Reviews coming soon: Dick’s Brewing Company; 7 Seas Brewery; Powerhouse Brewery; Engine House No.9 December 26, 2010
Quick tips to get to know your local breweries:
When stepping into an unfamiliar brewery for the first time, one may be a bit overwhelmed with beer options. Here are a few great tips to heighten your beer experience.
Look over the tap handles and tell the bartender what type of beer you usually like: “I like malty,” “I usually drink wheat beers,” “I like a lot of hoppy flavor.” This will give the bartender and idea of what type of brew you
would enjoy and he or she can suggest what they have that might suit you.
If you still aren’t sure what you would like, see if they have a beer sampler tray. Most breweries offer some sort of sampler and usually place the beer from lowest alcohol content to highest. If they don’t have a sampler tray, ask for a sample before ordering. Many places will be glad to let you sample the brews on tap for free before ordering a full pint, but some may charge $1.00 per taste.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for clarification when it comes to flavors and NEVER be ashamed to ask your bartender to exchange a beer that you do not like. Remember, your bartender is the professional and is there to help.
Cheers!
Liz
2010 Portland Holiday Ale Festival December 12, 2010
What could be better than sampling new beer with a few friends? How about sampling beer with 18,000 new friends? Well, on December 4th I had the privilege to do just that at the 2010 Holiday Ale Festival in Portland, OR. For $25.00 I was handed a mug and a small roll of tickets to sample some of the best winter warmers brewed this year. A sample taste was one ticket and a full pint was worth 4. Forty-seven brewers from all over the country brought their best winter ales, stouts, porters and barley wines to the event.
Some beers were great, some not so much. So instead by trying to write about every beer I sampled, I’m going to give you my top 5 favorites from the 5-day event. Winter warmers are thicker and higher in alcohol so the casual drinker should really use caution when partaking in a pint. 
#5 Smoked Porter w/Vanilla Beans – Stone Brewing Company (Escondido, CA)
Normally, I’m not a Smoked Porter fan. But, Stone Brewing Company changed my mind with their Smoked Porter by adding Vanilla Beans into the brew. The first sip brings the wonderful toastiness of a nice porter and then carries a bit of the smoke flavor. But, suddenly the smooth flavor of vanilla and hints of chocolate and coffee mellow this porter down to a truly lovely beer. This is a nice porter and has the lowest ABV on my top 5 at 5.9%.
#4 Brown Mashuggana – Lagunitas Brewing Company (Petaluma, CA)
Lagunitas Brewing Company took their popular seasonal Brown Shugga’ and kicked it up a notch for winter. Already brewed with a ton of brown sugar, the brewery added a touch of their Bourbon barrel Imperial Stout giving this cask conditioned porter a special kick. The flavor of the brown sugar and bourbon really come through making this porter and wonderfully sweet, smooth beer. But be careful, at 10.0% ABV, this porter should not be taken lightly.
#3 Sang Noir – Cascade Brewing Company (Portland, OR)
Switching gears on flavor, I really enjoyed this sweet yet sour ale. Cascade Brewing Company is known for brewing sour beers and Sang Noir did not disappoint. Deep red in color, this ale is aged for more than a year in Pinot and whiskey barrels. Sang Noir is then blended with a barrel of Bing cherries giving the ale a wonderful cherry sweetness and aroma. This ale is so delicious that it would be easy to forget Sang Noir is 9.5% ABV. I had a hard time putting this ale down so, again, drink cautiously!
www.cascadebrewingbarrelhouse.com
#2 Figgy Pudding, Olde Stock – Block 15 Restaurant & Brewery (Corvalis, OR)
This wonderfully sweet (but not too sweet) Strong Ale was a close tie for first on my list. Brewed with English pale and specialty malts and molasses, Figgy Pudding is then matured in brandy barrels and conditioned with mission figs, Ceylon cinnamon and nutmeg. Block 15 then ages the ale further with English stock wild yeast. I enjoyed the sweet aroma and the taste of sugared figs. Figgy Pudding brought great visions of sitting by a fire on Christmas Eve. Or maybe it was the 11% ABV that gave me visions. Anyway, proceed with caution when approaching this delightful brew!
#1 North the Fourth – Fort George Brewery & Public House (Astoria, OR)
My favorite beer of the event was also brewed with the most eclectic ingredients. North the Fourth is brewed with 60 pounds of cranberries, 40 pounds of spruce tips, and 2 pounds of candy canes (yes, candy canes). US Challenger and Czech Saaz hops are nicely balanced with 2-row malt giving North the Fourth an essence of chocolate and caramel. The candy canes give this ale a wonderful and interesting sweetness. Like most of the winter beers, the ABV on North the Fourth is quite high at 9.5%. I loved this beer so much I actually handed over 4 tickets for a fill pint.
If you have never been to a beer festival, you are missing out on a good time. To be surrounded by other beer enthusiasts that wanted nothing more than taste and enjoy the new winter brews really made for a fun evening.
Happy Holidays!
Liz
Velkommen til Poulsbo! November 30, 2010
This year I decided to spend the long holiday weekend in Europe. Ok, that was a slight exaggeration. I actually spent a day in the darling little European town of Poulsbo, WA, but you can’t blame a girl for dreaming. Located on Liberty Bay, Poulsbo is a picturesque Scandinavian storybook village complete with Viking murals, antique stores, gift shops, and the Sons of Norway lodge and the world-famous Poulsbo Bakery. Poulsbo also has two great pubs for the weary shopper to grab a bite and a pint.
My first stop was the Hare and Hounds English Pub on Front St. Decorated rather sparsely, the pub is a bit brighter than I’m
used to seeing in an English pub. The walls are painted in very light tones and the tables and chairs are basic. The restaurant resembled a sidewalk café more than a British pub. The bar area is adorned with British beer cans and bottles and soccer towels hang from the walls and ceiling. Though the pub did not give me the “rustic” British pub feeling I love, it is a pretty establishment nonetheless. The menu consists of the English pub standards like fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and ploughman’s lunch. But, the chicken and rice soup was unbelievably great.
The beer tap selection was a pleasant mix of different beer styles. Again, Hare and Hounds carry some British pub standards like Guinness, Harp, and Newcastle, but microbrews from the Pacific Northwest dominate and are constantly rotated. As for their bottled beer selection, I was quite impressed. Large bottles of Samuel Smith’s and Samuel Smith’s Raspberry is available along with bottles of Young’s Double Chocolate Stout and other British favorites. Our bartender, Dan, was extremely friendly and very beer savvy. He was a delight to talk to while enjoying my lunch and a pint…or two.
My next stop was just a small walk up the street to Tizley’s Europub. If you want a cool “rustic” vibe you will surely find it at
Tizley’s. Located on the 2nd floor of one of Poulsbo’s many adorable Bavarian style shops, Tizley’s charm begins on your walk down a small alley to the staircase that leads you upstairs into the middle of the pub. There is a very casual, old world feel throughout and there is outside balcony seating for lunch, dinner, or the relaxing afternoon pint.
Tizley’s serves just about every type of Bavarian Schnitzel possible along with other European favorites such as Sausage and Peppers, Black Forest Ham sandwich, Beef Boxty and of course, the traditional Goulash. But my favorite reason for coming to Tizley’s is their wide selection of European and microbrew beers. Like Hare and Hounds, Tizley’s also rotates their beer selection so you always have a fresh pint of whatever is in season.
But the true beer treat of the day was the Cherry Rye from Poulsbo’s newest brewery, Valhöll. Poured by way of a hand pump, Cherry Rye was a strong yet smooth beer with just a hint of dark cherries. Delicious! Valhöll Brewery is still under construction but will be opening soon on Front St. just doors down from both pubs. In the meantime you can enjoy their beer at both Hare and Hounds English Pub and Tizley’s Europub. And trust me, as soon as Valhöll opens I will let you all know!
Winter is a great time of year to visit Poulsbo…and during Oktoberfest…and Viking Fest. Pretty much anytime of year is a great time to visit Poulsbo and its great pubs!
Cheers,
Liz
What’s the Scuttlebutt? It’s 10º Below in the Pacific Northwest! November 20, 2010
Well, actually it’s really in the high 30’s in Washington State, but thanks to Scuttlebutt Brewing Company I’m looking forward to a snowy, chilly winter. This year the brewery brought out its 10º Below Ale. 
Brewed in the style of an imperial dunkelweiss, 10º Below has a crisp, citrus yet creamy start and ends with hints of chocolate and caramel.
Scuttlebutt brews this gem of an ale using both Mt. Hood and American Sazz hops creating a very creamy, rich, medium bodied beer. I really like this beer. I’m usually very cautious when it comes to winter beers as they usually run a bit high when it comes to the alcohol content. Well, 10º Below Ale is no exception. This baby is 7.4% abu so I suggest you eat before you drink. Or, eat while you drink! This beer goes great with a hearty holiday meal. Yes, there is a slight taste of hard alcohol, but nothing so strong as to detour even the most “alcohol sensitive” from partaking in this creamy goodness! 10º Below Ale is truly one of the “winter warmers” coming out this month.
Now, some people may feel that drinking something cold when there are icicles on the roof top is just crazy business. But trust me, once you pop open this winter ale you will be warmed from your head to your toes. And, there is a polar bear on the label. How can you go wrong with a polar bear? So grab your favorite guy or gal, curl up next to a cozy fire and pop open a 10º Below Ale.
Cheers,
Liz
Pacific Northwest Beer Chick 