If you’re not one of the lucky lads or lasses who will be in attendance for the country’s biggest and baddest beer fests, aka Great American Beer Fest (aka GABF), fret not. The 29th installation of the GABF September 16-18 might offer over 2,200 beers to try which is more than you’ll likely find at any other single festival, but after all, who can drink 2,200 beers in three days (We’re imagining a few friends contemplating it).

This month, do what so many people around the country are doing, take a staycation. Yes, it’s that catch word you’ve likely heard promoted from advocates of living local, but it certainly is good for the economy, and in these rougher economic times, it might be just what you need to enjoy the fruits of the Pacific Northwest, in our humble opinion, one of the greatest places to live on the planet.

Here’s a look at some events coming up in September that you might consider attending if you love Oregon craft beer Read More…

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

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

Pull out the Lederhosen, it’s time for Oktoberfest! The brewers at Lompoc Brewing are welcoming autumn with a release party for their fall seasonal, Lompoc Oktoberfest.  The gathering, which includes a German barbecue, will take place Sept. 11 from Noon to 8 PM in the Lompoc’s Fifth Quadrant Brewery and inside the Sidebar tasting room, both located at 3901 N. Williams Ave. Staying true to the theme, the menu will feature a selection of German sausages with a variety of condiments/toppings. There will also be a traditional accordionist playing beer polka tunes from 2 to 5 PM.

Pale orange in color, Lompoc Oktoberfest is a Marzen Lager featuring a clean malt flavor artfully balanced by a touch of Perle hops.  A portion of the grains used was roasted in the oven at Lompoc’s Fifth Quadrant restaurant, giving the beer a slight biscuity flavor.  The beer is 5% ABV and 15 IBUs.  Lompoc Oktoberfest will be on draft in all five of Lompoc’s pubs beginning Sept. 13.

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

Hoppy Halloween! Sudsy Samhain! Festive Fall! Merry Malting!

Losing leaves are the nakeding trees. Seasonal yeastwork. Plants’ vascular adapting and converting like sugars during fermentation. Fractal trees and complex flavors. Beer and rain begin to simultaneously increase on the gravities in which they pour. Boos and brews and cloud formations sometimes replaced by just one giant cloud. Dark mornings, darker nights increase. It can be harder to get warmed. But it is welcoming to be near a heat source. Perhaps soon looking forth to the next solstice bringing light back. Spicy seasonals, Oktoberfests, gourd brews, other fruit beers, doppels, dunkels, hearty browns, ambers, and even barleywines. Beware of ghouls and stale piwo. The light will return just as the longer warmer days, but now is the entrance to darker, bolder, and more assertive times. Enjoy the long spells of grey, contracted daylight hours, and even snowfall could conjur the need for items something spicy and robust. Enjoy the life of colorfully distinct seasons in Beervana. The changes we certainly welcomed and find necessary and most importantly, an undeniable excuse to brew, drink, and demand different kinds of beer.

I hope my beer is not a headless one. That would gravely scare me. Unless of course, it is brewed to style. Pumking verticals and eerily anticipating the sun falling beneath the horizon. Some are mused by horror films. The wicks of candles burn and bodies turn. Sweat shirts, sweaters, and cuddling pets. Sometimes it feels this season is the best. Skeleton crops blow in the wind. Spiders. frogs, rats, and others work hard to prepare for the winter. Cold beer now and cold morning soon enough. Trick or treat, smell my feet, give us something good to drink.

Posted under Uncategorized

It’s been a great summer. The hops grew tall and plump and at last, the summer has wound down. As sad as it might seem, we’ve still got some sunshine and great harvest season events to look forward to. Over the weekend, we homebrewed a hoppy treat from our fresh off the bine nuggets. We pedaled over to BiKETOBEERFEST at Hopworks before enjoying the Beer & Art event at the Portland Art Museum.

At the museum, Ben Flerchinger of Lucky Lab, Zack Beckwith of New Old Lompoc, and Chad Kennedy of Laurelwood delivered art-inspired dandies to the delight of long lines of NW beer lovers.

After a delicious evening of art and brew, Sunday consisted of a bit of football watching amidst brewing a dark hoppy beer. Give us a few weeks and we should be quaffing on that. Hope you are enjoying the finale of your warm months. Get ready to bundle up soon and enjoy the changing and falling of leaves. Prost!

Posted under beer me

Holy freakin’ crap! There’s a lot of beer stuff on the calendar this time of year, and today is a perfect example. We just enjoyed hanging out with the crew at New Old Lompoc at their 5th Quadrant Side Bar in celebration of Oktoberfest (sure it was 90 degrees Fahrenheit yesterday, but nonetheless, an excuse to quaff is an excuse to quaff.)

Our Brewpublic calendar is stretched out with lots of fun things to do that involve sippin’ on a tasty craft brew. Here’s a look at what you might consider today if you don’t already have plans. We’ll do our best to hit ‘em all, but that isn’t always an option.

By The Bottle Opener Disc Golf Challenge. Check your disc golf prowess at beautiful Leverich Park in Vancouver, Washington for a fun and festive twelve holes. A $20 donation goes to helping preserve one of the best parks in the area and the folks at BTB will hook you up with food, non-alcoholic beverages, and their undying gratitude. For more information, check out this post on BTB’s website.

Sandy Oktoberfest: At the foothills of majestic Mt. Hood, the quaint town of Sandy upholds its rich German heritage with a celebration of the season. If you’ve excited for the upcoming Mt. Angel Okto-fest, here’s a nice preview. At the Sandy fest organizers hype the following:

* A 10,000+ square foot indoor/outdoor Biergarten featuring an array of top American and German bands, dancers and entertainers and a sauerkraut and sausage booth.
* A Weingarten featuring selected wines from Oregon vineyards sold by the glass and bottle.
* A Kindergarten for children of all ages, featuring all types of games and entertainment.
* Microgarten – the Microgarten features FREE tasting of several microbrews. You can also purchase microbrews by the bottle to drink in the garten.
* A Cruisin’ Car Show held on Saturday featuring all types of vehicles including: antiques, collectors, special interest vehicles, hot-rods and German models.
* Food booths sponsored by both non-profit and commercial organizations in Sandy as well as the Portland Metro Area, featuring German, American, Asian, Mexican, and even Middle Eastern cuisine.
* Over 50 craft booths featuring artisans from the Northwest area.
* This year the Future Farmers of America is sponsoring the FIRST ANNUAL OKTOBERFEST FAIR. Enter to win in 25 categories, from biggest tomato to the best pie. Entries will be displayed and winners announced throughout the weekend.

Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest: Replete with bratwursts, and for damn certain, beer! Glorious beer! Portland’s historic craft brewery expects to attract more than the 4,000 folks who attended last year. Now in its 5th year, the Widmer Oktoberfest has picked up where the now defunct MacTarnahan’s Mactoberfest left off.

In addition to the Bavarian-inspired beer, live music is a will be here to entertain. According to the organizers, a variety of music styles will be featured at this year’s festival. Returning to Widmer Brother’s Oktoberfest, new school hip-hopsters,Dr. Theopolis, will headline. Also on the bill are local Portland bands The Quick & Easy Boys, Hillstomp, The Dimes, and Sneakin’Out. Get it while the gettin’s good. The fun for this outdoor funfest starts at 3 p.m.Created by local surf legend and board shaper, Steve “Hot Batch” Swan in 2003, The Gathering features over 100 competitive longboarders from across the Pacific Northwest. Attendance is free. Competitors, friends, family and fans will congregate at the Rogue Ales World Headquarters Saturday night at 7 p.m. for the 7th Annual The Gathering party, where favorite Gathering band Lexxi Vexx and the Sons of Thunder featuring members of the Kingsmen will perform live. $5 admission, plus one can of non-perishable food.

Rogue Gathering Longboard Classic: If you’re on the Oregon Coast, check out this benefit for the Lincoln County Food Share. Surfers will gather at 8 a.m. on both Saturday and Sunday for the first heats and will be competing in 10 categories: Menahunies (12 and under), Gremmies (13-19), Gals (under 25), Gals (over 25), The Boys (20-29), Hot Shots (30-39), Mid Life Cruisers (40-49), Dukes (50-59), Grand Dukes (60+), and Stand Up Paddle. Hamburgers, hot dogs, Track Town wine, coffee, bottled water, Dutch Bros Coffee and Rogue Ales will be available on the beach.

In conjunction with the Gathering, Cruise for the Coast will be held at the South Beach Marina, next to the Rogue Ales Brewery. The Gathering will be a weekend of Long Board surfing, classic cars, music, food and much more.

Natian Brewery Launch Party: From his roots as a homebrewer under the moniker of Three Dogs Brewing, Ian McGuinness and his partner Natalia Laird are exhibiting their new pro brewery to the people of Portland. Says McGuinness “Well, we’ve opened the doors of Natian Brewery at the beginning of this month and have been busy brewing.”  The brewery will be premiering two flavors at Radio Room on NE Alberta on this fine day. “We’d love if you  would stop by and sample our brews.” adds McGuinness. “On tap will be our Everyday Mild IPA along with our Honey Red Ale. The beer starts pouring at 9 a.m. and the brewer will be on hand at 2p.m. for a meet and greet. Good luck, Ian and Natalia!  The Radio Room is located at 1101 NE Alberta in Portland, Oregon.

Little Woody Barrel Aged Beer Fest: Who the heck doesn’t like barrel-aged beer? Okay, so maybe there are some, but they can be lumped in with those who hate puppies, rainbows, and walks on the beach. Furthermore, who isn’t game for a festival dedicated to the mighty barrel-aged brew? In the heart of downtown Bend, Deschutes (can we ever say enough good things about Deschutes? Survey says no way.) has organized this spectacular festival to feature hand-crafted, wood-aged beer as well as one specialty brew from all of Central Oregon’s seven breweries. Live music, wood carving exhibition and beer tastings, on the lawn of the Deschutes Historical Society on the corner of Wall Street and Idaho. $6/person includes commemorative glass. Tasting package available for $15. Call Cindy Tintle for more information: 541-323-0964.

Posted under beer events

Two fellows and myself took a day out of town for an expedition in Mauricie.  350 km to taste what four breweries had to offer to our critical throats.  You like beer, or you don’t.

1st station:  Gambrinus, brasserie artisanale & bouffe sympa.  Trois-Rivières
This place is a restaurant which includes a cool brewpub.  Located near the University, it is strategic and also a good way to educate students to drink better beers.  But for now, I will say that I just don’t know… These are good beers, but I’ve just haven’t found any that would impress me.  The fact is that they changed their brewer recently, so what he is doing now is good, but just doesn’t reveal his potential.  We will have to come back when recipes will be set up, or even changed.  My preferred beer was the amber ale called Galarneau.

2nd station:  À la fût, brasseur de goût. St-Tite
Thanks to Francis the brewer.  We’ve been welcomed even if the pub was closed.  Eight homebrews were on the pumps.  Some seasonal beers are added in rotation during the year.  We had the honour to try his brand-new Belgian IPA @ 7,2% called une bière, deux goûts.  It is a sure shot!  His pale ale is refreshing and well balanced.  This brewery has only two years old and we will have to add it to our annual beer trips.

I’ve already mentioned it in an earlier post, but (just to remind) the population of Saint-Tite is close to 4000 peoples.  Every year, this little town hosts a Western Festival, one of the biggest in North America.  During nine days, over 700 000 people attempt to St-Tite.  Can you just figure what party it can be!  People are ridding their horses in the streets and motor homes are parked everywhere as far as 2 km from the village to attempt to the rodeo competitions.  How much beer they can sell during this period?  I didn’t ask, but I can assure you that if you want to be a volunteer at the brewery for this week, it will be a lifetime experience.

3rd station:  Broadway Pub.  Shawinigan
I had the pleasure to discover their barley wine earlier this year and was curious about their regular beers.  I had good beers there, but created for a large public (according to me).  Every brewer has to pat his bills and even a salary, but I’m sure that it could be possible do to a little bit better.  A blonde brewed with dandelion, my first ever, was perfect this sunny day.  The Sherlock Holmes stout was fine, but just didn’t impress the geek I’m trying to become.  That’s what the Tripel hop did too.  Even if it was a tripel, the hop intensity wasn’t there.  When I’ll come back to this pub, it will be for a special release like this barley wine aging in oak barrels.

4th station:  Microbrasserie le trou du diable.  Shawinigan
Last year, I had the chance to be a volunteer at the Oktoberfest for this microbrewery.  I didn’t know them; except that they where having a good reputation.  This volunteer day has been a revelation for their great products.  We promised ourselves that we would visit them one day.  One of their beers, La buteuse is available in small batches of 400 bottles for now.  This beer is Oak-aged in barrels which had previously held an apple brandy from a local cidery.  The expansion of the brewery projects a production of 30 000 bottles of this beer.  Exportation to the USA as already begun in Philadelphia.  It is just a question of time before it reaches Beervana.  Nine homebrews were on tap when we show us there.  Blanche de Shawi (witbier), Pitoune (lager) had my preference on tap.  The brewer shared with us a Buteuse batch #2, which became the beer of the whole trip.  Merci André!  This brewery is certainly one of the best decorated I use to know.  Walls and roofs are decorated everywhere.  Nice to see and good to drink.  Our experience has been so good that we will again be volunteers at the Chambly beer and flavour festival this weekend.  I’ll keep you in touch about it.

Santé.

Marc Demeule

Posted under beer reviews, places to drink beer

Brewpublic co-founder and Marketing Director Aaron Miles visits Spokane and the Inland Empire: part 1 of 2, Northern Lights Brewing.

Northern Lights Brewing Company of Spokane, Washington is a brewpub with which some folks from the Northwest beer scene, specifically Portland, may not be very familiar. This is because it is a good five to six hours away from Portland, and less than three hours from Missoula, Montana, by car. Located at the heart of the Inland Empire, Northern Lights is an area favorite, with solid craft brews on tap that are also available in bottles and throughout Eastern Wash and the Puget Sound area. Their brewpub is a recommended destination for craft beer lovers visiting Spokane (“capital of the Inland Empire” and the region’s most populated area).

Northern Lights has been brewing since 1993 and is one of the first craft breweries this writer has enjoyed. On this recent visit to the area, I was pleased to find out that in 2002, the brewery had moved from a suburban warehouse production operation to a spacious brewpub. My mother is quite fond of the place and highly recommended we visit. She liked to tell me about their chocolate beer, which she thinks is the coolest thing since chocolate milk.

brew crew - owner Mark Irvin (center), and brewer Bryan Utigard (right)

The news of Northern Lights’ success inspires some hope for an Inland Empire Brewpublic. Recent closures of old favorites such as the Fort Spokane and Birkenbeiner breweries has done little to benefit the Spokane brew scene. Northern Lights is today the largest and most respected craft brewery in the Spokane area, and the only one that distributes its product. Owner and Brewmaster Mark Irwin founded the brewery in 1993 after working at Hale’s Ales, the Pacific Northwest’s longest running craft brewery. I spoke with Irwin and brewer Bryan Utigard during my visit and learned that with tap handles and bottles throughout Spokane, Seattle and soon Portland, the brewery is still shining bright.

Located near downtown Spokane in a semi-industrial East-side area, the brewhouse and restaurant sit on the bank of the Spokane River. It is a peaceful location offering a great atmosphere for quaffing Northern Lights’ craft brews or enjoying some decent American brewpub fair with friends or family. This is especially prevalent in the warmer months when you can enjoy outdoor seating situated on a grassy lawn literally 20 feet from the river.

With beer sampling in mind, we decided to go for the biggest of three sample trays, experiencing eleven of Northern Lights’ offerings in total. They were all prudent and drinkable and I would give the package deal an overall average rating of a B+. I will certainly return again for some of the solid, balanced and clean brews. With a broad variety on tap, it’s easy to find one for any palate and one to pair well with the restaurant’s conforming selection of sandwiches, salads, appetizers and pasta dishes.

Here are some of our favorites:

Solar Winds – Billed as an APA, this seasonal is blonde with a thin but present head. Super crisp and refreshing for how hoppy it is. Some subtle citrus and piny undercurrents. Similar to IPA with more complex flavors. Our favorite for a hot day.

IPA - Hoppy throughout with a dry hop finish backed by a mild and barely noticeable malt presence. Clear, amberish, thin head. Good overall IPA.

Chocolate Dunkel – My mom goes crazy for this one. I could stop right there, but I’ll add that it’s smooth and creamy, but pretty thin-bodied. Good balance of chocolate and malt characters. Obviously a good dessert beer and winter beer. In summer try mixing with Blueberry Creme for an interesting blend.

Blueberry Crème Ale – Normally I don’t go for fruit beers, but it was hot and this one hit the spot. Maybe it’s because I love blueberries and they have a star role in this one. Not overly sweet, with a big but smoother and balanced berry attack. Any berry attack should be smooth, and this one hit the spot. This was my mom’s second favorite.

Some additional brews that should be on tap now: a whiskey barrel aged version of they flagship Crystal Bitter, and an Anniversary Double IPA as well as Oktoberfest beers in Fall.

Fun with Blends – We tried a blend of the Chocolate and Blueberry. It made me smile, and of course, my mom liked it a lot. She talked about it for a while – apparently one of the coolest things since chocolate blueberry pie. Brewmaster Mark Irwin said he’s heard of people also trying blends of: the Blueberry and equally refreshing Summer Wheat; and a black and tan of Summer Wheat and Stout. Irwin seemed a little leery of all this beery blending but said: “As long as people are having fun with beer, I’m happy.” Then he went mountain biking. It was the weekend.

The food was adequate but underwhelming. It was a creative and fairly balanced menu, but for us, the delivery was lackluster. A calamari appetizer was predictable, but tasty enough to do the trick. A Greek chop salad had potential but failed to impress. It seemed to have been made with lettuce that had been sitting out for a while. The accompanying perfectly-cooked salmon saved the day. The Reuben was just fine, juicy in all the right places. And the sausage sampler appetizer paired well with the hoppy ales. Food prices were a touch high for what you’re getting, and for Spokane in general, but overall it was much better than standard fried pub grub.

Brewer Bryan Utigard

The large building the brewpub is in also houses a Thai restaurant and other businesses you have to walk past before reaching the brewhouse and restaurant. The cavernous, high-ceiling bar area’s indoor seating has a great bar atmosphere for gathering with friends and reportedly can really fill up on the weekends. Large windows behind the formidable wooden bar provided a glimpse into the brewery where the large tanks glean mightily. This made the ales taste even fresher, knowing they came from 20 feet away. In the summer the outdoor seating can’t be beat. While the plastic patio tables leaves a little to be desired in comfort and aesthetics, the spacious lawn on the bank of the Spokane River provides a stellar gathering atmosphere. There is some residual traffic noise from a nearby bridge, but this is hardly noticeable. I took a break from the meal and walked to within two feet of the river…pretty nice. Definitely a good place to bring your mom, especially if she likes chocolate and blueberries.

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