And now, to complete the great month of beer here in Oregon, a final post on the OBF, with odds and ends that haven't made it into the first 79 posts about the OBF. And then I'll stop. Promise.
Faves
The beers I heard most about on my visit (Friday) were Green Flash and Standing Stone, two wonderfully balanced, albeit aggressive NW IPAs. I had the Green Flash a little late in the day, and it was very nice; however, I suspect that big beers stand out in people's mind because they blast through murky palates.
I have been monitoring the Brew Crew listserv (the local homebrew club that is behind so many of the good-beer events, including the OBF), and the Flying Fish bourbon dubbel and Golden Valley Quercus seemed to excite the most interest. Pliny the Elder, Racer X, Rawkin' Bock, Butte Creek Pils, and Hopworks IPA also got mentions.
Around the 'sphere, the big winner was definitely the Golden Valey Quercus, cited by Jon, Ghost Dog, and Dave. Prometheus IPA, which I also gave high marks, was favorited by Suds Sister and Dave. Other faves were distributed evenly, with one vote each for Flying Fish (Jon), Diamond Knot Industrial IPA (Lisa), Green Flash (Lisa), and Rawkin Bock (Suds Sister). The Quercus was definitely a winner for me, as was Standing Stone and Green Flash. Pliny, in a category by itself, must also be mentioned.
Update: Beau at Die Klutzbrauerei puts in a nod for Pliny and DK Industrial (bumping it up to two). He also like the Monkey House, which I have failed to mention--it was really nice for a McMenamins. And he also joins in on the raspberry for Widmer.
[Available blog reviews: Jon at the Brew Site. Ghost Dog at Gone Ronin. Lisa at SudsPundit. Suds Sister at Portland Food and Drink. Dave at Champagne of Blogs.]
No Thanks
Give Widmer credit, they tried something interesting. Unfortunately, they get credit only for trying: to Noggin Grog, their imperial wit, I award the year's raspberry.
Woooooo!
First primal scream on Friday afternoon: 1.24pm.
Mugs
Portland is regularly identified as one of the greenest cities in the country, and brewing is one of the greenest industries. So why, then, does the OBF not only insist on using unrecyclable plastic mugs, but also that they only ever be used at one fest? A Brew Crewer suggested that you buy a mug and then get issued a sticker to put on it every year. You pay either four bucks for a sticker or a mug, but you keep the mug out of landfills by stowing it in your cupboard until the next year. (After all, we already recycle the tokens.)
What we noticed was a cottage industry in re-selling the mugs. Two hippy-ish kids with dredlocks were approaching people (including us) all day long on Friday with $3 castoffs. Of course, the sales pitch included a white lie about re-selling their own mugs--but they were clearly scavenged from just outside the Fest, where piles were gathering like empties at a cookout. And why not? For every mug the kids re-sold, there was one mug that didn't end up in the landfill. (Sanitation is another matter...)
On the way out of the Fest at about 8pm on Friday, I held up my mug and a festgoer on the way in snatched it out of my hand within seconds. My own brand of recycling.
Time to come into the 21st Century, Art--let's quit using the plastic.
Colored Mugs
Another controversy this year were cold-sensitive mugs that turned blue. A friend I was with was instantly fascinated, and we went on a trek to discover what the hell this blue beer was. Needless to say, when our journey ended at the mug sale booth, not a tap, he was incensed. Most beer geeks were, as it happened. I was neutral. Who knows, maybe they'll make their way into someone's child's hands rather than the landfill.
But overall, the platique must go!
Done
Only 360 days til' the next OBF. . .
Monday, July 30, 2007
OBF Cost Changes
I recall that when I first started going to the OBF back in the early eighties, it seemed damn expensive. I was a young post-college kid, but still, it was more expensive than a pint at a pub (which was by turns more expensive than a half rack of Rainier pounders), which meant it was a specialty event.
But I noticed this year that I spent less on beer than I did on food. Admittedly, this is because I got an eight-token boost by virtue of my much-mocked media credentials, but let's say you cruise in with a 20-spot and you get a mug of beer for four, eleven tickets for beer, and save five bucks for something to eat later. Those eleven bucks would have purchased you about four bottles of beer* Given that you had to go our of your way to find a beer below 6% abv, you would have walked out in a pretty happy mood on those four bottles, spent a few hours by the river drinking beer and had lunch--all for $20. Not bad.
If the price of tokens had increased with inflation, you'd have spent $18.80 in tokens alone. (A dollar then is now worth $1.71.) Prices will probably go up at some point, but the fest was actually a pretty good value. At the International Beer Fest, by comparison, you probably would have spent more than twice as much for 11 pours (a single pour ranged from $1 to $4).
Just a random observation...
______________
Were those 3-ounce pours or four? I split the difference in my calculation.
But I noticed this year that I spent less on beer than I did on food. Admittedly, this is because I got an eight-token boost by virtue of my much-mocked media credentials, but let's say you cruise in with a 20-spot and you get a mug of beer for four, eleven tickets for beer, and save five bucks for something to eat later. Those eleven bucks would have purchased you about four bottles of beer* Given that you had to go our of your way to find a beer below 6% abv, you would have walked out in a pretty happy mood on those four bottles, spent a few hours by the river drinking beer and had lunch--all for $20. Not bad.
If the price of tokens had increased with inflation, you'd have spent $18.80 in tokens alone. (A dollar then is now worth $1.71.) Prices will probably go up at some point, but the fest was actually a pretty good value. At the International Beer Fest, by comparison, you probably would have spent more than twice as much for 11 pours (a single pour ranged from $1 to $4).
Just a random observation...
______________
Were those 3-ounce pours or four? I split the difference in my calculation.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Notes on OBF Coverage
I plan to get a post up tomorrow about the OBF reax from around the blogosphere. Things are really starting to hop blogwise, and there's an impressive array of posts commenting on the fest. Won't happen until the afternoon, though.
Also, just a question: was this the best OBF you recall? That's really my impression, but maybe I've gone soft in the head. Even the beers that didn't quite work were impressive failures (the imperial wits, for example). It seems like breweries are finally starting to get that this is a fest to showcase their mad brewing skills, not a marketing opportunity for their latest half-assed commercial endeavor (Mac's and BridgePort take notice).
Anyway, more tomorrow. . .
Also, just a question: was this the best OBF you recall? That's really my impression, but maybe I've gone soft in the head. Even the beers that didn't quite work were impressive failures (the imperial wits, for example). It seems like breweries are finally starting to get that this is a fest to showcase their mad brewing skills, not a marketing opportunity for their latest half-assed commercial endeavor (Mac's and BridgePort take notice).
Anyway, more tomorrow. . .
Saturday, July 28, 2007
OBF Hot Tips
If you're waffling about whether to brave the crowds to go to this year's fest, waffle while you quaff: this is the best OBF I can remember. The beers are uniformly good and there's a fair number that are fantastic. I'll update my earlier report with a few more observations from yesterday.
Four to Try
Green Flash IPA (hopolicious)
Fifty Fifty Donner Party IPA (silky and rich)
Old Market Midsummers White (exceptional Belgian wit)
Elysian Prometheus IPA (I don't remember this beer exactly, save that it impressed me)
A Couple to Skip
The Bison Chocolate Stout was thin and astringent, the Stone Vertical Epic was cloying and unnuanced (it was an imperial wit, which I think is a style we should relegate to the dustbin), and BJ's C'est Bon Blonde which although not bad, was not great, either (bon?--c'est médiocre).
I had hoped to run a series of beerlebrities on phone cam, but somehow the regulars I often see (which in the past has included Charlie Papazian, Fred Bowman, John Harris, Art Larrance, Alan Sprints, David Zuckerman, and so on) were absent or cleverly avoiding my prying eyes. But I did manage one, the estimable Fred Eckhardt:
If you have still not headed down, don't miss it: go!
Four to Try
Green Flash IPA (hopolicious)
Fifty Fifty Donner Party IPA (silky and rich)
Old Market Midsummers White (exceptional Belgian wit)
Elysian Prometheus IPA (I don't remember this beer exactly, save that it impressed me)
A Couple to Skip
The Bison Chocolate Stout was thin and astringent, the Stone Vertical Epic was cloying and unnuanced (it was an imperial wit, which I think is a style we should relegate to the dustbin), and BJ's C'est Bon Blonde which although not bad, was not great, either (bon?--c'est médiocre).
I had hoped to run a series of beerlebrities on phone cam, but somehow the regulars I often see (which in the past has included Charlie Papazian, Fred Bowman, John Harris, Art Larrance, Alan Sprints, David Zuckerman, and so on) were absent or cleverly avoiding my prying eyes. But I did manage one, the estimable Fred Eckhardt:
If you have still not headed down, don't miss it: go!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
OBF - Early Reviews.
I was cordially invited to the media tour at the OBF today, and I must say there was a paucity of bloggers. In fact, except for the Mercury folks (young, attractive) and Gary Corbin (not young, attractive), I was all alone. Some of the writers from bigger publications even gave me the snub.* Actually, while I'm thinking about it, follow this second footnote, wouldja?**
(Foyston, bless his heart, already has text and photos from the event.)
But anyway, I digress. To the beers!
Laurelwood PNW Pils. Strangely, Noel Blake, who was leading the media tour, and whose beer can actually be tasted at the festival (he was the author of Collaborator Rawkin' Bock), started us out with three huge hoppy ales, shattering our palates. And he knows better. This beer, which hopheads will love, was actually not pilsnery enough for me. Too sweet and fuzzy on the tongue.
Hopworks Urban Brewery. This is not the beer they had at the Organic Beer Fest. It's much more balanced, less tannic, and quite tasty. Creamy, slightly candyish malt and peppery hopping. Nice!
Standing Stone IPA. Billed as 95 IBUs, but not remotely that hoppy. Instead, a very nicely balanced IPA. My notes were already degrading at this point, and what I have to offer you is this: "Best so far."
Flying Fish Bourbon Barrel Double. Finally Noel ratcheted back off the hops. As I hoped, this malty, dark-fruit dubbel was the perfect beer to age in a bourbon cask--it pulled out the vanilla notes and produced a winey, rich ale.
Trumer Pils. Wonderfully fresh and refreshing, though not particularly hoppy. The kind of beer most festgoers will miss, but worth an (early!) taster. ["fresh and refreshing" is the kind of write-up readers must suffer through when a blogger returns from a beer fest an immediately writes up his notes. -editor.]
Rawkin' Bock. This was Noel's homebrew recipe, translated to Widmer-scale brewing. What resulted was a slightly overhopped (and therefore very pleasing) bock of 36 IBUs; it's darker and roastier than the deep Mai Bock Noel envisioned. Sadly, there are only four kegs of it, and if you don't get down there tonight, it'll probably blow.
Later. At this point, I was enjoying the company and my notes ceased. (At one point, freelancers heard a publisher say she was paying a buck a word, and we went into a frenzy. It wasn't true, but bouyed by the frenzy, things turned social.) I tried the Golden Valley Quercus, and thought it very nice. The wine comes out in a rich, sweet note, softening but at the same time acidifying the beer. Definitely a must-try.
That's my main info. I should also mention that I met the publisher/editor and art director of a new Portland-based beer mag that will debut in October. It's called Beer Northwest, and Megan and Annalou assure me it will kick ass. I, in turn, assured them that I would send all my vast traffic to their website (which is, admittedly, a bit skimpy just now--their website, not my traffic, though it too is skimpy). So go give them a hit, and look for more info--I'll link through when they're up and running.
__________________
*A lie. John Foyston is really cool. In fact, he said that comments really matter to the Oregonian, so go comment and keep him blogging.
**Back when I started writing for Willamette Week, I was aware of this grave rivalry between WW and the Oregonian. But there was never any between John and me, nor any other beer writer I've encountered. Writing about beer, which is of far lower status than actually brewing it, creates the foundation for a kind of brotherhood. So cheers to all us failed professional brewers.
(Foyston, bless his heart, already has text and photos from the event.)
But anyway, I digress. To the beers!
Laurelwood PNW Pils. Strangely, Noel Blake, who was leading the media tour, and whose beer can actually be tasted at the festival (he was the author of Collaborator Rawkin' Bock), started us out with three huge hoppy ales, shattering our palates. And he knows better. This beer, which hopheads will love, was actually not pilsnery enough for me. Too sweet and fuzzy on the tongue.
Hopworks Urban Brewery. This is not the beer they had at the Organic Beer Fest. It's much more balanced, less tannic, and quite tasty. Creamy, slightly candyish malt and peppery hopping. Nice!
Standing Stone IPA. Billed as 95 IBUs, but not remotely that hoppy. Instead, a very nicely balanced IPA. My notes were already degrading at this point, and what I have to offer you is this: "Best so far."
Flying Fish Bourbon Barrel Double. Finally Noel ratcheted back off the hops. As I hoped, this malty, dark-fruit dubbel was the perfect beer to age in a bourbon cask--it pulled out the vanilla notes and produced a winey, rich ale.
Trumer Pils. Wonderfully fresh and refreshing, though not particularly hoppy. The kind of beer most festgoers will miss, but worth an (early!) taster. ["fresh and refreshing" is the kind of write-up readers must suffer through when a blogger returns from a beer fest an immediately writes up his notes. -editor.]
Rawkin' Bock. This was Noel's homebrew recipe, translated to Widmer-scale brewing. What resulted was a slightly overhopped (and therefore very pleasing) bock of 36 IBUs; it's darker and roastier than the deep Mai Bock Noel envisioned. Sadly, there are only four kegs of it, and if you don't get down there tonight, it'll probably blow.
Later. At this point, I was enjoying the company and my notes ceased. (At one point, freelancers heard a publisher say she was paying a buck a word, and we went into a frenzy. It wasn't true, but bouyed by the frenzy, things turned social.) I tried the Golden Valley Quercus, and thought it very nice. The wine comes out in a rich, sweet note, softening but at the same time acidifying the beer. Definitely a must-try.
That's my main info. I should also mention that I met the publisher/editor and art director of a new Portland-based beer mag that will debut in October. It's called Beer Northwest, and Megan and Annalou assure me it will kick ass. I, in turn, assured them that I would send all my vast traffic to their website (which is, admittedly, a bit skimpy just now--their website, not my traffic, though it too is skimpy). So go give them a hit, and look for more info--I'll link through when they're up and running.
__________________
*A lie. John Foyston is really cool. In fact, he said that comments really matter to the Oregonian, so go comment and keep him blogging.
**Back when I started writing for Willamette Week, I was aware of this grave rivalry between WW and the Oregonian. But there was never any between John and me, nor any other beer writer I've encountered. Writing about beer, which is of far lower status than actually brewing it, creates the foundation for a kind of brotherhood. So cheers to all us failed professional brewers.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
OBF - Around the Blogosphere
You may wish to consult other beersters for tips and advice. Many of them are offering it. I notice these fine pieces:
- Metroblogging has Ten Easy Steps to Enjoying the OBF. (Best tip: "Don't linger in the beer line - seriously - there is a huge amount of space in the area - it's not that hard to get back in line once your cup is finished. Don't crowd the lines while you're standing around drinking and socializing." Indeed--get outta my way!)
- Jon at The Brew Site gives you a very detailed "what to take" list (But wet wipes? Isn't that what the grass is for?) He also gives you his beer picks.
- Suds Sister has a guide to the Fest that rivals mine in length (which means I approve). She tapped the estimable Noel Blake for tips, and he offered this nice one, about Diamond Knot IPA, "They put Columbus hops *in the keg.*" Good enough for me.)
- There's a beer blogger meetup at Belmont Station from 3-5pm on Sunday when "most of the OBF taps should be dry, anyway."
- And finally, PDX Beer Blog has its picks. (All four of the preview sites agree: Flying Fish is a must try!) And despite its un-PC nature, I feel compelled to quote this passage in toto: "Horny dude alert: the best place to chill is near the taps for 21st Amendment Watermelon Wheat, Kona passion fruit wheat, and Raccoon Lodge Raspbery Wheat." So true. However, if you want to find the discerning women, skip over to the Pliny tap. It will separate the girls from the women.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Oregon Brewers Festival 2007 - Preview
I have, several times in the past, given general a preview info about the OBF. If you've never been to it, look here for tips about how to approach the event. I will devote this post to the beers, of which I think there are 27 (literally) about which you ought to be aware. That's better than 72 (and also palindromic, which is somehow pleasing), but you're still going to have to exercise some discretion. For ease of use, I have divided the guide into three categories: Ones to Watch (the beers I'm most interested in), Old Reliables (beers that won't let you down), and New Arrivals (breweries new to the Fest).
Incidentally, I will have a 90-minute opportunity to sample beers on Thursday afternoon. I'll have a tip sheet based on my experiences up by Thursday evening. All right, onto the beers...
Ones to Watch
When I go to the Brewers Fest, I have a strong orientation to the new and/or exotic. This isn't everyone's situation. Some folks will never have tried Pliny the Elder (surely one of the best beers made in America), Terminal Gravity Tripel, or North Coast PranQster, and they should definitely have a taster. But in many cases, this will be my only chance to try, say, Stone Vertical Epic. So with that in mind, here are ten beers I will absolutely not miss:
Old Reliables
It's likely that a few of the above beers will be duds ([cough] Passionfruit Wheat [cough]). When I get into a run of bad experiments, I turn to the old reliables to save me. Here's a short list I'll keep handy:
Finally, let's welcome the newbies. These are breweries that haven't appeared at the OBF before. A surprising number of them have just recently opened--evidence of the robust craft beer market. For many of us, this will be the first opportunity to sample these new offerings.
Stay hydrated, cool, and happy. And look for the balding, skinny guy with a patchy graying beard if you want to say howdy. Cheers!
Incidentally, I will have a 90-minute opportunity to sample beers on Thursday afternoon. I'll have a tip sheet based on my experiences up by Thursday evening. All right, onto the beers...
Ones to Watch
When I go to the Brewers Fest, I have a strong orientation to the new and/or exotic. This isn't everyone's situation. Some folks will never have tried Pliny the Elder (surely one of the best beers made in America), Terminal Gravity Tripel, or North Coast PranQster, and they should definitely have a taster. But in many cases, this will be my only chance to try, say, Stone Vertical Epic. So with that in mind, here are ten beers I will absolutely not miss:
- BJ's C'est Bon Blonde. BJ's has developed a minor specialty in Belgian-style ales, and it will be interesting to see what they have whipped up for the Fest.
- Brewery Ommegang, Hennepin. Okay, I actually know exactly what this beer tastes like--it's an amazing Saison, the only version that is in the same ballpark with Dupont. A world-class beer that I can't recommend more highly.
- Flying Fish Bourbon Barrel Abbey Double. This New Jersey brewery regularly brews an abbey ale, but this batch has been specially aged in bourbon barrels. Bourbon doesn't always make the beer, but it should be an interesting experiment with a dubbel.
- Golden Valley Quercus. Golden Valley started out as a winery, so things come full circle here: they've aged this ESB in a pinot barrel. A wonderful inspiration.
- Klamath Basin Golden. Normally I wouldn't elevate a lowly golden ale to my must-try list, but this little brewpub from Klamath Falls knocked my socks off at last December's Holiday Ale Fest. They earned my interest, and so I'll be trying this offering.
- Fax's Fanno Creek Farmer's Daughter. Max's is the new brewpub in Tualatin, run by brewer Max Tieger. It's gotten some buzz, so I'm interested to see what they can do.
- McMenamins Monkey House. Each year, the McMenamins host their own in-house brewing competition, and this year's winner got to go to the OBF. It comes from Chris Haslett at the Fulton Pub, an IPA he called No Mas Lento in the competition.
- Rogue Imperial Porter. A monster that was nevertheless designed as a "summer porter," it features orangey Summit hops and has an OG of 18.7 (Shakespeare Stout's is 15). Yow!
- Stone Vertical Epic. The Arrogant Bastards do this very cool thing. Each year, they release a version of Epic Ale to be tasted in a "vertical tasting" in 2012. This year's was released on 7/7/07 and you'll be able to try it here. Dunno what kind of beer it is, but I expect it to be big, aggressive, and green.
- Widmer Noggin Grog. Each year, the Widmer Brothers brew a beer especially for the OBF, and it is always interesting. Noggin Grog is described as an Imperial Wit, which is apparently all the rage in the brewing world.
Old Reliables
It's likely that a few of the above beers will be duds ([cough] Passionfruit Wheat [cough]). When I get into a run of bad experiments, I turn to the old reliables to save me. Here's a short list I'll keep handy:
- Bear Republic Racer X. A big fan favorite: 9% abv, massive hopping--what's not to like? (Don't drink it first, though!)
- Fearless Scottish Ale. Fearless probably brews other beers, but I don't know 'em. This is what they're known for: a malty, creamy beer that everyone loves. (It's not a hoppy palate-wrecker, either.)
- Celis White. After Pierre Celis packed up and went back to Belgium, Miller sold off his equipment and ultimately the recipes to Michigan Brewing. And so the beer that introduced America to Belgian wits ("white") is back. If you like whites, you have to like Celis.
- Russian River Pliny the Elder. Oh joy! Liquid strength, liquid hops. The best strong ale in America.
- Sprecher Mai Bock. This is how they brew in Wisconsin--the German way. Try Mai Bock early and appreciate its subtlety (otherwise don't try it at all)--and see if you can identify the dry-hopping.
Finally, let's welcome the newbies. These are breweries that haven't appeared at the OBF before. A surprising number of them have just recently opened--evidence of the robust craft beer market. For many of us, this will be the first opportunity to sample these new offerings.
- Fifty Fifty Brewing, from Truckee, CA, near Reno, opened in May and is just down the road from Donner Lake. If that reference seems familiar, maybe the beer will remind you why: Donner Party Porter, a hefty 6.7% ale that sounds more like a stout. Let us hope the brewery's luck is better than the Donner Party's.
- Hopworks Urban Brewery is Christian Ettinger's new place, and it's still not open. But the beer is flowing, and this IPA will please people who loved his hoppy Laurelwood beers.
- Klamath Basin Brewing actually opened in 2005, but that qualifies as "new" for those of us in Portland. (See above for more.)
- Max's Fanno Creek also opened in May, in Tualatin. (See above for more.)
Stay hydrated, cool, and happy. And look for the balding, skinny guy with a patchy graying beard if you want to say howdy. Cheers!
Monday, July 23, 2007
Oregon's Smallest Brewery?
I was in Corvallis on Friday and for the first time visited the Oregon Trail brewery. Or anyway took a gander at it from the Old World Deli. 
It occupies the space of a large closet (admittedly a tall one--rising two [three?] stories above its tiny footprint) in the corner of the sprawling restaurant.
The beer, though, was tasty. I had a pint of brown ale, which was a little stronger and a little hoppier than most styles you find--it was hearty and creamy and most satisfying. My friend had an IPA which I deemed delightful and in balance, but which he, after two-thrids of a pint, described as overly hoppy. I'll have to go back for another pint and do my own research.
They have several taps (five or six Oregon Trail beers were pouring) and the price is right. I was shocked to see that they have two-dollar happy hours, and I think my shaker pint was about $3.75. It's in downtown Corvallis, so stop in the next time you're passing through:
It occupies the space of a large closet (admittedly a tall one--rising two [three?] stories above its tiny footprint) in the corner of the sprawling restaurant.The beer, though, was tasty. I had a pint of brown ale, which was a little stronger and a little hoppier than most styles you find--it was hearty and creamy and most satisfying. My friend had an IPA which I deemed delightful and in balance, but which he, after two-thrids of a pint, described as overly hoppy. I'll have to go back for another pint and do my own research.
They have several taps (five or six Oregon Trail beers were pouring) and the price is right. I was shocked to see that they have two-dollar happy hours, and I think my shaker pint was about $3.75. It's in downtown Corvallis, so stop in the next time you're passing through:
341 SW 2nd Street, Corvallis (inside the Old World Deli)Try the brown!
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Banish All Ratings!
So says Joe Sixpack, via Appellation Beer:
A wee bit harsh, but overall, good analysis. Ratings are tough. I really dislike RateBeer and the Beer Advocate's rating system, and wondered if I should have them at all. I do, but uneasily.
FURTHER EVIDENCE of the dumbing down of America is now on display on the necks of Pilsner Urquell. The bottles are adorned with a big "93," its most recent score from Chicago's Beverage Testing Institute....
But who needs a score to choose a beer?I dunno - someone who wants to impress his friends, maybe, but doesn't have a clue about style, flavor or quality? Who is so filled with self-doubt, he can't spend a few lousy bucks without an expert holding his hand? Whose vocabulary is so limited he needs a number to describe what's in his glass?
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Beerveza?
I stumbled across an ad last night for the newest in a long string of half-assed industrial beers aimed squarely at the 21-year-old set: Miller Chill. (Which is charitable; many high school parties will no doubt feature half racks of Chill.) It follows in the long line of alcohol products for people who don't like beer--wine coolers, alcopops, Zima, etc. Although the non-malt beer substitutes irritate me, not so much as when a venerable old brewery like Miller succumbs to a purely commercial faux beer like Chill. Witness the new ad:
Ad copy:Uggh. What an embarrassment.
Introducing and unexpected new twist on cerveza: Miller Chill, the refreshing light beer brewed with a hint of lime and salt. Inspired by a Mexican recipe. It's beerveza, brewed for a new level of refreshment.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
PIB 2007 Wrap-up
I will begin this post with a confession: I had intended to go back to the fest on Sunday and didn't make it. That means no video and a smallish sampling of beers for review. By my notes, I tried 13 on Friday, which amounts to a little more than 10% of the total available, and I had saved at least a half dozen in my mind to try on Sunday. So obviously, what follows is a wee smattering of all the beers on offer.
That disclaimer out of the way, here are those I did try, with my notes.
Haand Bryggeri Dark Force - A stout in the American style--thick and chalky, robust. Not intensely nuanced, but roasty and nice. [B-]
iQhilika African Birds Eye Chili Mead - Wild sensation. The base drink is a standard dry mead. As you swirl it around your mouth, you get almost none of the chili--it's just a pleasant, sweetish note. But then as the liquid starts going down the hatch, it really heats up, and the finish is all pepper. [B+]
Coniston Bluebird Bitter - Wonderful recipe, taking advantage of such few ingredients (the guide says it's a 3.5% ale). Creamy palate, mild biscuity sweetness, earthy hopping. Yeast has a characteristically English quality. [A]
De Proef Saison Imperiale - Saisons are one of the hardest styles to brew, and De Proef proves the point, delivering a treacly ale that seems more tripel than farmhouse. Creamy and fruity rather than crisp and dry. [C]
Bink Bloesem - Another abbey-style ale but without complexity. Flat palate, musty, and thin, despite the alcohol. A dud. [C-]
Pinkus Altbier - Switching gears to a nice, subtle beer. Very crisp and dry, but somehow richer than the sum of the parts would indicate. An excellent warm-weather beer. [B]
Oudbeitje - [notes as written, with added comments to follow] "Tart but not complex. Okay, as I drink it, it is--but more subtly than I first appreciated. Smoky notes, some mustiness. Very earthy. Strawberry nearly absent, but like old strawberries, decomposing almost. Sally arrives, notes 'Smells like compost!'" This beer delighted no one but me, and it did delight me, more and more as I drank it. Unlike anything I've tried--so organic tasting that it was one step beyond. But I like it out there in the ultrafunky Belgian wilderness. [A]
Rodenbach Grand Cru - People were giving me such a hard time about the Oudbeitje that I decided to get a Rodenbach to show that I knew good beer. This beer was bought out by Palm in 1998, and everyone has feared the worst. Grand Cru is aged in great oak tuns at the brewery which are decades old and contribute the unique character to the beer--perhaps my favorite in the world. Palm's intention to "modernize" the brewery had caused panic. When the brewery reintroduced Grand Cru a year ago, I have to admit I was too scared to try it. But I plucked up my courage and went for a pour. The result? Magnificent. If you've never had a Sour Flanders Red, it's difficult to describe the experience. They are sweet and sour simultaneously, but deep and resonant of palate. In my notes, I wrote "just the same." Go buy a bottle if you haven't tried it before. [A]
Monchshof Schwartzbier - Faintly chocolaty, wet, not particularly distinctive. I would like it drier, and with a crisper malt palate. Not so hot. [C]
Spezial Rauchbier - This was actually Sally's beer, and she was nonplussed. I, however, thought it was quite nice. Perfumed with a very light, subtle smokiness. Roasty and malt-forward, with smoke lingering at the edge of perception, but a light, crisp, summery beer. Strikes me as a great example of German brewing. This beer is the oldest rauchbier still made (1536), in Bamberg, where the style was born. [B+]
Haand Bryggeri Norwegian Wood - Billed as "moonshine," this is actually a traditional brewing style from Norway, with a recipe dating back to a time when all the beer was essentially homebrew. Malt is kilned by fire, and juniper berries are used in place of hops as seasoning. I didn't know this at the time, but my notes bear out the recipe: "Smoky like a rauch, slightly viscous in a way that suggests other grains might be used in the mash. Sweet, hearty brown ale." If you ever see a bottle, buy it for the experience. [B]
HW Lees Harvest Legavulin - I somehow missed that this beer, at 11.5% alcohol, only had 25 IBUs. Hoy! It was like a beer reduction, syrupy sweet and undrinkable. Sadly, none of the Scotch aging came through, except--possibly--in the nose. Or maybe I was just trying to give it some credit. [D-]
De Ranke Kriek - I actually went with four bucks over to the ticket counter for the Lees Harvest debacle, and realized I couldn't go out on such a beer. So back I went to buy three more tickets for an always-reliable kriek. This isn't my favorite example, but it is intense. The sourness shoots it into some kind of physics-bending dryness. The mouth puckers involuntarily. Cherry is mild, and there's a cellary-musty quality which inclines me to think it's been aged a bit. I picked up a hint of salt, which was unexpected but not altogether unwelcome. [B]
Thems the notes. Sorry there aren't more. Ah well, there's always next year!
That disclaimer out of the way, here are those I did try, with my notes.
Haand Bryggeri Dark Force - A stout in the American style--thick and chalky, robust. Not intensely nuanced, but roasty and nice. [B-]
iQhilika African Birds Eye Chili Mead - Wild sensation. The base drink is a standard dry mead. As you swirl it around your mouth, you get almost none of the chili--it's just a pleasant, sweetish note. But then as the liquid starts going down the hatch, it really heats up, and the finish is all pepper. [B+]
Coniston Bluebird Bitter - Wonderful recipe, taking advantage of such few ingredients (the guide says it's a 3.5% ale). Creamy palate, mild biscuity sweetness, earthy hopping. Yeast has a characteristically English quality. [A]
De Proef Saison Imperiale - Saisons are one of the hardest styles to brew, and De Proef proves the point, delivering a treacly ale that seems more tripel than farmhouse. Creamy and fruity rather than crisp and dry. [C]
Bink Bloesem - Another abbey-style ale but without complexity. Flat palate, musty, and thin, despite the alcohol. A dud. [C-]
Pinkus Altbier - Switching gears to a nice, subtle beer. Very crisp and dry, but somehow richer than the sum of the parts would indicate. An excellent warm-weather beer. [B]
Oudbeitje - [notes as written, with added comments to follow] "Tart but not complex. Okay, as I drink it, it is--but more subtly than I first appreciated. Smoky notes, some mustiness. Very earthy. Strawberry nearly absent, but like old strawberries, decomposing almost. Sally arrives, notes 'Smells like compost!'" This beer delighted no one but me, and it did delight me, more and more as I drank it. Unlike anything I've tried--so organic tasting that it was one step beyond. But I like it out there in the ultrafunky Belgian wilderness. [A]
Rodenbach Grand Cru - People were giving me such a hard time about the Oudbeitje that I decided to get a Rodenbach to show that I knew good beer. This beer was bought out by Palm in 1998, and everyone has feared the worst. Grand Cru is aged in great oak tuns at the brewery which are decades old and contribute the unique character to the beer--perhaps my favorite in the world. Palm's intention to "modernize" the brewery had caused panic. When the brewery reintroduced Grand Cru a year ago, I have to admit I was too scared to try it. But I plucked up my courage and went for a pour. The result? Magnificent. If you've never had a Sour Flanders Red, it's difficult to describe the experience. They are sweet and sour simultaneously, but deep and resonant of palate. In my notes, I wrote "just the same." Go buy a bottle if you haven't tried it before. [A]
Monchshof Schwartzbier - Faintly chocolaty, wet, not particularly distinctive. I would like it drier, and with a crisper malt palate. Not so hot. [C]
Spezial Rauchbier - This was actually Sally's beer, and she was nonplussed. I, however, thought it was quite nice. Perfumed with a very light, subtle smokiness. Roasty and malt-forward, with smoke lingering at the edge of perception, but a light, crisp, summery beer. Strikes me as a great example of German brewing. This beer is the oldest rauchbier still made (1536), in Bamberg, where the style was born. [B+]
Haand Bryggeri Norwegian Wood - Billed as "moonshine," this is actually a traditional brewing style from Norway, with a recipe dating back to a time when all the beer was essentially homebrew. Malt is kilned by fire, and juniper berries are used in place of hops as seasoning. I didn't know this at the time, but my notes bear out the recipe: "Smoky like a rauch, slightly viscous in a way that suggests other grains might be used in the mash. Sweet, hearty brown ale." If you ever see a bottle, buy it for the experience. [B]
HW Lees Harvest Legavulin - I somehow missed that this beer, at 11.5% alcohol, only had 25 IBUs. Hoy! It was like a beer reduction, syrupy sweet and undrinkable. Sadly, none of the Scotch aging came through, except--possibly--in the nose. Or maybe I was just trying to give it some credit. [D-]
De Ranke Kriek - I actually went with four bucks over to the ticket counter for the Lees Harvest debacle, and realized I couldn't go out on such a beer. So back I went to buy three more tickets for an always-reliable kriek. This isn't my favorite example, but it is intense. The sourness shoots it into some kind of physics-bending dryness. The mouth puckers involuntarily. Cherry is mild, and there's a cellary-musty quality which inclines me to think it's been aged a bit. I picked up a hint of salt, which was unexpected but not altogether unwelcome. [B]
Thems the notes. Sorry there aren't more. Ah well, there's always next year!
OBF Stats
The PIB is done (final review later today), which means we're inside of two weeks to the Oregon Brewers Festival. Having had my first real gander at the beers, here is what I note:
20 - Years since inceptionMore to come . . .
73 - Participating breweries
14 - Participating states
21 - IPAs (six imperial/double)
12 - Belgian-style ales
-9 - Wheat ales (two hefs, four wits, two fruit wheats, one weiss)
-9 - Lagers
-7 - Pale ales
-6 - Pilsners
-6 - Minimum number of years in a row that 21st Amendment Brewery has sent Watermelon Wheat
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Hidden Agendas
This letter appeared in today's Oregonian, perhaps inadvertently giving us more information than the writer--former reporter and broadcaster Pete Schulberg--intended. I'll reproduce the whole thing, but the interesting bit is bolded:
You want to reduce alcoholism rates, alcohol-related deaths, or underage drinking? Fine, but put the Puritan disdain of beer drinking aside.
Alcohol industry wins againThere are a number of motivations and intentions in the beer tax debate, but I was surprised to see Pete (probably unintentionally) so baldly refer to "the culture of cigarette smoking." No one in the brewing industry is interested in seeing alcoholism rates, alcohol-related deaths, or underage drinking continue at high levels. But a lot of Oregonians strongly resent the overt attack on the "culture of beer drinking." It is in no way analogous to smoking. The culture is a valuable, vibrant piece of Oregon's character. Pete offered the traditional argument for a beer tax, and larded it with sanctimony to drive home the point. It's the sanctimony, however, that reveals the assumptive faults in the legislation.
What is it that the Oregon Legislature doesn't undersand about a tiny increase in teh beer tax, which hasn't been raised in 30 years ("On alcohol, Oregon's in denial," July 15)?
Once agains legislators ignored the constituents and cave in to alcohol manufacturers and their distributors. Survey after survey has shown that Oregonians would pay a few cents more for a beer if the money went driectly toward prevention and treatment.
Look at the progress that has been made in dismantling the culture of cigarette smoking in this country. That was done by major efforts in prevention and education. It's time the legislature gets as serious about Oregon's frightening increase in alcohol-related deaths and underage drinking as it is about campaign contributions from the beer industry.
Pete Schulberg
Communications Director
Oregon Partnership
You want to reduce alcoholism rates, alcohol-related deaths, or underage drinking? Fine, but put the Puritan disdain of beer drinking aside.
Saturday, July 14, 2007
PIB Interim Report
No time to do a full review on the beers I tried last night, but here's a thumbs-up/thumbs-down quickie in case you're still heading to the Fest. Most of the beers were in that middle category of average to excellent. Below are the sublime and disappointing.
Thumbs Up (Don't Miss These)
Bait and switch: the printed pour prices are not the actual pour prices, so buyer beware. (You won't be surprised to learn that they are inevitably more expensive than listed in the guide.)
Further reax by the BS brew collective at Champagne of Blogs.
Thumbs Up (Don't Miss These)
- Coniston Pale Ale. Amazing how much flavor you can get from so few ingredients.
- iQhilika African Birds Eye Chili Mead. In your mouth it's a sweet sensation (though quite dry for a mead) but going down the hatch, it heats up mightily. Strange sensation.
- Rodenbach Grand Cru. Amazing as I remember. One of the best beers in the world.
- Oudbeitje (Strawberry Lambic). This was wild stuff. Sally said, "It smells like our compost!" (It did.) It was sour, only very faintly strawberry-y, and had a rank, musky quality. I couldn't put it down.
- JW Lees Legavulin. I missed that it had only 25 IBUs--WAY oversweet and not a hint of the Scotch cask. An expensive dud.
- Bink Bloesem. For such a big beer, surprisingly little taste. Not horrible, but not worth a pour.
Bait and switch: the printed pour prices are not the actual pour prices, so buyer beware. (You won't be surprised to learn that they are inevitably more expensive than listed in the guide.)
Further reax by the BS brew collective at Champagne of Blogs.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Definitive Guide - Portland International Beerfest
Portland International Beerfest, July 13-15The Portland International Beerfest is simply the most interesting, most pleasant beer festival of the year. True, there are few local beers--but then, you have several other fests that highlight Beervana. This is, rather, a showcase for the world. The range of beers is enormous, and far broader than is available any other time of year at any single location. It's one of the few fests you can take your friends who "don't like beer" to--because whether it's a mead, a lambic, or a traditional Norse moonshine beer, there's going to be something for everyone. So hit the bank, have a hearty meal, and head to the Pearl.
North Park Blocks
Friday 4-10pm; Sat noon-10pm; Sun noon - 7pm
$1-$4 for a 4 oz serving (four bucks is rare); $20 buy-in up front (tickets and a glass); five free tickets in the first hour of each day
NO KIDS this year
For the sake of user-friendliness, I've tried to arrange this guide in groups that may attract different kinds of drinkers.
The Old Classics
Oregonians are, somewhat counter-intuitively, less cognizant of world styles than beer geeks elsewhere. It comes from not having to work to find good beer. Well, now's the chance to bone up. There are nearly two dozen world classics at the fest, either landmark standards of the style or well-regarded, established examples.
- German Lagers. Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse - Only had Widmer?; try the original. Another classic is Spaten Oktoberfest, the world's first (brewed originally in 1872). Ever wondered why a lot of beers end in "-ator" (Terminator et. al.)? It's because of Ayinger Celebrator, the world's most famous doppelbock. A kin to porter, schwarzbiers are black lagers, and with their sweet/dry, faintly hoppy palate, they appeal to ale fans. You can try one of the classics, Monchshof. An interesting style of beer that inspired All of those beers are on tap.
- British Ales. The pickins are a little thinner from the isles, but there's a nice selection of Samuel Smith's ales, brewed in Yorkshire in the traditional open slate squares. Although the brewery has changed hands, another historic ale is Le Coq Imperial Stout, the original sent to Russia.
- Belgium. There are only seven brewing Trappist abbeys in the world, and three are at this year's fest: Rochefort (founded 1595), Westmalle (1836), and Orval (1931). The devilishly strong Duvel is the world standard Belgian strong, and Rodenbach Grand Cru, which was purchased by Palm in 1998, is the classic Flanders red.
- Other Countries. The original pilsner, from Plzen, Czech Republic, is fairly readily available, but it's here too--Pilsner Urquell. I don't know when Poland's Browar Witnica started producing Big Boss Porter, an obscure representative of the Baltic porter style, but it's worth a taster (it was a crowd-pleaser last year).
There are a few new beers that have become world classics in their own right and are worth seeking out: Traquair House makes a traditional Scottish Ale from the brewery in the oldest house in Scotland. It's a wonderful beer. The "Mad Brewers," microbrewers of 80s vintage, have an amazing winter beer called Stille Nacht (Still Night). Grotten Brown, a Belgian Brown designed by the illustrious Pierre Celis, was called "beer of the year" in 2003 by Michael Jackson. Try a true mild ale--and try it early--with Coniston Bluebird Bitter, a classic British bitter and champion English beer. Recall Hair of the Dog's "Jim" from last year's Winter Ale Fest? A secret ingredient was Maredsous, available this year. De Ranke's Kriek isn't a traditional, spontaneously-fermented beer, but it is regarded as a delicious example of the style (unlike, unfortunately, the commercial Lindeman's, also at this fest.) And although this isn't a classic yet, how can you miss a barleywine aged in a cask of the most famous Islay single malts? JW Lees Harvest Legavulin can't be missed.
Odd Beers
I haven't the faintest idea whether these beers will be sublime, horrible, or neither, but they stand out as unique. In no particular order: Tmsisje GUIDO, a Belgian made with honey and raisins; De La Senn Stouterik, a Belgian sweet stout (?); Eisenbahn Lust is a Brazilian beer made in the methode champonoise (it will sparkle and fizz like champagne); Hitachino, a Japanese brewery specializing in weird beers, is sending XH, a strong Belgian aged in a Shochu cask (a traditional Japanese liquor). Hanssens has mixed mead and gueuze for Mead the Gueuze, which seems like a really crazy idea, but maybe crazy enough to try. They also have a strawberry lambic called Oudbeitje. Two more of note that must be mentioned just for their names: iQhilika African Birds Eye Chili Mead (South Africa), and Haand Bryggeri Norwegian Wood, the traditional Norse Moonshine beer.
Scandinavia
There is apparently a brewing renaissance in Scandinavia, because there are (in addition to the moonshine) five Norwegian and Danish beers: Haand Bryggeri Dark Force (imperial stout), Nøgne-Ø Porter, Nøgne-Ø Imperial Stout, Ølfabrikken Porter, and Mikkeller Beer Geek Breakfast Stout.
The Belgian Bigs
Although a number of Belgians have been brewed for centuries, what really characterizes the country is its love of innovation. In the past, they have been inspired by England and Scotland, and now it's the West Coast. Everything is hoppy and huge. I dunno if they'll be good, but see what Beervana has inspired in Brussels: De Proef Saison Imperiale and La Grande Blanche (imperial wit). De Proef K-O stands for knock-out, and at 10%, it will.
Cheap Drinks
Okay, I know many of you will ultimately look at the price and decide against the Bird's Eye Chili Mead (four tickets) and instead note that the Zatec Bright Lager is a buck. There's nothing wrong with this, but if money becomes your sole guide, you will inevitably miss out. Especially given some of the real jewels at two bucks. No worries: I got your back. Here's the pick of the litter:
- One ticket ($1): Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, Spaten (Ur Marzen/Oktoberfest and Optimator), Coniston Bluebird Bitter, Monchshof Schwarzbier, Black Boss Porter, Sam Smith's Taddy Porter.
- Two tickets ($2): De Proef Saison Imperiale and Grand Blanche, Maredsous 8, Ayinger Celebrator, Grotten Brown, JW Lees Harvest Legavulin, De La Senn Stouterik, Kerkom Bink Bloesem, Nøgne-Ø Porter, Isle of Skye Wee Beast, Rodenbach Grand Cru.
There are some pretty interesting domestics here, and I'd normally gush about them. But this may be the last time you see Hitachino XH, so choose wisely. (I recognize that this is tough to do; my beer of the year last year, Ninkasi Believer, is comin' to town. Still.)
Not counting my cheap drinks picks, that's 36 beers--too much for any single trip. I guess I'll have to go twice. I'll update you after I go tomorrow, and do the same in comments.
Cheers!
Catastrophe on I-5
I just spent over an hour stuck in traffic on I-5 between Salem and Portland. It has caused a gauzy fatigue to settle between my ears and jeopardizes my afternoon PIB preview. I'm aiming for this evening, so stay tuned.
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
PIB - Two Days Away
I hope to have a preview for the year's best event* tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a video I put together of last year's Fest.
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*Accolade now challenged by the Organic Fest, but what's two bests among friends?
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*Accolade now challenged by the Organic Fest, but what's two bests among friends?
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Oregon's Influential Ten
Over at Appellation Beer, Stan has started a mini revolt by naming the "Ten Beers That Changed America." It provoked outrage not least for failing to include a single Oregon brewery (for shame!), but also at the sheer impossibility of trying to answer such a question. But what did emerge is that while only a few beers can be said to have real national influence, there are a lot of influential beers in local markets. So then certain bloggers started naming the beers that influenced their region, and--well, I can't resist. Stan constrained himself to the modern era, and I think that's wise. So here's my chronological list of Oregon's influential ten:
Henry Weinhard Private Reserve. It was actually Henry's that set out on the "good beer" path, albeit with a baby step. Still, it primed Oregonians to think that there was such a thing as good beer, and also to think that such a thing must be brewed in Oregon to be good--two of the hallmarks of our current industry.
Cartwright. No one seems to remember what beers Chuck Coury brewed, but they were impressed that he tried at all. Dick Ponzi, Art Larrence, the Widmers, Fred Bowman--these guys had an early example that you could do such a thing. It may even be that the poor quality of Cartwright's beer was an inspiration--early brewers thought, "hell, I can do that."
Terminator Stout. The McMenamins may have been more important to Oregon brewing than any of the bottled beer brewers because they started the culture of pub-going that has become the foundation of the Oregon beer industry. I've selected Termie because it was an example of the bold nature of the early Oregon brewers; as one of their first beers (brewed, I believe, by John Harris) Terminator was the perfect opposite of macro-pilsners.
Widmer Hefeweizen. If the McMenamins went lowbrow, Widmer Hef sparked a highbrown embrace of beer. In the late 80s, one of the "it" experiences was drinking a tall, cloudy orange beer in B. Moloch's downtown (now South Park). It was also the first beer to go "mass" market (I use that term advisedly.) Unfortunately, it sent brewers down the opposite path from the McBrothers, toward the doomed "crossover beers" that were competing with Bartles and Jaymes for mouths that would never grow to love good beer. Influence isn't always benign, and Oregon brewers spent the better part of a decade in the weeds thanks to Hefeweizen.
Full Sail Amber. Another of the intro beers that brought people to good beer. Unlike Widmer Hef, however, Amber was a more robust, challenging beer and the first to introduce Oregonians to the citrus they would later come to love. It no longer seems like such a flavor-packed beer, evidence of how the market has shifted. But back in the day, it was regarded as a burly, delicious beer.
Deschutes Black Butte Porter. Just looking around the brewpubs, you could see that Oregon was poised to love dark ales, but it took Bend's finest to actually muster the courage to sell it in grocery stores. Surprise! Despite being black, it was sweet and approachable, and made it safe to brew dark beers. Stouts and porters are now among the state's most popular styles.
Rogue Smoke. The early period of Oregon brewing was replete with noble (and some ignoble) disasters with additives. Thanks to Ruby Tuesday at McMenamins (now just Ruby), fruit of all kind went into beers (Lemon Lager, oy!). Other types of additives overwhelmed beer and turned off a lot of customers. But Rogue Smoke, a rauchbier, was one of the experimental brews that showed what authentic brewing could be like. It was beers like this that influenced Craig Nicholls and others to experiment with more sophisticated, subtle flavors.
BridgePort IPA. When BridgePort introduced their IPA, it wasn't yet clear to me that the Oregon palate was actually drawn to bitterness. But the amazing success of this beer--it quickly became the brewery's best-seller and supplanted Blue Heron as the flagship--proved the point. I remember hearing a beer novice complain that she didn't like "bitter beers." Instead, she liked IPAs. The tide had turned.
Hair of the Dog Fred. Hair of the Dog had always been a famous brewery among the beer geeks, but the release of Fred created a mini-revolution in brewing. It was Oregon's introduction to the whole "imperial" phenomenon (though as with all HotD beers, Alan Sprints declined to name it by style). It remains the kind of beer that's spoken of in hushed voice. [Ironic fact: Sprints got his professional start at Widmer, brewing Hefeweizen, Fred's opposite.]
Your Favorite Beer. I have to leave one slot open, because I know there are great arguments to be made for beers like BridgePort's Pintail, Saxer Doppelbock, Wild Duck Sasquatch Strong, and any number of beers past and present that brought people into the fold. When I first started writing about beer, brewers would tell me of the beer that "did it" for them. Fred Bowman (co-founder of Portland Brewing) described getting off a boat in Ireland as a young man, walking to the nearest pub, and buying a pint of Guinness. A brewer was born in that moment. And so it is with beer--we all have our sentimental faves, the beers that catalyzed something in us and turned us into beer fans. Which one did it for you? Here's its slot.
Henry Weinhard Private Reserve. It was actually Henry's that set out on the "good beer" path, albeit with a baby step. Still, it primed Oregonians to think that there was such a thing as good beer, and also to think that such a thing must be brewed in Oregon to be good--two of the hallmarks of our current industry.
Cartwright. No one seems to remember what beers Chuck Coury brewed, but they were impressed that he tried at all. Dick Ponzi, Art Larrence, the Widmers, Fred Bowman--these guys had an early example that you could do such a thing. It may even be that the poor quality of Cartwright's beer was an inspiration--early brewers thought, "hell, I can do that."
Terminator Stout. The McMenamins may have been more important to Oregon brewing than any of the bottled beer brewers because they started the culture of pub-going that has become the foundation of the Oregon beer industry. I've selected Termie because it was an example of the bold nature of the early Oregon brewers; as one of their first beers (brewed, I believe, by John Harris) Terminator was the perfect opposite of macro-pilsners.
Widmer Hefeweizen. If the McMenamins went lowbrow, Widmer Hef sparked a highbrown embrace of beer. In the late 80s, one of the "it" experiences was drinking a tall, cloudy orange beer in B. Moloch's downtown (now South Park). It was also the first beer to go "mass" market (I use that term advisedly.) Unfortunately, it sent brewers down the opposite path from the McBrothers, toward the doomed "crossover beers" that were competing with Bartles and Jaymes for mouths that would never grow to love good beer. Influence isn't always benign, and Oregon brewers spent the better part of a decade in the weeds thanks to Hefeweizen.
Full Sail Amber. Another of the intro beers that brought people to good beer. Unlike Widmer Hef, however, Amber was a more robust, challenging beer and the first to introduce Oregonians to the citrus they would later come to love. It no longer seems like such a flavor-packed beer, evidence of how the market has shifted. But back in the day, it was regarded as a burly, delicious beer.
Deschutes Black Butte Porter. Just looking around the brewpubs, you could see that Oregon was poised to love dark ales, but it took Bend's finest to actually muster the courage to sell it in grocery stores. Surprise! Despite being black, it was sweet and approachable, and made it safe to brew dark beers. Stouts and porters are now among the state's most popular styles.
Rogue Smoke. The early period of Oregon brewing was replete with noble (and some ignoble) disasters with additives. Thanks to Ruby Tuesday at McMenamins (now just Ruby), fruit of all kind went into beers (Lemon Lager, oy!). Other types of additives overwhelmed beer and turned off a lot of customers. But Rogue Smoke, a rauchbier, was one of the experimental brews that showed what authentic brewing could be like. It was beers like this that influenced Craig Nicholls and others to experiment with more sophisticated, subtle flavors.
BridgePort IPA. When BridgePort introduced their IPA, it wasn't yet clear to me that the Oregon palate was actually drawn to bitterness. But the amazing success of this beer--it quickly became the brewery's best-seller and supplanted Blue Heron as the flagship--proved the point. I remember hearing a beer novice complain that she didn't like "bitter beers." Instead, she liked IPAs. The tide had turned.
Hair of the Dog Fred. Hair of the Dog had always been a famous brewery among the beer geeks, but the release of Fred created a mini-revolution in brewing. It was Oregon's introduction to the whole "imperial" phenomenon (though as with all HotD beers, Alan Sprints declined to name it by style). It remains the kind of beer that's spoken of in hushed voice. [Ironic fact: Sprints got his professional start at Widmer, brewing Hefeweizen, Fred's opposite.]
Your Favorite Beer. I have to leave one slot open, because I know there are great arguments to be made for beers like BridgePort's Pintail, Saxer Doppelbock, Wild Duck Sasquatch Strong, and any number of beers past and present that brought people into the fold. When I first started writing about beer, brewers would tell me of the beer that "did it" for them. Fred Bowman (co-founder of Portland Brewing) described getting off a boat in Ireland as a young man, walking to the nearest pub, and buying a pint of Guinness. A brewer was born in that moment. And so it is with beer--we all have our sentimental faves, the beers that catalyzed something in us and turned us into beer fans. Which one did it for you? Here's its slot.
Monday, July 09, 2007
Beer's Golden Age
Have you ever noticed that art flourishes in cycles? Pick an art form, and you'll see periods and places where it wells up--movies in the late sixties and early seventies, literature during and immediately following the beats, music in Memphis in the 50s, Detroit in the 60s, New York in the 80s, and Seattle in the 90s. It isn't random.
Art, no matter the form, is always a communication. You have someone making it, and someone appreciating it. The two feed off each other. Art flourishes as the context deepens. The more the appreciators "get" what the artist is doing, the more opportunities the artist has to go on riffs and expand the context.
I bring all of this up because over the weekend, as I was working my way through a sample tray of Double Mountain Brewing's beers (they're that new Hood River brewery founded by Full Sail alums), I realized that the beer I was drinking was only possible because of all the beers that preceded it in the Oregon brewing rennaisance--and because at this moment in time, there are enough people out there drinking good beer to appreciate what the brewers are doing.
I'll do a full review on Double Mountain soon (probably between PIB and the OBF), but here's an example of what I mean. One of their current beers is a kolsch--a fairly standard offering in July. It's the kind of beer you might expect to be in that disposably-drinkable category--tasty after a hot day of windsurfing, but nothing to write home about. No. Double Mountain went all out on it--they used an appropriate yeast strain, giving it that distinctive tart/crisp quality that really defines the style. And then, for good measure, they over-hopped it (I think it was at something like 40 IBUs). Germans would run screaming to the hills with this kind of offense, but the brewers know what they're doing. They have selected a hop schedule that draws out the pre-existing qualities of the style, deepening the crispness and drawing out the dryness of the last note. The hops they chose complement the beer, making it simultaneously both more kolsch-y (though I wouldn't enter it at the GABF) and more appropriate for Oregon drinkers.
I have already talked about their IRA (aka "Ira," as in Glass), which is a Belgian-yeast-based IPA, but it makes an equal case. It doesn't taste radically different from a usual IPA, but there's something going on. The Belgian yeast seems to enclose the bitterness in a gentle pocket. The edges are soft and mature. IPA drinkers would notice that it's a little different, but they would recognize and enjoy it. The brewers at Double Mountain didn't have to add that complexity, but they knew that if they did, some people would appreciate the effort.
It's my guess that the average beer drinkers walking in don't actually have the nomenclature to describe what they're tasting or understand why it tastes that way. But still, they get that it's really good beer (it was five o'clock on a Saturday and there wasn't a free table). Fifteen years ago, there would have been no point to offer the little change-ups Double Mountain includes in their recipes. Who would know the difference? In fact, that contextual vacuity was responsible for the state of beer drinking 25 years ago, when most beer drinkers thought that the variety of beer styles could be expressed in the range at the supermarket--light, dry, or in rare cases, "dark."
Things will change. The market will shift, drinkers will go off to new beverages. Whether that happens in five years or fifty, it's a sure bet. (If it happened in Belgium--and it did--it will surely happen everywhere.) So this is the golden age for beer, the pinnacle of the craft. It's cool, but also a little sad.
Enjoy it while it's here (and hope it lasts fifty years!).
Art, no matter the form, is always a communication. You have someone making it, and someone appreciating it. The two feed off each other. Art flourishes as the context deepens. The more the appreciators "get" what the artist is doing, the more opportunities the artist has to go on riffs and expand the context.
I bring all of this up because over the weekend, as I was working my way through a sample tray of Double Mountain Brewing's beers (they're that new Hood River brewery founded by Full Sail alums), I realized that the beer I was drinking was only possible because of all the beers that preceded it in the Oregon brewing rennaisance--and because at this moment in time, there are enough people out there drinking good beer to appreciate what the brewers are doing.
I'll do a full review on Double Mountain soon (probably between PIB and the OBF), but here's an example of what I mean. One of their current beers is a kolsch--a fairly standard offering in July. It's the kind of beer you might expect to be in that disposably-drinkable category--tasty after a hot day of windsurfing, but nothing to write home about. No. Double Mountain went all out on it--they used an appropriate yeast strain, giving it that distinctive tart/crisp quality that really defines the style. And then, for good measure, they over-hopped it (I think it was at something like 40 IBUs). Germans would run screaming to the hills with this kind of offense, but the brewers know what they're doing. They have selected a hop schedule that draws out the pre-existing qualities of the style, deepening the crispness and drawing out the dryness of the last note. The hops they chose complement the beer, making it simultaneously both more kolsch-y (though I wouldn't enter it at the GABF) and more appropriate for Oregon drinkers.
I have already talked about their IRA (aka "Ira," as in Glass), which is a Belgian-yeast-based IPA, but it makes an equal case. It doesn't taste radically different from a usual IPA, but there's something going on. The Belgian yeast seems to enclose the bitterness in a gentle pocket. The edges are soft and mature. IPA drinkers would notice that it's a little different, but they would recognize and enjoy it. The brewers at Double Mountain didn't have to add that complexity, but they knew that if they did, some people would appreciate the effort.
It's my guess that the average beer drinkers walking in don't actually have the nomenclature to describe what they're tasting or understand why it tastes that way. But still, they get that it's really good beer (it was five o'clock on a Saturday and there wasn't a free table). Fifteen years ago, there would have been no point to offer the little change-ups Double Mountain includes in their recipes. Who would know the difference? In fact, that contextual vacuity was responsible for the state of beer drinking 25 years ago, when most beer drinkers thought that the variety of beer styles could be expressed in the range at the supermarket--light, dry, or in rare cases, "dark."
Things will change. The market will shift, drinkers will go off to new beverages. Whether that happens in five years or fifty, it's a sure bet. (If it happened in Belgium--and it did--it will surely happen everywhere.) So this is the golden age for beer, the pinnacle of the craft. It's cool, but also a little sad.
Enjoy it while it's here (and hope it lasts fifty years!).
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