This Month at Breakside: Seven New Beers and a Brewer’s Dinner

Would you be surprised to hear that Breakside Brewery lead by ambitious and inventive brewer Ben Edmunds is releasing seven new beers? Probably not, considering the brewery pumped out nearly 100 different beers in 2011. Impressive, yes. And if you haven’t yet visited the Northeast Dekum Street brewpub in Portland, the question now is “What the hell are you waiting for?”

Not just cranking out a pedestrian lineup of beers, Edmunds and assistant Sam Barber are devising an assortment of offerings including cocktail inspired, barrel-aged, revamped historical styles, tribute recipes, and one-of-a-kind brews unlike what anything you’ve likely tasted before. Coming up in January, look for a bunch of interest peaking newbies from Breakside, as well as an alluring brewer’s dinner. Here’s the deets from the brewhouse:

Known for its creative, high quality beers and constant rotation of taps, Breakside Brewery (820 NE Dekum) is starting off 2012 true to form with seven new beers on tap this month. In 2011, Breakside released 92 different beers, and with this fast start in 2012 the brewing team of Sam Barber and Ben Edmunds look to match or exceed that number this year.

Currently on tap are Cedarbaumbier, an amber wheat ale made with Western red cedar and fresh ginger, and a Neo-Cream Ale, an American blonde ale fermented at lager temperatures with a touch of fresh fennel. Both these sessionable beers come in at under 5.5% ABV, and the response at the pub so far has been extremely positive, with both selling quickly. Later this week, the brewery will tap the sixth in its series of “chef collaboration” beers, a Chestnut Honey Bock brewed with Cathy Whims and Doug Derrick of Nostrana. The beer used over 50 pounds of Oregon chestnuts that were roasted in the wood-fired oven at Nostrana, as well as a portion of “kitchen malt”—barley donated by Eat Oregon First’s Scot Laney that was malted in the Nostrana kitchen and kilned in the same oven. This month will also see the debut of the brewery’s Munich-style Helles and the return of Breakside’s popular Brown Porter.

The Breakside team is also excited to announce that , on January 20^th, the brewery will have its first Brewer’s Dinner at Aquariva Restaurant (470 SW Hamilton Court). The dinner includes four courses with beer pairings, one of which features Aquariva’s Italian Amber, a beer that the restaurant’s culinary team designed as part of the previously mentioned Chef Collaboration Series. The menu and tickets are available online here or by calling the restaurant directly at (503)802-5850. Barber and Edmunds, as well as owner Scott Lawrence, will be on hand for the event to discuss the beers and enjoy Aquariva’s excellent Italian cuisine.