Ben Flerchinger, Lucky Labrador Brewing Co. This is another early photo, this time at the Lucky Labrador on Quimby.  I remember thinking that shooting directly into the morning light with all of the grain dust coating my gear would be a disaster.  It turned out to be one of my favorite photos.

Related posts:

1. 10 Questions with Ben Flerchinger of Lucky Labrador Brewing
2. Photos: The Lucky Labrador Brewing Company [Quimby]
3. 10 Questions with Dave Fleming of Lucky Labrador Brewing

In the past, it’s been called a tastival. It’s also been called a festeroon. This year? Who knows. But a festival by any other name would be as sweet! Whatever the name, you’ll be tasting barleywines and big beers!

The Lucky Lab’s Ben Flerchinger just sent me the newest list: 46 beers with an average ABV of 9.8%—big beers indeed! Ben also said to expect about 15 or 20 more offerings by the time the event opens.

When and Where: Friday and Saturday, March 5th and 6th, Noon to 10 p.m.
Cost: A custom glass and two tokens are $8 and additional tastes are $1.50.
The List:

Related posts:

1. Updated Beer List for the 2009 Barleywine Festeroon at the Lucky Lab
2. 2008 Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival Beer List
3. 2009 Barleywine Festaroon!

Beers at the Lucky Lab, from this year’s Barleywine Festeroon.

Today’s photo is in honor of the festivities that are starting in a few hours at the Lucky Lab (Quimby): Cheers to Belgian Beers. Sample about 40 or so Belgian styled beers, today and tomorrow, noon to 10pm.

Related posts:

1. Fermented Photo Flashback: Ben Flerchinger, Lucky Labrador Brewing Co.
2. Updated Beer List for the 2009 Barleywine Festeroon at the Lucky Lab
3. AKA 2010 Lucky Labrador Barleywine and Big Beer Tasting

Ben Flerchinger, Lucky Lab Brewer and Festeroon Operator.

Another Lucky Lab Barleywine Festival has come and gone, and it’ll be another year until we can see what surprises pop up for next year’s event–and that’s way too long. As a strong beer lover, this festival is a highlight on my busy beer calendar.

About 50 different barleywines and strong beers flow throughout the weekend with several vertical tastings available so that people can try different years of the same beer. Festival goers had the options to sample ’05/’06/’07 Lucky Lab Old Yeller, ’07/’08 Walking Man Old Stumblefoot, ’05/’08 New Old Lompoc’s Old Tavern Rat, among others. These verticals are a great way to see how a beer mellows with age–assuming no big changes to the recipes over the years.

But these 50 great beers are a far cry from the humble beginnings of this festival. I talked to Lucky Lab brewer Ben Flerchinger about the origins of the barleywine festival: “The fest started out about 10 years ago at the Hawthorne Lab with 7 different barleywines. It was just two jockey boxes on the main bar with about 15-20 people hanging out at a time. Dave Fleming can be blamed, or congratulated, for getting this thing going. This year I was in charge of set-up, but could not have done it without the help of Preston Weesner and many great volunteers.” After helping out last year’s festival, brewer Dave Fleming ended his tenure at the Lucky Lab and moved on to Three Creeks Brewing in Sisters, OR. But Preson Weesner remains in Portland, and is quite a force behind almost every festival in Portland, including the Oregon Brewer’s Festival and the incredible Holiday Ale Festival. The equation is simple: if Preston is involved, great beer is available.

The many colors of Barleywine.

From two lonely jockey boxed almost a decade ago, the festival has grown so big that all of the great beer is not available at one time. Space requirements limit the amount of beer that can be set up at a time to about thirty, with about twenty more waiting to be rotated in as the first beers disappear. And they do disappear. I found this out by skipping Friday night only to find that more than ten beers that were depleted that night–without my permission. Well, now I know better.

And what lies ahead for next year? “Shoot for about 60 beers. Get some commemorative t-shirts made, I had a lot of requests for those,” says Ben Flerchinger. “I would also like to set up a warming tray. A lot of purists think that barleywines should not be served ice cold, and they are right. The problem is that the way our draft lines are set up the beer would just pour straight foam if served at room temp. I can’t guarantee a warming station, but I am working on it.” I got around this problem by going back and forth from the line to the table and lining up and labeling about 8 barleywines. By the time I was ready to drink, most of the samples had been sitting around for about 10 minutes. Not perfect, but it took the “ice” out of “ice cold”.

So, thanks to Ben and his supporting cast, we’ve been able to enjoy another barleywine festival this year. Now, get back to work Ben, time to start planning for next year!

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Related posts:

1. Updated Beer List for the 2009 Barleywine Festeroon at the Lucky Lab
2. Photos: 2009 Barleywine Festeroon
3. 2009 Barleywine Festaroon!

Here are some photos from this past weekend’s 2009 Barleywine Festeroon at the Lucky Labrador. Wow! Big. Strong. Beers. We’ll post a recap later this week, but for now, here’s a glimpse of what was going on Saturday afternoon.

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Related posts:

1. Updated Beer List for the 2009 Barleywine Festeroon at the Lucky Lab
2. 2009 Barleywine Festeroon Aftermath
3. 2009 Barleywine Festaroon!

Just got an email from Ben Flerchinger from the Lucky Lab containing the final list for the 2009 Barleywine Festeroon this weekend! I updated the old post, but here it is again:

Related posts:

1. 2009 Barleywine Festaroon!
2. 2008 Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival Beer List
3. 2009 Barleywine Festeroon Aftermath

Last year’s list…

Don’t be confused by the name. This year’s Barleywine Festaroon is a continuation of last year’s Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival. As much as I am part of the Portland beer scene, it’s hard for me to blog about these events. The simple reason is that I want to keep it all to myself. Not that I could drink all of this fantastic beer by myself (though I could put a pretty good dent in it), but at some point, the short lines will disappear and I’ll have to fight for this selection of barleywines and big beers. I’m old, and I don’t like to fight. Unless I’ve had several barleywines, and then you get into the chicken and egg situation…

For information on last year’s event, you can check out the writeup, photos, and beer list. The simple facts are these:

• The dates are March 6 and 7.
• Gates open at noon both days close at ten.
• 1945 nw Quimby St.
• The tickets are $1.75 for a four ounce taste, no charge for admission.

Related posts:

1. Updated Beer List for the 2009 Barleywine Festeroon at the Lucky Lab
2. 2008 Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival Beer List
3. 2009 Barleywine Festeroon Aftermath

Photos from the Lucky Labrador Brewing Company on Quimby.

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Related posts:

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

Previously, I posted my notes and photos on the Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival 2008. I finally got around to typing up the beer list from the event. I know it’s a bit late, but at least it’s a reference for next year’s event.

Related posts:

1. Updated Beer List for the 2009 Barleywine Festeroon at the Lucky Lab
2. Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival 2008
3. 2009 Barleywine Festaroon!

Photos from the Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival 2008 at The Lucky Lab.

Check out the rest of the photos here.

Related posts:

1. Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival 2008
2. 2008 Barleywine and Big Beer Tastival Beer List
3. Photos: 2009 Barleywine Festeroon