The Bier Stein of Eugene (345 E. 11th Ave.) celebrates strong ales with Starkbierzeit (German meaning “strong beer season) in the tradition of the Munich festival that begins each year on St. Joseph’s Day, March 19. According to the German Beer Institute, Starkbierziet is “a noble tradition started by none other than pious Paulaner monks hundreds of years ago.” The tradition of the Benedictine monastery lives on today with great celebrations throughout the world.

The Eugene Starkbierziet event at the Bier Stein is happening on April 4 and 5, 2012 and showcases many big, boozy, and flavorsome treats that are brewed stateside and highly revered internationally. Here’s the lowdown from the Stein’s uber geek Dave Stockhausen on the event and beers you can expect to find: Read More…

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

This is a bit last minute, but we’re having an event to release our barrel-aged doppelbock this Saturday, for which we’re also smoking a whole pig that was raised on our spent grains. We’ll be pouring the barrel-aged Lucubrator and our regular beers. $15 bucks gets you a glass of the limited edition Doppelbock and a pork sandwich. 1-6 pm on Saturday, March 17, 2012. -Dan Engler, Occidental brewer/co-founder

Posted under Oregon beer, beer releases, events

It’s hard to believe that Fort George Brewery and Public House of Astoria, Oregon has been open for five years, but indeed it is true. To celebrate the first half decade, the brewery is releasing limited 22-ounce bottles of their imperial Belgo IPA known as XVIth Chapel. But it’s not just the rare emboldened brew beer geeks may have sampled before, no, this rendition is aged in Four Roses bourbon barrels and conditioned with rose hips. The commercial description reads as follows: Read More…

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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

The Commons Brewery has quickly emerged as one of Portland’s most intriguing and imaginative craft beer ventures. Lead by founder and brewmaster Mike Wright, the quaint Southeast Portland brewery has carved a niche for itself not only on the grounds of uniqueness, but also for its bold and unconventional enterprise. The Commons have announced their first bottle-conditioned release in their Beetje Series known as Brotherly Love, a Belgian-style dark strong ale aged in bourbon casks with tart cherries and cocoa nibs. Surely anyone who is seeking after a one-of-a-kind craft beer experience will be pleased to uncap one of these treasures. Here’s the details direct from The Commons: Read More…

Posted under Oregon beer, beer releases, places to drink beer

Hair of the Dog Brewing‘s much anticipated collaboration brew with Deschutes Brewery of Bend has been one of the most hyped beers in some time. On a recent trip to the Bend, we witnessed racks of barrels awaiting blending. The beer, the first in Deschutes’ Conflux Series is close to release, and will come out several months following Conflux #2, a White IPA brewed with Boulevard Brewing of Kansas City, MO. Conflux #1 will be a blend two of each brewery’s beers. These beers were brewed a year ago on Deschutes’ system and are nearing their release date according to Deschutes’ digital marketing manager Jason Randles.

Hair of the Dog is also set to brew and release a few other collabs in the near future. De Proef Brouwerij, who has done tag team brews with big name breweries such as Allagash, Lost Abbey, and Bells, has a special blend in the works with HOTD brewmaster Alan Sprints. According to Sprints’ facebook page, the brewmaster will be hitting Europe in March to brew a beer at DeProef with brewmaster Dirk Naudts. The result will be Read More…

Posted under Beer personalities, Oregon beer, beer news, beer releases

In our first installment of our Bend, Oregon Zwickelmania recap, we mentioned our trip around town to many hot spots that are heating up in Central Oregon and getting attention across the West Coast. The forthcoming “Yet To Be Named” Brewery is garnering much buzz amongst beer enthusiasts, especially those with a taste for the bold and unique. Co-founder Dave Wilson, who spent much of his life working in sales and marketing at places like 21st Amendment and Deschutes is eager to unleash a different side of Bend craft brew. “We’ll be focusing on Read More…

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

Breakside Brewery of Portland is sure to a be a top destination of hardcore beer geeks for this year’s Zwickelmania happening on February 18, 2012. If you are unfamiliar, Zwickelmania is held each year as an open house to give Oregon beer lovers a glimpse into the workings of craft breweries around the state. In the past few years Zwickelmania has become one of the premier tourist happenings in the Beaver state.

Breakside, much the same way that last year’s newbies Burnside Brewing and Cascade Brewing Barrel House were, is probably going to be utterly nuts once doors open and the zwickels are opened come 11AM. In anticipation of this big day, Brewmaster Ben Edmunds and assistant Sam Barber have brewed up some specialty treats for folks. Breakside is also set to release some rare bottled brews for the real heads. Here’s the official details from Breakside Brewery: Read More…

Posted under Oregon beer, beer events, beer news, beer releases, brewpubs, places to drink beer

Over the weekend Brewpublic teamed up with one of our favorite craft beer haunts Saraveza Bottle Shop & Pasty Tavern to present the third annual My Beery Valentine. This decadent event showcased 13 of the region’s finest breweries in an array of one-off beers designed especially with sweethearts, sweet tooths, and craft beer lovers in mind. These rich and robust offerings were each made with Valentine’s Day appropriate ingredients such as chocolate, fruit, and many of them were barrel-aged for added flavor.

My Beery Valentine 3 paired up these wonderfully dessertif ales with the choice sweets from Sugar Pimp, Saraveza’s own beermeister Lori Adams Clinton to result in one amazingly mouthwatering experience unlike any other. Read More…

Posted under Oregon beer, Washington Beer, beer and food, beer releases, beer reviews, places to drink beer, weekend in review