On Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 7 p.m. the Northwest Film Center presents, as part of it’s Northwest Tracking program, The Love of Beer directed by Portland filmmaker Alison Grayson. The film is part love letter, part petition, and part outreach to the Pacific NW beer community over imagery of the nuts and bolts of beer production on an industrial scale. The conversation is a diverse and elliptical discussion on the broad mentality of women’s status in the beer culture, from a refreshing breadth of advocates, aficionados, and alchemists.

This informative, insightful, and often comical portrayal of beer culture features a litany of empowered voices. Tonya Cornett, the dual ponytailed and award-winning Brewmaster from Bend, Oregon is a reckoning force in artisanal brew, driven by an impassioned compulsion for perfection. “I’m not a painter. I’m not a writer. But I can make you a beer.” Sarah Pederson, the owner of the Portland, Oregon staple Saraveza, never intended to open a “bar” but a place where she could teach people about good beer, and make good on her promise while serving her extended family of the loyal clientele while 6 months pregnant. And Teri Fahrendorf, founder of Pink Boot Society, an outreach group that empowers women through all things beer, whether crafting, serving, or judging, is a tireless educator eager to catalyze a woman’s self-discovery in the business. Read More…

Posted under Beer & Art, beer events, Beer personalities, beers on film

The 2012 World Beer Cup that coincided with the Craft Brewers Conference in San Diego, California was a wonderful experience. Featuring some of the most talented taste makers in the craft beverage industry, this bi-annual award ceremony ranks at the top along with the Great American Beer Festival as the most prestigious award ceremony beheld by craft beer brewers in North America. Here’s a look at 2012′s winners from Oregon and Washington: Read More…

Posted under beer awards, beer news, Oregon beer, Washington Beer

The weekend before last we found ourselves in Oregon’s largest town east of the Cascades. Here in Bend, we discovered a breadth of exceptional breweries. And, for a city with the same population as Asheville, North Carolina, which has been dubbed “Beer City USA”, Bend has more breweries. In the coming months, at least a handful of new breweries will emerge in Bend pushing it up to around 15 within the city.

In our last post about our most recent excursions in Bend, we mentioned the new on the scene GoodLife Brewing Co., which has been breaking ground into their 22,ooo square foot warehouse with some promising flavors, as well as the bursting at the seems Deschutes Brewery, which is at the top of Oregon’s players when it comes to artisan beer production. Read More…

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

Tonya Cornett, Head Brewer of Bend Brewing Company, and Curt Plants, Head Brewer and partner of GoodLife Brewing Company, collaborated to brew a traditional yet little known style of beer, Scotch Ale. While “product testing” other Scotch Ales at a local pub, Curt and Tonya settled on a recipe of rare malts and traditional hops to create this unique brew called Scottish Heart Scotch Ale.  Scottish Heart was released at GoodLife Brewing Company in Bend on St. Andrews Day, November 30, 2011, the National Day of Scotland.

Brewers collaborating on a beer is a not an uncommon idea.  However, two breweries located in Central Oregon collaborating to create a beer is a “first ever.”

This caramelized, malt forward Scotch Ale is brewed in honor of St. Andrew, the Patron Saint of Scotland.  The grain profile of the beer is a special blend of English malts that produce toffee and carmel flavors and a deep copper color that is blanced with traditional Noble hops.  At 8%, Scottish Heart will surely make many people in town happy. This beer is fantastic – Slainte Mhath! (Cheers or Good Health in Scottish Gaelic, pronounced “Slanchay Va”!)

For a taste, visit Read More…

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

By Angelo De Ieso II

The Love of Beer – A documentary by Portland, Oregon’s Alison Grayson highlighting the regional accomplishments, struggles, and the presence of women in the craft beer industry.

The film opens with the sun rising over a hopyard before the late summer harvest along with the voices of various women stating their position. The first voice we recognize is Bend Brewing’s Tonya Cornett, a central figure in Grayson’s documentary, and perhaps the best known woman in the Northwest’s vibrant brewing community.

The Love of Beer is loaded with rich imagery depicting multifarious stages of the brewing process from the harvesting and processing of ingredients to bottling and pouring on the hospitality end. Grayson does a nice job in allowing her visual content to speak as prominently as the featured women’s own voices. The film maker does not employ a scripted narrative, rather she projects through illustrations and mindful editing.

Though many females are featured in The Love of Beer, the heart of Grayson’s work focuses on a handful of central personalities. Read More…

Posted under beer history, Beer personalities, beer reviews, beers on film, Oregon beer

Join The BeerMongers for a special evening of craft beer madness from Central Oregon (Bend and Beyond). Look for specialty pours from Silver Moon, Cascade Lakes, Bend Brewing, Boneyard Beer, 10 Barrel, Three Creeks, Deschutes, Good Life, Below Grade, and more!

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

By D.J. Paul

The largest craft beer event in Central Oregon has now come to a close. The Bend Brewfest now in its 8^th year attracted an estimated 20,000 people to this continually growing beer-centric mountain town in Oregon’s high desert. Forty-four breweries, one homebrew club and one winery had their beverages featured for all to enjoy.  Most breweries offered up two different beers, some were their year round, others offered were more rarer beers.

This being my first time attending the Bend Brewfest I was pleasantly surprised on how Read More…

Posted under Beer & Music, beer events, beer reviews, Oregon beer, places to drink beer, weekend in review

By DJ Paul

Bend Brewfest August 18-20

With all of the amazing events happening throughout the Portland area this weekend it may have been tough to get out of town. However, if you chose to leave town and head Southeast, you may have noticed that Bend was hosting their Eight Annual Bend Brewfest Thursday through Saturday. Now in its 8^th year, Read More…

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

It is already August and this means that Oregon Craft Beer Month has at last come to a conclusion. Another year, and more growth all around in the industry – more breweries, more volume, more events. For many August signifies that summer is in full swing and about a third of the way through, but for those who live for craft beer, this means that the busiest and most eventful month of July is now behind us. With quivering livers and many memories of what July meant – from the Oregon Craft Beer Month kickoff at Jeld Wen, to the finally roaring tent at the Oregon Brewers Guild – it has been undeniable to us that this past July was the biggest and most festive month yet. Here’s a look at some highlights that we experienced during July 2011: Read More…

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

From top to bottom: Jessie Kincaid, Erin DeSemple, Cindy Cummings, Amy Welch, Melissa Volokitin, Elan Walsky, Stephaine Heater, Teresa Culp, Margaret Lut, Lee Hedgmon, Julie Ratcliff, & Amanda Skourtis

July, being craft beer month in Oregon, there are plenty of celebrations happening that showcase brewers’ special one-off beers and brewers themselves. One event even recognizes brewers named Ben! But where are the ladies (besides at BenFest hanging with all the Benjamins) and the kudos for all that women do for Oregon beer? Read More…

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