More Top 5 lists…

More Top 5 lists. You gotta love it!

Looks like fellow blogger, Jeff over at Beervana, has posted his own short list of highlights/trends in beer in 2009. Here is our own take on the matter.

Top 5 Oregon Beer Stories of 2009

1. The announcement of 19+ breweries and brewpub opening in Oregon in 2010 (Beer Around Town, Beervana)

2. Representative Ben Cannon’s 1900% beer tax increase fails

3. Zwickelmania on Oregon’s Sesquicentennial  <3

4. BridgePort and Widmer share 25 years in brewing

5. Brewpublic celebrates one year anniversary with a Birthday party at Saraveza and KillBeerFest at Bailey’s Taproom.

Top 5 Beer Trends of 2009

1. Sour Beers – Pucker up! This style is gaining momentum.

2. Collaborator Beers – How many brewers does it take to make a kick ass beer? Apparently, at least two.

3. Cascadian Dark Ales – Many Black IPAs were released this year. A great style or an ingredient bomb? What to call them Cascadian Dark Ales or ??? but definitely not Texan Brown Ales. When brewed well, their flavor is roasty, malty but with a nice hoppy presence.

4. “Green” Brewing – Isn’t brewing already a pretty green process? Now, how does someone market it so consumers feel better about themselves. All in all, it is better to go green then to go … ???

5. Expensive Scandinavian/non-traditionally beer country Imports – There seemed to be an increase of these hitting the market in 2009 with many different styles produced. How about we Oregonians grow the hops and you Scandinavians sell them back to us in a super hoppy beer and we pay out the nose for them. Oh, how good you taste, though!

Top 5 Oregon Brewer Interviews By Brewpublic of 2009

(yes, we like to float our own boat, deal with it!)

1. Larry Sidor, Deschutes Brewery (insight to a true hop head and great brewer that brought you beers like Abyss and Dissident)

2. Jason Kahler, Big Horse Brewery (the only known interview w/ Jason)

3. Matt Swihart, Double Mountain (who doesn’t love Double Mountain)

4. Nick Arzner , Block 15 (a great interviewee and brewer)

5. Jim Mills, Caldera (the man who brought canned beers to Oregon)

Honorable mention: Dan Carey with New  Glarus, who showed Brewpublic some great hospitality and amazing beers!

New Year’s Eve Brewpublic will reveal its Top 10 (yes, 10 not 5) beers of 2009. Stay tuned for the finale of our Top Beer Lists.