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Pictures from the Traveling Brewers’ Dinner Party

Date: Wed, Apr 24, 2013

I had a great time at Saturday’s Traveling Brewers’ Dinner Party held at McMenamins Old St. Francis School; all four breweries involved (McMenamins, Boneyard Beer, Crux Fermentation Project, and GoodLife Brewing) did a great job and the McMenamins chefs knocked it out of the park putting together the menu (all incorporating the specific beer their dish was paired with).

And it was a lot of fun to walk around the McMenamins property, with a guide, getting some of the history and inside stories of the Old St. Francis School. Overall an outstanding evening.

And there’s talk of more of these Dinner Parties, with other breweries rotating through hosting duties. Something I’ll stay on top of and would highly recommend if/when they get announced.

Now, pictures!

[Show as slideshow]

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Quick news note this week

Date: Tue, Apr 23, 2013

There won’t be any “Oregon beer news” posts for the rest of this week (scintillating as they may be!) due to several things, predominantly getting ready for the Oregon Garden Brewfest and heavy planning duties on Central Oregon Beer Week.

I’ll have some other blog posts up this week, but the News posts will resume next Monday.

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Oregon Beer News, 04/22/2013

Date: Mon, Apr 22, 2013

Oregon BeerHappy Earth Day! Here’s is all your environmentally-conscious and friendly news in Oregon beer. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often for updates. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

Deschutes Brewery (Bend) is celebrating Earth Day at their Bend Pub today: “The Environmental Center & Deschutes Brewery turn 25 this year so let’s celebrate with a BEER on Earth Day, April 22nd. Head to our pub in Bend for a specialty Belgian IPA created for Earth Day called…Earthly IPA (courtesy of the folks at the Environmental Center). For every pint sold of this beer we will contribute $1.00 to the Environmental Center. Come on down to the pub for local’s night, Earth Day & a great cause!”

Belmont Station (Portland) is celebrating the grand opening of their new Biergarten this week (part of their expanded space you can read about here) with a special christening and anniversary beer tapping today all day long: “The official christening of the Rich Bobkin Memorial Biergarten! Join us in dedication of our new biergarten to our long time friend and patron who passed away two years ago, Rich Bobkin. To celebrate we will tap Belmont Station 14th, 15th and 16th Anniversary beers.” Don’t miss out on the celebration this week!

Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/22/2013”

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Oregon Garden Brewfest: What to drink

Date: Sat, Apr 20, 2013

beer-2 With this year’s Oregon Garden Brewfest only a week away, it’s time to look over that beer lineup I posted previously and make some lists—my picks for my own must-try beers, and general recommendations for the non-hardcore beer geeks. (Because of course when I’m getting ready for a beer fest, I like to make lists!)

My approach to fests is often to seek out and try beers I haven’t had before, and I especially like to hit the new breweries. There’s always a balance, of course, and it’s always good to mix it up with beers you’ve had and like to round it out.

With that in mind, here’s my must-list:

  • Base Camp Brewing: Ripstop Rye Pils — Interesting idea from one of Portland’s newest
  • Cascade Brewing: Oblique Coffee Black & White Stout — This while “white stout” thing (similar to coffee IPA which is blowing up recently?) certainly has me curious.
  • Crux Fermentation Project: Outcast IPA — Of course I can get this in Bend but it’s a super solid IPA and I’m definitely going to want some hops during the day
  • Falling Sky Brewing: Dark Heart
  • Falling Sky Brewing: Retrograde NW Red — I like what I’ve had by Falling Sky so far so I figure I can’t go wrong
  • Firestone Walker: Solace Wheat — Really nice wheat from a brewery more often known for hops
  • Flat Tail Brewing: Black Hand Maple Nut Porter — Flat Tail is definitely a “concept” brewer in a lot of ways and this sounds tasty
  • Fort George Brewery: Divinity Fruit Beer — I will always try a fruit beer, and this one made with Olalliberries is definitely a must-try
  • Gigantic Brewing: Dark Meddle Vienna Lager
  • Gigantic Brewing: Gigantic IPA — Gigantic is rock-solid, so I know I won’t go wrong with a new offering and their excellent IPA
  • Gilgamesh Brewing: Hopscotch Strong Ale — I definitely appreciate their efforts so I’m in
  • Logsdon Farmhouse Ales: Seizoen Bretta — Simply a great beer
  • McMenamins Thompson Brewery: TBD — I don’t know what they’re pouring but I became a big fan of brewer Jen Kent last year based on her pirate-inspired Imperial Stout so I won’t pass this up
  • Old Town Brewing: OTB Pilsner
  • Old Town Brewing: Boysenberry Black Ale — Suprisingly for as many times as I’ve been to Portland I’ve never tried Old Town’s beers. So they’re on the list, plus a fruit beer!
  • Rusty Truck Brewing: Moonlight Ride Blackberry Ale — I first tried this at the brewery last year, and this year I’m hoping for the more fruit I was looking for
  • Santiam Brewing: Spitfire ESB
  • Santiam Brewing: Pirate Stout — Salem’s newest brewery, so I’m looking forward to trying these
  • Sasquatch Brewery: Oregon Session Ale
  • Sasquatch Brewery: Woodboy IPA — One of Portland’s newest and I haven’t had any yet, so count me in

20 beers seems like a nice number to shoot for. We’ll see how far into this list I make it.

Now, for anyone who’s looking for more general recommendations that aren’t colored by the beer geek angle of seeking out the newest/weirdest/hoppiest/etc. beers, here’s such a list:

  • 10 Barrel Brewing: Wheat IPA — This is their new “O.G.” and is a nice lighter (relatively) beer with a nice hop presence, and will be a nice warm weather beer
  • 21st Amendment: Hell or High Watermelon Wheat — A perennial crowd favorite
  • Crux Fermentation Project: On the Fence Pale — On the hoppier side (hey, it’s Oregon) but a nice beer for anyone, er, on the fence about pales
  • Double Mountain Brewery: Vaporizer Dry Hopped Pale — Crisp, hoppy without being intimidating, super drinkable beer
  • Elysian Brewing: Super Fuzz Blood Orange Pale — Excellent fruit character without being cloying and balanced with bitter orange peel character
  • Firestone Walker: Solace Wheat — Excellent representation of a wheat ale
  • Flat Tail Brewing: Tailgater Kölsch — Light and easy-drinking which a lot of people will look for without giving up flavor
  • Full Sail Brewing: Lager Series LTD 5
  • Full Sail Brewing: Pub Series ESB — Full Sail brews great beers and both of these would be great choices
  • Gigantic Brewing: Gigantic IPA — If you’re looking for that IPA fix, this is the one
  • Hopworks Urban Brewery: Organic HUB Lager — Super solid, easy-drinking lager that’s full of flavor
  • Kona Brewing: Koko Brown — A delicious coconut-infused brown ale you won’t be sorry to go back for again
  • Oakshire Brewing: Line Dry Rye — Always a good choice, slightly spicy from the rye but a nicely drinkable beer
  • Pelican Pub & Brewery: Winema Wit — It’s nice to have a Belgian Wit styled beer represented, and Pelican’s version is a good one
  • Sierra Nevada Brewing: Pale Ale — An American classic!
  • Widmer Brothers Brewing: Alchemy Pale Ale — Widmer’s newest is going to be a hit, I think.

And, in case you’re looking for some alternatives, there are several ciders and meads present, so if you’re not a big beer fan, or need gluten-free offerings, these are worth looking into. I haven’t tried all of these, but here are some to look for:

  • 2 Towns Ciderhouse: The Incider & The Bad Apple — This cidery from Corvallis has been getting the good word
  • Blue Dog Mead: Green Collar Mead & Yellow Collar Mead — Blue Dog out of Eugena has some nice-drinking offerings
  • Nectar Creek Honeywine: Wildflower Session Mead & Ginger Session Mead — Also out of Corvallis, they’ve been doing some interesting meads as well
  • Wandering Aengus Ciderworks: Anthem Cherry & Anthem Hops — Yes, cider with hops in it!

I’m really looking forward to the OGBF this year, and making these lists only stokes the excitement. What beers are you really looking forward to trying?

Oregon Garden Brewfest

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Get your kicks…at Elevation 66

Date: Fri, Apr 19, 2013

When I first learned I would be relocating to the East Bay late last summer, I immediately began scouring the area for local brewpubs, beer bars, etc., through beermapping.com, my dog-eared copy of Good Beer Guide West Coast USA and asking everyone I knew about the area. Not knowing exactly where I was going to live, I primarily focused on Berkeley (my new office location) and found some great places: Pyramid, Triple Rock, Jupiter; and a few in Oakland: Beer Revolution, The Trappist… but I didn’t discover my ‘local’ brewpub Elevation 66 until I was actually driving BY it (as I didn’t initially check the El Cerrito area as I didn’t think we’d land there… and, honestly, El Cerrito is a beer dead zone). I went in later that afternoon and discovered that they were celebrating their one year anniversary—what a terrific way to be welcomed to the neighborhood!

Elevation 66 Brewing

Subsequently, I’ve been to Elevation 66 on quite a few occasions and I have to say—I couldn’t have asked for a better local hangout. It’s cozy and friendly, with a terrific small staff and is literally the perfect spot for an afternoon pint to catch a game or to have a nice family dinner—assuming you don’t have a long wait as it’s a very popular spot. Also, a huge plus: they’re very kid friendly. My family, I think, was only mentioned in my last post but I have a 3 ½ year old daughter who frequently accompanies my wife and I on brewery excursions and so finding kid friendly breweries/brewpubs is important.

Elevation 66

Getting there is pretty easy as they’re a couple blocks from a BART stop, there’s ample parking in the immediate area, and the Ohlone Greenway goes right by if you’re biking. Additionally, they’re on a cute block with an eclectic group of stores/restaurants (including a cool comic book store) and a terrific looking theater a door down that allows beer drinking inside. WIN.

Elevation 66 beer

It’s a small location and they only brew enough beer to serve on one of their 12 taps (typically 6 for the home team and 6 guest—with a great rotating selection and one seemingly permanent cider tap)—so no growler fills to be had! The food is mostly locally sourced and they pride themselves on their support of the local community/economy with their menu. The selection itself isn’t extravagant but has a number of amazing items and they rotate out dishes occasionally (they have some amazing mac’n’cheese—and I’ve had a LOT of mac’n’cheese from breweries).

Elevation 66

The beer across the board has always been top-notch, with special marks for the hoppy West Coast IPAs that I love. I’ve never had a single pint (or visit for that matter) that I felt was sub-par and I’ve tried many of their offerings:

  • East Bay IPA
  • White Rabbit Double IPA
  • Laurel Leaf Pale Ale
  • Old 66
  • Two Beagle Brown
  • Caber Toss Scotch
  • Ramble Tamble Red
  • Esther Stout
  • Choco-nut Stout
  • Barrel Aged Chocolate Imperial Stout
  • Contra Costa Kolsch
  • Accidental Ale

So if you’re in the East Bay for a visit I can’t endorse Elevation 66 enough…it’s well worth the trip—assuming you can get a chair!

Elevation 66

Elevation 66 Brewing
10082 San Pablo Avenue
El Cerrito, CA 94530
(510) 525-4800

Cheers!
Ben

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Oregon Beer News, 04/19/2013

Date: Fri, Apr 19, 2013

Oregon BeerTGIF! Sometimes I think the end of the week couldn’t get here soon enough, and there’s plenty of beer things going on to make it a big weekend. Here’s the Oregon beer news for Friday the 19th and the rest of the weekend. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news as I find it, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

Portland’s Cheers to Belgian Beers starts today! This year the focus is on Oregon brewers showcasing their Belgian-style ales (rather than all brewing with the same yeast as in years past) and it’s a nice-looking list with some new beers being debuted (or specially-brewed). It’s taking place at Metalcraft Fabrication tonight from 5:30 to 8:30pm, and tomorrow (Saturday) from noon to 8. Cost is $15 for the (required) glass and 5 drink tickets, $20 for the glass and 20 tickets (and they are additionally $1 each); they’ll only be pouring samples, no full pours. This is going to be the event of the weekend I suspect, so be sure to check it out if you can!

McMenamins Thompson Brewery & Public House (Salem) has a weekend-long beer tasting they’ve dubbed “The Big Beer Theory,” six specialty beers they’ve put together with $7.50 tasting trays: Pole-Ax Lager, Hoodie Love Lager, Purple Haze, Magnuson Strong Ale, The Big Lebrewski, Dry-Hopped Jam Sessions ISA. Thompson brewer Jen Kent brews up tasty beers so this is definitely something you should be looking to sample if you can make it over to Salem.

Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/19/2013”

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The next Session: Business!

Date: Fri, Apr 19, 2013

The next Session has been announced for May, and it’s being hosted by Chuck of allbrews: The Business of Brewing.

Like sandlot baseball players or schoolyard basketball junkies, many amateur brewers, including some beer-brewing bloggers, harbor a secret dream: They aspire to some day “go pro.” They compare their beer with commercial brews poured in their local pubs and convince themselves that they’ve got the brewing chops it takes to play in the Bigs. Some of them even make it, fueling the dream that flutters in the hearts of many other home brewers yearning to see their beer bottles on the shelves at City Beer or their kegs poured from the taps at Toronado.

Creating a commercial brewery consists of much more than making great beer, of course. It requires meticulous planning, careful study and a whole different set of skills from brewing beer. And even then, the best plan can still be torpedoed by unexpected obstacles. Making beer is the easy part, building a successful business is hard.

In this Session, I’d like to invite comments and observations from bloggers and others who have first-hand knowledge of the complexities and pitfalls of starting a commercial brewery. What were the prescient decisions that saved the day or the errors of omission or commission that caused an otherwise promising enterprise to careen tragically off the rails?

I wonder how big the pool is of bloggers with such experience? Regardless I’ll bet plenty of people have a lot to say about it so I’ll be curious to read the responses.

The Session kicks off on Friday, May 3, and all are welcome to participate!

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Oregon Beer News, 04/18/2013

Date: Thu, Apr 18, 2013

Oregon BeerHere’s the news in Oregon beer for Thursday, the 18th of April. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often for the latest news. If you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

BridgePort Brewing (Portland): Today is the release party for this year’s version of Stumptown Tart, taking place at their pub from 5:30 to 8pm and it’s sounding like quiet a party: “We’re hosting a Stumptown Tart release party Thursday, April 18 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the BridgePort Brewpub in Portland. Be among the first to sample this new beer while supplies last. As guests are enjoying their first taste, bottle model Bernie Dexter will be puckering up at the Stumptown Tart kissing booth. For $1, guests can snag a smooch from the Stumptown Tart herself and have their bottle signed by the well-known pin-up model. All Donations will go to The American Cancer Society.”  This year’s Stumptown Tart includes the addition of blueberries for the first time.

Belmont Station (Portland): Tonight they are featuring a tasting and meet the brewer with Carlton’s Fire Mountain Brewery from 5 to 8pm: “Taste the brand new version of Tan Line, an IPA created specially for spring and summer days. Plus, try the Steam Fired Stout, Oregon Pale Ale, Bad Henry IPA, and Bogart IPA. And swap a few stories with the always fun Henry Gorgas, your brewmaster/host for this fine tasting!”

Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/18/2013”

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Oregon Beer News, 04/17/2013

Date: Wed, Apr 17, 2013

Oregon BeerHappy Hump Day! Here’s the Oregon beer news for Wednesday, April 17th. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often for updates. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Lompoc Brewing (Portland): Tonight at the Hedge House from 5 to 7pm they are holding a release party for Cellar D’or, a Belgian-style golden ale; they’d posted a description previously: “Belgian Farmhouse style that’s golden in color with malted spelt and acidulated malt.” It’s also slated to show up at the Cheers to Belgian Beers fest this weekend, so if you don’t get the chance to try it tonight, look for it Friday and Saturday!

McMenamins Cedar Hills (Beaverton) has got an interesting-looking limited-edition beer tasting tonight featuring a beer named First Light Lemongrass Wheat: “With the spring season upon us, Oak Hills brewer Stephen Harper decided to create a light, flavorful American Wheat ale. Infused with just the right amount of fresh lemongrass, the “First Light” is wonderfully easy drinking ale. Munich malt provides just the right amount of body. Conservative amounts of Sterling and Brewers Gold hops let the flavor of the lemongrass shine through. Perfect for soaking up some rays on a patio.”  The tasting starts at 4pm and lasts as long as the keg does; hopefully there’ll be some sun today to match the beer.

Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/17/2013”

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McMenamins Old St. Francis School Traveling Brewers’ Dinner Party

Date: Tue, Apr 16, 2013

McMenamins Old St. Francis SchoolThere’s a cool event in Bend this Saturday the 20th that’s put together/hosted by McMenamins Old St. Francis School: a Traveling Brewers’ Dinner Party that’s essentially a progressive beer dinner around the OSF property and, in addition to featuring McMenamins’ own beers, they’ve invited three other Bend breweries to join them: Boneyard Beer, Crux Fermentation Project, and GoodLife Brewing.

If you like to drink good beer and eat good food, this event is for you. Our own brewers, along with GoodLife Brewing, Boneyard Beer and Crux Fermentation Project, will take you around the property, sampling food and drinks at O’Kane’s courtyard, one of our spacious guestrooms, the Fireside Room courtyard and our onsite brewery.

The cost is $50 for which you will need to reserve a spot by calling 541-382-5174, but that’s a $50 well spent based on the menu/schedule they have posted:

Father Luke’s Room
Double Cross Strong Dark Belgian [Crux Fermentation Project]

O’Kanes
Our Pope Vienna Lager [OSF Brewery]
Grilled oysters and a lager mignonette sauce
Crux Pilsner [Crux Fermentation Project]
Mini vegetable skewers marinated in pilsner

OSF Guestroom
29er Brown [GoodLife Brewing]
Risotto balls

Courtyard
Diablo En Fuego Red [Boneyard Beer]
Fresh grilled jalapeño poppers

Brewery
Sweet As Pale [GoodLife Brewing]
Mini reuben
RPM IPA [Boneyard Beer]
Mini salmon slider with RPM glaze

Father Luke’s Room
Black Scratch Chocolate/Vanilla Porter [OSF Brewery]
Molten lava cake

That menu makes me hungry just looking at it. This should be a good evening, and a great showcase both for McMenamins and the participating breweries—and a great example of the brewing camaraderie in the community overall.

The event starts at 6pm, so reserve your spot today!

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Oregon Beer News, 04/16/2013

Date: Tue, Apr 16, 2013

Oregon BeerHere’s the news in Oregon beer for Tuesday, the 16th of April. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that updated as well.

Belmont Station (Portland) is hosting Bend’s GoodLife Brewing tonight for their Portland can release party, as well as a tasting and tapping. “The last time we had Goodlife Brewing here for an event was when they debuted their beer to Portland. That was a great party! Now a year later they have up-ed their game again, producing some of our favorite beers in six packs of cans. We will sample cans of the Sweet As and Descender IPA. You will find the new release, Redside India Red Ale on draft in the Biercafé. Cheers to the changing of the season with more canned beer!” Be there tonight from 5 to 8pm to check out GoodLife’s cans (they’re pretty slick).

Deschutes Brewery (Bend): Today is the first of a new quarterly “co-op” series of events the Brewery is putting on: “We are excited to announce a new co-op venture with quarterly events that will showcase the brewing and culinary talents in our Central Oregon community. These events will be FREE to craft beer fans with a donation opportunity for local non-profit organizations through Rally Cause.” Today’s event is “The Brewers Diaries” taking place from 5:30 to 7:30pm: “Brewers in the Central Oregon community are invited to meet craft beer fans in the community and share their insights, inspirations, and share a small amount of their “baby” beer. Professional brewers, homebrewers, and brewing science students share how they got started in the biz, and answer questions over tasters. Enjoy complimentary beer samples from Crux Fermentation Project, GoodLife Brewing Company, 10 Barrel Brewing Company, Below Grade Brewing, Deschutes Brewery, Worthy Brewing Company, Winners of the Bend Fall Festival Homebrew Contest, & more. Light snacks will also be provided.”  Sounds great!

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Oregon Beer News, 04/15/2013

Date: Mon, Apr 15, 2013

Oregon BeerHappy Tax Day! Hopefully you’ll have found yourself with a tax refund this year, but if not, I’m sorry—either way, sounds like an occasion for a beer. Meanwhile, the news rolls on; here’s the Oregon beer news for Monday the 15th of April. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day with the latest news, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

This Friday and Saturday, the 19th and 20th, is the annual Portland’s Cheers to Belgian Beers festival, the 7th annual iteration of this event that celebrates Oregon’s Belgian-inspired beers, and interestingly this year they’ve removed the central theme the event was built on: requiring all participating breweries to use the same strain of Belgian yeast. Now it’s open to all Belgian-styled beers which makes a certain sense but to me seems to lose part of what originally made this festival special (the New School goes into detail here). Regardless it will be a great event, taking place at Metalcraft Fabrication and costs $15 or $20 for the stemmed glass (required to taste) plus 5 or 10 tickets, respectively. Friday night’s hours hour 5:30 to 8:30pm, and on Saturday it runs from noon to 8pm.

Heater Allen Brewing (McMinnville): They posted about some expansion news on Friday which is good news for one of Oregon’s only lager breweries: “First, we will (hopefully) be opening our new tasting room by Memorial Day. If nothing else, we will be open that weekend, and pouring beer in some updated space. Some of the related improvements include a large new walk-in cooler for more tanks, bottle storage, and a place to hang some taps, and a spiffy new bar. Second, we’ve decided to get a bigger brew system. Our current system really isn’t designed for the kind of brewing (German – if you want to know the difference, ask us at an Open House) that we do, and at times it has been hard to keep up with demand. In late August or early September we’ll take delivery of a brand new 15 Barrel system that is custom-designed for our brewing needs.” Nice to see that growth, as they make really nice lagers.

Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/15/2013”

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Oregon Beer News, 04/12/2013

Date: Fri, Apr 12, 2013

Oregon BeerHappy Friday! I’m getting a late start on this weekend news post due to many other things going on today, but I’ll post what I can. As usual, I’ll be periodically updating this post throughout the day (what’s left of it) with the latest news, so check back often. And if you have news to share, please contact me and I can get that posted as well.

Double Mountain Brewery (Hood River) is doing a special tap takeover at Portland’s Bazi Bierbrasserie tonight from 5 to 9pm, featuring their special “Four Horsemen” series (“Beers of the Apocalypse”) which sounds great: “Join Double Mountain and Bazi as we drink our weekend to April 15 with a special tap takeover featuring the beers from the Four Horsemen series. You’ve probably had one here and there, now is your opportunity to have all four in one place.” The beers are White Rider of Conquest, Red War, Black Famine, and Pale Death—all Belgian-style concoctions. Taster trays with 5oz pours of each will be available for $8.

McMenamins Crystal Ballroom (Portland): Sunday the 14th they have a limited-edition beer tasting from 6 to 8pm featuring Bell Witch Vienna Lager: “A well balanced Amber Lager that has tons of malt character and a bold hop presence. The malt character is toasted and bready with a subtle sweetness. Brewers Gold hops, used generously, add an orange citrus character without overpowering bitterness. This beer was fermented really cold which gives it a clean and crisp finish. Show your respect for the Bell Witch.”

Continue reading “Oregon Beer News, 04/12/2013”

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Of Frogs and Grog

Date: Thu, Apr 11, 2013

We recently found ourselves returning home from a family oriented day trip when we were approaching Fairfield, CA. Having only managed snacking throughout the early afternoon (as it was a finger-food potluck gathering that we were retreating from) we started discussing the possibility of getting a bite to eat and my wife noted a local brewpub that she’d visited the week before—the Blue Frog Grog and Grill [warning: obnoxious auto-playing music]. My daughter quickly became the most vocal advocate for stopping and so we pulled off the freeway to grab a bite and a pint.

The Blue Frog himself!

Located in the corner of a mall, the location definitely screams brewpub—with a giant grain silo out front emblazoned with a neon sign.

Blue Frog grain silo

Upon entering, we quickly found ourselves in mellow twilight, due to few overall windows and the floor plan was split between the bar and dining areas. The overall décor looked as though it were an Italian restaurant in a past life and it created a real eclectic vibe.

Blue Frog inside

Eclectic artwork in the Blue Frog

We were taken to a snazzy booth and ordered a few different appetizers to share and some much-needed beer (and our waitress was very friendly and efficient!). The food was pretty decent and the beer was good (and they have happy hour every day from 3-6 with a terrific $2 for house pints). I started with their IPA, which was pretty good, and then tried their deceptively strong DIPA 3 (although neither IPA was as dry hopped as I tend to prefer these days). The real gem of the afternoon, though, was their coffee porter—I was somewhat shocked at how good it really was. Well balanced and robust with really the perfect balance of coffee flavor and aroma. I wish they bottled it!

Blue Frog beer cabinet

Overall, it was a really pleasant stop and I’d recommend it for anyone heading through Fairfield (as it’s pretty much right off the I-80 freeway). If I were a local I could see myself becoming a fairly regular visitor with their great happy hour deal and child-friendly atmosphere.

Blue Frog Grog & Grill

Blue Frog Grog and Grill
http://bigbluefrog.com
1750 Travis Boulevard
Fairfield, CA 94533
(707) 429-BEER (2337)
@bluefrogbrew

Cheers!
Ben

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