Photos: 2007 Oregon Brewers Festival

Photos from the 2007 Oregon Brewers Festival.




Check out the rest of the photos here.

Photos: Laurelwoord Brewery on 51st

Photos from Laurelwood Brewery on 51st.




Check out the rest of the photos here.

Oregon Brewers Festival Preparation

It's that time of the year again, thank god. The 20th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival is just around the corner. This year, 73 breweries are scheduled to appear and share their wares. If you can't find a beer to fall in love with here, you've mistakenly categorized yourself as a beer lover. Maybe you should try a wine tasting instead.

The transaction is simple: choose a beer (or a short line) and trade your token in for a taste.

The festival is held from Thursday, July 26th through Sunday, July 29th. The most important advice we can give is: go early! Get there when the gates open on Thursday. We don't want to hear excuses like "But, I have to work." Take a vacation day. Call in sick. Quit. Whichever choice you make, you'll be happy. There are virtually no lines and you can hop from beer to beer, usually without waiting more than 30 seconds. Of course, there is more to see and do at night, but for tasting free of these distractions, get there early.

If you are only in town for the weekend, you should still go, but just be prepared for long, long lines. On the weekends, you can actually see the lines from across the river when you drive by at 70mph on I-5. Again, it's still worth it as long as you know what to expect. Last year, more than 55,000 attended.

The festival is only about 2 blocks from the Oak St. Max station. Driving and parking can be a hassle at this event--especially if you're planning to drive home. If you can, hop on the Max and take it to the festival. It's cheap, safe, sober, and air-conditioned.

Laurelwood Brewery Grand Opening!

I don't think that there are any respectable beer drinkers in Portland that didn't know that Laurelwood Brewing Company is opening a third location in town. We have been waiting and there were a few setbacks, but luckily for Portland, that's all in the past.

Paul Bergeman readies the wort for the second of a double batch of their Organic Free Range Red.

For years, the 40th Avenue location has brewed beer for it's sister location on NW 23rd as well as supplying kegs for other establishments throughout the city. That brewery is a 7 Barrel system which was always run at capacity to barely keep up with demand. The new location on Sandy is a 15 Barrel system, which now increases their total capacity at 22 Barrels, more than 3 times the original size!

What does this giant jump in capacity mean for us? Well, first of all, more beer. With an overall increase in production volume, it will be much easier for Laurelwood to distribute their beer, not only to saturate Portland, but also start pushing out more beer to surrounding areas. So relax, if you live in Portland, you'll probably never be far from some style of Laurelwood beer. Also, along with greater capacity, we will also be seeing more styles and seasonals. Now, for this brewery, this is no small task. Not because it is beyond the reach of the brewers, but rather because they already make so many damn seasonals! In about the span of a year, Laurelwood produces over 50 seasonal styles to compliment their 7 standard beer lineup. Yes, more than 50!

At it's grand opening yesterday, change was already evident. In addition to their old standards (Boss IPA, Mother Lode Golden Ale, Organic Free Range Red, Organic Tree Hugger Porter, Piston Pale Ale, Space Stout), they've also added a second IPA, Workhorse, and a year-round brown called Hooligan (which is the replacement for the Ettinger Amber that has been removed from the lineup). If that wasn't enough, they also featured three seasonals: Lucky 7 IPA, Imperial IPA #9, and Helgaweizen. Yep, 9 Laurelwood beers on tap for the grand opening.

If you need more than a pint or a pitcher, grab a keg!

As for food and such, it's the same menu from the 40th Avenue location. In fact, they didn't just bring the menu, they brought the whole kitchen! The kitchen was pulled from the old location and moved to make room for the new equipment which will transform the old location into the Laurelwood Pizza Company, which is aimed at opening in mid July. Laurelwood is known for being a family friendly establishment--a strange thing for a brewery. The 40th Avenue location can get a bit cramped and loud from 6:00pm-9:00pm with all of the children running around and screaming. The new spot, while still family friendly with play areas, is much more segmented to keep this distraction to a minimum.

So, all is not just well in Portland, it's fantastic! Congratulations to the owners and staff for making this launch so successful. If you build it, they will come...=

Beer of the Month - Lompoc Strong Draft [July 2007]

Lompoc Strong Draft [July 2007]

Well, I've been stuck indoors all summer because of my motorcycle accident which has caused me to miss out on some of the heat and sunshine of the summer months here in Portland. Because of this, some of my summer picks are a bit untraditional for this time of year. Usually in July, a nice crisp Pale or Kolsch will cure the summer heat. However, trapped in an air conditioned room for the whole month, in quite a bit of pain, can change one's perspective. That's why this month's pick is a strong, fortifying, malty brew from New Old Lompoc: Lompoc Strong Draft or, LSD, and American Strong Ale.

Balance can be hard to find in Portland. Over-hopped beers on the other hand, are everywhere. It takes special skill to balance a strong malt backbone, not only with the right quantity of hops, but also the right types. In a perfectly balanced pint, the brewer must pay attention to the bittering hop balance as well as the flavoring hop balance. A high malt beer doesn't balance well with flowery or citrusy hops, but instead will use more earthy tones to complement the sweetness of the malt.

Lompoc's LSD does a great job with this balancing act, creating a great strong brew that's drinkable all year long. Of course, it's nice and warming in the winter, but for me this time, it's medicinal qualities made it perfect for my "Summer of Healing."