New Arrivals and Event Notices

It's always a pleasant surprise when something arrives when we're told to expect it, so I was pretty darn pleased when the Laurelwood Green Elephant and Bridgeport's Stumptown Tart both rolled off the trucks this morning. Throw in a couple of new lagers and you've got a nice list of stuff to drink this weekend.

New Beers!

Laurelwood - Green Elephant: Mmmm....Green Elephant. Big, crisp, and chock full of citrusy, floral goodness. This is my second favorite IPA from the 'Wood, right behind the delicious Workhorse. As I mentioned yesterday, they only bottled a couple hundred cases, so snag some while you can.

Bridgeport - Stumptown Tart: Much has already been written about the Tart, so I'll let Angelo, Jeff, and John wax poetic about the brew. All I'd like to add is that I'm amazed how inexpensive it is. At 8%abv and loaded with marionberries, I didn't expect it to hit the shelf at less than $5 per 22oz bottle, but here it is. People keep asking me, "How long will it age?", and even though I'm sure it's got some staying power I'd wager that the good folks at Bridgeport would prefer you drink it fresh and soak up all the marionberry goodness.

Mt Shasta - Lemurian Lager: Given the recent trouble that Mt. Shasta has been having with the TTB, I just shook my head and grinned when their new Lemurian Lager came in this morning. Printed in 80pt block font on the front of the label is the word WEED, and on the back side there's a curious little story about the mythical creatures that inhabit the wilds of Mt. Shasta. Cap it all off with an enthusiastic recommendation to "Celebrate Weed!" and you begin to see why they've run afoul of our ever-protective government. In any case, the beer is brand-spanking new, so there's not much info to pass on until we have a chance to try one. Show the TTB what you think of their decision and go "Try LEGAL Weed!"

Lakefront - Cherry Lager: Light and smooth, the Lakefront Cherry Lager is loaded with essence of Door County Cherries for a nice tart balance. If it ever warms up around here, this will make a nice afternoon sipper while you sit on the porch. If current trends continue it'll make a nice beer to sip while you sit on the couch and wonder why your PGE bill is so high...

Event Notices:

Hair of the Dog Earth Day Sale: Twice a year Alan Sprints opens up his brewery to the public for a dock sale, and the Earth Day sale is always popular. He'll have a fresh batch of Blue Dot IPA, a couple hundred cases of Fred From the Wood, and probably an assortment of other vintage offerings (Doggie Claws, Rose Cassis?) as well. The official start time is 10am, but get there early or you'll be standing in line for a while. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m, Saturday April 26th at the brewery, 4509 S.E. 23rd Ave

Concordia Alehouse Beer Brawl: I'm going to pass this one off to Mr. Foyston again because he's already given a more in-depth description than I could have. Taste the best that Oregon and Washington have to offer, and vote on your favorites. Starts 11:30 a.m. Friday, runs through Sunday at the Concordia Ale House: 3276 NE Killingsworth St.; $10 per taster tray, $20 with a cool commemorative t-shirt.

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!

Beer List For FredFest 2007

You may recall my previous post about FredFest 2007, and I promised an update when I knew which beers were pouring, so without further ado I present the initial list of beers scheduled to make an appearance during the fest.


1- BridgePort Brewing - Cask Old Knucklehead
2- Deschutes - Coffee infused 20K Imperial Bourbon Porter
3- Full Sail - TBA
4- Hair Of The Dog - Cask Fred
5- Laurelwood - TBA
6- Lucky Lab - Russian Imperial Stout
7- New Old Lompoc - Oak aged LSD
8- Max's Fanno Creek - Belgian Dubbel
9- Pelican Brewing - Gran Cru
10- Racoon Lodge - Sour Wild Blackberry aged in oak
11- Rock Bottom - Ned Flanders Red. ( the original!)
12- Rogue - Dad's Little Helper Malt liquor
13- Roots Organic - Pinot-barrel aged Epic
14- Widmer - Collaborator Continuum Brown

Whoa. Seriously, if that list doesn't get you excited enough to drop $20 I don't know what would. Remember, all the proceeds from the event go to help longtime craft-beer supporter Merle Gilmore, who has been battling leukemia and faces astronomical medical and prescription bills. Gilmore has been an inexhaustible volunteer at beer fests and often assisted Hair of the Dog owner Alan Sprints in bottling and other duties around the brewery.

Cost for the event is $20 in advance or $25 at the door and includes a souvenir glass. To get on the list for advance-purchase tickets, e-mail fredfest@comcast.net.

Go. Buy tickets. Now.

Special Thanks to John Foyston for the great picture of Fred!

EDIT Tuesday, May 8, 2007: Just Announced! Laurelwood is featuring Green Elephant Organic IPA (2006, I believe) and Full Sail will be pouring the 2006 GABF silver-medal winning Black Gold Imperial Stout.