By D.J. Paul

As published yesterday here on Brewpublic, today is when Widmer has their first two of four new 1,750-bbl fermentation tanks installed. That is a lot of beer and the largest tanks in the Pacific Northwest.

Having found out over the weekend that the installation would begin around 8:00 a.m. this morning I arrive around 8:30 a.m. to be greeted by a nice Portland mist. I set up shop under a Read More…

Posted under Oregon beer, beer events, beer history

Castagna Restaurant has announced its latest collaboration with Upright Brewing. On Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 6:30PM they’ll host Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing to showcase the ease of pairing beers with modern cuisine. Chef Justin Woodward has prepared 4 courses, plus snacks, each course paired with an Upright beer. Alex will bring his limited release seasonal beers and a special treat for dessert. Seats are limited.

Here’s a look at the menu with beer pairings:Snacks

Upright Four

Cauliflower in various textures with oyster, horseradish and oxalis

Upright Gose

Citrus cured sturgeon with cream cheese, aquavit and radishes

Upright Five

Rib eye with smashed beets, charred onions and wild chives

Upright Oyster Stout

Meyer lemon curd with green juniper meringue and hefeweizen

Upright Fantasia Reserve

4 courses, plus snacks, paired with beer $75

Gratuity included

Castagna Restaurant is located at 1752 SE Hawthorne Blvd. in Portland, Oregon.  For reservations call (503)957-7388

Posted under Oregon beer, beer and food, events, places to drink beer

Castagna Restaurant has announced its latest collaboration with Upright Brewing. On Wednesday, April 4, 2012 at 6:30PM they’ll host Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing to showcase the ease of pairing beers with modern cuisine. Chef Justin Woodward has prepared 4 courses, plus snacks, each course paired with an Upright beer. Alex will bring his limited release seasonal beers and a special treat for dessert. Seats are limited..

Here’s a look at the menu with beer pairings: Read More…

Posted under Oregon beer, beer and food, places to drink beer

Upright is three years in! To celebrate, come join us at the brewery Friday the 30th from 4:30 to 9 pm and check out our newest seasonal beer, Blend Love! Four casks containing a sour cherry version of the Four were blended with about a cask and a half of raspberry laden Six to create this characterful sour ale, full of lactic and acetic character, fruit and oak tannins, and a light funkiness from brettanomyces yeast. It was a blast to produce and then name this beer after one of Upright’s favorite people and brewers, Ben Love. It’s perfectly ready to enjoy now but will cellar well for several years. One keg will be on tap along with plenty of bottles for sale at $12 a 750ml and $125 a case. Please note there will be a single case per person limit. During the anniversary on the 30th, expect to see some other neat beers on tap as well!

More New Seasonal Bottle Releases:

Gose

The third annual Gose is conditioning now and should be ready for release either the 16th or 23rd depending on how that goes. The salt can retard the process so we’ll be tasting it just before to determine the final date. The recipe was basically unchanged but this batch fermented out excellently and was displaying great aromas and flavors before bottling. It should be the best batch yet!

Pure Wit

Pure Wit, also on it’s third go-round has been out on draft for less than a week and another batch designated for bottling is in the works for an early/mid April release. Our take on the style is a bit more rustic than most with a distinct tartness, flowery nose, and a super dry finish.

Monk & Mingus

Also in the works is the annual Monk and Mingus, a collaboration with former longtime Oregon brewer Corey Blogett (sic), now head brewer at Maritime Pacific in Seattle. The Monk and Mingus is made for the Cheers to Belgian Beers fest in April and completely different every year. This particular batch is a strong stout fermented rather cool to keep the yeast profile in check and make room for a cold pressed infusion of coffee from Heart Coffee Roasters. The beer is very early in its process but we’ve got a great feeling about it!

New Distribution

Upright just started shipping beer to Nevada through Cepage Selections. Look for bottles on the shelves already and draft coming soon.

Posted under Beer personalities, Oregon beer, beer events, beer news, beer releases, events, places to drink beer, vintage beers

Upright Brewing celebrates their third anniversary on Friday March 30, 2012 with the release of Blend Love. Although not mentioned in their press release, this tribute beer to brewmaster Ben Love, was a concept that we came up with in the brewhouse on one of many bottling days. Frequently founder/brewer Alex Ganum and brewer Gerritt Ill would entertain seemingly endless ideas for beers named after brewers. Evolving from the more objectifying labeled Four Play, Blend Love is a more respectably presented nod to one of Portland’s finest and kindest brewers.

In the past Alex was so kind as to allow us to organize Van Night for longtime Rock Bottom Brewer Van Havig (now a business partner and fellow brewmaster at Gigantic Brewing with Love) at the Grain & Gristle Pub. Alex and the G&G also let us put together Ben Fest to pay homage to Ben Love and four other Bens in the Portland beer scene. Oh, and let us not forget the Shawn Kelso Night in which Upright devised an uncharacteristic mammoth hops beast poured alongside 10 Barrel Brewery’s newly acquired brewer who gained notoriety whilst developing over the top hop behemoths at Barley Brown’s Brewpub.

As you can see, Alex appreciates his friends and  fellow brewers in the industry, and likes to have fun with the naming of beers. He also is highly passionate about breaking into uncharted territory when it comes to developing and executing craft beer styles. One obvious example that comes to mind is Upright’s Flora Rustica (brewed with calendula flower and yarrow). Further, Upright has not only gotten radical with its brewing but has also revisited some historically significant styles such as Gose, Oyster Stout, and Bavarian Hefe, and Pilsner.

Perhaps the most endearing element for us about Alex’s brewery is that it is undoubtedly a labor of love that is more about friendships and the enjoyment of beer itself rather than it is about the marketing or the hype that so many others get caught up in. So, for Upright’s third anniversary, we couldn’t be happier for our buddies Alex and Gerritt, two of our favorite brewers of all time.

Blend Love is an amalgamation of four barrel-aged versions of Upright’s wheaten Four, with more than a barrel of raspberry Six rye ale. Here’s the details from the steed’s mouth: Read More…

Posted under Beer personalities, Oregon beer, beer events, beer news, beer releases, places to drink beer, vintage beers

Excited is an understatement when we say that we’re excited to have Alex Ganum, owner/head brewer of Upright Brewery, join us for a dinner! Each course will be designed to compliment Alex’s beers. Hear in-depth descriptions about the beers, the inspirations behind them, and get a chance to hang out with one of our favorite dudes on the planet.

$55 includes five courses with beer pairings. Tax and gratuity not included.

Posted under beer and food, beer events, events

Laurelwood Brewing Co. is holding a one of a kind collaboration brewer’s dinner on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. The dinner will feature collaboration beers brewed by Vasilios Gletsos of Laurelwood Brewing Co., Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing, Van Havig of Gigantic Brewing Co., and Tom Bleigh of Hopworks Urban Brewery. These exclusive handcrafted ales will be served with a five-course dinner prepared by Laurelwood’s Executive Chef Aaron Nichols. Tickets are $50 per person and available at the NE Portland and Battle Ground, WA Laurelwood locations. The menu is as follows:

Amuse: Chicken coronets with preserved lemon

Beer: Cascadian Pilsner brewed by Van Havig and Vasili Gletsos

Appetizer: Mussel and shrimp soup with lemon grass, kafir lime leaf, fish stock, chilies, garlic, shallot, and Thai spices

Beer: Thai Wit brewed by Tom Bleigh and Vasili Gletsos

Salad: Blood orange and arugula with red onions, Castelvetrano olives, and parsley

Beer: Sour Red blended by Alex Ganum, Tom Bleigh, Van Havig, and Vasili Gletsos

Entrée: Smoked pork belly and pomegranate barbequed brisket with potato-chard gratin, and pomegranate demi glaze jus

Beer: Scottish Ale brewed by Alex Ganum and Vasili Gletsos

Dessert: Grapefruit tart with pecan brittle and Chantilly cream

Beer: Milk Stout brewed by the Laurelwood Brew Team

The food for this dinner is locally sourced from Draper Valley Farms, Sweet Briar Farms, and Country Natural Beef. Laurelwood will also donate 10% of the collaboration dinner sales to the Oregon Food Bank. Join us for a night of special one of a kind beers and a wonderfully prepared dinner.

As stated by Vasili Gletsos, Brewmaster, Laurelwood Brewing Co., “For this Collaborative Beer Dinner, we have broken the mold and created a unique experience by first asking the Chef to create a seasonal menu and then getting together a great set of brewers to create beers to pair with it.

The selection of the participating brewers has special significance for me since I have chosen to work with brewers who have been my past Brewmasters at my previous breweries here in Portland, and who have all gone on to other breweries, as I have. Part of what working at Laurelwood has given me is the flexibility to make lots of one-off and seasonal beers, as well as to answer the question “when will I ever get to work with those awesome brewers who have taught me so much?” This is a great opportunity for me to have a little reunion of brewers I have a high regard for as well as are good friends of mine. I know everyone else will be really pleased with the unique beers and pairings that we come up with.”

About Laurelwood Brewing Company

Laurelwood is a family owned brewery that creates one of the most recognized regional craft beers. Owners Mike De Kalb & Cathy Woo-De Kalb are dedicated to sustainable and organic practices, and first began producing certified organic beer in 2001. Laurelwood’s product line is known for its creativity and quality therefore winning many national and international beer awards. Laurelwood’s handcrafted beers can be found on draft and in bottles throughout Oregon and Washington. To find out more about Laurelwood Brewing Company go online at www.laurelwoodbrewpub.com.

About Van Havig, Gigantic Brewing Company

Van Havig started his brewing career in 1995 at Minnesota Brewing Company in St. Paul, Minnesota, and then moved on to work for the Rock Bottom Breweries for the next 16 years.  He was brewmaster at the Bethesda, Maryland and Portland, Oregon Rock Bottoms, as well as the regional brewer in both locations.  From 2004 to 2011 he also ran the QA/QC program for Rock Bottom Breweries.  He is currently starting his own brewery, Gigantic Brewing Company, in Portland, Oregon.

About Thomas Bleigh, Hopworks Urban Brewery

Thomas Bleigh started his career at Portland Brewing Company as an un-paid intern. Prior to joining Hopworks, he held the positions of Brewer, Lead Brewer, Lead Cellar Operator, Head Brewer and Plant Manager at Portland Brewing, Pyramid Breweries, Independent Brewer’s United and North American Breweries. In 2008, he was recognized, along with Pyramid Breweries as Mid Size Brewer/Brewery of the Year at GABF.?He is a graduate from UC Davis and UW-Madison with an MFA in Fine Arts. Born in Augsburg, Germany, he has an appreciation for beer appellation and the “drink local” mentality. When not spending time with his two young children, or playing soccer, he can be found spending his time pursuing charcuterie or fermenting various meats, cheese, fruits or vegetables.

About Alex Ganum, Upright Brewing

Alex Ganum is the owner and head brewer at Upright. He grew up drinking his father’s German pilsners and his older brother’s Bells Porter before moving to Portland in 2002. After meeting several homebrewers he decided to give it a go and never looked back. Seven years later his love of brewing led him to open Upright, a brewery he thinks is as much a part of the community as it is personal. When he doesn’t have beer on his mind Alex is probably thinking about what’s next in the kitchen or on his plate and what digestif to wash it down with.

Posted under Beer personalities, Oregon beer, beer and food, beer events, brewpubs, events, places to drink beer, press releases

When Upright Brewing opened in 2009, there was a a lot of buzz surrounding the Northeast Portland brewery. As many beer geeks like us were anticipatory of the French and Belgian farmhouse-inspired beers that former BJ’s brewer and Ommegang apprentice Alex Ganum would make, others expressed skepticism regarding the viability of a brewery that didn’t march to the beaten drum. Brewing in an open barrel fermenter might have lead many to think the guy was just crazy, but this never deterred our man.

Since the bold undertaking of Ganum three years ago and his apparent success, a number of other daring regional craft beer adventures have broken ground. These include Cascade Brewing’s Barrel House, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Block 15, Breakside Brewery, The Commons Brewery, and more. To say that Ganum is a visionary of what craft beer in our region could sustain, seems in retrospect a bit of an understatement.

Upright’s core lineup of numerological named beers that include his sessionable wheaten Four, a more aggressively hopped Five, a rich dark rye Six, and his boldest and most assertive Saison, Seven, exemplify just how originative Upright is. But, these are just the tip of the iceberg, and in someways, seemingly pedestrian when considering the risks Ganum has been willing to take when devising and executing many of his beers over the past three years. Delving into barrel-aging and blending of wild ales, Ganum’s vision for beer is more than just a quaff for the average dude, it involves a mindful approach to the culinary arts and ties in elements of history and science. As a parter in the restaurant and bar, The Grain & Gristle, Ganum continually illustrates his appreciation for a vast range of flavors in beers that he achieves by a variety of means. Whether it is unfolding new flavor profiles with beers like his Flora Rustica Saison which employs the addition of calendula flower and yarrow, or revamping historic styles like the Oyster Stout or the German-inspired Gose, it is evident that Ganum refuses to let himself get complacent, therefor, his audience is seldom bored.

As an example of Upright’s constant evolution, Ganum has altered its house strain of yeast for the Number Series three times since the brewery’s inception.  “Five is also hoppier now and the aroma is more pronounced” says Ganum. “With our new yeast, the Four, Five, and Six are now coming across as more French Biere de Garde styles.” he adds. “This allows them to come across as more ingredients-driven and way less floral and fruity.” Ganum says the boisterous Seven is perhaps the only beer of the regular lineup that has remained mostly the same.

Over the past month, Upright Brewing has brewed a handful of noteworthy beers that are sure to inspire salivation in the mouths of beer lovers and foodies alike. Not playing on the popularity and hype of barrel-aging, Ganum’s reserved and humble demeanor channel an inclusive vibe to his trade. Further, Upright’s beers when compared to many other daring brewers bottling in 750ml champagne bottles, is considerably affordable.

Here is a look at more than a handful specialty beers that you can expect to find in bottles and on tap from Upright. Get them while you can because they may disappear soon. Read More…

Posted under Beer personalities, Oregon beer, beer news, beer releases, places to drink beer

Laurelwood Brewing Co. is holding a one of a kind collaboration brewer’s dinner on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. The dinner will feature collaboration beers brewed by Vasilios Gletsos of Laurelwood Brewing Co., Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing, Van Havig of Gigantic Brewing Co., and Tom Bleigh of Hopworks Urban Brewery. These exclusive handcrafted ales will be served with a five-course dinner prepared by Laurelwood’s Executive Chef Aaron Nichols. Tickets are $50 per person and available at the NE Portland and Battle Ground, WA Laurelwood locations. The menu is as follows: Read More…

Posted under Beer personalities, Oregon beer, beer and food, beer events, brewpubs, places to drink beer, press releases

2011 was a peculiar year. For myself, personally, 2011 was filled with ups and downs. Some notable lows made the summer and fall months particularly difficult, but thanks to a strong finish, lots of wonderful craft beer related festivities, and America’s greatest growth yet in the craft beer boom, 2011 proved to be a year worth remembering.

We asked a number of craft beer minds to share with us some of the most memorable brews and brew events of the year as well as what they perceived as emerging trends in our industry. In picking the brains of many prominent characters who greatly impact the craft beer scene both locally and nationally, we seek to unfold what 2012 might have in store for us. Thanks to all who chimed in, and if you didn’t get your two cents in, feel free to comment with yours. Cheers! -Angelo Read More…

Posted under Beer personalities