The burst of new craft beers coming out in the Northwest isn’t losing any steam. In fact there are several new and exciting beers making their way down the pipeline as you read this. Brewers from across the Northwest from Northern California to Alaska, Oregon to Idaho are dropping some mouthwatering treats that give us so much to be fired up about as we head into warmer days.

Several new draught releases will be available soon from Hood River, Oregon’s Pfriem Family Brewers. Brewmaster Josh Pfriem and company are concocting a range of styles from Pilsner to Dark Strong Belgian-style beer. And anyone who has tasted the early releases from Pfriem is undoubtedly excited.

Widmer Brothers Brewing continues to set forth with some new experimental hop IPAs in the “X” series, an effort that assure their audience will remain loyally awaiting more evolutionary releases. There’s a lot to check out here, so have a gander at more than 100 new craft beer labels for bottles and kegs that you might want to check out if you can get ‘em in your neck of the woods: Read More…

Posted under Beer & Art, beer releases, California Beer, Oregon beer, saké, Washington Beer

Each time we find out about new beer releases or even newly designed labels for old favorites, we get a little excited. There’s no shortage of great brews coming out all the time, especially here on the West Coast.

Here’s a look at many new beer labels that you’ll be seeing from the Bay Area north to Alaska. The Pacific Northwest is really a special place for craft beer, so stay thirsty my friends…the good times continue to roll!

Read More…

Posted under beer releases, California Beer, Oregon beer, saké, Washington Beer

JUNEAU, Alaska – Winter is coming to Alaska, but Alaskan Brewing is undeterred, welcoming the cool and wet winter weather with the always-anticipated release of its seasonal Winter Ale.

“This beer is one of our favorites in the brew house–especially as it gets colder here,” says Alaskan brewer Greg Morgan. “Sitka spruce trees carry a special significance to brewers, not just because we see them through every window of the brewery. In beer, the spruce tips add this really great, floral aroma that fills the brewery, and a subtly-sweet flavor that you’d never expect.”

Alaskan’s Winter Ale is brewed in the style of an English Old Ale–a traditionally malty, warming beer brewed in the fall and consumed through the winter. Alaskan’s take on this style is inspired by the seafaring adventurer Captain Cook, who discovered the pleasant flavor and scurvy-preventing value of spruce tips during one of his 18^th century voyages in search of a Northwest Passage. (VIDEO: http://ow.ly/dVVhb) Read More…

Posted under beer releases, beers on film, press releases

Fresh hop season is upon us here in the Pacific Northwest, and more than ever before, breweries are beginning to bottle up these limited release (and limitedly fresh) brews made from the region’s signature lupulin spice. Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom recently expanded and began bottling their beers after five years of operating a successful brewpub in downtown Hood River, Oregon. Now, folks who understand just how amazing DM’s brews are can find limited release bottles of their Killer Green and Killer Red Fresh Hop IPAs in 500ml bottles.

Also bottling up fresh hop brews this year is Big Al Brewing of Seattle. Their upcoming Harvest Ale Fresh Hop Santiam looks to be a hoppy Washington highlight for 2012 as does the latest Trip Series New Belgium-Elysian collaboration. This fresh hopped imperial IPA is unique in that it also features orange peel as an ingredient.

The fall season also means the release of pumpkin beers and Oktoberfest lagers as well as the planning and creating of forthcoming winter and even spring beers. There’s even a new 2-year old Brewer’s Reserve release from BridgePort Brewing dubbed “Enchanted.” Brewed with raspberries and aged for two years in oak barrels, we’re hoping this sour ale will be reminiscent of an early vertical keg of the brewery’s Stumptown Tart which poured previously this year at Bailey’s Taproom. This could very well be Oregon’s oldest brewery’s most sought after beer ever!

Many new beers from Craft Brew Alliance, including several new limited kegs from Widmer Bros, who are also releasing a few new beers in bottles as are the folks at RedHook. A new sake makes the list, as does many many other intriguing new releases that you might want to scope out in the near future!

Here’s a look at more than 65 new craft beer labels from around the Pacific Northwest including Northern California, the Bay Area, Alaska, and Idaho. Cheers! Read More…

Posted under Bay Area beer, beer news, beer releases, California Beer, Oregon beer, Washington Beer

Good news for Pacific Northwesterner craft brewers who are seeking assistance in furthering their experience and education in the field. The Falconer Foundation has recently announced that they are now accepting applications for a full-tuition scholarship to the American Brewers Guild‘s Intense Brewing Science and Education program. This 22-week course “designed for brewers and homebrewers who lack formal training in brewing science and covers all the fundamentals of beer production and quality assurance.”  Here’s the full details from the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation: Read More…

Posted under beer news, beer to do list

Alaskan brings back fan favorite for the fall

JUNEAU, Alaska (August 2012) –  Alaska has experienced a surprisingly cold summer season, despite record highs in the rest of the country, and Alaskan Brewing is welcoming the even cooler weather this fall with the next addition to the Pilot Series - Alaskan Baltic Porter. 

“This beer is all about the ingredients,” says Alaskan brewer Michael King. “We hand-scraped and seeded several thousand whole gourmet vanilla beans, so that the vanilla flavors are fresh and full-bodied. We added hundreds of pounds of dark cherries during fermentation along with even more vanilla beans, and then finished it off by aging on toasted French oak chips for another level of flavor and complexity.” Read More…

Posted under press releases

Michael Kiker is handcrafting meads in Anchorage, Alaska. He uses local fruit when he can but has to import all his honey. He’ll make a special visit to Portland to pour the wide range of his Meads, including traditional meads and meads made with a variety of fruits and spices including red currants, black currants, marionberries, ginger, raspberries and some that are oak-aged. Fun! Read the intriguing backstory at www.celestialmeads.com

Posted under events, mead, Oregon beer, places to drink beer

Join The BeerMongers for a tasting event featuring the Brewers from Midnight Sun and a few special drafts:
Arctic Devil Barleywine
Arctic Devil BRANDY BARREL AGED
Obliteration VIII double ipa
XXX Double Black IPA

Posted under beer events, events, places to drink beer

Posted under beer events, events, places to drink beer

Brewer Jeremiah Boone will be here with some fun drafts. Details coming soon.

Posted under beer events, beer news, Beer personalities, events, places to drink beer