Charlie Herrin, The Beer Traveler continues his visit with Christian Ettinger, founder and brewmaster of Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) in Portland, Oregon. This time they discuss HUB’s Read More…
Posted under beer events, Beer personalities, beers on film, brewpubs, Oregon beer
This post was written by Angelo on February 12, 2013
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
This post was written by Angelo on January 31, 2013
In this webisode of The Beer Traveler, Charlie heads over to Hopworks Urban Brewery‘s main brewpub in Southeast Portland to sample some sustainable and organic beers from founder and brewmaster Christian Ettinger. Christian always has time for a beer and his is of the award-winning world-class variety. In the midst of winter, Ettinger discusses the new canned offerings from HUB, Oregon’s only 100% organic brewery. Mostl of the food served at HUB is organic, too. In fact everything in the brewery from the light fixtures to the reclaimed materials that make up the walls and bar tops is evidence of this ongoing effort for an optimally sustainable business. And as Ettinger states, HUB is “trying to lead by example”, and if the beer and ambiance of the two pubs is any indication, it looks like they’re doing a great job!
Posted under Beer personalities, Beer Travel, beers on film, brewpubs, Oregon beer, places to drink beer
This post was written by Angelo on January 22, 2013
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
This post was written by Angelo on December 13, 2012
Killer Pumpkin Fest 2012 at the Green Dragon was even bigger and better than it was last year. With more than 30 pumpkin beers to choose from spanning many base beer styles, there was a little something for everyone, provided you enjoy pumpkin in your brew. With the exception of Elysian’s Great Pumpkin Fest in Seattle, the Green Dragon event was the largest of its kind anywhere in the world.
Speaking of Elysian, the Seattle brewery came with force with a dozen pumpkin brews of their own. Chief Pumpkineer, Dick Cantwell was in attendance for the event to spread the gourd-eous goods. The buzz beer of the event appeared to be Cascade Brewing‘s Smashed Pumpkin, a sour rum barrel-aged strong ale that disappeared quickly. There were pumpkin pilsners (Elysian, 10 Barrel Brewing), pumpkin porters (Oakshire, Beer Valley Brewing), and even a pumpkin IPA (Hop Squash made by Elysian and Ninkasi Brewing). Other highlights included Hopworks Urban Brewery‘s El Gourdo II: Electric Boogaloo, a pumpkin conditioned ale with vanilla, Walking Man’s Sass-Squash, and Rock Bottom’s Headless Horseman. But really, all the beers were at very least quite interesting.
Here’s a collection of photos from this year’s Killer Pumpkin Fest. Thanks to the craft beer lovers at Green Dragon and Rogue for their hard work in helping us put together on hell of an event: Read More…
Posted under beer events, Oregon beer, places to drink beer, Washington Beer
This post was written by Angelo on October 23, 2012
4th ANNUAL BiKETOBEERFEST ROLLS IN ON AUGUST 11
Bikes, Beer & Live Music Event Benefits Bicycle Transportation Alliance and Friends of Trees
Nothing sums up the culture and spirit of Portland like local craft beer, bikes and live music. And all of those are coming together at Hopworks Urban Brewery’s (HUB) BiKETOBEERFEST on Saturday, August 11.
BiKETOBEERFEST is a family-friendly, bike-in Oktoberfest celebrating Portland’s bike culture. The event features 15 organic Hopworks beers, local bands, bicycle-themed entertainment, bike builder demonstrations, BMX stunt riders and the famous “Huffy Huck” bike toss competition.
Bands scheduled to appear include The Builders and The Butchers, Casey Neill & the Norway Rats and Fault Lines.
BikeToBeerFest is taking place at Hopworks Urban Brewery, located at 2944 SE Powell Blvd. and runs from 2 to 10 p.m. HUB is closing the parking lot and encouraging everyone to ride their bikes to the event. For more information, please see www.BiKETOBEERFEST.com
More:
The World’s Only Bike-In Oktoberfest Party
All ages all day long!
$5 admission includes four hot bands on the main stage, plus activities all day long. Kids under 16 are free.
Builders and the Butchers (9:10 pm)
Ramona Falls (7:30 pm)
Casey Neill & the Norwary Rats (5:00 pm)
Fault Lines (3:30 pm)
Posted under beer events, brewpubs, events, Oregon beer
This post was written by admin on August 11, 2012
Nothing sums up the culture and spirit of Portland like local craft beer, bikes and live music. And all of those are coming together at Hopworks Urban Brewery’s (HUB) BiKETOBEERFEST on Saturday, August 11, 2012.
BiKETOBEERFEST is a family-friendly, bike-in Oktoberfest celebrating Portland’s bike culture. The event features 15 organic Hopworks beers, local bands, bicycle-themed entertainment, bike builder demonstrations, BMX stunt riders and the famous “Huffy Huck” bike toss competition.
Bands scheduled to appear include The Builders and The Butchers, Casey Neill & the Norway Rats and Fault Lines.
BikeToBeerFest is taking Read More…
Posted under beer events, Oregon beer, places to drink beer
This post was written by admin on August 6, 2012
The last weekend of June marked the return of one of Oregon’s best brew festivals, the North American Organic Brewers Festival (NAOBF). Held at Overlook Park off North Interstate Avenue in Portland, the eleventh NAOBF’s grounds are arguably the best venue for an outdoor beer festival anywhere. And, despite some early humidity and the expected occasional rainfall that comes with late June in Oregon, the fest again came out a winner.
It was apparent that Oregon craft beer festival organizer and media coordinator Chris Crabb was a big force behind the success of this year’s NAOBF. Crabb also is a key component behind both the Holiday Ale Festival and the mother of all Northwest beer shindigs, the Oregon Brewers Festival. Working long days in preparation and during the fest, Crabb saw to it that all the ducks were in a row for this, the only organic festival of its kind (at least to our knowledge). She was at the fest at 4 a.m. on Thursday to coordinate television interviews with brewers and representatives. At 11 a.m. a media tasting that provided samplings of some of the festival’s highlights began. Here, Lisa “The Beer Goddess” Morrison directed a group of us through about a dozen recommended picks that would be featured to the public when the gates opened at noon. Here’s a look at some of the brews showcased for the 2012 NAOBF: Read More…
Posted under beer events, beer reviews, California Beer, craft cider, Oregon beer, places to drink beer, Washington Beer, weekend in review
This post was written by Angelo on July 2, 2012
The North American Organic Brewers Festival (NAOBF) returns to Overlook Park in Portland, Oregon to continue celebrating the contributions of organic brewers and a commitment to more sustainable living. This year’s fest marks the 8th annual NAOBF and will once again feature craft beer and artisan ciders from around the world. “This should be a great fest this year – we’ve increased to three trailers, so lines won’t be a problem” says event coordinator Chris Crabb, adding: “Styles run the gamut from Belgian Whites to Cascadian Darks.”
NAOBF will feature a full lineup of live local music, organic food (including ice cream and coffee!), sustainability-oriented vendors and non-profits, a soda garden with complimentary Crater Lake Root Beer for minors and designated drivers, and a children’s area with face painting and activities. The NAOBF is a family friendly event, and minors are welcome with parents.
More details:
Event hours are Noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission into the event is free. The purchase of a $6 reusable, compostable cornstarch glass is required for tasting beer, as are tokens, which sell for $1 apiece. A full glass of beer or cider costs four tokens and a four-ounce taste costs one token; select beers cost double tokens. Patrons receive a $1 discount toward the tasting glass with a validated MAX ticket, a ticket from the onsite Hopworks bike corral – last year, nearly 2,000 attendees parked their bikes at the festival – or three cans of food for the Oregon Food Bank (limit one discount per person). The NAOBF benefits the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the Oregon Food Bank.
Lineup of Beers and Ciders To Pour at 2012 NAOBF: Read More…
Posted under Beer & Music, beer and food, beer events, beer news, California Beer, craft cider, Oregon beer, Washington Beer
This post was written by admin on June 20, 2012
Portland’s beloved Laurelwood Brewing Co. has set their sights on opening a fifth location in the Portland area. According to PDX Eater and an application report from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission, the company founded by Mike DeKalb in 2001, “has applied for a license to open a 105-seat spot at the busy Milwaukie/SE Bybee intersection, just around from corner from Lompoc Brewing’s Oaks Bottom Public House.” The physical address of the new grounds is 6716 SE Milwaukie Ave., Portland, OR
Laurelwood’s Read More…
Posted under beer news, brewpubs, Oregon beer, places to drink beer
This post was written by Angelo on June 18, 2012
