The popular Portland brewers at Gigantic Brewing have announced that they are throwing their very own beer week. Huh? Yes, you heard that correct. From May 5-12, 2013, Ben Love, Van Havig and company will be partying and pouring their fine brews at some of the city’s best craft beer establishments.  There will also be some super limited releases including barrel-aged treats and rarities from breweries such as 3 Floyds, Piece Brewing, and Haymarket. It’s gonna be huge! Here’s the full details from Gigantic: Read More…

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

FredFest 2013 is on the books! May 5, at Hair of the Dog, we will once again celebrate the birthday of Fred Eckhardt, the Dean of American Beer Writers, who, at going on 87, has been writing about beer long before it was legal to homebrew and probably even longer than many of us have been alive.

Press Release:

PORTLAND, Ore.  — Organizers announced that tickets go on sale today, March 12, for FredFest 2013 at the official website: http://www.fredfestpdx.com, and that the event is slated for Sunday, May 5 from 2-6 p.m. at Hair of the Dog Brewing.

The event, which always sells out, is highly anticipated in the craft beer community, with fans flocking from across the country to attend and pay homage to Fred Eckhardt, the Dean of American Beer Writers, who turns 87 on May 10.

What started as a surprise 80th birthday party for the world-renowned Portland beer writer, FredFest has become a significant fundraiser for the nonprofit organizations of Eckhardt’s choice—a different one each year. Eckhardt has selected the Read More…

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

Press release:

On Friday March 1, 16 Tons Cafe, the premiere beer destination in South Eugene, presents our 1st annual Farmhouse Ale Fest featuring 40 beers made in the French farmhouse tradition. Including special releases from Oakshire, Block 15, Agrarian Ales, Upright, The Commons, Logsdon, Pfriem, Ale Apothecary and other Oregon breweries. Farmhouse ales were traditionally brewed in the winter, to be consumed in spring and summer. Once an endangered beer style, a massive revival has recently taken place. Flavors are complex and include earthiness, fruit tartness, and mild spice. Logsdon and Agrarian produce their ales on working farms!

On Friday March 15, Cider Fest takes center stage at 16 Tons Cafe. According to the Northwest Cider Association Cider is the fastest growing segments in craft beverages. Many cideries such as Yakima Valley’s Tieton grow their own apples, truly connecting the farm to the table. Local producers 2 Towns from Corvallis and Anthem from Salem will be on hand to answer questions about their products. Featured Ciders include those aged in Wine Barrels, Bourbon Barrels, infused with Apricots, Cherries, and other fruit. Many of the Ciders are from single orchards. Read More…

Posted under beer events, beer news, craft cider, Oregon beer, places to drink beer, press releases

By D.J. Paul

Once again, Lucky Lab Beer Hall in Northwest Portland will host another installment of their Annual Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival next month. This year’s tastival takes place on Friday, March 8^th and Saturday, March 9^th from Noon-10:00pm each day.

This annual fest has been going strong for at least 16 years. Originally held at the Lucky Lab on SE Hawthorne the tastival moved to their NW Quimby location after they converted this former Freightliner warehouse to a brewery and pub back in 2006. With their massive amount of pub space along with a nice outdoor patio this space allows for an enjoyable atmosphere while quaffing some strong barleywine samples.

From the recent media preview I did learn some promising updates to this annual tasting. According to Lucky Lab brewer and tastival organizer, Ben Flerchinger, this past year he along with a few others went through their stockpile of barleywines and disposed of the ones that have not aged all that well. This was one of the reason that I skipped the tastival last year. In 2011 I had few more oxidized barleywines than my palate could handle. From this re-tooled cellar of barleywines we were able to sample 7 different ones with each one offering their own unique flavor. Read More…

Posted under beer events, beer reviews, brewpubs, Oregon beer, places to drink beer, vintage beers

For the first time EVER, Fort George will alter its Public House vibe for a full-on Carnival of Stout.  The booths and tables will be removed, and the stage will be set.  Gallivant throughout the brewery block while sipping on exclusive stouts, and navigate through the maze of entertainment.  The Stout Stage in the Public House will hold the likes of Portland’s Blue Skies for Black Hearts, and the Builders and the Butchers.

Posted under Beer & Art, beer events, Oregon beer, places to drink beer, press releases

Of all the killer beer events that we had the privilege to attend in 2012, the first annual Firestone Walker Invitation Beer Festival was arguably the best of all.

Showcasing craft breweries from across the country, many of which are not regularly available on the West Coast, FWIBF was was the ultimate treat for beer lovers in California’s Central Coast. Breweries such as Bells and Founders of Michigan, 3 Floyds and Sun King of Indiana, Cigar City of Florida, Allagash of Maine, Dogfish Head of Delaware, and many many many more served to make the Paso Robles Fairgrounds, at least for this weekend, a sort of craft brew Graceland. 

Several noteworthy California breweries such as Alpine, The Bruery, Lost Abbey, Pizza Port, Stone, Moonlight, Russian River, Kern River, and many many more were on hand for this mindblowingly awesome event, too. Firestone Walker Brewery itself is worth the journey to Paso Robles, CA. Under brewmaster Matt Brynildson, FSW perennially puts forth some of the world’s finest year round beers (not to mention their extraordinarily crafted barrel-aged treats).

An oasis of spectacular beer in the heart of a wonderful wine-producing region, Firestone Walker produces the Read More…

Posted under beer and food, beer events, California Beer

By D.J. Paul

One of the best (okay, I say THE best) annual beer festivals in the country is Chicago’s Festival of Wood and Barrel Aged Beers (FOBAB). Now two months behind us, FOBAB was properly documented to capture the celebration of the festival’s 10 th Anniversary.  This FOBAB documentary is a collaboration of www.BeerFX.com, www.ChicagoBeerGeeks.com, and www.Skalawag.com.

Directed, Shot, & Edited by:
Mark Skala/Skalawag Productions. Produced by: Kent Weber & Nik White. Audio Recording, Editing, & Mixing by: Kurtis Garza-Rupp. ?2nd Camera & additional Audio Recording by: Stephen Poon.

FOBAB began Read More…

Posted under beers on film, places to drink beer, vintage beers

Vancouver Winter Brewer’s Festival Takes Aim at Esther Short Park December 7th & 8th

Northwest winter ales are highlighted as well as Vancouver breweries

Vancouver, Washington – The Vancouver Winter Brewfest will be taking place at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver December 7th and 8th. This will mark the first ever winter beer festival of any kind to be held in Vancouver.

The Vancouver Winter Brewfest will be offering at least twenty northwest winter ales and be featuring two of Vancouver’s very own breweries; Mount Tabor Brewing and Loowit Brewing Company. As with many winter beer festivals around the northwest, dark, infused, aged, and/or higher alcohol content beers are often the norm being poured at these events. It gives the brewers creative choice to make specific beers, and often only found at, those festivals. The Vancouver Winter Brewfest will offer similar style of beers, but on a more widely found basis. Tim Ahaus, marketing consultant for The Vancouver Winter Brewfest states, “Winter ale festivals are extremely interesting as they offer specific and creative beers only found at those festivals. However, the problem lays in trying to find that beer again once you leave. We want to provide great, locally produced winter beers that attendees can find at their local stores or pub.”

The brewfest will be held outside at Esther Short Park, but be totally tented and enclosed. The festival will be held between the clock-tower and the lighted Christmas tree, creating a festive downtown environment. Energy Events is the creator and owner of The Vancouver Winter Brewfest and Brian Davis, owner of Energy Events, states “I’ve grown up all my life in Vancouver and love our sister city to the south, but after all the growth we’ve seen the past ten years, we still rely on Portland for our entertainment. During the summer we hold the Vancouver USA Marathon which is gaining in
popularity, but we wanted to do something for the winter months as well. The Vancouver Winter Brewfest is our way of showing the people of Vancouver and Portland that ‘hey, we’ve got our own brewfest and our downtown is pretty cool too’ and to come down and check us out.”

The Vancouver Farmer’s Market will also be headlining this event and will be the charity organization of this year’s Vancouver Winter Brewfest. The partnership between the two organizations makes perfect sense as winter is a slow time for the farmer’s market which has been growing each year in popularity and vendor participation. Not only will the market be the recipient of the donations ($1 dollar for every attendee will go back to the Vancouver Farmer’s Market), but they will have some of their summer time vendors down there as well providing food, snacks, and arts and crafts.

The Vancouver Winter Brewfest will be open December 7th from 3pm to 10pm and December 8th from 12pm to 10pm. As of now, breweries committed are Widmer Brothers, Loowit Brewing Company, Mt Tabor Brewing, Burnside Brewing, Ninkasi, 10 Barrel, Lompoc, and Red Hook. Cost will vary, but a mug must be purchased in order to enjoy any of the beers. Pre-sale purchase can be found on the website at www.vancouverwinterbrewfest.com and will save up to $9 dollars off retail price. Over 100 Volunteers are also needed for the festival and sign ups are offered at the website as well. This first year festival expects to bring in 3,000 attendees over the course of the two days.

The Vancouver Winter Brewfest is owned and operated by Energy Events based in Vancouver, WA. The festival will take place December 7th and 8th at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver Winter Brewfest is being developed in close collaboration with brewers, distributors, the Vancouver Farmer’s Market, the City of Vancouver, and other sponsors.

Posted under beer events, events, Washington Beer

Vancouver Winter Brewer’s Festival Takes Aim at Esther Short Park December 7th & 8th

Northwest winter ales are highlighted as well as Vancouver breweries

Vancouver, Washington – The Vancouver Winter Brewfest will be taking place at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver December 7th and 8th. This will mark the first ever winter beer festival of any kind to be held in Vancouver.

The Vancouver Winter Brewfest will be offering at least twenty northwest winter ales and be featuring two of Vancouver’s very own breweries; Mount Tabor Brewing and Loowit Brewing Company. As with many winter beer festivals around the northwest, dark, infused, aged, and/or higher alcohol content beers are often the norm being poured at these events. It gives the brewers creative choice to make specific beers, and often only found at, those festivals. The Vancouver Winter Brewfest will offer similar style of beers, but on a more widely found basis. Tim Ahaus, marketing consultant for The Vancouver Winter Brewfest states, “Winter ale festivals are extremely interesting as they offer specific and creative beers only found at those festivals. However, the problem lays in trying to find that beer again once you leave. We want to provide great, locally produced winter beers that attendees can find at their local stores or pub.”

The brewfest will be held outside at Esther Short Park, but be totally tented and enclosed. The festival will be held between the clock-tower and the lighted Christmas tree, creating a festive downtown environment. Energy Events is the creator and owner of The Vancouver Winter Brewfest and Brian Davis, owner of Energy Events, states “I’ve grown up all my life in Vancouver and love our sister city to the south, but after all the growth we’ve seen the past ten years, we still rely on Portland for our entertainment. During the summer we hold the Vancouver USA Marathon which is gaining in
popularity, but we wanted to do something for the winter months as well. The Vancouver Winter Brewfest is our way of showing the people of Vancouver and Portland that ‘hey, we’ve got our own brewfest and our downtown is pretty cool too’ and to come down and check us out.”

The Vancouver Farmer’s Market will also be headlining this event and will be the charity organization of this year’s Vancouver Winter Brewfest. The partnership between the two organizations makes perfect sense as winter is a slow time for the farmer’s market which has been growing each year in popularity and vendor participation. Not only will the market be the recipient of the donations ($1 dollar for every attendee will go back to the Vancouver Farmer’s Market), but they will have some of their summer time vendors down there as well providing food, snacks, and arts and crafts.

The Vancouver Winter Brewfest will be open December 7th from 3pm to 10pm and December 8th from 12pm to 10pm. As of now, breweries committed are Widmer Brothers, Loowit Brewing Company, Mt Tabor Brewing, Burnside Brewing, Ninkasi, 10 Barrel, Lompoc, and Red Hook. Cost will vary, but a mug must be purchased in order to enjoy any of the beers. Pre-sale purchase can be found on the website at www.vancouverwinterbrewfest.com and will save up to $9 dollars off retail price. Over 100 Volunteers are also needed for the festival and sign ups are offered at the website as well. This first year festival expects to bring in 3,000 attendees over the course of the two days.

The Vancouver Winter Brewfest is owned and operated by Energy Events based in Vancouver, WA. The festival will take place December 7th and 8th at Esther Short Park in downtown Vancouver. The Vancouver Winter Brewfest is being developed in close collaboration with brewers, distributors, the Vancouver Farmer’s Market, the City of Vancouver, and other sponsors.

Posted under beer events, events, Washington Beer

Press release:

Occidental Brewing Co. is putting on the first Humbug Lager Fest. The small festival, which will be held December 15 at Occidental will feature delicious lager beers from several Oregon breweries.

With tongue firmly planted in cheek, Occidental decided it was time to offer Portland beer enthusiasts a respite from fruitcake beers this holiday season. This Fest, sure to be the first in an annual tradition, will give quaffers an opportunity to enjoy crisp, clean lagers from the Commons, Upright, Heater Allen, Laurelwood, Rock Bottom, Block 15, Old Town, and of course, Occidental.

There is no admission fee to this indoor festival, and full pours will be available in addition to tasters. Beer will be served in glass.

While slaking your thirst with these marvelous lagers, fill your belly with the hearty cuisine of Urban
German and enjoy tunes spun by DJ’s (perhaps a ‘celebrity’ or two?). Read More…

Posted under Beer & Music, beer and food, beer events, Oregon beer, places to drink beer, press releases