Spouting off about beer in the Pacific Northwest (and wherever else we're drinking)
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Expansion & Upgrades at Cascade Brewing
Cascade Brewing is a mecca for sour beer lovers and they're in the midst of a big expansion at the SE Barrel House. The barrels have been moved to a 23,000 square foot warehouse in SW Portland that will eventually be the headquarters for all blending, aging, packaging and distribution to allow for a larger pub and tasting room. Utilizing the full 7,100 square feet of the building will more than double the amount of interior seating, feature a 40 foot bar and give Executive Chef Troy Harris a full-production kitchen, allowing for an expanded food menu. The patio will also get an upgrade with overhead cover, heaters, integrated landscaping and expanded outdoor bar service.
Take a listen as Brewmaster Ron Gansberg and Owner Art Larrance reflect on where they've been and where they're going.
Tonight's Tap It Tuesday is Almond Amaretto, a blend of Sour Blond and Apricot Noyaux and of the beers I tried last night it was my favorite. If you have a sweet tooth like I do, order up their Dark Chocolate Bourbon Balls to go with it. These orbs of goodness are somewhere between molten chocolate cake and the center square in a pan of brownies. Cascade recommends pairing them with Oblique Black & White Coffee Stout or Gingersnap and while I don't dispute both would be good, they're also darn yummy with this beer.
I was seriously impressed with Cascade - I couldn't have imagined a sour-only brewery would be so popular and busy on a Saturday night when most people, even beer folks around here, wouldn't know what a sour was. We had to wait for a seat to drink beer that would immediately clear out every restaurant in my entire state. Even the guys in my homebrew club are slow on the uptake, the debate over how to go sour (choice of yeast, etc) rages on. Tales of an entire brewery and customers waiting to drink sour beers were hardly believed.
Sours are a tough beer for many to take. I still remember my first one at New Belgium in Colorado. It was after our brewery tour and we had ordered a sampler. It was the first beer I nearly spit back into my glass and to me, tasted like stomach acid. It's been a long time so I'm not sure but there's a chance it was La Folie. These days I love all manner of sours from mild Berliner Weisses to the assertive sours Cascade makes. It's an acquired taste, one more difficult for some to acquire than others. When did you visit?
I was seriously impressed with Cascade - I couldn't have imagined a sour-only brewery would be so popular and busy on a Saturday night when most people, even beer folks around here, wouldn't know what a sour was. We had to wait for a seat to drink beer that would immediately clear out every restaurant in my entire state. Even the guys in my homebrew club are slow on the uptake, the debate over how to go sour (choice of yeast, etc) rages on. Tales of an entire brewery and customers waiting to drink sour beers were hardly believed.
ReplyDeleteSours are a tough beer for many to take. I still remember my first one at New Belgium in Colorado. It was after our brewery tour and we had ordered a sampler. It was the first beer I nearly spit back into my glass and to me, tasted like stomach acid. It's been a long time so I'm not sure but there's a chance it was La Folie. These days I love all manner of sours from mild Berliner Weisses to the assertive sours Cascade makes. It's an acquired taste, one more difficult for some to acquire than others. When did you visit?
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