Blog Tag: Widmer Brothers Brewing

Author April Peveteaux reading from her new book Gluten Is My Bitch to a standing room only crowd at Widmer that included Fred Eckhardt I had the pleasure of being one of the three media members that turned out last Thursday evening to an exclusive roundtable interview with April Peveteaux, author of the new book Gluten Is My Bitch and the blog of the same name. Normally, a gluten-free event probably would not invite beer... Read More »

In my last post (Beer: Don’t Describe it, Drink it.) I discussed how beer brings people together and helps build community. When drinking any one of the many craft beers available, one quickly learns there is more in a beer than just flavor. Widmer Brothers Brewing knows this too. I was invited to a private Widmer Brothers Brewing tasting held at BEER on Monday, April 15th. I was rather reluctant. Expecting a panel of judges,... Read More »

“As we head into fall and winter, our brewers start thinking about rich, complex beers that warm from within,” said Rob Widmer Halloween seems to be the tipping point around Portland when the rain becomes constant and the colder temperatures start to creep in. Beer drinkers in the Northwest also welcome in the maltier, more warming winter brews from Portland breweries. Widmer Brothers Brewing is no exception as you'll see four new releases from them... Read More »

Friday night, September 7th at 6:55PM, I shuffled my arse into the VIP line for the commencement of the two day Widmer Oktoberfest. I was sweating profusely and though I wish I could poetically blame it on anxiety due to this being my first on-duty beer event, it was more likely due to the 97 degree heat and the large crowd waiting to get into see the Sami Rouissi Band followed by the Portland Cello... Read More »

Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest 929 North Russell Street Friday, Sept. 7th, 7pm to 11pm Saturday, Sept. 8th, 1pm to 11:00pm Friday night, I’m headed to the wilds of North Portland to cover my first beer event, the Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest. I am relieved that this limited selection event is my breakthrough—as going through the beers of one brewery is not as daunting as facing dozens, and I can, indeed, try them all. Add that to the fact... Read More »

"We've been brewing OKTO Festival Ale for 26 years, and there is a reason that it’s a seasonal favorite: it’s the perfect beer for the transition from summer to fall," said Rob Widmer This week's Fermented Photo subject comes from Widmer Brothers Brewing: Okto Festival Ale in the 2012 Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest stein. Okto Festival Ale is released around Oktoberfest time every year. You'll probably already find it on a few shelves and will stick... Read More »

Explore Your Craft © Ben Caldwell When I was given the opportunity to attend the Explore Your Craft event I jumped at the chance. I was intrigued with the idea of mixing the art of beer with, well, other art. Looking back over the trajectory of public opinion and acceptance of beer one may discern, and likely conclude, beer has not always been understood as craft. Yet it is well documented that Kurt and Rob... Read More »

Last night, I attended the Barrel Aged Beer Seminar and Tasting, part of a lineup of events for Portland Beer Week. The event centered around 11 different barrel aged beers from four different breweries, with a panel member representing each brewery: Ben Edmunds from Breakside Brewery, Mitch Steele from Stone Brewing, Matt Van Wyk from Oaksire Brewing, and Doug Rehberg from Widmer Brothers Brewing. Like last year, it was a casual event with Ben Edmunds... Read More »

Kill Devil Release Widmer Brothers Brewing Retail Store 929 North Russell St. Saturday, April 28 9 to 11 a.m. When I stumbled upon the beer label for Widmer Brothers' Kill Devil Brown Ale, I was very excited: interesting label, great ingredients, very promising. But, as the saying goes, you can't always judge a beer by it's label. However, if I was going to brew my own dream Imperial Brown Ale, it would probably have an... Read More »

In the video blow, Ben Dobler from Widmer Brothers Brewing shows us it ain't easy being a pimp. On the other hand, in the photo below from last year's Benfest, he shows us that being a pimp is easy. Cheers Ben, thanks for making us laugh! "I don't like the word creaminess." Read More »

Coming soon is the much anticipated collaboration between Deschutes Brewery and Hair of the Dog Brewing: Collage. This beer answers the question: What would happen if we blended Hair of the Dog's Adam and Fred with Deschutes Brewery's Dissident and Stoic? Oh, and what if we aged everything in a variety of barrels?" Well, I for one am glad that someone asked that question. I'm even more happy that the two great breweries decided to... Read More »

I get a lot of email from people asking about gluten-free beer. Honestly, I don't have much experience with it. As someone with absolutely no gluten intolerance, I don't have to be picky about the ingredients in the beer I'm drinking. To different degrees, gluten intolerance can affect about 1 in 125 people in the US and is referred to as celiac disease or celiac sprue. In the beer world, it's hard to escape gluten... Read More »

Hitting shelves beginning April 9th, tasting notes coming soon.  For now, here are the stats: Ingredients Malts: Pale, Roast Barley, Caramel 60L, Midnight Wheat, Chocolate Malt Hops: Alchemy for bittering, Willamette and Cascade for aroma Red raspberries Profile Original Gravity: 21.5 P Apparent Extract: 5 P IBU: 70 ABV: 9.3% Color: 90 SRM Read More »

The newest addition to the Widmer Brothers 924 Series is the Oatmeal Porter. The 924 Series sits between the brewery's regular releases and their Brothers' Reserve Series. The regular 6 pack releases include the year round and widely known Hefeweizen as well as the Drop Top Amber, Drifter Pale Ale, and the Rotator IPA Series. These beers are the bulk of their portfolio and are seen all across the US. On the high end, Widmer... Read More »

Spiced IPA from Widmer Brothers Brewing is the fourth release in their Rotator Series. This beer follows X-114, Falconer's, and O'Ryely. The Rotator Series lives up to its name as each of the releases has been very different from the last. It's hard for me to say goodbye to O'Ryely as it's been a go to beer of mine for the last couple of months: the combination of the fruity Nelson Sauvin and light peppery... Read More »

The label says Spring 2012 and I might be more excited about this beer than I am about the Spring season itself. American Brown Ales should be big on chocolate, caramel, and well-roasted malts, creating a medium to high viscosity sweet body, balanced out by some nice hop bitterness. Gentle aroma and flavor hops can be used by professionals of balance, but these can often muddle what should be a clear malt showcase. Well, that's... Read More »

Rob Widmer, talking about the upcoming releases from Widmer Brothers Brewing: W'12 Dark Saison and the Rotator Series Spiced IPA. I've seen the Dark Saison on store shelves already, but the new Spiced IPA hasn't displaced the current delicious Rotator Series O'Ryely quite yet. Both beers are quite unique. The Dark Saison lives up to it's name, showcasing the Belgian yeast strain, while finishing long and sweet from the caramel and dark chocolate malt. The... Read More »

It's back again for another year: the Widmer Oktoberfest! Games, beer, food, beer, music, beer, great big souvenir glass stein, and last but not least, beer!  Last year's was a lot of fun, check out the details below for this year's lineup (or see the photos from last year's party).  From the official press release: PORTLAND, Ore. – Sept. 2, 2011 – Widmer Brothers Brewing’s Oktoberfest returns for a seventh year celebrating Munich-style ales and German... Read More »

Widmer Brothers Gasthaus Pub 955 N Russell Street Portland, Oregon PORTLAND, Ore. – July 26, 2011 – Widmer Brother Brewing’s Beer Bar Brunch will celebrate Oregon Craft Beer Month and Oregon Brewers Festival weekend with a special event featuring a buffet paired with handcrafted beers and a beer blending bar. The brunch will take place Saturday, July 30 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Widmer Brothers Brewing. WHAT: The 24th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival... Read More »

Looking for something new on the shelves? Here are a few releases that will be hitting the stores, well, sometime. While not new to draft lines, this is the first year that Hopworks' Galactic Imperial Red is being bottled. Draft description: "Our Galactic Imperial Red boldly goes where no Red has gone before. We gave it all the Centennial and Cascade hops we've got to bring the floral and citrus flavor and aroma to Warp... Read More »

Widmer Brothers brewing, fresh off a media event about their new outside packaging and branding, are now showing off their insides.  The latest addition to the Brothers' Reserve series is the Galaxy Hopped Barleywine.  "At Widmer Brothers, we're always experimenting with new recipies, and the Brothers' Reserve Series brings some of our most innovative concepts to market," said Rob Widmer.  "We love craft brewing, we love great beer, and our hope is that we're able... Read More »

PORTLAND, Ore. – March 28, 2011 – Widmer Brother Brewing's Arts & Draughts will celebrate the 78th anniversary of repeal of Prohibition with a special event celebrating a new look and new releases from the Brewery as well as the craft of local beer, food, and artistry. Festivities will take place Thursday, April 7 from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at LeftBank Annex. WHAT: April 7th is a day with many historical references - the... Read More »

Widmer Brothers KGB Russian Imperial Stout. This would be a great addition to their year round lineup.  I found a 12 pack for a little over $12 at Fred Meyer.  Delicious: a strong beer with dark chocolate, coffee, caramel, and licorice flavors. 70 IBUs 9.3 % ABV 21.5 Plato Read More »

Many things exist on paper before they are fully realized. With the exception of BridgePort's Nightcap (released on November 11th), the labels below represent planned releases from the breweries. No specific dates yet as the press releases have not hit the streets. BridgePort Brewing Nightcap Winter Ale Full Sail Brewing Bump in the Night Cascadian Dark Ale Full Sail Brewing Imperial Porter Widmer Brothers Galaxy Hopped Barleywine Ale Widmer Brothers Nelson Imperial IPA Widmer Brothers... Read More »

The crystal ball has sent out its predictions again. From big, bold winter releases to a Framboise that's been in the works for nearly two years, these upcoming seasonal releases should help you through the rainy season! Read More »

Check out the rest of the photos here. Read More »

It is no surprise that I'm a sucker for big, hoppy beers.  Actually, after exploring what are possibly hundreds of different styles, style variations, and free-form brews, I don't really discriminate.  But one style I return to over and over is the elusive Imperial IPA.  I know, elusive?  In a city somewhat defined by hops, these beers pop up often, but are they often done right? Obviously, you're going to want all aspects of hops:... Read More »

Sled Crasher Although summer got a late start this year, we are already peering around the corner to Fall, with some notable releases slated for Widmer Brothers Brewing. While there is no release information on the Sled Crasher label, this beer is classified as a Winter Warmer, so I doubt it will be released until the Fall. This is part of Widmer Brothers Collaborator series. From the Oregon Brew Crew page: "The Collaborator Project is... Read More »

Widmer Brothers Brewing, based in Portland, Ore., has introduced its new summer seasonal, Sunburn Summer Brew, initiating the unofficial start of summer. “We crafted this beer with summer in mind, wanting to create something perfect for long, hot days,” said Rob Widmer. “It is a crisp and refreshing beer that is an anticipated addition to our seasonal lineup.” Sunburn is a blonde ale with a light caramel body and subtle, refreshing hop aroma. This brew uses Citra... Read More »

Widmer Brothers Deadlift Imperial IPA. Read More »

Brothers' Reserve: Cherry Oak Doppelbock. Last night, Widmer Brothers Brewing held a media dinner for the release of their new Brothers' Reserve series. This series is a semi-annual, limited release, that will alternate between recipes from Kurt and Rob. The inaugural release was created by Kurt: a Doppelbock, fermented with local dark cherries, and aged in bourbon barrels for three months--aptly named Cherry Oak Doppelbock. It is a complex beer: a nice cherry nose, and... Read More »

Widmer Brothers 25th Anniversary Double Alt. I know. Same beer from a couple of weeks ago. But, there's a twist. I got a package in the mail this week from Widmer Brothers Brewing. I opened it up to find a fresh bottle of the Double Alt, signed by Rob and Kurt!Last week, I was working on a photo to celebrate Widmer's 25th Anniversary. I was going to use a Widmer logo, so I contacted the... Read More »

Widmer Brothers 25th Anniversary Double Alt. I'm not sure about the production scale or what markets this beer will reach, but if you see it, grab one! A huge double Alt, very well balanced, strong, sweet, nutty, and warming. Read More »

Widmer Brothers Brewing. PORTLAND, Ore. – October 9, 2008 – Widmer Brothers Brewing says “Baby its cold outside!” with its first new winter ale in four years: Brrr. The highly anticipated brew, perfect for winter, is a moderately strong dark red ale that embodies the notable “Pacific Northwest style” citrus hop aroma and flavor.“I have many fond memories of my brew-studies in Germany. In particular, the tradition of crafting beers that reflect the unique attributes... Read More »

We can't show off the inner workings of Portland breweries without stopping by Widmer Brothers Brewing! Thanks to brewer Ben Dobler for showing me around the facility. Check out the rest of the photos here. Read More »