Nation’s economy is down, but it’s not reflected in beer sales

Attendance at the 13th annual Holiday Ale Festival stays consistent, bringing in 17,000 beer lovers

from organizer Chris Crabb

PORTLAND, Ore. – Dec. 12, 2008 – Sunny skies and mild temperatures set the mood for the 13th annual Holiday Ale Festival, which witnessed attendance consistent with the year prior: final numbers reached 17,000. The West Coast’s most prestigious winter beer festival took place Dec. 3 through Dec. 7 at Pioneer Courthouse Square.


Organizers added a fifth day to the event this year, which was well-received by the public. According to event manager Preston Weesner, the goal was to have 500 attend on opening day: more than 1,000 turned up, many to sample an additional eight special beers that weren’t available the rest of the weekend. A new annex with a third bar was also deemed a success, as it helped to alleviate the crowds in the main tent.

The Belgian Beer and Brunch, an auxiliary event held on the Sunday of the festival, sold out, with more than 80 people sampling prestigious beers and noshing on pastries, meats and cheeses.

The Holiday Ale Festival presented more than 50 robust winter craft beers on draught, all of which were either created for the event, or were rare or vintage beers not readily available in the state. These winter warmers were all designed to ward off the chill of winter and warm both the palate and soul. Complex in aroma and flavor, these beers were rich in color, big in body, and high in alcohol.


The People’s Choice winner, which was determined by the beer that went through the most kegs, was Collaborator’s Hallucinator Olde Ale, followed by the Holiday Ale Festival/Hair of the Dog Commemorative Blend Jim II.

Festival attendees stayed warm and dry under a large clear-topped tent that covered the venue while allowing for views of the city lights. Gas heaters created a cozy ambiance under the boughs of the city’s Christmas tree.

In addition to beer tasting, the Holiday Ale Festival also featured on-site food from Rogue Ales, event merchandise, complimentary Crater Lake Sodas for designated drivers, organic cheese pairings, mead sampling, and seasonal background music.

Next year’s Holiday Ale Festival will take place Dec. 2 through 6, 2009. For more information about the Holiday Ale Festival, visit www.holidayale.com or call 503-252-9899.

Weekend Round-Up

Let me start by apologizing for the spotty content updates lately, it's hard to spend time sitting sitting in front of the computer when the last glorious days of Oregon summer are upon us. That said, here's your daily dose of new beers, local events, and maybe some random thoughts...

New Beers:

Coney Island - Freaktoberfest: If I had to describe this beer in one word it would be weird. Or maybe red. <--- That's actually a pretty close match. On first sight most folks would assume this is some sort of fruit beer with a frothy pink head, but there's no mention of fruit on the label. Served blind it comes across as a slightly roasty oktoberfest brew; malty and delicious with just enough hops to keep the sugar in check. Did I mention it was bright freaking red? It's been taking some heat from the ratebeerians for the use of food coloring and the supposed ABV of "6.66%", but trust me, the shock value alone when you pour this for your friends is worth the five bucks.

Elysian - Night Owl: The best pumpkin beer in the northwest is back. Ordinarily I'd give this one a high grade based on past experience, but this appears to be the first Elysian brew to come rolling out of New Belgium's facility, and I'll have to see how well the recipe scaled up to NBB's considerably larger system. I have faith that the people who put out La Folie won't dissapoint, but I expect some differences at least. More to come...

Lagunitas - Cappuccino Stout: Mmm...coffee and beer. The cap stout is a real winner in Lagunitas' seasonal bomber rotation. It's smooth, and just a little bit sweet, but there's a good dose of roasted coffee bitterness snuggled in the malty blanket.


Events and stuff:


Hop Harvest Release Party 9.12.08: Tonight marks the official release for Bridgeport's Hop Harvest fresh hop ale. Oddly enough, I can't find ANY information on Bridgeport's website, but my trusty assistant Neil informs me that it runs from 5-8, and that they're supposedly featuring a firkin of last years' Hop Harvest. The thought of all the precious lupulin trapped in a keg for a whole year makes me shudder, but I'm still going to have a pint.


SNOB Gathering @ Hopworks 9.13.08:

From Brian Butenschoen of the Oregon Brewer's Guild:

Open to new, renewing and current SNOB's and their significant others. Brewery tour @ 2:30. Raffle to be held during event. Special price on pints - let's you keep a special Oregon Brewers Guild pint glass. Hopworks Urban Brewery 2944 SE Powell 1-4p 503-232-HOPS

Ayinger Glass Night in the Biercafe 9.17.08: Join us on Wednesday from 5 until close as we kick off the Oktoberfest season. We'll be tapping a fresh and delicious keg of Ayinger Oktoberfest, and every pint purchased includes a complimentary glass. There's a chance that someone from Merchant du Vin (the importer) will be on hand to answer questions, but the boss is out of town so I can't confirm that.


Collaborator Release Party 9.17.08: Also next Wednesday, Concordia Ale House is hosting the next Collaborator release from 6-8pm. Go and be one of the first to try Double River Doppelweizen, Jeffry Fisher and Laurie Yadon's ode to Schneider Aventinus, courtesy of Ike Manchester at the Widmer Brothers Rose Quarter Brewery.


Oktoberfest Tasting in the Biercafe 9.18.08: Join us on Thursday from 5-8pm as we sample a wide range of Oktoberfest brews from home and abroad. We'll have several O'fest beers on tap in the cafe as well as free samples of as many bottled versions as we can scrounge up. Confirmed draughts at this point include Ayinger, Warsteiner, and Heater Allen, and there's a slim chance that Double Mountain's entriy will be ready in time.

Dogtoberfest @ The Lucky Lab 9.20.08: Bring your dirty dogs to the Lucky Lab between 11 and 5 and we promise to send them home squeaky clean! If you look closely, you may see a local celebrity doing the dirty work! In the meantime, kick back and enjoy lunch, a live band and a refreshing beverage. All proceeds benefit Dove Lewis.


One last random note: We have roughly 3 cases of Deschutes Dissident in stock. The 2 bottle per person limit will remain in effect through the weekend, but if we have any left on Monday it'll be open season.

I think that's about it for today. I'm going to head down to Bridgeport and try some fresh hopped love, and then the Pilsner Room for some of John Harris' ridiculously good Lupulin Ale.

Cheers!