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 Beer for Tuesday March 13, 2007

Greetings beer lovers!

We only got a couple new beers in today, but when they're this good who can complain?

Alesmith IPA - That's right, the rare and elusive hop-bomb from San Diego is making an appearance here in PDX. As is often the case with AleSmith there's no telling when we'll run out or when we'll be able to get more, so don't hesitate on this one. As the label states, "Its Pretty Awesome!"

Alaskan IPA - This tasty, straw-colored concoction has been popular in Alaska for a while, and now us mainlanders get to enjoy it too. At under $9 per 6 pack it seems like it'll be a welcome addition to our cooler. Look for the neon green label, it's pretty hard to miss.

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In other news, the cafe is progressing nicely. All the equipment and furniture is in place and a manager was hired yesterday. All that remains is a couple weeks of training (plus some last minute stuff) and we should be open the first weekend in April.

On that note, Friday April 6th we'll be hosting our first of many "Meet the Brewer/Beer" events. The first one will feature Ben Love (formerly of Pelican, soon to be head brewer at H.U.B.) and the brewers/owners from Midnight Sun. They've teamed up to create a collaborative beer (more details on the brew later) and they'll be bringing the first batch here for you to sample. Beer specials and pricing are still being worked out, but at least you can save the date.