Coffee Stouts, IPAs an Farewell To A Dear Friend – Beer events for the Week of January 4

The late Russell Riebesehl was a devoted dog owner who said he wasn’t much of a cat fancier, but he loved Ernie, our adopted stray tabby who’s working on becoming a house cat. It was just one more example of the man’s warm heart, as regulars at The Beermongers well knew. He was a regular himself and a true part of the Mongers community, which will gather Sunday to remember Russ as he would’ve wished: with big beers, stories and a potluck… (FoystonFoto)

Coffee stouts, IPAs and a farewell to a dear friend, Portland area beer events for the week of January 4th.

Rogues on the Road
6-8 p.m. Friday Jan. 5, Newberg Growler House; 8-10 pm, Sherwood Growler House, 21319 SW Sherwood Blvd., Sherwood;
Join the Growler House crews for samples, raffles and swag from Rogue Brewery.

Bon Voyage to Chris and Ashbolt
8 p.m. Saturday Jan 6, The BeerMongers, 1125 SE Division St.
Anybody who’s enjoyed a beer at the Mongers Bar, or picked a beer from the backbar Beerboard knows the work of Chris, the genial Brit finish carpenter who’s not infrequently to be found at the bar he built. He’s headed back to Blighty to help start a brewery in Oxford and he’ll be missed. Ashbolt Stewart, Mongers’ house band leader, is heading to Mexico for a month, but not before he and his band, Beats Workin’, (which includes bass player Gunga Dave Stensen, a dear friend and an old bandmate of mine…) supply the music for this bon voyage party. As always, expect some special beers…

Farewell Russell
2 p.m. Sunday Jan. 7, The BeerMongers, 1125 SE Division St.
The BeerMongers community lost one of its dearest friends recently: Russell Riebesehl, who died last month at 68 after a (mercifully quick) brain aneurysm. Those who had the pleasure of knowing Russell knew a fine man who lived a full life; a talented mechanic, a lifelong motorcyclist, a fan of great big dark beers such as Yeti, Viking’s Blood and Ten Fidy and a warm-hearted soul who was friends with everyone and always ready with a handshake or a bearhug. He was generous to a fault, often bringing lunch for the weekend crew, manning the grill for events (even in last summer’s blazing heat) and always bringing a homemade dish for the various Mongers potlucks. So a potluck is definitely on the books for Sunday, as are testimonials starting around 5 pm. Please bring a dish, chips, fruit and a story to share, and be prepared to drink one of the big dark beers that Russell loved…we miss you brother…peace

Blend Your Own Coffee Stout
Tuesday Jan. 9, The Upper Lip, 720 SW Ankeny St.;
Perennial’s Sump is an annual Imperial Stout release that blurs the lines between beer and coffee. In this event, co-hosted with Running Man Distribution, the two parts are separated so you can blend your own coffee stout. They got local Ex Novo to do something similar with Case Study Coffee here in Portland, and also asked the Imperial Restaurant team to bake some sweets that would pair well with your coffee & beer blended creations. Representatives from both breweries will be on hand to talk you through the blending process and share their inspired caffeinated experiences.
from Perennial:
Prodigal Imperial Stout base beer
Sump Coffee Kyoto-style coffee
Sump Imperial Stout
Coffee Abraxas
from Ex Novo:
Non-Coffee Quaker Shaker Oatmeal Stout base beer
Case Study coffee
Kill the Sun
Nevermore

Baerlic’s First 16-oz Cans Release
4 p.m. Tuesday Jan. 9, Baerlic Brewing Co Taproom, 2235 SE 11th Ave;
The Baerlic crew has two new 4-packs of 16-oz cans: What The Fluff? New England style IPA, which they say is a “Crazy hazy, Juicy Loosey New England style IPA with ridonculous amounts of tropical fruit, candy, bubblegum, candied orange, pink grapefruit and juicy fruit notes that jump out of the glass endlessly,” and Dark Thoughts Black IPA: “Dark Thoughts Black IPA is a NW IPA possessed by the evil spirits of cold-steeped roasted malts. 6.66% ABV and 66.6 IBUs and a Bronze Medal Winner at the 2017 Oregon Beer Awards…”