Beers Made By Walking Comes to Corvallis

For Immediate Release
May 15, 2016 – Corvallis, OR – This Spring Greenbelt Land Trust (GLT) is partnering for the first time with Beers Made By Walking and four Corvallis breweries to explore the prairies, forests, and streams of the Willamette Valley, utilizing the fertile Valley soils and abundant flowers, grasses, and herbs as inspiration for beers and meads to be launched later this year. Through two guided walks, the public can visit with local brewers and learn about regional botany. The walks are on May 21 with Flat Tail Brewing and Mazama Brewing, and May 28 with Sky High Brewing and Nectar Creek Meadery. Hikes have limited space, so RSVP by emailing GLT or visit their website.

Founded in 2011 by Eric Steen, Beers Made By Walking partners a local environmental organization with area brewers to journey out into nature in search of inspiration or ingredients. Brewers are well familiar with the standard menu of ingredients – hops, malt, yeast – but this program broadens the horizon of possible brewing additions, from herbs, flowers, fruits and vegetables they might encounter along the trail. Alongside botanists, brewers explore the world at their feet, using the flora as inspiration for creating beers to be launched in the fall. The program has yielded over 100 place-based beers, with some interesting varietals, including the use of ingredient like lemonbalm, sage, fescue, juniper, wheatgrass, and wild ricegrass.

During Corvallis Beer Week in September, 2016 the beer and mead inspired by these walks will be available to the public. Proceeds from the beer will benefit Greenbelt Land Trust.

“I hope that this program gives drinkers a sense of place, get people outdoors, do something creative, and think about our local landscapes in new ways. Place is one of the only things we really have to connect with the world. I think beer that echoes that mindset is beautiful, because you can feel an attachment to it in a way that is different than a beer that doesn’t have a sense of place,” says Steen.

“We are always trying to look at the land through different lenses – from history, to art and geology … and now beer! This unique opportunity to walk the land and inspect the plants in our own backyards enables us to think about how nature inspires us all. And, how often does one get the opportunity to go for a walk with their favorite brewer?” says Jessica McDonald, Associate Director with Greenbelt Land Trust.

Details:
Saturday, May 21^st, 9am-12pm
Greenbelt Land Trust, with Flat Tail Brewing and Mazama Brewing

Saturday, May 28^th, 9am-12pm
Greenbelt Land Trust, with Sky High Brewing and Nectar Creek Meadery

Registration contact for either event: Rebecca McKay Steinberg (rebecca@greenbeltlandtrust.org). Details available at: www.greenbeltlandtrust.org