What's Ahead for Widmer?

Earlier this week we took part in a 52-person tasting panel at Widmer's recently remodeled pub. Alerted to it by a Facebook posting, "Become a Widmer Brothers Taste Tester!" it was billed an an opportunity to give their innovation brewmasters feedback on unreleased beers they're working on for next year. Following the link we found an application that was a bit different than we had expected. In addition to asking the reasons applicants felt they were qualified to participate, it asked which breweries applicants bought beer from and/or visited on a regular basis. Not a strange question but instead of a list there was a text box to type in the answer. While the format may have been somewhat random we thought it was an interesting approach to it; we put more thought into it than if we were simply checking the boxes next to a given list. 

Whatever they were looking for we apparently met their criteria and were notified we'd been chosen. On our way there we pondered what styles of beers we might be tasting. Would their be a hazy offering? Would we be trying things that would be broadly marketable with the intent to be bottled? Would they be pub-only offerings? 

Arriving, noticing the differences that had been made during the remodel, we grabbed seats next to a couple of familiar faces. The bones of the space have remained the same but the overall feel is more nightclub-esque with a stage and colored lights shining on the brewing tanks that are visible through glass windows. The biggest change however may be that they have ditched the kitchen. With the exception of a few snack offerings - chips and salsa and the like - patrons are invited to bring their own food in. This includes grabbing something from the food truck parked across the street, which on that night was the Chicagoland deep dish pizza truck. 

But back to the reason we were there - to try the beer. A small group of marketing and innovation brewery representatives got things rolling, introducing the first beer, a pale ale named Hashburst. The pale ales that tend to tickle our palate the most are of the hoppy variety that come closer to being IPAs. This one didn't quite get there but the presence of the hops late palate and in the aftertaste were enough that we would consider drinking this if it ended up making the cut.

Next up was actually a trio of beers that featured hibiscus and other ingredients on a Berliner Weiss base. 
Hibiscus Orange - The huge orange aroma and flavor overpowered the dry-finishing beer.
Hibiscus Grapefruit - As with the orange, the grapefruit flavor dominated the beer but then, oddly, all flavor completely fell off at the end.
Hibiscus Azacca - Finally the hibiscus got to take the lead with this beer but at the expense of a complete lack of hop character and like the grapefruit version, zero flavor in the finish. 
Our impression was that all three of these were "training wheels" sour beers, ones that might play well enough in markets that are not familiar with sour beers on the whole. In a mature market like Portland it would be difficult to imagine them doing well in their current form.

The final beers were a pair of terpene-dosed beers. Terpenes are essential oils and in this case essential oils of hops' cousin, marijuana.
Dreifecta Pilsner - Huge weed aroma with a cedar backbone, the flavor had more pilsner characteristics with the cedar continuing its presence.
Hospitality IPA - A more balanced aroma, the flavor was consistent with that of an IPA with lingering pine-grapefruit notes.
Of the two beers the aggressively-dosed Pilsner seemed least successful with its cedar flavor being something that is unlikely to be appealing to the majority of consumers. The IPA had more commercial potential but we were left wondering "why terpenes?" on the whole. Perhaps Widmer is looking to ride the wave of weed's popularity (and legality) without incurring the cost of CBD oil. Who knows, perhaps it will be the next big thing once the hazy craze loses its shine.

Overall the evening was an interesting experience and we'll be interested to see:
A. If any of these beers make it to market.
B. If Widmer does future tasting panels.
C. If we'll be invited back.

Orchestrating the Brewing Business

Portland is home to a multitude of breweries that churn out some of the best beer in the world but did you know that it's also home to a company that helps breweries make sure all of the parts of their business work together effectively?

Last week I was invited to attend Orchestrate 2016, an annual conference put on by Orchestra Software. The Beaverton-based company provides business management software for beverage companies, which encompasses breweries, distilleries, kombucha makers and soon wineries. Perhaps that doesn't sound like the most fascinating conference to attend, and admittedly it is a conference put on by a business for its customers and prospective customers, but bear with me, there are some good nuggets ahead.

During the opening keynote CEO Brad Windecker took a global look at the beverage business, a perspective that is all too easy to forget when managing the day to day operations of one's individual business. While he was specifically speaking to and about the beverage industry his comments could be applied (in the broadest terms) to many businesses. A couple quotes stuck out to me:

"A millennial drinker is more promiscuous."

"Generation Z is next and they have no concept of the internet NOT existing."

Since many of you reading this are of my general age those statements may make you feel old. They make me feel old. Regardless, these are critical observations that must be taken into account for any brewery that wants to cultivate the younger end of the consumer spectrum. A lack of brand loyalty and being used to having so much information at one's fingertips are new hurdles to be addressed.

To those points Brad reminded the audience that "it's no longer good enough to make a good product." He went on to explain businesses can do that by:
- creating new digital business (i.e. beer clubs that sell directly to customers, crowd sourcing to determine the next beer to be made)
- rethinking the value proposition (maybe it's not about selling a product, but selling an experience)
- substituting products (breweries adding cider production or doing contract brewing)
- reconfiguring the delivery model

I'm sure there's a transcript of his talk somewhere if you want all the nitty-gritty but the short of it is that in order to achieve their goals and reach their full potential breweries need to intentionally drive change instead of letting it happen. While we can all appreciate a finely crafted product those that don't address the business side of the equation with as much care as they put into the product in their tanks will stagnate and at some point fail to remain competitive.

It was a lot to think about, even for someone like me who was attending as a casual observer. But it was also exciting...to be surrounded by hundreds of people who were there because this is their business and are interested in being proactive about their future.

Beer Geek 1st World Problems

As a beer geek I tend to fall prey to that beer, the one on the beer list that I've never had almost regardless of whatever other amazing beers are available to me. As an Untappd user I get waaaaay too happy about earning badges and I admit to badge whorin' at times.

One of those times happened this past weekend when we met up with a friend at a sports bar to catch the Timbers game. They didn't have a great tap list and the cream of the crop were ones I'd previously had. So I rather offhandedly ordered my first beer, one of their seasonal selections and one I'd had before. Shame on me because I relied on my faulty memory instead of checking Untappd and ended up with a pint of something that I didn't actually like as much as I thought I had. Beer geek first world problem, right?

Lesson learned and the next beer I chose more thoughtfully. Specifically I noticed a beer on the list that I knew had a badge associated with it, confirmed in Untapped that I had not yet earned that badge and placed my order. The beer wasn't great but I've endured worse to earn a badge. Yes, 100% badge whorin' and another beer geek first world problem.

Nearing the bottom of that pint it was once again time to figure out what the next one would be. Feeling like it was slim pickings I read more carefully and this time saw a beer from Kona that I didn't think I'd had before, probably based mostly on the style - a golden ale. Back I went to Untapped, confirming I had not tried the beer and thinking, "well, at least it will count toward my unique beers and maybe eventually to some badge." I found that globally Kona Big Wave Golden Ale gets a 3.48 rating over 141,000+ check ins, with my friends being a bit harsher with a 3.2 rating however as I scrolled through the ratings and notes there was one that said, "like the tropical notes." Intrigued, that sealed the deal and I ordered it up, finding the beer to fit that comment perfectly. Then I proceeded to enjoy the best pint of the night.

Moral of the story: I may be a beer geek who will chose a new-to-me beer over a long time favorite just to try something new and am not immune to badge whorin' (I was a Girl Scout after all) but sometimes I stumble upon a darn good beer that without my faults coming into play and using my Untappd crutch I would have continued to overlook.

The Comfort of Beer

As a long-time beer geek, seeking out beer wherever I'm at it is a given, hopefully a given that isn't too irritating (or an off-base indication that I need to visit the AA folks) to family and friends who haven't gone down the beer rabbit hole themselves. It's a delight to find new beer or in certain locals be reunited with old favorites that don't make it to Portland. It's also a comfort, not just the comfortable escape the ABVs provide but also the comfort of pursuing a familiar hobby.

Case in point is a recent visit back to the Midwest due to a family medical emergency, which for now is out of the crisis category and into the wait and see category. Towards the end of the second day spent mostly in a hospital room I was able to meet up with one of my dearest friends, first at a dive bar just down the street from the hospital and then we continued our visit over dinner at a place she specifically chose because of their tap list. While she's primarily a macro drinker she's a ready student eager to explore, up for tasting anything and she knows a good tap list when she sees it.

Jameson's Public House was the destination and with one look their tap handles I was blown away. There were five Deschutes taps, but not the usual suspects of Black Butte and Mirror Pond, oh no, there was The Stoic, Fresh Squeezed, Armory XPA (on nitro), Pinedrops IPA and Red Chair. In addition there was Rubaeus from Founders and Abrasive from Surly. I was quite serious when I said I'd happily spend the night there.

Rubaeus, made with raspberries, has been a beer I've been eager to try for years, since we visited Founder's on a beercation, in fact. Although they were out of it when we were there I picked up a t-shirt and every time I've worn it I've wondered when I would be able to try it. It was as delicious as I had hoped and was a unanimous hit with my friend, my brother and even my non-beer drinking mom.

I would have greatly enjoyed another Rubaeus but I couldn't resist the pull of Abrasive. It's a big beer so I tried getting a half pour, common in Portland. It turned out not to be an option so I happily enjoyed sip after sip of the full goblet at our patio table as the sun slowly set and the music from down the street filled the evening.

Why a Beer Tour Guide Won't Purchase 10 Barrel or Full Sail

Today I'm pleased to share with you a post from guest blogger Alex Stanuch.

Since November of 2014, the blogs, beer sites and overall internet has bombarded the educated consumer of beer with countless updates of AB-InBev purchasing our "craft" breweries. You can easily find 73291 opinions on what that new trend in selling out means to the quality, economics and future of our craft beer industry. The abundance and current trend of these articles sure are annoying. But with each opinion posted, I learn new information that has helped me to form my own unique view and carryout my actions accordingly.

I am posting not only to annoy you, but to indicate why as a beer guide in Portland, OR, I will cringe when I am forced to bring customers to the new 10 Barrel location in downtown Portland. This can also serve as a passive-aggressive indication to my employer that I will most likely repeat phrases such as, "After Deschutes Brewery, we will visit AB-InBev's 10 Barrel location" or "With every purchase at this "Oregon Brewery," you have no idea how much of your money stays local. Please buy some t-shirts." The trend of some companies selling out was inevitable. Yet, as a consumer I can attempt to buck the trend and support Made-In-Oregon, not Sold-In-Oregon.

The main reason that I shit on breweries owned by big business is that I am worried about who is profiting from craft beer. For example I visited a local dive bar recently. One of the kinds that has Coors, Budweiser and Shock Top on tap, which is totally fine! I have no problem with this because on their tap list of 12, there are usually eight or nine beers from breweries in CA, OR and WA in which you can look up the owners' names and send them an email. While I pondered my choice I observed a beer option from Red Hook, 10 Barrel, Elysian, Deschutes, Rogue, two from Widmer and two from Full Sail. If you are aware of the recent employee approved transfer of Full Sail to the Oregon Craft Brewers Co. (owned by the San Francisco based equity firm Encore Consumer Capital) and that Red Hook and Widmer are part of the Craft Brew Alliance (owned roughly 32.2% by AB-InBev) then the list of beers available looked kind of like this: one MillerCoors, one AB-InBev, two Encore Consumer Capital, one Rogue and one Deschutes. So of the 12 beers available, only two are exclusively owned by non-corporations... I shit myself right then and there.

 

My soiled pants were due to one simple notion… "If this is what a beer selection looks like in downtown Portland, what will be available in every other bar in the United States?" Because let's admit it, this tap selection is much greater in diversity and quality than the bars back in my beloved Rochester, NY! There are two available "Shit beers" (Coors and Bud), one mom-loving "macro-craft" beer (Shock Top) and nine "craft" beers. This made me realize that all the beers from Oregon and Washington that will find their ways to the rest of the US and even the world, will not be owned by Oregon and Washington companies. And since the craft beer craze is hitting the rest of America, the beers to pioneer the way will be IPAs from 10 Barrel, sessions from Full Sail and specialty beers from Elysian. THAT my friends is why I will refuse to purchase these brands any longer regardless of preserved quality. And when Encore Consumer Capital flips Full Sail to AB-InBev or MillerCoors in a few years, we can say we saw it coming. God Bless corporate America and may the people bless the business next door.

Guest post from Alex Staunch, casual blogger and enthusiast of all things beer. Alex is a beer tour guide in the Portland area and is interested in foraging for beer ingredients in the plentiful Pacific Northwest.

Our Beer Girl

It's not a loss; it's a change. A change even more profound than moving halfway across the country to a city where we knew no one. It was just the three of us and now the two of us have to figure out how to exist without the third.

I know, this doesn't sound like much of a beer-related post and no, I haven't decided to give up the most delicious beverage on the planet. This is a post for me so if you decide to stop reading now, that's ok; I promise we'll be back to regularly scheduled programming soon. Otherwise, I appreciate you hanging in there with me.

Yesterday we said good-bye to our furry child, the one who had defined us for over 13 years. As I was searching for a particular picture I ran across one of our favorites of our little beer girl.

Just like you shouldn't let human children drink a full bottle of beer, we would never have given that much to our furry child. But, just like many of the parents I know, a sip, dip of the finger into the glass...well, I don't see a darn thing wrong with that. For as long as I can remember our girl was a beer girl and the hoppier the better even though those hops never failed to make her sneeze.

So on the day we said good-bye I guess it's only fitting that we'd already had beer plans. They weren't just any beer plans, though; they were in fact plans that involved a movie and three IPAs. We weren't sure we were going to go, that'd we'd be ready to have a bit of fun, but as the afternoon progressed we knew it would be better to be out than at home so off we went.

It wasn't an uber beer geek event but there were folks we knew there and it was a good beginning to the next stage. And the beer was good, thanks to the brewing team at Lompoc headed up by Bryan Keilty. The IPAs, The Spy Who Dry Hopped Me, Dr. Hop and From Lompoc With Love, of course are named to play off Bond movie titles. Our girl spent many hours watching Bond films with us and she would have loved to have sneezed her way through all three of the beers with us.

Voting with Beer Dollars

Last night I got into, wait, I willingly pursued a bit of a row on Twitter regarding the opening of a new AB InBev revenue source in town. I tried not to be mean, simply stating that making the choice to spend whatever-amount-of-dollars there meant that those were dollars not going into the hands of craft brewers. I make choices, you make choices, they are often different and in the end we each have to acknowledge the impact of those choices.

Infographic courtesy of the Brewers Association

Near the end of the back and forth I conceded that there were plenty of people, in the craft beer world and beyond, that were excited about the opening. Some of them don't share my view about what the impact of choosing to support AB InBev means and some of them don't care. More importantly I realized that I the beer thing* I got excited about today was news from Brooking, OR (population 6,400-ish). In case you missed it Chetco Brewing is making plans to open a tasting room. That's a big step for a little operation.

I'm not a road tripper so the six hours that separate me from Chetco will make regular visits to the taproom unlikely. That means many of the funding rewards aren't as attractive** as if I lived down the street. What is attractive is the opportunity to spend my whatever-amount-of-dollars to support a great guy who makes some darn good beer. I'll bet that Mike would agree with the comment from another craft brewer who weighed in on that back and forth saying that his brewery "is growing, tough fight though." Craft brewers may have reached double-digit volume share for the first time in 2014 but it's no easy line to tow.

So if you're like me and find it important to support those chipping away at the ever-decreasing market share of Big Beer, check out Chetco's funding campaign. And if you'd rather give that money to a macro, that is still your choice.


*The exciting non-beer thing was the opening of Chizu. Long live cheese, one of beer's perfect pairings.

**That being said I'm still pretty tempted to have my name on one of the barstools just because.

Beer & Coffee Preferences: Are There Any Correlations?

For some time now I've been curious to know if there is any correlation between beer preference and coffee preference. I prefer both boldly flavored - IPAs and sours are my favorite beer styles and my coffee, a dark roast with no added cream or sugar, please.

Looking at the full version of this infographic* finally prompted me to whip up a quick post and short survey to see what your preferences are.

So if you wouldn't mind, take a couple minutes to fill out my six-question survey. Then check back next week to see what others had to say about their preferences. Or don't.
 
*The infographic is less about beer and coffee than how their ingredients, alcohol and caffeine, effect the brain. That being said, it's one of the better infographics I've seen.

Collaboration Brews - Taking it to the Next Level

Collaboration beers are fairly common place these days and with the trend continuing, it's evolving in new and interesting iterations. A friend recently gave me Whatcom Wheat, a collaboration of all nine Whatcom County (WA) breweries for Bellingham Beer Week, which starts today. In addition to some groovy, eye catching artwork on the 16 oz can, the beer itself was pretty good. Wheat beers are tricky waters for me to forge as if find strong banana and clove flavors displeasing. When I cracked this can open there was a distinct banana aroma that triggered my internal caution lights but it was for naught. Contained in the can was a well-balanced wheat beer that if it was available in my home market I'd happily buy more of.

Over the summer, as I'm sure you've heard about was the nationwide tour/campaign/distribution from Sierra Nevada - Beer Camp. Not only did they collaborate with 12 breweries across the country for their 12-pk but they went to the next level by making a national tour out of it. Even with Eugene-based Ninkasi being one of the breweries involved, Oregon missed out on being a tour stop. While I was sad about that, I was fortunate to attend a Beer Camp event at The BeerMongers where they had all 12 beers on tap. I previously blogged about my favorites, one of which came from Asheville Brewers Alliance, the only one of the bunch that was a new brewery to me. Nonetheless, Beer Camp allowed me to have beers from some breweries that aren't generally available in this market. For that alone I applaud the effort.

Recently a third collaboration caught my eye. 20+ brewers in North Carolina brewed a gose containing only ingredients from the state. I'm a big fan of that style but based on this Charlotte Business Journal article, it'll be unlikely I'll have a chance to see what this many "cooks in the kitchen" whipped up. Only eight barrels were made and beyond the World Beer Festival in Durham, NC and the breweries' own tap rooms, the only other place it will be making an appearance at is the Great American Beer Festival in Denver. The GABF pouring is one that the breweries hope will enhance North Carolina's up and coming craft beer scene. Kudos to them.

How about you, have you been noticing more and more collaboration beers? What do you think of the idea or the beers themselves if you've had a chance to try them?

Beer & Health

Cheers to health!

Perhaps my view that beer can be part of a healthy lifestyle is skewed by the fact that I Love. It. So. Much. And love is an important part of being healthy, right?

A couple days ago a media release found its way to my inbox entitled, "Search for the Healthiest Beer," and I was intrigued. It turnes out that there is a legitimate event being held on the eve of PDX Beer Week, put on by a registered non-profit organization. The event boasts blind tastings from 12 local craft breweries, gourmet appetizers, live auction and an entertaining panel that will make the case for their favorite beer before the winner is chosen by the crowd. Adding to the legit factor are corporate sponsors that include Columbia Sportswear, MODA Health and Cambia.

I figured that event was a one-off, one of those things that helps Portland maintain its keeping it weird status. Apparently we're not the only ones, however, as I ran across a story about Brew Rendezvous a day later.

Taking place on Sunday, May 18th in San Diego, this event is also being put on by a non-profit, Community Health Improvement Partners (CHIP). Whereas the Portland event takes a bit more lighthearted note, the San Diego event "will underline local brewers' role in supporting local agriculture, ensuring that San Diegans are able to enjoy a wide variety of fresh, wholesome food." Either way, I for one, appreciate the efforts of both organizations and all of those involved in the events for continuing to add to the legitimacy of beer (craft beer, that is).

Those of us who have already come into the fold know that we don't drink with the goal of getting wasted. Hopefully these and other events will show, especially to those who abstain from alcohol completely, how the production and consumption of beer is part of a much larger system that supports our communities and doesn't have to have a negative impact on health.

What's your take on events like these?

Finding a Lover Who's Also a Beer Lover?

The downside is you'll have to supply your own beer & peanuts.

I'm not single and hopefully my better half will keep me around for a good, long time. That being said if I was single I have to admit that for as shallow as it may sound, one of the requirements in a new partner would be that he enjoyed craft beer.

It's been a long time since I was on the market, long before online dating (thank goodness). These days it seems like a fairly mainstream way of meeting people and instead of being weird it appears for some to be a viable way to meet Mr. or Ms. Right. It certainly can't be more awkward/difficult/worse than the old school plan of finding someone at a bar.

Enter Craft Beer Mingles. I ran across this dating website on my Twitter feed and couldn't help but be intrigued with their tagline, "Where craft beer lovers find each other!" As I mentioned before, I'd need to make sure any future partners were craft beer lovers and while there may be a way to do that on eHarmony, Match, etc this seems a great way to get right to the point. You can bet I wouldn't be looking in bars that only served an assortment of BMC products so this seems to make sense, at least in theory.

Have you heard of Craft Beer Mingles? Have you, or anyone you know, used it? I'm curious but not being in the market makes it hard to know if this is really a good option for singles looking to find a partner with the same drinking tastes. Is it too new yet and lacking a good pool of people?

Beer & Taxes

"Taxes" is such a dirty word and this time of year it's a particularly dreadful word. No one likes giving their hard earned money to The Man but it's a necessary evil (or so they tell us). Let's see if we can make the talk of taxes just a tad more interesting, like a look at the vast differences in beer excise tax rates from state to state.

For the visually dominated minds here's the story in picture form.



Image courtesy of the Tax Foundation

If that was enough, just know that the blue area in the southeast U.S. indicates the states with the highest excise taxes. That, among other reasons, is why you won't find me there.

It probably doesn't surprise you that those blue-hued states don't exactly have a big craft brewing history. On the other hand the two states with the lowest beer excise tax don't either - Wyoming and Missouri. Then we get to the third lowest - Wisconsin - and finally we're in a land that has been embracing beer for years. Colorado, another big beer state, ties with Pennsylvania, less of a beer state although it is home to America's oldest brewery, for next lowest. Then comes Oregon with the fifth lowest beer excise tax in the U.S., part of the reason we can drink ridiculously good beer at ridiculously low prices.

As the article points out there is little consistency on beer taxation with the variables of wholesale taxes, distributor taxes, sales taxes and a bunch of other taxes whose intricacies would put most of us to sleep thrown in. So what's the moral of this story? Oregon rocks. We make great beer. Keep drinking it.

The Key to Freeing Your Beer: Bottle Openers

How many bottle openers do you own? I bet you don't know; I don't. These ones are just from the kitchen drawer. I know there are others: in my car, near the beer fridge, in my luggage, attached to key rings, with the camping gear and who knows where else.

Now, regardless of the number of openers, which is your favorite? My top two are the green army man (which actually belongs to my better half) in the center of the picture and the paint can opener one that's almost touching his right hand. Army man wins for coolness factor and the fact that he could double as a hand held weapon should anyone try to snag my beer. The other one, which I did in fact purchase at Home Depot in the paint department, wins on bottle cap gentleness. Seriously, if you want to open your beers and cause zero damage to the cap, go buy yourself a few of these $.97 openers.

Before acquiring fancy bottle openers or being concerned about dinging the cap, flat ones, like the two in the upper right hand corner of the picture were my go-to favorite. In fact the one with "Summit" nearly worn away was THE bottle opener for years. These flat, heavy duty openers don't take crap from any bottle cap and slide nicely into a back pocket. I just received a couple of new ones in the mail from Custom On It, in orange, which is sure to make it stand out in the drawer.

I'm interested to hear why your favorite opener has earned that honor. Is it because of where you got it or who gave it to you? Is it because of its unique design? Or, like me, are you more practically minded? If you have a picture of it, great; link to it (since the comment box doesn't seem to have an attachment feature). I'll select one commenter to send one of my new, orange Beer Musings bottle openers to.

45 States Allow Underage Drinking

Did you know that all but five states have exceptions to the minimum legal drinking age of 21? I've known for some time that in Wisconsin it is legal for a parent to take a minor into an establishment, order an alcoholic beverage for the minor and allow the minor to consume it. Wisconsin is known to be liberal in the area of drinking laws so that didn't surprise me. Finding out that the majority of other states had exceptions as well sure did though.

According to ProCon, a "nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity," only Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, New Hampshire and West Virginia have no exceptions to the law. With that being said they do allow that they are only talking about state laws and that there may be county and city ordinances in place that are more strict and do restrict underage drinking. Still I find it amazing that there are laws on state books that allow for underage alcohol consumption (not that I disagree with it).

There are eight different exceptions to allow underage consumption of alcohol:
1) On private, non alcohol-selling premises, with parental consent (29 states)
2) On private, non alcohol-selling premises, without parental consent (6 states)
3) For religious purposes (25 states)
4) For medical purposes (16 states)
5) For government work related purposes (4 states - including Oregon)
6) For educational purposes (11 states)
7) When reporting medical need due to underage drinking for another minor (17 states)
8) On alcohol-selling premises, with parental approval (10 states)

It was numbers five and six that at first made me say, "What?!?" Upon reading the examples it made a bit more sense. Apparently "government purposes" include working undercover with police and participating in government research and "educational purposes" refers to students in culinary school. I can only imagine that number four, "for medical purposes," are from long ago when you could actually be prescribed alcohol as a medical treatment by a physician.

For all the details, head on over to their website and peruse until your heart's content. While there are a lot of details there it's decently arranged and easy to read. Or skip that and share your thoughts on this with a comment.

Through the Pint Glass: Drinking In 2013

As we count down the final hours of 2013 it only makes sense to review my year of drinking. Don't worry, what you find below isn't a list of my favorite beers, but rather a more broadly painted picture of my life as described through the pint glass.

Before we get started on what I've been drinking I feel obliged to put in yet another plug for Untappd, the sole reason I have this data. I'm not going to lie and say I don't get giddy about earning badges but I also find real value in this well thought out app. I can't tell you how many times I've been this close to ordering a beer, only to take a couple more seconds to look it up on Untappd and find out I'd previously given it a horrible rating. Admittedly there have also been a few times when I've skipped that step and paid the price for it. Thankfully I'm learning and now it's almost an automatic part of my decision making.

The results of my beer drinking shouldn't surprise anyone that has drunk with me or that has read a few of these posts. Four of my five Top Beers are IPAs or Imperial/Double IPAs, with the fifth being a very close cousin, the CDA. American IPAs and Imperial/Double IPAs are my two Top Styles and my Top Venue isn't my house (although it is second) but none other than my favorite watering hole The BeerMongers.

I love trying new beers and the great part about doing that when surrounded by friends is that there is someone to share the joy (or pain) in what is found. I look forward to another year of trying more new beers, logging in both the good and the bad for future reference and enjoying the camaraderie of the craft beer world.

Thank you to everyone that has shared a beer with me this year and thank you to Sean, Jim, Andrew, Matthew, Eric and anyone else who has beertended at Mongers for providing a welcoming place to enjoy a pint or four. I wish everyone a great start to 2014!

Would You Pay $24 for 32 Ounces of Beer?

32 ounces of beer to go is often known around Portland as a grumbler or growlette, but whatever you call it, it's half of your standard 64-ounce growler. With that in mind your initial answer to that question might be, "hell no!" Without any context my reply would probably be something similar.

Today my favorite watering hole is holding their Christmas Eve Eve celebration with an amazing 10-tap lineup, with a few more special kegs waiting in the wings. During the course of my Eve Eve drinking I overheard that the bar would be willing to fill grumblers for $24. That's in line with the special beer pricing for the event, $3 per 4 ounce pour.

As good as many of these beers were I'm still not sure I'd pay that price for most of them. But there was one beer that I was severely tempted to lay down that kind of cash for. It's a 9+% barleywine from an East Coast brewery that does not distribute to this market. Besides being delicious, it's a rare find out this way and I'm not even sure what kind of favors had to be called in to get it.

In that same vein was a posting from a Minnesota brewery last week that mentioned they had what I think is probably my favorite beer of all time, a 14% old ale, available once again. While I doubt they were offering it in anything other than a glass, a pint if you're lucky, you can bet that if I could buy a 32-ounce of grumbler of it for $24 I wouldn't give it a second thought.

So what do you think? Is $24 for 32 ounces outrageous? Or are there beer(s) out there you'd be willing to fork out that kind of dough for (whether or not it would actually be possible)?

Musings on Homebrewer of the Year

Thanks to one of the many beer related emails that hit my inboxes daily, I found out that this year's winner of the AHA title "Homebrewer of the Year" is a woman. I also found out that Annie Johnson is the first woman to claim that title in 30 years. Not only that, her entry was a light lager.

First of all, congrats to Annie! Sitting at the top of the heap of 3,400 entries is pretty darn cool and something she's likely put years and years into achieving.

Second, I think the fact that a light lager was able to win the competition speaks to growing popularity of lower alcohol, lighter beers. I have friends who have gotten tired of super-hopped beers and who are looking for well-made, sessionable counterparts to the IPAs/DIPAs/Imperial IPAs that I love. There is, of course, also the argument to be made that making a quality light beer takes much more finesse than dumping in as many hops as one can, letting them and a higher alcohol content gloss over imperfections.

Third, and this is a point that I hope I am able to phrase appropriately, I would be remiss in my thoughts on this brewer if I didn't also include the fact that Annie is black. For years Mag and I have commented on the very noticeable lack of non-white people at beer festivals. It seems to extend to the brewing industry in general as well. I find it odd and wonder why that's the case. If you have any theories or if you're a non-white craft beer drinker or brewer I'd love to hear what you think.

Have a great 4th everyone and whether you reach for a sessionable lager, a pucker-inducing sour or a steroid-hopped brew, enjoy!

British Columbia Beer Tasting: Drinking & Musing

My British Columbia-loving friend, Regan, made another trip recently and lucky for us, hauled back six bombers to share. It was a short trip but he managed to collect three IPAs, two double IPAs and an oatmeal stout.

The tasting's line up went as follows:
Moon Under Water  - Tranquility IPA
Tofino Brewing - Hoppin' Cretin IPA
Parallel 49 - Lord of the Hops IPA
Townsite Brewing - Perfect Storm Oatmeal Stout
Tin Whistle - Scorpion Double IPA
Tree Brewing - Hop Head Double IPA

The beers ranged from 5.5% ABV (the stout) to 8.5%, with the two double IPAs falling on the lighter end of the ABV spectrum for DIPAs - not surprising for Canadian beers. There wasn't a stinker in the bunch and the IPAs and DIPAs were all distinctly different. Beyond discussing our personal favorites, there was also a side discussion about branding, focusing on two of the six beers in particular.

Before we get to the musings part I know there might be a few of you who are looking for a short read and are more interested in the beers themselves. My favorite, for both the grapefruit flavor displayed in the obviously unfiltered beer and a great label, was Parallel 49 Lord of the Hops. Tree Brewing Hop Head DIPA was a close second, one I found very drinkable even while the group consensus seemed to be that it was "too" malty. Now, if you'd like to read on, the musings part.

The first beer, Tranquility IPA, was a solid IPA with a moderate 70 IBUs and 6.5% ABV. What struck me though was the label. Something about the colors (especially the use of silver metallic), font and overall layout of the label said "sake" or "wine" to me more than it said "beer." There's nothing wrong with that and there is most certainly something to be said for brewery/label recognition. When consumers are facing a cooler full of options I agree wholeheartedly with the idea that there should be consistency among a brewery's labels although it may sacrifice some creativity. Taking a look at their website there unfortunately weren't pictures of the full labels, just enlarged portions of them, but they did maintain consistency with similar sketch-type images and the likely sticking to a two color label.

The other beer that sparked conversation was Tin Whistle Scorpion Double IPA. Here it wasn't the visual of the label but the seeming disconnect between the brewery name Tin Whistle, accompanied by an image of a train in the logo, and the beer name Scorpion. Again, not having familiarity with the brewery I consulted the internet in hopes of determining if there was a naming pattern, finding their Facebook page. Scrolling through some of their pictures it appears that they have used labels which used the Tin Whistle train logo featured prominently however Scorpion Double IPA and Rattlesnake ESB appear to be new releases. Maybe they're taking their artwork in a different direction or perhaps these are part of a new series of beers. Either way, they don't seem to have a naming theme that ties to anything train related.

As with many musings I'm not offering up any answers. I would however be interested to hear your thoughts on either brewery and their choice of artwork and naming themes, or lack there of.

Using Social Media & Using it Well

A Facebook post (which was also fed to their Twitter account) by Stickmen Brewery & Skewery in Lake Oswego Sunday morning quite impressed me. In case you don't follow/like them on one of these mediums here's what they had to say.

We're seeing more & more people stop by before AND after catching a movie next door - keep it up, we love hearing your reviews!
 
Perfect Sunday: Brunch & coffee porter at Stickmen > movie next door > boutique shopping > Big Honey Imperial Kölsch, skewers & sports at Stickmen. Remember that parking is available every weekend at the professional building lot next door.

Showtimes for Lake Twin Cinema |106 N. State Street

Silver Linings Playbook - 12:15 - 2:45 - 5:15 - 8:00pm

Argo - 12:45 - 3:15 - 5:45 - 8:30pm

Not only did the post show their followers how to "use" their product but they went above and beyond by giving movie times for the two films playing. I've often lamented about the lack of use of social media by breweries and brewpubs so it was refreshing to see one who is not just using social media but being thoughtful and creative.

Hopefully others will take notice and imitate because I for one am a fickle consumer. I need reminders of why I should visit an establishment. Certainly the release of a new beer or some other event is something that might draw me in but as the above post shows, it's possible to promote an establishment even when there isn't something special happening. It's about staying in the forefront of customers' minds.

Mid-Week Musing: Cities Within Cities

A while back I read a book, a strange book that I wouldn't necessarily recommend and one that was not about this topic, but it introduced the idea to me and it's been rattling around in my head ever since. The idea, of cities within cities, is really more of a way at looking at the world, particularly the familiar part of the world that each of us travels in regularly. Depending on interests, two people walking or driving down the same stretch of road will see completely different things based on their use or function. The book talked about a woman who likes to dress herself well will see classy shops, jewelry stores and shoe stores where an alcoholic will see pubs, sausage stands and (here's the one that made me laugh) alleys where you can piss without being arrested.

Then yesterday I picked up a friend to take her to an appointment and as we were talking about where the place was located she mentioned that all of her landmarks are bars and restaurants. When she said that I realized that mine are as well. Sure there are some other landmarks that I might reference depending on who I'm talking to, perhaps the pet supply store where we often buy bully sticks or the gym I go to for a particular class, but mostly it's the eating and drinking establishments that I see in any given area.

At this point you might be wondering where I'll take this post now. The answer is nowhere. It's just a musing that was in my head and something you might ponder the next time you're going down a familiar street.