Brewpublic’s Quebecer correspondent Marc Demeule recaps a malt-filled weekend in October where he returns to Portland for more of what he loves…craft beer. This time Marc does it fest-style with Brewpublic’s 1st Brewniversary at Saraveza, The Portland Fresh Hop Tastival at Oak’s Park, and the KillerBeerFest at Bailey’s Taproom. We just wonder if he will make it back for the Holiday Ale Fest. Well, there’s always something exciting brewing in Beervana.

On a Friday we left Portland heading eastbound toward the Southeastern corner of Washington State. As previously mentioned, any trip along the gorge demands a stop at Double Mountain Brewpub in Hood River. Here we visited our friend Charlie Devereux who shared a hoppilicious pint of Killer Green and a sweet and sour snifter of Devil’s Kriek. After this needed pit stop an hour or so out of town, we continued on our way east along the I-84. Hood River is the dividing line where you can see the climate change from temperate rain forest to high desert. Douglas-Fir trees are replaced with Ponderosa Pines and wet green terrains evaporates into pillowing glacial pastels. The town also marks the end of craft beer abundance in Oregon. Dispersed along the Interstate are some great pours such as Barley Browns in Baker City and Beer Valley in Ontario, but for the most part, once you pass Hood River, you will find your self in Bud Country where cowboys and ranchers are as commonplace as tumbleweeds and livestock.

Hood River, Oregon on the Columbia Gorge was a terrific backdrop for the weekend’s Fresh Hop Tastival. The quaint picturesque town is home to three breweries (Full Sail, Double Mountain, and Big Horse), all of which are at the upper echelon of Oregon’s rich brewing community.   This years hop fest in its 6th year, was the biggest Hood River tastival yet. The organizers of Double Mountain Brewing did a really nice job making sure to include a little something for people of all ages.

Here’s a look at Belmont Station’s Bier Cafe beer menu from this week.  Note: the names in green are fresh hopped (except for Klamath Basin’s Migration Destination barley wine). If you haven’t gotten down to Belmont to try some of these…do it now!  The Laughing Dog Hop Dog won the people’s choice award at this year’s Yakima Fresh Hop Fest in Washington.  Several others definitely worth trying are on this list.  Belmont also carries a bunch of other Fresh Hop beers in bottles in their store side, such as this year’s Sierra Nevada 12th Release Harvest Wet Hop Ale, BridgePort Hop Harvest, and Hales O’Brien’s Harvest Ale to name a few.

We salute you!

Belmont Station Fresh Hop Night! Woo Hoo!

Here’s a few beers from Belmont Station that I recently tried that might be worth your time and money to check out:

HaandBryggeriet Haandbaak:  Forget all the double A’s in the name (unless your Aaron). This wonderful Norwegian sour ale aged in oak barrels is a Nordic exposure to the Flemish. Pouring a deep chestnut-brown body with an attractive tan head, the Haandbaak possesses a welcoming cherry tartness coupled by a musky, tannin-laden nose.  This is not a beer for the weekend warrior.  This beer is complex and sophisticated.  Okay, it’s really purposefully infected with the Wild Yeast that you’ve grown to love in beers like Panil Barriquée, Rodenbach Classic Red, and even the Deschutes Dissident.  Give this one a whirl.  If you are a fan of the style, you shan’t be disappointed. RIYL: Deschutes Dissident, Panil Barriquee, Monk’s Cafe Flemish Sour Red

HaandBryggeriet Doppel Dram:  Double IPA all the way.  And all the way from Norway, this feisty beer has traveled quite well.  Upon first whiff, a sense that this beer is dutifully hopped.  Northwest flowery hops and English Goldings/Fuggles give this brew a striking citrus nose.  Lemon, orange, grapefruit esters jump out of the bottle and entice the hop zealot.  The flavor, however, tells another tale.  A deep, chalky malt underpinning give the palate a tenacious shift in opinion.  Molasses, toffee grit indicative of the 9% ABV in this spicy brew. The alcohol is carefully masked and the flavor intricacies unfold a new interpretation upon each sip.  Enjoy with a friend who appreciates bold and unique hopped beers. RIYL: Southern Tier Un*earthly, Nørrebro North Bridge Extreme, Three Floyds Dreadknaught

Fresh hops ripe for the picking

One Hop Festival (Hood River Hop Fest) down, and two to go. October 18 at Hopworks, 2944 SE Powell Blvd., and October 25 at Ninkasi, 272 Van Buren St. in Eugene.   Admission to the events is free; glasses/mugs cost $5, and are required for tasting beer.  Tastes of the individual beers are $1 each.  Hours are Noon to 9 p.m.

Thanks to Chris Crabb, here is the lineup of the freshest beers on tap that will be available at both events.  These two festivals will be the only place where hopheads can find all these beers in one location!

Brewer Ben Flerchinger gets hoppy at the Lucky Lab Mutt Hop picking.

The Lucky Labrador is the kind of place where beer lovers and friends alike congregate in a true public house atmosphere.  Boldly hoppy beers adorn the vast selection.  With three locations each with unique wide-open gathering halls, the Lab is perhaps the of friendliest down home pubs in Portland.  On September 17, 2008, a group of Lab Lovers along with staff joined in an annual ritual of picking hops for the autumn Mutt Hop Brew.  I showed up at the Hawthorne location about 1:45PM to find brewer Ben Flerchinger and about ten others picking away.  They had been picking several varietals of vine ripened hops since noon in the back beer garden.  With warm and muggy air, the crop was at its peek.   Hops growing out back of the Lab and from the NW Quimby location were being harvested right before my eyes.  The smell was wonderful, and the mood was that of community and friendship.  Not only were the hops from the Lucky Lab being used, but Lab Lovers were bringing in their own supplies in attempts to make 2008’s harvest the biggest yet. According to Flerchinger, 2007’s Mutt Hop event yielded 73 pounds of sticky lupulin-laden fruit.