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Oakshire Brewing to release bottles of Watershed IPA and Overcast Espresso Stout

July 21st, 2009
North American Organic Brewers Festival 2009

Last week, I got a press release from Oakshire Brewing in Eugene, OR. Nope, not a Portland beer, but if you’ve been able to taste their brews, you’ll agree that everyone should keep an eye on them. Almost exactly a year ago, Oakshire Brewing emerged after a bit of legal prodding forced a name change from Willamette Brewing. They have continued to haul their beer and brand all over oregon throughout the year and are now arriving at bottling two of their flagship beers: an IPA and a Stout.

This is great news as Oakshire beers will be popping up in more places around Portland. Be sure to look for them the next time you’re beer shopping. Here are the details from the press release:

———-

Oakshire Brewing Company of Eugene, Oregon will release two of their year-round beers on Thursday, July 16th. Watershed IPA and Overcast Espresso Stout will be distributed in 22 ounce bottles in the Eugene and Corvallis markets.

“This is a very exciting time for our young brewery,” explains Brewmaster Matt Van Wyk. We feel we have a huge fan base that is not able to experience our beers on draft but would gladly enjoy our beers at home, on a trip, or with friends.”

The Oakshire team has been working for the last 6 months designing packaging for the new bottles. “We’ve presold a large portion of our first production run. That says a lot for the state of craft beer and for Oakshire,” stated co-founder and head of sales and promotions, Chris Althouse. Oakshire beers will be bottled with mobile bottling services until a bottling machine can be acquired.

According to Jeff Althouse, Co-Founder of Oakshire brewing, “This new package for our beers will really help us grow not only in our local market, but throughout the state. Access to our beers has been a major goal for us as we’ve grown from a tiny brewery into what we are producing today.”

Althouse plans to fill Eugene and Corvallis accounts first and then send bottles to Portland and other areas in the state just as fast as the small brewery can keep up with demand. New tanks were recently installed to implement this new bottling project.

About Oakshire Brewing Company: Oakshire Brewing Company of Eugene, OR was founded in October 2006 by Native Oregonian brothers Jeff and Chris Althouse. With the singular goal of brewing the highest quality artisan beer, Oakshire has become recognized for consistently brewing fresh, unique and delicious beers in relatively small batches. Oakshire has an active blog on the web at http://oakbrew.com and they also offer brewery tours and beer tasting at their brewery every Saturday from 12-4pm. The brewery is located at 1055 Madera Street in Eugene. They can be reached at info@oakbrew.com or at (541) 688-4555

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Oregon Brewers Festival: Buzz Tent

July 18th, 2009
Oregon Brewers Festival 2008
Oregon Brewer’s Festival 2008.

Well, the Oregon Brewers Festival is upon us. Every year, there is more beer, more people, and hotter temperatures. I use up a few vacation days each year so that I can make it out to the festival by noon on Thursday and Friday, avoiding much of the crowd and concentrating on the beer. This time, the organizers are adding another feature to the festivities: The Buzz Tent. It’s kind of like a mini-festival inside the OBF. Details and beer list below.

oregonbrewfest.com:
We’ve solicited a collection of beers from our participating brewers to feature in our new Buzz Tent. These beers run the gambit from old favorites to new creations, experimental beers to those well off the beaten path. They’ve come to us in 1/6 barrels, 1/4 barrels, half-kegs, firkins and bottles. These beers are highly prized, very expensive, and our selection is very limited in quantity. Many of the brewers of these beers will be on hand in the tent to talk up their product.

The Buzz Tent will be open on Friday, July 24 and Saturday, July 25 from Noon to 4:30 pm each day. Admission is separate from the festival. A ticket costs $20 and includes a punch card good for eight four-ounce tastes. The ticket will give you tastes of six different buzz beers, plus two tastings of your choosing. Because of the different quantities of product on hand, we can’t guarantee what beers will be pouring at any single time, but we can guarantee they will be fantastic! Look for the chalkboard outside the tent, or follow the Buzz Tent on Twitter: @OBFBuzzTent.

We will be selling a total of 2,000 tickets to the Buzz Tent: 1,000 per day. The tickets are first come, first serve. Tickets can be purchased on site starting Thursday, July 23 in the “Tokens Only” lines on the south end of the mugs/tokens tent. You must purchase a Friday and/or a Saturday ticket. The Buzz Tent itself is located in between the Mug/Tokens Sales and the South Beer Trailers.

Admission to the Buzz Tent does not include a mug. Just use the mug you are using to sample all of the other beers at the festival. To whet your whistle, here’s a sample of what will be pouring in the Buzz Tent this weekend:

  • Alameda Horseshoe Hefeweizen
  • Alaskan Barley Wine Anderson Valley Huge’r Boont
  • Ballast Point Sour Wench Tart Blackberry Ale #1
  • Beer Valley Black Flag Imperial Stout 2008 Fresh Hop edition
  • Blue Frog Barrel Aged Strong Amber Peligroso
  • BridgePort 2008 Stumptown Tart in firkin
  • BridgePort BBL Ebenezer
  • Cascade Brewing Sang Royale
  • Cascade Brewing Gold Yeller
  • Cascade Brewing Night Fall
  • Cascade Brewing Gose
  • Cascade Brewing Mouton Rouge
  • Deschutes Bourbon Quad
  • Dogfish Head Palo Santo Marron
  • Fearless Strong Scotch
  • Fifty Fifty Imperial Eclipse Stout (180 days in Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrels)
  • Firestone Walker Double/Imperial Union Jack
  • Full Sail 1998 Old Boilermaker Bourbon Barrel Aged Barleywine
  • Grand Teton Brewing Howling Wolf Weizenbock
  • Laurelwood Organic Deranger Imperial Red
  • Laht Neppur Spiced Waitsburg Winter Warmer
  • Lazy Boy Pomegranate Belgian Golden Ale
  • Lompoc Barrel Fermented LSD
  • McMenamins West Linn Largo Laws Treasure Strong Scottish
  • McMenamins Crystal Ballroom Obama Nation Domestic Schwarzbier
  • McMenamins Old St. Francis Base Camp Coffee Stout
  • McMenamins Oak Hills Das Schwertz Maibock (Whiskey Barrel Aged)
  • Moylan’s Brewing Co. Batch #1000 Double Kilt Lifter
  • New Belgium La Folie
  • Oakshire Glen’s Hop Vice Imperial IPA
  • Redhook Raspberry Tripel
  • Rock Bottom Rod Flanders
  • Stone 13th Anniversary
  • Sprecher Brewery Bourbon Barrel Scotch Ale
  • Widmer X-114 IPA

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Full Sail Brewing Celebrates Oregon Craft Beer Month

July 7th, 2009
Full Sail Brewing Company

Hood River, Oregon – Brewers know the best way to celebrate is to brew a special beer, and in honor of Oregon Craft Beer Month Full Sail Brewing Company will release a new beer in their Brewer’s Share line up. The special beer, Andy’s Ambrosia Red, was developed by Full Sail Brewer Andy Cummings. The Brewer’s Share series is a line up of small batch draft beers where each of the Full Sail brewers takes a turn hand-crafting a single batch recipe of their choosing.

You are invited to swing by and raise a toast with brewer Andy Cummings and the Full Sail Crew to celebrate Oregon Craft Beer Month and to “Meet the Brewer and the Beer” at their Riverplace Brewery in Portland, on Monday, July 13th from 5:00 to 6:30PM and at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, on Thursday, July 16th, from 5:00 to 6:30PM.

In Greek mythology ambrosia was considered the drink of the gods. Rightfully so that brewer Andy Cummings has crafted this heavenly red ale; its namesake also means “delightful liquid”. This medium-bodied, dry-hopped red ale was brewed with a variety of specialty malts (Crystal, Munich, Honey and Carafa) with a pronounced hop flavor and an emphasis on the aroma from the dry Brewer’s Gold hops.

Living up to Full Sail’s reputation as “brewers of godlike nectar,” Andy notes that his inspiration was to brew something for any beer lover to enjoy midst the summer’s hellacious heat. “It’s generously hopped, but the alcohol is on the lighter side, making it easy to drink more than just one… and perhaps experience a bit of that immortality.” ABV 4.9% IBU 53.

Full Sail’s Brewer’s Share beers will be exclusively available on tap at Full Sail’s Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River, Oregon, and at Full Sail’s Brewery at Riverplace, in Portland, Oregon. Growlers to go are also available. The next Brewer’s Share will be crafted by Full Sail brewer Nathan Jacobson and is expected in early September.

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Oakshire Brewing Expands, Adds Brewmaster

March 30th, 2009

I received a press release from Oakshire Brewing Company with some information on their expansion and an introduction to Matt Van Wyk (a brewer from Flossmoor Station whose reputation precedes him by a mile). I don’t know much about Oakshire personally, so I’ll pass the press release on verbatim below.

I was able to taste some of of Oakshire’s brews at last year’s Oregon Brewer Festival and OBF Brewers Dinner. Oakshire appeared at the dinner with an astounding Double IPA that was instantly the longest line at the event. This was their first event as Oakshire Brewing, previously brewing under the name Willamette Brewing. I also found them at the Bend Brewfest pouring a great espresso stout. With the new expansion and brewmaster, Oakshire’s brews should be making their way into Portland in bottles this Summer. Seek them out, and you’ll definitely go back for more!

Oakshire Brewing Company of Eugene is nearing completion on a 2,000 square foot addition to its production brewery in Northwest Eugene. The additional space will allow for the immediate installation of three 30-barrel fermentation tanks arriving from Georgetown Brewing of Seattle on Thursday, April 2 – more than doubling Oakshire’s production capacity. According to Jeff Althouse, Co-Founder of Oakshire brewing, “the facility will also allow for the installation of eight significantly larger tanks, likely around 80 barrels each, over the next three years.” A barrel is 31 U.S. gallons or two full-size kegs.

How will Oakshire use this addition capacity? Bottled beer for starters. Since the company began operations in October 2006, they have only brewed draft beer for distribution to bars and restaurants in Eugene, Corvallis and Portland. The most popular styles, Watershed IPA and Overcast Espresso Stout will be available in 22-ounce bottles as early as July of this year. The company also plans to begin brewing a wide array of Seasonal and Limited Edition beer styles. For this, they’ve hired a nationally recognized Brewmaster.

Matt Van Wyk, formerly of Flossmoor Station Restaurant and Brewery in Flossmoor Illinois, will join Oakshire as the company’s Brewmaster on Monday, March 30. Van Wyk is well known for his recipe-development skills across an impressive spectrum of beer styles, from Northwest India Pale Ales to Baltic Porters. He earned the prestigious Small Brewpub Company Brewer of the Year award at the 2006 Great American Beer Festival. Van Wyk’s brewing talent complements Oakshire’s production model perfectly.

“Instead of replacing our small fermentation tanks with larger tanks, we’ll keep them for our specialty beers,” says Althouse. The company’s fourteen-barrel brewing system, coupled with three fourteen-barrel fermentation tanks, will allow them to produce as few as twenty-five kegs of any one Limited Edition beer style. This allows Oakshire’s brewers to be creative by designing new beers on a regular basis, like many brewpubs. “Small is beautiful in any artisan trade, especially in artisan brewing,” muses Althouse.

About Oakshire Brewing Company: Oakshire Brewing Company of Eugene, OR was founded in October 2006 by Native Oregonian brothers Jeff and Chris Althouse. With the singular goal of brewing the highest quality artisan beer, Oakshire has become recognized for consistently brewing fresh, unique and delicious beers in relatively small batches. Oakshire has an active blog on the web at http://oakbrew.com and they also offer brewery tours and beer tasting every Saturday from 12-4pm at their brewery, 1055 Madera Street in Eugene. They can be reached at info@oakbrew.com or at (541) 688-4555

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Full Sail Brewing Co. Releases Brewmaster Reserve Keelhauler Scottish Ale

March 19th, 2009

This just in from Full Sail:

Hood River, Or – Full Sail Brewing Company is proud to release a new beer in their Brewmaster Reserve line-up for 2009, Keelhauler Scottish Ale. Keelhauler is a full bodied rich ale with slight notes of caramel and cocoa and a strong malty flavor. The hop character is spicy and earthy with a nice finishing hop flavor. “With this style we embark on a trip across the pond. Keelhauler, a nautical term, refers to a form of punishment one might get for treachery on the high seas, but there’s no punishment here, we just thought it was a great name for a beer. Scottish Ale’s are widely interpreted between sweet and roasty. We go for the balanced side, using imported Crystal and Amber malts with
imported Challenger, American Willamette, and Sterling Hops to bring this Scottish Ale to life, said Full Sail Brewmaster, John Harris. ABV: 6.8% IBU: 48

“Keelhauler is part of our rotating selection of Brewmaster Reserve Beers. Every ten weeks we come out with a different beer that show cases the brewer’s art. We began the program back in 1998 as a way of celebrating our independence and creativity,” added Full Sail’s Founder and CEO, Irene Firmat.

Keelhauler will be available in 22oz bottles and on draught in specialty beer stores and pubs throughout the Pacific Northwest from Mid-March until June. Full Sail will follow-up Keelhauler with Grandsun of Spot India Pale Ale due out in June. Full Sail will feature Keelhauler at the Spring Beer and Wine Festival scheduled for April 10 & 11th at the Oregon Convention Center. Here’s the full list of Full Sail’s Brewmaster Reserve 2009 line.

The independent and employee-owned Full Sail Brewery is perched on a bluff in Hood River, Oregon, overlooking the most epic wind and kite surfing spot in the world. At this very moment 47 specialists in the liquid refreshment arts are crafting barley and hops into your next beer. Founded in 1987, the Full Sail crew has been fermenting godlike nectar for 21 years. Full Sail is committed to brewing great beer while adhering to socially and environmentally sustainable practices. Full Sail recently received the “Businesses for an Environmentally Sustainable Tomorrow Award (BEST)” from the City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development and the “Governor’s Award for Sustainability” from the State of Oregon. Their award winning brews are now available in nineteen states. The Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub is open seven days a week. Swing by for a pint, grab a bite, tour the brewery, or just soak up the view.

www.fullsailbrewing.com

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The 5 things you can do to stop HB 2461

February 20th, 2009

This came from the Oregon Brewer’s Guild today, so I’m just passing it along verbatim:

The Five things you can do to help fight House Bill 2461

The Oregon brewing industry is facing a nearly $50 per barrel increase on beer taxes – an increase of over 1900% – which would make the Oregon beer excise tax the highest in the country. If House Bill 2461 passes, it could result in the loss of up to 3,400 Oregon jobs and devastate an industry that currently supports 5,200 direct and 10,000 indirect employees.

If you oppose this excessive and unfair tax increase, here are five simple things you can do to make your voice heard:

1. Write your legislator – This may sound like something you’d hear from your grandmother, but nothing has a stronger impact on legislators than getting a good old-fashioned piece of snail mail. Take a peek at our template letter then customize and send your own version. You can find your legislator at http://www.leg.state.or.us/findlegsltr/ and a list of Revenue committee members at http://tinyurl.com/crw2gj .

2. Get social – The Oregon Brewers Guild has created several social networking applications devoted to connecting consumers opposed to House Bill 2461. These groups are a vital online community and help spread the word when news and events happen. We’re on Facebook and Twitter (http://twitter.com/NoNewORBeerTax ). Sign up. Tell your friends.

3. Sign the petition – The Oregon Brewers Guild is collecting signatures for an electronic petition against HB 2461. This might seem self explanatory, but the more signatures we’re able to collect, the bigger the impact on legislators. You can sign it here http://bit.ly/8rB0Y. After you’ve signed it, you can generate additional support by sending a link to your friends and posting the URL on websites and/or forums.

4. Attend the hearing – On Monday, February 23rd, the House Revenue Committee will be holding a hearing at the state capitol to address House Bill 2461. If 100 Oregon beer enthusiasts attend the hearing it will send a strong message to legislators that Oregonians are clearly against this legislation. Visit http://tinyurl.com/ahhhhu to get more details about how to attend the hearing and carpooling options.

5. Make your voice heard – If you won’t be able to attend the hearing and rally at the capitol on Monday, call or email your representative and members of the House Revenue Committee to let them know what you think about the proposed tax increase. You can send your message directly at http://www.leg.state.or.us/writelegsltr/.

Sample Letter:

Here is a sample letter that you can send off to your legislator or send out to your e-newsletter or blog. Please feel free to add in your own experience where it talks about how the tax will affect you directly.

Dear Honorable Representative ______________,

Oregon is in the middle of an economic crisis, facing major budget deficits and the potential loss of thousands of family wage jobs. Now, more than ever, the public is looking to our government to provide strategic and smart leadership to turn the economy around.

It is neither strategic nor smart to raise the beer tax by more than 1900%; in fact, it would be unwise and harmful to the economy to approve any increase in Oregon’s beer tax.

The craft brewing industry has been extremely good for Oregon. Oregon breweries directly employ more than 5,200 people at a family wage; 2,300 of those jobs were created in the last 5 years. For every 1,000 barrels of Oregon brewed beer consumed in Oregon during the past 5 years, more than 30 jobs were created.

This green and entrepreneurial industry – which is built on uniquely Oregon advantages such as agriculture, people, and lifestyle – contributes $375 million to the Oregon economy every year. It does this without receiving state tax breaks or subsidies, while continuing to pay tens of millions of dollars in existing excise taxes.

The proposed 1900% tax increase – from the current tax of $2.60 a barrel to $52.21 – would be the single biggest tax increase on beer in US history, giving Oregon the dubious distinction of having the highest beer excise tax in the country. (Insert information about your brewery or beer experience here.)

Any tax increase, and especially the proposed House Bill 2461, would devastate what has been an incredible economic success story for the State of Oregon. At this time and in this economy, our state cannot afford to put more people out of work and harm an industry that is serving Oregon – which is exactly what a tax increase will do.

Sincerely,

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Renowned Last Abbey Brewer Tomme Arthur To Guest Brew at Bend Brewing Company

February 3rd, 2009

Award-winning Bend Brewing Co. Head Brewer Tonya Cornett will team with award-winning Lost Abbey Head Brewer Tomme Arthur to brew a traditional stein lager at Bend Brewing Co. on February 5 and 6, 2009.

Cornett traveled earlier this year to the San Marcos, California, brewery, the Lost Abbey, to collaborate with Arthur to make the first batch of this unique beer. On March 5 and 6, Arthur will travel to Bend so that he and Cornett can make the same beer at Bend Brewing Co.

Collaboration is one way that these two award-winning brewers can expand their creativity and more broadly share their talent with beer aficionados.

Tomme Arthur has been brewing professionally for 13 years and is widely respected within the industry. He has won multiple awards for his beers and was named Great American Brew Festival Small Brewpub Brewer of the year for 2003 and 2004. Tonya Cornett has also garnered several gold, bronze and silver medals for her beer and was honored as the first woman to win the title of World Beer Cup Brewmaster of the Year in 2008. Arthur noticed Cornett’s up-and-coming-talent while teaching a Hop Union professional seminar that she attended, and asked her to team up with him.

The two brewers chose a stein lager for its traditional nature and audience appeal. Stein lagers have been around for hundreds of years. Historically, rocks would be heated and added to a wooden kettle to set the wort (the liquid extracted from the mashing process during the brewing of beer) to boil. Arthur and Cornett have modernized this traditional process. “We heat granite to red hot and drop it into the wort, which caramelizes the sugars, offering caramel-like toffee notes in the final beer,” explains Cornett.

Arthur will be in Bend for the two-day brewing process on February 5 and 6. The lager will be available on tap at Bend Brewing Co. towards the end of April.

Bend Brewing Co. overlooks Mirror Pond in the heart of downtown Bend and specializes in fresh beers brewed to match the spirit, beauty and charm of Bend itself. Open 11:30 – close seven days a week and offering Happy Hour from 4 – 6 p.m. daily, Bend Brewing Co. is located at 1019 NW Brooks St. For more information call 541-383-1599.

For more information, see www.bendbrewingco.com, www.lostabbey.com, or contact Bend Brewing Co. at 541-385-3137.

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Beer and Film in PDX

January 29th, 2009
Bridgeport Brewpub
BridgePort Brewing Company.

“Seriously. Last night, man, I was so drunk, I was calling Morocco, man. Calling, trying to get to the Hotel Hilton at Tangiers in Casablanca, man. That’s, I mean, that’s, that’s pathetic, man! Is that what you wanna do with your life? Suck down peppermint schnapps and try to call Morocco at two in the morning? That’s senseless! But that’s what happens, man.” –Mark Borchardt, American Movie

I can watch American Movie about as many times as I can drink a beer. Well, ok, maybe not that much–but I could watch it every week without tiring. As I gather new friends over the years, I try to infect them with classic documentaries like American Movie and Vernon, Florida–movies that often slip through the cracks for casual movie goers. While my first love is beer, my second is movies. To call me a movie buff would be an understatement. I studied film in school, I’ve written several screenplays, and I’ve got piles of notebooks filled with sporadic movie notes. This doesn’t make me a genius, but I have invested a lot of time in the industry.

Movies are a lot like beer. There are huge blockbusters, diluted for the masses: pretty people, pretty dialogue, pretty action–pretty formulaic. Many of these are simply made for their potentially high return on investment. Then there are the smaller movies that start slowly, spread via word of mouth, and are usually financed on credit cards. These are the movies that are made for the love of making movies (and the hopes of breaking even). Of course, there is a lot of middle ground in this scenario, but it’s the extremes that interest me. This is not to say that all small movies are great and all big budget movies suck, just make sure that your movie radar is tuned into all options as many great movies fall through the cracks.

We know that Portland is a great city for beer, but with the 32nd Annual Portland International Film Festival coming up, it’s a great time to mix film in as well. You can find shorts, animation, documentary, foreign, and a lot of Oscar submitted films. And, thanks to BridgePort Brewing, you can also find beer.

From BridgePort Brewing:

“BridgePort Brewing Company, Oregon’s oldest craft brewery celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, is the official beer of this year’s 2009 Portland International Film Festival. The event, put on by the Northwest Film Center, will open Thursday, February 5th at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall with the gala premier of Oregon-based animation studio LAIKA’s new movie Coraline staring Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French, and others. Moviegoers throughout the festival, who bring a ticket stub of that night’s screening into the BridgePort brewpub + bakery or BridgePort Ale House, may purchase a $1.25, 20-ounce Imperial Pint, in honor of BridgePort’s 25th anniversary.

In addition to discounted pints at the BridgePort Brewpub + Bakery and BridgePort Ale House, BridgePort will also be pouring a variety of complimentary brews at each of the Festival’s events, including the Opening Night party, all of the Festival parties and the Closing Night party. Events open to the public include:

  • Opening Night party, Tuesday, Feb 5 – The Portland International Film Festival will open with a 7:30pm showing of Coraline at the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall. Tickets to the film go on sale Wednesday, January 28 and can be purchased at the Portland Center for the Performing Arts (PCPA) Box Office. Following the film will be an after party where show-goers can discuss the film and enjoy free beer complimentary of BridgePort Brewery.
  • Thursday, Feb. 12 – A post-film event for the 6pm showing of Shall We Kiss. The reception will begin at 8pm in the Fields Ballroom at the Portland Art Museum and be open to everyone that attended the film.
  • Closing Night party, Saturday, Feb 21 – The Closing Night party will be held following the 8:15pm showing of Dean Spanley. The party will take place in the Fields Ballroom at the Portland Art Museum. The event is open to the public, tickets are 10 dollars apiece and attendees will be able to compare notes with fellow Festival-goers on their favorite films while sipping on their favorite complimentary BridgePort Brews.”

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Full Sail Releases Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout

January 20th, 2009

Hood River, Or – Full Sail Brewing is proud to announce the special release of Black Gold Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Stout 2009. This highly anticipated release from Full Sail’s vintage barrel series has been a Full Sail brewing tradition since 1998. Every year since, Full Sail’s talented team of brewers brew an Imperial style dark ale and fill roughly sixty oak bourbon barrel casks, then age them in their cellar for about a year.

“Wood and barrel aging is an art form that takes dedication, patience and care. We brew this special beer in small batches, that’s why it is available in very limited quantities. You should get some while you can,” explained Jamie Emmerson, Full Sail’s Brewmaster.

The beer will be released in early February. According to Jamie, it was initially brewed in February 2008, and released as Full Sail Imperial Stout. A portion of the batch was reserved and aged for almost a year in Bourbon casks from Kentucky to create Black Gold. “This extended aging presents hints of vanilla and allows the Stout to pick up the flavors of the wood, bourbon and oak. The aging combined with the robust character of the Imperial Stout make for an extraordinary and wonderful taste experience. It has a strong roasted malt character and a full body. Chocolate and caramel nuances blend with the hops for a smooth Imperial Stout,” described Jamie. “It cellars well, if you store a few bottles in a dark, cool place and be patient – you will be rewarded for your effort and restraint,” To help the beer aficionados that have the self-discipline to cellar this beer, Full Sail marks the bottle label with the reserve year. Black Gold will be available in 22 oz bottles and on draught. (ABV 10.5%, IBU 65)

Full Sail is planning a special event to celebrate the release of Black Gold. The brewery will be pouring three of their wood-aged beers including bourbon-barrel-aged 2002 and 2008 Top Sail Imperial Porter, and 2009 Black Gold Imperial Stout. The special tapping will take place at 5 p.m., Monday, February 2nd at Full Sail’s River place Brewery in Portland, Oregon and at 5 p.m., Thursday, February 5th at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River. For more information call the Full Sail River place brewery at 503-222-5343 or the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub at 541-386-2247.

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Nation’s Greenest State Honors Brewery for Responsible Business Practices

January 5th, 2009
Full Sail Brewing Company
Full Sail Brewing Company

Portland, Or – Full Sail Brewing Company was honored by the State of Oregon for their outstanding commitment to sustainable business practices. The Brewery received the Governor’s Sustainability Award for small business. The State of Oregon, ranked the greenest state in the nation by Forbes.com and Business Facilities Magazine, presents the awards annually to innovative companies and organizations that demonstrate an exemplary commitment to sustainability.

The second annual Governor’s Sustainability Awards were recently presented by Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury as part of the Oregon Business Council’s Leadership Summit. The Oregon Sustainability Board selected winners from more than 50 nominations.

“Businesses increasingly understand that sustainability benefits the bottom line in three ways,” said Bradbury, who also chairs the Oregon Sustainability Board. “First it helps the economy, second, the environment and third, our citizens.”

The judges noted that Full Sail demonstrated outstanding sustainability practices in social equity, energy and water efficiency, renewable energy, use of recycled materials, procurement of local ingredients, community involvement, and waste management.

“To be acknowledged for our sustainable business practices by Oregon, a state that has been at the forefront in its commitment to responsible business practices is an honor. For us, this sense of responsibility has been part of our core principals since we first started brewing beer over 21 years ago. Over the years we have been committed to being stewards of the environment and have remained dedicated to operating our brewery in the most responsible manner possible. As an employee owned company we share this award with our all employees who are a key part of our daily commitment to these practices. Open communication and suggestions from employees have contributed greatly to the success of managing and maintaining a socially and environmentally fair business,” said Irene Firmat, Full Sail’s Founder and CEO.

Full Sail Brewing Company
Full Sail Brewing Company

“Our brewery’s amazing location nestled between the Columbia River and the snow-capped peak of Mt. Hood, in Hood River, Oregon makes us all feel a deep connection for our surroundings. Employees are the owners at Full Sail – and because Oregon is our home – we feel empowered to run the brewery in the most responsible manner every day. As much as we are committed to brew great beers, we are also committed to our community. It would be impossible to live and work in the Columbia River Gorge and not be inspired by the sheer beauty of the place. It is the blue skies, green forests, snow-capped mountains and pristine rivers surrounding us that insure our dedication,” added Jamie Emmerson, Full Sail’s Executive Brewmaster.

Some of the company’s sustainability measures include:

* Efficient brewhouse: The brewery is as sustainable and efficient as possible, starting with the parts of the building that were reclaimed and recycled when the brewery first opened in the old Diamond Fruit cannery. The company utilizes energy measures such as energy-efficient lighting and air compressors, and compresses the work week into four very productive days, which helps reduce water and energy consumption by 20 percent.

* Sustainable brew process: Pure water literally flows from the peaks that surround the brewery, so Full Sail takes care to conserve this precious resource. While average breweries consume six to eight gallons of water for every gallon of beer produced, Full Sail has reduced its consumption to a mere 3.45 gallons, and operates its own on-site wastewater treatment facility. Local farms supply the other essential ingredients for award-winning brews: 85 percent of hops and 95 percent of barley come straight from Northwest farms.

* Reduce-Reuse-Recycle: Full Sail uses 100% recycled paperboard on all its packaging (and was one of the first in the industry to commit to long-term purchasing of recycled paper products). Everything from office paper to glass to stretch wrap to wooden pallets is recycled. Even dairy cows are beneficiaries of brewery waste: 4,160 tons of spent grain and 1,248 tons of spent yeast are sent back to farmers every year to use as feed for cows.

* Community-wide practices: Full Sail purchases 140 blocks of Pacific Power Blue Sky renewable energy per month. This practice results in the reduction of 168 tons of carbon dioxide emissions, the equivalent of planting 33,000 trees. Full Sail also supports over 300 events and charities each year, with a focus on those in Oregon. Employees at the company have inspired environmental change among other businesses in the Hood River area as well. Full Sail was a founding member of the Hood River Chamber of Commerce’s Green Smart program, an initiative that helps businesses and organizations within the Hood River watershed increase their productivity and profitability by improving resource efficiency and by reducing waste and pollution.

Earlier this year, Full Sail was honored with a BEST (Businesses for an Environmental Sustainable Tomorrow) award by The City of Portland Office of Sustainable Development for their energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies and for demonstrating a commitment to responsible business practices and innovation in sustainability. In addition the company’s Portland Riverplace Brewery and offices received recognition as a RecycleWorks business for its excellent track record of recycling, reducing waste and buying environmentally preferable products.

About Full Sail Brewing Company
Full Sail Brewing Company (www.fullsailbrewing.com) is an independent, employee-owned brewery operating for 21 years in Hood River, Oregon. Full Sail is committed to brewing great beer while adhering to socially and environmentally sustainable practices. Among the company’s most popular brews are Full Sail Amber, IPA, Pale, LTD, and Session premium American lager. Full Sail is the only brewery to have ever been named to the “Best 100 Companies to Work for in Oregon” list by Oregon Business Magazine and maintained that distinction for five consecutive years. Full Sail is a member of the Sustainable Business Network of Portland, a founding sponsor for the Hood River Chamber of commerce’s “Green Smart” program, and supports over 300 events and charities each year, the majority of which are local.

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