Day 1 – My video review of Friday at the NAOBF
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7SXFV5xa0o]
NAOBF – Pictures
Exciting week (and months) ahead
I will be taking a beer trek from Los Angeles to Portland starting on Friday. That means no new posts here until I get back at the end of June. It also means a flurry of posts at the start of July so please stay tuned.
I will be visiting breweries and pubs and bottle shops on the way up and the way down. From Paso Robles to San Francisco to Ashland to Eugene. I will be sampling at the North American Organic Brewers Festival. I will be going to old haunts and new ventures. But best of all, I will be talking with some of the friendliest and passionate people that I have ever met. BREWERS!
I will bring back a trunk full of beer, photos, reviews, memories and much more. And when I get back, more positive changes to come on this blog and with my beer tastings.
So if you have watched a spontaneous video or you agreed with a rant on a past post, I will be bringing back more for you to help everyone on their quest to find an EVEN BETTER BEER.
Cheers!
Rules for Beer Festivals
Summer means outdoor beer festivals. So the following are my rules for getting the most out of the next beer fest you attend.
1. Research – Check out who is pouring and, if available, find out what they are pouring. This way you can plan what beer you MUST have versus what would be good to have. After five or six beers your palate may lose its edge and a really good beer that you taste after nine other beers may not taste as good as if you had drunk it first.
2. Water & Food – Have water after every beer. I cannot stress this enough. It will help keep you hydrated and clear the palate. And have food before you go and during, if possible, to keep you on an even keel.
3. Take Notes – Take a small notepad and write down your initial observations on aroma, color and taste. Trust me, you will forgot what beer was your favorite and what was good about it.
4. Bring someone new to beer – A festival with the small tasters is a great way to introduce someone to beer that they might never have had before and it will provide some great debates as you argue about which beer is the best.
5. Get there early & Wait to leave – You do not want to miss the popular beers and you don’t want to wait in line to get in. So bring a book or the paper and wait for the doors to open. On the flip side, do not leave until you are 200% sure that you are good to drive unless you have a designated driver. The book or paper comes in handy again here.
North American Organic Brewers Festival
This June 26-28th is the 7th incarnation of this great festival in Portland, Oregon. Just take a look at this line-up….
Alameda Brew House
Portland, OR
• El Torero Organic IPA • Double IPA
Aspall Cyders
Suffolk, England
• Cyder • Estate Cider
Bison Brewing
Berkeley, CA
• Chocolate Stout • Dry Foreign Style Stout
• Single Hop IPA • Single Hop IPA
Caledonian (pending)
Edinburgh, Scotland
• Golden Promise • Golden Ale
Crannog Ales
Sorrento, British Columbia
• Backhand Of God Stout • Irish Stout
• Red Branch Irish Ale • Irish Red Ale
Deschutes
Bend, OR
• Green Lakes • American Amber Ale
Double Mountain Brewery
Hood River, OR
• Hop Lava •
• Kolsch •
Dupont
Belgium
• Foret Saison • Saison
Eel River
Fortuna, CA
• Acai Berry Wheat • Fruit wheat beer
• IPA • English Style IPA
Elliott Bay Brewing
Burien, WA
• Organic Coffee Stout • Coffee Oatmeal Stout
• Hop von Boorian • Belgian Style IPA
Fish Tales Ales
Olympia, WA
• Wild Salmon Pale Ale • American Pale Ale
• Fish Tale IPA • American IPA
• Organic Blonde • Blonde Ale with Rye
Fort George
Astoria, OR
• Quick Wit • Belgian Style Wit bier
Grand Teton Brewing Co.
Victor, ID
• Au Naturale Blonde Ale • Blonde Ale
Hopworks Urban Brewery
Portland, OR
• Hopworks Organic IPA • Double IPA
• TBD •
Lakefront Brewery
Milwaukee, WI
• Organic ESB • Extra Special Bitter
• Fuel Cafe • Organic Coffee Stout
Lammsbräu (pending)
Neumarkt, Bayern, Germany
• Dunkel •
• Pils •
• Lager •
• Hefeweizen •
Laurelwood Brewery
Portland, OR
• Organic Green Mammoth • IPA
• Something Delicious •
Lucky Labrador
Portland, OR
• Recession Session • Light Lager
• TBD •
MateVeza
San Francisco, CA
• Yerba Mate Ale • Ale
• Yerba Mate IPA • IPA
McMenamins
Portland, OR
• Crazy Enough Blonde • Belgian Blonde
• Gunslinger Pale Ale • Pale Ale
Nelson Brewing Company
Nelson B.C. Canada
• Paddywhack IPA • IPA
• Old Brewery Pale Ale • English Pale Ale
New Belgium
Fort Collins, CO •
Mothership Wit • Belgian Style Wit bier
New Old Lompoc Fifth Quadrant Brewery
Portland, OR
• Bald Guy Brown Ale • Brown Ale
Oakshire Brewing
Eugene, OR
• Watershed IPA • IPA
• Overcast Espresso Stout • Coffee Oatmeal Stout
Pelican Brewery
Pacific City, OR
• Heiferweizen •
Pike Brewing Company
Seattle, WA
• Naughty Nellie’s Golden Ale • Golden Ale
• Monk’s Uncle • Belgian Style Tripel
Pinkus Mueller
Munster, Germany
• Pinkus Munster Alt
• German brown ale
• Pinkus Hefe-Weizen • German Hefeweizen
• Pinkus UR Pils • German Pilsner
• Jubilate • Dark Lager
Rock Bottom Brewery (pending)
Portland, OR
• Oregonic Amber •
Roots Brewing Co.
Portland, OR
• ROTATING TAP •
Samuel Smith
North Yorkshire, U.K. • Organic Ale
• English Pale Ale
• Organic Cider • Sweetened Cider
• Organic Lager • English Lager
• Organic Raspberry Ale • English Ale with Raspberries
• Organic Strawberry Ale • English Ale with Strawberries
• Organic Cherry Ale • English Ale with Cherries
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
Sant Cruz, CA
• People’s Porter • Porter
• Pale Ale • Pale Ale
Silenrieux (pending)
Cerfontaine-Silenrieux, Belgium
• Sara Buckwheat Ale • Double IPA
Standing Stone Brewing
Ashland, OR
• Hefeweizen • Hefeweizen
• Double IPA • Double IPA
• Oatmeal Stout • Oatmeal Stout
Schneider (pending)
Kelheim, Germany
• Edel-Weiss • Double IPA
St. Peter’s Brewery (pending)
Suffolk, UK
• English Ale • English Pale Ale
Ukiah Brewing Company
Ukiah, CA
• Pilsner Ukiah • Pilsner
• Emancipator Dopplebock • Dopplebock
Upright Brewing Co
Portland, OR
• Reggae Junkie Gruit • Farmhouse Gruit
• Seven • Farmhouse Golden
Wandering Aengus Cider
Salem, OR
• Heirloom Blend Cider • Cider
• Semi-Dry Cider • Cider
• Dry • Cider
Widmer
Portland, OR
• TBD •
Wolaver’s Organic Ales
Middlebury, VT
• Ben Gleason’s White Ale • Belgian Style Wit bier
• IPA • IPA