Press Release:

Portland, OR – Bazi Bierbrasserie (1522 SE 32^nd Avenue) is celebrating two years of Belgian-inspired libations on Sunday, May 26 from 4-10 PM and Monday, May 27 at 5 PM. Here are the details of the festivities taking place on each day:

Fill My Fridge

Sunday, May 26 from 4-10 PM

This is the official release party for Bazi’s recently expanded license which now includes To Go Bottles and Growler refills. Double Mountain’s limited edition Four Horsemen Series will be available for purchase as a 4-pack while supplies last. So get there early, check out the growing bottle list of Trappist beers as well as local favorites and Fill Your Fridge!

2^nd Year Toast Beer and Cake Pairing

Monday, May 27 at 5 PM

Bazi proprietress, Hilda Stevens, spent the last few months brewing up a recipe for a saison with Bryan Kielty of Lompoc Brewing. The result of the Bazi and Lompoc collaboration is the Forbidden Fruit saison. Brewed in a 15 barrel system with 64 gallons of black currant and a secret Belgian yeast, the saison has a delightful tart finish.

Named the Forbidden Fruit due to the restrictions of growing black currant in the US during the 20^th century. Mostly recently, those restrictions were lifted and black currant can now be grown in OR, NY, VT and CT.

“We’re taking the beer a step further by adding a third partner to this collaboration,” says Stevens. Some of the beer will be preserved in French barrels used by De Ponte Read More…

Posted under beer events, beer news, Oregon beer, places to drink beer, press releases

By D.J. Paul

With another President’s Day Weekend now behind us also means another Zwickelmania is also in the books. This year we celebrated the 5^th Year of this annual day of Oregon brewery open houses put on by the Oregon Brewers Guild. Last year I traveled to Bend with Brewpublic’s Angelo De Ieso to Zwickel. This year I decided to stay closer to home and take in some breweries across Portland.

Knowing that the day will be a long one of consumption I headed to SE Portland via TriMet to meet up with my Zwickeling companion Snob Ritch. Both of us realized that we needed to get a good food base in us so we met at Taco Express, for a breakfast burrito. Fortunately this excellent taco truck is located across the street from our planned first stop, Gigantic Brewing.

With breakfast burrito in hand we walked over to Gigantic Brewing to eat our warm burritos in their tasting room. From perusing their beer menu we decided to go with their new seasonal release, The Time Traveler, a nice roasty porter that paired quite well with our breakfast burrito. Gigantic brought their A game on Saturday. They had Zwickelers enter the brewery from the rear parking lot. Once inside Joey Bosworth poured samples of their year-round IPA and their Royale: Belgian Pale Ale as free tasters alongside a backdrop of beers aging in wooden barrels. Then Ben Love was roaming the brewery to answer any questions from the masses while Van Havig poured The Time Traveler from the zwickel in the midst of the brewery. From there they shuffled the Zwickelers to the front tasting room to purchase a pint while waiting on the next Brewvana Bus to arrive. Read More…

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

By Alex Ganum, owner & brewmaster of Upright Brewing

As is usual, I’ve got beer on my mind. Brewing really never gets old, and enjoying beer sure doesn’t either. Here and there I find myself headed to Upright late at night, after 10 p.m. Maybe I need to check on a fermentation, or crop yeast at an especially opportune time, or maybe I just want to start getting setup for the next day. That’s likely an excuse to go in and actually unwind, which to me is turning up the stereo and tasting samples from barrels. We recently started renting a bit of extra space for more barrel aging, so I’m pretty floored about producing several new annual releases. Many of the ones in mind were made in extra small batch form in the past, like the Special Herbs, Five aged in Fantasia casks (we need a name for that one Angelo), Lactovasilios, and single cask Provision. There’s also completely fresh recipes in the works, like a Fantasia-esque brew made with beautiful muscat grapes, a wine barrel-finished whiskey version of the recent Spollen Angel tripel, and a barrel-aged coffee stout fermented with saison yeast. I’d really like to do an annual whiskey barrel aged English-style barleywine too. And we’ve got four casks of 2012 Flora Rustica in motion too, which will further rusticize (Breakside Ben – is that a halfway legitimate term?) one of the brewery’s most historic-tasting beers. Read More…

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

The holidays are a time filled with joy and merriment for many, but for some it can be a very trying and difficult time. It’s easy to take for granted what we have to be thankful for at times – family, friends, loved ones, and our health…

One particular Portland family of four, the Ruelles, is dealing with a difficult time and we would like to encourage you to show your support to help them out. It’s not often that we steer away from the ever-important topic of craft beer, but if you could take a moment give to help these good folks out, it will really make a difference.

Earlier this fall, mother Summar Ruelle was diagnosed with Invasive Ductal Breast Cancer that had metastasized to her lymph nodes and to various bones in her body. Less than two weeks later, the family received more devastating news: their three-year-old daughter Sapphire was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Both mother and daughter have begun their journey for treatment. A website has been established to help with the massive bills and care of these folks. If you’ve got anything to give we strongly encourage you to please help.

Lompoc Brewing of Portland has already shown their support of the Ruelles by organizing a fundraiser at their Fifth Quadrant Sidebar (3901 N. Williams Ave., Portland, OR) on December 13, 2012. A percentage of this day’s sales will go to helping the cause. If you wish to learn more, visit www.theruellefamily.com and to make a donation, visit www.theruellefamily.com/Donate.aspx

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

By D.J. Paul

Another year is coming to an end, which means a plethora of holiday beers from Lompoc Brewing are ready to be released. Since the temporary demise of The Old Lompoc Pub on NW 23^rd Ave, Lompoc Brewing is now down to only one operating brewery (NW 23^rd location will be back open as a pub only in May or June 2013). Because of this new found capacity restriction, Lompoc is releasing 7 Holiday Beers this season, down three from last year’s 10 Holiday Beer Releases.

Present from Lompoc Brewing for the media tasting was owner Jerry Fechter, head brewery Bryan Keilty and their newest brewer Josh Merrick.

Here’s an in-depth look at this year’s holiday releases from Lompoc: Read More…

Posted under beer releases, beer reviews, Oregon beer, places to drink beer

By Chris Crabb

Lompoc Brewing, known for releasing a ridiculous amount of holiday seasonals every year, has once again lived up to its reputation. The annual Lompoc Holiday Beer Extravaganza will showcase the draft release of seven different holiday beers, two of which will also be available in bottles. The lineup includes 8 Malty Nights, Portland’s first Hanukkah beer and one of the only Hanukkah beers in the nation. The release party will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 27th from 4 to 10 pm at the Lompoc Sidebar, located at 3901 N Williams Ave.

This year’s offerings include Blitzen Golden Ale, Jolly Bock German Style Bock, Franc’ly Brewdolph Belgian Style Red, C-Sons Greetings Imperial IPA , Old Tavern Rat Barley Wine, 8 Malty Nights Chocolate Rye, and Bourbon Barrel Aged Wee Heavy. Both C’sons Greetings and 8 Malty Nights will also be released in 22-ounce bottles.

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

On Wednesday, Nov. 14, join us for an event two years in the making… Geraldo Brewvera’s Return to the Vault! Geraldo Brewvera will delve deep into the vault of Hedge House; what will he pull out? Be on-site and find out! Also featuring the release of Scarlet Red, taster trays from the vault & free appetizers! It all takes place from 5-7 pm.

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

Brewer Bryan Keilty of New Old Lompoc

Lompoc Brewing Head Brewer Bryan Keilty has teamed up with Wildwood Restaurant Sous Chef and Beer Steward Paul Kasten to create a delicious six-course Brewer’s Dinner featuring locally sourced ingredients complemented by Lompoc’s fresh, local beers. The event will take place on Friday, Nov. 9th at 6:30 p.m. in Wildwood’s Wood Room, 1221 NW 21st Ave. Tickets cost $65, which includes food, beer and gratuity. Reservations can be made with Shelly Jones at shelly@wildwood.com or 503-225-0130. 
First Course
Cheddar Kimchi Arancini
C-Sons Greetings
 
Second Course
Salt Cod Agnolotti, Fumet, Microgreens, Crispy Shallots, Preserved Lemon, Cherry Tomato
Kick Axe Dry Hopped Pale Ale
 
Third Course
Chanterelle Stuffed Turkey Leg, Oyster Bread Pudding, Cherry Mostarda, Crispy Brussels
Cherry Christmas
 
Fourth Course
Cherry Bomb Roasted Pork Loin, Fork Mashed Celery Root, Porcini, Cherry Bourbon Jus
Cherry Bomb / Red Raison
 
Fifth Course
Stout Braised Beef Chile Relleno, Pan Roasted Pumpkin, Gremolata
Cherry Porter
 
Sixth Course
Bayley Hazen Blue, Candied Walnuts, Honey, Semolina Crackers, Dried Fruit
Bourbon Barrel Aged Old Tavern Rat
 
A Portland staple since 1996, Lompoc Brewing creates six flavorful year-round beers, plus a ridiculous number of seasonals. You can find Lompoc in 22 oz bottles and on draft at locations around town, and at its four neighborhood pubs: Fifth Quadrant and Sidebar in North Portland, and Hedge House and Oaks Bottom in Southeast; the original New Old Lompoc is being rebuilt and will open on NW 23rd Avenue in 2013.
 
Founded in 1994, Wildwood is an American restaurant and bar that serves the best the Pacific Northwest has to offer. Its menus are inspired by the fresh seasonal produce available throughout the region. Wildwood supports local farms that practice environmentally sound agriculture and sustainable farming, and market driven menus always showcase local farms and purveyors.

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

Tabor Tavern, a SE Portland restaurant that opened earlier this summer, will host its first Brewers Dinner on Wednesday, October 10 at 7 p.m. Lompoc head brewer Bryan Keilty will join Tabor Tavern chef Chris Greer for an autumn inspired feast featuring four courses accompanied by four Lompoc beers.

The first course features giant smoked prawn, arugula, Marie rose sauce and candied lemon, served with Zig’s Swig. The second course is grilled radicchio, bacon, blue cheese and thyme vinaigrette, served with Braggot. The third course is Monster Mash braised beef short rib, root vegetable hash, wilted chard and pickled shallots, served with Monster Mash. And the final course is raisin bread pudding, hazelnut caramel, goat cheese and black pepper ice cream, served with Big Bang Red.

The price is $45 per person, not including gratuity. Call 503-208-3544 for reservations. Tabor Tavern is located at 5325 E Burnside in Portland.

Cheers!

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Connoisseur Tour with Irena Bierzynski – $85

Lompoc brewer Irena Bierzynski will be leading our tour to four awesome locations! We begin at Lompoc for a tasting and tour. Next we visit Bridgeport where we’ll have lunch, followed by a stop at Tabor Tavern in East Portland. Last we HOP on the bus and head to Sunshine Tavern. Tour is all-inclusive and 21+ with valid ID required.

Details: www.experiencebrewvana.com

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