Some exciting news for fans of BridgePort Brewing has just come to light. The Portland brewery has just announced the release of a new seasonal brew, Dark Rain Black Pale Ale. This new Cascadian Dark Ale is a hoppy and roasty dark beer fitting for the colder, darker, wetter months. It will be featured in the first of their new Brewvana Brewer’s Box, a variety pack of BridgePort’s beloved offerings. Here’s the details: Read More…

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

The five day extravaganza that is Holiday Ale Fest (HAF), you know, the biggest winter beer fest on the West Coast, is upon us. Beginning at 2PM on Wednesday November 30, 2011 and lasting throughout the weekend, this beer lover’s occupation of Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse square once again will bring merriment to the space beneath several heated tents.

Each day at HAF brings to light new select vintage and one-of-a-kind brews not to be missed. As a whole, the selection is quite daunting, with mostly above 7% ABV one-offs as the focus. Curator Preston Weesner, who also works as general manager at Cascade Brewing’s Barrel House, a boutique pub mongering some of the region’s most touted sours, has been calculatingly stowing away special kegs while encouraging breweries to formulate new and insightful styles. This year’s lineup is no exception to the ever awe-inspiring score of brews HAF has continued to build upon. Here’s ten beers that we greatly look forward to tasting, and if you are as fanatical about beer as we are, you might just want to seek out as well: Read More…

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

One of Oregon’s most anticipated fresh hop beers is unquestionably BridgePort Brewing‘s Hop Harvest ale. This year’s version of the Harvest returns on September 15 when it will be released at their brewpub in the Pearl District (1313 NW Marshall Street in Portland, Oregon).

According to the brewery, the 2011 Hop Harvest greatly exceeds last year’s release in terms of hops. While last year’s brew employed a whopping 400 pounds of fresh strobiles, this year’s release involved over 625 pounds of freshly picked Centennials. These cones were obtained through third-generation, family-owned Goschie Farms in Silverton, Oregon.

“Last year’s Hop Harvest flew off the shelves,” stated Brewmaster Jeff Edgerton in a recent press release. “This year, we’re trying to prepare for this demand a little more by increasing the total number of hops we pull from the fields. This beer is always a crowd favorite and evokes a subtle garden-fresh and natural citrus taste that beer drinkers crave.”

Here’s more from BridgePort about this year’s batch and the crop that was used to make it happen:

When announced by Gayle Goschie, farm head of Goschie Farms, that the crop was ripe for harvest, BridgePort’s Brewmaster, Jeff Edgerton, drove to the farm with utility trailer in tow.  Armed with huge burlap sacks, the group took to retrieving the fresh Centennial hops at the farm. Normally these hops would be sent through the drier and shipped throughout the US, but the team caught the green cones prior to drying and loaded them up for the trip up north to the brewery. Within an hour, the BridgePort crew cut open the sacks and the hops were blended with a base beer that had been prepared in advance and cooled to prevent cooking off the delicate flavor profiles. In around 2-weeks, brewers will lightly filter the beer and fill kegs and 22-oz bottles with this farm-fresh brew.

“The smell of those hops is hard to explain but it definitely brings a smile to the faces of our brewers and there’s a certain energy around here when they come in. It is uniquely Oregon to be able to pull from the vines and then feed into the cold tanks in under an hour.”

BridgePort will host a Hop Harvest release party Thursday, September 15 at 5:30pm at the BridgePort BrewPub in the Pearl at 1313 NW Marshall St. Free and open to the public, attendees can be among the first to sample the new brew while supplies last and purchase a limited-edition 22-ounce bottle of Hop Harvest.

BridgePort’s Hop Harvest Stats:

IBU’s:      65           ABV:       6.5%       Color:     Deep Amber     OG: 16.0

About BridgePort Brewing Company

Oregon’s oldest craft brewery continues to evolve from a microbrewery to a regional leader in craft brewing, while remaining faithful to its commitment to producing high-quality, innovative craft ales.  The BridgePort family of ales includes IPA, Hop Czar, Kingpin, Blue Heron Pale Ale and Summer Squeeze.  BridgePort Brewery is located at 1313 N.W. Marshall St.  For more information, call 503-241-7179 or visit www.bridgeportbrew.com.

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

One of Oregon’s most anticipated fresh hop beers is unquestionably BridgePort Brewing‘s Hop Harvest ale. This year’s version of the Harvest returns on September 15 when it will be released at their brewpub in the Pearl District (1313 NW Marshall Street in Portland, Oregon).

According to the brewery, the 2011 Hop Harvest greatly exceeds last year’s release in terms of hops. While last year’s brew employed a whopping 400 pounds of fresh strobiles, this year’s release involved over 625 pounds of freshly picked Centennials. These cones were obtained through third-generation, family-owned Goschie Farms in Silverton, Oregon.

“Last year’s Hop Harvest flew off the shelves,” stated Brewmaster Jeff Edgerton in a recent press release. “This year, we’re trying to prepare for this demand a little more by increasing the total number of hops we pull from the fields. This beer is always a crowd favorite and evokes a subtle garden-fresh and natural citrus taste that beer drinkers crave.”

Here’s more from BridgePort about this year’s batch and the crop that was used to make it happen: Read More…

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

Beer and Bicycling are often combined through themed events, special rides, brands, marketing and in merchandise ranging from bike jerseys to 22oz bike bottle holders and six pack bike rack containers. Portland company Micro Beer Jerseys has been releasing craft beer branded jerseys since forming in 2009. Their 2011 line includes 11 attractively designed craft beer branded jerseys featuring breweries from Portland and around the country. The 2011 line includes jerseys branded with: Anchor Steam Brewing (flagship label, Liberty Ale), Pike Brewing (XXXXX Stout, Tandem Double Ale), Lucky Labrador Brewing, Shmaltz Brewing (HE’BREW Beer, Coney Island Lager, Mermaid Pilsner), Bridgeport Brewing (Blue Heron, Haymaker), Maui Brewing (Big Swell IPA, Coconut Porter), Amnesia Brewing, Schlafly Brewing (Pale Ale, Hopped Up APA), and North Coast Brewing (Acme). Read More…

Posted under Beer Merchandise, sports and beer

NOTE: THIS EVENT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR JULY 27, BUT IS NOW TAKING PLACE ON JULY 26.

BridgePort Brewing Company and Jake’s Grill are teaming up in July to celebrate Oregon craft beer month in Portland. Brewmaster Jeff Edgerton will guide guests through a five-course menu paired alongside a few of BridgePort’s most pined after brews: BridgePort IPA, Summer Squeeze, Blue Heron, Kingpin, Hop Czar and this year’s Stumptown Tart made with Oregon strawberries. Reservations required in advance by calling Jakes Grill at (503) 220-1850. $50/person.

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

It’s the second most wonderful time of the year! Brew Fest in Oregon! This year, BridgePort will be celebrating  in typical Oregon fashion – with beers, brews and bands. On July 30th, we’ll be closing down NW 13^th Ave outside the brewpub for food and brews from BridgePort along with music from Kasey Anderson, Will West and the Strangetones. Free and open to the public, families are welcome and a portion of proceeds will go to benefit our friends at the Oregon Brewers Guild. We’ll cheers to that!

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

Posted under beer events, events

So… the meteorologist are saying something to the tune of 80 degrees this weekend in the Willamette Valley. Really?! Is summer going to grace us with a sneak preview? ‘Cause of late, the water levels have risen to the highest since 1996 when there was a big ol’ flood here. If you’ve been to the water front, you’ve probably noticed that the river isn’t far from the bridges. I digress…

This weekend, there’s a buttload of killer beer things cracking around Beervana. There has also been a bunch of great happenings that you might’ve missed out on (it’s easy to do ’round here). Okay, first let’s start with some of the events that have rocked this past week… Read More…

Posted under beer events

At long last it’s springtime, which for the commercial beer world means a slew of summer seasonals are finding their way onto shelves and out of taplines. Here’s some brews that will get you amped up for summer arrives. You see, contrary to what many people from outside the Pacific Northwest believe, our summers here are quite arid. In fact, it hardly rains at all once summer gets rolling. Still, you can put most of the rainy day weatherproof/breathable gear away. Read More…

Posted under beer reviews