tasting to experience the difference as the hops in the 2009 Old Bawdy are still prominent and have yet to fade into the background”. He goes on to say, “We also tweaked the bittering hops, last year using 10 lbs. of Magnum and 9 lbs. of Columbus; this year using 12 lbs. Columbus and 6 lbs. Magnum, (however the alpha acid amount equaled the same – and thus the IBU’s remained unaltered). In spite of these minor changes, this year’s Old Bawdy is very similar to last year’s vintage for which we received so many accolades. Tasting the ‘08 next to the ‘09 will show that in last year’s, the hops have faded more into the background and a round, malty note is emerging; this years bursts forth with hop flavor.”

According to Charles Finkel, Pike President and founder, “Our annual vertical Old Bawdy tastings are a great opportunity for students and lovers of beer to discover how beautifully some beer ages. Barley Wines vary dramatically in color, taste, and aroma. The unifying factor is the gravity (Old Bawdy is 1.096) yielding an alcohol by volume of at least 10%. Traditionally the names for Barley Wines are often comical; Old Bawdy’s name was inspired by Seattle’s most famous brothel the LaSalle Hotel which is now a part of the historic Pike Place Market. Pike was founded in the LaSalle in 1989.” Finkel says that there is a great history surrounding this brewing style.”The Roman Statesmen and author, Pliny the Elder, was assigned to what was at that time known as Germania (now Germany), in the first half of the first century. There, as a special guest in a Roman Catholic monastery, he was introduced to a drink as strong as the wines from his native Como, made not from grapes but from barley that had been germinated (malted). He declared the stong ale “Barley Wine.” In the middle ages, the responsibility for the brewing of beer transferred from the church to secular Ale Wives who opened their homes to paying guests. This was the origin of the pub (”public house”). While the every day beer produced by these brewsters was low or moderate in strength, in the depths of Winter or as a special treat for their favorite guests, a very strong, highly hopped ale was brewed. Since hops and alcohol are both natural preservatives these beers could be cellared like wine, the flavors melding together as they aged. The first commercial ale called “barley wine” was produced in England at the beginning of the 20th century. Continuing up until WWII, British brewers often made a strong barley wine during the winter holidays. The American craft brewing rennaissance began on the West Coast in the 1980s and with it saw the re-introduction of the Barley Wine style, which had almost become extinct. Now San Francisco, Seattle, and Anchorage each hold annual barley wine festivals offering a myriad of different brands. Introduced in 1990, Pike Old Bawdy is one of America’s earliest barley wines.”

VIP (Very Important Pike) Limited Vintages Vertical Tasting

Taste the last remaining 1997 and 1998 Old Bawdy Barley Wine with the last four years’ vintages.

Sunday – January 31, 2010

1:00 – 3:00 P.M.

$25 per person ($22 with WABL passport)*

Limit 25

RSVP to: Michael St. Clair 206.812.6613

mstclair@pikebrewing.com

(pre-payment required)

Taste Four Vintages: 2006 – 2007 – 2008 – 2009

Sunday – Jauary 31, 2010
3:00 – 6:00 P.M.

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Pike Brewing Hosts 2nd Annual Chocofest foreplay.

SEATTLE, WA – January 11, 2010 – Champagne and caviar, lox and bagels, ham and eggs, wine and cheese, oysters and stout, salsa and chips, coffee and donuts…some things just go together. But why, one may wonder. Pike pushes the envelope to answer that age old question, “What beverages go best with everyone’s favorite food: chocolate? For the second year in a row, Pike pairs the best beers, wines, spirits, and mead with an assortment of chocolate that would make Willie Wonka jealous.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

6:00 to 9:00 pm

The Pike Pub’s Microbrewery Museum Room

$25.00 per person

R.S.V.P. to Michael St. Clair

mstclair@pikebrewing.com

206 812 6613

Pike’s Chocofest, billed as “foreplay before the big day” is a romantic and educational way to discover the wide variety of chocolate treats from here and around the world. Stations set up throughout the Micro Brewery Museum and Naughty Nelly Room feature different chocolate treats, each presented by an expert (usually the chocolate makers themselves). Adjacent to each chocolate table is a drink table staffed with experts to sample and explain their beverages.

This year more than two dozen different chocolates will be sampled along with more than 20 different beers, wines, mead and spirits. Please join us for this fun and eductional event.

* Badger Mountain Vineyards and Powers Winery – Seri Sedlacek will pour Badger Mountain Port and Powers Malbec

* Carter’s Chocolates – Matt Carter of Port Orchard, WA will present his boutique truffles made with 3 different Pike beers.

* Chocolate Box – This neighborhood retailer, located just steps from the Pike Place Market, specializes in Northwest chocolatiers and will showcase Lesley’s French-style artisan chocolates by sampling her “seafoam”, and salted caramels.

* Chukar Cherries – Jamen Tyler will bring a dynamite Chukar Cherries – Pike Brewery tasting combo.

* Classical Wines – Ole Thompson and Mrshall Jorgensen will pour: Bodegas Toro Montilla-Moralles Albalá, Montilla-Moriles (Amontillado Viejisimo – Dry 30 yr. old), Don PX 2004/2005 (unoaked, very rich) and Don PX Gran Reserva 1982 (Great Vintage!) From Bodegas Gutiérrez de la Vega, Alicante: Casta Diva Cosecha Miel 2007 (Sweet Muscat) and Casta Diva Recóndita Armonía 2005 (Sweet Monastrell)

* Clear Creek Distillery – Lynn Bauer will represent this producer of Eaux de vie, Grappas, and Pot-Distilled Wine Brandy made with the finest fruit from Oregon orchards using traditional European brandy-making techniques; and McCarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey made in the Islay tradition of Scotch whisky.

* Click Wholesale – Local distributor of fine beer, including Pike, and wines; will present Ommegang Chocolate Indulgence from Cooperstown, NY and Fiklin Chocolate Port.

* Claudio Corallo – A “single origin” chocolate company with a compelling story of “plantation to bar” chocolate from São Tomé e Príncipe, the smallest and least well known country in Africa. The North American importer is located here in Seattle.

* Confectional – boutique bakery in Seattle’s historic Pike Place Market, offering exquisite, sinfully dense, baked cheesecakes and cheesecake truffles

* Fran’s Chocolates – President Obama’s favorite salted chocolate caramels presented by Fran Bigelow

* Gelatiamo Gelateria – Maria Coassin and Skyler Locatelli are brainstorming to outdo themselves with another blockbuster Pike and Gelatiamo creation; a tough act to follow on the heels of last years Pike XXXXX Gelato, now permanently on the dessert menu at Pike.

*

Leonidas Chocolate – from Wallingford’s Bottleworks creamy chocolates from Brussels

* Merchant du Vin Corporation – Jhon Gilroy of MdV will present Browerij Lindemans of Belgium and Samuel Smith Organic Fruit Beers

* Mount Baker Vineyards – Randy Finley, owner, will pour his favorite wine pairing with chocolate.

* Noble Wines – Naomi Smith will pour Scharffenberger Brut and Helix Cabernet

* Oh! Chocolate – Stout Truffles made with Pike XXXXX Stout

* Pacific Distillery LLC – Marc Bernhard will present his local, Woodinville made Absinthe

* Pike Brewing Company – Pike’s menu features local, sustainable foods paired with Pike beers. Desserts include a Chocolate and Ale Pairing with Carter’s Pike infused Kilt Lifter, Tandem, and Stout truffles; and Gelatiamo XXXXX Stout Gelato Floats. A surprise beer or two will be paired with chocolates for Chocofest.

* Ritrovo Italian Regional Foods – U.S importer of extraordinary Italian Bru-Co Chocolates.

* Sky River Brewing – Denise Ingalls presents Sky River Mead from Sultan, WA

* Taste Restaurant – Pastry Chef Lucy Damkoehler’s amazing Pike beer infused cupcakes

* Theo Chocolates – In Fremont, America’s first genuine Bean-to-bar Organic chocolate factory making chocolates that compete with the finest of Italy, Belgium and France.

* Trevani Truffles – Anne Boyington’s will bring her creative, locally produced Truffles that she sells only at farmer’s markets using many items from local farmers.

Though not as old as beer, wine or mead, cocoa trees, from which chocolate is created, were used in the Amazon more than 4,000 years ago to make a drink which was seasoned with herbs from the forests and countryside. Early people attributed fertility to the pods, which are said to resemble human genitalia. By 600 AD, the Mayans began to cultivate the earliest known cocoa plantations. They had faith that chocolate was the God’s favorite food. The Aztecs agreed, adding that it was the ultimate aphrodisiac. Love itself may be free, but chocolate has always been a luxury and has even been used as currency. So much for free love, the pleasures of a luxurious Central American brothel were recorded to have been purchased by Hernando de Oviedo y Valdes, a member of a Spanish expedition in 1513 for 10 cocoa beans! Legend tells us that Emperor Montezuma drank upwards of 50 goblets of thick red chocolate daily, throwing the solid gold goblets away after each use. Though today such conspicuous consumption is politically incorrect, Valentine chocolates are still wrapped in red paper, often presented tied in golden ribbon. Cortez, who was the first Westerner to cultivate cocoa, sent a gift of American cocoa beans, back home to Charles the First. In order to make the bitter sweet, he added sugar and vanilla, nutmeg and other spices, all exotic imports at the time. Charles fell in love. So did the Pope, who approved its consumption on Fridays. The chocolate craze was revolutionary, soon spreading to France, Italy, and Switzerland. 13 years before the Declaration of Independence was penned, New England business people signed on to build this country’s first Chocolate factory. The 19th century saw solid growth and by 1830, the English introduced the first chocolate designed to be eaten as a confection. The Swiss, Belgians. Italians and Dutch all have legitimate claim to chocolate’s hall of fame, but as quick as you can say “cocoa nibs”, in the 21st Century, Seattle, dripping in truffles, caramels, gelato, pralines, and cocoa has become “chocolate central” rivaling Europe’s chocolate capitals.

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BLONDE AMBITION

Dear fans of Lompoc’s Blonde Bombshell – we’ve been repeatedly asked to rename our beloved blonde beer due to conflicts with other breweries’ trademarks. We’ve come up with an assortment of replacements, and we want your input! Vote for your favorite name January 11-15 and you’ll be entered in a drawing to win a Lompoc sweatshirt and a $10 gift certificate to the pub of your choice. Just type in your vote on our Facebook wall or send an email to lompocbrewing@newoldlompoc.com. The winner will be selected and notified this Friday.

Your choices: Alpha Blonde, Atomic Blonde, Blonde Ambition, Bottle Blonde, Buxom Blonde and Suicide Blonde. Think you can do better? Write in your own – just no Blonde Bombshell!

Then, come celebrate the new name at our release party, Tuesday, January 19th at the New Old Lompoc from 4 to 9 pm. The beer, brewed by Zach Beckwith, is a beefed up blonde ale brewed with 100 pounds of flaked oats and a small addition of whole vanilla beans resulting in a creamy and full bodied ale reminiscent of a vanilla milkshake. Served on Nitro, it weighs in at 6.3% ABV. Delicious!

BOURBON BARREL AGED LSD

Save the date for the next big party – we’ll be releasing our Bourbon Barrel Aged LSD at Lompoc Sidebar on Friday, February 5th from 4 to 9 pm. Brewed in May of last year, this beer was aged in Bourbon barrels for five months and cellared for an additional three. It has a malty body with slight raisin and vanilla flavors. Look for it in bottles and on tap – 8.5% ABV.

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY

Super Bowl XLIV will be played February 7th at Dolphin Stadium in Miami. The Fifth Quadrant will be showing the game and will serve up food and drink specials all day long. Don’t miss the half-time show, where we’ll be holding a raffle for super cool Lompoc gear.

YOU CALL THAT CHOWDAH?

Who serves the best clam chowder in Portland? A dozen local brewpubs and restaurants will vie for the coveted Chowder Cup at the fourth annual Chowder Challenge. The blind tasting competition will take place on February 27th from Noon to 6 pm at the Fifth Quadrant. Samples will be served in non-labeled, two-ounce cups. After tasting all entries, attendees can vote for their favorite. The chowder receiving the most votes will be named the People’s Choice Winner and will take home the coveted Chowder Cup. The festivities also feature a beer garden, live music, a rootbeer garden, Joe the Balloon Guy, and food for purchase. Minors are welcome at the event. Admission is free. Attendees ages 12 and over must purchase sample trays for $10 to participate in the tasting. The event is a fundraiser for Locks of Love.

WEEKLY PUB GAMES

Remember, we have Trivia Night on the patio every week at 7:30 p.m. – Bingo CardMondays at Hedge House with Katie Shimer, Tuesdays at New Old Lompoc with Katie, and Wednesdays at 5Q with Naked John, and at Oaks Bottom with Katie. Brewers Bingo takes place on the first and third Wednesday of every month at Hedge House, and the second and fourth Wednesday at New Old Lompoc – 7 p.m. Join us for prizes and good old-fashioned fun!

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Nut Brown Ale Returns to Grocery Stores and Draught as Mudslinger Spring Ale

Woodinville, Wash., Jan. 11, 2010

This month, Mudslinger Spring Ale, previously known as Nut Brown Ale, from Redhook Ale Brewery (NASDAQ: HOOK), will return to grocery stores in 12 ounce bottles and on draught in the Western U.S.

“Mudslinger is one of my favorite beers. We brew it in a traditional American Brown Ale style, using six of the highest quality malts available. The malts, which include pale, chocolate, three different caramels and a touch of roasted barley, lend flavor, complexity and offer excellent drinkability.”

– Greg Deuhs, Redhook brewmaster

Tasting Notes:

• Mudslinger Spring Ale has a medium body and features malty layers of dark chocolate and caramel along with subtle notes of brown sugar and vanilla.
• The seasonal ale was brewed with six barley malts and two hop varieties, creating a smooth, well balanced brown ale flavor.

Mudslinger Spring Ale Rundown:

• Brewed in a traditional American Brown Ale style
• Alcohol by volume (ABV) of 5.8 percent
• 30 international bittering units (IBUs)
• 185 calories per 12 ounces
• Available through April

Recommended Pairings:

• Grilled meats, fowl, stews and even smoked oysters or salmon.

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