...And Then There Were 9

First off, I apologize for the lack of posts recently. Maybe it was writer's block, or the weather, but for whatever reason I couldn't motivate myself to sit in front of the computer any more than I already have to.

However, today is a new day, and with it comes big news. After months of planning, designing, and lots of waiting, our new draught system is almost complete. We now have 9 tasty selections to whet your whistle, and with any luck we'll be up to 12 by the end of the week. We'll still continue to rotate through all your favorite locals and imports, and the added capacity will allow us to feature a broader range of styles at any given time.

We're also going to bring in some "forgotten favorites" on occasion; classic craft brews like Pike Pale Ale, Mad River Jamaica Red, and Rogue Imperial IPA that you may not have had in a while.

It's all a work in progress as far as styles and selections, but if there's anything in particular you'd like to see on tap please leave a comment or mention it to the bartender next time you're in the cafe. With that, here's the list...

On tap as of now:

• Alameda El Torrero IPA
• Elysian Avatar Jasmine IPA
• Lagunitas Gnarlywine
• Pike Pale Ale
• Warsteiner Premium
• Weihenstephan Hefe Weissbier
  
• Cascade Lakes Monkey Face Porter
• Anderson Valley Barney Flats Oatmeal Stout
• Six Rivers Framboise (aka Losen Frambozen)
  

Speaking of the Warsteiner, some of you may have received our email last week mentioning the 2 liter boots that are now available. We have plans for those boots as well (I'll save the details for another post) and if you've seen the movie Beerfest you should have an idea of what we've got in mind.

UPDATE: Thursday June 5, 2008 @ 5pm

We got 3 more lines up and running, which brings us to 12 taps. In addition to the list above, we've also tapped:

• New Belgium's Le Fleur Misseur (their spelling), a 6.5% Belgian-style blonde fermented entirely with brettanomyces. It's fairly light, a little funky, and pretty tough to come by, so stop in and have a pint. It's about as close to Orval as you're going to get on tap...
  
• Allagash Black, a delicious Belgian-style imperial stout from the other Portland. Smooth, silky, and full bodied, it's a truly rare treat to sip.
  
• Schneider Aventinus Eisbock. (Coming tomorrow) I don't recall ever seeing this on tap before, so I'm as excited as anyone to try a glass of this.

That's all I got for now. Don't forget about the Dick's beer tasting on Tuesday (June 10th) from 6-8pm. Dick's Brewing makes perhaps the widest range of bottles of any brewery in the region, and I don't know what all we'll be offering, but I can guarantee there'll be at least 7-8 different bottles to sample. We'll also have a keg (or two) of something tasty pouring in the cafe. Check the events page for more details on this and other upcoming tastings.

Viva la Choice!

One last note for the anonymous poster requesting AK Smoked Porter: I'm not sure if the distributor has any left, but I'll do what I can to scrounge one up!

New Arrivals For Tuesday April 22, 2008

This is perhaps the slowest time of year for new beers. Other than a trickle of summer seasonals from the bigger craft brewers, there's not much of interest being released. In the meantime I've been exploring the wonderful world of sake. Look for our selection (now hovering around 25 hand-selected varieties) to expand as we continue our never-ending quest to bring you the finest libations we can.

New Beers:

Malheur Brut Reserve - This strong golden ale undergoes "methode champenoise" to produce a high level of carbonation and a dense head of tiny bubbles. Aromas of citrus fruit, light floral notes, and nutty malt lead into a cleanly malty, effervescent body before coalescing in a long, dry finish.

Lagunitas Lucky 13 - Brewed to celebrate their 13th anniversary, the Lucky 13 is is hoppy, red, and delicious. C'mon, it's Lagunitas, what more do you need to know?

HeBrew Rejewvenator - HeBrew has declared this "The Year of the Fig", and to celebrate the occasion they've released the Rejewvenator, and dark malty brew loaded with fig juice.

Alaskan Summer - Alaskan Summer Ale balances a softly malted palate with the clean freshness of Hallertauer hops. In the tradition of the style, neither overpowers the other. Both hops and malt come together to refresh and renew the palate. The straw-gold color and easy drinkability are an enjoyable way to celebrate summer.


New Sakes:

Zen Tokubetsu Junmai - As the name implies, Zen is balanced. Clean and smooth with notes of peaches and rice milk. Just dry enough to encourage you to take another sip or two.

Itami Onigoroshi - This is about as dry as sake gets. Subtle fruit and floral notes linger on the palate for several minutes after each sip.

Yuri Masamune - This off-dry sake starts with aromas of alcohol and flowers. The fruity, off-dry flavors blend into a woodsy, earthy finish. Great value for the price.

Momokawa Sake Sampler - This is a great way to introduce yourself (or your friends) to the wonderful world of sake. One bottle each of Momokawa Silver (off-dry junmai), Momokawa Diamond (dry junmai), Momokawa Pearl (genshu nigori), and Moonstone Plum (fruit-infused sake) are included in the set. Grab some sashimi and expand your horizons with Japan's ancient beverage.

Not really new, but worth mentioning: The Greene King Abbott Ale and Wexford Cream Ale have finally returned. Many customers lamented the loss of these two pub cans when they disappeared from our shelves a few months ago, but they've finally found their way back into our coolers.

Upcoming releases to watch out for: Stumptown Tart, Bridgeport's first fruit beer, is a Belgian-style ale infused with tons (literally) of Oregon Marionberries. Look for it to hit the shelves late this week. The next 22oz special release from Laurelwood is also due in this Friday, and this is likely to be the fastest-selling one thus far because it's their incredibly delicious Green Elephant IPA. They're only bottling a couple hundred cases, so snag it while you can.

I think that's it for today, but don't forget about our toast to Vasili happening tomorrow night!

New Arrivals For Friday 12.21.07

Another day, another new beer. Make that 3 new beers, 2 new flavors of Beer Chips, and a partridge in a pear tree. OK, the partridges were out of stock, but we'll get them soon...

NEW BREWERY! (sort of): After a long absence, the Mt. Shasta (aka Weed Ales) beers are once again available in Oregon. These guys certainly aren't shy about the ganja references; in fact they seem to have a chronic desire to reference "the herb" whenever the opportunity presents itself. I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise considering the brewery is located in Weed, California, and it should do well in places like SE Portland, but I have to wonder if the names and imagery are a hindrance in more conservative locations. Anyways, regardless of your position on cannabis the beers are pretty tasty, and well worth picking up.

Mt Shasta - Mountain High IPA: I haven't tried this one yet, but here's what the brewery has to say: A deep golden, mild and malty India Pale Ale. Late hop additions contribute a floral and piney aromas reminiscent of Mount Shasta. Note: If you need more info on any of these beers click the embedded links to view the ratebeer.com listing for each brew.

Mt Shasta - Weed Golden Ale: I haven't had a chance to drink this one either, but the brewers want you to know that's it's "A light, fruity, golden colored ale, tasting crisp and clean as the mountain air. A perfect introduction to craft brewing."

Mt Shasta - Shastafarian Porter: This is the most highly-regarded beer in their portfolio, and for good reason. Everything just works. The body is nice and full without being overwhelming, the chocolate and roast flavors are in perfect balance with the hops, and the slightly bitter finish leads you to take another sip.


Returning Favorites:

Redstone - Vanilla Bean and Cinnamon Mead: I've had this delicious holiday treat on several occasions, but Degarth sums it up better than I can. "Full aroma of honey and vanilla with only a suggestion of cinnamon. Still and headless with a shiny light golden color. Tastes AMAZING. Probably too sweet for beer and Red Wine drinkers, but I thought this was perfection and would gladly buy many bottles of it. The honey predominates, but the other flavors are present and complimentary. Would make a great holiday treat for guests. I doubt anyone could truly dislike this and most would love it."

Fullers - Vintage Ale 2006: This wonderful, bottle-conditioned ale is brewed with a different recipe every year, and it evolves over time, so it's hard to say how this vintage is doing right now. When I last had one (probably 9-10 months ago) it was still young and seemed like it needed time to mellow and mature, so tonight might be a good time to revisit it. Each bottle is individually numbered and comes in it's own box, so if you're looking for one last beer gift for that special someone I'd recommend stuffing one of these in their stocking.

Lagunitas - Kill Ugly Radio: The Lumpy Gravy should be here on Monday, but if you missed the last release in the Zappa tribute series you've got one last chance to snap a bottle or two.

That's it for the beers. Oh yeah, the new flavors of Beer Chips. Can't forget about them. In addition to the original beer flavor, they've added Hot Potatoes (spicy bloody mary flavor) and Chip Shots (margarita flavor) to the menu. I had a chance to sample them over the last couple days, and if I had to put them in order of tastiness I'd put the Margarita flavor at the bottom, the regular Beer Chips in the middle, and the spicy bloody mary flavor at the top of the heap. The bloody mary flavor really wasn't that spicy, but they have a nice tomato tang and a worcestershire/pepper zing to them. The margarita flavor was too sweet and "limey" for me to really get into, but if you like sweet and salty stuff they'd be right up your alley.

One more last minute update: The Roots Epic Release party is happening as I type this, so if you're reading this tonight I'd suggest popping down there and grabbing one of the magnums while they're still available. If there are any magnums left on Monday they should be bringing some of them here, so if you miss the release party give us a call.

New Arrivals For Tuesday 12.18.07

The Laughing Dog brews finally arrived, and we received a last minute addition to the mini-keg collection, but other than that there isn't much new to report today. We also got 15 more cases of Lagunitas Brown Shugga (the first 12 cases sold out in less than 24 hours) and this is likely to be all that we're alloted, so let me emphasize once more that if you want to have ANY hope of buying some Shugga this year you need to go out and find some today. Serious. That said, lets dig into todays' pile and see what we've got...


Laughing Dog - Cream Ale: (brewers' description) Our Cream Ale is a traditional Cream Ale fermented with both an ale and a lager yeast, which gives us the creamy smoothness of an ale with a nice dry crisp finish.

Laughing Dog - Pale Ale: (brewers' description) From out of the PAcific Northwest the Micro-brewers were born and with them came an ale that was unlike any other, the American Pale Ale. We brew our pale ale big, bold, and hoppy using five of the finiest hops from the fields in Yakima, WA. To balance the intense hop flavors, five different American grown malted barelys add malt flavor and smooth finish.

Laughing Dog - IPA: (brewers' description) A profound love of hops and big brews led to our IPA. A little over the top, it's a hophead's dream come true. An intense hop aroma and strong malt body are followed by a smooth clean finish.

Laughing Dog - Cold Nose Winter Ale: (brewers' description) After a romp in the snow on a cold winters day, this brew is just what's needed to warm you up. Dark and malty with a big hop presence, it is a great winter warmer

Full Sail - Slipknot Imperial IPA: Bracing. If I had to sum up Slipknot in one word, that would be the one. This is a serious IPA for serious hopheads. It's also a great way to get your Full Sail fix and tide yourself over until the Bourbon-aged Top Sail comes out in February...

Bayern - Dancing Trout: (Formerly known as Trout Slayer) I haven't had this beer in ages, but I seem to recall it nailing the style pretty well. If you're a fan of kristallweizen (aka filtered wheat beer) this one's definitely worth a try.

Monchshof - Weinachts Bier: What could be better for the holidays than a 5 liter mini-keg of tasty German beer? How about a 5 liter mini-keg with a picture of jolly old St. Nick on the side? A mini-keg of Bell's Two Hearted would top it, but I can't think of much else. Sorry if I got your hopes up (since Bell's isn't distributed in Oregon), but I just can't stop thinking about how nice it would be to have one of those mini-kegs in my fridge.

I think that's it for today. Remember, friends don't let friends drink crappy beer.

Random Notices

Last minute reminder; Shawn Loring from Lazy Boy Brewing will be here at 5pm today to answer questions and pour samples of his IPA and Mistletoe Bliss. We'll have special pricing on bottles of Lazy Boy beer during the event.

The Lagunitas Brown Shugga is FINALLY in stock. We've been getting barraged by requests, so tell all your friends to come and get it while it lasts. FYI, a little birdie informed me that there's only about 600 cases for the ENTIRE STATE, so don't hesitate to grab an extra six pack while you can.

The Laughing Dog beer failed to arrive on the delivery this morning, so we'll have to wait until Tuesday to give them a try.

We will be open on New Years Eve from 10-6. If you are planning on a hosting a party and need to order a keg, the deadline for special orders is Wednesday 12.26.07 by 3pm. We have a limited amount of space in the keg cooler, and if the number of special orders exceeds that I may have to stop accepting orders before next Wednesday, so please don't delay. Every major "drinking holiday" brings a string of last minute phone calls from folks who waited until the day of their party to line up a keg (and by that point the selection is pretty thin), so don't say I didn't warn you...

That's about it for now, but check back later this afternoon for a quick list of new arrivals.

New Arrivals For Tuesday 11.06.07

Todays' delivery brings us some of the most sought after beer of the season, so let's not waste time on idle chit chat...

Anchor - Our Special Ale 2007 (aka Anchor Christmas): This one's a mystery every year, but thankfully the rep brought a sample bottle the other day (Thanks, Brady!), so we got to try it before bringing it in. This year's recipe has less of the nutmeg/clove combo and features more earthy, spruce needle flavors. Quite tasty now, and it seems like it will be a tasty vintage to lay down for a few months or more. Available in 12oz bottles, 1.5ltr magnums, and draft for a limited time.


Stone - Double Bastard: Ye shall know the Bastard, and the Bastard shall set you free! If you've never heard of Double Bastard, or the "regular" Arrogant Bastard, then this beer probably isn't for you. Clocking in at 10% abv it isn't quite double the arrogance, but it's enough to knock you down a peg or two if you're not careful. Available for a VERY limited time in 22oz bottle and 3 ltr Jeroboams.


Lagunitas - Cappuccino Stout: This welcome addition to the holiday beer calendar is brewed with Sebastapol Coffee. Big buzz, small price. What more could you ask for?


Mad River - John Barleycorn: One of my favorite barleywines, and reasonably priced too. Best of all, it's organic, so you can feel good about saving the planet while drinking it.


Beer Valley - Pigskin Pale Ale: Brand new, we'll let you know as soon as we've tried it.


Beer Valley - Highway to Ale: Also brand new. Check back soon for an update.


That's it for now. If you happen to read this in the next couple hours be sure and pop in for the first in our series of Winter Beer Tastings. Tonight's tasting includes Deschutes Jubelale, Big Sky Powderhound, Lost Coast Winterbraun, Golden Valley Tannenbomb, New Belgium 2 Below, Pyramid Snow Cap, Sam Smiths Winter Welcome Vintage 2006, and the new St. Peter's Winter Ale. As usual, we'll have sale prices on the tasting beers throughout the evening.