CRAFT BEER MONTH BABY
Congratulations to Christian and Brandie Ettinger, proud parents of Evelyn Sunshine Ettinger, born at 8:19am July 1st and weighing in at 8 lbs 4 oz. Cheers to the Ettinger family and all the folks at Hopworks Urban Brewery!
MORE HOPWORKS NEWS
Stop by the HUB on July 6th for the inaugural Intergalactic Washoe Tournament and try their new Washoeweizen, a Bavarian style hefeweizen with notes of clove and banana brewed in anticipation of the tournament. Then come back 2 days later on July 8th for Bourbon Barrel Day and a new release party to welcome Bourbon DOA & U-Bahn Kolsch into the Hopworks family of beer. All the Hopworks bourbon barrel aged beers will be on tap at the same time: Kentucky Christmas, Bourbon IPA, Bourbon DOA, and possibly another?! Beers tapped at 3pm. (2944 SE Powell Blvd., 503-232-HOPS, www.hopworksbeer.com)
THE 2000th S.N.O.B
Come out and celebrate with the Oregon Brewers Guild (OBG) for the naming of the 2000th Supporter of Native Oregon Beer (SNOB). The party will take place at the Horse Brass Pub on July 12th from 2 to 5pm. You will be able to sign up or renew your SNOB membership and anyone new members who sign up between now and 07/12/2008 will automatically be entered into the drawing to be named the 2000th SNOB and will receive SNOB membership for life and two tickets to any events the OBG does during 2008. Everyone who signs up or renews their membership between now and 07/12/2008 will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a prize package worth approximately $500 made up of OBG members merchandise and tickets to OBG events. (Horse Brass Pub, 4520 SE Belmont, 503-288-2739, http://oregonbeer.org)
THE 2008 OREGON BREWERS GUILD BREWERS DINNER
The Brewers Dinner is an annual fund-raiser barbecue for the Oregon Brewers Guild. In 2008, it will be held on the eve of the Oregon Brewers Festival, Wednesday, July 23rd from 6-8:30pm at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. Proceeds from the dinner help the Guild perform its mission of spreading the word about our great native Oregon beers. The dinner is also one of the key events in Oregon's Craft Beer Month. Brewers participating in the festival will be in attendance, as will beer writers, brewers, beer industry suppliers and beer lovers from across the country and around the world. This informal gathering is a great chance to meet many of the biggest names in American craft brewing. Attendance at this "intimate party" is going to be limited to 600 people, down 150 people from 2007. Tickets for this year's dinner will be on sale for $50 for general admission. Tickets for SNOB's are $40. The menu for 2008 will include Pork Loin, Smoked Salmon, roasted potato and veggie medley, dinner rolls and a rich Chocolate Stout chocolate brownie. There will be approximately 24 beers, brewed and donated by the Brewery Members of the Oregon Brewers Guild, available at the dinner. All of these beers are special beers that will not be available at the festival. But choose your beers carefully, no additional beer scrip will be available after your initial six. Visit the Oregon Brewers Guild at website at http://oregonbeer.org to purchase tickets or for more information.
OREGON BREWERS GUILD PARTNERS WITH OREGONLIVE.COM TO OFFER OREGON CRAFT BEER MONTH SWEEPSTAKES
July is Oregon Craft Beer Month and the Oregon Brewers Guild is partnering with Oregonlive.com for a unique contest to give one local beer enthusiast a complete Oregon Craft Beer Month Prize Package. The contest is officially under way and runs through Sunday, July 13th. Entry is simple, users visit the contest website at www.oregonlive.com/contests/craftbeer and fill out the entry form for a chance to win. The Oregon Craft Beer Month Prize Package is valued at more than $250 and includes:
• Two tickets to the Oregon Brewers Guild “Brewers Dinner” on Wednesday July, 23rd, 6-8:30 pm, Gov. Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland
• Two “Supporter of Native Oregon Beer” memberships for 2008/2009
• Two July is Oregon Craft Beer Month T-shirts
• Two tickets to the Brewers Brunch on Thursday, July 24th
• Two $40 gift certificates to the Oregon Brewers Festival
For complete contest details and eligibility requirements or to enter please visit www.oregonlive.com/contests/craftbeer. For more information on Oregon Craft Beer Month visit http://oregonbeer.org.
FULL SAIL BREWING CELEBRATES OREGON CRAFT BEER MONTH WITH BREWER'S SHARE LIZAMA SUMMER WEIZEN
This year Full Sail celebrates 21 years of doing what they love, brewing beer. As a continuation of their 21st birthday celebrations, Full Sail is proud to announce the next beer in their line up of small batch draft beers called "Brewer's Share." The brewery will launch their second offering, Lizama Summer Weizen, during Oregon Craft Beer Month. Lizama Summer Weizen was developed by Full Sail brewer, Greg Lizama. Full Sail invites you to "Meet the Brewer and the Beer" at their Riverplace Brewery in Portland on Tuesday, July 8th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm or at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, on Thursday July 10th from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. According to Lizama, his summer weizen is patterned after the American dunkle-weizen style, but with a Greg Lizama twist. When asked what his inspiration was for this beer Lizama replied, "I wanted to make something new that Full Sail had never brewed before and I really like wheat beers." Lizama Summer Weizen is brewed with 35% wheat malt. This smooth, drinkable wheat beer gets its color from de-bittered chocolate malt. German Hersbrucker hops give it a nice balanced bitterness and classic character. Lizama promises that each pint will be full of flavor and refreshment. He recommends serving his beer unfiltered to allow the yeast to contribute to the taste and aroma. Full Sail's Brewer's Share beers will only be available on tap at Full Sail's Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, Oregon, and at Full Sail's Brewery at Riverplace, in Portland, Oregon. (www.fullsailbrewing.com)
FIRESTONE WALKER BEERS COMING SOON TO OREGON!
Firestone Walker Brewing Company announced their first major expansion outside the state of California. The brewery is partnering with Maletis Beverage Company of Portland to bring their award winning beers to neighboring Oregon. "We've really found a passionate partner in Maletis Beverage, who we feel will be a great steward of our brand in Oregon and help us to bring our beers to arguably the most committed craft beer State in the US," said Proprietor David Walker. DBA, aka Double Barrel Ale, Firestone Walker Brewing Company's flagship, will be available beginning in July. Select accounts in the Portland area will have access to 22 ounce bottles and draft of DBA through the remainder of this year. DBA is a British Style Pale Ale partially fermented in a union of oak barrels, a traditional, mid 19th century British brewing method for Pale Ale. “We strive to make DBA as authentic a British Pale Ale as we can by employing a method used for centuries to produce some of the world's best pale ales," said Brewmaster Matt Brynildson. (www.firestonewalker.com)
MEET THE BREWER
In honor of Oregon Craft Beer Month the Green Dragon Bistro and Brewpub will have a lineup of Oregon brewers for their Tuesday night Meet the Brewer events. July 1, Alameda Brewhouse's Eric Walthen kicks things off with Ben Flerchinger from Lucky Lab following on July 8. July 15, it will be Jason McAdam from Roots with Double Mountain Brewing's Matt Swihart and Charlie Devereaux following on July 22nd. And, finally, on July 29, it's Anders Johansen of Southern Oregon Brewing. (Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub, 938 SE 9th Ave., 503-517-0660)
SPEAKING OF ORGANIC
Grand Teton Brewing Co. is a well established and award winning brewery out of Jackson Hole Wyoming that has been making great beer since 1988. They’ll soon be bringing their brews to the Portland market, including their artistically labeled Au Naturale organic blonde ale. www.grandtetonbrewing.com
ANNOUNCING WOODY’S RETURN
Deschutes Brewery proudly announces the triumphant return of its one-of-a-kind, custom dreamboat, “Woody,” the big wooden barrel. Emerging from a spring training tour through Portland, Las Vegas and the banks of Central Oregon’s Deschutes River, Woody is ready to hit the hot summer streets and quench beer lovers’ thirst for a taste of Bend. Sharing the rich and diverse Deschutes Brewery experience is the barrel’s mission, because the brewery knows it is not always possible to make the pilgrimage to the source. Woody is ready to take the world by storm...or at least one festival at a time. Woody will most likely make a stop near your hometown. Swing by, say hello and enjoy a pint with the Deschutes Brewery team. Visit www.neighborhoodhops.com for the most up-to-date schedule.
BRIDGEPORT'S NEW WEB SITE
BridgePort Brewery, Oregon’s oldest craft Brewery, is celebrating the launch of their new Web Site www.BridgePortBrew.com (going live on Thursday, June 26) and will be hosting a launch party that day starting at 5pm, free and open to the public, with give-a-ways and live music provided by Royal Houser, a classic rock group from right here in Portland. Royal House is featured on KBEER, the new online radio music scene hosted by BridgePort Brewery’s website that plays songs produced by local artists. And BridgePort challenges you to renounce your past party affiliations and all your past indiscretions associated with the mass produced beer water of the big brewers. Become a citizen of Beervana! Tour the city, listen to local Portland musical artists on KBEER, peek inside the brewpub, visit the BridgePort tattoo parlor, and more! Citizenship entitles you to a “Keep Portland Beered!” bumper sticker and the security of knowing that for as long as you enjoy BridgePort Ales, you’re enjoying the absolute best craft beer available. (BridgePort Brewery, 1313 NW Marshall, www.BridgePortBrew.com)
ROGUE WINS AGAIN
Rogue Ales' Dead Guy Ale was recently awarded a Gold medal at the World Beer Championships in Chicago. Their Morimoto Soba Ale won a Gold medal at the World Beer Cup in San Diego. Hazelnut Brown Nectar won a Gold medal at the New Zealand International Beer Competition and Imperial India Pale Ale won a Gold medal and named Supreme Champion at the competition. Imperial Red, Imperial India Pale Ale, Chocolate Stout, and Chipotle Ale won Gold medals at the Mondial de la Biére competition held in Montréal, Canada. Congratulations to the Rogue Nation. The awards keep piling up!
2008 SAGEBRUSH CLASSIC
Handcrafted Beer and Haute Cuisine Are Main Course at 2008 Sagebrush Classic
Deschutes Brewery Celebrates 20th Annual Celebrity Chef Pairing Dinner
At the Sagebrush Classic, celebrity chefs and beer are the perfect pairing. On July 18th & 19th, Deschutes Brewery celebrates the 20th Sagebrush Classic at the exclusive Broken Top Club in Bend, Oregon, with an intriguing line-up of talented chefs from around the world. This high-profile golf and dinner fundraiser has raised nearly $2 million for numerous nonprofit organizations benefiting children and families in Central Oregon.
“This is such a special weekend for many reasons. It unites chefs from all over the world who work hard preparing their specialties for our community. Plus, I have never seen another event that combines high-end contemporary cuisine with handcrafted beer,” says Deschutes Brewery Founder and President Gary Fish. “It might sound like an obvious idea in 2008 but when Sagebrush started, no one even considered beer and world-class food as a match, even world-class beer!”
The Sagebrush Classic began in 1989 and was originally designed as a golf outing and fundraiser for a few local pub customers, but over the years the Classic Feast has become the main course, attracting world famous chefs such as Mark Miller, Rick Tramonto, Jan Birnbaum, and José Andrés. The amateur best ball golf tournament on Friday, July 18th features a field of 52 foursomes battling it out for top honors in the 18-hole best ball competition on the private course at Broken Top.
The piece-de-resistance however, is the Classic Feast on Saturday, July 19th, the culinary extravaganza prepared by the star-studded lineup of 18 celebrity chefs from across the nation and around the world. This is one of the Northwest’s premier culinary events, and Central Oregon’s “Party of the Year.” More than 1,200 guests nosh on gourmet cuisine, sip handcrafted brews from Deschutes Brewery and enjoy cuisine-friendly wines. Diners dance to top entertainment under the summer sky to round out the evening.
“I love this event!” says veteran Sagebrush chef Philippe Boulot, executive chef of The Heathman Restaurant in Portland, Oregon and James Beard award winner. “Sagebrush Classic is well organized, they make it fun. It’s a great cause. The organizers treat us like royalty. It allows me to spend time directly with my customers. I can’t say enough about how much I love this party,” adds Boulot.
The list of this year’s chefs includes:
Philippe Boulot – The Heathman Restaurant (Portland)
Jody Denton – Merenda & Deep Retaurants (Bend)
Roberto Donna – Galileo & Bebo Trattoria (Washington, DC)
Tom Fleming – Central 214 (Dallas)
Ken Frank – La Toque (Napa)
Kenny Giambalvo – Bluehour (Portland)
Jennifer Jasinski – Rioja & Bistro Vendome (Denver)
Mark Kiffin – The Compound (Santa Fe)
Jackie Lau – Roy's of Hawaii (Honolulu)
Michael Mackie – Broken Top Club (Bend)
Brian Malarkey – Oceanaire Seafood Room (San Diego)
Jason McClure – Sazerac (Seattle)
Matthew Neltner – Deschutes Brewery (Bend)
Scott Neuman - ¡Oba! Restaurante (Portland)
Michael Smith – Michael Smith & Extra Virgin (Kansas City, MO)
Greg & Mary Sonnier – Gabrielle (New Orleans)
Chris Taylor – Fraser's (Perth, Australia)
For more information about sponsorship, attendance or general questions about the Sagebrush Classic, please contact Judy Anderson, the Executive Director at 800-601-8123 / 503-332-5000 or via email at sagebrushclassic@comcast.net. Additional information can be found on the website at www.sagebrush.org
LOCAL BEVERAGE DISTRIBUTORS TO MERGE
Columbia Distributing Co. and Mt. Hood Beverage Co., both based in Portland, and Medford-based Gold River Distributing have announced plans to merge and form a new distributorship which will be named CoHo Distributing. The plan is to merge the companies' Oregon and Washington beer and nonalcoholic beverage distribution businesses, following their respective suppliers approval. Final completion of the merger is not expected until Fall 2008. The merger will not include their wine distribution businesses. Operating out of consolidated facilities in Seattle, Everett, Portland, Eugene, Medford and Bend, the new company's headquarters will be based in Portland. Effective January 2009, the Mt. Hood Beverage operations in Yakima and Kennewick in Washington will be included in the merged company. Annual sales are expected to be more than 35 million cases of beer and nonalcoholic beverages.
CASCADE BREWERIANA WEBSITE
The Cascade Breweriana Club has launched its new website, www.cascadebeer.com, which is a great place to learn a bit more about Breweriana, or more specifically, the hobby of collecting old beer memorabilia. Be sure to check out the site and learn a bit more about the history of brewing through artifacts collected through the years. Also, the club hosts about 10-15 events a year so what a great way to socialize!
DESCHUTES 20th ANNIVERSARY
Congratulations to Deschutes Brewery as they celebrate 20 years of craft brewing. To honor the event this June, enjoy the release of two very special commemorative seasonal beers, Black Butte XX and the 20th Anniversary Wit, two seasonal beers that acknowledge both the brewery’s roots and its continuing innovation in the world of high quality craft brewing. Black Butte XX is a tribute to Black Butte Porter, the revolutionary Deschutes Brewery beer that has excited beer enthusiasts since its release in 1988 while the 20th Anniversary Wit is the newest addition to the Deschutes Brewery’s summer Bond Street Series and offers yet another refreshing, hot weather quencher to complement Twilight Ale. This unique Belgian-style wheat beer was brewed with zested Curacao orange peel and just enough spices to keep your taste buds guessing. www.deschutesbrewery.com.
PRODIGAL SUN IPA COMING THIS JUNE
Once again the Full Sail heart of summer Brewmaster Reserve beer features an IPA brewed in the aggressive style. Amarillo and Brewer's Gold hops pack this beer with a strong hop flavor and bitterness. Pale, Caramel, Honey and Munich malt give this beer a solid malt character. Chase it down while you can. Prodigal Sun IPA will be available June to September in 22oz bottles and on draught in limited quantities. ABV: 6.2% IBU: 80. www.fullsailbrewing.com.