Widmer Brother Brewing’s Oktoberfest returns for a sixth year celebrating Munich-style ales and German food and music.  Festivities will take place Saturday, Sept. 11 from 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. at Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.

WHAT: Widmer Brother’s Oktoberfest is a tribute to the world-renowned celebration in Munich, Germany, which draws more than six million people annually during the 16-day festival. Widmer Brother’s version, although smaller in scale, is large in Oktoberfest spirit. The festival features a variety of craft beers, traditional German food, accordion players, and live music throughout the day including rock and roll accordion band, Those Darn Accordions, as well as local bands Amadan, Hillstomp, Sassparilla and Chris Margolin and the Dregs.

WHEN: Saturday, September 11 from 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

WHERE: Widmer Brothers Brewery is located at 929 N. Russell Ave. Parking is extremely limited and public transportation is highly encouraged.

COST: Admission to Widmer Brother’s Oktoberfest is free; however, a 2010 souvenir stein is required for consuming beer. Attendees can also bring steins from previous years to the event. All beer and food is purchased with tokens, which cost $1 each. Patrons pay five tokens for a souvenir stein, four tokens for a full stein of beer and food items are $2-$5. Sales of steins and tokens end at 10:30 p.m., one hour prior to the close of the event.

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

Migration Brewing co-founder Colin Rath says “We are planning on releasing two new beers, at this event BBQ’ing, hopefully a whole pig which is fed by our spent grain by a local farmer here in town, as well as live music and a DJ closing the party in the later hours.”

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

Widmer Brothers Brewing once again hosts their annual Brother’s Day event featuring brews, bros, food, and live music. This event is a benefit for Big Brothers Big Sisters Columbia Northwest, an organization that matches positive adults with children in one-to-one friendships that expand the horizons of everyone involved.

For this event takes place on Wednesday August 11, 2010 from 4-8PM in Widmer’s Beer Garden, across the street from the brewery’s Gasthaus pub. Brother’s Day will feature the live music of The Monarques and Brownish Black, two spectacular soulful bands.

Read More…

Posted under Beer & Music, Oregon beer, beer events, places to drink beer

The New York Times recently featured an article by Eric Smillie outlining some great Pacific Northwest destinations for craft beer. In the snippetous piece, three Oregon beer hot spots were mentioned including Saraveza and Belmont Station of Portland and Bier Stein of Eugene. One can probably expect more and more recognition come to the region considering how great our beer is here.

On Saraveza, a proud sponsor of Brewpublic:

To accentuate the mildly spicy curried lamb and cauliflower creation on a recent menu, Sarah Pederson, the owner, recommended a lightly hopped pale ale from Amnesia Brewing in Portland. Then she said other pairings were possible: “It depends how you’re trying to drink and how you’re trying to eat.”

On Belmont Station:

…more than 1,200 different beers alongside a 26-seat taproom, offers one or two free tastings a week. “Over the course of the year you can taste well better than 500 bottled beers,” said Carl Singmaster, the owner.

On Bier Stein:

…an unassuming spot where ties are next to tie-dyes, Cypress Grove Chevre Creamery’s rich Truffle Tremor goat cheese sat next to a barleywine, a heady ale that clocks in at around 10 percent alcohol, from Ninkasi Brewing Company.

To read the complete article, go to http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/05/30/travel/30headsup.html

Posted under Oregon beer, beer news, beer reviews

In case you missed it, Northeast Dekum in Portland has a great new craft beer establishment about to open. With beer spots opening at a seemingly unfathomable rate in Portland, Breakside Brewery has worked very hard to set themselves apart from the pack.

Located at the corner of NE Dekum and 8th Avenue in the far northern quadrant of the city, Breakside features a clean, artisanial ambiance, and promises craft beer and  house made food to match. Earlier this week, Brewpublic got a glimpse into the nearly finished work of this soon to be hopping establishment thanks to co-founder Scott Lawrence and a crew of laborers working hard to get the place open.

Lawrence says he anticipates Thursday of this week to be when a soft opening occurs. Twelve draught lines pour nothing but an assortment of choice craft brews. For the opening, look for options such as Oskar Blues Dales Pale Ale, Firestone Walker Union Jack IPA, Ommegang Hennepin, Southern Oregon Pin-up Porter, Dogfish Head Pestina Peche, Mount Hood Hogsback Oatmeal Stout, and more. The rotating craft beer selection is orchestrated in part by brewer Ben Edmunds. Edmunds, a Siebel Institute of Technology graduate known for his work with the Oregon Beer Odyssey, will work with brewer Sean White, who is currently working at Alameda Brewing, to provided house produced beers pending TTB approval. Lawrence anticipates Breakside’s own brews to be available to the public sometime in July.

Breakside also is particularly focused on their artisan food menu as well. From scratch house made appetizers such as a hummus and marinated veggie plate, cured olives, deep fried pickles, buffalo wings, and fire roasted jalapeno poppers, and nachos are just a few options to get people started. Breakside’s kitchen will also offer burgers and sandwiches such as a blackened chicken burger, a pulled pork sandwich, a classic reuben, and their signature Breakside Burger. Called the “Cadillac of burgers,” the Breakside Burger is made from American Kobe-style beef from Snake River Farms filled with Rogue Smoky Blue Cheese and topped with roasted wild mushrooms and caramelized onions.

Here is an interview we conducted with Scott Lawrence regarding his soon to be open brewpub.

For more information on Breakside Brewery, visit their website: http://www.breaksidebrews.com

Posted under beer and food, beer news, brewpubs, craft cider, places to drink beer

Posted under events

The first time we visited the Great Lost Bear in Portland, Maine, we knew it was a place we would make a point to revisit when back in town. Reminiscent of the U.K.-inspired Horse Brass pub in our Portland it immediately presented an atmosphere exuding great craft beer culture.

Nearly as old as the good ol’ Brass, the Bear has been serving up tasty regional microbrews and artisan imported brews since 1979. About two miles from the city’s touristy Old Port District, the establishment is unassuming from the outside, but within its wall lies a history of Old World style and New World innovation. Bedecked with a plethora of breweriana and inviting beer signage, the Bear’s telltale indicator of greatness is a framed photo of the mighty Michael Jackson upon his visit to this destination for every enthusiast of barley art.

Housing sixty-five taps of wonderful beer, the Bear regularly features four beer engines and a constant supply of unique Allagash offerings. All About Beer Magazine justly claims this establishment to be one of “125 Places to Have Beer Before You Die.” With regular events centered around a love for beer, the Bear maintains a rotating array of Belgian and Extreme Beer selections guaranteed to excite anyone from the newby quaffer to the seasoned connoisseur.

Some advantages the bar offers include a long-standing smoke-free environment and a diverse spectrum of food offerings that cater to both carnivores and strict vegans. The local weekly, The Portland Phoenix, named The Great Lost Bear as having the best burger in the city. They also offer tasty housemade soups and hearty burritos to pair with a frothy cold one.

Upon our last visit, we enjoyed a cask pour of Allagash Black, a Belgian-style stout brewed with German 2-Row barley, torrified wheat and oats, and balanced by a large addition of Belgian dark candy to give the it a full and silky mouthfeel. Roasted malts give this stout its classic chocolate, toast and malty taste, and contribute to chocolate notes and a hint of roasted coffee in the aroma. The Black is fermented with a Belgian yeast strain and refermented in the bottle with the methode champenoise to make this beer truly unique.

Many of the beers offered at the Bear are those brewed in Maine. Tempting offerings here include Sebago Runabout Red Ale, Belfast Bay Lobster Ale, Gritty McDuff’s Black Fly Stout, and Atlantic Brewing Bar Harbor Real Ale. During the warmer months, one can enjoy themselves on the establishment’s outdoor patio. There’s a little something for everyone at the Bear. If you find yourself in Portland, Maine, make sure to pay them a visit. You will not be disappointed.

Posted under beer and food, places to drink beer

Heading north from Manchester, New Hampshire, we made our way up Interstate 93 past the State Capitol of Concord, east through the White Mountains National Forest. Into the heart the picturesque foothills of Mount Washington (New England’s tallest peak), we ventured into North Conway, New Hampshire. Only about ten miles from the Maine border, North Conway offers spectacular nature views and outdoor recreation as well as tourist shopping and resorts. Here we stopped for dinner at Flatbread Pizza, attached to a rustic inn and offering some of the best wood-fired pies anywhere in the land. The atmosphere was capped with high ceilings containing a signature rustic New England ambiance,replete with a brick oven that served as the hearth of the restaurant. Here, a delicious variety of Flatbread’s signature offerings were prepared.

In addition to the food that paid large focus to sustainable and healthful practices, Flatbread offered a great selection of regional microbrews. We opted for a citrusy spiced Moat Mountain Weiss, brewed right in North Conway, and Tuckerman’s Pale Ale, brewed in neighboring Conway, New Hampshire. Both were exceptionally well crafted and paired perfectly with our veggie-laden pies. After a well-needed refuel at Flatbread, we continued east about ten miles into the great state of Maine..

Posted under beer and food, beer reviews, places to drink beer

Lisa Morrison, aka the Beer Goddess, is hosting one of her popular women-only beer classes at Fort George Brewery & Public House on Feb. 20. It’s called Hoppy Housewives. You don’t have to be a housewife to attend, but you do have to be a woman! The two-hour afternoon class takes ladies on an entertaining and educational tour of several beer styles, as Lisa shares tips on pairing beer with food, cooking with beer — participants even get a take-home recipe book — and great stories about beer’s HERstory (instead of history). Light fare in the form of finger food and tapas will be provided so students don’t get hungry!

Don’t forget, it’s also Stout Month at the Fort George, with rotating stouts on draft from countless different breweries all month! Class attendees and their escorts are encouraged to make a weekend of it by booking a room at the newly opened Commodore Hotel, nearly right across the street from the brew pub! Details: http://www.commodoreastoria.com/

Please note: Lisa is teaming up with Fort George and the Commodore to offer a contest to win a package that includes one entry to Hoppy Housewives and one night’s stay for two in a deluxe cabin at the Commodore Astoria, valued at more than $100. Listen to “Beer O’Clock!,” Saturday, Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. on kxl.com or check out the podcast on iTunes or kxl.com for details on how to enter.

Posted under beer events

Many beer geeks may have heard about a Jeroboam, but what about a Methuselah or a  Salmanazar?

Anyone who knows Preston Weesner knows the guy is seriously geeked about craft beer. When he’s not organizing and orchestrating fanatical beer festivals (Holiday Ale Fest, Portland International Beer Fest), he’s usually thinking about, talking about, and promoting great beer. Now, Mr. Weesner has teamed up with the beerophiles over at Saraveza to coordinate a unique and intimate tasting of world class beers from big ol’ bottles. This sort of  event is unlike anything many beer geeks have experienced before.

Thirty lucky citizens of Beervana will get a rare and limited opportunity to try a variety of big bottle vintage beers Tuesday, February 9th at 6:30 pm at Saraveza (1004 N. Killingsworth Street). This special affair will feature seven expensive and rare vintage large format bottles as the centerpiece of an evening of vintage beer tasting, beer and food pairing, and education about the beers and the changes they undergo in their mammoth bottles.

The all-star beer line-up of seven beers features 2006 Chimay Grand Reserve, 2007 Duvel Tripel, 2007 Samichalaus, 2008 St. Bernardus Abt 12, 2008 St. Feuillien Triple, 2007 Unibroue La Fin Du Monde and 2006 Val-Dieu Winter.

With names like Jeroboam, Methuselah and Salmanazar, these three, six and nine liter bottles hold precious cargo from Europe and Canada that has undergone careful cellaring for several years, allowing the beers to mellow and the flavors to blend to reveal subtle nuances that transform these beers into true works of art.

Saraveza owner Sarah Pederson and Chef Spence Lack have created complementary parings to accompany these beers from the cellar of Preston Weesner, including a 15-month-old aged gouda cheese from Willamette Valley Cheese, house crackers and Marcona almonds; cherry smoked black pepper duck sausage with a Chimay beer and prune reduction; and a cider braised lamb and parsnip potato mash pasty with warm spiced butternut squash and pickled garnish.

Tickets are $60 limited to two per person and available only at Saraveza. For more information, call 503-206-4252.

Posted under beer events