Rogue celebrates the rivers, lakes, streams, ponds and creeksof Oregon with the release of Chatoe Rogue Creek Ale. Creek Ale is a Belgian style Kriek Ale dedicated to the Willamette River that runs along the eastern edge of the Rogue Hopyard.

Creek Ale is brewed with First Growth Oregon hops and malt from Rogue’s own micro hopyard and barley bench. The Rogue barley bench is located in Oregon’s Tygh Valley Appellation and Rogue’s 42 acre hopyard is located in Oregon’s Wigrich Appellation, where Rogue currently grows seven different hop varieties. Rogue remains dedicated to saving the terroir of Oregon hops and barley, one acre at a time, by growing our own.

The brew contains 8 ingredients: Wheat, Rogue Barley Farm DareTM and RiskTM Malts, Rogue Hopyard Revolution Hops, Montmorency Cherries, Pacman & Belgian Yeast and Free Range Coastal Water. It is the fourth in the Chatoe Rogue family, following Dirtoir Black Lager, Single Malt Ale and OREgasmic Ale.

For more information on Chatoe Rogue releases, Tasting Room hours, Hopyard tours, or overnight stays at the Hop ‘n Bed, please contact the Rogue Department of Agriculture at 503.241.3800. Creek Ale will be on the shelves October 1st.

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

Oregon Craft Beer Month Toast @ 6pm at all Oregon Rogue Alehouses and Breweries!

For more information, visit http://rogueales.com

Posted under beer events, beer releases, events

Rogue Ales has broken ground on the Rogue Malt Floor located on the Rogue Micro Barley Farm in Oregon’s Tygh Valley Appellation.

The Malt Floor will be a Heritage-malting operation in which Rogue Farm barley will be soaked, floor-germinated, hand-raked on the malt floor, roasted in a brick hearth, and bagged in small batches. Rogue Brewmaster John Maier plans on developing 4-6 varieties of floor malt that will be used in the brewing and distilling of Rogue Ales, Porters, Stouts, Lagers, and Whiskies.

Floor malting began in the 19th century but was gradually replaced by automated equipment that helped reduce labor costs. With the establishment of the malt floor, Rogue joins a select handful of floor maltsters in Germany, England, and the Czech Republic that continue to carry on the heritage malting method.

The Malt Floor will be complete and operational in August — in time for the Rogue Farm barley harvest. Complimentary tours of the Malt Floor will be provided and will also include tours of Rogue rock, Rogue-henge, Rogue creek, and the Rogue fishing pond.

The Rogue Nation Department of Agriculture remains committed to saving the terroir of Oregon hops and barley, one acre at a time, by growing its own.

For more information on the Rogue Malt Floor, Farm tours, or Rogue’s Grow Your Own revolution, contact the Rogue Department of Agriculture at 503.241.3800.

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

Happy Mother’s Day! We thought it’d be fun to list a few beers that Mom might enjoy on this Sunday afternoon.

New Belgium Mothership Wit: New Belgium Brewing’s first venture into organically-produced beer, Mothership Wit Organic Wheat Beer is a unique rendition of the tradition Belgian wit style. The term “Mothership”, refers to the New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins, Colorado. It also ties in to the inter-connectivity of live and the earth that we call home. To make matters better, Mothership is certified organic by Oregon Tilth. It is a wonderfully zesty brew worthy for mom with wheat and barley malt, as well as coriander and orange peel spicing resulting in a balance of citrus and sour flavors held in suspension by a bright burst of carbonation.

Laurelwood Mother Lode: One of Laurelwood’s lightest and most refreshing ales, the Mother Lode is a perfect-for-spring golden ale with a nice grassy hopped nose and a crisp bready finish. Sipping through the moderate eggshell white head, Mom can discover a hint of floral hops in the aroma as well. Of course, she wants to enjoy more than one beer on her special day, and Mother Lode is perfect for her sessioning pleasure. As the brewery states, this beer “eliminates the need for training wheels,” so you can enjoy one too, junior.

Oskar Blues Mamas Little Yella Pils: Another delicious Colorado craft beer, this one from the town of Lyons, is the brewery’s first lager produced with their 20-barrel brewhouse. This pilsner is a clear golden color pouring a rich white head. Four additions of Saaz hops lend a spicy-floral hop component more pronounced than most traditional pilsners. To make matters even better, Mama’s Little Yella Pils is available in 12-ounce cans. This means Mom and you can enjoy one camping, hiking, or just relaxing in the yard.

Rogue MoM Hefeweizen:  Also referred to as “Half-E-Weizen”, this brew is a special twist on the hefe brew. “Dedicated to the Mom in each of us. Mom Hefeweizen is a refreshing, unfiltered fusion of wheat and Northwest Harrington malts, coriander, ginger, and Saaz hops in the Belgium style” says Rogue. The mesh of spicy and flavorsome ingredients lends itself to another sunny day beer for the woman of all women. At about six percent alcohol by volume, this brew is distinctively smooth yet prickly and effervescent on the tongue. Available in 22-ounce bottles or on draught at most of Rogue’s taprooms. Named for Port of Newport director Mo Niemi,(owner of Mo’s restaurant chain, long recognized as an “Oregon institution”, Mo was as well known for her generous spirit as for her clam chowder), an inspiration to the founders of the Newport brewery. Cheers to great women and great beer!

Whatever Mom’s preference in beer, make sure to celebrate her every day. After all, where would you be without her?

Posted under beer me

ASTORIA, OREGON – On May 15th and 16th, Rogue Ales will host the Second Annual “Smokin’ on the Columbia.” This event is the home of the Pacific Northwest Barbecue Association’s American Nationals Qualifier BBQ Cook-off. The event will be held outside the Rogue Ales Public House at Pier 39 in Astoria, Oregon.

To honor this culmination of BBQ mastery, Governor Ted Kulongoski has declared May 16th as Oregon BBQ Championship Day. The Grand Champion of this event will be designated as the State Champion of Oregon for BBQ. The champion is to enter national BBQ competitions including the draw for the Jack Daniels Invitational, the American Royal and the Great American BBQ events.

Over 25 BBQ teams from all over the Pacific Northwest and Canada will compete for prizes and $3,000 in prize money will be awarded. Categories for the BBQ events include Ribs, Brisket, Pork Butt, Chicken Chowder and Appetizers.  Food will be available to the public from many of the competing teams between 11 am to 3 pm.

Admission is $3.00. Children under 12 are free. The hours for the event are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The awards ceremony will be at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The official headquarters for this event is the Rogue Ales Public House, which will be open with extended hours from 11 a.m. to Midnight on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. The Public House is located at 100 39th St (Pier 39), Astoria, OR, 97103. Questions concerning the event can be answered at: (503) 325-5964 or press@rogue.com.

Proceeds will benefit the Clatsop Community Action Regional Food Bank. Sponsors for the festival include: Pacific Northwest Barbecue Association, Western Oregon Waste, Astoria Chamber of Commerce, United Site Services, and Pier 39.

Posted under Oregon beer, events, press releases

From Rogue:

On Friday, Rogue went to Independence to meet with a few locals and invite them to the grand opening of the tasting room on 5/15. While we were down there we learned a few things you might find interesting.

Keven, the farm manager, has his crews tightening the overhead lines in anticipation of the stringing that starts next week. At approximately 1750 in length, these overhead cables can stretch quite significantly over time with the combined weight of the hop bines and tension from the down strings.

Starting next week the crews will string environmentally-friendly coconut twine from these overhead cables and staple them to the ground. The hop bines (some nearing 3′ in height already) have been trained on short bamboo stakes for a few weeks. Once the twine is strung and stapled, the crews will begin removing the bamboo stakes and begin training the bines to the twine.

Our man Joe went door-to-door on Wigrich Road to meet the neighbors and to say hello to the people we’ll annoy with our tasting room traffic this summer. All are excited to hear we’ll have regular hours this summer (4pm to 9pm, Tuesday through Saturday). We’ve got a handshake deal with our neighbor Joe Kirk to source our hazelnuts from his nut orchard bordering the hop yard and we’ll put up a sign this summer indicating it as the source for Rogue’s hazelnuts.

“Our neighbor’s had a good laugh over this – the inside joke down there is that they call people coming out to the tasting room “Rogue Nuts.”"

We’re making real progress getting the farmhouse (the “Hop in Bed”) ready for overnight guests. With a few more tweaks and some kitchen equipment it will be ready to rent to you, your friends and family in just a few weeks. The whole house (sleeps 10+ as follows: 2 queen beds, three rooms with bunk beds).

One tip: Keven is a sucker for 4 year olds begging for a tractor ride.

Posted under Oregon beer, press releases

Last week at the conclusion of the Craft Brewers Conference in Chicago, the biannual World Beer Cup (WBC) was held.  This global competition with a majority of American entries, has run since 1996 with an ultimate goal to create “greater consumer awareness about different beer styles and flavor profiles while promoting international brewing excellence.” A panel of certified beer judges were in place to honor the top three beers in 91 categories with gold, silver, and bronze awards. The World Beer Cup, one the most prestigious beer competitions in the world, witnessed 13 Oregon breweries take home medals in 2010. Here’s a look at some of the winners.

WINNERS

Oregon breweries claimed six gold, four silver, and three bronze medals at the 2010 WBC, second to only California who claimed 45 medals (but also entered 185 more beers than Oregon). Among the Oregon winners, was Bend Brewing Company (BBC). Accomplished brewmaster Tonya Cornett continued her winning ways for BBC. Cornett won top honors in the strong ale beer style category for its Outback X, a beer Cornett describes as demonstrating “roasted malt with hints of hops in the nose leading to a rich, roasted malt flavor with a background of dried fruits and sherry.”

“The Outback X was originally brewed for our ten-year anniversary,” Cornett explains. “We re-brewed it because people liked it so much, and I am thrilled that it just keeps doing as well as it does.” This is the third gold medal for Outback X.

This year, 642 breweries from 44 countries and 47 U.S. states vied for WBC awards, making for the world’s largest-ever commercial beer competition. Winners were selected by an international panel of 179 beer judges, including Cornett, who served a first-time WBC judge this year. “Sixty-five percent of the judges are from other countries,” she says. “I felt really fortunate to judge alongside and learn so much from them.”

In addition to the gold medal win for Outback X, Cornett garnered glory for her traditional stein lager recipe, which won a silver medal for Lost Abbey Brewery of San Marcos, California. Cornett teamed with award-winning Lost Abbey Head Brewer Tomme Arthur last year to brew two versions of traditional stein lager using molten rocks to set the wort to boil. Hot Rocks Stein Lager, created by Cornett and brewed by Arthur, took silver at WBC.

BBC has won 12 brewing competition medals in the last four years. This is Cornett and BBC’s sixth gold. In 2008, Cornett was honored as the first woman to win the title of World Beer Cup Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year. BBC simultaneously won Small Brewery of the Year. “I am actually better known in the international brewing community than I am in Bend,” jokes Cornett.

Shawn Kelso of Barley Brown’s Brewpub in Baker City, Oregon, much like Cornett, has been proving that it doesn’t take a large brewery to rake in medals. Kelso, on Barley Brown’s four-barrel brew system took home gold for Shredders Wheat, in the American-style wheat category. The same brew that landed the brewpub a Silver at the 2009 Great American Beer Fest (GABF) was now at the top of the pack. Look for more great beers from Kelso and Barley Brown’s to come. Rumor has it the brewhouse could be seeking out a larger brew system in the 10-15 barrel range to keep up with increasing demand for their delicious brews.

Caldera Brewing of Ashland scooped up two wins at this year’s WBC including a gold medal for their Rauch Ur Bock in the Smoked Beer category, and a silver medal for their Pilot Rock Porter in the Brown Porter category. Look for more innovative releases from brewer Trevor Kemp and Caldera founder Jim Mills. The brewery has recently kicked of their Kettle Series in 22-ounce bottles. This series includes the Rauch Ur Bock, so you can also taste the gold medal winner. Also in the Smoke Beer category, Rogue Ales of Newport snagged a silver for their Smoke Ale.

The Pelican Pub & Brewery and Brewmaster Darron Welch won a silver medal for MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale at this year’s WBC. The staple Pelican brew won the medal in the Scottish-Style Ale category and was one of 29 entered.

“As an experienced World Beer Cup judge, I can say that this year’s event was one of the most competitive I have seen,” said Welch. “The quality I saw even in the preliminary rounds was very high and there were lots of outstanding beers that didn’t receive medals. The fact that MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale was honored this year is extremely flattering.”

Upright Brewing and founder brewer Alex Ganum won a bronze medal for their Gose, a mildly tart wheaten ale, in the German-style Sour Ale category. For Ganum, this is his first WBC win, but hey, it’s only the first year his brewery has been in existence. We expect a lot more bling-bling for him in the future.

Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) continues to do well in just a few years since opening to the public. HUB claimed a silver medal at WBC for their Organic Velvet ESB in the  Extra Special Bitter or Strong Bitter category. Look for Christian Ettinger, Ben Love and company to accumulate a healthy collection of beer competition medals as time goes by.

Widmer Bros took home two WBC rocks this year. Their Drop Top Amber was crowned with the gold in the Ordinary Bitter and their original Alt pocketed a bronze in the German-Style Brown Ale/Düsseldorf-Style Altbier circuit.

Rounding out the Oregonian wins Full Sail of Hood River receiving a gold in the American-Style Dark Lager field for their Black Session; Deschutes nabbed a gold for their well-known Bachelor Bitter in the Special Bitter or Best Bitter field; Hop Valley of Springfield sealed the bronze honors for their DD Blonde, American-Style Wheat Beer.

Congratulations to all the winners at this year’s World Beer Cup. Prost!

Posted under Oregon beer, beer events, beer news

Astoria, Oregon is a phenomenal little town where a magic comes to life in real time with a rich historical presence and an abundance of gorgeous day hikes in the surrounding area. On our last visit to Astoria, beer hunting was at the forefront of our excursions, but with good beer, there must be an adequate cultural and scenic presence to enhance the impression of one’s journeys. Living in the Pacific Northwest and traveling around the country for stellar beer, it appears more times than not that the availability of quality craft beer is usually discovered in areas with a strong progressive, forward thinking presence. A town with good breweries is often a town with ambrosial restaurants and a knack for artistry and other beneficence. I have also found that most towns that feature proper craft brew also possess nearby natural areas. This theory is proven by places such as Bend, Ashland, Eugene, and, of course, Astoria.

Seeing that our last venture to Astoria was compressed into a 24-hour period, our experiences were myopically engaged with, well, beer. In Jeff Alworth’s Beervana Blog, the writer says “Astoria is in some key ways like a little microcosm of Oregon.” Well, to take that even further, my trip to Astoria was in some ways a microcosm of my trip through life-a quest to get my palate around the next new brew. However, a man can not live on beer alone (an the good lord knows I have tried). There must be a cultural element, an accompaniment of sorts that enriches the beer experience and allows for the reward of great beer. For us, a trip to Astoria unquestionably relates to sipping on the beers of Fort George, Astoria Brewing, and Rogue Ales, but with these grand offerings, the physicality of the setting, the backdrop of the mouth of the Great Columbia demands equal attention. Even if this is on a somewhat subconscious level, this local color, in conjunction with someone whose company you enjoy, is a necessary component in breathing in the culture of esteemed beer.

Upon waking early Saturday morning following a magnificent night on the town with our newly acquired friends, Margaret and I enjoyed the company of Rona and Skip Davis, keepers of the historical Britta Inn, over a hearty breakfast. We were pleased to set off our day with sun shining in the sky and a forecast of warm spring weather. Driving around the hills we were welcomed with spectacular views extending over Young’s Bay, the historical Canning District, and even further out across the gaping mouth of the Columbia and the looming mother off all Oregon bridges, the Astoria-Megler that is now as much as symbol of the town as the giant river itself. We drove across the nearly four miles of American’s longest continuous truss bridge while taking in the sites while the leaping waves and swooping seagulls promulgated our entrance into a world once so far from Astoria.

From Point Ellice, near Megler, Washington, we drove north along Highway 101 to Fort Columbia State Park, where stands one of the few intact coastal defense sites in the country. Built during the turn of the 20th Century, the fort sits on Chinook Point and was selected for its unequivocally and incomparably stretching views. Originally inhabited by the Chinook Indians and their historical leader Chief Comcomly, following World War II, the fort was handed by the federal government to Washington. Today twelve wood-framed buildings rest at the entrance of the park at the gateway to some spectacular hiking trails. When we arrived, the wind was whipping and we bundled up to endure the potent gusts driving in from the Pacific. Little did we know, the weather would soon change to a degree not seen in this area since last summer. Our hike through riparian old growth sitka spruce and western hemlocks was breathtaking. Several bird species ranging from pileated woodpecker to red-breasted robin sounded off as we completely a nice 3 mile loop trail. After returning to the base camp, we had worked up quite an appetite, so we opted to head back to Astoria.

For lunch, we found ourselves at the Blue Scorcher Bakery located in the same building as Fort George Brewery. The Blue Scorcher offers a variety of foods ranging from their specialty pastries and deserts to soups, salads, and sandwiches. It is a welcomed stop for vegetarian travelers and those who simply enjoy a healthy, delicious meal. It is also a great option for those who are gluten intolerant. Their artisan breads are delectable and the their quest to use local, organic, and sustainable ingredients make them a popular Astorian destination.

After soups and sandwiches, we ducked in next store to grab a couple growler fills from Fort George. A Oatmeal Pale ale and a bourbon barrel-aged Cavatica Imperial Stout would be taken home as well as a bottle of Grand Crue for later enjoyment. We thanked our friends Chris and Dan at the brewery for their hospitality and showing us a great time before heading off to get a close up look at the Goonies house. From there, we were reminded of our favorite thing to do in Astoria out side of the whole beer shebang-visiting the sea lions. From atop the hill overlooking Pier 39, you can hear the barking of the giant pups huddled together on a few docks soaking up the warm sun. Down to the pier for a closer look, we joined the ranks of a good sized congregation of folks with the same plan in mind. People young and old stared and commented on the beautiful arfing mammals. Seen by many as a nuisance and a financial burden, the supposed overabundance of these creatures would seem a symptom of the doings of human beings. Most of the sea lions were branded with numbers to identify them. I found this to be troubling, but the presence of these mustached rascals and their howling chorus of honking barks couldn’t help but make me smile.

After a trip to see the sea dogs, the sun was even warmer over us in the sky, and a trip next door to Rogue’s Public House on Pier 39 was more than fitting. If our trip wasn’t great enough already, we were pleasantly surprised to discover a garage sale at the pub featuring $24 cases of Yellow Snow IPA. One of those for the road, please.

On Rogue’s outdoor deck, we basked in the revelry of great beer and great weather and reminisced on our short stay in this magnificent little city by the sea. The dogs barked in the distance with the delineative great bridge behind us and a hoppy treat at hand. Then, on to the Highway 30 and home to Portland.

Posted under beer to do list

What an amazing weekend it was: Friday the 13th and Valentines Day landing back to back..  But to make matters better, Zwicklemania landed on Oregon’s craft brewing world and presented a world of fun and community that will resonate for days, months, and years to come.

Ike Manchester and Scott Sanders judge entries for 2009's Collaborator

Thanks to Yvette Uber of the Oregon Brew Crew, I was asked to participate in the judging of this years Collaborator.  I was in a group reviewing a flight of old ales and barleywine entries next to the skilled and knowledgeable Ike Manchester of Widmer Brewing fame as well as Scott Sanders, a pioneer member of the Oregon Brew Crew, whose English Brown Ale was the chosen beer for the first Collaborator brew in 1998 (somehow Widmer Snow Plow won out).  The presence of these men made me feel like quite a small fry in technical brewing know-how, but their kind spirits aided in erasing my doubts.  It was awesome.

Noel Blake leads the tasting panel to decide the 11th Anniversary Collaborator

After our flight of five big bold beers that began around 11AM Saturday, we were off to lend a hand in picking the 11th Anniversary Collaborator brew…Turns out the winner was very interesting homebrew by FH Steinbart’s Michel J. Brown.  The brew is an imperial pumpernickle alt, and according to Uber, Brown “actually ripped up three pounds of bread and put it in the mash!” The release party for this scrumptious beer will occur on November 11th… I left the judging early wishing I had sampled all of the flights (especially the experimental one that Brown’s brew was a part of). I felt humbled and honored by the experience with a bottle of 2008′s Doppleweizen and a smile on my face.

Back to my home in Southeast Portland, I was able to powder my face, grab lunch and whisk away to the first of five Zwicklemania events I would experience.  With so many places beckoning in the region’s burgeoning brew community, it was hard to decide what all to do, but not so much as to where to go first.

Hair of the Dog is a brewery that legends are made of.  People from all over the world make pounding on Alan Sprint’s big old doors a destination worthy of remembrance.  We arrived about 1:30PM to discover a line forming around the brewing hearth and leading to the taps where Senior Sprints presented storied tasters of his concoctions with a warm smile and an appreciation for the support of his truly craft operation.  “Thank you for coming” he said as we made our first lap with tastes of Blue Dot Double IPA and Ruth.  What a genuine experience.  I was sure that Sprints had somewhere better to be, but remained at the core of what this inaugural event meant to the community of eager Oregonians.  On our second round, we met up with Gordon Feighner, a friend and fellow craft beer zealot.  We hereinafter discovered the availability of Matt, a bold 9+% sour Belgian styled ale brewed for Bottleworks in Seattle; rich and dark in body, with an echo of tart and chewy yeast and malt character.  It was evident that this would be a fair day.

Hair of the Dog's Alan Sprints pours tasters for Zwicklemania '09

Hair of the Dog Matt

Hair of the Dog was enough to make our day in and of itself, but knowing the spirit of Oregon brewing and Portland in particular, this day was long from over craft beer-wise.

We soon found ourselves at the brewery of Full Sail at the Harborside Pilsner Room in SW Portland.  Brewer Phil Roche welcomed grateful quaffers to  once in a life time tastes of a special 12-year-old barleywine aged for one year in bourbon barrels.  A “wow” beer, this deep amber-copper bodied brew was worth the day itself.  Served betwixt the boldly hopped Slipknot IIPA and a pile of Belgian dark chocolate shavings, this grubbin’ ale was the centerpiece of a wondrous happenstance. Brewers from Full Sail alongside Zwicklemaniacs such as myself gathered in the impeccably clean fermentation center to appreciate one hell of a brew.

Full Sail 12 year old barleywine and pile of Belgian dark chocolate

Brewer Phil Roche serves flavorful Full Sail samples

Pulling ourselves away from a few of the best exhibitions in recent memory, we pushed forth to take advantage of more of Zwicklemania’s offerings.  Next stop: Deschutes.  The Pearl District’s blingin’ copper kettled brewery was quite the spectacle.  Above floors you could eat off, we joined a group of beer tourists smitten with platters of the Oregon 150, a crisp ale from the original Bend brewery made of 100% Oregon ingredients highlighted by a lush dose of fresh blackberry honey and marionberries.  Following this crisp, sessionable “chick beer” was a pungently odored Maiden Oregon, a bright Belgian-styled amber ale.

Zwicklemania crowd at Portland's Deschutes Brewery

Bend Tap: Oregon 150 made with marionberries

Leaving a packed house at Deschutes, we made our way on foot to BridgePort where the touted Hop Harvest kegs had already blown and samples of cask conditioned IPA were sipped.  The relaxed atmosphere of the chic industrial brewpub beckoned Victorian pints of favorable flavors such as Blue Heron pale ale and Raven Mad imperial porter.

BridgePort Pints

With the clock winding down for the Zwicklemania’s, we ambitiously dredged over to Flanders Street to experience Rogue Ales.  Despite the pricey small pours, we were anxious to put our lips to the Sesquicentennial Ale that the paid door hand proffered as “the official 150th Anniversary Beer.” Ok.  We were pleased to see publican and beer legend Jim Parker hosting the beer and chocolate pairing in the dining portion of the brewpub.  Parker was standing in for Fred Eckhardt who was unavailable for the festivities.  In all, the event was a true adventure.  We had a fat slice of what Oregon craft beer is all about.  Part of me felt like I missed out on so much while part of me was enamored that I managed to take in as much as I did.

Publican Jim Parker

Here’s to 150 years of Manifest Destiny and some fervent fermentables.  It will be interesting to see where things stand in another 150 years.  Hope we can sustain.  Prost!

Posted under Beer personalities, beer events, beer releases, beer reviews

An Exclusive Interview with Brewmaster and Owner Trevor Howard

Hop Valley Brewing is the sole brewery of Springfield, Oregon, the twin city of neighboring Eugene.  The brewery’s brick building has housed many breweries and restaurants including Spencer’s, Sophia’s, and Ninaksi.  Hop Valley is the brainchild of Eugene native Trevor Howard, who is remodeling the space to make it a one-of-a-kind restaurant and brewpub. The young brewer has garnered a wealth of brewing knowledge beginning with his studies in Oregon State University’s fermentation sciences program. While at OSU, Howard was an avid homebrewer and even undertook an internship at Pelican Brewing Company in Pacific City, Oregon. Upon graduating, he broke into professional brewing with Rogue Ales. After a year brewing at Rogue’s Newport, Oregon location, Howard returned to Eugene in 2005 and began brewing at the company’s Eugene City location . His signature Tracktown series brews, including the Honey Orange Wheat and the hardily hopped Three Bills Golden, Triple Jump Pale Ale, 100 Meter Red, and the 200 Meter IPA, remain a hit around Beervana.  Howard left Rogue in December 2008 to follow his dream of running a family brewpub with his father Ron. Pressing to get his pub open and his beers into the hands of thirsty hopheads, Howard spoke with Brewpublic’s Margaret Lut while his beer finished boiling and made its way through the heat exchanger.

Hop Valley brewmaster Trevor Howard

Margaret Lut: Your sign out front indicates that you are anticipating opening February 9th, 2009. Do you think you will be ready to open on that date?

Trevor Howard: The beer will definitely be ready by then. We are making a lot of progress on the restaurant side. The way things are moving we should be able to make that date for sure.

ML: What kind of remodeling are you wanting or needing to do to the building/restaurant?

TH: We tore up the carpets and the tiles. We are going to stain the concrete floors in the bar area and the entry way. Also, going to repaint the walls, add signs and extend the bar. We are going to have a pole out back that will be seen from I-5 with the name of the brewery on it.

ML: What is your vision for your new brewery?

TH: Just making the kind of beer that I have always wanted to make. Having a place with a good pub atmosphere along with good beer and good people.

ML: What elements learned at Rogue will you be employing at your brewery?

TH: I developed my brewing style and recipe making skills at Eugene City. I have a lot of information to take with me on how to formulate recipes, knowledge of grains and hops. I learned a lot about production brewing at Rogue’s Newport location. While I was there I was brewing on a 45 barrel system which got upgraded to a 100 barrel system. Hopefully I’m rounded enough to make it work over here.

ML: How and when did your interest in brewing start?

TH: My dad home brewed a little when I was a kid so that kind of triggered my interest. In high school I didn’t really know what do but then I heard about this fermentation program and that sounded like a lot of fun. So I went to Oregon State and went for it and I ended up really enjoying it and enjoying home brewing and drinking beer so that is really where it all started.

ML: You are located in the old Sofia’s restaurant building which is where Ninkasi got its start. Did you have to add any equipment to the set up that was here?

TH: It was pretty much all here. I did have to order some bits and pieces, order some hoses, some different little thing to complete it. A heat exchanger is something that we have already ordered, the one we have here does not really work very well. Other than that it was all here, a little dirty, but it all works.

ML: How big is the brewing system?

TH: It is a 15 barrel system so we can do about 30 kegs at a time. We have four fermentors so we can have four beers going at once. We have a pretty big capacity that I think we will meet max pretty quickly.

ML: Any plans to bottle?

TH: We will definitely bottle in the future but not in the near future.

ML: How would you describe the Eugene/Springfield brewing community and does Springfield even have a brewing community?

TH: Well, Springfield does not currently have brewing community but now it will. There is a lot of new development in town. With the neighboring apartments and homes, I am hoping to build a unique community here in Springfield. The Eugene brewing community is awesome, it has been really, really good to me. All the brewers in Eugene were very willing to help out and give advice or whatever you need. It has been a great community and everyone is very friendly towards each other.

ML: What is going to be your flagship beer and what other beers are going to be on tap?

TH: The flagship beer is going to be an IPA which I am brewing today. I’m aiming for 6.5% ABV and 90+ IBUs. The first beer that I brewed here was an American-style hefeweizen. Also, in the fermenting tanks right now I have a pale and an amber. We just got out brewing license 10-days ago so unfortunately there is no beer ready right now.

ML: Will you have your beers available at the KLCC festival?

TH: Unfortunately, since we just got our brewing license ten days ago and we weren’t sure when we would be up and brewing we missed the deadline for getting our beers there. But our opening day will be the Monday after the KLCC festival. However, I will be at the festival and look forward to trying some of the interesting beers that will be there. We will try to get the word out about (Hop Valley) at the fest, too.

ML: Any specials names you are planning on giving your new beers?

TH: I am still working on that…I can’t give out that information right now.

ML: Any ideas on what kind of seasonals you will be making?

TH: Seasonals are my favorite thing about brewing, especially winter seasonals. So there will be a lot of those. I don’t know what they are going to be yet. We are always going to have our four or five regular beers on tap and then at least one, if not two, seasonals circulating.

ML: What is your favorite style of beer?

TH: Definitely IPAs. But I am also a big fan of stouts and winter ales.

ML: Do you have a beer philosophy?

TH: Brew the kind of beer you like to drink and I think people will enjoy it.

ML: Do you have any beers/breweries/brewers that have inspired you?

TH: When I was in college studying it, it kind of became an idea of this is what I ultimately want to do. Going to work for Rogue and kind of learning the ropes kind of helped it along the way. Then this place came into fruition and it all kind of came together and it all worked out pretty well.

Best of luck, Trevor.  We can’t wait to sip on your hoppilicious brewhas!

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