Win a 10 gallon brewing scuplture with MoreBeer.com

MoreBeer is hosting a competition to win a 10 Gallon Brewing Sculpture! All you need to do is to go to MoreBeers's new social network and register for an account! Easy as that! I've already done it, why haven't you? Read more HERE.

Caldera pouring at Bear Creek Beers this Friday

Caldera will be pouring on Friday, December 12th, from 5-7pm.
Come on down and enjoy!

Unfortunately this is all I know. I don't know which beers will be being poured, nor who from Caldara will be there, or even IF someone from Caldera will be there, but any event called "Free Beer Friday" insures that I will be there!

Great winter seasonal ales

I know most folks have their favorite beers. For me, favorites tend to change with the seasons. Now deeply in winter, I love the winter seasonal selections. Here is a list of a few of my most recent favorites:

Double Dog Double Pale Ale isn't a "seasonal" but it is a great beer to drink on cold dark winter days. Brewed by Flying Dog, this beer is big, coming in at 11.5% ABV and 85 IBUs. Most of the double IPAs and Pale Ales I have tried come in very sweet and leave an almost sticky aftertaste, but Double Dog doesn't. Its a pleasure to drink. Sadly, Flying Dog's winter seasonal K-9 Crusier isn't in any of my local stores, but I love all of their other beers, so I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will show up.

Jubelale is a winter seasonal from Deschutes, and comes in at 6.7% avb with 60 IBUs. A little sweet and nicely balanced with hops, its described as being "brewed with dark crystal malt creating a luscious holiday note with bountiful hops to excite your taste buds— it’s easy to see why Jubelale is the perfect complement to the season." This is one of those ales that I really look forward to each winter.

Full Moon Winter Ale is a new one for me. I just recently pick up a six pack and gotta say "It's GOOD!" Brewed by Blue Moon as their winter seasonal, its dark, a tiny bit sweet, and nicely malty without being too much of anything.

Bourbon County Stout

Goose Island made a beer for their 1000th batch in the original brewery. (read synopsis below)
it's big. huge, massive, the strange thing is the bottle says 13% ABV but the website lists it at 11. very strange there.
first thing that hits you is the lack of carbonation, I'm guessing these guys in Chicago haven't got the experience with the high alcohol beers or the bottle I got was off. none, had to shake the glass just to get foam. this actually detracts from the beer for me, if it had even 1.5 volumes it would have improved immensely.
so maybe I'll have to get a keg of it. :)
then the bourbon smell hits you like a truck. the chocolate and caramel are extremely evident, softer notes like vanilla come through on the backend. this is a sipping beer and it's very very good. I would pair it with a dessert of some kind to compliment it, preferably ice cream or chocolate cake of some kind. unfortunately the bourbon is very overwhelming, and I couldn't pick up any wood flavor even though it's aged in Oak for 100 days. buy one to try it, four might hurt. I'm sure this beer will age well, as it's high alcohol and flavor won't change since there is no carbononation.

"I really wanted to do something special for our 1000th batch at the original brewpub. Goose Island could have thrown a party. But we did something better. We brewed a beer. A really big batch of stout—so big, the malt was coming out of the top of the mash tun. After fermentation, we brought in some bourbon barrels that aged the stout. One hundred days later, Bourbon County Stout was born. A liquid as dark and dense as a black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel. The nose is an intense mix of charred oak, chocolate, vanilla, caramel and smoke. One sip has more flavor than your average case of beer. It overpowers anything in the room. People have even said it's a great cigar beer. But I have yet to try a cigar that can stand up." Greg Hall, Brewmaster

Here's to the beer sciencetist out there!

I love Beer Science!

Looks like a team of scientists at Harvard University have finally discovered the single gene in yeast that cause flocculation (the ability for yeast cells to clump together, making it easier for the yeast to fall out of solution and creating a brighter beer).

In other news students at Rice University, in Huston TX, are working on engineering a beer that includes resveratrol, the disease-fighting chemical that's been found in red wine. They are genetically engineering yeast that will ferment beer and produce resveratrol at the same time. Yay for healthy beer!

Lastly, have any of you seen this? It appears that a company hired Jessica Simpson to advertise a beer that is "brewed with Vitamin Water". HUH? There are already a lot of vitamins in beer...and it may just be me, but I'm not going to buy a beer "just 'cause Jessica says so."

[Press Release] Deschutes Brewery's The Abyss Returns

Deschutes Brewery's The Abyss Returns

(November 6, 2008 - Bend, OR) If you didn't learn your lesson last year, here's an insider's tip for you - Deschutes Brewery's The Abyss is coming, and it won't be on shelves for long!

Beer enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting the third release of Deschutes Brewery's The Abyss, and this year their dreams will come true on November 17th, two months earlier than last year's release date.

This exceptionally popular imperial stout, aged in French oak and bourbon barrels, has immense depth with its rich and complex flavors. True to its name, subtle notes of coffee, chocolate, molasses and licorice pull you in deeper and deeper.

The Abyss was first released in December of 2006, and last year's version was so popular it disappeared from store shelves before most people had a chance to experience the unfathomable draw of this brew, selling out in a matter of days.

"The anticipation and excitement leading up to the release of The Abyss has been phenomenal and has grown every year since its initial release," says Deschutes Brewery's Jason Randles. "Beer lovers just can't get enough of this stuff. Some stores have even been forced to set limits on the number of bottles customers can buy."

Deschutes continues to offer small batches of innovative beers in the Reserve Series, like The Dissident and Black Butte XX, with a second release of Mirror Mirror kicking off the 2009 lineup early in the year.

All Reserve Series beers, including The Abyss, are available in wax-dipped 22-ounce bottles with a suggested retail price of $10. The Abyss will also be available on draft at a few select establishments.

11.0% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)

56 International Bitterness Units (IBU)

Cellaring and Tasting Notes:

• Store at 45 degrees in a dark place, keeping a constant temperature is key to proper cellaring.
• Drink within 5 years.
• Best served at 50-55 degrees (not quite room temperature).
• Very complex with high viscosity and multiple layers of flavor.
  

About Deschutes Brewery:
Overlooking the wild and scenic Deschutes River in Central Oregon, Deschutes Brewery has brewed exceptional handcrafted ales since 1988. Starting as a small brew pub serving locals their favorite beers in downtown Bend, Deschutes now sells beer across the western U.S. and has a second pub in Portland, Oregon. Over the years, Deschutes has maintained its commitment to innovation and exceptional quality with flagship beers such as Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter, as well as new additions like The Abyss and Hop Trip. For more information about Deschutes Brewery and its award winning beers please visit www.deschutesbrewery.com.

Bear Creek Beers

Bear Creek Beers, located in downtown Medford Oregon is our area's newest specialty beer store. Even though the business is only just opened its doors I have to say that I am excited. With plenty of room to grow they already stock some very hard to find beers as well as many high quality domestic craft brews. I was very pleased to see Russian Rivers Pliny the Elder in stock as well as several Dogfish head brews. Their selection of Belgian style ales is outstanding. The folks working there are all very knowledgable about the beers offered as well as willing to take suggestions on brands they should be stocking.

The Rogue Valley Homebrewers club met there last week for a German Beer Tasting and we were not let down. I am planning on making it to all the tastings (Bear Creek Beers is going to try and host one per month) and I'll keep you updated as we go!

Not exactly Beer...Zima production ending.

Just read a press release that says MillerCoors is end production of Zima as of Oct 10th and expects availability though Dec. I know its not exactly beer, nor is it likely to be sad news to most of our readers, but Zima was one of the orignal "malterative" drinks out there. Every time I go the the store to pick up some beer I see the cooler sectioned out into Macrobrews, Mircobrews, and "malterative". If Zima production is being stopped due to declining consumer interest (as cited in the MillerCoors press release), I have to wonder how well all the others are selling.

October Tastings

After Ismail offered to let us try the Sublimation from Russian River Brewing, I stopped past Johns Marketplace for some complimentary beers. Damnation also from Russian River was a given that we must try it.
Jed, Ish, BC, Shannon, Theresa, Jessie and I began with what I figured would be the lightest body beer, the 08.08.08 Vertical Epic from Stone Brewing.
everyone agreed there were a lot of fruity esters coming out quite strong, and we were divided over what it closely resembled, most offered "Juicy Fruit" Gum as what the melange came up to be. much different then when it was first released and i tried it, at that point the hops were more evident and strong. those flavors have dissappeared and are now replaced with the fruitiness. high alcohol flavor but not astringint, more like flouride taste. I proposed that was due to the high carbonation level that is evident. I think that pouring into the glass vigorously will be required on the final tasting in 2012. overall it was a very good belgian strong, and only time will tell as to what comes out next.

Brewers Ale 2008 from Rogue Brewing
had to buy this bottle, it's got a dog on the label. :)
good hop aroma for a darker beer, I felt it was too carbonated, and the bitterness is quite strong. roasty hazelnut flavors are very strong. the recommended foods are pig and fire, and I would have to agree. it's not a beer I would drink without dinner.

Damnation by Russian River Brewery
Belgian golden strong. Brilliant. just brilliant. it's so very good. orange peel and coriander are evident in the flavor, crisp and light body made this my favorite for the evening. Vinnie C at Russian River hit it out of the park again here.

Supplication by Russian River Brewery
High Tart, Cherry scent and taste. this is strong with alcohol and cherries, just overwhelming. it's a very strong sour taste, almost vitamin C strong. I definately couldn't take one alone, and even then it's a sipping beer. after 14 months of aging at the brewery I also couldn't afford to drink many of these. :)

Double Dead Guy by Rogue Brewing
this is dead guy, the maibock from Rogue, with double the hops and alcohol. nothing else to say other than they doubled it. quite impressive too considering the double bastard from Stone brewing has a very strong malt character to it that kills the palate, this one manages to balance quite well. I would definately recommend this to anyone that likes dead guy and doesn't have time to drink them quick enough.

October meeting for Rogue Valley Homebrewers!

This month's RVHB meeting will be in a location that has me very excited. We'll be meeting at Bear Creek Beers. I had not heard of this store until just recently and haven't even been able to stop in yet, but here is why I am excited. Its a specialty beer store that looks like it doesn't lack specialty beers! There are one or two other bottle shops in the area but they don't really stock anything special, not like Johns Marketplace in Portland does. But this store, this store looks like they stock a lot of hard to find beers, and even the glassware to drink it with!

Flying Dog...where is the love?

Oh Flying Dog, you breaker of hearts! I remember when I first met you, oh so many months ago. I was on the traditional quick sweep down the beer isle and there I saw you. A new brand of beer, interesting bottle art, decent price. I bought you that night and took you home, I drank you and enjoyed it. The next day I wrote to you and told you I was going to blog about you. Much to my surprise you wrote back and offered me your support for this little blog. A few weeks later I was again surprised to find a package from you in the mail. A letter and more support for my blog. But in the months since I haven't heard a word from you. Have you forgotten about me, all the way out here in Oregon? Have you moved on to other fellows and other blogs? I still see you in the store, I still buy your bottles with artistic labels. But why don't you send me support any more. Why do you not write to me any more? Oh well, Fuck Cancer!

National Teach a Friend to Home Brew Day (Nov 1st)

Rogue Valley Home Brewers will be hosting a learn to brew session at Grains Beans and Things (new homebrew store on Crater Lake Ave. in Medford) on National Teach a Friend to Home Brew Day (Nov 1st). The club is really excited about this because we not only get to share our love of homebrewing, but we also are going to get a lot of exposure out of it. Grains Beans and Things will be taking out newpaper and radio ads for about a week before hand. Also the store has been collecting a lot of names from people interested in checking out the club. Hopefully at least a handful of the 20 or so folks will fully join us. We need a slightly bigger group in the club before we can start doing some of the really cool stuff, like brewing compitions, tasting panels with brewers, etc.

Sam Adam's

Well since Chris seems to be slacking on his research into beer, I'll post my latest forays.
after listening to a broadcast of the Sunday Session where they talked with Jim Koch of Boston Brewing, I started paying attention to the beer I'm buying. specifically the "drink before" dates labeled on these things. Sam Adams has their dates listed on the sides of the bottle as well as printed on the top of the 12 packs. this was a surprise to me to find out that the Haggen down the street from me is selling out of date Beer. I picked up a 12 pack of the Boston Lager for the dirt cheap price of $10.30, only to find out the beer had turned on me. Not too much mind you, but the flavors were definitely different from the fresher beer I've had before from the company. The malt flavor that is so prominent in Boston Lager had definitely gone south. I also could not detect any hop aroma or flavor at all, and the commercials for the Boston Brewing company proclaim loudly how the hops should be big and bold in their brews. Even saving a few dollars for the 12 pack I found it was not worth it. much better to buy the fresh beer at the retail price then try and save a dollar or two on old beer. Jim Koch of Boston Brewing even says they will buy back the out of date beer from retailers just to avoid this kind of taste happening. So make sure you check the dates before deciding a beer is "bad." it's not the brewers fault that the retailers don't check their stock. Boston Lager is a great beer, and the freshness does make a difference.
As for the Octoberfest beer they were selling, that was a very good beer, lots of malts and dark colors to enjoy. the mouthfeel was silky, and the carbonation was just right for a dark beer, as it did not interfere with the taste at all. Even after four or five in the night I could still enjoy the brew as it was not a palate killer as most darker beers tend to be.

Back From O.B.F.

The Oregon Brewer's Festival is officially over and boy did I have fun! I'll be posting over the next few days as soon as I decompress a little. 4 days of great beer, awesome people and beautiful weather can really take it out of you.

Everyone say hi to Anheuser-Busch InBev

Just finished my first cup of coffee and was a little surprised by this. It looks like Anheuser-Busch and InBev have released a joint press release stating that they have come to terms on a merger. The New York Times article is pretty through and does a good job at giving you an idea of the complexity of this deal. Basically the main reason that I am even posting about this is that InBev has nearly ruined several of the smaller brands it has acquired in the past, but lucky for me my favorites (at least my InBev favorites) were saved from ruin at the last minute, specificlly Hoeegarden, which was bought by InBev who then moved the brewery. Long story short, you can't move a brewery that has been a single towns most prominent source of income for decades and expect for things to be ok.

That being said InBev has promised to not move or change A-B's beers, breweries, or production plants...we'll see.

Oregon Brewers Festival here I come!

Here at Everyday Drinking, I am getting ready to visit the Oregon Brewers Festival. Its just over three weeks away. This will be my first festival and I am very excited! I hope to get a lot of good photos to share along with drinking some great beers. I think what is most exciting is that there will be a small posse of home brewers attending the festival with me so I'll be able to talk beer without needing to watch out for the glazed eyes of non-interest. I also plan to attend a homebrew session with the Oregon Brew Crew on Saturday just outside the festival grounds.

The Oregon Brewers Festival (OBF) runs from July 24th to July 27th, and this will be the 21st year of the OBF. With 72 craft breweries from 18 different states and a special 73rd beer that is a collaboration between the Oregon Brew Crew and Widmer you know there will be great beer there. The OBF gets 60,000 visitors from around the world each year. There will be exhibits from hop growers and home brewers, live music, food, collectibles, and much much more.

I also plan to visit a few of the really exciting pubs and breweries while in town as well as a short stop at John's Market and Liquid Solutions for a few bottles to bring home. That is going to be one very beery week!

A little more on Flying Dog Ales

I just finished drinking three more Flying Dog beers. First up is Old Scratch amber lager. I like a few amber ales, but most of the time I find that they are too roasty for my liking. Sadly, this was the case. I would like to say that while my personal preference is that I didn't like this beer too much, when I was opening it a friend of mine saw it and said "Oh hey, thats a good beer." We got to talking about Old Scratch and he told me that he buys a 6 pack of it quite regularly, so I can be confident that saying its worth a try, after all this is a very award winning beer.

Next is Doggie Style classic pale ale. This is a good pale ale for summer time drinking. Not too hoppy like many west coast pale ales, but still very flavorful. On the website they say its dry hopped during fermentation with "shit loads" of hops. Coming in at 35 IBUs, this 5.5% abv pale ale is hopped with Northern Brewer and Cascade, and then dry hopped with cascades.

I followed the pale ale with Flying Dog's Double Dog, a double pale ale. Wow this was an awesome beer! It weighs in at 10.5% abv and 82 IBUs. It really tasted like a barley wine with a great balance of malt and hops. I have to admit that by the time I got through this palette wrecker my tasting notes were pretty skewed, but isn't that the purpose of drinking good beer?

Overall impressions: Amber Lager was ok but its not really my style. Pale ale was pretty good, went down nicely in the heat of the day. Double pale ale is running neck and neck as my favorite Flying Dog beer (Tied with Kerberos).

Flying Dog's Kerberos Tripel

WOW! I love tripels and all too often I am disappointed. Usually they are WAY over done, but not this time. Flying Dog's Kerberos is a great example of what a tripel is all about. Strong malt backbone with a perfect balance of hops. This ale measures in at 8.5% abv and 27 I.B.U.s. Kerberos starts off with a slight sweetness that quickly moves into a well balanced hop profile with a slight spicy and dry finish. Flying Dog uses Pilsner and Aromatic malts with Goldings and Saaz hops in this bottle conditioned Belgian tripel.

Also worth mentioning is the bottle art. All of Flying Dog's brews have pretty unique bottle art. Here is a quote taken from Wikipedia "Cerberus or Kerberos was the hound of Hades, a monstrous three-headed dog with a snake for a tail and snakes down his back like a mane, whose analogs in other cultures are hellhounds. Cerberus guarded the gate to Hades and ensured that spirits of the dead could enter, but none could exit. " I'm going to leave the debate of whether or not Flying Dog intended any inference (is that the right term to use here?) to how great the beer is to a later date.

Closing thoughts: Great beer, even as it warmed up while drinking. Hops weren't too much to cover the malty backbone but enough to keep the beer from being cloyingly sweet.

Flying Dog now available in Southern Oregon

I'm home sick today, so what better time then now to post about Flying Dog Brewery! Flying Dog has recently been picked up by Gold River Distributing and their beers are quickly becoming available in the area. Flying Dog's approach to beer advertising is very much grass roots. They have great looking bottle art, witty writers for their website, email, and blog and understand the importance of technology in advertising. Even their PR correspondence is a breath of fresh air. Basically, it seems like these guys are just having fun, but what is important is that they are creating an image that appeals to a younger crowd, as an example they just started a "Text and Win" promotion.

Check back later this week for a review on several of their brews, but real quick, let me say that their ales are VERY worth while. I haven't had one that I don't like yet, nor have I seen a bottle of theirs that doesn't stand out. BTW, when a company uses bullshit@flyingdogales.com for their feedback address you know they are going to be worth checking out.

Weekly Update from Southern Oregon Brewing

(Excerpts from the Southern Oreogn Brewing Weekly Newletter)

Upcoming Events

Sasquatch BrewFest, Saturday June 7^th, in Eugene Oregon

The Southern Oregon Brewing Company “Traveling Roadshow” (a.k.a. Anders and Tom) will hit the highway next weekend to attend the annual Sasquatch BrewFest in Eugene. This is a great opportunity for us to gain more exposure in the Eugene market while supporting a very worthy cause. If you are in Eugene next weekend, come by say “hello” and have a beer with us. Check out this link for info http://www.sasquatchbrewfest.org/

Medford’s Taste of History

Saturday June 21^st, Southern Oregon Brewing Company will be participating in the annual Medford’s Taste of History. The purpose of the event is to showcase Downtown Medford and feature a walking tour of the historic buildings that had been renovated utilizing the facade grant improvement program that was funded by Medford Urban Renewal Agency. The walking tour features 19 stops with a local food and beverage (beer, wine and coffee) combination at each building on the tour. S.O.B. will be working with Jackson Creek Pizza in their restaurant at 317 E. Main as tour stop 13. If you are looking for something interesting tasty and fun, come downtown on June 21^st and have some great beer, wine and food while you learn about and celebrate the rich history of downtown Medford. Check out the website for more info. http://www.thetasteofhistory.com/home/index.html

Logo Pint Glasses are in the works!

Expect to see S.O.B. logo pint glasses in the tasting room within the next 6 weeks. They will be top of the line glassware with the classic S.O.B. round logo on the side. These will make excellent additions to your collections or wonderful gifts for your friends who aren’t lucky enough to live in Southern Oregon and drink our great beers. I will update you when they are shipped.

T-SHIRTS: New Colors and New Styles and more sizes

We have our latest shipment of S.O.B. T-shirts in stock now. We have a full supply of shirts in many colors including Prairie Dust and Stone Blue. A new style of women’s shirts is also available. Drop by and get your shirts before we run out of your size again.

BREWERY TOURS

Southern Oregon Brewing Company will continue to host scheduled tours on Saturday afternoons. If you haven’t had a chance to check out how we make beer and look at our shiny stainless steel up close and personal, this is your opportunity. This week, your tour guide will be our Head Brewer, Anders Johansen! Come get the brewer’s perspective on how the brewery operates. The tour begins at 4:00 pm and will last approximately 30 minutes. It will finish in the Tap Room where you will receive a complementary pint or sampler tray of our refreshing malt beverages or a soft drink. Kids are welcome.

TAP ROOM HOURS

Thursday 4:00-10:00
Friday 4:00-10:00
Saturday 3:00-9:00 (change)

Reminder: Rouge Valley Homebrewers Porter Compitition

This is a reminder for those entering the Rouge Valley Homebrewers Porter Competition. Tastings will be held during the June 19th club meeting. If you are interested in joining the Rouge Valley Home Brewer's just contact me.


The Porter tasting/competition is a local and informal homebrew competition being hosted by RVHB with help from Southern Oregon Brewing. RVHB meets once a month officially, and several times a quarter unofficially and always warmly welcomes new members.

Southern Oregon Brewing is the Rouge Vally's newest brewery. SOB is doing some really interesting work. All their ales are fermented with a hybrid ale/lager yeast, giving their brews a very smooth, pleasing taste and body. Visit them at 1922 United Way in Medford, behind Lava Lanes and tell them Chris sent you!

DESCHUTES BREWERY CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY!

DESCHUTES BREWERY CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY!

(Press Release from Deschutes Brewery)
Introducing Black Butte XX & 20th Anniversary Wit

(May 22, 2008 – Bend, OR) Happy birthday! To celebrate Deschutes Brewery’s 20th anniversary this June, enjoy the release of two very special commemorative seasonal beers. Deschutes is proud to present Black Butte XX and the 20th Anniversary Wit, two seasonal beers that acknowledge both the brewery’s roots and its continuing innovation in the world of high quality craft brewing.

Black Butte XX is a tribute to Black Butte Porter, the revolutionary Deschutes Brewery beer that has excited beer enthusiasts since its release in 1988. This special Reserve Series brew is an extreme version of Black Butte Porter that the Deschutes brewers enhanced with several pounds Bellatazza coffee, Theo’s Chocolate cocoa nibs and by aging parts in Stranahan’s whiskey barrels. These regional partners from Bend, Seattle and Denver, respectively, each provide quality artisan ingredients that give this commemorative beer a truly handcrafted complexity.
Available for the first time outside the Bend public house, a limited amount of Black Butte XX will be released in hand-waxed 22-ounce bottles and on tap at select establishments as part of the Reserve Series. Black Butte XX is perfect served with flank steak and chimichurri sauce, crème brulée, cherries jubilee and strong bleu cheeses.

20th Anniversary Wit, Deschutes Brewery’s summer Bond Street Series edition, offers yet another refreshing, hot weather quencher to complement Twilight Ale. This unique Belgian-style wheat beer was brewed with zested Curacao orange peel and just enough spices to keep your taste buds guessing. The Deschutes brewers tinkered with the recipe for months at the original Deschutes Brewery and Public House in Bend, Oregon, before perfecting what will arrive on shelves in 22-ounce bottles this June. A test batch of the Wit was sampled at Portland’s Spring Beer and Wine Festival in March where it won a gold medal.

With its slightly citrus taste and spices, the 20th Anniversary Wit pairs well with spicy Thai dishes like Pad Thai, garlicky Caesar salad, rosemary chicken or smoked cheeses such as Gouda.
We hope you will lift a pint and toast Deschutes this June, celebrating 20 years of good times, great beer and more memories to come.

About Deschutes Brewery:
Deschutes Brewery was founded in 1988 by Gary Fish as the Deschutes Brewery and Public House. Over the years, Deschutes has maintained its commitment to innovation and exceptional quality with flagship beers such as Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter, as well as new additions like The Abyss and Hop Trip. This year, Deschutes Brewery celebrates their 20th Anniversary, along with the opening of their new Portland Brewery and Public House. For more information about Deschutes Brewery and their award-winning beers, please visit www.deschutesbrewery.com.

Southern Oregon Brewing Weekly Newsletter

SOUTHERN OREGON BREWING COMPANY NEWSLETTER

S.O.B. ECONOMIC STYMULUS PACKAGE!

You’ve heard of what the I.R.S. is doing for you and if you are lucky you already have a hot little government check in your hands. Well S.O.B. has its own version of this wonderful plan designed to jump start our economy! KEG BEER!

Lets consider the economic impact of keg beer.

It costs about a $1.10 a pint or $0.07 per ounce. That’s cheaper and fresher than bottled craft beer!

It supports your local brewery….that would be us! Southern Oregon Brewing Company is trying to create family wage jobs with benefits and plans to return at least 5% of our profits to this community. Help us support Southern Oregon.

No bottles or cans to worry about recycling.

Let’s see our government do that for you!

Just in case you forgot, we have kegs of our three flagship beers (Gold, Pale and Porter) as well as our increasingly popular IPA in our cooler waiting to be adopted by a loving home like yours! Our kegs hold 13.2 gallons of fresh handcrafted draft beer which is approximately 100 pints. If you have a kegerator, it will stay fresh for several months...if it lasts that long! You know you want one!

Beer Tasting tonight at Chadwick’s Pub and Sports Bar/Rogue Regency Grill

Tonight from 5:00 pm to 8:00 S.O.B. will be serving samples of three of our fine hand crafted beers on the Regency Terrace at Chadwick’s Pub and Sports Bar/Rogue Regency Grill. They will be serving Tri-Tip steak and Oysters and we will be pouring some cool refreshing adult malt beverages to help cool you off. Julie Tolar, Pub/Restaurant Manager at the Rogue Regency would love to hear what you think about our beers! Drop by and have a dinner and a beer at Chadwick’s Pub and Sports Bar/Rogue Regency Grill tonight.

Multiple Beers in Multiple Places!

This week we have several of our favorite beer spots serving two S.O.B. beers. Joe’s Bar and Grill is pouring both our Porter and our Gold while the 4 Daughters Irish Pub is pouring our Gold as well as our Porter. These two fine establishments join The Brewery Restaurant in Grants Pass as places that offer you a choice of fine S.O.B. beers. Thanks to everyone who supports local beer. Remember, eat local and drink local!

Picking a Distributor!

The meetings in Portland went very well and we are moving in the right direction. We hope to make a decision in the near future.

THE GROWLERS ARE IN!

We now have 70 S.O.B. Growlers in stock for your buying pleasure! If you don’t have one yet, now is the time to come in to the tap room and get yours. We sold our last shipment in 5 weeks and this set is going quickly. If you like to have fresh hand crafted draft beer in your refrigerator then an S.O.B. Growler is the way to do it!

Tasting Room Hours Change:

From now on….Saturday 3:00-9:00 Come out on Saturday and support our later hours. If we get the crowds, we will push it to 10:00. Make the S.O.B. Tap Room part of your Saturday Night fun.

T-SHIRTS: New Colors and New Styles and more sizes

We have our latest shipment of S.O.B. T-shirts in stock now. We have a full supply of shirts in many colors including Prairie Dust and Stone Blue. A new style of women’s shirts is also available. Drop by and get your shirts before we run out of your size again.

BREWERY TOURS

Southern Oregon Brewing Company will continue to host scheduled tours on Saturday afternoons. If you haven’t had a chance to check out how we make beer and look at our shiny stainless steel up close and personal, this is your opportunity. This week, your tour guide will be our Head Brewer, Anders Johansen! Come get the brewer’s perspective on how the brewery operates. The tour begins at 4:00 pm and will last approximately 30 minutes. It will finish in the Tap Room where you will receive a complementary pint or sampler tray of our refreshing malt beverages or a soft drink. Kids are welcome.

TAP ROOM HOURS

Thursday 4:00-10:00
Friday 4:00-10:00
Saturday 3:00-9:00 (change)

Places to get Southern Oregon Brewing Company Beer (30+ locations and growing)

*The Wild Goose in Ashland is our newest account.

38 on Central: GOLD
4 Daughters: PORTER and GOLD
Arthur’s/Eagle Point GC: PORTER
Avalon Bar and Grille: PALE
The Beau Club: IPA
Bel Ami (Eugene): PORTER
Bella Union: IPA
The Bier Stein (Eugene): PORTER and IPA
The Blacksheep: IPA
Bruno’s Pizzeria: PORTER
Chadwick’s: PORTER
Elements Tapas Bar and Lounge: GOLD
Habaneros: PORTER- soon to have GOLD
Joe’s Bar and Grill: GOLD and PORTER
Kaleidoscope Pizzeria: PORTER
Little Brown Jug: PORTER
Louie’s: PORTER
Porters: PORTER
Red Robin: PORTER
Red Rock Pizzeria: PORTER
Rostels: IPA
Siskiyou Brew Pub: PORTER
Stagecoach Saloon: PORTER
Tabu: PALE
The Break Room Pool Hall: PORTER
The Brewery (Grants Pass): PALE and IPA
Centennial Golf Club: IPA
The Sport Zone: PORTER
The Wharf: PORTER
The Wild Goose: PORTER

More locations to come soon!

Do you have a favorite bar or restaurant that doesn’t serve your favorite S.O.B. beer? Let us know where you want your beer. Talk to the bar manager and tell them to get it. Together we can make it happen.

If you do not wish to receive these emails, please let me know and I will remove you from the list. If you have friends who like great beer or think a local brewery is a cool thing, please pass these emails on to them and ask them to contact me so that I can put them on the list. The list is confidential and I will not share your email address with other entities.

Tom Hammond

President/Founder
Southern Oregon Brewing Co.

Magic Hat offers to buy Pyramid

Where have I been that I didn't notice this? Pyramid is a brewery that I love. Magic Hat is a brewery that I hear many good things about. I hope this means that I'll be able to get Magic Hat brews out here in Southern Oregon soon!

Albertsons' Grocery now carring Ninkasi

Albertsons' Grocery has really been expanding their selection of craft brews. Most noticeable is the Central Point Albertsons. They are currently stocking 3 new brews from Ninkasi Brewing, out of Eugene. They have Tricerihops IPA, Total Domination Imperial IPA, and Believer Double Red. I bought all three and drank them with some friends. Everyone was "WOW'd" by the quality of these brews. I'll be going back for more to get a proper review posted. But in the mean time, you need to go get your hands on these brews!

Shop N Kart expanded selection!

I was in Ashland over the weekend and stopped in at Shop N' Kart. I've always known that they have one of the best beer selections in town but I was pleasantly surprised to see a very expanded selection. They are currently stocking a large number of 22 oz. bottle that cover everything from a wide selection of Rouge Ales, to new organic ales, to some very interesting Belgian style ales. They have also expended their line up of Lagunitas Ales. I picked a lot of their new beers and will have some reviews posted soon.

More important to me though, is the number of sour ales Shop N' Cart is now stocking. I love Flanders Red ales and Lambic ales but they are always so hard to find! Well, there is currently several Flanders in stock and several different Lambics available.

The Belgian style ale selection is also very impressive at Shop N Kart right now. Without actually counting, its my impression that they are giving Market of Choice a run for their money.

Local (informal) Homebrew Contest

Southern Oregon Brew Crew, along with the great guys at Southern Oregon Brewing, are holding an informal, locals only, home brew contest. We are brewing Porter ales, to be judged according to BJCP guidelines, with the tasting to be held on June 19th, location TBD. If you would like more info please contact me.

Introducing....

I haven't even made a first "real" post yet, but the blog is expanding. Brett has signed on here to help get this thing rolling! I hope to have a few more bloggers signing on with us over the next week or two.

The beginning

Here we are, the first post. This blog is about everyday beer. Beer you buy because you like it, its available at the local mart, and mostly because its good solid beer. We are not going to go into esoteric reviews of beer, and the subtle aromas. I'm not going to describe the hidden depths of various flavors that roll across the tongue after the initial wave of hops and malts subside. We are going to write about beer in plain, every day terms. We will cover the local Southern Oregon beer scene, giving you a run down on what brews are available at what pub, what brewery is planning which beer.

The beer scene in Southern Oregon is getting ready to really take off. New microbreweries and craft brewers are opening and expanding their line ups, home brew clubs are forming, meeting, and competing. Pubs are starting to offer the best of whats out there. We here at Everyday Drinking will be making sure you all know whats going on.