Events, Annotated

The hydrant-flow of events gushes on. With a few comments, a few of note.

1. Kriek Kamp, July 13-15
A huge amount of what goes into a bottle of beer is hidden to the average drinker (and blogger, actually). Double Mountain's Kriek Kamp cracks open the door and lets you see inside a bit. It's a three-day immersion into brewing, using the extraordinary DM Kriek as an access point. On Wednesday, there's a seminar on krieks and a vertical tasting with brewmaster Matt Swihart. I'm guessing this covers the finer points of style and method, and the vertical tasting will be used to illustrate what happens in the glass. Thursday is a sensory training--invaluable for associating flavors and aromas with chemical compounds--a cherry-picking party at Matt's orchard in Odell with bonus tour of nearby Logsdon Farmhouse Ale brewery, and barbecue. Finally, on Friday, you see the annual cherry crush for use in the 2012 vintage Kriek. It's $150, which includes everything but overnight accommodations--a deal, given how much a person stands to learn. Call 541-387-0042 to reserve a space--there's just 20 total.

Comment: I'm planning to attend, though whether this makes you more or less likely to join the party is best left secret.

2. Hopworks BikeBar opens on Williams
Hopworks becomes the fifth Portland brewpub to open at least a second location with the arrival of BikeBar at 3947 N. Williams Ave. Nearby is Lompoc's Fifth Quadrant, the third outpost in that brewpub's mini-chain, and down the road is EAT Oyster Bar, one of my fave places in the city.

Comment: there was a big blowout yesterday, when the place opened. Sorry.

3. Organic Brewers Fest, June 24-26
The once-Roots-sponsored fest, now in its 7th incarnation, snuck up on me. I wasn't even sure it was going to happen, but it will, as usual in Overlook Park. The beers look pretty decent.

Comment: is Craig Nicholls running it? If not, who?