On July 14 in honor of the French National Holiday, Bastille Day, Pelican Brewery will release a new one-off beer called “The Guillotine,” which is made with experimental hops from Alsace, France. The Guillotine will be an international-style pale ale that is golden hued and slightly stronger than other brews at 6 percent ABV—a perfect beer for summertime on the Pelican patio. The Guillotine will be available on draft only.

We recently spoke with Pelican brewmaster Darron Welch to find out more about this exciting if not interesting new beer.

“This (hop) is an experimental variety from the grower’s co-op” said Welch. “It’s the first product of the breeding program.” When asked what the hop is called, Welch said “It’s a no-name hop. It’s referenced as P05-9.”  So how did a craft brewer on the Oregon Coast come to find such a specimen? “I came across a tiny booth at the Craft Beer Conference in Chicago a few months ago” said Welch. ” A representative there named Francis (Heitz) and I got to talking about experimental aroma hops. And, he asked about (Pelican) doing variety brewing trials.”

Interested in the hop mentioned by Heitz, Welch and company returned to their quiet life and brewing routines in Pacific City. “About six or eight weeks later a mystery box arrived at the brewery” said Welch. “I had forgotten about it.” With the shipping information lost in transit, Welch spent the next week and a half trying to figure out who sent it. Finally he was able to discover that his new friend from France had been responsible. When we spoke with Pelican’s brewmaster, he was just gettin ready to brew a batch of beer with the new hops. “We’re making a beer designed to be straight ahead” he stated. “It will be a beer that allows for the characteristic of the hop to be prominent.” The beer will employ Northwest Pale Malt at 14 Plato and 40 bittering units, folks able to try it at the pub will find a hop-forward beer with a bitter 1.3 kilos of lupulin. “(We) used Magnum (hops) for 90 minutes in the boil. The entire (experimental P05-9) hop charged the beer as a dry hop addition in a 15 barrel batch” siad Welch. When asked about what sort of attributes the new hop will provided to the brew, Welch said he was unsure. “According to (Heitz’s) description, it’s a mild green herbal variety; spicy and slightly citrus.”

Are you a beer geek? Did you need an excuse to get down to the Oregon Coast this summer? Looks like now you’ve got one.

The Pelican Pub & Brewery is located at 33180 Cape Kiwanda Drive in picturesque Pacific City, Oregon. Visit them online at www.pelicanbrewery.com

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

A few years ago, if someone was to tell me that Idaho Falls, Idaho was a must visit spot for craft beer, I’d have laughed at the notion. However, as the craft beer revolution unfold before our very palates, more towns like Asheville, Astoria, and now Idaho Falls are putting up a good fight to liberate libators of the dud suds. Granted, there’s a lot of work to be done, and the battle is uphill. It was evident from the tap selection at pedestrian establishments like Appleby’s that the conglomerate macrobrewers still have a stranglehold on people’s options and perception of beer. One good thing about macrobeer and big scale craft beer, is you can often count on invariability. The Blue Moon White, Widmer Hefeweizen, and New Belgium Fat Tire I drank at Appleby’s were all certainly clean, crisp, and as I expected them to be. You’d be hard pressed to find one of these beers on tap and be a sour or butter bomb (save for somewhere that doesn’t move the beer quickly enough, stow it properly, or neglects keeping taplines clean). On this first evening in Idaho Falls, I was satisfied knowing that there would be a lot of different beers in the week ahead. Not just the flights of beers to judge, but at the Mountain Brewers Beer Festival that would be the highlight of the week. Further, my roommate for the week, Shawn Kelso of Barley Brown‘s, brought growlers of his hop-forward craft beers that I prefer to most.

Judging at the North American Beer Awards

At the conference center of Idaho Falls’ Red Lion hotel, panels of beer judges, including myself, worked through what would be 149 flights and nearly 1,200 beers. Following a truncated first evening of judging on Tuesday, the real legwork began Wednesday at  a.m. Many folks not in the know might perceive beer judging as a drinkfest; one that is fun, easy, and cool to do. But judging beer, as anyone who is a seasoned BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) student knows, is hard work that requires arduous note taking, advanced sensory awareness, adequate communicative skills, and the innate ability to discern an array of characteristics and off-flavors in an objective and categorical manner.

To be honest, my beer judging experience coming into this year’s panel was rather limited, though I was working from a mostly hermeneutic consistency standpoint. This means I have, for some time, analyzed beer in a manner that is consistent and involves coherent explanation. Basically, I’ve critically tasted a boatload of beers with the objective of identifying the characteristics that substantiate each one. I’ve been involved with a few BJCP courses and have come to appreciate the range of interpretations one person’s palate can hold over that of the next. Still, the majority of my critiquing of beer has been at homebrew competitions and in various round tables with other beer-minded folks.

In the room was a smorgasbord of varying experience levels when it comes to critical analysis. To be honest, I would have to rate myself somewhere in the middle. I view this experience as a stepping stone toward further enhancing my ability to characterize and methodologically understanding what defines a beer as more than simply “good” or “bad.” In the room was accomplished brewers like Pelican’s Darron Welch, Widmer’s Ben Dobler  and founder Rob Widmer, to name a few. These are folks I respect deeply when it comes to quality, consistency, and dedication to their trade. They each have a practical scientific and theoretical understanding of brewing, from boiler to bar top, that I’d be safe to say dwarfs my own. Still, from my vantage point, the hermeneutics behind me probably tasting more brands of beers critically than the average brewmaster could have added an interesting element to the equation and outcomes. I was nonetheless approaching this experience humbly and with much to learn.

Discussing the elements that qualify and quantify beers is a great way to learn and enhance your palate and perception. The average beer drinker likely knows a badly skunked beer when she tastes it, but the nuances of ingredient play and subtle off-flavors like diacetyl and DMS are probably not on everyone’s mental checklist. Most folks, even those who train themselves in the ways of objectiveness, are still swayed by marketing, especially attractive and beckoning labels on beer. The great thing about beer judging is trying a brew in a bare-bones environment where the appearance, aroma, taste, mouthfeel, and overall impression are what dictates your feelings about the beer. There’s also the biases each judge and taster brings with him to the table. For someone who really doesn’t enjoy the bitterness of an IPA or the sourness of a lambic, it is quite important for him to be cognizant of these feelings as personal preferences, and to develop the ability to discern quality in accordance with fixed style guidelines.

Wednesday June 2

The first full day of judging at NABA began early. While 9 a.m. typically is a good time to begin your day, it’s not, at least for me, the ideal time to begin ingesting alcoholic beverages. So, it’s safe to say, it was hard to get going. At my first table of tasting beer with alcohol (the night before I judged carbonated soft drinks and non-alcoholic beer), I was  joined by brewer Rudy Borrego of Snake River Brewing in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Todd Campbell of Pelican Brewing, a few NABA folks, and a nice woman named Michelle from Ball Corporation, world’s leading suppliers of rigid metal and plastic packaging products and services (among many things, Ball makes cans for beer). Local homebrewer and NABA volunteer named John was also in the panel. A friendly man, John provided me with a little insight to the goingson in Idaho Falls. “There’ s really nothing here for young adults” he commented “It’s boring.” John was content living here and enjoyed the quiet life. I figured that by the end of the week, I’d be ready to return to Portland where there’s no shortage of great beer and progressive artistic culture. While waiting for our first flight to arrive, John spoke of the two malting facilities in town. Anheuser-Busch and Grupo Modelo (makers of Corona) were two imposing structures visible from highway 15 as we approached town. Talking with John and folks from AB and Modelo, the grain of Idaho is a matter of local pride. The region boasts some of the best and widely abundant barley harvest and malt production in North America. Interestingly, John mentioned that Idaho Falls has more beers per capita than any other city.

At 9:30 a.m., our table received a flight of entries for the brown porter category (10A). Being a preliminary round, it was our table’s mission to find the three best representations of the style and advance them to another round. By 11 a.m. we were working on Irish Reds (category 8D). And, at noon, the hotel staff catered in food. It would turn out to be the same offering each day, cold cuts, not something I as a vegetarian was too enthusiastic about. Still, there was beer, a lot more beer.

After the break, three more categories would find their way to groups I was assigned to. After meeting an assortment of mostly friendly and interesting people, and laboring through Belgian Wits (16A), American Pale Ales (6c), and  liver-bending Wood Flavored Beer (18c), the work day had commenced. As interesting as evaluating myriad beer styles, was the side conversation of folks. Gathering an understanding of these Americans’ backgrounds and lives. One gentleman offered an idea for a beer blend consisting of Anchor Old Fog Horn and Pyramid Apricot that I will have to try someday soon.

After Wednesday’s judging was complete, Shawn and I retired to our room to relax and unwind. A spot of  Barley Brown’s Turmoil Cascadian Dark Ale was surprising well received by my body after this full day of sipping. Soonafter, we headed over to Idaho Brewing near downtown to attend a private party being thrown for NABA judges. This wonderful event included a spread of free food, a live band, and a variety of free beer from different Idaho breweries. Of all the tasty craft beers available, my preferred brew of the night was Lost Continent Double IPA from Grand Teton Brewing in Victor. Despite troubling weather reports, the evening stayed dry and relatively warm. This made for a nice relaxing experience on the brewpub’s deck that featured a beautiful pink sunset.

Thursday June 3

Morning seemed to come sooner Thursday than it did the morning before. Perhaps the second Double IPA and nightcap were not the wisest of decisions. A 9 a.m. panel featured a sizable number of American Pale Ales (6c), followed by Strong Pale Ales (6E), German Pilsners, and a medal round flight of Brown Porters. Again, this education experience was filled with getting to meet new people like Tony Savoy, the brewer-owner of Flyers Restaurant and Brewery on Whidbey Island in Washington. I’d actually met Tony before at festivals, but never got to talk to him much though I have greatly enjoyed his beers. I really enjoyed judging with him and learning more about his brewing background that involved a stint at Skagit River in Mount Vernon, Washington.

Near the end of the judging day around 4pm, Andy Shaw of Grupo Modelo, a local guy who has been involved with NABA since its inception back in 1997, announced a barbecue that he was hosting at his home. I was quick to see that Andy was a charismatic presence at the event and most of the returning judges where friendly with him. Andy arranged a taxi shuttle to bring groups of people to his home about three miles from the Red Lion. Here, Andy and his wife graciously provided an amazing spread of food coupled with some of Andy’s impressive homebrews. On tap he offered a stout, Bavarian hefe, and perhaps the hit of the night, a pale ale brewed exclusively with New Zealand Nelson Sauvon hop, that emitted a wonderfully floral gooseberry and chive aroma. Matt Beamer from Squatters Brewing of Salt Lake City, Utah also provided tasty bottles of their Hop Rising Double IPA and their Saint Provo Girl Pilsner.

Around 7 p.m., I was quite tuckered  and ready to call it a night. So, back to the hotel to catch some of the NBA Finals on television and rest up for the next morning. On Friday a bit more judging would continue before the NABA medals would be doled out at 5 p.m.This was going to be the home stretch for the judging. However, the Mountain Brewers Beer Fest on Saturday, I knew, would likely be the biggest beer event of all.

To be continued…

Posted under beer awards, beer events, beer news, beer reviews, places to drink beer

Pacific City, Ore.—The Pelican Pub & Brewery entered 11 beers into the 2010 Australian International Beer Awards and came away with 11 medals—making it the fourth year in a row Pelican has won at least 10 medals at this competition.  Over 1,170 beers were tasted at Australia’s premier beer competition, which was started in 1987 to reward excellence in the field of brewing and to assist in the promotion of the brewing industry.

The Pelican Pub & Brewery’s award-winning beers include:

Gold – Mother of all Storms (formerly known as The Perfect Storm), in the Hybrid Beer Packaged/Wood Age Beer category

Silver – MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Ale, in the Scotch Ale & Barley Wines Packaged category

Silver – Saison du Pelican, in the Belgian and French Style Ales Packaged/Saison category

Silver – Grand Cru de Pelican, in the Belgian and French Style Ales Packaged/Other category

Silver – Bridal Ale, in the Belgian and French Style Ales Packaged/Other category

Silver – Doryman’s Dark Ale, in the Dark Ale category

Silver – Kiwanda Cream Ale, in the Ale Packaged/Other category

Silver – Tsumani Stout, in the Stout Packaged/Other category

Silver – MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Ale, in the Ale Packaged/Other category

Bronze – India Pelican Ale, in the India Pale Ale category

Bronze – Stormwatcher’s Winterfest, in the Scotch Ale & Barley Wines Packaged category

The Australian International Beer Awards is one of the largest annual professional beer competitions in the world.  Held each year in Melbourne, Australia, it is the country’s most prestigious beer event. This year’s panel of judges sampled and evaluated 1,170 entries from 243 breweries across 34 countries.  Information about the awards and this year’s winners can be found at www.beerawards.com.  The awards were presented May 20, 2010 at an awards dinner in Melbourne, Australia.

Posted under Oregon beer, beer awards, beer news, press releases

The past week has been teeming with mouthwatering, hoppy dark brews, starting back mid-last week when we attended a Cascadian Dark Ale blind tasting with friends. Here we were lucky to sample ten different CDAs and get a feel of the various nuances from a unique unbiased perspective. Now, as can be expected with any blind tasting, some were obviously more favorable than others. Style champion and all around beer geek Abram Goldman-Armstrong got us excited for the CDA Week at Belmont Station and the CDA Symposium he would be hosting on Saturday morning. All and all, we’ve probably never had as many of one style of beer as we did over the last week.

Thanks to Ezra for hosting and sharing and everyone who participated in the Cascadian Dark Ale blind tasting this past week. Here’s some notes on these ten beer offerings.

1. Hopworks Secession: Great example to start out tasting with. Bitter hops on the front as well as a bright citrusness aroma. Low roast as called for by style. Dry hopping really carries the character of this wonderful brew.

2. Laughing Dog Dogzilla: Diacetyl bomb! Creamy, nutty, butterscotch Lifesaver all over the nose. Caramel. All is buried in the off flavors. Laughably bad. Maybe another tasting with an untainted bottling would prove more prosperous for this brewery. I’ve had Dogzilla on tap and it is not this unpleasing. LD has got to get their bottling together.

3. Widmer W’10 Pitch Black IPA: Bitter yet mild aromatics. Acidic, biscuity, clean, and not overly hopped for style. Creamy yeastiness. Last sample screwed up palate, but this is a shining example of the CDA.

4. Phillips Black Toque: Watery mouthfeel. Tart and creamy. More like a Cascadian Pale (milder) Ale. Prominent roast with sulfury, sweet notes. Hops are dulled, likely from age. Solid brew otherwise though a little tame.

5. Stone Self Righteous: Nice citrus floral brightness in the nose that voices bold Northwest hops. Piney yet approachable. Low roast as called for by style. Big bodied beer, but fulcrumed by a balance of delicious, hearty hops and big malt underpinning. What really shines in this beer is the large, lovely citrus fruit aroma. Mmmm.

6. BrewDog/Stone bashah: Phenolic sweet clove essence from yeast making it Belgique. Candy, bubblegum notes all over this. Big fragrant fruity esters coupled with PNW hops that shine. Lots of great complexities in this one.

7. Tree Brewing Black Tree: Biscuity with low hops (for CDA style) in nose. Fruity, nutty. Hops might have dropped out due to age. Plays more like a hoppy brown ale. Doesn’t appear to be true to style. Not as aggressively hopped or with enough oomph to be a true CDA, but tasty nonetheless.

8. Southern Tier Iniquity: Boozy barleywine-like qualities such as a oaky, creamy, barrel-aged presence. Light toast. Not a true CDA, more like a barleywine according to the guidelines.Still a flawless beer that I would happily drink a lot of.

9. Three Creeks IBA: High citrus hop character right off the bat. Lingering bitterness. Hoppiness is fresh but not as assertive as it should be for style. Excellent balance of hops to malts, but not enough floral and citrus pine push for a Cascadian Dark.

10. Walking Man Big Black Homo: Alcoholic aroma coupled with resinous hops. This beer is dank, THC-like. Has that cannabis quality in the nose that I love in a big IPA. Well balanced monstrous malt underpinning with big citrus, pine hops. Aroma rules this brew. Great beer to finish with!

Thursday would require concentration, rehabilitation, relaxation, and meditation in order to prepare our bodies and minds for the big weekend ahead.

Friday: Cascadian Dark Ales in Full Swing

As previously stated, the Brewpublican weekend often begins early. We got a jump on things Friday by meeting up with our friend and top notch brewer Shawn Kelso of Barley Browns BrewPub in Baker City. Making the trek five hours to Portland, Shawn was instrument alongside Abram Goldman-Armstrong and Belmont Station’s Carl Singmaster in orchestrating the Cascadian Dark Ale Symposium and beer week. Shawn’s knack for concocting bold, flavorsome, and oft outrageously hopped brews have afforded the 4-barrel brewery national acclaim from World Beer Cup, North American Brewers Association, Great American Beer Festival, and yes, Maxim Magazine.* So Friday afternoon found us at Belmont Station to try to get our head around a significant number of CDAs starting with Barley Browns Turmoil, 21st Amendment Back in Black, Pelican Bad Santa, and Deschutes Intergalactic. We even jumped on a chance to try the jewel of Maxim and the 2009 GABF Bronze medal winning Tumble Off Pale.

After some great beers with great folks at Belmont Station, headed over to Laurelwood Public House for dinner. At Laurelwood a great benefit was underway to benefit the Haitian Relief Fund. A portion of all beer sales were going directly those displaced by the terrible earthquake. To further encourage folks to partake in the happenings of the night, Laurelwood brewer Chad Kennedy was on hand to unveil his Imperial CDA dubbed Arctic Armageddon. A wonderfully lush monster of a beer hopped to high heaven, this beer featured a ridiculously citrusy, piney character that a true NW Hophead can really appreciate. I have to say this was probably one of the best beers of the weekend for me. Most normal beer drinkers would have stopped there, but we had to get our lips on the new Elvis Special Beer and, of course, a glass of Workhorse IPA.

It’s not everyday we get to see the Baker City brethren, so we felt it necessary to enjoy a night cap or two. BrewDog’s overpriced Atlantic IPA ($26 for 33oml) was a very enjoyable beer with notes of wood from barrel aging and a unique marriage of hops and malts. We also sampled a test batch of an new Oakshire Red IPA heisted from the brewery on a recent visit. The true nightcap came in the form of a Deschutes Experimental Hop Henge IIPA, a big boisterous brew with a magnificent flowery snap and big malt backbone that reached our dulled taste buds.

Saturday: CDA Symposium

While not being much of a morning beer drinker, it is sometimes dutiful to rise and shine in the name of good beer (see: Hair of the Dog dock sales, “Up and Adam”). This morn was such a hoppenstance. A small gathering of Oregon craft brewers and media made their way to Belmont Station for the CDA Symposium, a discussion of the evolving beer style anchored by Abram Goldman-Armstrong. The mission was to generate and delineate guidelines for this wonderful style unique to the Pacific Northwest and to allow brewers to experience and compare one another’s offerings.

In total, nearly twenty beers were on tap at the symposium. The discussion stemmed from the style guidelines proposed by Abram. It was quite interesting to see the variations and commonalities amongst these various brews. Key discussion points of the event included ingredients, appearance, and labeling. While there was expected variance of the recipes of the different CDAs, there were some obvious outliers like Rogue Mogul. As Abram mentioned, brewer John Maier himself did not see this as a true CDA. A wonderful beer, it was agreed that Mogul was little too light in color and a bit sweeter and with more caramel flavor than the others. Having a beer like this was important for the symposium to get a feel for what actually constitutes a CDA and to provide some more comprehensive perimeters for the style. Elliott Bay’s Belgian Black IPA, like Brewdog/Stone’s bashah exhibited what a variant yeast strain can bring to the table. Besides an unfortunate diacytel presence in the EB brew, there was a distinct gingery, spiciness that gave this interpretation of the CDA its own personality. Amongst four wonderful imperial renditions on hand, one particular styling, Southern Tier Iniquity was most outside the bounds from the others flavor-wise. Since no ingredient notes were provided it was hard to determine what lent itself to the creamier, sweeter, more barleywine-esque flavor of this brew. From Upstate New York, Southern Tier sets itself apart from most other breweries with a unique style of brewing that delves into many dessertif imperial styles. The only information I could find from the brewery is “It uses four different hops and 2-row pale malt along with debittered black malt in it’s brewing.” Could it be the yeast? Hard to say.

Also in question at the Symposium was the character of a “standard” CDA. Some brewers like Pelican’s Darron Welch would like to see hop varietals be open to more than those of the Northwest persuasion. Pelican’s Bad Santa includes the use of citrusy Fuggles, a variety native to Europe. Lompoc brewer Dave Fleming noted that the subtle roast character coupled with the piney hop profile produces a unique sort of mintiness or medical twang. A very low roastiness as exhibited in Lucky Lab’s Black Sheep IPA and Laughing Dog’s Dogzilla lends itself to a more astringient, dry mouthfeel. The question came up whether the purpose of the style was to serve as a “trick” (you wouldn’t know it was a dark beer unless you looked at it) or is a subtle roastiness essential. The room felt it was a bit of both, providing even further argument for the CDA to be set apart as its own officially recognized style. As for what to call this new beer style, some mentioned alternatives like IBA, Black IPA, or NWDA. The once purported “Texas brown ale” (believed to be coined by Randy Mosher due to the fact that everything is big in Texas) was generally scoffed at. “Sounds like a poisonous spider” said John Foyston of The Beer Here. As Fleming pointed out “IBA” was regularly confused with “IPA” by the bar staff at Three Creeks where he used to brew. The issue many folks have with Black IPA is the oxymoronic nature of the title. (How can a pale ale be black?) As for NWDA, the thought was that it was too many syllables and Widmer already came out with a NW Pale ale (that and it kind of sounds like an airline or a gangster rap group). The consensus was to go with CDA.  Got that BJCP, AHA, and GABF?

After several magnificent tasters of these dark delicious doggies, it was great to finish things off at the Symposium with two of my all-time favorite brews: Walking Man Big Black Homo and Barley Browns Chaos. The BBH remains simultaneously one of the most drinkable and dank brews of all time. Over 100 IBUs bursting with cannabis-like CTZ hops and a well-masked, hardy 9% ABV body…wow! And, speaking of “wow”, Chaos truly is a clusterf… marriage of uncompromising farsightedness on behalf of Shawn Kelso. Blasting with huge quantities of Columbus and Amarillo hops, this beer jumps over 100 IBU easily and crushes with an ABV over 11%. HFS!

Stay tuned for more on this exciting new beer style and words from the brewers who make them.

After the Symposium, a little lunch was in order. We found ourselves at the Hawthorne Lucky Lab for a relaxing pint of Ludwig’s Alt, an old staple. At the pub, we found fellow Lab rat, John Foyston doing the same. It’s good to see we drink alike.

No rest for the wicked…or the geeks lovin’ craft brews, apparently. At Bailey’s Taproom, the place was hopping at their 2010 CellarFest. Stuffed to the gills, people were gettin’ what they can always expect from the taproom: killer beer. On this day, however, the killer beer was specialties for proprietor Geoff Phillips secret stash. Kegs like an ’04 Fish Leviathan, ’07 Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws, and ’06 Alaskan Smoked Porter were on hand, plus many more.

After departing the mayhem at Bailey’s we headed over to Deschutes Portland Pub for a pint and some grub. I thought “Why end the Cascadian Dark Ale fun now?” and ordered an Intergalactic CDA.

After a quick stop at the Alameda Brewpub to try a glass of Carston Haney’s Cascadian Farmhouse Ale. A bodaciously hopped brew employing the same saison yeast well known locally at Upright Brewing.

After this, we headed over to Abram’s house for his Robbie Burns poetry party. Here, many turned out to shared in merriment inspired by the man known as the Bard of Ayrshire. Whiskey poured alongside a wonderful selection of homebrews. Many a kilts were adorned and the procession of haggis was christened by Abram’s reciting of the 18th Century poet’s work (there was even a bit of veggie haggis, too!). Wonderful music by Rendezvouz String Band and Coin in a Coffer really set the mood. Thanks to Abram for a great day!

*In the February ’10 issue of the mag that we only read for the articles, Barley Browns’ Tumble Off Pale Ale was named one of the top 25 beers in America. Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale, Deschutes Green Lakes Organic Amber Ale, and Pyramid Haywire Hefeweizen also made the list.

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

On a recent trip to the coast that involved a magnificent stay at Pacific City’s Inn at Cape Kiwanda where we met with some craft brew-minded folks like Pelican brewmaster Darron Welch (look for an interview in the near future) and the Kiwanda Hospitality Group‘s Jeremy Strober. Strober met up for tea and coffee in the morning before we headed down to the beach to soak up some sun and great views of Haystack Rock looming just out to sea. Later we also grabbed a pint and light lunch at Pelican (not light on the pocketbook, but being that we don’t get out to the coast much, this was a real treat). Strober told us all about the area. A native Californian, he was captivated by the quiet landscape of the Oregon coast and compelled to make the seasonal vacationland his year-round stomping grounds. Learning about lots of great things to do and places to see, he pointed us to some must-visit destinations for lovers of craft brew.

I’d heard earlier from a beer geek friend that Vinnie Cilurzo, brewmaster of Russian River (one of our all-time favorite breweries on earth) had a sister who ran a wine shop with Cilurzo’s brews on tap. Strober pointed us in

the right direction. Just into town, in the heart of Pacific City, a quaint little shop called Twist Wine Company sold the wines of Chenin and Sean Carlton. Chenin, named for the vineyard grape, was a friendly woman who was eager to tell us all about her brewing background and growing up in Southern Cali with Vinnie. It made me smile to see the same recycled bowling alley bartop that supported her bro’s beers down in Santa Rosa. On tap behind the counter were three Russian River brews: Damnation, Blind Pig, and Pliny the Elder. Not just this, but on guest tap Twist was offering Pelican’s Bavarian Hefe-wit, Heiferweizen, and Hopworks Original Organic Red. It was still early afternoon when we arrived at twist, and to spare our liver any previously experienced beers (no matter how tempting), so we opted to give the Carlton’s specialty wines a whirl, sampling six different offerings from three brands. Now, let me be straight here: I know zilch about wine, but it was clear that these folks know what they’re doing. In 2006, after ten years of R&D, Chenin and Sean started

creating their own artisan wines. She says, “Our goal was twofold. First, we wanted to make fun lovin’, low stress, high impact anti-elitist wines that you could drink everyday without breaking the bank.” In their first year, the company released Basket Case as “a representative of our attitude-work hard, play hard, and have fun doing both-without raiding your retirement account. Our second goal was to make the best wine we knew how to make-a no holds barred approach to making wine that was unencumbered by cost, tradition, or style.” Under the name Shy Chenin, the couple released a Chenin Blanc and Rose of Pinot Noir. Melding complexity and drinkability must be in the family genetics because these wines were simply delicious. Now, being that this is a beer blog, I will not get too indepth trying to describe these eclectic brews, but let me just tell you, if you can get your paws on their Reversal reserve series Siraz, don’t miss out! Explaining the origin of this beer, Chenin explains, This year (we released) our first red wine under the no expense spared lineage. From the start, we wanted to name this wine in honor of our journey…a journey that is not just a career but a way of life. Not long after we struck out on our own we passed a chalkboard upon which was written the following quote:

The world you want to live in isn’t going to happen unless you stand up and do something about it.

“It summed up exactly what we were trying to accomplish-a new way of doing things. Enron, Worldcom, partisan politics, the sub-prime mortgage crisis, corporate irresponsibility and environmental neglect are all symptoms of the same problem: small in prevalence, but overwhelming in influence, greed has benefited few but corrupted many. When we shrunk that chalkboard quote down to a one word wine brand, Reversal fit perfectly. In one word it captured our entire journey. Reversal-For a long time, people have been asking the question, ‘What’s in it for me?’ We think it’s about time for the answer to be, ‘A better place in which to live.’”

The atmosphere of Twist reflects a relaxed, liberated West Coast mindset: loungy silver couches, and shelves housing both wines and a dilettantish selection of 12″ vinyl records all housed withing a tidy beach bungalow. Along the lines of their recycled bowling alley floor countertop, their mindset is, like many on the West Coast, focused on sustainability. A chic bamboo floor rounds out the feel of the establishment. Keeping things fun, they also feature an assortment of retro 80′s video games. According to their website:

We didn’t really mean to do a retro theme, but when we found a vintage Atari 2600, we had to jump on it. Sit in our animal print bean bags and revisit the love of your youth with Pac Man, Ms. Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Frogger, Space Invaders, and of course, the only game that will get you on our wall of fame…Missle Command!!!

For sometime, Pelican was the only beer destination in town, but now with Twist, both beer geeks and wine geeks have a place to make themselves comfortable. Check your snobbery at the door, and pay a visit next time you are in town.

For more on Twist Wine Company visit their website @ www.twistwine.com

Posted under places to drink beer

Pelican’s Sixth Annual Brewers Summer Games June 20. You know what this means? Beach, brews, and bribes. On top of that, it’s a whole lotta fun for a good cause.

The beach: one of Oregon’s most majestic beaches that features picturesque sand dunes to complement the imposing Haystack Rock. A sunset not to miss!

The brews: Pelican is one of the best breweries in Oregon, not only for its phenomenal locale, but a boatload of medals are a testament to the skills of its esteemed brewers. On this weekend, more killer beers from all over the Northwest will be on display while folks from the brewing community test their athletic prowess.

Bribes: Not only do the judges accept bribes from the participating teams in the event, they encourage them. So who will win this year? Will it be the hometown favorites and last year’s winners Beer Watch? Will it be a pack of brawny, beer swilling distributors? Find out at one kick ass festival/party that features keg sled tows, yeasty balloon tosses, and an assortment of other skill tests of mind, muscle, and liver that are unique to the Oregon Brewers Games.

From a recent press release sent by Kate Kauffman of Coates Kokes:

The Pelican Pub & Brewery’s sixth annual Brewers Summer Games is taking place on June 20, 2009, and will feature dozens of brewers, distributors and equipment suppliers from throughout the Northwest who compete at events including the “Keg Toss,” “Cheap Beer Toss” and “Service with a Smile.” This event is open to everyone and extremely family-friendly.

During the intermission of the Brewers Games, kids are given a chance to participate in the “Root Beer Games” which include a miniature keg toss, a three legged race and a water balloon toss. Winners of the Brewers Games will be selected by celebrity judges and after the awards ceremony, attendees can enjoy the sunset along with live music, plenty of food and a large beer garden featuring 18-24 different beers from breweries around the Northwest as well as hand-crafted Pelican beer and root beer.

WHAT:The Pelican Pub & Brewery’s sixth annual Brewers Summer Games

WHERE:The Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, Ore.

WHEN:Saturday, June 20, 2009, Noon to 8 p.m.

COST:While admission to the event is FREE, all proceeds raised from the event benefit two local charities: the Nestucca’s Booster Club and the Caring Cabin. Nestucca’s Boosters supports athletics and other extracurricular activities in local schools. Supported by the Children’s Cancer Association, Caring Cabin is a lakeside retreat near the Oregon Coast for families of critically ill children and those diagnosed with cancer.

Posted under Oregon beer, beer events, press releases

According to Kate Kauffman of Coates Kokes Promotion, “The Pelican Pub & Brewery won 10 awards at the Australian International Beer Awards yesterday. This is the third year in a row Pelican has won 10 medals at this event. In addition, every brew entered won a medal and half of them were Gold-pretty amazing.”

The Pelican Pub & Brewery entered 10 beers into the 2009 Australian International beer awards and came away with 10 medals for the third year in a row-half of which were Gold. Over 1,100 beers were tasted at Australia’s premier beer competition, which was started in 1987 to reward excellence in the field of brewing and to assist in the promotion of the brewing industry.

The Pelican Pub & Brewery’s award-winning beers include:

Gold – India Pelican Ale, in the Ale Packaged/India Pale Ale category

Gold – Saison du Pelican, in the Belgian and French Style Ales Packaged/Saison category

Gold – Le Pelican Brun, in the Belgian and French Style Ales/Other category

Gold – Stormwatcher’s Winterfest, in the Scotch Ale & Barley Wines Packaged category

Gold – The Perfect Storm, in the Hybrid Beers Packaged/Wood Aged beer category

Silver – Kiwanda Cream Ale, in the Ale Packaged/Other category

Silver – Tsunami Stout, in the Stout Packaged/Other category

Silver – Bridal Ale, in the Belgian and French Style Ales/Other category

Silver – MacPelican’s Wee Heavy Ale, in the Scotch Ale & Barley Wines Packaged category

Bronze – Doryman’s Dark Ale, in the Ale Packaged/Dark ale category

The Australian International Beer Awards is one of the largest annual professional beer competitions in the world. Held each year in Melbourne, Australia, it is the country’s most prestigious beer event. This year’s panel of judges sampled and evaluated 1,140 entries from 215 breweries across 39 countries. Information about the awards and this year’s winners can be found at www.beerawards.com. The awards were presented March 19, 2009 at an awards dinner in Melbourne, Australia.

Posted under beer awards