Pacific Northwest Beer Chick

Breweries, Beers & Good Times

Beercation 2012 (part 2) September 23, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Oregon Brewers,Oregon Micro Breweries,Pacific Northwest Beer,Summer Beers — pnwbeerchick @ 4:53 pm

One thing you should know about Hood River, OR: It is one of the windiest places you will ever visit. How windy? Well, kite surfing is the sport of choice and you can watch kite surfers by the dozens on the Columbia River catching some serious air. A pretty little town, Hood River is very walkable. The turn of the century architecture is very well-preserved and there are shops, restaurants, and boutiques to fill your day.

From my darling, vintage hotel I walked about three blocks to Full Sail Brewery for lunch. A large, chic restaurant/bar room overlooks the river. Far from its micro-brew days Full Sail is now considered a Craft Brewery and its success is evident in their establishment. Free tours of the brewery are given daily and well worth the time. The food is great and the bar tenders are very knowledgeable about their products. First I tried the LTD03 pilsner-style lager. My favorite beer of the day, LTD03 was caramel in color and sweet. Crisp body with a vanilla wafer note, I could have easily enjoyed this beer for the rest of the day. Sail Ale was next. Hoppy, crisp and citrusy. Hoppy finish and lovely grapefruit aroma. Jimvar Pilsner also impressed. Well-balanced, crisp and sweet. Medium body with a hoppy finish.

Next stop of the day was to Double Mountain Brewery. Just a block or two from Full Sail Double Mountain has a different look and vibe. A bit more rustic decor, local art work and vintage breweriana decorated the walls. On tap was Devil’s Kriek, a lovely sour cherry kriek. Dark blood-red color, sour dark cherries throughout. Hard sour finish. Full bodied and definitely a sipper. Great beer! The Vaporizer was a nice, dry-hopped pale ale. Light hop aroma with a dry, crisp hop bite finish. I didn’t stay long at Double Mountain due to the “vibe.” It’s a very “hipster locals only” place. I got the feeling they knew I was and out-of-towner and treated me as such. Too bad, because I really like the beer at Double Mountain. I just couldn’t hang with the feeling of not being welcome. So, I did what anyone would do. I headed back to Big Horse Brew Pub.

The next day I was on my way to Bend, OR and witnessed some of the most beautiful country I have even seen. Mountains, trees, rivers, streams and the occasional deer made the road trip extremely enjoyable. During the drive I took a little detour to Government Camp, OR to the Ice Axe Grill & Mt. Hood Brewing Company for a little lunch and brews. Surrounded by huge trees lies what used to be a ski rental and gift shop. Mt. Hood Brewing has been brewing some tasty stuff from this location for over 20 years. The decor is a nod to the great outdoorsman history of the town. The pizza is to die for! The beer is not too shabby either. Highland Meadow Blonde is a sparkly little beer with a lot of flavor. Honey, flowers and caramel rule this beer and a light hop finish gives it just enough bite. Very pretty beer. Kristall Weizbier is a filtered wheat beer that is light golden in color. Very well-balanced it is crisp, sweet and finishes clean. Both beers were perfect for pizza. Ice Axe IPA is their signature beer. Very hoppy and yummy. Perfect for those looking for a little extra kick.

Back on the road and headed for Bend, OR. What adventures await me in Bend?

 

Cheers,

Liz

http://www.fullsailbrewing.com/

http://doublemountainbrewery.com/

http://www.iceaxegrill.com/mthoodbrewco.php

 

 

 

 

PNW Beercation 2012 (part 1) September 21, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,McMenamins Brewery,Micro brew,Oregon Brewers,Oregon Micro Breweries,Pacific Northwest Beer — pnwbeerchick @ 9:50 pm

Since I began my beer journey 18 years ago, I have made it a mission to visit every brewery I can. A few weeks ago I embarked on another “beercation” in the gorgeous state of Oregon. Now I have visited Portland many times and enjoyed the breweries and brew pubs in that beautiful and amazing city. But this time I decided to travel to some of the other lesser known cities and see what Oregon had in store for this beer chick.

First leg of my trip started off 20 minutes outside of Portland in the sleepy town of Troutdale. What’s in Troutdale you ask? Well, many a beer drinker knows of just one place…the Edgefield  Resort. Owned by McMenamins this gorgeous resort is surrounded by vineyards, gardens, mature trees, and lovely old buildings dating back to 1911. Set on 74 acres, the resort served as the Multnomah County Poor farm from 1911 until 1982 and housed farmers that needed a little support in times of need. The grounds are beautiful, quiet, and relaxing. There are a few McMenamins restaurants to choose from, a pool hall, 3-par golf course, and heated soaking pool. Oh, and there just happens to be a nice sized outdoor pavilion that hosts live acts by some little entertainers you may have heard of such as Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, Foster the People, Florence + the Machine, Gotye, Bonnie Raitt, Train…you get the idea.

The rooms are spacious and decorated not only with antiques, but the walls tell stories of the resorts former residents and the history of the grounds. As for the beer, it was great as always. Try a Ruby Ale if you are looking for a crisp, subtle raspberry ale. For those hop heads out there I would recommend the Copper Moon Pale Ale. Nice and bitey, with a sweet caramel note. Do you like art? Edgefield has plenty of it! In fact, the walls are covered with local artist pieces paying homage to the history of the resort and the state of Oregon. What a great way to spend a weekend!

The next couple of days were spent on the Columbia River in the historic town of Hood River. A charming, Victorian town, Hood River has a lot to offer for the weary traveler/beer enthusiast. But before settling into my hotel, I took a quick trip across the bridge into White Salmon, WA and stopped at a little brewery called Everybody’s Brewing.  With an amazing view of Mt. Hood, I sat on Everybody’s patio and enjoyed their taster tray. For the sake of time I will narrow it down to a couple of my fave’s. Goodwill IPA was my favorite from Everybody’s. Very well-balanced, hoppy and malty with a caramel character and a hoppy, floral finish. For a lighter choice I enjoyed the seasonal Summer Lovin’. This light, crisp ale is sweet and very easy to drink. Hints of orange and honey are present in the aroma and flavor and the finish is pleasantly soft.

Back across the bridge into Hood River. There are four breweries in Hood River: Big Horse Brew Pub, Full Sail Brewing Company, Double Mountain Brewery, and pFriem Family brewers. Unfortunately, pFriem was closed during our stay in Hood River but we had a great time visiting the other three.

Big Horse Brew Pub is truly a gem! Housed in a large Victorian home that was built into the side of a hill and overlooking the town and the Columbia River, Big Horse has been brewing tasty beer for over twenty years. The food is wonderful and fresh. The atmosphere is very laid back and simple. The view of the town and river cannot be beat. And the beer? Fantastic. I started with the Easy Blonde. Light, sweet, and easy to drink, this beer had a honey and cereal aroma. Biscuity mouth feel and a nice vanilla finish. Wind Ripper was Big Horse’s summer ale. Medium body character and very effervescent. Crisp and refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day. For the hop heads there is the Pale Rider IPA. Apricot color, citrus and flower aroma. Medium body with hard grapefruit finish. My favorite beer from Big Horse was A Night in Munich; Munich Helles style lager. Crisp and sweet, this lager tasted of Golden Grahams cereal. Malty and well-balanced this beer was an absolute delight. Don’t bother looking for Big Horse in any store. The beer never leaves the brewery so if you want to give this yummy stuff a try you will have to make the pilgrimage to Hood River.

Day one in Hood River came to a beautiful end. Full Sail Brewing and Double Mountain on day two…

Cheers!

Liz

www.mcmenamins.com/

Information for Big Horse Brew Pub can  be found on Facebook.

 

4th Annual Tacoma Craft Beer Festival 2012 August 29, 2012

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Seattle Beer,Tacoma Breweries,Tacoma Pubs & Taverns,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 12:59 pm

 

WHEN: Saturday September 1st, 11AM to 8PM

WHERE: At the 21st Street Park on the Foss Waterway; 2101 Dock Street, Tacoma WA 98402

HOW MUCH: $25 pre-sale online, $30 at the door, $10 Military discount off the Pre-sale ticket price (Active, Retired, Veteran, Reserves) at the door only with military ID.

Admission gets you a 5.5 oz commemorative taster glass and 10 tasting tokens. Additional tokens are $1.50. There will be games, live music and over 50 brewers! This event is 21 and over only. I will see you there!

 

Cheers!

Liz

http://tacomacraftbeerfest.com/about.html

 

Brewing for a Cure August 8, 2012

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,WA,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 9:08 am

Dick’s Brewing Company

Second Annual Beer for a Cure

Centralia, WA based Dick’s Brewing company is giving back; and in a big way! For the second year in a row the brewing company is holding the Second Annual Beer for a Cure event featuring live music, a homebrew competition and awards ceremony. Throughout the day a silent auction will take place, while food and pints fresh from the brewery will be on sale.  Proceeds from the event will go to the American Cancer Society.

Professional brewers from Dick’s Brewing Company in Centralia have volunteered to help judge the homebrews and give the amateur brewers some words of advice on how to improve their crafts.

WHEN:     Saturday, August 18th, 2012, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m.

WHERE:  3516 Galvin Road, Centralia

For more info on how to enter your homebrew or on the event itself visit their website: www.dicksbeer.com.

What better reason to drink beer than to help find a cure!

Cheers!

Liz

 

2012 Oregon Brewers Festival…revisited! August 6, 2012

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Oregon Brewers,Oregon Micro Breweries,Pacific Northwest Beer,Portland Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 9:53 pm

For 25 years Portland, OR has been the home of the Oregon Brewers Festival, or “OBF.” The festival is one of the longest running craft beer festivals in the country, and also one of the favorites. I have attended the OBF for a few years and it just doesn’t get old! Drinking beers from all over the country, meeting people from all walks of life, and spending the weekend in one of the prettiest “big” cities I have ever been to; it doesn’t get much better than that.

Held each year on Portland’s Waterfront Park, this four-day event hosts brewers from all parts of the U.S. and features live music, food, and even some souvenir vendors. Large tents and long tables provide plenty of shade and mimics the beer fests held in Germany. Imagine, being surrounded by thousands of beer enthusiasts that want nothing more than to hang out and enjoy the newest creations that you can’t get every day! It’s great fun but now to the important part: the beer!

So many beers, so little time! There were over 80 beers being served. I tried many of them but because I didn’t want to be hauled away in an ambulance, I could not try them all. So many of the beers I tried were incredible, but for the sake of time I will give you my top five favorites.

#1) Double Dry Hopped Delta Pale Ale – Boundary Bay Brewing – Bellingham, WA (5.6%ABV, 45 IBU) – My favorite of the day! Boundary Bay uses and the newer Delta hop to create a lovely, spicy note. Munich and 2-Rows malts along with Northwest ale yeast give this pale ale a dry and crisp body with a nice citrus finish. Perfect for the hot day!

#2) Kili Wit – Logsdon Farmhouse Ales – Hood River, OR (5.5%ABV, N/A IBU) – On a hot day there’s sometimes nothing better than a nice Wit beer. This traditional farmhouse ale if brewed with organic African coriander this tasty wit is rich with spice and clove. Malty, smooth body and rich, spicy finish.  Good stuff.

#3) Electric Beer – Electric Brewing – Bisbee, AZ (5%ABV, 35 IBU) – One of my favorite beer styles is German Kölsch. And Electric Brewing really impressed me with their version. Castle Cara 8, Castle Pils and Weyermann Pils malts create a full flavored, but light bodied beer. Notes of honey are present in the nose and taste and the finish is wonderfully spiced. I mean this in the best possible way; the flavor was reminiscent of Golden Grahams cereal. Another great summer beer!

#4) Saison the Beach – Lompoc Brewing Co. – Portland, OR (5.5%ABV, 25IBU) – If you like sour fruit and spices, then this beer is for you! The aroma is floral and spicy. The body is peppery and spicy with a dry, sour fruit finish. Lompoc used a potpourri of ingredients to create this little beauty: Perle and Crystal hops, Pale, Weyermann Pils, wheat, biscuit and rye malts. They have outdone themselves.

#5) Dirty Blonde – Paradise Creek Brewery – Pullman, WA (6.3%ABV, 22 IBU) – On a day as hot as the one on the day of the festival, this beer sure did hit the spot. Living up to its name, Dirty Blonde is a very well-balanced, medium-bodied beer. Spicy and malty with a touch of flowers. A little higher in alcohol, but quite refreshing.

Kudos to all of the brewers for showing us how much fun can be had creating something a little different! And kudos to the organizers for making every festival as fun and safe as possible. I always have a great time at the brewers festival and will continue to attend every year until my taste buds dry up.

 

Cheers!

Liz

http://bbaybrewery.com/

http://farmhousebeer.com/

http://www.lompocbrewing.com/

http://paradisecreekbrewery.com/

Info about Electric Brewing can be found on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/DavesElectricBrewpub

 

Dogfish Head digs into the past…again. July 22, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Dogfish Head Beer — pnwbeerchick @ 11:26 am

Most people who meet me say I have an “old soul.” I like that.  I’ve always had a love of all things history:  antiques, vintage clothing, old cars, and older people (do you hear me Sir Sean Connery?). So when I heard a few years back that Dogfish Head Brewery brewed a beer based on the oldest beer recipe known to man I began a quest to find and drink this beer.

About 10 years ago Dr. Patrick McGovern, biomolecular archeologist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeologyand Anthropology, took his study of ancient fermented beverages to a little town in the Henan Province of China called Jiahu. While studying a 9,000 year old Neolithic burial site he discovered some pottery jars that once contained a fermented beverage consisting of rice, honey and fruit. He contacted his friends and Dogfish Head and that’s when the magic happened.

Dogfish Head, never being one to turn down a chance to brew history, took the ancient recipe and created something truly special: Chateau Jiahu (jee-ah-who). In keeping with the ingredients of the original recipe Dogfish Head used brown rice syrup, orange blossom honey, Muscat grape, barley malt and hawthorn berry. Sake yeast is added to the wort and then left to ferment for about a month. The result? A very elegant beer worthy of an emperor.

While pouring into the glass the body is reminiscent of honey mead: thick and syrupy. The aroma is definitely heavy with honey. To be honest, I was little worried that this beer would be too thick and too sugary to enjoy. I have to say after my first sip I was pleasantly surprised. This full-bodied beauty is definitely a sipper, but a very nice one. Honey is the dominant flavor with fresh grape notes and a resin and clove finish. After a few sips I had to remind myself I was not drinking wine.

As I sipped away at this ghost of millennium past, my old soul was wondering if our ancestors enjoyed this beverage as much as I was. Maybe I’m a reincarnation of one of the lucky folks who got to partake in the drinking of this pretty beer. Or maybe, the 10% ABV was getting to me. Chateau Jiahu is only available for a limited time so be sure to go onto Dogfish Head’s website and use their “fish finder” to locate a bottle near you!

 

乾杯!

Liz

www.dogfish.com

 

 

25th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival July 17, 2012

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Oregon Brewers,Oregon Micro Breweries,Portland Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 10:40 am

 

WHEN: July , 2012

TIME: Thurs through Sat, taps are open from Noon to 9:00pm. Sun, taps are open from Noon to 7:00pm.

WHERE: Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, OR

HOW MUCH: Free! You heard correctly. Admission into the festival grounds is free. BUT, in order to partake in the beer drinking fun you must purchase a 2012 festival mug for $6.00 and tokens for the tastings are $1.00 each.

This year Eighty-Two craft breweries from all over the country will be offering more than 30 styles of handcrafted brews. A Buzz Tent will offer more than 50 rare and specialty beers, and this year will feature the debut of a Sour Tent.

The festival takes place right on the waterfront and the light rail is only a block away. There will also be plenty of bicycle parking. I will be there with bells and maybe I will see you there too!

Cheers!

Liz

www.oregonbrewfest.com

 

An afternoon in t-town June 21, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Micro brew,Tacoma Breweries,Tacoma Pubs & Taverns,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 9:32 pm

Since I couldn’t make the Washington Brewers Festival last weekend I decided to hit a couple of Tacoma’s breweries for some much-needed liquid sunshine. Wingman Brewing Company and Engine House 9 Brewery have a few new (and interesting) releases. First stop: Wingman Brewing.  Wingman has brewed something a bit lower in alcohol but not on flavor. Pomegranate Weizen is a very different beer for this brewery. A light pomegranate aroma hits the nose as soon as you raise your glass. A lighter bodied beer, there is a hint of hops and sour fruit. The finish is crisp and snappy. And the alcohol? A nice 5.2% ABV is a little more manageable than the bigger beers Wingman is known for. I loved this beer so much I filled my growler!

Another interesting beer from Wingman is a triple IPA specially brewed for the Über Tavern’s anniversary celebration at the end of this month in Seattle. Operation Cross Roads Triple IPA is one highly hopped beer. One might think the 100 IBU’s would be enough to cause even the biggest “hop head” to lose his faculties. Surprisingly, Operation Cross Roads is very malty for an IPA. The aroma is floral with grapefruit acidity. The body is thick and syrupy. The taste is very sweet, I mean REALLY sweet but the hops mellows it out a bit. Definitely a sipper this beer is not for the faint of heart; it’s also not for anyone driving. 16.8% ABV to be exact, so pleeeaaassseee proceed with caution!!

Moseying over to my usual hang out, Engine House 9 Brewery, I decided to try one of their newest creations. E9 is trying out a program where they select a recipe from one of the Tacoma’s many homebrewers and brew it on the big tanks. This month’s creation is a fun and quirky Pale Ale. So what makes this pale ale so quirky? They threw in Hot Tamale candy, and named it Parky. Yes, you read correctly…Hot Tamales! Hot cinnamon spice in the aroma and flavor and the color is unusual shade of red. Sweet and light Parky is a fun beer that brings back childhood memories. The candy part, not the beer part.

A guest beer currently making an appearance at E9 is Double Mountain Brewing’s Clusterfuck. Again, you read that correctly. Not only is this beer fun to order (cover your ears Grandma) but it is a great beer to drink. This single IPA is a true “hop monster” that packs a hoppy punch. Grapefruit aroma and strong citrus finish. This beer has been very aptly named and hubby loved it!

Grab these beers while you have the chance as they are only on tap for a limited time.

Cheers!

Liz

 

What to do on Father’s Day weekend? June 13, 2012

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Pacific Northwest Beer,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 7:39 pm

 

 

WHEN:  Friday, June 15 4-9pm (21+ Only) Saturday, June 16 11am-9pm (Families Welcome) Sunday, June 17 11am-6pm (Families Welcome)

WHERE:  Marymoor Park in Redmond, WA

HOW MUCH:  Friday – $15.00 tickets available online or at the door and includes a tasting cup and 5 tasting tokens. Sat & Sun – $25.00 tickets available online or at the door and includes a tasting cup and 6 tasting tokens. Designated drivers are only $5.00.

65 breweries will be bringing over 200 different beers. Live music, good food, and wine & cider tasting are just a few of the other activities at the festival. What do you do with the kids? Craft booths, a kids playground and a root beer garden will entertain the tykes.

So grab your Dad and spend a great weekend enjoying some amazing craft beer!

Cheers!

Liz

http://www.washingtonbeer.com/wa-brewers-fest/

 

Silver City strikes gold! June 7, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,spring seasonal beers,Summer Beers,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 7:13 pm

Just when you though Silver City Brewing couldn’t get any better they go and open a taproom! And not just any run of the mill taproom; probably one of the nicest tap rooms I have been to (and I’ve been to a lot!). The outside of the building is beautifully designed and the inside is very casual, open, and inviting. The bar area opens up into a 2nd room to sit back at a high table and enjoy your beverage. A flat screen TV hangs high on the wall along with vintage posters of drinking days gone by.

But the “magic” happens next door in the brewery itself. Windows in the bar area give the patron a chance to view where the brewing process happens. To be honest, there is nothing prettier than large, shiny, mash tons and kettles!

What did I drink on this day? I’m glad you asked. For my first pint I enjoyed a lovely pint of Silver City’s Deluxe Spring Lager (6.2% ABV).  One of my favorite seasonal beers from Silver City, the Spring Lager is crisp, sweet, and very flavorful yet the body is light to medium.  Light hop/floral aroma and finish really make this baby something special. My next pint is a crowd favorite among Silver City fans: Ziggy Zoggy Summer Lager (5% ABV). I get excited every year when this gem is released. Unfiltered, sweet, spicy and elegant, this German-style “Zwickelbier” is sure to make you smile. Honey Malt and Pilsner Malt give Ziggy Zoggy the pretty sweetness I love and the finish is smooth with a touch of honey.

Food is not served at the taproom but they do offer pretty darn tasty peanuts but you are welcome to bring your own food. Brewery tours are available Wednesday through Saturday at 4:00pm but they also offer private parties and tours on Mondays and Tuesdays so check with the taproom for available times. The taproom itself is open Wednesday through Sunday and is a perfect way to spend an afternoon!

 

Cheers!

Liz

www.silvercitybrewery.com