By Jen Sotolongo

Beer production requires a lot of water. In fact, 90% of beer is water. And this figure doesn’t even include the water required for cleaning, running a brewery or brewpub, or growing hops and barley.

According to the Water Footprint Network, the Netherlands organization that pioneered measuring water footprints, one gallon of beer requires 689 gallons of water to produce. The majority of water used in the production comes from growing and fermenting barley and other grains used during the brewing process. The industry average is 6-10 gallons of water per gallon of beer produced in the brewery, according to Executive Brewmaster at Full Sail, Jamie Emmerson.

Of the top 100 water users in Portland during the FY09-FY10 year, Widmer Brothers ranked #27 and Pyramid Brewing #77. A recent study conducted by consulting firm McKinstry & Co. and the World Bank estimates that by 2030, more than one third of the world’s population will face major water shortages if we continue business as usual. This is a cause for concern in an industry whose product relies heavily on water, especially in states like Colorado and California, with abundant breweries, and severely depleted rivers.

Luckily, many breweries realize the importance of Read More…

Posted under Oregon beer, Washington Beer, beer me

Here’s a look at some new beer labels from the Pacific Northwest, including many from Full Sail, Widmer, Sierra Nevada, and Elysian and many more! Check them out below: Read More…

Posted under California Beer, Oregon beer, Washington Beer, beer releases

Full Sail has scheduled two “Meet the Brewer and the Beer” events to showcase this new beer. The first Meet Brewer and the Beer event will be at Full Sail at Riverplace in Portland, Tuesday, May 15th, from 5:00 – 6:30PM. The second is at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, on Thursday, May 17th from 5:00 to 6:30PM. Join the Full Sail crew to celebrate and toast a pint of this new brew.

With each Brewer’s Share series beer, Full Sail picks a local charity to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the beer. Joshua has chosen to support the Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute, so every keg of Allman’s All Mild benefits this organization whose mission is to create life-long learning opportunities that foster a sense of wonder and community stewardship in the natural systems of the Columbia River Gorge.

The Brewer’s Share Experimental series is a line-up of small batch draft beers where each Full Sail brewer takes a turn hand-crafting their own single batch recipe. A portion of the proceeds benefit a local charity or organization of their choice. Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share Experimental beers will only be available on tap at Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, Oregon, and at Full Sail’s Brewery at Riverplace, in Portland, Oregon. Growlers to go are available.  The next Brewer’s Share Experimental will be brewed by Brewer, Clinton Wertzbaugher and is planned for late summer.

About Full Sail Brewing Company:

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment our specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer. Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA, Pale, LTD, Session Premium Lager, Session Black and Session Fest. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 25 years.  Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in 29 states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week.  Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view.  http://www.fullsailbrewing.com

About American Craft Beer Week, May 14-20^th 2012

Started in 2006 and recognized by congress twice in its history, American Craft Beer Week® (ACBW) is the national celebration of America’s small and independent craft brewers, their impact on American culture, and the love affair that craft beer enthusiast have for their favorite American made craft beers. Become a fan of American Craft Beer Week on Facebook or visit the ACBW website for more information on events around the country and toast the week with a delicious beer brewed by one of the craft brewers in the US.

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

Full Sail has scheduled two “Meet the Brewer and the Beer” events to showcase this new beer. The first Meet Brewer and the Beer event will be at Full Sail at Riverplace in Portland, Tuesday, May 15th, from 5:00 – 6:30PM. The second is at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, on Thursday, May 17th from 5:00 to 6:30PM. Join the Full Sail crew to celebrate and toast a pint of this new brew.

With each Brewer’s Share series beer, Full Sail picks a local charity to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the beer. Joshua has chosen to support the Columbia Gorge Ecology Institute, so every keg of Allman’s All Mild benefits this organization whose mission is to create life-long learning opportunities that foster a sense of wonder and community stewardship in the natural systems of the Columbia River Gorge.

The Brewer’s Share Experimental series is a line-up of small batch draft beers where each Full Sail brewer takes a turn hand-crafting their own single batch recipe. A portion of the proceeds benefit a local charity or organization of their choice. Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share Experimental beers will only be available on tap at Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, Oregon, and at Full Sail’s Brewery at Riverplace, in Portland, Oregon. Growlers to go are available.  The next Brewer’s Share Experimental will be brewed by Brewer, Clinton Wertzbaugher and is planned for late summer.

About Full Sail Brewing Company:

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment our specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer. Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA, Pale, LTD, Session Premium Lager, Session Black and Session Fest. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 25 years.  Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in 29 states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week.  Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view.  http://www.fullsailbrewing.com

About American Craft Beer Week, May 14-20^th 2012

Started in 2006 and recognized by congress twice in its history, American Craft Beer Week® (ACBW) is the national celebration of America’s small and independent craft brewers, their impact on American culture, and the love affair that craft beer enthusiast have for their favorite American made craft beers. Become a fan of American Craft Beer Week on Facebook or visit the ACBW website for more information on events around the country and toast the week with a delicious beer brewed by one of the craft brewers in the US.

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

Full Sail Brewing of Hood River, Oregon has announced the latest release in their Brewer’s Share Experimental lineup. The beer, a celebration of American Craft Beer Week which kicks off on Monday May 14, 2012, “Allman’s All Mild”, was developed by lead lab tech Joshua Allman. The 4.1% ABV brew is described by the brewery as a “beautiful light copper colored English Mild Ale.” Here’s the full scoop from the folks at Full Sail: Read More…

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

Full Sail brewer Gavin Lord informs informed us that his girlfriend, filmmaker Giselle Kennedy,  has a short film that has been named one of the finalists for the 2012 Dogfish Head Off-Centered Film Fest in Austin, TX.  Lord tells us “When we saw the call for submissions for the 2012 Dogfish Head Off-Centered Film Fest, we couldn’t resist.” This year’s theme for filmmakers is  “Western Off-Centered,” so, Lord tells us  “we created a five minute ‘Western Brew Rap’ titled the Rainbow Ranch Inn and submitted it to the festival last month.” A humorous and well-edited piece starring Lord, Rainbow Ranch Inn was selected as one of the top three winners, but the entrants won’t know which place they’ve finished until the film fest’s Short Film Competition on the 21st of this month at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema in Austin, TX. Read More…

Posted under Beer & Art, Beer & Music, Oregon beer, beers on film

This Sunday, from 4-7pm, we are hosting a meet the brewer event with Full Sail Brewery brewmaster Phil Roche. Phil will be present sampling his new addition to the ‘Brewer’s Share series, Phil’s Existential Alt. He will be happy to accept questions on anything to do with the world of beer!

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

One of the most talented brewers and nicest people we’ve met in the business is Phil Roche, brewmaster at Full Sail Brewing in Portland. A longtime employee of Full Sail, Roche has developed a new beer to be bottled and featured as a part of the brewery’s Brewer’s Share series. “Phil’s Existential Alt” will be on draught and available in 22-ounce bottles this month. Here’s the full scoop from Full Sail Brewing Co.: Read More…

Posted under Beer personalities, Oregon beer, beer news, beer releases

Portland and the Pacific Northwest’s premier craft beer bottleshop, Belmont Station is raising a glass to 15 years of setting the standard for craft brew in Beervana. “It’s been five years since we opened the Biercafe” says proprietor Carl Singmaster, adding “Thanks to you we’re still here so we’ll be breaking out some vintage bottles to sell.”  Singmaster informs us that the Station is going deep into the coffers and pulling out vintages of Read More…

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

This month Full Sail Brewing will release a new beer in their Brewer’s Share Experimental line up: “Dan’s Satin Stout” crafted by Assistant Operations Manager Dan Nakamura.  Intrigued by the complexity of dark beer, Dan brewed a sweet, dark stout with a very smooth, satiny finish.

Dan’s Satin Stout is a creamy, dark beer with a soft and smooth finish and is complemented with the subtly sweet notes of chocolate and a hint of honey. A blend of pale, Munich, caramel, chocolate malt, and roast barley give Satin Stout its deep darkness and complex palate. Willamette and Mt. Hood hops provide just enough bitter to balance the sweet malitness; their slightly spicy aromas complement the floral notes from the addition of wildflower honey. Nitrogen conditioning is the final finishing touch providing a luscious satiny smoothness. 5.2% ABV 36 IBU

“I feel so fortunate to have a job I love in the place I grew up. I started my career at Full Sail as a keg washer over 21 years ago and have had the opportunity to move through many jobs at the brewery.  In the process I have really gained a passion for great beer and a deep respect for the brewing art.  When the opportunity to brew my own beer came up, I jumped at the chance to follow a long line of very talented Full Sail brewers. I sincerely hope that you enjoy this beer as much as I enjoyed brewing it. Cheers!” said Dan Nakamura.

Full Sail has scheduled a “Meet the Brewer and the Beer” event to showcase this new beer. The event will be at Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, on Thursday, February 16^th from 5:00 to 6:30PM. Join the Full Sail crew to celebrate and toast with a pint of this special brew.

Dan’s Satin Stout will also be featured at Full Sail’s Zwickelmania brewery open house. On Saturday, February 18^th, dozens of Oregon breweries and brewpubs will open their doors to visitors for the state’s 4^th annual Zwickelmania. Hosted by the Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG), Zwickelmania is a free statewide event that offers visitors a chance to tour Oregon breweries, meet the brewers and sample their favorite beers. Full Sail Brewing will offer guided brewery tours at 11, 12, 1, 2, 3 and 4pm and will be offering samples of Dan’s Satin Stout paired with artisan chocolate. Tours and tasting are free of charge and each tour participant will receive a complimentary pint glass. Full Sail’s Brewery at Riverplace in Portland will also be open for tours.

With each Brewer’s Share series beer, Full Sail picks a local charity to receive a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the beer. Dan has chosen to support Hospice of the Gorge so every keg of Dan’s Satin Stout benefits this organization whose mission is to compassionately support patients and families through the end of life process.

The Brewer’s Share Experimental series is a line-up of small batch draft beers where each Full Sail brewer takes a turn hand-crafting their own single batch recipe. A portion of the proceeds benefit a local charity or organization of their choice. Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share Experimental beers will only be available on tap at Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, Oregon, and at Full Sail’s Brewery at Riverplace, in Portland, Oregon. Growlers to go are available.  The next Brewer’s Share Experimental will be brewed by Lead Lab Tech, Joshua Allman and is planned for spring.

About Full Sail Brewing Company:

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment our specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer. Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA, Pale, LTD, Session Premium Lager, Session Black and Session Fest. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 25 years.  Committed to brewing great beer and sustainable practices their award winning brews are now available in 29 states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week.  Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view.  http://www.fullsailbrewing.com

Posted under Oregon beer, beer events, events, press releases