Oregon BrewLab and Labrewatory Collaborate on Against the Currant Belgian Tripel
Based in Eugene, Oregon BrewLab has been serving the craft beer industry with quality control and beer analysis since 2015. (Brewpublic profiled Oregon BrewLab back in April 2015.) Oregon BrewLab has now brewed its first commercially available beer when it partnered with Portland based Labrewatory to brew Against the Currant, a Belgian Tripel.
Against the Currant will make its Eugene debut on Thursday, November 3rd at ColdFire Brewing that is located at 263 Mill Street. The release party will take place from 4:00 to 10:00pm with 100% of the proceeds being donated to the Eugene Science Factory. For those of us here in Portland, Against the Currant is currently pouring on tap at Labrewatory.
Back in April, Dana Garves, founder of Oregon BrewLab partnered with Charlie Johnson of Labrewatory to brew a beer together for the very first time. The result is Against the Currant that was aged for six weeks with twenty pounds of locally sourced black currants.
Against the Currant is Garves’ first beer that has been brewed on a commercial scale and her goal was to to aim big. “I really wanted to leave a mark with my first beer,” Garves states in a release. “And I knew that working with Charlie and Labrewatory I was going to get a lot of support for something uniquely experimental.”
“Dana is a brilliant lab chemist who now runs her own lab as well as doing our testing. She came to me with the idea of brewing a Belgian tripel with currants,” Johnson stated in a release. During a tasting Johnson describes the beer as big and warming, “The alcohol heat pairs nicely with currant, raisin, and toffee malt flavors. This beer is perfect for the upcoming fall weather.”
Garves decided that she wanted partner with ColdFire Brewing for the beer’s Eugene release. “ColdFire Brewing is very community oriented, and loves to play around with distinctive flavors. I really felt that Against the Currant fit right in with their line-up,” stated Garves in a release. Brothers Stephen and Dan Hughes opened ColdFire in early 2016 and have met with success. “Oregon Brew Lab has provided much needed quality lab services to the industry and been a great partner for us since we opened. Dana has been great to work with and is very committed to the local craft community. We are happy to support her and honored to be a part of her first project beer, all for a great local cause.”
The great cause is The Eugene Science Factory, a local STEM museum dedicated to science education and hands on learning. Both ColdFire and Oregon BrewLab are excited to donate to a local nonprofit that focuses on enriching children’s lives. Tim Scott, the Executive Director encourages beer and science lovers to attend the event, “The Science Factory is thrilled that ColdFire Brewing and BrewLab have teamed up to support our educational programs. Please come out and have a pint to benefit our vision of empowered communities that foster scientific learning and innovation to help create a better world.”
Against the Currant Stats:
Style: Belgian Tripel
Malt: 2-row Pilsner, Cara Munich, Special B Dark Crystal, Belgian Candi
Hops: Hallertauer Magnum, Saaz
Fruit: Oregon black currants
ABV: 9.35%
IBU: 33
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.