Hoppy Burger

The promotional photo stack of the new Hopyard Cheddar Burger from Burgerville is impressive but the fact that the Oregon burger chain really goes local is even more towering. The burger “features a cheese that is made with hop petals.” That is right, the cheese is from the Rogue Creamery and they use fresh hop petals from their home grown Freedom Hops. According to Rogue, “the flavor of the cheese is gently bitter, with sweet brown butter, hazelnut, and buttermilk notes.”

Evasion

When I was in Portland, I noticed 12oz cans with puzzle piece like labels from a brewery in McMinnville. Since that is where I went to college (ahem, now University), I picked up the stout and the IPA from Evasion Brewing and found out that they are gluten-free beers.

Of the two, Tantamount Stout was my favorite. As with most glutenless IPA’s, they just don’t seem hoppy at all. And this one was like those. The base beer on both was quite fine and if not told about the difference, I probably would not have noticed.

In addition to the two canned beers that I tasted they had a nice and wide range of beers at their Riverside Drive taproom. Pinata Colada IPA, Air Hostess from the 60’s Hazy Pale Ale, Yamhill Punch 2020 American Wild Ale, This is My Party Shirt, Hoptensity DIPA, Blood Orange IPA, Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout, Hole Mole Stout.

Birthday Beercation part the first – Stout Month in Astoria

Back to Astoria and a birthday month excursion for Stout Month!

So, no, I did not go inside Fort George on festival day, I was pretty close though. Despite a chill and consistent but not heavy rain, there were lines at the start but I ran across many people who were waiting to go in, a thing I had not seen before.

I started my day at Reveille Cider with a Breakfast in America apple and pear cider with botanicals, orange and grapefruit zest. Lovely tart citrus mix. Fruit punch notes.  Almost like orange juice.

Next door, Reach Break was pretty busy too. Only two IPAs on the board. They also had a kolsch and coastal hefe on tap. Here is a quick rundown of the five beers, I sampled…

Duane Street Wild Ale – gin botanical collab with Pilot House.  Really nice.  Bready with botanicals spicing

Merlot Veraison– wild ale with Merlot grapes. Nice red color. Very red wine, tannic. 

Evolution of an IPA 9 – hazy dipa. Wood chips. Sawdust. Quite bitter with some creamy softness. 

A Storied History – dopplebock collab with Buoy. Sweet and malty.  Just tastes Germanic to me. 

Hessian Aggression – collab with Rowley from NM. Barleywine. Smokey. Real nice. 

How Exciting

Yeah, Guild beers bring together a lot of breweries but I saw something more eclectic in this list for the 2020 Zwickelmania collaboration….

Allegory Brewing • Ambacht Brewing • Baerlic • Bend Brewing Company • Bent Shovel Brewing • Binary Brewing • Boneyard Beer • Breakside Brewery • Buoy Beer Company • Coin Toss Brewing • Deschutes Brewery • Ecliptic Brewing • Gigantic • Golden Valley Brewery • GoodLife Brewing Co. • Grixsen Brewing Co. • Heater Allen Brewing • Hopworks Urban Brewery • Laurelwood Brewing Co. • Leikam Brewing • Little Beast Brewing • Lucky Labrador • Ninkasi Brewing Company • Running Dogs Brewery • Sasquatch Brewery • Stickmen Brewing Company • StormBreaker Brewing • Vanguard Brewing Company • Von Ebert Brewing • Wild Ride Brewing

There are (3) breweries based in my college town of McMinnville on this list. You have old school like Lucky Lab and Ninkasi. You have super new like Leikam, Binary and Grixsen. Keep in mind, Oregon has a lot of breweries and to get this type of size and style and geographic diversity is excellent. I will be looking for this beer when I am in Oregon this month.

New in Oregon

The New School Beer Blog has posted up their list of anticipated breweries for Oregon. Check out their round-up HERE.

Mecca Grade is my #1 on the list. Their malt has been used in many a Brouwerij West beer so it will be interesting to see how often they will showcase other breweries that use their malt alongside their beers. Notable that Mikkeller will finally open in Portland as well. I am already charting how to get to some of these spots when I am next in Portland.

Christmas Beer 2019 # 10 – pFriem Winter Ale

Off to Hood River and the wonderful beers of Josh pFriem and his pFriem Family Brewers. Here is how their website describes the seasonal, “Cozy up to the fire with a pint of pFriem’s Winter Ale and gift your taste-buds with hints of spice, orange zest, caramel and a touch of spruce tree. You may even sense the subtle notes of fruitcake, which might encourage you to share this Winter Ale with your family and friends. Unlike fruitcake, this is a beer that will not be re-gifted.”

PDX Visit – Ferment Brewing Company

I am not “Wowed” by many brewery taprooms but Ferment Brewing Company has designed a spectacular space I never which to drink their beers. On the Columbia River, a tough four minute walk from pFriem, the brewing space is encountered first on the ground floor. You walk up to a large outdoor space with a large rectangular gas fed fire pit spitting flames. You can gather round or take a seat and look out at the River. Once inside the smell of malt wafted up as I ordered at the bar. The furniture and fixtures were classy metal meets wood.

Onto the beer, the 12 Degrees Czech Pilsner was the best of the classic taster tray bunch. Light and floral and crisp. Neither the Pale or IPA left much of a lasting impression. Neither were super hoppy and both were low ABV. The ESB was another middle pack beer but the Dry Stout was super smoke tilted, and almost Rauchbier adjacent on a real light body. There were multiple special beers but I wanted to get a grounding of their core beers first.

Two Birds

In St. Helens, Oregon, Ye Ol’ Grog Distilling has created a side project with spirit. Two Birds Spirited Ice Cream and Cocktail Sorbets.  They make 12 proof ice cream using mostly vodka but they have dabbled with beer.  Due to liquor laws, this is a distillery only purchase but maybe or nascent but growing, L.A. scene will take note and make their own iced treats.