Portland Last Call Pub Night - Wednesday

I will grabbing a few beers at Bailey's Taproom on Wednesday night and hope to see a few familiar faces before my departure for TX.  Come by anytime after 8 pm and let's grab a beer.

Bailey's Taproom  

8 pm

Wednesday, March 2nd

The Brewery Road Trip Back to Texas

The time has finally come.  Next week the house gets packed up and the moving truck gets loaded.  My wife and kids fly to Texas with Grandma.  I have the pleasure of driving back to Texas with our dog.  And I truly to mean pleasure.  I have planned out a road trip down I-5 to San Diego and then across Arizona and New Mexico into Texas. I plan on stopping at many of the significant breweries along the way, along with a necessary detour.

Before I outline my itinerary, I want to be sure to emphasize that this road trip is being planned with safety in mind.  I will not be drinking at every stop and any lunch stops involving beer will be in moderation.  The point is to stop into these breweries to get a feel of the experience, maybe have a little taste, possibly pick up a growler.  Overnight accommodations have been made with proximity to the breweries in mind to aid in walking or using public transportation.  Please do not drink and drive.  That being said, here is my scheduled itinerary.

Day 1:  Depart Portland in the morning.  Lunch at Block 15 Brewing and a visit to Corvallis Brewing Supply.
            Stop in Eugene to visit Ninkasi and Oakshire for growler fills of any seasonal offerings.
            Overnight in Ashland.  Dinner at Caldera Tap House.  Visit Standing Stone Brewery.

Day 2:  Possible stop at Mt. Shasta Brewing in Weed, CA.
            Lunch and tour at Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. in Chico, CA
            Detour to Napa Valley to overnight in Santa Rosa.  Visit Russian River BC and Lagunitas.

Day 3:  Drive straight to L.A. for the night. (skipping San Francisco on this trip).
            Visit The Bruery and The Bruery Provisions in Orange County.

Days 4-6?:  San Diego.  Pizza Port, Alpine, Port/Lost Abbey, Stone, Green Flash etc....
                   Not sure I will make it out of San Diego.

Day 7-8:  If manage to pull myself out of San Diego it is straight East with a bullet.  I have found a breweries or craft beer bars in Tucson, Las Cruces, and even El Paso.  I have a feeling I might be ready to get to Texas at this point but if I happen to stop in those towns, I will certainly seek out these places.

There you have it.   Over 2500 miles.  A man and his dog.  At least 15 breweries.  This should be fun.  Follow me on twitter for updates during the journey and look for posts from Texas in mid-March.

The State of Craft Beer in Texas, Part 3 - Austin

The similarities between Portland and Austin are numerous and include all of the buzzwords: young creatives, food carts, hipsters, music, outdoor activities, etc...Until a year or two ago I would not have felt comfortable including craft beer into the discussion.  Fortunately, Austin is in the middle of a craft beer explosion.  Numerous breweries and brewpubs have opened in the last year along with craft beer bars and gastro-pubs.

I was only in Austin for 36 hours, so this is by no means a comprehensive discussion or guide to all that Austin has to offer in regards to craft beer.  In fact, I didn't even have a chance to make it to my favorite (and many other's favorite) bar - the Draught House.  I tried to focus on visiting a few places that I had not been to yet.  Look for more detailed reviews of other worthy stops in Austin after my move.

Our first stop in Austin was right off of I-35 in South Austin.  Situated on the frontage road, Whip In at first glance looks like an average convenience store.  Step inside and have your mind blown by the combination bottle shop/taproom/music venue/indian food restaurant/convenience store.  Awesome.  The bottle selection is not as extensive as you might find in OR but blame that on TX distribution limitations, not the Whip In.  Regardless, I saw several bottles that I had not had the pleasure of drinking before.

Photo:  The General Cafe blog

The taplist includes around 60 beers and one of the best lists of TX beers I saw during my time in TX.  It was here that I enjoyed my first beer from new Austin brewery Jester King.  The Wytchmaker Rye IPA has a serious piney aroma with bitterness tempered by the rye.  Delicious.  Later that night I had the pleasure of drinking another Jester King beer.  Black Metal Imperial Stout is a fantastic example of a Russian Imperial Stout.  All the classic flavors - molasses, oak, vanilla, chocolate - that increase as the beer warms.  A damn fine beer that was just bottled for the first time and included in Michael Jackson's Rare Beer Club.  On the other end of the beer spectrum, Jeff Alworth would love their Commercial Suicide - a flavorful English mild dark ale at 3.3% ABV.

Photo: Marchbank Investments

We threw our stuff down at the too cool for school San Jose Hotel on South Congress.  Well deserving of it's hipster reputation, this minimalist hotel has cool grounds including a poolside bar and adjacent coffeeshop.  The bar has a few decent bottle offerings but South Congress is generally lacking in good craft beer offerings.  Nearby icehouse Doc's has a few good TX craft beers on tap but their dirty tap lines ruined what is usually my favorite TX brewed beer - (512) Brewing's Pecan Porter.  I recommend the short walk downtown to the Austin edition of the TX bred craft beer bar chain The Ginger Man.

We met friends for beers and appetizers at the brand new Black Star Co-op.  The first cooperative brewery in existence, Black Star opened in the fall of 2010.  Membership is $150 and entitles the owner to full voting privileges within the cooperative along with other perks (free events, free birthday beer...).  The beer and food menu follow a theme of Rational v. Irrational.  Rational beers and food are the menu stalwarts.  Irrational beer and food are the seasonal offerings.  They had yet to offer any Irrational beers before my visit but the first one - Moontower - a winter warmer was tapped February 9th.



My complaint with the Rational beer list is that they do not give the style of the beer, just a broad description.  It took a little guessing for me to figure out what each beer would be and I imagine someone new to craft beer would be put off by this.  I tried all four Rational beers and found them all to be average offerings.  The High Esteem is billed as a pale ale but tasted like a macro offering.  The Double Dee is an average amber (and I don't care for ambers).  The Vulcan was a decent hoppy rye IPA.  The Recalcitrant Dockhand is a straight ahead stout.  I will give Black Star some time to get it's feet wet before judging them too much on their in house beers.  The good thing is that if you don't like their in house beers, they have a stellar line up of guest taps, which is constantly changing.  To keep the ATX-PDX connection alive, Black Star also offers a great snack plate with cured meats, cheeses, and pickled items that was great for sharing.



We left our friends at Black Star and headed back South to meet some other friends at the new restaurant Barley Swine on South Lamar.  This restaurant opened just before New Year's Eve and focuses on locally sourced food.  Chef Bryce Gilmore made a name for himself with his Austin food cart Odd Duck and presents small plates full of flavor paired with an impressive draft and bottle list.

 

As you can see the beer list offers a nice variety of styles and breweries from Texas and the nation.  I started with another local beer with the Independence Brewery Stash IPA - a drinkable if not adventurous IPA.   I followed that with a Shade Grown Coffee Porter from Real Ale Brewing Company in Blanco, TX.  A thin but delicious porter where the chocolate flavors outshine the coffee.  The food came out fast and furious with a few stellar dishes (scallops, sweetbreads, rabbit stew) and a few misses (fritters, octopus).  The tables split a bottle of Stone Sublimely Self Righteous while sharing a few desserts.  All in all, a fun dinner with good food and great beer.

Photo: Smart Kitchen blog

House hunting on the final day did not go well and extended well into the late afternoon which disrupted my craft beer exploration.  We ended our trip at a favorite Austin restaurant - Parkside. An oasis of good food and beer on the party strip of 6th Street downtown, Parkside offers an excellent raw bar, contemporary cuisine, innovative cocktails and a small but sharp beer list.  Parkside is also known to host some great beer pairing dinners.  We took advantage of the Wednesday special of half price oysters while knocking back some familiar Texas craft beers with friends.  A great way to end a short visit to Austin.  My week in Central Texas was a blast and left me excited about returning to the Lone Star State.

The State of Craft Beer in Texas - Part 2, San Antonio

We recently flew down to the San Antonio and Austin area to attend a conference and look for rental homes for our impending move.  I also took advantage of the trip to scout out the beer scenes in both cities. I am somewhat familiar with the Austin beer scene from frequent trips for SXSW and ACL Festival.  On the other hand, the San Antonio beer scene was entirely new to me.

We started off with cheap oysters and beers for happy hour at Luke - a new restaurant along the Riverwalk from New Orleans chef John Besh.  Luke opened just before the new year and has received great reviews for both the food and impressive beer selection.  The taplist featured numerous TX craft beer options as well as some national and import choices.  They also have an extensive bottle selection including several Belgians.  I had been hoping to visit new San Antonio brewery & distillery Ranger Creek, which hosts weekly tours on Saturday.  However, the tour was early (before we arrived) on this particular Saturday.  As luck would have it, Luke had two Ranger Creek beers on tap.

I started with the Oatmeal Pale Ale which had a subdued citrus hop aroma.  The subtle oatmeal comes through and helps accentuate the malt flavors.  A nice flavorful pale ale.  It was the Mesquite Smoked Porter that really shined and just killed in combination with the oysters. A perfect balance of smoke and chocolate.  It was so good, I returned to Luke a few days later for another dose of oysters and Mesquite Smoked Porter!  Later in the week in Houston, I was able to sample a third beer from Ranger Creek - La Bestia Aimable.  This Belgian dark strong ale is a boozy treat with strong tastes of pit fruit.  A successful and adventurous beer from such a young brewery.  Well done.

Sunday we ventured to the Northern outskirts of town to watch the NFL playoffs at Freetail Brewing Co.  Open since November 2008, Freetail has been making a name for itself by creating a wide range of well crafted beer.  Owner/brewer Scott Metzger is also spearheading the movement to change the stifling beer laws in the current TX legislature (as I detailed in Part 1 and Scott chronicles on his blog).  We started off by sharing two taster trays, which allowed us a taste of all 10 beers on tap.  The beers included standards such as a pale ale, golden, amber, and IPA; as well as a few more adventurous beers like an old ale, doppelbock, black IPA and a chili infused lager. 

All the beers were above average (I exclude the amber which I didn't care for but I never care for ambers) and a few were standouts.  The Old Bat Rastard old ale/winter warmer is a nice full bodied beer with caramel/toffee malt flavors overlying some fruitiness.  Very nice.  The black IPA was very well done also.  We had a great time watching football, drinking beer and eating pizza.  I look forward to returning to Freetail Brewing in March.  I also look forward to scoring some bottles from their exclusive bottle release from this past weekend - Old Bat Rastard, Barrel Aged OBR, and Fortuna Roja (barrel aged pickly pear wild ale)!

The next stop in San Antonio was The Friendly Spot. This funky icehouse is located in the King William district, which is probably the most Portland-like area of San Antonio.  Situated less than a mile from the Riverwalk, this long up and coming neighborhood features all of the telltale signs:  a little sketchy, old Victorian homes in various stages of restoration mixed with gentrified new housing, funky independent shops/restaurants/bars, and a contemporary arts complex.  The Friendly Spot is a similar funky mix of craft beer, BMC drinkers, bikers, cyclists, families, and sports fanatics.

Two bars - one inside a small shack, one outside - spill out onto the sprawling patio that includes lawn chairs, tables, bar stools, a music stage, and a giant projection screen for movies, football and their beloved Spurs.  There is even a playground in the front corner.  The best part is that all of this mixes seemlessly and everyone is having a good time.  Grab a chair and a warm Mexican poncho if the weather is brisk!  I was enjoying another Ranger Creek OPA while watching sports next to a table of leather clad Mexican bikers pounding the $1 Lone Stars and laughing up a storm.  It was fantastic. 

The craft beer selection includes Texas allstars like (512) Brewing, St. Arnolds, Real Ale, Ranger Creek alongside larger breweries such as Stone, Sierra Nevada, etc...The only negative is the use of plastic cups.  Regardless, I could see bringing the family here and enjoying some good beer while the kids run around the playground on a warm spring day.

The final stop in San Antonio was Blue Star Brewing Company for lunch.   It is located in the back of the Blue Star contemporary arts complex and has a great deck overlooking an adjacent greenspace and stream.  We didn't explore the beer options much as there was not much on tap that day.  Regardless, the sun was shining, the chicken fried steak and green chile stew were delicious and the stouts we drank hit the spot.  I do not have much of a clue to how the rest of the beers taste (not the greatest reviews on Beeradvocate) but it is worth a stop for a beer on the patio on a nice sunny day.

All in all a great time in San Antonio.  Freetail and Ranger Creek are working hard to earn San Antonio and all of Texas a better reputation in the craft beer community.  They still have a lot of work to do though.  Besides the restaurant Luke, it was near impossible finding a decent beer along the Riverwalk.  If you know where to look though, there is great beer to be had in San Antonio.

Get Yourself to Corvallis Soon

This Saturday, February 5th, Block 15 Restaurant and Brewery in Corvallis is releasing it's second bottled beer - Pappy's Dark, a bourbon barrel aged strong ale.  It is just one part of a month long celebration of bourbon which also includes a special list of bourbons at the bar, a bourbon infused food menu, and the release on draft of Pappy's Dark and Super Nebular bourbon barrel aged stout.

The bottle release had originally been announced on Brewpublic as being scheduled for February 1st.  Eager to make a return trip to Corvallis, I took a vacation day along with a co-worker for February 1st and planned a visit to Block 15 for the release.  Unfortunately they pushed back the release date.  I expressed disappointment in the change on my twitter account and Block 15 owner/brewer Nick Arzner was gracious enough to invite me down to Corvallis on the 1st and give me a tour of the brewhouse and cellar.



Bourbon barrel - now empty of Pappy's Dark and Super Nebula


It was a gloriously sunny day as we made the easy drive down to Corvallis.  We found a booth at the restaurant and ordered a Pappy's Dark and Super Nebula before meeting Nick and heading off for the tour.  The passion that Nick has for brewing and especially for his barrel aging program was immediately obvious.  I must refer the reader to Ezra's excellent interview with Nick as it provides great incite into what Nick is doing with barrel aging utilizing brewer's yeast and wild yeasts.  I cannot provide much more information into the program other than to urge anyone that has a chance to take a tour with Nick to do so.  He is a pleasure to talk to about brewing and following him around the labyrinthian cellar is a blast.  Just when you think you are done, another false door leads to a room full of barrels or his new cool-ship.  I also encourage readers to keep an eye on Nick's excellent brewer's brain blog for a great look behind the scenes at Block 15.



Barrels in the wild ale cellar room



We returned to our booth and I ordered the special Maple bourbon bacon burger to go along with another round of Pappy's Dark and Super Nebula.  Both beers are fantastic.  Pappy's Dark is sweet and malty with vanilla hints and nice bourbon punch.  Super Nebula is a dark, chewy, bourbon covered chocolate.  So good, I had to get a growler filled on my way out.



Block 15 head brewer Steve Van Rossem



I highly recommend the trip down to Corvallis on Saturday for the Pappy's Dark bottle release.  They will also have 2009 Pappy's Dark and Super Nebula on draft for vertical samplers.  If you cannot make it down to Corvallis, Block 15 will have a Portland release the following Saturday, February 12th at the Hop and Vine.  Along with 6 cases of Pappy's Dark bottles, Nick will have kegs of Pappy's Dark, Super Nebula, Six Hop Wonder, and Simple? (a session pale ale).

After finishing up at Block 15, we stepped out into the sunny but cold afternoon and took a walk along the Corvallis riverfront.  Looking to escape the brisk air, I vaguely remembered someone recommending a visit to Corvallis Brewing Supply.  Looking to stock up on Pacific NW brews before my move, I figured I might check out this homebrew shop and bottle shop. 



Part of the bottle selection at Corvallis Brewery Supply



The bottle selection is quite impressive.  Shelf after shelf is lined with all of the usual suspects from the West Coast.  I was happy to snag a bottle of Cascade Sang Rouge and another bottle of Caldera Old Growth Stout.  I even found a bottle of Pike 2008 Old Bawdy Barleywine that a friend in TX needs to complete a vertical.  After stacking these and a few other bottles on the counter and sparking a conversation with the workers, they were kind enough to open a bottle of Upright Billy the Mountain for several customers to share.  Now that is what I am talking about.

The fine ladies of Corvallis Brewery Supply

While enjoying a glass of this fine brew, I got to talking with the employees about their cellar collection.  This is not advertised anywhere in the store but he was happy to tell me about it and offer a few suggestions.  I was stoked to leave the store with a bottle of Deschutes Black Butte XX and a couple of 2008 Abyss for very reasonable prices.  I wish I had had more time or the ability to peruse that cellar myself.  Corvallis Brewery Supply is a necessary stop when in Corvallis.

We ended our afternoon with a couple of beers at Flat Tail Brewing.  Located right on the riverfront, this brewery opened within the last year and finally features their own beers on tap.  We had a Lickspigot barleywine (which is brewed in cooperation with Corvallis Brewery Supply) and a Belgian Bitter.  Both were good but not great beers, although it was tough to follow the two beers we had a Block 15.  The space is quite expansive and geared towards a sports bar.

All in all a fantastic day in Corvallis.  I look forward to a return trip on my way to Texas in March.  You should make point to head down there yourself.

Unsung Beer Heroes: Jon Berry - Cascade Brewing Co.

By: Nicole

Jon Berry is a brewer for Cascade Brewing Company where there was a staffing increase in 2010 that came along with the expansion of barrel aging and blending.  Similar to most things at Cascade Brewing, a new brewer could not be just anyone: it had to be someone special.  Jon has both brewing experience and a good palate, but there are some things about him that make him stand apart from the rest of the craft brew crowd.

Jon started home brewing as a hobby in 1992, but didn’t enter into the professional world until 2005 when he started as a keg washer and packaging operator at Widmer Brothers Brewing.  He was previously in the field of protein bio-chemistry. Whatever you just imagined that means…you’re probably right.  He worked in a lab with flasks and microscopes and other pieces of equipment that most remember from secondary school. The best thing about Jon’s background in the bio-chem field is his knowledge of the molecular structures of every beer ingredient. Having that knowledge allows Jon to manipulate the behavior of his ingredients at the cellular level. We are lucky to have a guy like him brewing, but he almost didn’t land in beer.

Originally from Spokane, Washington, Jon then moved to the greater Seattle area. When he and his wife committed to Portland he knew he would enter one of three fields: coffee, bicycles, or beer. Three things that are the face of Portland.  After spending 2005 at Widmer, Jon started looking to expand his career.  In 2006, he landed a position at New Old Lompoc. He started the barrel program there and was able to double mash the 2007 Old Tavern Rat barleywine, a style that many people try but find it difficult and time consuming to complete. Jon’s favorite part of brewing at Lompoc was seeing the beer “from grain to glass.”  

After Lompoc, Jon did some bottling and festival work until Preston Weesner, who, among other positions in Oregon, is currently of Cascade Brewing Company, called him and asked if he wanted to brew. Jon had an interview that lasted close to four hours. He says, “it was a philosophical interview, and at the end, they asked me to blend something.” As any good interviewee would do, Jon had turned off his mobile phone during the interview, and while he was tasting and talking, his wife was taking drastic measures. Not thinking that he would be gone that long, Jon’s wife started calling emergency rooms.  

I consistently ask brewers about the physical demands of brewing, and Jon and I talked about some aspects of brewing that are often not discussed. “It is physically abusive,” was the first thing he said, and went on to talk about exposure. Hot water and steam can lead to burns, cold water turns to ice and becomes a slip hazard. Those and CO2 issues (when a tank blows, the, “pressure and volume,” can lead to serious injury) are all dangers that a brewer can face on a daily basis. The hours are long, and you had better like to clean. Brewing is, “cooking and cleaning,” Jon described the most basic premise of brewing.   Even with the risk, Jon still feels, “my worst day inside a brewery is better than my best day outside of a brewery.” Comparing his former career as a protein bio-chemist to his current employment in brewing he said, “I don’t miss 95% failure. And I went to less than 5% failure.” 

Jon is also a Beer Geek. When I asked him about his favorite beer, he answered, “the one I just finished,” a great spin on the traditional, “the one in my hand.”  Jon also likes to garden, cook, and travel, so it is no surprise that he has thrown back a few pints in Europe. One of his favorites was called Timmerman’s Sour, which he drank at a small pub in Brussels. He brewed the beer served at his own wedding and at the weddings of five of his friends.  He has an American Brewer’s Guild Certificate and is somewhat of a geographic historian. He can quote beer history in relationship to the historical states of Europe -- not just countries on the current map.

People ask Jon how to become a brewer and he tells them that experience and education help, but any exposure you can get is good. “Wash kegs, bottle. Just do it. It is a competitive town,” are accurate words from someone who has done just that. Jon hopes to see an elevation of food in the future of Portland brewpubs. He posed me the question: “We give good beer experiences and great food, why don’t we put them together?” Gastropubs are common in Europe, and he would like to see that style of service more often here.   

Jon is a great brewer and a great addition to the Cascade Brewing Company. At the Raccoon Lodge he has been empowered to brew some of Cascade’s most complex, non-sour beers. His South Bank IPA is one of the most layered IPA’s that you’ll taste in the Northwest. He appreciates his life right now and you can tell from his honesty: “I went from being a corporate tool to being an artist.”

Catch Jon spinning vinyl tonight at The Cheese Bar's "Brewer DJ" night.  He will be pouring Cascade's Imperial Nut Brown and The Vine.  6031 SE Belmont St.  7-10 pm.