Brewer Eric Wathen.

Brewer’s Name:
Eric Wathen

Brewery:
Alameda Brewhouse

1) If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only choose one pound of either hops, water, barley, or yeast, which would it be, and why?
Clean water to survive and possibly make beer with!

2) What is the best aspect of NW beer drinkers?
Palate versatility.

3) What is your favorite beer style, and why?
Pale Ale, for its tradition, drinkability, and availability.

4) What is the first beer you brewed that was worthy of a name?
A Belgian Golden Strong Ale Called “Lucky Devil”.

5) Where do you get your inspiration from when creating new beers?
Research and experimentation.

6) What is the most misunderstood aspect of being a professional brewer?
The time and physical work involved.

7) What characteristics of Portland make this area so popular for brewers, breweries, and consumers?
Great water to brew with, a great climate for growing essential ingredients such as hops, and a population ready to drink what is created.

8) If “Northwest Ale” was added as a new style of beer, what would it be?
Heavy on the hops!

9) What is the most underrated hop?
I don’t know if it is underrated, but I love Simcoe hops.

10) What are the relationships like between competing brewers? Is there a sense of community, friendly competition, etc.?
There is a sense of community with brewers that I believe rivals any other competitive industry.

Related posts:

1. 10 Questions with Dave Fleming of Lucky Labrador Brewing
2. 10 Questions with Alan Sprints of Hair of the Dog Brewing
3. Photos: Behind the scenes at Alameda Brewhouse

Brewer/Owner Alan Sprints brewing a batch of Blue Dot IPA.

Brewer’s Name:
Alan Sprints

Brewery:
Hair of the Dog

1) If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only choose one pound of either hops, water, barley, or yeast, which would it be, and why?
Hops, at least I could remember what Beer smelled like.

2) What is the best aspect of NW beer drinkers?
The support they give to local Breweries. We have some of the most educated Beer consumers in the world.

3) What is your favorite beer style, and why?
I guess I have to say strong ales, because I make so many, but I really feel that I have no favorite. I enjoy a good Pilsner when the time is right as much as an aged Lambic. My favorite style is the one I feel like at the time.

4) What is the first beer you brewed that was worthy of a name?
Umbilical Ale, I produced for my first child’s birth 9-1-1992.

5) Where do you get your inspiration from when creating new beers?
People I know and places I’ve been.

6) What is the most misunderstood aspect of being a professional brewer?
Long hard hours with low pay.

7) What characteristics of Portland make this area so popular for brewers, breweries, and consumers?
For me it is just a great place to live. There was a time when our water was enough to get Brewers to build.

8) If “Northwest Ale” was added as a new style of beer, what would it be?
How could there be one style that represents the NW? I think the NW style is Quality and Variety.

9) What is the most underrated hop?
Who rates hops?

10) What are the relationships like between competing brewers? Is there a sense of community, friendly competition, etc.?
We work together on most Issues and have a very tight Brewing community.

Related posts:

1. Fermented Photo Flashback: Alan Sprints, Hair of the Dog
2. 10 Questions with Eric Wathen of Alameda Brewhouse
3. 10 Questions with Ben Flerchinger of Lucky Labrador Brewing

Rock Bottom’s Brewmaster Van Havig.

Brewer’s Name:
Van Havig

Brewery:
Rock Bottom Brewery

1) If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only choose one pound of either hops, water, barley, or yeast, which would it be, and why?
I’d take the barley, basically since you didn’t mention if it was malted, so I’ll assume it isn’t. I could then plant it, grow more, and eventually start a plantation – have you seen the price of barley these days?

2) What is the best aspect of NW beer drinkers?
No one really thinks craft beer is sexy or strange here, which is great. Northwesterners see craft beer as just beer, not some fancy stuff that only yuppies and geeks drink. It turns out that we (craft brewers) won here, everyone drinks our beer.

3) What is your favorite beer style, and why?
Saison is my geekdom, closely followed by sour beers. Saison is great because it’s a beer style that is pretty open to interpretation, (spice or don’t spice, choose your yeast strain, pick an alcohol level) the control of fermentation is really important and it goes great with food. I love the sour beers just because I do.

4) What is the first beer you brewed that was worthy of a name?
I believe it was an Abbey style Dubbel, I was so proud of it, that I just enjoyed it and never bothered with a name.

5) Where do you get your inspiration from when creating new beers?
“It’s in my head and it’s in my heart” I think Kevin Seconds said that.

6) What is the most misunderstood aspect of being a professional brewer?
That I want to hear what anyone has to say about my beers. Honestly, this is my profession, not my hobby. My job is to make beers that sell – period. It is not to have my own personal beer playground in which I am free to make whatever beer I want. I don’t think your average beer “afficianado” understands that. Every brewers job is to make the people THAT BUY THE BEER happy. If those people really want to drink Kolsch, then make Kolsch. If they want to drink Imperial IPA, then make that.

7) What characteristics of Portland make this area so popular for brewers, breweries, and consumers?
It’s all about quality of life isn’t it? Beer is obviously part of that, but so is a livable city close to the mountains and ocean. I know of few brewers who live in Portland that want to leave.

8) If “Northwest Ale” was added as a new style of beer, what would it be?
Anything over hopped. Sorry, just my opinion.

9) What is the most underrated hop?
Nugget. No one gives Nugget any credit. It’s tough to use as an aroma hop, and probably shouldn’t be, but man does it give a nice, clean, easy to work with bitterness at a very reasonable cost.

10) What are the relationships like between competing brewers? Is there a sense of community, friendly competition, etc.?
In general, I think they’re great. I’ve made a lot of friends in the brewing community, both here in Portland and around the country – and I’ve met very few brewers that I don’t like. We tend to help each other out in lots of ways, and even those breweries in direct competition with each other are often on good personal terms.

Related posts:

1. Photos: Behind the Scenes at Rock Bottom Brewery
2. 10 Questions with Chad Kennedy of Laurelwood Brewery
3. 10 Questions with Ben Flerchinger of Lucky Labrador Brewing

Laurelwood Brewing Company.

Brewer’s Name:
Chad Kennedy

Brewery:
Laurelwood Brewery

1) If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only choose one pound of either hops, water, barley, or yeast, which would it be, and why?
Yeast! I’m sure I could make some sort of alcoholic concoction with the native flora. Maybe fermented coconut spiced with the root of some exotic plant? I wouldn’t want to risk the local yeast though- I mean come on- just because I’m stranded on a deserted island doesn’t mean I wanna drink super sour pruno.

2) What is the best aspect of NW beer drinkers?
That they leave some for me. Really, the fact that they’re not afraid of flavor.

3) What is your favorite beer style, and why?
Cliche, I know, but I love IPA. There are so many varieties of IPA and it really shows me if a brewery knows about balance. Yes-balance even in a super hoppy Imperial IPA-can you balance that big bitterness and aroma or is it simply one dimensional hop bomb.

4) What is the first beer you brewed that was worthy of a name?
I’m not real big on cutesy beer names. I think the first beer I named was my first commercial seasonal-Holly Grail Abbey Ale.

5) Where do you get your inspiration from when creating new beers?
Everywhere. Other breweries, food, wine. What ever strikes my fancy I guess.

6) What is the most misunderstood aspect of being a professional brewer?
We don’t drink all day. Maybe everyday, but not all day.

7) What characteristics of Portland make this area so popular for brewers, breweries, and consumers?
We’re so close to all of what it takes to make great beer. Great water, hops and barley.

8) If “Northwest Ale” was added as a new style of beer, what would it be?
Based on whatever style- add hops, add gravity.

9) What is the most underrated hop?
That’s hard to say- Mt. Hoods maybe? Great noble-esque character and their from right here in the PNW.

10) What are the relationships like between competing brewers? Is there a sense of community, friendly competition, etc.?
Good I’d say. I don’t think you start really loosing that friendly feeling until you’ve got stock holders, a marketing department and need to sell a bazillion barrels of beer.

Related posts:

1. 10 Questions with Van Havig of Rock Bottom Brewery
2. 10 Questions with Ben Flerchinger of Lucky Labrador Brewing
3. 10 Questions with Eric Wathen of Alameda Brewhouse

Lucky Lab Brewing Company.

Brewer’s Name:
Dave Fleming

Brewery:
Lucky Labrador Brewing

1) If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only choose one pound of either hops, water, barley, or yeast, which would it be, and why?
Yeast!!! We’ll find something to ferment on that island.

2) What is the best aspect of NW beer drinkers?
People love beer. I can’t imagine living in Mississippi where there is no beer culture. Okay, I’ll be ready to respond to someone defending Mississippi, a place I’ve never been and don’t know much about but beer doesn’t come to mind.

3) What is your favorite beer style, and why?
I like hoppy IPA’s. They are what the northwest is all about.

4) What is the first beer you brewed that was worthy of a name?
I made a beer in college using water from the shower. Sounds disgusting but it turned out quite well. I guess if you boil long enough anything is possible. Shower Stall Stout Anyone?

5) Where do you get your inspiration from when creating new beers?
I ask our other brewer Ben and he’ll say we should add x to the beer (x= any known planet or vegetable in the world). Then I say no. Then Ben will say try this, he’ll juice some weird vegetable and he’ll mix it in one of our beers. We’ll both try it and go NO! Then a couple of sips later (I really have to stop second sipping). Ben will say that’s kinda GOOD!!!

6) What is the most misunderstood aspect of being a professional brewer?
It’s work. We don’t just drink beer all day like my job is some kinda college frat party. Do I go down to YOUR work and bug you??? All kidding aside, it’s a job I love and people appreciate what we do, but sometimes it can be distraction.

7) What characteristics of Portland make this area so popular for brewers, breweries, and consumers?
I think Portlanders identify themselves with the laid back beer lifestyle. It’s kinda a microcosim for the city. They don’t take themselves that seriously and a good beer is sometimes, most of the time, better than wine, and definitely cheaper. Plus the water, rainy weather, and all the standard crap other people will say. Portlanders love the role of living in beervana and showing it off to friends and relatives from far away places because most of us are transplants anyhow. It gives us a sense of place.

8) If “Northwest Ale” was added as a new style of beer, what would it be?
Some kind of double beer with tons of ingredients, tons of flavor, lots of alcohol and plenty of hops.

9) What is the most underrated hop?
I like Liberty’s. They seem a little under used in my opinion. They are closely related to the noble hops but seem a little spicier and have a little more American flavor.

10) What are the relationships like between competing brewers? Is there a sense of community, friendly competition, etc.?
If anything, the competition is only friendly. Maybe winning best of show or peoples award at a brewfest or such may give you a little bragging rights, but we are all friends and all help each other. That’s one of the great things about being in this industry, there is true community in the Portland brewing scene.

Related posts:

1. 10 Questions with Ben Flerchinger of Lucky Labrador Brewing
2. 10 Questions with Eric Wathen of Alameda Brewhouse
3. 10 Questions with Alan Sprints of Hair of the Dog Brewing

Lucky Lab Brewer Ben Flerchinger.

Brewer’s Name:
Ben Flerchinger

Brewery:
Lucky Labrador Brewing

1) If you were stranded on a deserted island, and you could only choose one pound of either hops, water, barley, or yeast, which would it be, and why?
Yeast. There has to be something with sugar in it on the island.

2) What is the best aspect of NW beer drinkers?
Knowledge. NW beer drinkers know their stuff. Also, I would say that they are not afraid to give a new beer a try.

3) What is your favorite beer style, and why?
What have you got?

4) What is the first beer you brewed that was worthy of a name?
I brewed a pale amber in honor of one of our old brewers returning to work. Welcome Back Ale. It was the first beer I got to make all on my own so it was pretty cool for me. We are still looking for the exact specs on pale ambers but I think I was pretty close.

5) Where do you get your inspiration from when creating new beers?
I try to think of the wierdest thing you could do to or put in a beer and get shot down from there. Belmont station is another great source of inspiration. Homebrewers can give you some interesting ideas too, stuff you would never think of doing in big batches.

6) What is the most misunderstood aspect of being a professional brewer?
A friend of ours has a plaque displayed right as you walk into his brewery, it reads “Brewing is not fun. Brewing is a job, it is hard work.” I agree with that, except every once in a while you get to have some fun.

7) What characteristics of Portland make this area so popular for brewers, breweries, and consumers?
Portlanders seem to have a great sense of being in touch with what we eat and drink. From farmer’s markets to community gardens and craft breweries, people get to see where a product comes from, how it is made, and who made it.

8) If “Northwest Ale” was added as a new style of beer, what would it be?
Dry hopped pale ale, that seems to be what the peoples want to drink.

9) What is the most underrated hop?
Fresh hops.

10) What are the relationships like between competing brewers? Is there a sense of community, friendly competition, etc.?
I think Portland brewers tend to be competing more with the brewers in Golden, Colorado or St. Louis, Missouri than we are competing amongst ourselves. We tend to help out each other as much as we can, there is plenty of room for all of us.

Related posts:

1. 10 Questions with Dave Fleming of Lucky Labrador Brewing
2. Fermented Photo Flashback: Ben Flerchinger, Lucky Labrador Brewing Co.
3. 10 Questions with Eric Wathen of Alameda Brewhouse