Pacific Northwest Beer Chick

Breweries, Beers & Good Times

Drink a beer, save a butterfly! October 7, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Craft Beer Breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries,Woodland Park Zoo — pnwbeerchick @ 11:45 am

I received this press release earlier this week. Another great brewery doing wonderful things…

– Pelican Pub & Brewery and conservation partners launch Silverspot IPA –

SEATTLE — Pelican Pub & Brewery, in conjunction with Woodland Park Zoo and other conservation partners, have teamed up to craft the new Silverspot IPA that not only delivers a great taste, but supports an important conservation mission.

Silverspot IPA was created by Pelican brew masters to celebrate the population augmentation of the threatened Oregon silverspot butterfly in its native grassland habitat.

The silverspot was once abundant along the coasts of Washington, Oregon and California until determined threatened in 1980. Through the Oregon Silverspot Captive Rearing program, Woodland Park Zoo and its conservation partners continue to restore the silverspot population. Pelican Pub & Brewery joined the efforts and raised a glass to conservation with a portion of proceeds of Silverspot IPA benefitting the butterfly conservation program.

Pelican brew master Darron Welch selected the blend of Sterling, Fuggle and Meridian hops to deliver an herbal, floral, spicy and tangerine-like flavor for the 6% abv IPA. Silverspot IPA is a medium-bodied brew with a brilliant golden color and complex hop aroma. The new English-Style IPA offers a distinctly different flavor than Northwest IPAs. Traditionally, Northwest IPAs are rather hoppy and bitter in taste. Though, Silverspot IPA (55 IBUs) offers a balance of malt and hops, with less emphasis on assertive hops.

Silverspot IPA is the sixth addition to Pelican’s core lineup, making it available year round and distributed by the bottle throughout the Northwest.

“To us, this seemed like a natural partnership,” said Ken Henson, Pelican Pub & Brewery general manager. “We have been waiting for an opportunity to produce an English style IPA, which will be a little more accessible to the average beer drinker. We’re excited about the cross-promotional opportunity and for the public awareness of the Oregon silverspot.”

The Oregon Silverspot Captive Rearing Program is a collaborative habitat restoration and augmentation program helping to increase the silverspot butterfly population. Program partners, including Woodland Park Zoo and Oregon Zoo, raise caterpillars in captivity until they become pupae and eventually emerge from the pupae as butterflies. They are then released into protected areas along the Oregon Coast in an ongoing effort to increase the population. One of the protected areas is Cascade Head, visible from the deck of Pelican Pub & Brewery.

“In August, Woodland Park Zoo released more than a thousand silverspot butterflies back into their natural habitat along the Oregon Coast,” said Erin Sullivan, a collection manager at Woodland Park Zoo. “It’s a very important conservation initiative to us, and we’re thrilled Pelican joined us and our partners to help raise awareness and support for the silverspot population.”

The Oregon Silverspot Captive Rearing Program recently earned a Significant Achievement Award from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the accrediting organization for more than 200 zoos and aquariums in North America.

The new brew will be available in Seattle the first week of October at select PCC Natural Markets, Whole Foods and QFC locations for $4.99 per 22 oz. bottle. For a full list of retailers, visit www.zoo.org/silverspot. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of this beer will help fund conservation efforts for the Oregon silverspot butterfly.

To learn more about the Pelican Pub & Brewery Silverspot IPA, Oregon Silverspot Captive Rearing Program or its conservation partners, visit www.zoo.org/silverpot.

Silverspot IPA Launch

Cheers!

Liz

 

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

 

 

 

 

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

 

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/

 

Tacoma finds his Wingman! May 31, 2012

Filed under: beer,breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Pacific Northwest Beer,Tacoma Breweries,Tacoma Pubs & Taverns,Washington beer — pnwbeerchick @ 10:02 pm

The micro-brew family in Tacoma, WA just got a little larger. Wingman Brewing has been making and distributing their creations to local pubs and markets since April of 2011 but, alas, had no tasting room of their own. Flash forward one year to April 21st, 2012 to the opening of Wingman Brewing’s very own tasting room. Original brick walls surround the room and vintage-style Wingman posters are plastered on the walls. But the best part is the beer!

Falconer’s Flight Single Hop IPA (6.8% ABV) – Dark peach color. Belgian yeasty aroma. Great hop, nicely balanced. Crisp with smooth finish.

Ace IPA (7.4% ABV) – This one was my favorite. Mellow with aroma of grapefruit and flowers. Hoppy, but not too hoppy, with hints of caramel. Clean finish.

P-51 Porter (8.0% ABV) – Dark brown (almost black) color with a tan head. Rich chocolate and coffee aroma. Malty, creamy, and full of chocolate flavors. This is a nice sipping beer.

Belgian Double (8.4% ABV) – Thinner mouth feel than the others yet very sickening sweet. Dark brown color. Spice notes in the aroma and flavor with a slightly sour finish. This was an interesting beer, but too not one of my favorites.

Stratofortress (11.4% ABV) – Wingman took the Belgian Double and aged it in oak. Though much higher in alcohol than the Double, in this form it was much more drinkable. Slightly medicinal aroma. Sweet and sour taste with a malty balance. It’s amazing what a little oak can do!

As you can see Wingman is really into “big” beers. The alcohol does not go below 6% ABV. It’s my hope they will look to brew something lower in ABV that won’t cause the casual drinker to lose their faculties after one pint.  A nice wheat, pale ale or pilsner perhaps (hint, hint).

The tasting room is huge! There is a lot of seating around the bar but a lot of open space that could be utilized for more seating. But hey, they just opened. They may have more great plans for the tasting room in the works. Wingman does not prepare food but the New Frontier Lounge down the street will be more than happy to deliver pizza right to the taproom door. The taproom is open Thursday through Saturday from 2:00pm-11:00pm.

 

Cheers!

Liz

www.wingmanbrewers.com

 

 

Coming Soon: Wingman Brewing’s new tasting room, Gig Harbor Beer Festival, and some new summer beer releases! May 16, 2012

Filed under: beer,Beer Festivals,breweries,Craft Beer Trade,Micro brew,Oregon Brewers,Oregon Micro Breweries,Pacific Northwest Beer,Seasonal beers,Seattle Beer,Summer Beers,Tacoma Breweries,Washington beer,Washington State Micro Breweries — pnwbeerchick @ 10:42 am