After a year away in the San Francisco Bay Area, I’ve finally made the journey back home to Cascadia. Circumstances surrounding my return leave for mixed emotions, but the overall sentiment of being back in an area where so many of my close friends and family are located is that of elation and relief.

You see, the Bay Area is a wonderful place to be with stellar weather and a fair share of choice craft beer, but if I am honest with myself, I must admit that nowhere I have traveled so far in this great land has been able to hold a candle to the culture that surrounds artisan beer here. A few cities make the top list of destinations when it comes to great craft beer, but none nearly as prolific and aboveboard as Portland, Oregon.

San Diego and Denver definitely round out the top of the list for best beer towns in America, and a handful of others such as Chicago, Boston, Seattle and even San Francisco are worth mentioning. But, as I’ve pointed out in the past, when you consider the quantity and quality of of craft breweries here in the Portland and Cascadia region, there is honestly no comparison.  Where else other than Oregon can you get a growler filled at a gas station or find a craft beer option on draught at even the lowliest of dive bars? We have laundromats, bike shops, and even strip clubs with excellent tap selections. And living here, we don’t even flinch at this abundance. It is simply ingrained in our lifestyles.

Some time away from all of this has made me really Read More…

Posted under Beer Travel, Oregon beer, places to drink beer

It’s hard to believe that Block 15 Brewery has been open for five years. Its seems like it was just yesterday when the Corvallis brewpub opened its doors, but then again, right off the starting blocks, the beer has been better than most. “What a journey it has been” says founder Nick Arzner. “We want to thank our wonderful customers and the Corvallis community for their support. We also want to thank our amazing staff for all of their hard work and dedication.”

Join Block 15 on Saturday March 2, 2013 for a not to miss celebration of their first half-decade with some incredibly mouthwatering offerings including locally sourced food and beer. “We are releasing a couple gems from our wild cellar, featuring an awesome Anniversary burger, dancing to the live music of The Bon Ton Roulet, discounting apparel, and featuring Hoppy Hour all day long!”

Here’s more details on this fun and tasty event, including a special anniversary brunch at Les Caves. Read More…

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

Press Release:

On February 17^th, for the third consecutive year, North Portland’s the Hop & Vine has the distinct pleasure to welcome Corvallis’ Block 15 back to Portland to celebrate the bottle release for two of their most coveted, barrel-matured beers.  Both the Pappy’s Dark Ale, an American strong ale, and the Super Nebula, an imperial stout brewed with cocoa nibs, spent time in the famed 20-year Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Bourbon barrels. Very nice indeed…

Block 15′s H&V tap takeover will commence at 11am in the bar, with off premise sales kicking off in the bottleshop at 12 noon.  Given the limited nature and rampant demand for these fine brews, they will be imposing a two-bottle per customer purchase limit (only one of which can be Super Nebula) . While supplies last, Pappy’s Dark Ale will retail for $15 and the Super Nebula will be priced at $16. Please join the crews from Block 15 and the Hop & Vine for what is sure to be a delicious Sunday affair. Further event and pricing details below. Cheers! Read More…

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

I don’t even know where to begin, but I suppose I will start somewhere… It really irks my bones when I can’t pump out some juicy craft beer fodder for the readers of Brewpublic, and the past few days have been lacking. I know it. I mean, Brewpublic prides itself of giving you a steady, daily glimpse into some of the many many goingson in and around Cascadian brewing and a little more. Being on planes, trains, and automobiles with a Smartphone, a thirsty palate, and a hankering to round up as many beers as possible makes the blogging a bit lacking at times, but it’s not because of will.

They say the road to hell is paved in good intentions, and we intended to scare up some goods for you the past few days, but we were short a laptop, a spare liver, and more daylight hours (heck, we can often muster just fine in the dark!). On Monday we scheduled details for rounding up as many kegs as we could while in and around Portland, Oregon. The reasons were many. SF Beer Week events, a new pub opening, and simply to blow Bay Area artisan beer enthusiasts’ minds. Spending much time in the East Bay of the San Francisco area, it has been my goal to inject as much of the Cascadian craft beer culture into the locals down here as I possibly can. With SF Beer Week about to pop off (February 8-17, 2013), I couldn’t think of a better way to exemplify what amazingness Oregon’s uniquely saturated yeast culture has to present. Don’t get me wrong, Northern California is home to some legendary breweries and beer halls that rival some of the finest in this world. Further, NorCal is booming with new breweries that vivaciously illustrate the significance of the modern day Post-Prohibition beer revolution. Thus, it makes perfect sense that while living here, I find myself working at an Oakland pub named Beer Revolution with the best selection of regional, national, and international fermented malted pours. Soon, the adjacent revamped train depot in Jack London Square will beef up the neighborhood’s selection almost two-fold. Looking to open very soon, the Olde Depot Taphouse will assert the community as an even more undeniably world class destination.

Appointed to manage Olde Depot is seasoned professional Dan “Bully” Bollwinkel who has further inspired us to take things on the West Oakland craft beer scene to the next level. Bully and I jaunted to Portland on a plane, rented a modest Dodge Caravan and sought to stock up on as many different beers as we could safely drive back 600 miles south to Oakland. On our journey, we even went a little overboard and maxed out the payload to the point where the chassis began to woefully sag toward the earth. With just 36 hours to obtain an optimal variety of mostly 1/6-barrel kegs and a few bottles, we were focused on making the most of our precious time.

Immediately upon touching down at PDX International Airport with just the clothes on our backs and Read More…

Posted under Bay Area beer, Beer & Art, Beer personalities, beer releases, beer reviews, Beer Travel, brewpubs, craft cider, Oregon beer, places to drink beer

Each year since Brewpublic began in 2008, we’ve taken special pleasure in rounding up the best-of-the-year lists. Most often you’ve witnessed these year-end inventories in the form of top 5′s. And, to not let down, we’ve rounded up this year’s superlatives in a multi-part series we will bring you throughout the rest of the year.

For 2012, much like we did last year, asking craft beer experts, industry workers, enthusiasts, and friends to conjure up their fondest beer memories of 2012 as well as sharing what they eagerly anticipate for the future in the coming year. We’ve also asked these folks to attest to top trends witnessed in the craft beer scene over the past year as well as some favorite events of 2012.

While we realize that such lists are next to impossible to formulate with any real certainty, the process of thinking back on all of the remarkable brews tested and tasted is a fun and nostalgic process. We will not hold these reputable individuals to their beer choices with absoluteness, because we realize, as mentioned in the past, that choosing just one beer, or even only five for that matter, as a favorite, can be as constrictive and limiting as choosing a favorite song, work of art, or even friend. Variety is the spice of life, just as hops is readily that of Northwest craft brews. So, without further adieu, let’s hear what the people have to say. Read More…

Posted under beer events, beer history, Beer personalities, Oregon beer, places to drink beer

On Saturday & Sunday December 15-16, warm up your Winter at 16 Tons Taphouse, in the heart of Eugene. Located smack dab between the University of Oregon and Downtown. 16 Tons at 13th & High Street will serve up more 70 Craft Beers including: Belgian Strong Ales, Barrel Aged Ales, Spiced Ales, Barley Wines, Imperial Stouts, Imperial Browns, Strong Sour Ales, Traditional Old Ales, and Winter Style IPAs. For the Craft Beer lover, this is a not-to-be-missed event.

The Festival provides a unique opportunity to sample seasonal, one off, and rare beers from renowned brewers from Oregon and beyond. A few of the most coveted beers include Boneyard’s Suge Knite Imperial Stout (Bend, OR) and Block 15′s Barrel Aged Figgy Pudding (Corvallis, OR) which, like many of the beers, are extremely limited in release and very highly regarded. For the novice and the experienced beer enthusiast this event is an incredibly fun opportunity to sample and savor some of the most sought after beers in the world. Bring your friends and share some sips.

Headlining breweries: Read More…

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

Presented by: 16 Tons, Galaxy Wine Company, & Block 15 Brewery & Restaurant

On Saturday December 8th, 16 Tons Cafe at 29th & Willamette will host CHEESE WARS IV.

Cheese Wars is a food-pairing showdown between two ancient beverages. We will feature 5 courses of carefully selected cheese. Each cheese course will be paired with a beer and a wine. Block 15 Brewmaster Nick Arzner will choose and present the beers. Champagne enthusiast Karly Kercheval of Galaxy Wine will present the wines, with emphasis on Grower’s Champagne! Cheese Wars past participants have included Ninkasi, Oakshire, King Estate, Brooks Winery, Upright Brewing, The Commons Brewery, and other notable producers. Award winning artisan cheeses have been sourced from Oregon, Washington, France, England, and Italy.

Which pairings work best only you can decide. Cheese Wars is a fantastic opportunity to learn about the processes of making beer, wine, and cheese. This is a fun and lively sit down affair! Tickets are limited. $25 includes all tasting and food (cheese and bread). Purchase tickets at either 16 Tons location or online at BrownPaperTickets.com http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/297845. There is a 5:30 session and an 8pm session, each lasting approximately 2 hours.

About 16 Tons: Offering Eugene’s largest selection of fresh draft beer to go in eco friendly reusable containers. 16 Tons has a combined 30 taps of rotating craft beers that are available to go or by the pint. 16 Tons Taphouse offers a constantly evolving and updated selection of 300+ craft beers and 250+ wines in bottles, Sake, Cider, and more. Taphouse located on the corner of 13th & High St and Cafe located in Woodfield Station at 2864 Willamette. Info: Mike Coplin (541) 953-2530, mike@sixteentons.biz

About Galaxy Wine Company: Established in 1999, Galaxy is an Oregon Importer, Wholesaler and Distributor of premium wines. We passionately represent an impressive array of the most desirable estates from Oregon, Washington and California, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, and beyond. We take great pride in our climate-controlled warehouse and strive to bring the finest selection of wines to the market with integrity and professionalism. www.galaxywinecompany.com

About Block 15: We are dedicated in bringing beer enthusiasts traditional, unique, and challenging ales brewed with the finest ingredients from our region and around the world. Drop by our brewpub and enjoy over 13 hand crafted ales and lagers in our historic downtown Corvallis location. Through planning and training, Block 15 takes the steps to reduce waste and limit resource consumption producing the highest quality beer and food in a sustainable manner. Menus, events, and more info at www.Block15.com

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

There’s a lot of awesome beer weeks around the country, but one you definitely don’t want to miss out on is the second annual Corvallis Beer Week!

Corvallis’ Craft Beer scene continues to blossom beginning on Monday, September 10th.  That’s the day that the 2nd Annual Corvallis Beer Week kicks off to promote the education and celebration of Craft Beer throughout our beautiful city.

The idea for Corvallis Beer Week is the brainchild of Read More…

Posted under beer events, Oregon beer

Join Block 15′s Nick Arzner for the official Portland release of two new bottled Block 15 beers: Golden Canary and Ferme de la Ville Provisions.

Draft List:
Ferme De La Ville Provisions 2012
Ferme De La Ville Provisions 2011
Golden Canary 2012
Alpha IPA
Super Nebula
Imagine 2011

Bottle Limits: 3 Canary & 3 Provisions per person, check back as the event gets closer- we may decide on a ticketing scenario if the number of planned attendees exceeds the number of available bottles.

It’s gonna be awesome!

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

Thursday July 19 New Belgium and Cascade

At 3PM we’ll tap an oak pin of New Belgium Oscar, one of the two Foeder-aged sour beers that Lauren and Eric Salazar use as the base blending beers for the Lips of Faith Series and we’ll also have a rare keg of Blackberry Whiskey Sour on tap beginning at noon. The Cascade crew are still deciding what blends they’ll deliver but you know they’ll be great!

In addition to these special Brewers Nights we expect to pour beers from Schooner Exact, Solera, Rock Bottom, Big Al’s, Buckman Botanical, Mikkeller, Bahnhoff, and more. We’ll see how they roll… Check Belmont-station.com for daily tap list and Puckerfest.com for updates.

In order that we can serve everyone as quickly as possible our Biercafe will be Cash Only during Puckerfest.

For more information: Carl Singmaster 503-232-8538

Posted under events, Oregon beer, places to drink beer