the New School: 2012 The Year in Photos

perhaps my fav photo of the year. That's me hiding behind a Charlie Papazian mask with Charlie Papazian himself. Photo by Dave Selden of 33 Beers fame

It's always a difficult task to compile any sort of best of the year list but our annual Year in Photos is the most fun. Started as more of a look back at events and beers it has become more of a look at our tight knit friends and family of the craft beer community. And why not? Drinking beer with friends is the greatest form of art after all.

John Hitt & Jason Kahler, owners of the brand new Solera Brewery

a glass of beer at Upright Brewing's tasting room

Recently I helped produce the first ever Breakside Winter Formal at the Melody Ballroom in Portland, Or and the photos taken there just became available. Probably one of the best times of the year was had there with a crowd populated by many familiar faces in the industry only all dressed up for the dance like you never seen them. These pics seem a great place to start off with.

Clockwise top left to bottom left: Breakside owner Scott Lawrence and Brewer Ben Edmunds, Marissa Vivatson of Eel River Brewing and Amelia Pillow of Hopworks, Sarah Pederson of Saraveza and hubby Ryan Pederson, Jon Ragel aka Boy Eats Dum Machine, Me, Ryan Pederson and Ben Edmunds.

Me, Sarah Pederson, Ben Edmunds and LOLA's Margaret Lut

Ben Edmunds, Margaret Lut, Nicole Kasten

The Commons brewer Sean Burke and Jennifer Stefanick

Top left is Widmer's Doug Rehberg and the photo to the right is Janelle Harrie of Bailey's Taproom and Tom Fischer of Breakside Brewery.

Brewvana Brewery Tours Ashley Rose Salvitti and Jason Goodard

Nicole and Paul Kasten of Beer Connections and Wildwood with Margaret Lut of LOLA and Ben Flerchinger of Lucky Lab Brewing

Hop Harvesting season is one of the most fun times of the year in Oregon. One of the events I most look forward to is visiting the hop farms and fields with Full Sail Brewing. It's rare that you get to dive into piles of fresh hops, rub wet cones between your fingers and breathe in their fresh grassy aroma as they dry in heated beds.

Hop Pickers work down the line

all-star group of brewers at Bridgetown Beerhouse

an All-Star group of brewers came together for Portland Beer Week. Left to right: Chuck Porter (Logsdon Farmhouse Ales), Mitch Steele (Stone Brewing), John Harris, Jack Harris (Ft. George), David Beuhler (Elysian) and me center bottom

One of the biggest stories of 2012 was noted industry pros Ben Love and Van Havig leaving to start Gigantic Brewing Co. together. The New School first broke the news and then covered it's progress to opening extensively after. Above left Ben Love standing above Van Havig and above right is Ben Love and my hand holding up a bottle of Upright Brewing's Blend Love that I illustrated and features his likeness.

Two Wild and Crazy guys! Van Havig & Ben Love celebrate the opening of Gigantic Brewing

Me, Belmont Station's management team Captain Neil Yandow and Holly Emery-Walen

more shenanigans from Portland Beer Week: Eric Salazar (New Belgium), Alex Ganum (Upright), Ben Edmunds, Me, Jason Mcadam (Burnside Brewing), Jesse Cornett (APEX)

Stone Brewing coo-founder Greg Cock and myself

One of the most popular as well as one of the most controversial stories on The New School in 2012 was my 2 part interview with Greg Koch. The videos have become viewed enough that I have been recognized by strangers while travelling as that guy that interviewed Greg Cock.

Charlie Van Meter (Sasquatch Brewing), Alex Ganum (Upright), Vasilios Gletsos (Laurelwood), Tom Bleigh (Hopworks), Van Havig (Gigantic)

The Craft Brewers Conference was in San Diego, CA this year and was an amazing time. I do say I overdid it virtually every night but it was worth it for the memories alone. Many of our own local brewers came home with

Breakside's Silver Medal for Dry Stout

The Commons medals for Urban Farmhouse Ales: Josh Grgas, Mike Wright, Sean Burke

Laurelwood medals for Mother Lode Golden: Vasilios Gletsos

Flat Tail Brewing's brewers got next

holding court on my birthday pub crawl - at Amnesia Brewing

Tyffany DeGray (Double Mountain) with Angelo De Ieso

me and Tyffany DeGray

"SNOB" Ritch and Joey Rob Bosworth

team New Belgium: Lauren Salazar, Eric Salazar, Jamie Mastin and ?

Burnside Brewing's co-owner/Brewmaster Jason Mcadam

Above left is It's Pub Night blog's Bill Night demonstrating how to lemon his Widmer Hef and top right is APEX's Renata Yang and the infamous brewer at large John Harris.

Jacob Leonard and I get down and dirty in the annual Industry only Washoe Tournament at APEX

me and Jean Powell scarf down pizza at the Toronado SF

my birthday celebration at Beer Revolution in Oakland, CA. They got me a cake.

Holly Emery-Walen and Capt. Neil of Belmont Station at Magnolia Brewing in SF

"SNOB" Ritch at the new Green Flash Brewing

Burnside Co-Owner Jay Gilbert and brewer Chip Conlon sporting the new Portland Fruit Beer Fest visors

Brian Butenschoen director of the Oregon Brewers Guild presides over the Cheers To Belgian Beers fest

Me, Jacob Leonard (new Breakside brewer) and Doug Rehberg (Widmer

Hopworks owner Christian Ettinger with the legendary John Harris

Oakshire Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk with Breakside Brewmaster Ben Edmunds at the World Beer Cup

Ben Edmunds drunkenly meats the Hop Queen after hours at the Craft Brewers Conference and tries to steal her golden hop scepter. And do what with it? If you were there you will know otherwise I will have to leave this one unsaid...

me, the Hop Queen and her handler, plus Kerry Finsand and "SNOB" Ritch

Top left: SNOB Ritch, myself, Breakside Scott and writer Brian Yaeger and Izzie at the Great American Beer Festival. Top right: The Commons owner Mike Wright, me and Cheese Bar owner Steve Jones after the successful Portland Beer and Cheese Festival.

Top left: Gigantic Brewing's Van Havig kisses his tropy. Top right, the Fresh Hop Fuhrer himself - Bill Night

APEX with owner Jesse Cornett and

half eaten cherry in the bottom of a glass of Double Mountain Ranier Kriek

Jacob Grier sports a massive hand blender for large batching Beer Cocktails at Tales of the Cocktail

Burnside Brewing's unique take on a Kolsch, with a lime

Walker Pruett (brewer at Hopworks), Dan Engler (owner/brewer Occidental Brewing & Ben Edmunds

Teri Fahrendorf & Rob Widmer

me and Whitney Burnside (former Elysian brewer now at Pelican)

beer writer Brian Yaeger, Breakside's Scott lawrence and Jacob Leonard

Matt Van Wyk of Oakshire is victorious! surrounded by Ben Dobler (Widmer), Van Havig (Gigantic), Charlie Devereux (Double Mountain) and Jason Mcadam (Burnside Brewing)

Oakshire's Matt Van Wyk with his most important award - Champion of the Brewers Burger Brawl

one of the most highly anticipated new breweries to open was Crux Fermentation Project with Larry Sidor (pictured)

myself and Boneyard Brewing co-owner Clay

Top left: Maletis Beverage's Kat Finn, Red Hook brand manager Karmen Olson-Stevens and another rep. Top right: Belmont Station's Holly Emery-Walen with a view at Solera Brewery.

2012 couldnt pass without mention of Brewvana Brewery Tours which we led a monthly ish New School tour with. Many great times were had and we are looking for our blog led tours to restart in March. Top photo of Brewvana's Racheal Scheiner, bottom left is a loyal tour goer and bottom right is Brewvana owner Ashley Rose hiding as one rider on the bus was on the verge of puking.