Over on the Portland Fruit Beer Festival website, the blog has been featuring some cool behind-the-scenes videos on the making of some of the one-off and unique beers that will be available during the fest this weekend. The latest video may be the best. It features occasional New School contributor Ben Edmunds, Brewmaster at Breakside Brewery. Here Ben demonstrates how to make a Strawberry Rhubarb beer by adding whole pies, crust and all, just like his mom taught him as a boy.
Also, the rare rotator taplist for the fruit beer fest was announced today. More than 25 special single kegs will be poured--some of them made just for the fest, and others that are very hard to find beer geek favorites. I have a feeling people will freak out about the Logsdon Farmhouse Ales' 'Fruit Melange' Barrrel-aged Bretta and Boneyard Brewing's Funky Bunch. Personally, I am really looking forward to trying Los Muertos and Wit of Zeus, both from Deschutes; the Upright/Bushwhacker beer/cider blend; and Oakshire Brewing's Framboise. This year there will be 4 taps pouring rare beers at any given time (assuming they don't run out, of course). Get in early by purchasing advanced or VIP tickets.
The full rare beer taplist is below, as are the other 3 videos that have been made about Portland Fruit Beer Festival beers.
Almanac Brewing: Winter Wit
Brewed with 600 lbs of San Joaquin Valley oranges grown pesticide-free at Hamada Farm in Kingsburg, California and fresh ginger root from Mellow’s Nursery in Morgan Hill, California.
Block 15 Brewing: Strawberry Fields
A blend of golden sour/wild ales matured up to 16 months. Conditioned with 200 lbs of fresh local strawberries.
Boneyard Brewing: Funky Bunch
sour barrel-aged fruit beer
Breakside Brewery: Gin Barrel-Aged Lychee Wit
Breakside Brewery: Sour Cherry Bourbon Aztec (Last 1/6 bbl!)
Burnside Brewing: Gin Barrel-Aged w/ Mangoes Kali-Ma
Deschutes: Wit of Zeus
This wit was conditioned on persimmons, which are a sweet but mild winter fruit. Translation of the persimmons’ botanical name is the “Wheat of Zeus”. The spices we used in the brewhouse: ginger, lemongrass, pink peppercorn, and coriander are present in the nose, it drinks with a crisp sweetness, and finishes with a mild tart notes.
Deschutes: Los Muertos
This specialty ale was brewed in celebration of Day of the Dead. Brewed with tart tamarind, and lightly soured with our house culture of Lactobacillus, this dark wheat is an approachable sour beer. Salud!
IBUs 30 | Alcohol by Vol. 5.7%
Deschutes: Raspberry Issues
Lambic brewed with Raspberries
5.4% abv
34 IBU
Dogfish Head Brewing: Red & White
Dogfish Head Brewing: Black & Blue
"A berry-packed golden ale. A subtle bouquet of blackberries and blueberries balance the big, malty body of Black & Blue." ABV 10%
Falling Sky Brewing: Mango Woman IPA
Oyoy Oyah . . . A NW IPA full of fruity and citrusy hops rolled together with pungent fresh mango will make you straight rasta’ back on Mt Zion mon.
Brewed with: Malts: GW Oregon Select and Weyermann CaraBelge.
Hops: Nugget/Chinook; finished with Chinook, Nugget, and Citra
Extras: Fresh Organic Mango
Vitals: OG 1.060 70 IBU 6.4% Alc
Flat Tail Brewing: Flanderberry
Logsdon Farmhouse Ales: 'Fruit Melange'-Barrel-aged Bretta
Aged in French oak with pear and cherry. This is a tart beer due to extensive aging on Brett in a French oak barrel. The addition of cherries and pear give an added depth of character and color, while helping balance out the funk of increased Brett.
This is a once only batch created just for the fest!
Naked City Brewery & Taphouse: NC-17 Honeydew Malt Liquor
Nearly 9%abv malt liquor with a whole chopped honeydew melon in the keg
New Belgium Brewing: Eric’s Ale
Sour barrel-aged apricot ale
New Belgium Brewing: Oh la la
Tart raspberry beer
Ninkasi Brewing: Cherry Bourbon Oatis
Barrel-aged oatmeal stout with cherries
Oakshire Brewing: Framboise
It's a Belgian Amber Ale aged in Pinot Noir barrels for a year with Oregon Raspberries and Brett and Lacto. 6.5%
Portland U-Brew & Pub: Rhubarb Ale
Reverend Nat’s Cider: Hallelujah Hopricot
To the finest heritage apples, I have added hops, apricots, and a carefully selected mélange of classic Belgian spices to produce this highly drinkable libation. 6.9%
Reverend Nat’s Cider: Sacrilege Sour Cherry
For this cider, we started with the finest sour heritage American apples, married in hundreds of pounds of sour pie cherries and followed up with a sour lactobacillus culture in this ode to kriek lambics. Expect a tangy bouquet, notes of sour, hints of acidity and a tart finish. 6.9% ABV
Schooner Exact Brewing: Sour Apricot Brown
Short Snout Brewing: Blueberry Hibiscus Wheat
Stone Brewing: Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers
"This beer pours a gorgeous deep mahogany crowned by a creamy head. Dark, smooth and complex, with rich chocolate and coffee flavors balanced by a subtle smokiness. Now with the addition of chipotle peppers, Stone Smoked Porter with Chipotle Peppers in a unique version of this year round beer. Hop Variety: Columbus & Mt. Hood. Stats: ALC/VOL 5.9%, 53 IBUs"
Upright Brewing/Bushwhacker Cidery: Collaboration Blend
A one-off caramel cider and blended with Upright's Gose.
Upright Brewing: Apricot Seven
Apricot Seven is a two cask blend of Upright's strong saison that spent nearly a year on oak with fruit puree and brettanomyces. The finished beer has a balanced nose of fruit and funk over a potent but snappy and refreshing beer.
Widmer Brothers: 2009 Port Barrel Aged Cherry Doppelbock
2 Towns Cider: Rhubarbarian
Fantastic video--great work. A few things spring to mind:
ReplyDelete1. It will almost certainly pick up wild yeasts, but if it's served relatively green, they shouldn't contribute much. I hope Ben squirrels a keg away somewhere so we can see if it picks up some tang.
2. A weird thing about strawberries is that while they may throw some initial color, it fades. If Ben does keep back a portion to age, it may lose its color (if indeed, it begins with any).
3. On behalf of all the fine cherry growers in Door County, Wisconsin, I hearby challenge this contention that Michigan is the "cherry capital" of anything but Michigan.
4. Mash cam rawks. Ritch is king.