Thursday, November 17, 2016

Zupan's Market and Coalition Brewing Release Fourth Farm-to-Market beer - Whiskey Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

Courtsey of Zupan's Market and Coalition Brewing Co
PORTLAND, Ore (Nov. 14, 2016) – Zupan’s Markets has partnered once again with Coalition Brewing Co. to release the fourth Farm-to-Market beer in its private label line. This special edition stout was created by aging our Farm to Market Imperial Coffee Chocolate Stout (released in November 2015) in Bull Run Distilling Co. Temperance whiskey barrels for a year. The result of aging has produced a silky midnight black stout with balanced notes of whiskey and vanilla supported by chocolate and Chilean coffee.
“Zupan’s Markets was excited to experiment with our first barrel-aged beer and add a product to this fast growing category” said Zupan’s Markets’ President and CEO Mike Zupan. "The flavor profiles of our original coffee chocolate stout together with local whiskey barrels was a natural match."

This special edition Imperial Stout is available now at all four Zupan’s Markets locations in 750 ml bottles for $19.99 With only 250 bottles produced, it will be on shelves only for a limited time. Perfect to drink now and save a bottle to lay down to continue to age.

Profile:  
  • ABV: 9.5%
  • Malts: Flaked oats, Black barley, Chilean caramel, Chocolate
  • Hops: Nugget, Willamette
  • Other Ingredients*: Caffé Umbria Gusto Crema (15lbs), Woodblock Chocolate 70% cacao from Tanzania (20 lbs)
Courtesy of Coalition Brewing Co
About Coalition Brewing Co.
Coalition Brewing is a 10-barrel brewery and tasting room in Southeast Portland. Born out of a
serendipitous chance encounter between owners Kiley Hoyt and Elan Walsky, both began as home
brewers and received formal brewing education through the Siebel Institute in Chicago. Coalition
Brewing’s handcrafted ales reflect traditional brewing techniques and Northwest innovation. They
strive to provide patrons with balanced, unique, and highly drinkable beers. For more information,
 
Courtesy of Zupan's Markets
About Zupan’s Markets
Founded by John Zupan in 1975, Zupan’s Markets is a local and family-owned gourmet market that has served Portland’s food-loving community for more than 40 years. Zupan’s Markets has four locations that focus on quality, selling everything from the best meats and wines to the freshest produce, baked goods, gourmet deli products, specialty foods, flowers and more, always emphasizing locally-sourced, artisan products when possible. For more information, visit www.zupans.com.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Cascade Brewing News: Men’s Journal names Noyaux a top beer; Brewery has barrel education with fourth generation Master Cooper

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing co
PORTLAND, Ore. – Cascade Brewing, a leading producer of sour beer, recently saw its Noyaux named by Men’s Journal as one of the Top 100 Beers in the World. Noting that Cascade has become a place of pilgrimage for sourheads, the article called out Noyaux as Cascade’s “crème de la crème.” Noyaux (pronounced noy-OH) is a blend of sour blond ales aged in white wine barrels for up to 24 months with fresh raspberries and apricot noyaux. It features a complex bouquet of raspberry fruit, rose petals, toasted almonds and soft perfume notes. Barrels and blending are a very important part of the brewing process at Cascade Brewing and what separates it from other sour beer producers; mainly the ones that brew primarily “kettle sours,” which do not utilize any oak barrel aging. Cascade Brewing beers age for a minimum of 12 months in oak; some age up to two years.  On Nov. 4, Cascade Brewing was honored to have Douglas Rennie, a fourth generation Master Cooper, visit its facility. Rennie, who formerly hailed from Glasgow, Scotland, and now resides in Napa, Calif., is the Master Cooper for world-renowned barrel maker Seguin Moreau. Accompanied by the Pacific Northwest Sales Territory Manager Adam Schultz, the two spent more than two hours with Cascade’s cellar and brewery team discussing the finer points of the barrel process and giving a hands-on demonstration of how to properly care for the casks.  Against the background of Cascade’s 1,500+ sour beer-filled oak barrels, Rennie used his tools ever so delicately to show the team the best way to care for its treasured oaks. He informed them that the wood used in the French Oak casks come from trees that are a minimum of 150 years old; more than 60 percent of Cascade’s barrels are French Oak, including the nine foudres.  “We greatly appreciated Mr. Rennie’s time at Cascade,” stated Tim Larrance, vice president of sales and marketing for Cascade Brewing. “We know that his time spent with our team will benefit us greatly in helping use our oak barrels to make the best sour beer around.”   About Cascade BrewingFounded in 1998, Cascade Brewing is best known for pioneering the sour beer renaissance. Its distinctive sour beer blends feature fruit forward, barrel-aged ales that offer a complex array of flavors derived from Northwest grown ingredients, with each release capturing the unique subtleties of that year’s growing season. Its beers are brewed at the original brewery in Southwest Portland, then blended and aged at the nearby Blending House, which holds more than 1,500 oaks barrels and nine foudre tanks. For more information, visit CascadeBrewing.com or call 503-265-8603. Follow @CascadeBrewing on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

HOTLIPS Pizza and Back Pedal Brewing Co-release Spotted Leopard Pale Ale

Courtesy of HOTLIPS Pizza and Back Pedal Brewing
HOTLIPS’ latest local brewing collaboration made with pizza crusts
 
Portland, Ore. (November 16, 2016) - HOTLIPS Pizza, in partnership with Portland’s Back Pedal Brewing, is releasing the eighth in its continuing series of collaborative brews. Debuting on Thursday, November 17th, the limited edition Spotted Leopard Pale Ale is an earthy brew made with six whole HOTLIPS Pizza crusts. 

Courtesy of HOTLIPS Pizza and Back Pedal Brewing
Named after the crisp, dark, charred spots that dot a rustic pizza crust, this small-batch ale will be on tap while the supply lasts at all six HOTLIPS Pizza restaurants in Portland, as part of its well-established craft beer program.

“Pizza is inherently a fun, lighthearted food, so we try not to take ourselves too seriously,” said David Yudkin, co-owner of HOTLIPS Pizza. “We enjoy spending time inventing interesting new pizza combinations, and to be able to carry that creativity over into our partnership with Back Pedal is our kind of fun.”

Courtesy of HOTLIPS Pizza and Back Pedal Brewing
In October, a group of HOTLIPS employees teamed up with the Back Pedal crew in the Pearl District brewery to help make the Spotted Leopard beer and learn more about the brewing process in person. The pizza crusts were added into the mash, and the Centennial hops were chosen to brighten up the flavor with citrusy, floral notes. HOTLIPS Pizza's crust is made with Shepherd's Grain flour, grown sustainably in the Pacific Northwest.

“Pizza and beer are the ultimate pairing, and we found ourselves wondering what would happen if we just mixed them together,” said Greg Passmore, head brewer at Back Pedal Brewing. “The result is even better than we expected: bready and full, but with a clean, crisp single-hop flavor.”

Courtesy of HOTLIPS Pizza
ABOUT HOTLIPS PIZZA + SODA
Founded in 1984, HOTLIPS is a Portland family-owned business and a respected, iconic local brand. Currently employing 160 people in six pizza restaurants, a commissary kitchen, a craft soda-brewing operation and a full calendar of off-site and catering events, HOTLIPS demonstrates a long-standing dedication to sustainability, quality, innovation and community leadership. HOTLIPS is passionate about great food and drink, the power of community and the bounty of the region’s harvest. HOTLIPS’ mission is to preserve culture and celebrate humanity through the rich culinary traditions and by joining with others in finding new and sustainable ways of doing business. www.HOTLIPSPizza.com


Courtesy of Back Pedal Brewing
ABOUT BACK PEDAL BREWING
Back Pedal Brewing is the Pearl District's small independent brewery and home of the BrewCycle. Founded in Portland in 2015, our award winning small batch beers focus on sessionable ales, bold hops, fruit beers, and experimentation. Come visit our tasting room for a flight of our ever changing beers, or book a BrewCycle or BrewBarge for a pedal powered exploration of our lovely city and beer scene. www.backpedalbrewing.com

Tuesday, November 15, 2016

Fremont Brewing Announces the 2016 Release of B-Bomb

Courtesy of Fremont Brewing Co
Fremont is excited to announce this year’s release of B-Bomb, their annual bourbon barrel-aged winter ale!

B-Bomb, formerly known as Bourbon Abominable, will be released in their Urban Beer Garden on “B-Bomb Friday”, November 25th! B-Bomb will be on-tap and available to-go in 22oz bottles at 11am. At 5pm, the legendary Yeti will join the party to help Fremont tap three release-party-only B-Bomb infusions! B-Bomb bottles are $20 each with a four bottle limit per person.

Distribution will follow after the event and will include Fremont’s entire network of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and the Denver Metro Area.

Name: B-Bomb
Style: Bourbon Barrel Aged Winter Ale
Description: This year’s release of B-Bomb is aged in 12 & 15 year-old American Oak whiskey barrels and is a blend of 24 and 12-month old barrel strength Winter Ale. B-Bomb achieves distinct bourbon, oak, cacao, leather, and dark coffee notes from its extended barrel aging and barrel blending. Each barrel contributes a different note, and combining each barrel to create a coherent tone is a distinct art and true pleasure. Please do enjoy this unique barrel-aged ale today, but know that B-Bomb will age gracefully for at least another 5 years. Don’t Be Afraid to Be Abominable.

Courtesy of Fremont Brewing Co
ABV: 14.0%
IBU: 65
Down & Dirty: 2-Row Pale, Chocolate, Roast Barley, Carafa-2, Munich, & C-120 malts with Columbus, Willamette, & Golding hops
Aroma: Vanilla, wood, caramel
Flavor: Cocoa, bourbon, dried fruit
Color: Deep black
Distribution: WA, OR, ID, and the Denver Metro Area
Awards:
·         2016 WA Beer Awards, Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Beer – Gold
·         2016 Best of Craft Beer Awards, Specialty Wood Aged Beer – Gold
·         2015 Festival of Barrel Aged Beers (FoBAB), Strong Dark Beer – Bronze
·         2015 Great Alaska Beer & Barley Wine Fest – Best Winter Beer
·         2013 WA Beer Awards, Wood Aged Beer – Gold 
·         2012 World Beer Cup, Wood & Barrel Aged Strong Beer – Bronze

Fort George Festival of Dark Arts Tickets on Sale Starting November 29th

Courtesy of Fort George Brewing Co
Astoria, Oregon - Dark times mean dark beers. And there is no darker place than Fort George Brewery during Stout Month (AKA February). Every year the taps in Astoria pour black with new stout releases each week, anchored by the largest single-day stout fest in the world – the Festival of Dark Arts.

Courtesy of Fort George Brewing Co
Tickets to the Festival of Darks Arts go on sale Tuesday, November 29th, the darkest day of the month. Those bearers will be granted entrance on Saturday, February 18th into a magical menagerie of dark art and macabre entertainment, all the while surrounded by the boldest collection of stouts ever assembled in one place. You’ll be amazed by iron, glass, ice, and chainsaw craftspeople. Live music, art, and artists will delight you. And over 60 rare and unique stouts will tempt all of your senses.

For more information and a link to tickets go to www.festivalofdarkarts.com. Entertainment and stout details will be added as they are confirmed. General admission tickets are all $40. A limited number of early entry tickets are available for $55, which will allow you into the festival starting at noon. All ticket holders will receive a Festival of Dark Arts Grimoire, a 2017 festival glass, and twelve drink tokens. Additional tokens will be for sale at the festival. You must be 21+ to attend this year.

Courtesy of Fort George Brewing Co
In an effort to maintain the intimacy of the event, tickets are limited. However, the North Coast will be filled to the brim. Buy your tickets and book your hotel rooms early, then prepare your palate for the overwhelming essence of Stout Month.

Festival of Dark Arts
Date: Saturday, February 18th, 2017
Time: 2pm to 10pm (Early Entry Tickets at Noon)
Place: Fort George Block – 1483 Duane Street, Astoria, OR
Details: 21+ only. Tickets are transferrable but not refundable. Be forewarned: stout will stain your clothes. Dress appropriately.

Courtesy of Fort George Brewing Co

Toast to the Winter Solstice with Full Sail’s New Shortest Day CDA

Courtesy of Full Sail Brewing Co
Dark malts and bright hops balance this award-winning, medium-bodied Cascadian Dark Ale 

Hood River, Oregon – November 15, 2016 – The shortest day of the year means the longest night, with more time to drink Full Sail’s new, perfectly balanced Shortest Day Cascadian Dark Ale. Shortest Day CDA, which has already won a gold medal from this year’s Great International Beer & Cider Competition, is brewed with 2-row pale, crystal, and de-husked chocolate malts. It pours a deep dark black with a lacy tan head, with aromas of dark roasty malt and hints of tropical and citrus fruit.

“Shortest Day CDA offers bold flavor with excellent balance,” says Full Sail Executive Brewmaster Jamie Emmerson. “De-husked chocolate malt imparts dark chocolate flavor while crystal adds depth and complexity. Generous additions of Mosaic, Simcoe and Citra hops lend flavors of fruit and sweet floral notes.”

The hand-drawn artwork by Portland-based TWEEQiM creativeLab’s MiQ Willmott on all of Full Sail’s recently rebranded packaging pays homage to Hood River’s water sources, bounty of fresh ingredients, and of course, the award-winning taste in each and every bottle. Shortest Day CDA’s label design does all this and more. Willmott’s meticulous design features the Green Man—known in lore as the mascot of the winter solstice—fashioned from hops, celebrating the darkness of night and rebirth, as days begin getting longer again. “The Green Man’s crescent-moon smile reflects on the river,” says Willmott. “And the white stars represent the ‘winter circle,’ the phenomenon of stars that appear only on the winter solstice. Even the Big Dipper gets a cameo.”

“The symbolism of the label design draws attention to the well-balanced, ridiculously delicious ale inside,” says Full Sail Brewmaster Jim Kelter. “Enjoy this Brewmaster Reserve selection on the shortest day of the year and any other day this season, while it lasts.”

Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve series allows the brewmasters to put their creativity, innovation and passion into small, limited-release beers. These craft brews highlight the direct connection with Full Sail’s farmers, celebrate the art of barrel aging, and explore the effects of time. Over the years, Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve series has earned 18 gold medals. Brewed in small batches, Brewmaster Reserve Shortest Day CDA is only available November through February, in 22 oz. bottles and draft. 6.6% ABV, 57 IBUs.

About Full Sail Brewing Company
Perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the mighty Columbia River’s epic wind and kite surfing and the snow-capped volcanic peaks of Mt. Hood, Full Sail is a true craft-brewing pioneer. Since 1987, Full Sail has been pouring pure Mt. Hood water, local ingredients and responsible processes into each and every pint. Full Sail’s brews and sustainable practices have garnered more than 300 national and international awards, including 150 gold medals and Beverage World ‘s “Craft Brewer of the Year” distinction. From Full Sail Amber and IPA to Session Lager and bourbon barrel-aged beers, Full Sail consistently strives to brew complex, balanced and ridiculously tasty beers. Learn more at www.fullsailbrewing.com.

4th Annual Central Oregon Winter Beer Festival - Saturday, December 10th at GoodLife Brewing


Courtesy of Central Oregon Winter Beer Festival
BEND, OR (Thursday, November 10th, 2016) GoodLife Brewing Company is hosting the 4th Annual Central Oregon Winter Beer Festival in the GoodLife Courtyard on Saturday, December 10th, 2016 from 2pm-9pm.  Last years festival had 20 breweries involved, and this year we are hoping to have all of the Central Oregon breweries, both new and old.  This annual event is held the second Saturday in December at GoodLife Brewing, and we look forward to growing it in the years to come.  We are happy to announce Bigfoot Beverages as our Title Sponsor again in 2016. 

COWBF is a fundraiser for the Central Oregon Brewers Guild, COBG, which works to bring outside awareness to Central Oregon by focusing on our local craft beer culture, with a mission to drive tourism and commerce to Central Oregon, as well as surrounding Oregon communities.  COBG is composed of people working at Central Oregon breweries and was formed to give Central Oregon beer a united voice.

GoodLife Brewing’s Owner/Operator, Ty Barnett, said “It’s a great feeling to know that our small city is producing some of the best beer in the NW, and how best to celebrate our growing beer culture than to get us all together and work to give Central Oregon beer a voice.  Forming a Brewers Guild in our region opens up marketing possibilities that can directly impact Central Oregon.  The more people that know what is happening in Central Oregon, the more people will visit and drive commerce to the city.”

COWBF is a showcase for seasonal and specialty beers brewed in celebration of the holiday season.  Admission to COWBF will be $10.00 and attendees will receive a commemorative COWBF glass, as well as 4 drink tickets.  Each additional ticket will cost $1.00.  The festival will be in a heated tent, and there will be food carts available on-site.

Courtesy of GoodLife Brewing Co

About GoodLife Brewing Company

As brewers of hand crafted ales, we are outdoor enthusiasts who look forward to sharing our craft beers that are most balanced and of the highest quality. GoodLife Brewing Company has been making award-winning beers since 2011 in its home of Bend, Oregon. GoodLife's “Adventurous Ales” are Descender IPA, Sweet As Pacific Ale and a selection of seasonal beers. In addition to making beer, GoodLife enjoys giving back to the community by supporting many local and national non-profit organizations. Play hard, live easy and enjoy GoodBeer for GoodLife! For more information, visit www.goodlifebrewing.com, or find us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter at @GoodLifeBrewing.