the New School

Chatoe Rogue Hopfields declared Disaster Area

2012-01-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

I was sad to come upon news on BeerAdvocate that Rogue Brewing's Chatoe Rogue hopyards in Independence, OR, have been destroyed by flooding. Not long ago "SNOB" Ritch and I camped out there for Hop Madness and had a great time at the pretty and quaint (though bit rundown) farm. (Full story from our trip). I wonder if this also spells disaster for the Chatoe Rogue line of beers made from hops grown on this farm?

From Beer Advocate (probably from a press release from Rogue):

INDEPENDENCE, OR, January 26, 2012 – The Chatoe Rogue Hopyard has been declared a Disaster Area after widespread flooding.

The Chatoe Rogue Hopyard is located in Oregon’s Wigrich Appellation near the small, historic hop-growing town of Independence.

The Hopyard borders the Willamette River, which has slowly begun to recede since cresting over the banks early Saturday. Accompanied by heavy rainfall, melting snow and flooding creeks, the water has inundated the roads leading to the Farm, stranding Rogue Farmhand, Natascha Cronin, and Farmstead Brewer, Josh Cronin.

The Cronin’s continue to keep a tight watch on the Farm, which grows a variety of GYO Certified Hops, Rye, Pumpkins, Sweet Woodruff, Berries, Honey and Experimental Barley, as well as 23 Free-Range Chickens, Turkeys and two Pot-Bellied Piglets.

Farming and growing your own ingredients has its disadvantages – you are always at the mercy of Mother Nature.

http://www.rogue.com

Deschutes Releases Chainbreaker White IPA in 6 Packs

2012-01-25T13:06:00.000-08:00

I heard this was to happen awhile ago, Deschutes other White IPA, Chainbreaker is to become a regular lineup addition in 12oz bottles and six packs in March. Their other more well publicized White IPA Conflux #2 a collaboration with Boulevard Brewing is gone. I wonder if some kind of co-ownership or profit sharing caused Deschutes to move on with their own rendition of the style Actually my understanding is that Chainbreaker was one of the original test batches for Conflux that Portland pub brewer Ryan Schmiege developed and I actually prefer it over the collab. Chainbreaker has less herbal character that made Conflux hard to drink much of for me.

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Sierra Nevada Opening Asheville-area Eastern Brewery Expansion

2012-01-25T11:39:00.000-08:00

After much buzz and speculation Sierra Nevada Brewing (the #2 craft brewery in the country) has announced they will be constructing a new production brewery and pub on the east coast. This should help expand their reach and allow for fresher and cheaper beer to the other half of the country. From the press release:
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Video: Gigantic Brewing Collaboration Brew Day at Pelican

2012-01-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

The second video to come out of Gigantic Brewing which will become a recurring feature for their online presence is this one made while brewing their first collaboration beer with Pelican Brewery in Pacific City. Check out their first video Master Brewer Theater which premiered on The New School.
Pelican (feat. Gigantic Brewing) Collabo Brew Day: Schwarzenfreude Baltic Porter from Gigantic Brewing Company on Vimeo.

The Greg Koch Interviews Part 2: Stone Brewing's CEO on CDA vs Black IPA

2012-01-24T03:29:00.000-08:00

Recently I interviewed the controversial co-founder of Stone Brewing, Mr. Greg Koch, during his trip to Portland. In Part 1 of our interview we talked largely about marketing and the craft beer business, and I anticipated it to be the less controversial of the two parts. However, Jeff Alworth of Beervana took note and objected to Greg's debatable style arguments.

In today's Part 2 Finale, I also debate Greg on style arguments. Of particular interest was the ongoing debate on the merits of our beloved Cascadian Dark Ale vs Black IPA, of which Greg is one of the most vocal proponents. Hold on to your hats... Be sure to watch the credits.

An Interview with Josh Pfriem of the upcoming Pfriem Brewery

2012-01-23T02:17:00.000-08:00

The Hood River News recently reported a new brewery coming to downtown Hood River called Pfriem Brewery. Founded by experienced brewer and Full Sail alum Josh Pfriem and his partners, Pfriem Brewery plans to specialize in both Belgian-styles that will be sold in caged and corked bottles and Northwest-style hoppy beers. The brewery will occupy a nice large warehouse space and plans to have a tasting room. This will be another addition to the quickly multiplying brewery scene in the Gorge, along with the upcoming Solera Brewery and not quite year old Logsdon Farmhouse Ales.

I got ahold of owner/brewer Josh Pfriem to interview him and gain a little more insight into his plans, how he plans to stand out, what kind of beers he likes, and how his experience in craft beer has shaped what he plans to brew.
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Gigantic Brewing: Larger Than Life

2012-01-20T02:03:00.000-08:00

Ben Love standing and Van Havig sitting in the Gigantic construction

The new brewery from Ben Love of Hopworks and Van Havig of Rock Bottom aims to be huge, even Gigantic (Brewing) as they call it. Well not really, it is a tongue in cheek name for what will be a small operation; however, both of them are certainly giants in the world of Beervana. The other day I made a trip down to the construction site and gleaned some new information about the highly anticipated new brewery.
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Block 15 Brewing's Super Nebula Stout Revealed

2012-01-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

Block 15 Brewing just continues to impress. We have been singing their praises here at The New School for the last year, and I need to add one more compliment. Their dedication to quality continues with their labels; while there are some great breweries that have terrible labels, Block 15 does not cut any corners, and this newly revealed label for Super Nebula may be the best one yet. As a label artist myself as well as a beer geek. I often want to do labels for the breweries I love, but these Block 15 ones I can't improve upon.
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Bridgetown Beerhouse: Stone/Ninkasi More Brown Than Black IPA draft release

2012-01-19T00:50:00.000-08:00

The first of a very small number of kegs of The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone: More Brown Than Black IPA collaboration beer is tapping today, Thursday, January 19th, from 5-7pm at our favorite remodeled bottleshop, Bridgetown Beerhouse. Better yet, Jamie Floyd of Ninkasi will be on hand, and the Beerhouse will be pouring a number of other beers, like Stone Ruination Imperial IPA and Ninkasi Imperiale. This is a great opportunity to check out the new taps installed at Bridgetown Beerhouse, so head over and enjoy a beer while picking up a bottle to go.
915 N. Shaver off of Mississippi Ave.
Portland, OR 97227

The Greg Koch Interviews Part 1: Stone Brewing's CEO on the Beer Business

2012-01-18T00:23:00.000-08:00

Recently I got a chance to interview Greg Koch, the CEO and often controversial co-founder of Stone Brewing Co. He had been on my list of people I wanted to meet for a while now, and he seemed eager, as the main proponent of using the term 'Black IPA' instead of the controversial 'Cascadian Dark Ale', to debate the merits of the terminology. Of course, I did not want our entire conversation to be a debate, so in this first video we talk about the craft beer business, marketing, the new Stone hotel, and new beers and projects Stone has in the pipeline. Mr Koch was in a mellow mood, contrasting the public perception of a loud and brash showman. He showed up to the Horse Brass Pub at 12:30pm with a cup of Stumptown coffee, a new beard, and a quiet demeanor.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where the conversation gets more intense as we turn to the Black IPA vs. CDA debate.

The New School & Brewvana Present the Corvallis VIP Tour with Block 15

2012-01-17T00:16:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, February 4th, Block 15 Brewing in Corvallis is releasing bottles of Batch 2 of Pappy's Dark Ale, as well as the lost barrels of Super Nebula. It is a terrific time to check out the brew scene in Corvallis, and for the occassion The New School has teamed up with Brewvana Brewery Tours once again to offer a bus ride to and from Corvallis. The trip will feature stops at Corvallis's top spots with the brewers and owners, including Flat Tail Brewing and Nick Arzner's new Les Caves bier cafe and bistro. Even better, we will make a stop at Calapooia Brewing, another small brewpub in nearby Albany that I have actually never been to. Finally, we finish off the tour with an exclusive barrel room tasting and tour at Block 15 with owner Nick Arzner.

We will be doing more than just visiting each of these breweries on the Brewvana tour bus; we'll be getting behind-the-scenes tours, meeting with the brewers, and trying beers not yet available on tap. Even better, you can get 25% off a seat on the bus with The New School and promo code "NewSchoolBeer".
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Upright Brewing's Fantasia

2012-01-16T02:12:00.000-08:00

The latest and most highly anticipated release of the year from Upright Brewing is called 'Fantasia' (pronounced fan-tah-zee-uh) and has just been announced for a Friday, January 20th release date at the brewery and tasting room. The beer is in the vein of a Lambic style of wild beer, though it does not use wheat and of course is not spontaneously fermented. What makes it extra unique, though, is that it was fermented entirely in oak barrels, never even touching a traditional stainless steel fermenter, and those barrels were stuffed with fresh peaches from Baird Family Orchards.

More behind the scenes on the making of the beer and its release info below.
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Weekend Happenings in Beervana

2012-01-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

It's another one of those random weekends in Beervana where there seems to be 20 million events for no particular reason. It's just one of those random convergences of craft beer goodness that are more and more common in Portland these days. Among the highlights this weekend are events from Lompoc Brewing, Upright Brewing, The Hop & Vine, East Burn and Uptown Market.
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Laurelwood's Collaboration Brewers Dinner

2012-01-12T02:10:00.000-08:00

Vasilios Gletsos - Photo by Matt Wiater of PortlandBeer.org

On Wednesday, February 8th, Laurelwood Brewing Co. is hosting a one-of-a-kind beer dinner featuring a concept revolving around the company's newish Brewmaster, Vasilios Gletsos.

Collaboration beers are nothing new, and even Laurelwood has already done collaboration brewer's dinners, but this may be the first where all the beers were brewed specifically for this dinner and each one with a Brewmaster that Vasilios once worked with/under at other breweries. The dinner will feature collaboration beers brewed by Vasilios himself, Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing, Van Havig of Gigantic Brewing Co., and Tom Bleigh of Hopworks Urban Brewery. These exclusive handcrafted ales will be served with a five-course dinner prepared by Laurelwood’s Executive Chef Aaron Nichols. Tickets are $50 per person and available at the NE Portland and Battle Ground, WA Laurelwood locations.

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Beer Hunter: The Movie

2012-01-10T00:15:00.000-08:00

I usually feel pretty dubious about Kickstarter projects, but I feel compelled to highlight an important new project. It's another beer documentary, focusing on the late great beer writer Michael Jackson. If you're not familiar with the man, his television series, The Beer Hunter, and books did more to bring craft beer into the mainstream than perhaps anyone else.

This new project, simply titled Beer Hunter: The Movie, is from John Richards, one of the men who followed Michael around for years with a camera. The film aims to piece together old footage of him to tell the story of both the man and his beer adventures, and maybe will even start the Beer Hunter series anew using many hours of unused archival footage. It is important to resurrect these videos, both as vital pieces of history and to better understand the international world of craft beer and those who make it so great.
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Breakside Brewery News

2012-01-10T00:04:00.000-08:00

One of the most interesting Portland breweries, Breakside Brewery, always keeps its taplist interesting, whether it be with a vast array of adjunct beers like the Cedarbaumbier (on tap at the pub now) or the Hoppy Hoppy Nanobeer brewed in collaboration with Ben Love of Gigantic Brewing. All in all, in 2011 Breakside Head Brewer Ben Edmunds and assistant Sam Barber released 92 different beers. To start off this month they have 7 new beers on tap, and this is on top of expansion plans for a second location in the works now.
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Deschutes: Go Big or Go Home

2012-01-09T04:11:00.000-08:00

As the biggest brewery in Bend and largest craft brewery in the state, Deschutes Brewery has big dreams. Currently the 8th largest craft brewer in the US according to the Brewers Association, Deschutes is not content to sit idly. The company has some big goals, such as reaching 1,000,000 barrels of production by 2020, which is the number that until recently was the point at which a brewery is no longer considered a "craft" producer until the Boston Beer Co., aka Samuel Adams, lobbied to get that number increased. While touring Deschutes's massive production brewery puts things into perspective, it's still kind of shocking to realize that even now they are only about a third the size of Samuel Adams.
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2011: A Year in Photos

2012-01-05T02:47:00.000-08:00

Late night drinking in Vancouver, BC with Jamie Floyd, Ben Love, Yetta Vorobik we came upon this sign

Sometimes the old axiom is true--a picture says a thousand words. 2011 was a great year in beer. It was perhaps my most adventursome year yet, as well as most photographed. Being an artist by trade and not a writer, the images on The New School are often as important to me as the text, so this annual post featuring the best photographs from the last year is one of my favorites. It is also a great excuse to relive the last year, and for me to post pictures I may have not had the chance to use because they did not fit into a story or were intended for pieces I never got around to writing. Overall it's like a photobook of friends and good times.
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Video: A Day in The Life of A Brewer

2012-01-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

A cool promo video extremely well produced and executed by Goose Island to music by Sufjan Stevens makes for some soothing watching. I wouldn't go so far as to say it glamorizes the brewery and the city it resides in (Chicago) but certainly romanticizes both, it's beautiful and endearing if not a little over-dramatic. Certainly worth a watch for the photography and behind-the-scenes images alone:

Review Panel: Red Hook Down Under Stout

2012-01-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

Red Hook is becoming a more interesting brewery these days, especially with the introduction of its Blueline Series of beers. Recently I received a sample of the latest in the series, "Down Under Stout", which has a tagline that says "Dark, smooth, and goes down easy." The beer is also curiously described as an Australian-style sweet stout. Before we get into our review scores and tasting notes, I talked to Red Hook Brewmaster Greg Deuhs about what went into making the beer and what exactly makes it Australian in nature.
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Shawn Kelso leaves Barley Browns for 10 Barrel Brewing

2012-01-02T13:49:00.000-08:00

It looks like the cat is out of the bag. Shawn Kelso, the GABF Gold Medal-winning brewer at Barley Browns in Baker City, OR, has left the small brewpub he helped put on the map to join the 10 Barrel Brewing team. It's an announcement I hinted at in my recent writeup on The Rise of 10 Barrel, which also broke the news of their upcoming Boise, ID brewery location where Shawn Kelso will become the Head Brewer. Much like Tonya Cornett at 10 Barrel's smaller brewery in Bend, we will see Kelso have free reign at the new Idaho facility. It is very sad to see him leave the state of Oregon, but luckily he will still be close by, and hopefully we will still get to try his brews.
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New Brew Odyssey: Breakside Brewery's 2011 Adjunct Almanac

2012-01-02T01:12:00.000-08:00

In the last year Breakside Brewery's Head Brewer and New School contributor Ben Edmunds has become known for his experimental beers of which are constantly being rotated at the NE Portland brewpub. Many of these beers use strange and unique adjuncts to flavor, complement and spice the beer. With the aforementioned experience Ben Edmunds has put together a guide to various adjuncts that he thought would be useful to Brewers everywhere from the experienced to the novice. - Samurai Artist

As I sit down to write this post, the fermentors at Breaksideare full and I see that there’s only one beer left to brew on our2011 calendar. In all, we’ve made 92 different beers at the pub this year,learning lots about the various ingredients we’ve incorporated along the way.Some of that includes the fun of working with different base malts, thechallenges of finding substitute hops when our supply of Citra and Amarillo randry, and the learning curve with bringing in a new yeast strains. It alsoincludes all the Reinheitsgebot–forbidden ingredients that I love to use inthe brewery. Over the last few months, it seems like we’ve been on anespecially adjunct-heavy kick using a number of less common fruits, herbs,spices, and so on in some of the beers. (At the same time, we’ve also beenmaking a series of traditional lagers, for what it’s worth.)

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New Years Eve Celebrations

2011-12-30T04:49:00.000-08:00

This New Years Eve marks the 1st Anniversary of Burnside Brewing Co. as well as the 2nd Anniversary of The New School. Not coincidentally, Burnside Brewing is hosting The New School to combine forces for good on December 31st by donating profits from 8 special beers to the non-profit Pink Boots Society of women in the craft beer industry.

Furthermore, we have lined up a bushel of schwag to give away as raffle prizes, including beer books like: Clone Brews: Recipes for 200 Commercial Beers, The Craft of Stone Brewing, and Brewed Awakening. You can also expect shirts, hats, and even bottled beers. Sierra Nevada is donating bottles of its Belgian Trappist-inspired collaboration series, Ovila, and Breakside Brewery has donated bottles of various rare barrel-aged brews. For each purchase of the 8 special offerings you will receive one raffle ticket ,and additional raffle tickets will be available for $1 each, all of which will all go to PBS.

One of the more unique beers we will be pouring is a Raspberry Chocolate Porter brewed by members of the Pink Boots Society at Coalition Brewing. There is only one keg of this beer in existence ,so I suggest you get to the party to give it a shot.

Also just announced, Breakside Brewery is bringing a keg of its Italian Amber. This beer is a session dark amber ale made in collaboration with Chef Andy Arndt (formerly of Aquariva). Fermented on fresh oregano and bay, it's designed to pair with classic Italian dishes.
4.7% ABV 24 IBU

Saturday December 31st 8pm - 12am

More info and beer full beer list here.

Burnside Brewing Co.
701 E. Burnside
Portland, OR 97214
Pub: (503) 946-8151
Brewery: (503) 208-3476

Review Panel: The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone: More Brown Than Black IPA

2011-12-29T02:04:00.000-08:00

Yet another new collaboration beer has been released by Stone Brewing Co. It's another take on the CDA/Black IPA style and is hitting stores shelves this week in Oregon and across the country. The Alchemist / Ninkasi / Stone: More Brown Than Black IPA takes a typically Stone and Ninkasi approach to the style by blowing up the hops, but also lightening the body just slightly. It's almost a perfect example of the myth of the Texas Brown Ale, a style once proposed as a hoppier American version of the brown ale.

This version is being released in Oregon just in time for Stone Brewing founder and CEO Greg Koch (cock)'s visit on January 6th to the Bier Stein in Eugene with Jamie Floyd of Ninkasi, and his January 7th solo book signing at Belmont Station in Portland.
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Review Panel: Sierra Nevada Ruthless Rye IPA

2011-12-28T03:42:00.000-08:00

I love getting new releases, especially Sierra Nevada's, as you can always count on a well made, thoroughly vetted take on a style. This one even came from the future - the neck label states boldly that it's from 2012. SN's newest offering, Ruthless Rye IPA, is scheduled to take over the seasonal beer release slot once held by Glissade golden bock (a beer that has now been discontinued). Now Sierra is dipping its toes into the increasingly popular rye beer waters, following fellow northern California brewer Bear Republic's long-standing Hop Rod Rye. Ruthless Rye is, however, an IPA first and foremost, though the word "RYE" is much more prominently featured on the unusually illustrative new label. Does this signify a new, more stylized direction for Sierra Nevada, given the liberties the brewery has taken with the logo and artwork on this new design? It actually appears to be a tribute to comic book-style artwork. Four New School reviewers have taken it upon themselves to give it a try ahead of its release in Oregon this week and the national rollout shortly thereafter. (Thanks to Sierra Nevada for the free advanced bottle samples.)
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Elliot Glacier Public House to Become Solera Brewery

2011-12-27T01:48:00.000-08:00

Nearly two years ago a hidden gem at the base of Mt. Hood, the Elliot Glacier Public House & brewery, closed its doors. Known for its warm, homey atmosphere and stunning views of the mountain, it had become a respected brewery and a welcome stop for those partaking in wintertime activities on Mt. Hood.
There was much talk of what would become of the place, especially after it was posted for sale on Craigslist. After a few missed attempts to restart the place, The New School is excited to report that Jason Kahler, the Head Brewer at Big Horse Brewing in Hood River, OR, has purchased the Elliot Glacier property along with a business partner, John Hitt of Portland. The two are renovating the space for a brand new brewery, Solera Brewing.

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The New School & Burnside Brewing Celebrate Anniversaries on New Years Eve

2011-12-24T01:17:00.000-08:00

New Years Eve is an occasion for celebration for many reasons this year. Obviously it is the evening we ring in the new year, but it also serves as the anniversary of The New School, which will be celebrating its second birthday alongside Burnside Brewing, which will be having its 1 Year Anniversary.

To make matters even more interesting, the combined party on New Years Eve at Burnside Brewing will benefit the Pink Boots Society and feature special beers by guest breweries, with a portion of sales going to the non-profit PBS organization. There will even be a brand new one-off beer brewed by PBS members at Coalition Brewing. Each hour from 8pm on we will also be raffling off swag from the participating breweries, including rare bottled beers.

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2nd Annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfest

2011-12-22T00:59:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, January 15th, which for many is a long weekend, East Burn will be hosting breweries from the Buckman and Kerns neighborhoods of Portland for the 2nd annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfest. This year's participants include Lucky Labrador Brewing, Coalition Brewing, Natian Brewery, Migration Brewing, Buckman Brewery, Cascade Barrel House, and Burnside Brewing. Each brewery will be pouring some of its finest selections, with a few brand new releases. The event starts at 12pm with great food provided by EastBurn and, of course, lots of fantastic beer.

Admission is only $10, which gets you a Brewfest pint glass (a real pint glass, not plastic! Yeah!) plus 4 tickets. Tickets are $1 each and which gets you one taster or a full pint for 4 tickets.

For more info: http://www.theeastburn.com/

Elysian's 12 Beers of the Apocalypse

2011-12-20T00:02:00.000-08:00

I am posting this press release from Elysian Brewing mostly because I love what they have done with the labels from this series. As a label artist myself it's hard not to be inspired by the stark, simple form-based art of indie comic artist and illustrator Charles Burns (famous for his work 'Black Hole'). Each apocalypse-inspired beer label is rendered in only two colors and is clearly designed to work in a simple black and white contrast that really makes them stand out. Elysian Brewing is becoming known for its inspired choices of collaborators, from 'The Loser' pale ale collab with Sub Pop records to this yearlong series with famous adult comic book publisher Fantagraphics. I hope the beers are as tasty and interesting as the labels.
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Master Brewer Theater: Featuring Ben Love, Van Havig & Chad Kennedy

2011-12-19T00:37:00.000-08:00

The New School presents an exclusive video produced by Ben Love and Gigantic Brewing: Master Brewer Theater. The video features Mr. Love and Van Havig of the upcoming Gigantic Brewing and Chad Kennedy of the upcoming Worthy Brewing, and is narrated by Scotsman and Whisky expert, Stuart Ramsey.

The video itself is a lengthy 50 minutes and 22 seconds(!) of primarily audio, along wtih an entertaining opening slideshow and narration and video credits of all the participants at the closing. To represent each brewer when speaking a different vintage photo is shown. All photos are hanging on the wall of the Horse Brass pub (where it was recorded) and used to symbolize the Brewmasters. It is worth a listen to hear these guys bullshitting about the business of craft beer and opening their own respective breweries, even if you can only listen to the audio it alone is compelling.
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Hopworks Special Releases this Week

2011-12-19T00:10:00.000-08:00

Hopworks Urban Brewery has some announcements to make about special beer tappings in this week leading up to Christmas. I am especially a huge fan of the Brouwer's Anniversary Imperial Stout that they are tapping on Tuesday.

Sunday, December 18 – We’re re-releasing our 2009 Noggin Floggin barleywine and 2010 barrel-aged Noggin Floggin barleywine. Come on in and cozy up with these special vintage beers and explore the nuances time and bourbon barrels add to our winter warmer. Both beers go on at noon and run until they’re gone.

Tuesday, December 20 – Special release of Hopworks Brouwer’s Anniversary Imperial Stout. We brewed an imperial version of our 7-Grain Stout (minus the coffee) to help celebrate the 6^th anniversary of Seattle’s famed Brouwer’s Café. The beer has a very complex roasted, fruity, brown sugar aroma and is full-bodied with flavors of roast barley, chocolate, cocoa nibs, molasses and dark fruit. It’s followed by a warming alcohol finish and lingering notes of all the aromas and flavors listed above. Look for it on-tap beginning at 4:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 22 – Drop into the brewery on Powell Blvd. and take advantage of our 12/22 case beer sale. Purchase a case of any of our core brands (IPA, DOA and Stout) for $36 as well as special discounts on seasonal offerings including Bike Beer Kolsch, Noggin Floggin Barleywine and Abominable Winter Ale. At Hopworks Urban Brewery, 2944 SE Powell only.

Thursday, December 22 – Track down our elusive bourbon barrel-aged Abominable Winter Ale, better known as Kentucky Christmas, before it disappears. We’ve lined up a limited release at both Hopworks locations at 4:00 pm until it’s all gone for the season.

It's All Happening in St. Johns this Weekend

2011-12-16T14:14:00.000-08:00

St. Johns is a neighborhood in North Portland, an area I have to confess I sometimes think of as not being part of Portland. It is a pretty quiet and comfy community that is becoming more and more of a craft beer hub, based on the work of Randy Plew and his bar, Plew's Brews, as well as the North Portland Fermentation Association, aka the homebrew club known as NoPo Brews. Recently they have been joined in St. Johns by Occidental Brewing and Barrel, a great new bottleshop.

This weekend is the best time imaginable to venture to Portland's North Pole, as the two venerable groups have come together to put together the first ever NoPo Winter Beer Festival December 16th through 18th.
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Behind the Pint: David Walker of Firestone Walker

2011-12-15T18:30:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week David Walker, co-owner and co- founder of Firestone Walker, made a surprise appearance in Portland to do a tasting at Belmont Station. Prior to that I met up with him at the legendary Horse Brass to talk about the future of the craft beer industry, how Firestone Walker was similar to a premium winery, the rising cost of craft beer, whether the black market resale of collectible beer is good or bad, and what the next thing is for Firestone Walker.

Oakshire Brewing Releases Skookumchuck Wild Ale in Bottles

2011-12-15T16:22:00.000-08:00

Oakshire Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk with a bottle of Skookumchuck

On November 18th Oakshire Brewing debuted its first ever wild ale in bottles. The beer was made in collaboration with the Eugene Water and Electric Board (EWEB), a utility that is working to help keep Willamette Valley water fresh and pristine. Some proceeds from the beer go to Berggren Watershed Conservation Area, a property owned and protected by the McKenzie River Trust.

Skookumchuck Wild Ale is the third in a series of three beers brewed this year for EWEB's 100th anniversary. It is a blend of three different beers (Belgian Golden with Brett, a Farmhouse Ale with Apricots and Brett, and an American Wheat Ale with lacto) all aged in Oregon Pinot Noir Barrels for 18-24 months.

It is part of Oakshire's new Brewer's Reserve series. The beers are sold in 750 ml cork and caged bottles that are both painted and paper labeled. These special beers, mostly wild ales aged in wine barrels, are offered in VERY low volumes, so only a handful of cases exist. They will mainly be for sale at their tasting room. However, right now it is available by the bottle and on tap at Belmont Station.

The beer has a medium creamy body with a soft tartness up front. Notes of oak and tannins give way to distinct apricot and peach flavors and end with a vinous quality and a slight yeasty bitterness and signature horse blanket and funk. Not a sour bomb, but a very well-rounded, tart farmhouse-style ale. I'd say it's worth seeking out a bottle.

Head to Head: CDA vs. White IPA at Coalition Brewing

2011-12-14T14:34:00.000-08:00

Two craft beer styles have recently caught the imagination of brewers nationwide. The Cascadian Dark Ale has experienced a meteoric rise to popularity over the past couple of years, and more recently the "White IPA" has gained some steam. (A "White" IPA is basically an IPA that uses wheat as a base and may use a Belgian yeast or Witbier spices).

Coalition Brewing has brewed its own interpretation of each style and will be pitting them against each other in a boxing-style battle on Thursday evening. The event will also be the first of Coalition's new weekly Movie Nights, and will be playing, of course, Rocky. Why Rocky, you might ask? Well, the CDA uses a new variety of hops that is making the rounds called "Apollo", just like Rocky's nemesis cum mentor, Apollo Creed. Also of note, the CDA uses a new wheat product from Briess called Midnight Wheat that is also featured in New Belgium's new Snow Day seasonal. It is a pretty cool new product that gives black color but not much roast and has some of the proteins and body that wheat gives to beers. The new CDA is on tap now and is a very well balanced interpretation of the style, not overly hoppy but light bodied. The White IPA won't be on tap until tomorrow night.

Thursday December 15th 7pm
Coalition Brewing
2724 SE Ankeny
Portland, OR

Christmakuh at The Hop & Vine with Sierra Nevada

2011-12-13T11:20:00.000-08:00

On Thursday we have one of those rare craft beer events that also benefits a good cause while netting you free schwag in the process.

Every year Sierra Nevada puts together a tap takeover of sorts at North Portland's The Hop & Vine and this year there is a pretty great lineup of drafts from classics like Celebration and the Pale Ale to rare one-off Base Camp series beers like Black Hop Rising and Blackaliscious aka Snowed in Stout.

Also cool is they will have all 3 of the Ovila Trappist series of beers on tap including the new Quad, the Saison and the Dubbel and you can get a flight of all 3 for only $7.
More info below
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Holiday Beer Geek Gift Guide

2011-12-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

It may be shocking news to you all, but it is the holiday season, and if you beer geeks are anything like myself, you probably have only begun to consider what you will purchase for the significant beer geeks in your life. I have tirelessly put together a list of eccentric gifts that mostly fly under the radar and that I would be stoked to be gifted myself. Last year's list of gifts still applies, but I have an all new list for your consideration below...
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The Rise of 10 Barrel Brewing

2011-12-12T04:10:00.000-08:00

Bend's 10 Barrel Brewing is one of the most rapidly growing breweries in the state, yet outside of central Oregon it keeps a pretty low profile. The brewery is selling beer and expanding at an incredible rate, refilling the tanks the moment they run dry and still not keeping up with demand. As such, 10 barrel recently announced plans for a new 50 barrel system and hired two of the bestbBrewmasters in town in Jimmy Seifrit of Deschutes and Tonya Cornett of Bend Brewing. However, this is just the beginning of a larger plan that includes opening yet another new brewery and pub in Idaho.

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Full Sail's 'Brewers Share' Bottles now Official

2011-12-09T14:47:00.001-08:00

It's official now. As we reported a week ago Full Sail Brewing is to begin bottling entries in their Brewers Share line of previously one-off draft only beers. Sadly some favorites of the Brewmasters Reserve series will not be back. More details from the press release below:
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Weekend Beer Geek Guide: Thursday-Saturday

2011-12-08T13:37:00.000-08:00

This Thursday through Saturday marks a busy weekend in PDX. Here is a rundown of a number of events worth your time.

Alameda Papa Noel's Moonlight Reserve Release Party
Thursday Dec. 8th 6-8pm
The limited bottle release of Alameda's annual winter strong Old Ale, having aged one year in Bourbon Barrels. Live music, Raffles and $2 pints all day.
Alameda Brewing
4765 NE Fremont St,
Portland, OR 97213

Stone/Elysian/The Bruery: La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado Release Parties
There are two events one today Thursday and the other Friday, both for the Official Release of Stone Brewing's new collaboration beer La Citrueille Celeste de Citracado, brewed in partnership with Elysian and The Bruery using herbs and spices like pumpkins, yams, and fenugreek. We did a big feature review of this beer here.

Bottle Release at Barrel in St. Johns
Thursday 5-8pm
Join Stone Brewing and Elysian reps for the bottle release of the new collaboration beer at St. Johns's brand new bottle shop called Barrel. They will be sampling this beer along with other beers from all three breweries from 5pm - 8pm. There is a $5 tasting fee.

7401 N Burlington Ave,

Portland, OR 97203

503-208.3164

http://barrelpdx.wordpress.com/

Draft Release at Roscoe's
Friday 5-8pm
In addition to the amazing collaboration beer, Roscoe's will also feature 8 amazing and limited releases from the three breweries. From Stone we will feature Vertical Epic 11.11.11, Cali-Belgique IPA, and Ruination. From Elysian we will feature the only keg of Motueka Belgian Pale to make it to Oregon, and Cyclops Barleywine. From The Bruery we will feature Rugbrod and Trade Winds Tripel.
8105 SE Stark St.,
Portland, OR 97215
503.255.0049
http://www.roscoespdx.com/

Brewing up Cocktails: Winter Holidays Special Edition
Saturday 6-9pm
BuC returns for a special edition focusing on winter warmers with 3 different drinks served hot out of 7 total and including some returning favorites like the Hot Scotchy and Wassail and a sure to be new classic the Hot Choklat. Plus there is an ugly Christmas Sweater Contest. More deets here.
The Hop & Vine
1914 N. Killingsworth
Portland, OR 97217
503.954.3322
http://thehopandvine.com/

Amnesia Winter Ale Fest 2011
Saturday 12pm-10pm
Amnesia's small fest returns this year with a selection of local beers not featured at the big Holiday Ale Fest. The New School already published the guide and beer list.

Breakside Brewery Releases Bourbon Barrel Aztec & Soursop Wheat in Bottles

2011-12-08T11:08:00.001-08:00

Sizing up the Competition

NextWednesday, December 14, BreaksideBrewery (820 NE Dekum) will release bottled versions of two barrel-agedbeers. Bourbon Barrel Aztec is anoak-aged version of Aztec Ale, the brewery’s popular strong ale made withchocolate and chiles. This is the second release of Bourbon Barrel Aztec, andthe first round of bottles sold very quickly last summer. According to thebrewers, this latest version has developed rich oak and coconut flavors, showsa lot of bourbon in the nose, and has a mellow, though present, heat. Soursop Wheat is a blend of severaldifferent Belgian wheat beers that were aged in soured Old Tom Gin barrels andthen aged on soursop, a Southeast Asian fruit that is both sweet and savory.This beer has lots of juniper and herb character on the nose, a big sourness upfront, and a rounded, fruity finish. Forthose unfamiliar with soursop, the brewery will provide samples of the fruitduring the release party.

Both beerswill be available on draught aswell. According to head brewer Ben Edmunds, “this will likely be the only timethese two beers are on tap simultaneously, since we have very limitedquantities of both.” Edmunds also said that he plans to tap one or two specialkegs of previously unreleased experimental beers throughout the evening as well. Thebeers will be available beginning at 3 PM in 750 ml format bottles, exclusivelyat Breakside’s pub. Earlybird attendees will also benefit from the brewery’snew happy hour menu that runs from3-6 PM.

Boneyard Brewing Hits the Bigtime

2011-12-07T02:46:00.000-08:00

Boneyard Brewing is a scrapheap and a recyclery almost as much as it is a brewery. Walking around the small warehouse that resembles an auto repair shop, you might get the feeling your going to find a greasy workshop of auto mechanics and cars and motorcycles in various states of repair, and you're right, you will. You will also find mechanics and brewers who have skillfully assembled a dependable first class workhorse of a brewery. Owner Tony Lawrence and his partners might be a bit like Dr. Frankenstein in their work, and through tinkering they have created a monster in Bend. Their work has paid off in spades, and soon a new bigger and badder brewery will be rolling out of the gates.

Before we get into that, though, how about a little history.
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The 'Hot Choklat' - a Winter Warmer

2011-12-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

This is the 'Hot Choklat', a beer cocktail I created a while back that will finally be making its debut this Saturday at Brewing up Cocktails: Winter Holiday Special Edition at The Hop & Vine. I truly believe this is one of those drinks with crossover appeal to both beer lovers and cocktail lovers. It is incredibly approachable, deceptively simple, and, most uniquely, is served steaming hot.
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Brewer/Brewery Profile: Deschutes's Veronica Vega

2011-12-05T03:41:00.000-08:00

Just two miles down the road from Deschutes Brewery's main high-tech production facility in Bend is the original brewpub that started the company so many years ago. It is a stark contrast from the huge new gleaming tanks currently being added at the main headquarters; the brewpub is still a modest old brick building with a small brewhouse. But even here on the old system, Veronica Vega is standing out from the pack with a creative set of house-brewed beers flowing alongside the brewery's standard offerings.
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Full Sail Brewing's Brewers Share to Replace Some Brewmasters Reserve Beers

2011-12-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

Actual new Full Sail Brewers Share beer labels

I was surprised to learn that Full Sail Brewing is discontinuing some of its regular entries in the Brewmasters Reserve series of 22oz bottles and drafts and that they will be replaced by select beers from the Brewers Share series. Previously only offered as one-off draft beers brewed by different employees to benefit their choice of charity and served only at Full Sail's Portland and Hood River taprooms, the Brewers Share series most popular four entries are coming back. This is how Full Sail describes the series in its previous draft only incarnation:

"The Brewer’s Share series is a line-up of small batch draft beers where each Full Sailor takes a turn hand-crafting their own single batch recipe and a portion of the proceeds benefit a local charity of their choosing. Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share beers will only be available on tap at our Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, Oregon, and at our Brewery at Riverplace, in Portland, Oregon. Growlers to go are available. "

More info on the new bottles, labels, and what is to become of some Brewmasters Reserve series beers below.
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Holiday Ale Festival Picks from Day 1: Best Bets & What to Avoid

2011-12-01T15:32:00.000-08:00

Right now in Portland it is all about the Holiday Ale Festival, which kicked off Wednesday and runs through Sunday. While many other sites are offering their best bets and top picks, we decided to keep coverage to a minimum before we could actually try the beers.

In previous years I have bemoaned the Holiday Ale Fest's pin-up girl and weighed its pros and cons, but this year I am just going to concentrate on the beers themselves and leave it up to you to decide weather the festival is worth it. However, seeing as you are a reader of this blog, I imagine I will be seeing you at the fest. Here is what we think you should make sure to try...
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New School & Brewvana: Discounted Tours this Weekend

2011-12-01T13:41:00.001-08:00

We have a special holiday promo today from our friends at Brewvana Brewery Tours just for New School readers. Right now for tours taking place on Friday December 2nd and Saturday December 3rd receive 30% off! with promo discount code "NewSchoolBeer". DO IT! Before the tours sell out. Just go to their website and look up your choice tour on Friday and Saturday, fill out the info, and enter the promo code.
/http://www.experiencebrewvana.com/

Brewing up Cocktails Presents Winter/Holiday Special Edition

2011-11-30T13:01:00.000-08:00

On December 10th the Brewing up Cocktails team presents a special evening of the popular event series at its original home, The Hop & Vine. This event will focus on Winter Warmers and Holiday-themed beer cocktails.

Last year's winter edition was perhaps the most popular installment of Brewing Up Cocktails ever, featuring concoctions that delighted drinkers and critics, like the now infamous Hot Scotchy, but also some lesser-known favorites like the hot mulled Wassail, and the dark, rich, herbal, and aptly named Furburger, all three of which will make their return on December 10th. There will also be four brand new beer cocktails to set your head right and warm the cockles of your heart as the holidays near.
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Amnesia Brewing's Winter Ale Fest 2011

2011-11-30T00:04:00.001-08:00

UPDATED: December 1 4:24pm with Beer List

Cool news today that Amnesia Brewing is bringing back their Winter Ale Fest this December 10th. This small gathering of holiday-themed ales from Oregon is often a showcase for winter beers not featured at this week's Holiday Ale Festival.

Details are still a bit scarce, but we know Amnesia will be pouring their annual releases of Frosty's Revenge and SleighJerker, as per usual, along with aged versions, including a Frosty's aged on cognac-infused French oak. They are also releasing a new strong milk stout made with flaked oats and lactose sugar called The Milk of Amnesia, and will be tapping a firkin cask version, with vanilla bean added, special for the fest. Along with all this Amnesia Love, there will be eight other local winter warmers from:

$20= Winter Fest glass mug and 10 tickets, $1= ticket, 2 tickets= 1/2 mug, 4 tickets= full mug.

Still working on getting a couple of brewery's beers/specs confirmed but here's what I have:

Amnesia brews:

SleighJerker

Strong, dark, robust ale with enough roastiness to beckon Porter like qualities but, with a Crystal hop dry hopping, citrus and pine sneak in to create a complex and intense quaff.

7.2%abv 55 IBUs

*Also featuring a fest only 2010 version

Frosty's Revenge

Big, malty, hoppy. Vengeance has never tasted so good! Maris otter, Munich, Vienna and Crystal malts along with Cascade and Amarillo hops.

8%abv, 65 IBUs

*Also featuring a fest only 2010 version aged on Cognac infused French oak.

The Milk of Amnesia

A strong Milk Stout never before brewed by Amnesia. Made with loads of dark, roasted malts, flaked oats and Lactose (milk sugar) which leaves unfermentable sugar in the finished beer creating a sweet, creamy body.

6.5% abv, 25 IBUs

*Also featuring a Fest only version with a whole vanilla bean added.

Guest Winter Ales:

Burnside-

Permafrost

Burnside's first winter elixir. It's a big, strong ale brewed with copious amounts of Columbia and Amarillo hops pillowed in the middle to give this chewy complex malt body a unique, fruity, juicy hoppiness throughout.

8.3% abv

77 IBUs

Double Mountain-

FA LA LA LA LA

Winter Ale

‘Tis the season to be jolly, so let us contribute with the return of the Fa. This year’s strong ale continues with bagfuls of Matt’s favorite hop -- Centennials -- and the gentle balance of a strong malty brew to warm your heart and soul.

Brewed with Gambrinus Pilsner malt, imported crystal malts, and Centennial hops.

7.5% ABV, 85 BU

Cascade-

Defroster

This seasonal one-off from the brewery is a deep and flavorful winter brew. A solid malt profile is hopped English-style, with Brewers Gold and Fuggles, and spiced with bitter and sweet orange peel to bring it all together. Sweet malts and light candy greet you in the nose. Light hop spice notes and malt on the palate lead to a smooth mellow malty finish with just a hint of hop spice and bite. Just like the first frost, it's a sign of things to come. Servus!

6.8% ABV / 70 IBU

Upright

Hard Bop Brown

Open fermented with Upright's new house ardennes yeast. Perle and Cascade hops in the kettle and a Centennial dryhop create a strong, hoppy, winterized Brown ale.

9% abv, 55 ibu's

Migration

The Prophet

A English Old Ale brewed with 5 kinds of malt, including honey and chocolate malts, along with 50lbs of Belgian candy sugar and 12lbs of raisins. This ale delivers a complex yet balanced mouthful of holiday spirit coupled with a slightly sweet finish.

7.8% abv, 75 IBUs

Lucky Lab

Pavlov

What's a Winter Ale Fest without a Russian Imperial Stout? Brewed with loads of roasted and caramel malt and graciously hopped this ruskie is big and bold!

9.5%abv, 65 IBUs

Caldera- Coconut Porter

Everybody's-NA

Saturday December 10th 12pm-1opm 21+

Amnesia Brewing

832 North Beech Street Portland, OR 97227

(503) 281-7708

New Oregon Breweries: Bull Ridge & Falling Sky Coming Soon

2011-11-29T03:15:00.000-08:00

Falling Sky's Brewhouse being delivered - Photo via Facebook

There is no shortage of new breweries on the way to the state of Oregon. While new openings like Gigantic Brewing in Portland have received a lot of attention, everyone is still asking how many are too many and when do we reach the point of saturation? Well, two new breweries in the works are restoring my faith; let me introduce Bull Ridge Brew Pub and Falling Sky Brewing.
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Behind The Pint with Lompoc Brewing: Blending Cherry Christmas

2011-11-28T00:02:00.000-08:00

This Tuesday, November 29th, Lompoc Brewing unleashes 9 of 10 different beers made for the holidays at their Sidebar location. One of them in particular caught our attention--Cherry Christmas is a beer made entirely from other finished beers, many of them barrel-aged and some brewed with cherries and wild yeasts. The components of this blend were carefully chosen and painstakingly blended for this week's Holiday Ale Festival (where it will also be poured). Lompoc Head Brewer Dave Fleming, Lead Cellarman/Brewer Bryan Kielty, Lompoc owner Jerry Fechter, and Holiday Ale Fest director Preston Weesner concocted the blend while "SNOB" Ritch and I got to sit in. Check out an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the blending process and interviews with Dave Fleming and Bryan Kielty:

Of course, Cherry Christmas is not Lompoc's only new holiday release. There are actually 9 others, including annual favorite Old Tavern Rat, which will be available in bottles for the first time this year. Read below for my tasting notes on the beers.
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A Guide to Black Friday Drinking

2011-11-25T14:45:00.000-08:00

Today is Black Friday, the day where shoppers across America stake out department stores all night to get the best deals. Now the deals are stretching all the way to you local taphouse. Roscoe's, The Green Dragon, Saraveza, and The Beermongers are all hosting special events to commemorate the day otherwise known as Buy Nothing Day. Below is a rundown of what is happening at all 4 of these great beer bars.
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The New School & Brewvana's StripCrawl 2011

2011-11-23T03:18:00.000-08:00

The New School presents the third, the most-requested, and certainly the edgiest of our monthly connoisseur tours with Brewvana Brewery Tours - StripCrawl 2011: An Unclothed Experience.

Sponsored by Coalition Brewing, StripCrawl 2011 will take you to some of PDX's most well-known stripclubs, as well as some you may never have heard of. Portland is known for not only having more craft breweries than any city in the world, but also having the most strip clubs of any city per capita. Along the way good beer will be provided via a keg of Wu Cream from our wonderful sponsors, Coalition Brewing. The best part? For reading The New School you get a special discount code for 30% Off! Just enter "Beer4Boobs" at checkout.

Both of the previous New School tours have sold out, so get your tickets now. More details below.
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Review: Stone Brewing's Vertical Epic Ale 11.11.11

2011-11-21T22:11:00.001-08:00

with Anaheim chilies and cinnamon

Stone Brewing Co. has released the second to last of their annual Vertical Epic Ale series, this version being 11.11.11. Begun on February 2nd, 2002 (02.02.02), each beer has been a bottle-conditioned ale and, something I did not realize until just now, they all had a Belgian-influence and were meant to be aged, with little else in common.

This lastest edition to the series is late reaching Portland, but should be hitting shelves starting today at local bottle shops, along with Stone's new collaboration with The Bruery and Elysian called La Citrueille Céleste de Citracado, which I already reviewed.

This year’s base beer for the Vertical Epic is similar to a Belgian amber, but is tweaked with the addition of cracked cinnamon sticks and mild but flavorful Anaheim chilies from New Mexico’s Hatch Valley. Check out my review below.

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Brewer/Brewery Profile: Bend Brewing & Tonya Cornett

2011-11-21T02:05:00.000-08:00

Tonya Cornett and new Bend Head Brewer Ian Larkin

Bend Brewing's location in the heart of downtown Bend is surprisingly empty during the weekday happy hour. This is strange, considering it is one of the first breweries I think of when considering this beery city, right behind Deschutes. Brewmaster Tonya Cornett really put the small brewpub on the map with all the medals she has racked up from GABF and World Beer Cup. You get the sense in other areas of the country that she is a celebrity, but here Bend is just another brewpub in a small city chock full of them.
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Corvallis or Bust: Block 15 & Les Caves Release Parties this Weekend

2011-11-16T10:07:00.001-08:00

Not long ago I made the case for Corvallis, OR, as a new beer destination. This Saturday is no better a time to check out the town, as Block 15 Brewing releases Batch #2 of Figgy Pudding and a super limited 12oz bottle release of Imagine, a Belgian-style Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, of which only 40 cases will be sold at the brewery.

To top it off, the new spinoff European/Belgian inspired beer bar and restaurant, Les Caves (aka Bier Caves), will be celebrating its Grand Opening with a special super rare taplist and food menu. The restaurant is located on the same block as Block 15, and Flat Tail Brewing is just a few blocks down the street.

(Read about Figgy Pudding here) (Check out our Sneak Preview and Review of Les Caves here)

Full weekend taplist at Les Caves and Menu below:
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Gordon Ramsay Learns to Homebrew

2011-11-15T12:42:00.000-08:00

Celebrity Chef Gordon Ramsay decides he needs to brew his own beer in his new show The F Word, and he wants one to pair with veal. While not the most suprising video (especially for homebrewers), the clip above is entertaining just for his reactions and the beers he tries to pair with veal. It almost seems like he does not even like beer.

It gets more interesting in Parts 2 and 3 when he actually brews beer and adds it to barrels, then bottles it via a mobile bottling truck. Rest of the videos below:
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Behind The Pint: Sierra Nevada's Brewmaster Steve Dresler

2011-11-13T22:46:00.001-08:00

Sierra Nevada Brewing Company celebrated its 30th Anniversary last year, and Brewmaster Steve Dresler has been there for nearly all of them. He visited Portland recently for a couple events.

I got a chance to speak with Steve on a variety of subjects, including Sierra Nevada's upcoming wild collaboration with Russian River, how things have changed from the early days, exciting new hop varieties, and details on new seasonals like a Rye IPA and brandy barrel-aging projects.

(See our interview with Sierra Nevada's Terence Sullivan who heads up the Base Camp program)

Meanwhile, while I was out of town New School contributor and Breakside Brewery Brewmaster Ben Edmunds attended Mr. Dresler's Beer Camp at Sunshine Tavern, where Steve discussed everything from beer and food pairings to lost barrel-aged beers and special projects. Take it away Ben:
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Reviews of 3 Widmer Brothers New Releases

2011-11-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Widmer Brothers, long Portland's best known brewery, has recently released a number of new beers that should excite craft beer fans. The latest in the ongoing Rotator IPA series, O' Ryely IPA, is now out in 6 packs, along with this year's barrel-aged edition of Brrrbon '11, vintage Brrrbon '10, and a brand new Brothers Reserve beer called Lemongrass Wheat Ale. These beers could not be any more different.
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An Insider's Eugene Beer Tour

2011-11-09T09:29:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday was the New School's second brewery tour collaboration with Brewvana Brewery Tours. The monthly series of tours will offer an inside look and special opportunities for craft beer lovers outside of the company's normal beer tours. This one was the Eugene VIP Tour, and our locations were Ninkasi Brewing, Oakshire Brewing, 16 Tons, and Hop Valley Brewing. Along the way we picked up Ninkasi co-owner Jamie Floyd, who acted as our host and gave us the VIP insiders experience.
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Bend Brewcation

2011-11-09T00:42:00.000-08:00

Bend photo from Mutineer Magazine

Today I leave for a little brewcation in Bend, OR. Bend has one of the highest per capita brewery counts in the nation, being the home of Deschutes Brewery, Bend Brewing, 10 Barrel, Silver Moon, Boneyard, recently-opened Good Life Brewing, and a couple of future breweries, including ex-Laurelwood Brewmaster Chad Kennedy's Worthy Brewing and Deschutes Brewmaster Larry Sidor's new project, 512 Brewing.

No beer vacation would be complete without a little work/fun, so I have already planned a behind-the-scenes tour of Deschutes Brewery's new expansion, as well as meetings with recently promoted Brewmaster Cam O'Connor and the aforementioned exiting top dog, Larry Sidor. Separately, I plan to visit the smaller Deschutes brewpub and meet up with their Head Brewer, the lovely Veronica Vega, and tip a few pints.

The first thing on my schedule after checking in at the McMenamin's Old St. Francis School hotel and brewery is to head over to 10 Barrel's new 60-barrel production brewery to meet up with Brewmaster Jimmy Seifrit.

On Thursday I plan to get some lunch and meet up with the star of The Love of Beer - Bend Brewing's Brewmaster Tonya Cornett.

I also hope to be meeting up for a pint with Worthy Brewing's Chad Kennedy.

Somewhere in my busy schedule I'll also try to fit in trips to Silver Moon and Boneyard.

Expect many photos, interviews, and breaking Bend beer news next week.

Ninkasi & 21st Amendment: Allies Win The War!

2011-11-07T00:09:00.000-08:00

A new Ninkasi beer will be hitting shelves sometime this week. A collaboration with San Francisco's 21st Amendment Brewing, it will be Ninkasi's first offering to be packaged in a can. Ninkasi co-founder and frontman Jamie Floyd goes back a longtime with 21st Amendment co-founder Shaun O' Sullivan to their days brewing together at Eugene's Steelhead Brewing. I got an early release sample can of their new Allies Win The War! - a dark strong ale brewed with dates - just in time for the two Portland release parties this coming Thursday.
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Photo Review: 2nd Annual Night of the Living Ales

2011-11-05T04:56:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday's main event was the second annual Night of the Living Ales at Burnside Brewing. Evolving from its origins as a pub crawl in its first year to a full-blown Halloween-themed craft beer fest this time around, the event was an inarguable success with over 50,0 attendees. One of the more unique craft beer events of the year, if I do say so myself, we have the pictures and the stories to prove it... (Caution: Some images may not be safe for work)
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Willamette Week Delves into Beer Reviews, Fails Miserably

2011-11-04T00:13:00.000-07:00

It is disheartening that local print publications such as the Willamette Week and the Portland Mercury devote no space to craft beer columns in their home of Beervana. So when I saw WW actually post a real beer review on their website for Logsdon's Farmhouse Ale, I was excited. However, after reading said guest writer's "review" and yesterday's joke of a post on Hopworks Abominable Winter Ale (the A-Bomb), I was nearly irate.
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Review: Deschutes 2011 The Abyss

2011-11-02T00:53:00.000-07:00

It is almost time for another year's version of The Abyss, Deschutes Brewery's incredibly popular Imperial Stout. The 2011 edition is being released just under a week from now, and I have already received my sample bottle. The other night I sat down with two other New School contributors to see if this year's version lives up to the hype.
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APEX Embraces the Darkness

2011-11-01T15:22:00.000-07:00

Apex, perhaps Portland's best outdoor, fair weather-friendly taphouse, is not mourning the loss of our sunny days, but is instead embracing the darkness of winter. In celebration of the growing nighttime darkness, cold winds, and fall leaves, they will be pouring a wide selection of dark & strong beers for the long weekend starting Thursday, November 10th, at 5pm and running through Sunday the 13th.

There will be over 40 big, bad, dark, and/or strong beers on tap at APEX. Many will be barrel-aged, with some sours, lots of imperials, and even one or two multi year verticals. Quite a few are unpronounceable, and a respectable number are downright unreasonable. So, figure out a way to get home safely afterwards, and be sure to join us to EMBRACE THE DARKNESS!

Embrace the Darkness

5PM, Thursday, November 10th - Sunday November 13th

APEX
1216 se Division St. Portland, OR 97202
503-APEX-BAR

2012 Beer Bloggers Conference Announced

2011-10-31T15:28:00.000-07:00

The 3rd annual Beer Bloggers Conference will take place July 13 - 15, 2012 in Indianapolis, IN!!

Check out our coverage of the recent 2011 BBC conference in Portland.

For more information on the conference and the pre-conference excursion in Chicago, visit website: www.beerbloggersconference.org

"Indianapolis submitted an excellent bid to host the location and was the winner of the vote by beer bloggers who selected among the four possible locations. All four locations (Austin, Asheville, St. Louis, and Indy) would have made great hosts but we believe Indianapolis won out for its central location, the support of some vocal local bloggers, and the good timing of a July conference.Indianapolis now has over 40 breweries in the state and this is growing quickly within another dozen or so expected to open within the next year. Sun King Brewing in Indianapolis was the recipient of eight medals at the 2011 Great American Beer Festival. Not only did Sun King lead the field in total medal count, its four Gold Medals were the most won by any single brewery.We have the support of the Brewers Guild of Indiana, which is hosting one of our conference dinners, and World Class Beer, a two-time conference sponsor that has arranged for dinner and a tour in its million-case-strong Monarch Beverage warehouse.
If you choose to join the pre-conference excursion in Chicago, you can fly into that city on Thursday, July 12th, in time for dinner at the Goose Island brewpub. After dinner, we’ll have a blogger-led brewpub tour in Chicago. Not only is Goose Island providing dinner, they are stepping up to provide bus transport back to Indy the next day. We will arrange another Chicago-area brewery visit on Friday morning before we depart for Indianapolis.
The conference content is not yet set. We will reach out to the beer blogging community in the coming months for suggestions about content and speakers. We are working on details of the European Beer Bloggers Conference as well and hope to announce it within a week.
Sorry for the delay on both conferences – it takes a long time to solicit location bids, gather the opinions of beer bloggers, and then work out the details of the conference. In the end, we think it is time well spent. If you have never attended a Beer Bloggers Conference, make 2012 the date you join us."

Sierra Nevada Brewmaster Steve Dressler coming to Portland

2011-10-28T01:31:00.000-07:00

Steve Dressler, Photo from AllBrews blog

Here is some cool breaking news: Sierra Nevada's Brewmaster Steve Dressler is headed for Portland to host a couple of events next weekend. On Saturday November 5th Woodstock Wine & Deli continues their annual tradition of tapping a huge vertical of one of the best beers of the holiday season Sierra Nevada's Celebration. This year Brewmaster Steve Dressler will be there in person to talk about all 7 vintages of Celebration that will be on tap. The tasting begins at 1pm and goes all day.

4030 SE Woodstock Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
Neighborhoods: Woodstock, Southeast Portland
(503) 777-2208

Next Mr. Dressler heads over to Division's recently opened public house the Sunshine Tavern for a unique Beer Camp event. Not the same as SN's Beer Camp the Sunshine Tavern has been putting on a series of beer education events and this one will fall under it's umbrella.

Join Steve as he walks campers through the premium ingredients and time-honored brewing techniques used at Sierra Nevada. Steve will lead an hour-long tasting of Sierra Nevada beers including several unique brews not readily available in Oregon. After the tasting the campers will be treated to a full on Brewers Dinner.

Saturday, November 5th

Camp starts at 4:00pm with dinner to follow

Cost: $60 (gratuity not included)

Please call 503.288.6200 for a reservation.

Deschutes Brewery names Two New Brewmasters

2011-10-27T14:09:00.000-07:00

Deschute's Cam O' Connor

From a press release today we learn that Deschutes has hired two new Brewmasters, actually promoted from within for two brand newly created positions. For a second there I thought I was reading about outgoing head honcho brewmaster Larry Sidor's replacement but no there is no mention of Larry and its specifically mentioned these are new positions. Many know Cam O' Connor for his work as Head Brewer of the Portland pub for years before heading back to the main production facility in Bend. Congratulations to them both.

Press Release:

Pushing Forward with Passion: Deschutes Brewery Names Two New Brewmasters
Two brewers who have been critical in the success of the Bend, Oregon brewery step into new, expanded roles

27 October 2011 – Bend, Oregon –Deschutes Brewery has promoted Cam O’Connor and Brian Faivre to two newly formed brewmaster positions. The two, who have been instrumental in the development of such game-changing brews as Hop in the Dark, Red Chair NWPA, Gluten Free Ale, the soon to be released Chainbreaker White IPA, and others, were chosen for their abilities to both innovate and lead.

Brian Faivre

“Pushing boundaries and experimenting with new beers is what defines us as a company,” said Gary Fish, president and founder of Deschutes Brewery. “Brian and Cam have been instrumental in creating many of the new beers that have been brought to our fans over the last few years. The fact that we were able to promote from within the brewing department is a testament to the strong team of brewers we have here at Deschutes, and we are looking forward to seeing their creativity continue in their expanded roles as brewmasters.”

Cam (pictured below in the brewhouse) was the first brewer at the Portland pub when it opened in 2009, has been responsible for crafting many of the exclusive experimental beers served there. He has also worked on labors of love like Hop in the Dark, which wasn’t released formally until it had gone through 22 rounds of tinkering. He joined the company in 2004 after spending a couple of years with Sierra Nevada Brewing Company. Cam holds a bachelor of arts in biology with a minor in chemistry, and has completed the University of California Davis Master Brewer Program.

Brian (pictured below with hop bales) has been with Deschutes Brewery for five years and worked in various roles in the brewing department, most recently as assistant brewmaster for production technology. With a background in computer science and software development, Brian brings this precision to the brewhouse - optimizing recipes and developing operating procedures. He holds a bachelor of science in computer science and has also completed the University of California Davis Master Brewer Program.

Both Brian and Cam have played critical roles for the past several years in the ongoing success and growth of Deschutes Brewery. In their new roles as brewmasters, they will continue to help guide the development of the company’s future.

About Deschutes BreweryLocated on the banks of the Deschutes River in beautiful Bend, Oregon, Deschutes Brewery is in the business of daring people to expect more from their beer. That’s why we started off back in 1988, selling Black Butte Porter at a time when others were sure a dark beer would never catch on. Our brewers love to buck convention, especially if it makes someone nervous. For us, however, the highest praise is a raised glass and a toast of “Bravely Done!” For more information about Deschutes Brewery and its courageously crafted beers, please visit www.DeschutesBrewery.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/Deschutes.Brewery or on Twitter at Twitter.com/DeschutesBeer.

Review: Bruery/Elysian/Stone La Citrueille Céleste de Citracado

2011-10-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

I recently received a sample of the latest addition to Stone Brewing's Collaboration series of beers and this is one I have been anticipating for awhile La Citrueille Céleste de Citracado. This entry is a collaboration between The Bruery, Stone and Elysian Brewing and is a unique Pumpkin beer that plays on each brewers strong suits: it's an amber ale brewed with pumpkins grown on Stone Farms, yams, rye, toasted fenugreek, birch bark, and lemon verbena.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

Ultimate Guide to Night of the Living Ales 2

2011-10-25T03:00:00.000-07:00

For too long there was nothing fun for the discerning craft beer drinker to do on typical party holidays such as Halloween loved by children and adults alike. No more. Last year Night of the Living Ales debuted in Portland as a pub crawl along SE 28th but this year it has grown up and become a full blown mini Halloween festival taking place in a warehouse space, fittingly a brewhouse and with an attached covered outdoor beer garden. The badass and unique beers have only increased and the entertainment promises to be sensational.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

The New School's Eugene VIP Tour with Brewvana

2011-10-24T10:50:00.000-07:00

On November 5th The New School is teaming up again with Brewvana Brewery Tours for the second installment of our new monthly special tour series. This trip we are heading to Eugene, OR for a special VIP Tour of some of the cities best breweries and taphouses.

As a bonus Ninkasi Brewing and Jamie Floyd will be co-hosting the tour, providing beer for the bus and readers of The New School get a huge 30% Off if you use the special promo after the jump...

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

5 Questions with Angelo De Ieso of Brewpublic

2011-10-21T13:28:00.000-07:00

We conduct a lot of interviews here on The New School mainly of brewers and a few business owners mixed in but this may be the first time we have interviewed a blogger, Angelo De Ieso but then again he is a business owner and his bizness is Brewpublic. This weekend marks the 3rd anniversary for the blog, a milestone in these terms and in celebration he presents Killer Beer Week that has been going on since Sunday culminating in Saturday's Killer Beer Fest and finishing with a refresher Brunch at The Hop & Vine. Here are 5 questions for Angelo De Ieso:
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

Video: The Making of Deschutes Jubelale Label Artwork

2011-10-21T01:22:00.000-07:00

In this video is documented the artistic and branding process that went into this years Deschutes Jubelale. It's a fun glimpse at what goes on behind the scenes.

Interview: Elysian's Owner/Brewmaster Dick Cantwell

2011-10-20T10:02:00.000-07:00

Dick Cantwell & Kim Jordan at GPBF photo by Northwest Beer Guide

(Part 1 coverage of Elysian's Great Pumpkin Beer Fest & upcoming Roadshow in Portland)

I have been wanting to sit down with Dick Cantwell one of the Owners and Brewmaster of Seattle's Elysian Brewing for awhile now and finally managed to track him down around the previous weekends Great Pumpkin Beer Festival at his new production brewery in Georgetown. Besides being on the Board of Directors for the Brewers Association he operates what is probably Washington's most high profile brewery and recent deals with New Belgium Brewing are offering expanded growth incredibly apparent in the huge new space Elysian has constructed in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. I wanted to ask him about that but perhaps even more so what it is like to be considered the master of Pumpkin beer, he may be considered the cult favorite styles shaolin master at this point.
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Elysian's The Great Pumpkin Fest & Roadshow

2011-10-20T07:46:00.000-07:00

(Part 2: an interview with Elysian's owner/brewmaster Dick Cantwell)

The weekend before last I finally got to attend the Great Pumpkin Beer Fest in Seattle at Elysian Brewing's new production brewery. This is one of those fests that was on my own bucket list to check out someday, and I do not think it could have been a better year, as this is the one where it went big time. The fest moved to a brand new, not-yet-opened production facility Elysian has built in the Georgetown neighborhood of Seattle. The space is expansive, with a huge parking lot and massive warehouse brewery.

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The Rise of Block 15

2011-10-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Nick Arzner in Block 15's cavernous cellars - Photos by "SNOB" Ritch

Block 15 Restaurant & Brewery in Corvallis, OR, does not have hundreds of years of history. It doesn't have cobwebs and dusty bottles and air filled with wonderful clean brettanamyoces to spontaneously ferment its beers. However, if you try some of the beers coming out of the cellars located under an old block in downtown Corvallis, you might just second guess that. On a recent visit ahead of this weekend's release of La Ferme De Demons, we got to try both a Flanders Red and a "white" framboise straight from barrels. We also learned of Block 15's first 12oz bottled beer coming in November.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

Behind The Pint with Sierra Nevada's Terence Sullivan

2011-10-17T00:13:00.000-07:00

During Portland Beer Week's California Brewers Night at APEX I interviewed one of Sierra Nevada's original head brewers, Terence Sullivan, who now heads up the brewery's Beer Camp series of beers. This was one of the more enjoyable interviews I have conducted, as Terence was always full of wisdom, insight, humor, and great stories. We touched upon the growth of Sierra Nevada, as it has become the #2 craft brewery in the country, and also on Fresh vs. Wet Hops, wherein Bill from It's Pub Night (the foremost debater) on the subject jumps in. Enjoy.

Black IPA vs CDA Revisited

2011-10-14T03:49:00.000-07:00

Stone Brewing's frontman Greg Cock is continuing his campaign against Cascadian Dark Ales with an article yesterday written for CraftBeer.com and a video filmed during the GABF with Oregon's own gold medal winner for the CDA category, Shawn Kelso of Barley Browns. Greg is at his most reserved in the video, but he uses this chance to highlight his arguments for calling the style Black IPA and mentions by name some of Oregon's most vocal proponents for the CDA moniker. There is no doubt in my mind that we would not have a CDA, let alone a Black IPAfrom Stone or anyone else right now, if it were not for the Cascadia region of Oregon, Washington and British Columbia. Also, I am pretty sure Greg is remarkably reserved in this video because he was afraid of getting pummeled by the Barley Brewer. In the words of Alex Ganum, "I don't believe in CDA, I believe in SKA (Shawn Kelso ale)!"

Gold Medal Winning brewer Shawn Kelso ready to bring the hurt

Hopworks & Burnside Brewers Dinners

2011-10-13T05:29:00.000-07:00

Fall is here and with it comes a new round of Brewers Dinners to celebrate the season, with many of the fine fresh hop, Oktoberfest, pumpkin, and even winter warmer seasonal offerings from your local brewery. Coming up next week are two big dinners, one with Burnside Brewing on Tuesday and the other from Hopworks Urban Brewery on Thursday. Take the jump to take a look at each dinner's menu and details.CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

Portland U-BrewFest

2011-10-13T05:20:00.000-07:00

Portland U-Brew, aka P.U.B., opened its doors just a few months ago in the Sellwood neighborhood of Southeast Portland. With the goal of creating a homebrewing community outside of the central city in mind, the P.U.B. crew has put together its first brew fest this coming weekend.

If you're not familiar with the P.U.B., they do something no one else in town does, which is combine a homebrewing supply shop with a brew your own beer on premises and an on-site pub that pours both housemade beers and guest taps. More of The New School's coverage here.

This Saturday from 11am-11pm & Sunday from 11am-9pm is a great chance to check out what these guys are all about. The mini fest will be pouring P.U.B. beers alongside those of other local brewers. See the full brewery and beer list below.
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Press Release: 16th annual Holiday Ale Festival

2011-10-12T13:40:00.000-07:00

The beer geeks favorite fest is coming back November 30th. Let's cross our fingers there are no odd re-entry rules and no pin-up girls this year. Press Release:

PORTLAND, Ore. - Oct. 11, 2011 - The 16th annual Holiday Ale Festival will take place Nov. 30 through Dec. 4 at Pioneer Courthouse Square, located at 701 SW Sixth Ave. on the MAX Light Rail line. The popular event will feature four-dozen big, bold ales designed to fend off the cold chill of a long winter night. From IPAs, Belgians and barleywines to winter warmers, porters and stouts, these beers are crafted specifically for the event or are hard-to-fine vintages, helping secure the event's reputation as one of the nation's preeminent winter beer festivals.

Event hours are 2 to 10 pm Wednesday, 11 am to 10 pm Thursday through Saturday, and 11 am to 5 pm Sunday. To avoid the lengthy lines that often accompany Northwest beer fests, the recommended days for attendance are Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. The Holiday Ale Festival is for ages 21 and over.

What makes this festival standout from other similar events is the beer selection; the festival works with every brewery involved to make sure they can send a beer that has either been made specifically for the event, or is a rare or vintage beer that isn't commonly tapped in the state. According to festival manager Preston Weesner, "It's about the fans. This is a once-a-year event and these beer lovers are here to support their favorite brewery. When they get up to the taps and find something special, it further solidifies their support of Oregon craft brews and strengthens our reputation in the beer world as THE place to drink beer."

To enter and consumer beer, the purchase of an entry package is required. The general admission package at the door costs $25 and includes the 2011 tasting mug and eight taster tickets. Advance general admission packages cost $25 and include the tasting mug, 10 taster tickets and expedited entry all five days. Advance VIP packages are available for $50 and include the tasting mug, 20 taster tickets, a bottle of water, access to VIP lines and express entry all five days. Express re-entry requires a wristband and the 2011 mug, and is subject to the festival's capacity. Previous year's mugs will not be filled. Advance packages are available online at www.holidayale.com.

Once inside the festival, a full mug of beer costs four taster tickets, and a four-ounce taste costs one ticket. Certain limited release and special tappings may not be available in full mug pours, or may cost double tickets. Additional beer tickets can be purchased for $1 apiece. Designated drivers in a party of two or more may purchase a designated driver wristband for $5, which includes Crater Lake Root Beer or bottled water for the duration of the stay.

Despite being held outdoors during one of the coldest months of the year, more than 17,000 festival attendees stay warm and dry under clear-topped tents that cover the venue. Gas heaters create a cozy ambiance beneath the boughs of the region's largest decorated Christmas tree. In addition to beer tasting, the festival also features on-site food, event merchandise and a coat and bag check that raises funds for the Children's Cancer Association.

Marin Brewing Meet the Brewer at APEX

2011-10-11T13:00:00.000-07:00

Whenever APEX Bar in Portland puts on an event, you know it is going to be a good time. Next Thursday, October 20th, from 5-9pm they will be hosting Arne Johnson, the brewer from Marin Brewing in Larkspur, California. Marin makes some great beers and we rarely see them on draft here, so I am stoked to get a chance to have these on tap. I'm especially curious about the Orange & Black Tangerine Porter and the 2011 GABF Gold Medal Winner Three Flowers IPA.

On tap will be:

Altar Boy - Belgian Pale Ale 5.6%
Chocolate Airporter - Imperial Porter with Chocolate 9.7%
E.S. Chi - Herbalized ESB 5.5%
Mt. Tam Pale - Pale Ale 5.4%
Orange & Black - Tangerine Porter 6.3%
San Quentin Breakout Stout - Foreign/Export Stout 7%
Three Flowers IPA - Rye IPA 6.6%, 2011 GABF Gold Medal winner!
White Knuckle Double IPA - Double IPA 8%

RedHook mixes things up with new Blueline Series ESB & Winterhook

2011-10-11T05:26:00.000-07:00

After a tumultuous year that included a rebranding of their entire line of beers and new bottles RedHook Brewing is seeming to hit it's stride now with a coordinated marketing campaign and new beers that both harken back to their olden days and reach for the future. In the last month I have received samples of their new expanded selection of 22oz bomber bottles, winter seasonal Winter Hook and their Blueline Series Extra Special Birthday beer.
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Flat Tail Brewing: Creative beers in unusual places

2011-10-10T03:49:00.000-07:00

Photography by SNOB Ritch

One of the most interesting breweries currently operating in the state of Oregon is Flat Tail Brewing in Corvallis. Only a year old now Flat Tail is still very unknown and somewhat overshadowed by the other locals like Block 15 the beer geeks darling and the more established Oregon Trail Brewing. But Brewer Dave Marliave is quickly changing things by stepping out of traditional expectations while taking what seems like an 'anything is possible' attitude to brewing that is turning heads.
CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

The New - New School

2011-10-08T10:50:00.000-07:00

Come Monday morning The New School will shuffle off this digital coil and be reborn again. It has been approximately 1 year, 10 months, and 10 days since The New School started, and it has had pretty much the exact same design the whole time with no changes to its look and feel, just the occasional rotation side bar graphics. Finally, and after much urging, I recently decided to actually pay a substantial amount of cash out of my own pocket to hire a web designer to reimagine The New School, and it is going to be worth every penny. The thought of it being out of my control and paying for something that does not generate revenue was hard to swallow at first, but as soon as I shook hands with Tim Joachim I felt relieved. Now that the site is finally ready to relaunch and is looking great, it feels great.

I am most excited about the new look and feel of The New School, which will eliminate much of the excess but sharpen up the graphics and add better formatting for images and videos and a new way to categorize stories to filter results. For instance, all posts will still be added at the top center of the page from the newest to oldest, but by clicking on the top sidebar "Reviews", only posts tagged as reviews (such as those of new beers) will appear, from latest to oldest. The same feature will apply to our video features--"Behind the Pint" which now has its own category feature, as well as "Beer Cocktails" that we pioneered a year ago.

In an effort to both streamline and also take on a more web magazine like format, we have eliminated the controversial "Enemies of The New School" from the sidebar and the obtuse large icons for twitter and facebook have been replaced with a small line of icons for social media and RSS feeds, along with a button to email the publisher.

We have also decided to add a much-requested calendar feature through Google Calendar that will keep you apprised of upcoming events in the area. One of the things I like most about the Google Calendar is that you can simply push a button to add our entire calendar or just one event to your own calendar.

Twitter has been a big aspect of The New School from the beginning as my personal means of communication and getting the word out about new stories. However I have come to the conclusion that The New School needs its own separate account apart from my personal one. The new feed will simply be called @newschoolbeer and will be all business--not just subjects covered on this site, but beer related news from all over the web and international stories as well. The goal is to make it the ultimate beer news feed. Follow @newschoolbeer here.

We are adding a mailing list you can sign-up for. This will be scarcely used and I only anticipate updating subscribers once a month or so to special deals (like an upcoming Brewvana Brewery Tour of Eugene that New School readers will receive a big discount code for) and the occasional big news and events.

Lastly, I anticipate I may hear some criticism of our new ad support, but it has become a bit of a necessity to keep the site on the cutting edge and will continue to support better quality and coverage on the New School. I also am lining up all the ads myself with businesses we can get behind, though these are still institutions I am not afraid of criticizing.

We hope you will enjoy the new site more and continue reading as we add new features and work out bugs. You can now send questions and comments to info@newschoolbeer.com

Winter Beer Trade Show

2011-10-07T04:57:00.000-07:00

Matt Phillips and Jamie Mastin of New Belgium Brewing

I know what you're thinking, it's not winter yet, it's just barely fall. The beer market, however, doesn't see it that way, and seemingly operates one full season in advance. Earlier this week I attended Columbia Distribution's Winter Beer Trade Show to check out some of the newbies and returning favorites from various breweries. There are quite a few new interesting new beers and changes in many lineups.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

Of Pints & Men: A Beer Show

2011-10-06T14:38:00.000-07:00

Beer is happening all around us in Portland: brewing, fermenting, kegging, bottling, drinking, and barrel-aging are only some of the forms that beer takes. This October, Gigantic Gallery presents Of Pints and Men, a month long show dedicated entirely to the art of beer through photography, paintings, and illustrations. Come celebrate the art of beer with local artists: photographer Matt Wiater from portlandbeer.org, painter Ian Seniff, illustrator and designer Jonathon Hill-Jacquard, and photographer John Carleton.

Opening night is Thursday October 6th from 5:30pm - 10:00pm. Plus, Deschutes Brewery has graciously donated a keg of Chainbreaker White IPA for the event. So, just because you’re looking at great beer art doesn’t have to mean you’re not drinking great beer. Come out and celebrate the many shapes, sizes and forms of beer!
Of Pints and Men Opening Night: Thursday Oct. 6th, 5:30pm-10:00pm
Show runs through the month of October
Facebook Event Page
Gigantic Gallery
1720 NW Lovejoy #103
Portland OR 97209

Oakshire Brewing News: Ill Tempered Gnome, Hellshire II & a Brewers Dinner

2011-10-06T00:17:00.000-07:00

Oakshire Brewing is back in the news again after its announcement last week of a distributor move to Maletis and Odom. The release of Oakshire's annual winter ale the ILL Tempered Gnome, at The Guild Public House is only a week away. There's also a brewer's dinner at Wildwood next week and the release of Hellshire II later this fall.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

Nick Arzner's Les Caves: Bier & Kitchen

2011-10-05T03:23:00.000-07:00

Corvallis, Oregon, is a small, off-the-radar city known primarily as the location of Oregon State University and its currently bumbling football squad, the Beavers. But as it turns out, there has been a strong yet overlooked craft beer culture growing there for quite some time, beginning with the homebrewing community nurtured by the fermentation science program at OSU and a few breweries like Oregon Trail. More recent breweries, such as Flat Tail and Block 15 have begun to really put the city on the map.

Having opened Block 15 three years ago, owner/brewer Nick Arzner is branching out to open 'Les Caves' a European style bistro and bier bar that will add even more diversity to the city's beer scene and another reason to make Corvallis a must-visit destination. Last Friday The New School made the two hour trip from PDX to Corvallis for an early preview before it's official opening this week...

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Black Blood, Killer Green, and Killer Red On Tap in PDX TONIGHT!

2011-10-04T10:21:00.000-07:00

Double Mountain brewers dropping bags of crushed cherries into fermenter during the making of 'Black Blood'

We interrupt this program with some late breaking news: Today, Tuesday, October 4th, at 5pm Double Mountain Brewery will be tapping a few special beers at the Horse Brass Pub. Black Blood, a cherry porter that I and other Kriek Kampers had some small part in making, will be part of the lineup. In addition, this event is the Portland release of DM's annual fresh hop beer, Killer Green,and its new younger cousin, Killer Red, as well as a meet-the-brewer style event at the legendary Horse Brass. Other DM beers that will be available:

- Cask IRA
- Bocktopus Dark Bock (a Taproom-only beer til now)
- Wooden Nipel (Tripel Nipel aged in oak)
- Black Blood (a cherry porter made at this summer's Kriek Kamp)
- Molten Lava 2010 (last keg ever)

Charlie & Matt will be in the house, giving away stuff to all the right people. Hope you can all swing by for some killer fun!

Horse Brass Pub

4534 SE Belmont Portland, Oregon

Behind the Pint with Arlan Arnsten, Vice-President Stone Brewing

2011-10-03T00:10:00.000-07:00

This video was taken during the first annual Portland Beer Week during The Mighty Mites festival at Coalition Brewing. Arlan Arnsten is the Vice President of Stone Brewing in San Diego, CA and flew out to represent the brewery where their beers were featured at California Brewers Night, The Mighty Mites and Collaboration Beer Summit at Roscoe's. Preparing myself to meet Arlan I half expected to argue about Black IPA's vs Cascadian Dark Ales with him but he was such an affable and easy to like guy I quickly realized that would be impossible. Arlan may be the perfect foil to Stone's famous face Greg Koch and his controversial/confrontational but unarguably passionate style.

Oakshire Brewing Expands Distribution in New Deal

2011-10-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

Oakshire Brewing moves Oregon distribution to Maletis and Odom.

This message in my inbox yesterday caught me somewhat by surprise, but it still makes a lot of sense. Oakshire was previously distributed by Point Blank, a smaller local company that handles much of the Oregon (primarily Portland-area) distribution of smaller but growing craft breweries such as Hopworks, Laurelwood, Double Mountain, and Upright. Ninkasi Brewing famously (in the industry, at least) and suddenly left Point Blank and switched to local Anheuser-Busch/Inbev distributor Maletis a few years ago, and Maletis's craft lineup has blown up since then. This is great news for Oakshire (which was the New School Winner for 'Most Underrated Brewery' in 2010) and its fans, who will now be able to get the beer all over Oregon.

More info below:

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

It's A Monster Mash

2011-09-29T04:13:00.000-07:00

All photos by "SNOB" Ritch and taken at Lompoc's Sidebar

Halloween is coming up and the nice brewers at Lompoc have the perfect beer--Monster Mash ,an Imperial Porter that will debut on draft this Friday at the release party at Lompoc's Sidebar location. There will also be an outstanding lineup of other unique beers (detailed below), and this is just the first of Lompoc's long lineup of new beers and events coming up this fall and into next year.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!

Hood River Hops - Fresh-Hopped Beer List

2011-09-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

This Saturday is the Hood River Hops Fest. In my opinion this is the best of the fresh hop beer festivals because of the location and the selection of the best beers from Portland and the Gorge. Typically Big Horse Brewery has some great fresh hop beers that never make it to town. You're also not going to find these Breakside offerings again in Portland, and who knows about that fresh hopped Sezoen from Logsdon Farmhouse Ales. And if you cannot make it out to Hood River for the first tapping of Double Mountain's beloved Killer Green, shoot to the bottom of this post for info on the Portland release.

Click the image below to enlarge further.

This year Killer Green release party is at the world famous Horse Brass Pub:

An Interview with Brady Walen - New Marketing Manager for the Craft Brewers Alliance

2011-09-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today one of our own local beer bloggers, Brady Walen of The Daily Pull and Crafted, joins the ranks of bloggers turned professionals in the craft beer industry. Brady didn't get just any old job, either; he's the new Marketing Communications Manager for the Craft Brewers Alliance. The CBA consists of three big craft beer brands: Widmer Brothers, Redhook, and Kona Brewing. It will be no easy task, so when I heard about his new gig I wanted to discuss with him what this meant in the bigger picture. But before we get into the interview, a little background info...

I first met Brady shortly after starting The New School when he was also beginning to write The Daily Pull. After hand delivering to me a growler straight from Astoria's Fort George Brewery of Murky Pearl Oyster Stout, I decided he was an alright guy and invited him over for our first ever review panel. Since then Brady founded Crafted, a blog based around marketing and social media for the beer community that combined his day job as a marketing consultant for a company based in Chicago (where he relocated from) and his love of craft beer. Recently we worked together on the first ever Portland Beer Week, and today I have the pleasure of interviewing him about his new job, the future of The Daily Pull, Crafted, the Craft Brewers Alliance, and the general state of craft beer marketing.

CLICK HERE to read the rest of this post!