Everyday Drinking

Galaxy hopped barleywine ale

2011-06-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

An introduction to making beer at home

2011-02-28T09:36:00.000-08:00

I'm gearing up to teach another class on homebrew. This class is an introduction to brewing at home and will be held on Sat. March 12th at 4 daughters Irish pub in their upstairs room. 1:30 to 4pm. Cost is 15$. Register at Grains Beans N' Things or contact me directly.

In this class we'll cover the variety of ingredients used, how to brew, ferment and bottle home made beer. Other keys ares we will discuss are sanitation vs. cleaning, temperature control, equipment needs, and troubleshooting.

This class isn't just for first timers! Even if you've been brewing with extract, you'll learn quite a bit!

Next Homebrew class 3/12/11

2011-01-19T10:57:00.000-08:00

I'm scheduling the next Introduction to Homebrewed beer class for Saturday, March 12th, 1:30pm. Contact Bob at Grains Beans N' Things for more info. This class will be a lecture based class covering everything a beginning homebrewer needs to know!

Bear Creek Beer Fest

2010-06-16T08:54:00.000-07:00

This weekend, June 19th is the day! The annual Beer Fest at Bear Creek Bears will once again be kicking off! Looks like the weather is going to be good. I heard something like 20 different breweries represented, along with pizza and hot dogs! Its 12$ to get in the door which comes with a pint glass and 5 tastings. See you there!

Oregon Green Expo

2010-05-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

I will be hosting a "Brew Your Own" class at the Oregon Green Expo on June 20th at 1pm. Anyone interested should stop on by and find out just how easy brewing your own beer really is! This class will cover an introduction to brewing beer at home, we will discuss the variaty of ingrediants on the market, and how best to get started. Hope to see you there!

2010-05-12T11:56:00.001-07:00

Just testing out the mobile blogging.

Thank you for using Picture and Video Messaging by U.S. Cellular. See www.uscellular.com for info.

SImple Steps to Brewing Great Beer

2010-04-26T08:44:00.000-07:00

The "how to brew" class went off pretty well. 11 folks showed up, we brewed 2 seperate batches of Eagle Point ESB, and now its been bottled. About half of the class has, in the two weeks since, gone out and bought thier supplies and started brewing. In June and July I will be teach another Introduction to Brewing, and an Advanced Brewing class. Keep tuned or contact me if you are interested in learning about how to brew great beer!

Southern Oregon Brewing Update

2010-03-11T16:46:00.001-08:00

I've had the chance to get back into Southern Oregon Brewing's tap room and tasted some great beers! The two that I want to point out are Woodshed Red and the Imperial Oak aged Red.

Woodshed Red has been around for awhile, but SOB has changed the yeast used to ferment this been and I have to say, its a whole new game. The previous version was "just ok" as far as reds go. But, this new version is great. It comes off as much more of a bold, hoppy, malty beer. Its something that you will remember.

The oak aged Imperial (only available in a very limited amount and only in the tap room) is unbelievable! Aged in oak barrels for multiple months, this beer imparts a subtle oak/vanilla flavor that melds in nicely with the big malty and hoppy flavors present. I don't know how much is left at the tap room so get out there and buy a pint or two today!

One last note is that SOB is having a beer tasting dinner at the Prospect Hotel Dinner House on Saturday March 20th at 5pm.

Quick News: Wild River

2010-03-11T16:31:00.000-08:00

[Press Release]
It's that time again; so pick up the phone and call Wild River Pub
541-474-4456 to reserve your spot for a great Comedy Show this weekend,
March 12th and 13th!

Pouring out the laughs are Laura Hayden and Grant Cotter. In honor of our
female headliner, we are offering a special for GIRLS NIGHT OUT, bring in
five girlfriends, 6th one is free!!!

Also don't forget to eat at the Wild River Brewery or the Pub prior to the
doors opening at 7pm the night of the show and receive $2 off your cover
charge when you pre buy your ticket with your meal!

Our Jell-o shooters were a giggling success so we have them again for only
one dollar!

Sour Beer part 1

2010-03-11T11:53:00.000-08:00

This series of posts will be an introduction to sour beer. "What is it" will be the topic of this first post, but I hope to move through some of the history of sour ales, how its brewed at home, and what you can do to try and control some aspects of this truly wild beer!

The first thing folks often ask me when I offer then a sour ale is "Why would I want to drink a sour beer?" My answer is that a sour ale is a truly unique type of beer offering a flavor complexity unlike any other beer out there.

Sour ales often have a lower pH. This means that it is more acidic then most beer and can impart a sour, tangy, tart, or puckering flavor sensation, much like lemon-aide or grapefruit can. But, sour ales can also have an acidic vinegar type of flavor.

The 4 major styles of sour ales are: Berliner Weisse, Lambic, Flanders Brown, and Flanders Red. But these days, brewers are experimenting with almost every style of ale and are turning out unique and original creations like sour pales, sour wit beer, and Flanders White ale.

So what makes these beers sour? Ales are normally fermented with various strains of yeast that produce reliable, repeatable fermentation. Sour ales introduce a variety of other yeasts and bacteria. Brettanomyces is a wild yeast with several strains. Each strain producing a variety of flavors ranging from spicy and clove (good flavors) to sweaty and horse blanket (not good flavors!). Next you have Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. These are bacteria that produces lactic acid which gives the beer an acid twang.

Using these three ingredients in a beer can the beer from an understated mellow bland beer, and make it taste like lemon-aide. I think this is pretty neat! I urge you all to go to your local specialty beer store and try out some sour ales.

Next up will be a short history of each of these types of beer, see you then!

Simple Steps to Brewing Great Beer

2010-03-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here is the brief outline that I've started writing for my first class on brewing beer with extract. I haven't fully fleshed it out yet but I feel its good enough to get folks started. If you have ideas on what to change or what to add please let me know in the comments!

Simple Steps to Brewing Great Beer

1. Clean and Sanitize all brewing Equipment

2. Fill boil kettle and heat to 150 degrees F.

3. Stop heating and steep specialty grains for 20 min.

4. After 20 min, start heating again and remove grain bag once temp reaches 168 degrees

5. Bring liquid to just below boiling and add malt extract.

6. Bring liquid to boil. Watch for potential boil over.

7. Add hops according to schedule.

8. At 20 min until end of boil add clarifying agent, whirlflock or Irish Moss.

9. At 15 minutes to end of boil add any other adjuncts.

10. After 60 minutes of boiling, turn off the heat.

11. Chill liquid to recommend yeast temp.

12. Transfer liquid to fermentation vessal and top up to 5 gallons as needed.

13. Add yeast and oxygenate liquid.

14. Insert rubber stopper and water lock and move fermenter to cool dark location.

15. Once ferment is done, bottle, wait, enjoy!

Clean and Sanitize:

Everything that you use for brewing should be cleaned with a cleaner like T.S.P. Normal dish soap should be avoided if possible since it can leave trace amounts behind on equipment. Anything that touches the beer after the boil also needs to be sanitized (not the same as cleaned). You can sanitize using a weak iodine solution. Recommended is Iodaphore, a no rinse iodine sanitizer. One cap full per 5 gallons of water is all that you need. Don’t forget that the need to clean also includes your hands! Wash your hands! Recommended is also dipping your hands in the sanitizing solution prior to touching any sanitized equipment.

Fill boil kettle and heat to 150 degrees F:

It is recommended that you use a kettle large enough to hold 5 gallons of water and still leave plenty of room for adding malt extract and give you room to boil. You can use smaller kettles, but you will have to add extra water. Partial boils (boiling less than the full 5 gallons) can impact flavor negatively, but can be done on the stove top, is easier to handle, and if you already have a large pot at home lowers the initial cost of brewing. If you do a partial boil, prepare an additional amount of water by boiling enough to make up the difference between 5 gallons and what your pot can safely boil for 15 mins. Then let it chill and place it in a cleaned and sanitized container for later.

Stop heating and steep specialty grains for 20 mins:

Specialty grains add flavor and color to beer. Steeping the gains requires you to use a nylon mesh grain bag. Turn off the heat source once the water has reached 150 degrees F and submerge the milled and bagged grains. During the 20 min steep, it is not unusual for the grain bag to float then sink and then pop back up. You may want to place a lid over the brew kettle while steeping to help maintain the temperature. Some loss of heat will happen.

After 20 min, start heating again and remove grain bag once temp reaches 168 degrees:

After 20 minutes, turn the heat back on. Once the liquid reaches 168 degrees F, remove the grain bag and let drip (don’t squeeze the bag!) until you have drained most of the liquid from the grains. If you squeeze the bag you risk creating an unpleasant bitter flavor.

Bring liquid to just below boiling and add malt extract:

Water boils at 212 degrees F. Turn off the heat at around 200 degrees. Add malt extract. If you are using a liquid malt extract you may want to remove the lid of the container and place the container in a hot water bath to soften it up a bit. Liquid malt extract will sink to the bottom of the kettle, make sure to stir it in well or it can scorch and give your beer a burnt flavor. Dry malt extract can clump up, make sure to break up the clumps and stir in well.

Bring liquid to boil. Watch for potential boil over:

As you bring the liquid (called “wort”) to a boil, starch and proteins rise to the surface and can cause a boil over. If the wort is about to boil over the sides of the kettle reduce or kill heat. Once the level goes back down slowly bring heat back up until you have a consistent rolling boil.

Add hops according to hop schedule:

A hop schedule calculates time from end of boil. Most of the time, you will boil for 60 minutes. So, your first hop addition is normally 60 mins, or once you achieve a rolling boil. Hops at 20 min would mean 20 minutes from end of boil, or 40 minutes into a 60 hour boil. Hops added early in the boil add to the overall bittering. Hops added mid boil add flavor, and hops added late into the boil add aroma.

At 20 min until end of boil add clarifying agent, whirlflock or Irish Moss:

Whirlflock and Irish moss are both clarifying agents. They are added to the boil with 20 minutes to go. This allows them to pull particles out of the beer that would otherwise give the beer a cloudy look. This doesn’t affect the flavor of the beer, just the appearance. If you don’t add a clarifying agent, you can use time. The longer you let the beer sit in the fermenter or bottle, the more stuff will precipitate out of suspension.

At 15 minutes to end of boil add any other adjuncts:

This is your last chance to add anything to the beer. Aside from hops, don’t add anything to the beer with less than 15 minutes to the end of the boil. It takes about 15 minutes of boiling to sanitize. If you have a wort chiller (copper coil used to chill the liquid) submerse it now.

After 60 minutes of boiling, turn off the heat:

Turn off the heat after 60 minutes of boiling. If you recipe calls for hops at “flameout” add them now and let them steep for 5 to 10 minutes.

Chill liquid to recommend yeast temperatures:

If you are doing a partial boil you can use an ice bath to chill the wort. Fill the sink with water, set kettle in water. As the water warms up, drain it and add more cold water. Once the initial heat is removed, add ice to sink water to chill quicker. If you are doing a full volume boil, you need something better to chill with. A copper coil can be attached to a garden hose or faucet and submerged 15 minutes prior to the end of boil. Then once you end the boil, turn on the water and allow the copper coil to chill the beer down. The temperature you want to achieve depends on the yeast you want to use. A safe bet is 70 to 75 degrees, but colder is better if you are able.

Transfer liquid to fermentation vessal and top up to 5 gallons as needed:

Once the wort is chilled to the correct temperature, transfer it to the fermentation vessal. This can be a 6 to 6.5 gallon plastic bucket or glass carboy. You can siphon it or using a funnel, pick up the kettle and carefully dump it in. You want to use a mesh strainer to strain out any hop matter. If you did a partial boil, you will need to add preboiled water to the fermenter as needed to make it up to 5 gallons.

Add yeast and oxygenate liquid:

Once your wort is in the fermenter, add your yeast. Then, oxygenate the wort. This is often done by placing your (clean and sanitized) hand over the opening of the carboy and vigorously shaking it back and forth. You will get tired long before you reach the “too much” point of oxygenating your beer. Easier methods to do this include using an aeration stone and either an aquarium pump or bottle of oxygen. With a pump, let run for 15 to 20 minutes. With a bottle of pure O2 a few seconds is all you need. This is very important. Well oxygenated wort is a happy place for yeast. Under-oxygenating your wort can lead to poor performance from the yeast.

Insert rubber stopper and water lock and move fermenter to cool dark location

The fermenter needs to keep the air out, so a rubber stopper and water lock (also called fermenter lock) needs to be inserted, then move the fermenter to somewhere in the house that maintains a cool and dark environment, like a closet. Keep the temps low. Each yeast has a specific range that they perform best at, for example 65 to 68 degrees F. Temp control is important. If it’s too cool the yeast won’t get enough work done. If it’s too hot the beer will taste like rubbing alcohol. In general keep the temp lower then 80 and above 60, those each type of yeast will have more specific numbers.

Once ferment is done, bottle, wait, enjoy:

Fermentation can take 7 to 21 days. Generally if you wait 10 to 14 days, the yeast will be finished. The first 8 to 24 hours you will notice very little activity, but as you move to the end of 24 hours and into day 2 and 3 you will notice “foam” on top of the beer (this is called krausen) and a lot of co2 bubbling out of the water lock. After about 3 days the krausen should fall back into the beer and bubbling from the water lock should slow down. Just because the action is slowing doesn’t mean the beer is ready. Wait until 10 to 14 days have passed, then transfer the beer to a bottling bucket.

Bottling:

Transfer the beer to a bottling bucket, being careful not to splash the beer too much. Air is the enemy of good beer! Add ¾ cup of corn sugar to a couple cups of boiling water, boil for 15 min, then chill to room temp. Add this sugar water to the beer in the bottling bucket. Use a bottling wand attached to the bucket’s spigot to fill the (cleaned and sanitized) bottles leaving about ¾ inch of room from the top of the bottle. Cap (with cleaned and sanitized bottle caps) each bottle, then place back in a cool and dark area. Wait for 5 to 7 days, then chill a bottle and drink. If there isn’t enough carbonation, wait a few more days and try another bottle.

Coming Soon!

2010-03-11T11:37:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, its been a very long time since the last post and somehow folks still make their here to read about beer. Over the next few months look forward to a lot of great new articles and reviews. Spring seasonals are on the way to be quickly followed by summer seasonals. I'm gearing up to start teaching home brewing classes, and I have a lot of thoughts about brewing sour ales that I want to share. Oregon Brewers Festival is coming up in July, and I'll be attempting to sweep the home brew competition this year at the Jackson County Harvest Fair. I'm starting BJCP (beer judge certification program) training in a few months with the goal of being certified by September (to assist in judging at the Harvest Fair).

Christmas in July!

2009-07-22T08:36:00.001-07:00

This Friday, July 24th, its "Christmas in July" at Southern Oregon Brewing Company. As many of you may know, we saved one keg of Old Humbug, our winter warmer from 2008. Well its time to drink it! We will tap this keg of liquid spirit and cheer on Friday at 4 PM. There will be Christmas cookies, Christmas music and who knows, maybe Santa Claus will make an appearance? Wear your Santa hat or your ugliest Christmas sweater and come down to the tap room and help us get an early start on this years yuletide season! Sorry, no growler fills, just pints of joy!

Press Release: Wild River is hosting "Care for Kelly" Fundraiser

2009-07-22T08:23:00.000-07:00

Wild River® Medford host Care for Kelly fundraiser.

Once again Wild River® steps up to the plate this time to support a struggling family that has been ignored by the state health system.

Medford, OR July 15, 2009: Wild River® Medford, part of the Wild River® Brewing Family, will host a Care for Kelly fundraiser, Wednesday, July 22^nd. Wild River® will be donating a portion of all proceeds directly to the family of Kelly Parmenter. Kelly is a former Wild River® employee and long time community resident of the Rogue Valley. Tuesday’s fundraiser will only be at the Medford Location 2684 North Pacific Hwy. (541)773.7487

Kelly Parmenter is a 33 year old wife and mother to two beautiful young daughters Sarah age 10 and Kristen age 12. Kelly became drastically ill about 3 years ago, with rapid severe symptoms that became fully disabling. She urgently worked with doctors trying to understand what was going on, why her body seemed to be fully shutting down. Finally a diagnosis of an untreatable brain tumor was received. For months she could not find a surgeon that would consider surgery. Finally after exhaustive pressure she got a surgeon at OHSU to do a biopsy on the tumor which is on a stalk between the optic nerve and the pituitary gland.

The surgery did little to improve her situation but she was moving forward to getting medications to help restore some life functions. However OHP has denied her the medications that she desperately needs in order to survive with some form of basic life functioning. There are two major prescriptions that are very expensive and not covered. The first is Humatrope Growth Hormone manufactured by Eli Lilly. OHP initially denied coverage of this medicine but with pressure from Kelly's doctor at OHSU they eventually gave her a waiver and begin paying for it; for about a year. Then nearly two months ago, out of the blue she did not receive the shipment, no notice no warning just no shipment. After contacting the pharmacy she found out OHP stopped paying for it. This prescription is over $1000 per month and apparently has severe side effects if you stop taking it suddenly. She could not even begin to pay for the drug even after selling off most of their possessions and maxing out their credit. This is a drug that is not on the formulary and only because an exception had been made was she receiving it. Because she has suddenly stopped taking the drug her health is even more rapidly spiraling downward and will probably be fatal very soon. She does not qualify for assistance from Eli Lilly because she has "Health Insurance" OHP. The second major medicine that OHP will not cover is DDAVP Nasal spray. The manufacture is Bausch and Lomb. She is receiving medication assistance on this one from Sanofi Aventis, however, their limit is 8 bottles out of the 12 she requires every 3 months. OHP also does not cover this one, they never have. It is appx. $100.00 per bottle, and 1 bottle lasts her 1 week. She has used all of her available credit just trying to keep up with the expense of maintaining the difference.

Contributions can be made at Wild River® any time and Evergreen Federal “Care for Kelly” Kelly Parmenter account.

Please find it in your heart to join the Volunteer crew at Wild River® in Medford Wednesday, July 22^nd for this incredible opportunity to help someone in our community.

Premium Dark Lager - Session Dark!

2009-06-24T12:29:00.000-07:00

I just saw that Full Sail will be releasing Session Dark Lager in Hood River tonight!

Session Lager, by Full Sail, is one of the best lagers I have drank in a long time. I have used this beer as an "introduction beer" for my non-craft beer friends.

Full Sail is now introducing Session Black as the newest member of the Full Sail lineup. A Premium Dark Lager. I hope that by using the Session name, they aren't just hoping to ride on the coat tails of a great beer, but that this dark lager is being named Session because it is a great beer!

Full Sail, if you read this, send me some...otherwise I guess I just have to wait and buy Session Dark when it finally trickles down here to Southern Oregon....

National Homebrew Day and the Big Brew

2009-04-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Calling all local home brewers. Sat. May 2nd is National Homebrew Day, and that means Big Brew! This year the Rogue Valley Home Brewers will be brewing and hosting a BBQ. Contact me to time and location if you are interested. Head over to Beertown.org for more info on the event.

Rogue Valley Homebrewers March Meeting [Update]

2009-03-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

This month's meeting is almost here.

We'll be meeting at Dennis Dye's house (contact me for specfic address) this Thursday, March 19th at 7:00 to judge our first quarter brew, STOUTS (BJCP category 13).

I am currently looking for 3 to 5 people to judge and score the entries based on the 2008 BJCP guidelines (attached). If you are interested in being a judge (no experience necessary) please let me know.

Those of you wishing to enter your stout are asked to provide at least 2 - 12oz bottles for judging along with any additional beer for others to sample.

The winner of the taste off will take home a pint glass signed by Charlie Papazian courtesy of Bob and Grains, Beans and Things.

Those of us not judging will take the opportunity to sample the entries and discuss what makes a good stout.

We will also be voting on next quarter’s ‘taste off’ beer. In January we decided the second quarter beer would be an American Ale (BJCP Category 10). This month we will narrow it to a single sub category. The choices are 10A American Pale Ale, 10B American Amber Ale, or 10C American Brown Ale

Mark your calendars for the following meetings…

March 19th – Stout ‘taste off’

April 16th – everything hops. From how to grow them to hop characteristics and the sampling of our single hopped beers

May 21st – off flavor workshop. This will be a members only event as dues will be used to offset the cost of the off flavor kit

June 18th – Quarter brew taste off.

CHEERS!

Brian.

American Homebrewers Association 10th Annual Lallemand Scholarship!

2009-03-16T08:30:00.000-07:00

(This is a repost from HBD.org by Rob Moline)

Lallemand, the makers of Danstar dry yeasts and Servomyces yeast nutrient,
is proud to sponsor the Tenth Annual Lallemand Scholarship for the World
Brewing Academy's Concise Course in Brewing Technology. The partnership of
Lallemand and the American Homebrewers Association has provided nine
previous winners with what can best be described as a trip to 'Beer Heaven,'
the Siebel Institute! The fact that the scholarship is now ready to award
it's 10th recipient only underscores the value of the AHA/Lallemand
partnership, as both organizations continue to demonstrate leadership in
their common mission, ongoing brewer education, resulting in better beers!.

The scholarship is awarded to a member of the American Homebrewers
Association, and provides full tuition to the World Brewing Academy's
Concise Course in Brewing Technology, held at the Siebel Institute in
Chicago, Illinois, November 2 - 13, 2009, and is valued at USD $3,350. The
winner also receives a USD $1000 stipend to assist with travel and
accommodation while in Chicago, one of America's most exciting and vibrant
cities. .

The famous two-week WBA Concise Course in Brewing Technology will provide
students with a comprehensive knowledge of the brewing process, the dynamics
of brewery operations, and socioeconomic issues affecting the industry.

How to Enter
AHA members may enter the contest by filling out the online form at
http://www.beertown.org/apps/scholarship/form.aspx. You will need to know
your AHA membership number, which appears on your AHA membership card and on
the address label of your Zymurgy magazine. If you do not know your
membership number or would like to join, e-mail info at brewersassociation.org,
call 888-822-6273, or visit the membership page at
http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/membership.html .

The contest entry forms must be submitted by June 9, 2009. Only one entry
per AHA Member will be accepted. Entries will also be accepted in
registration at the AHA National Homebrewers Conference in Oakland, CA, June
18-20, 2009.

AHA members can get an additional entry in the contest by submitting a
ballot for the AHA Governing Committee election, visit
http://www.beertown.org/homebrewing/election.html. All ballots must be
submitted no later than 11:59 pm Pacific Time, March 31, 2009.

Winner Announced
The drawing for the Lallemand Scholarship will take place at the AHA
National Homebrewers Conference in Oakland, CA during the Grand Banquet on
June 20, 2009. The winner must have a current AHA membership at the time of
the drawing to be eligible.

Scholarship Rules
Members of the AHA Governing Committee, Brewers Association Board of
Directors, staff of the Brewers Association, Siebel, Lallemand, and anyone
who has previously been awarded any scholarship to the Siebel Institute are
ineligible. Awarded courses must be completed within one year. Winners must
provide a written statement on their Siebel experiences to the AHA/Brewers
Association/Lallemand/Siebel. Rights to publication of report and
photographs of the winner are granted to the AHA/Brewers Association, Siebel
and Lallemand.

For more information on the Lallemand Scholarship, visit
American Homebrewers Association Lallemand Scholarship and Danstar, or
contact Rob Moline at danstar at mchsi.com .

More information on the WBA Concise Course may be found at
http://www.siebelinstitute.com/course_desc/concise_tech.html , and a
detailed course catalog of all offerings of the WBA is at
http://www.siebelinstitute.com/catalogs/pdfs/2009_wba_catalog.pdf .

1900% increase in Oregon Beer Tax, HB 2461 Gets a Hearing

2009-02-23T08:19:00.000-08:00

(From the Oregon Brewers Guild)

The Oregon brewing industry is facing a nearly $50 per barrel increase on beer taxes – an increase of over 1900% – which would make Oregon beer taxes the highest in the country. If House Bill 2461 passes, it could result in the loss of up to 3,400 Oregon jobs and devastate an industry that currently supports 5,200 direct and 10,000 indirect employees.

If you oppose this excessive and unfair tax increase, here are five simple things you can do to make your voice heard:

1. Email the House Revenue Committee –Use the sample letter below and email the members of the House Revenue committee members at http://tinyurl.com/crw2gj .

2. Attend the hearing – On Monday, February 23^rd, the House Revenue Committee will be holding a hearing at the state capitol to address House Bill 2461. If 100 Oregon beer enthusiasts attend the hearing it will send a strong message to legislators that Oregonians are clearly against this legislation. Visit http://tinyurl.com/ahhhhu to get more details about how to attend the hearing and carpooling options.

3. Make your voice heard – If you won’t be able to attend the hearing and rally at the capitol on Monday, call or email your representative and members of the House Revenue Committee to let them know what you think about the proposed tax increase. You can send your message directly at http://www.leg.state.or.us/writelegsltr/.

4. Get social – The Oregon Brewers Guild has created several social networking applications devoted to connecting consumers opposed to House Bill 2461. These groups are a vital online community and help spread the word when news and events happen. We’re on Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/d6x6sn ) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/NoNewORBeerTax ). Sign up. Tell your friends.

5. Sign the petition – The Oregon Brewers Guild is collecting signatures for an electronic petition against HB 2461. This might seem self explanatory, but the more signatures we’re able to collect, the bigger the impact on legislators. You can sign it here http://bit.ly/8rB0Y. After you’ve signed it, you can generate additional support by sending a link to your friends and posting the URL on websites and/or forums.

Sample Letter

Here is a sample letter that you can send off to the House Revenue committee, your legislator legislator or send out to your e-newsletter or blog. Please feel free to add in your own experience where it talks about how the tax will affect you directly.

Monday February, 23^rd 2009

To: Chairman Phil Barnhart

Members of the Oregon House of Representatives Revenue Committee

RE: HB 2461

Oregon is in the middle of an economic crisis, facing major budget deficits and the potential loss of thousands of family wage jobs. Now, more than ever, the public is looking to our government to provide strategic and smart leadership to turn the economy around.

It is neither strategic nor smart to raise the beer tax by more than 1900%; in fact, it would be unwise and harmful to the economy to approve any increase in Oregon's beer tax.

The craft brewing industry has been extremely good for Oregon. Oregon breweries directly employ more than 5,200 people at a family wage; 2,300 of those jobs were created in the last 5 years. For every 1,000 barrels of Oregon brewed beer consumed in Oregon during the past 5 years, more than 30 jobs were created.

This green and entrepreneurial industry - which is built on uniquely Oregon advantages such as agriculture, people, and lifestyle - contributes $375 million to the Oregon economy every year. It does this without receiving state tax breaks or subsidies, while continuing to pay tens of millions of dollars in existing excise taxes.

The proposed 1900% tax increase – from the current tax of $2.60 a barrel to $52.21 - would be the single biggest tax increase on beer in US history, giving Oregon the dubious distinction of having the highest beer excise tax in the country. (Insert information about your Oregon craft beer experience here.)

Any tax increase, and especially the proposed House Bill 2461, would devastate what has been an incredible economic success story for the State of Oregon. At this time and in this economy, our state cannot afford to put more people out of work and harm an industry that is serving Oregon - which is exactly what a tax increase will do.

Sincerely,

Name

Title

This is one reason I love spring time! (Press Release)

2009-02-19T10:45:00.000-08:00

Deschutes Brewery Celebrates Spring with Cinder Cone Red

(February 18, 2009 – Bend, OR) Why change a good thing? This concept is more than evident in this year's release of spring seasonal Cinder Cone Red, now in its sixth year as part of Deschutes Brewery's seasonal line-up. Deschutes Brewery, best known for its flagship beers Mirror Pond Pale Ale and Black Butte Porter as well as innovative Reserve Series beers like The Abyss, is always looking for ways to improve and amplify its beers, but the intense flavor and bitterness of Cinder Cone Red have proved to be a tried and true favorite.

"Just like grapes and wine, each year the hops we use to brew have slight flavor variations that can affect the final product," says Deschutes Brewery's Principal Brewer Jimmy Seifrit. "We're all really excited for this year's Cinder Cone Red because the Tettnang and Amarillo hops we're using smell amazing, so although we're using the same recipe as previous years we're eager to try the final product."

Cinder Cone Red combines the typical flavors associated with red and amber ales and takes them up a notch with unexpected hop varietals and profiles. The addition of Tettnang and Amarillo hops give this beer an earthy and spicy characteristic with bitter orange, citral and tanic flavors that play off the caramel notes from the malt. Cinder Cone Red owes its distinctive red hue to a delicious combination of crystal malts and blackened barley. Cinder Cone Red takes its name from the cinder cone, also know as "Red Hill," on the northern side of Bend's Mt. Bachelor. Cinder Cone's tell tale red and brown soil is first seen when spring's warmer weather begins to melt the mountain's snow pack.

Although the brewery has received many requests for Cinder Cone Red to become a year-round offering, for the time being its release will be limited from March until May, when Twilight Ale arrives. Cinder Cone Red will be available in 6-packs, 12-packs and on draft at the Portland and Bend Brew Pubs, as well as at restaurants and pubs throughout the Western United States.

5.4% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
55 International Bitterness Units (IBU)

Food Pairing:
The brewery team recommends pairing Cinder Cone Red with Butternut Squash Ravioli with a Brown Butter Cream Sauce and Fresh Sage.

About Deschutes Brewery:
Overlooking the wild & scenic Deschutes River in Central Oregon, Deschutes Brewery has brewed a family of craft beers 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 brew 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 craft beers please visit www.deschutesbrewery.com.

S.O.B. Newletter (I love these guys!)

2009-02-13T13:29:00.000-08:00

Southern Oregon Brewing Company Newsletter
Vol. 09-0213

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Personal message from S.O.B.

Since I have your attention, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each
and everyone of you for your support over the last 15 months. We could not have
come as far as we have without you! We would also like to throw out a little challenge
for you to consider. In the next few weeks we would like to ask you to do a couple
of things for us. First, send this newsletter to 2 people who you think might like
craft beer and might like to be on this email list. This is how you help us spread
the word and allow us to keep making your favorite S.O.B. beers. The other favor
I would like to ask takes a little more time and effort. Next time you go into
a bar, restaurant or store ask for and S.O.B. If they don't have it, talk to the
bar or store manager and ask them to get it. If they have one of our beers but
don't have your favorite, ask them to get your favorite. This activity helps to
support us as a local business, helps us create new jobs in your community, and
helps reduce the carbon footprint by promoting local beers. Thanks for your help
and I look forward to seeing you the next time you come in to our tasting room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In this issue

Economic Stimulus Package
Have Dinner at the Brewery
Cascade Lakes Relay

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Southern Oregon Brewing Company
Economic Stimulus Package!
a.k.a. February Specials

Keg Sale: S.O.B. Pale
13.2 gallon kegs usually $125.00
Now $100.00 for the rest of February, while they last.
Fine Print: In brewery/dock sales only
S.O.B. Logo Pint Glasses
Usually $5.00 a piece
Now $6.00 gets you a pint of your favorite S.O.B. beer and a logo pint glass
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Food at Southern Oregon Brewing Company
Have you thought about coming to the tap room at S.O.B. and then changed your mind
because we don't serve food? We now have a solution. The Pita Pit, one of Medford's
newest restaurants, will deliver their delicious, fresh flatbread sandwiches, salads
and other goodies directly to your table in the S.O.B. tap room. Now you don't
have an excuse. Just ask our staff for a menu, make the call and your Pita Pit
meals will be on the way. As always, you can bring other food into the tasting
room as well.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cascade Lakes Relay and S.O.B.
Southern Oregon Brewing Company is very proud to announce that it is the official
beer sponsor of the second annual Cascade Lakes Relay. This is our first big sponsorship
deal and we are really excited about it. Most of you have probably heard about
the Hood-to-Coast Relay? Well this is better! This 216 mile relay traverses the
Cascade Mountains from Diamond Lake to Bend, Oregon through some of the most beautiful
wilderness this state has to offer. As a member of a team that competed in last
year's inaugural run, I can tell you it is an amazing experience that tests you
to your core while you giving you a sense of accomplishment that is hard to explain.
Rugged terrain, extreme elevations, 11 of your closest friends and when you reach
the finish line, you are rewarded with a celebration of food, music and beer! Sound
like fun? You need to run it to understand. Check out their website for info and
pictures from last year's race. I challenge you to put together a team and have
the time of your life! By the way, you don't need to be an Olympic athlete to
do this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Woodshed Red!
Our spring seasonal has been brewed and is in the final stages of conditioning before
it is ready to be bottled and kegged the end of the month. Expect to see this well
balanced Northwest style Red Ale, which is generously hopped and carries a clean
malt finish, to debut in our tasting room by the end of February. It will be available
in finer restaurants, bars, and stores throughout the state in early March. Woodshed
Red will be a limited release beer and once it's gone.....it's gone!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beer Northwest and Vindalho in Portland are teaming up for our first ever beer pairing
dinner!

Join us February 23rd at 6:30pm for a reception with champagne lager; the multi-course
dinner, expertly paired with Northwest craft beer, will begin at 7:15pm. Interact
with chef David Anderson (featured in the current issue) and get to know the Beer
Northwest crew while satiating your appetite for traditional Indian food with a
Northwest flare.
Tickets are $60 and include beer pairings and gratuity. Seating is limited and reservations
are required.
To reserve your tickets call Vindalho at 503.467.4550 or visit their website
Vindalho is located at: 2038 SE Clinton St., Portland

Menu
First Course: Reception
Spicy Potato Samosas with creamy mint chutney
Lamb Kofta meatballs in a tangy red sauce
Spicy Masala Chicken Wings with tamarind yogurt chutney
Paired with: Krait Prestige Champagne Lager
Second Course: Appetizer
Black Pepper and Curry Leaf Prawns
Paired with: Laughing Buddha Mango-weizen
Third Course: Entrée
Pork Vindalho with Saffron Pullao and Crispy Shoestring Potatoes
Carlton pork shoulder braised with chiles, garlic, and vinegar
Paired with: Southern Oregon Brewing Porter
Fourth Course: Dessert
Orance spiced chocolate mousse with a crisp coconut tuile
Paired with: Cascade Brewing Cuvee du Jongleur
Reserve your spot now!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Contact Information
Tom Hammond
President/Founder
Southern Oregon Brewing Co.
541-776-9898 (phone)
541-776-7878 (fax)
541-941-2273 (cell)
www.sobrewing.com
Make Amazing Beer!
Have Fun!
Take Care of Your People!

Southern Oregon Brewing Company | 1922 United Way | Medford | OR | 97504

Mirror Mirror Returns! [Press Release]

2009-02-06T11:00:00.000-08:00

Mirror Mirror Returns to Reserve Series

(February 6, 2009 - Bend, OR) Mirror Mirror, the flavorful brew that officially kicked off Deschutes Brewery's landmark Reserve Series, will be returning to store shelves this April following extraordinary consumer requests and feedback. First released in bottles in 2006, Mirror Mirror is an oak-aged barley wine that has been in production at the brewery for more than 10 months. Mirror Mirror is an inspired version of the brewery's flagship, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, which has been doubled up to barley wine strength, yielding a rich malt base with hints of raisin and oak tinged with the slightest citrus hop aroma.

After its initial release, the brewery kept a small stash of Mirror Mirror in storage, sending a few kegs to a variety of events and festivals and pouring it at its pubs from time to time, where consumers discovered this unique beer, and a loyal following was born.

Eventually, the brewery's stockpiles of Mirror Mirror were depleted, but consumer demand and requests for this groundbreaking beer - not to mention the brewers’ desire to brew it again - ensured another brewing. Although this will still be a limited release, the brewery hopes that every Deschutes fan, old and new, will get a chance to discover this amazing brew.

In true Deschutes fashion, Mirror Mirror has a unique hop character compared to other traditional barley wines. Innovative hop techniques were used to infuse the beer with layers of exotic flavors and aromas. The result isn't hop overload, but instead a layered complexity that will undoubtedly pique the interest of even the most advanced palates.

"This year's brewing will have a more layered and refined oak presence," says Brewmaster Larry Sidor. "I'm really looking forward to this version of Mirror Mirror because it is not only an advancement for this beer, but it also shows the evolution of our knowledge related to barrel aging and how the whole Reserve Series has developed."

All Reserve Series beers, including Mirror Mirror, are available in wax-dipped 22-ounce bottles with a suggested retail price of $11.99. Mirror Mirror will be available on draft at the Portland and Bend Brewery and Public Houses, as well as a few select establishments while supplies last.

11% Alcohol by Volume (ABV)
30 International Bitterness Units (IBU)

Food Pairing:
The brewery team recommends pairing Mirror Mirror with skirt steak in a caramelized shallots red wine jus to balance the strength of the brew.

Cellaring and Tasting Notes:

Best if consumed after December 2010.
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 & 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 their craft beers across the western U.S. and has a second brew 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 craft beers please visit www.deschutesbrewery.com.

Superbowl Party at Wild River in Medford [Press Release]

2009-01-29T08:18:00.000-08:00

Come to Wild River® Medford on February 1st to watch the Super Bowl ‘09
with family and friends!!
The entire bar area will be reserved for viewing, and will be divided
according to team colors.
Free Appetizer platters will be awarded for every touchdown to that
particular team’s fans.
We will also be having contests, prizes, and Pub Menu specials all day.
It is a great opportunity to spend the day enjoying delicious food and
drinks as well as the friendly service of Bob, Medford’s “Bartender
with the Best Jokes”

Wild River Medford
Handcrafted Food and Ale
2684 N. Pacific Hwy
Medford OR 97501
541.773.7487
www.wildriverbrewing.com

2009 Sasquatch Brew Fest Homebrew Competition

2009-01-20T14:34:00.000-08:00

We just received an email from Tom Hammond, owner of Southern Oregon Brewing, letting us know about the 2009 Sasquatch Brew Fest Homebrew Competition. This competition will be open to all home brewers in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, California, and Alaska. Judging will be held on May 30th with an awards ceremony the following day. Entries must be received by Ninkasi Brewing by May 22, 2009.

Shipping address is 272 Van Buren Eugene Oregon 97402. Prizes will be awarded at the Sasquatch Brew Fest to the top three finishers in the following BJCP style categories:

Category 8: English Pale Ale
Category 10: American Ale
Category 14: IPA
Category 18: Belgian Strong Ale
Category 19: Strong Ale

They are also awarding prizes for a non BJCP style called "Glen Tribute beer". This category is to brew a beer that Glen might have brewed and most certainly would have enjoyed. For more info on this and the rest of the competition details go to the 2009 SASQUATCH HOMEBREWING COMPETITION website.

So go brew already!!

Flying Dog Challenges Iron City Beer [Press Release]

2009-01-15T18:02:00.000-08:00

Going Head to Head

Flying Dog Challenges Iron City Beer

(Pittsburgh) January 15, 2009 – There's nothing friendly about the long standing rivalry between the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. But this week, as the black birds of Baltimore prepare for their big game against their rivals to the west, Flying Dog Brewery has got something – well – brewing.

Frederick, MD based, Flying Dog Brewery is throwing the red flag and challenging Iron City Brewing Company of Pittsburgh, PA – home of the terrible towel – to a friendly wager. The terms? The brewery whose home team goes flat on Sunday must toast the victors with their opponent's beer, while fully clad in their opponent’s gear.

“Everyone knows that our co-conspirator, Hunter S. Thompson was a huge football fan, so in true Flying Dog spirit, we’ve added something a little extra special to this weekends big game,” said Flying Dog General Partner, Jim Caruso. “We admire the fact that Iron City is willing to put their beer where there mouth is. Our should we say our beer where there mouth is?”

About Flying Dog Brewery: Flying Dog is Maryland’s largest brewery and their award-winning “litter of ales” are available in 45 states. The Brewery is in Frederick, MD and is located at 4607 Wedgewood Blvd. Flying Dog’s core values of “purposeful, provocative and irreverent” flow through the veins of the brewery’s founding owners, George Stranahan and Richard McIntyre. George and Richard were friends with the “Gonzo Journalist,” Hunter S. Thompson who coined the brand’s tagline “Good People Drink Good Beer” and with the “Gonzo Artist,” Ralph Steadman, who illustrates the brand’s packaging. For more information, log on to www.flyingdogales.com.

Comments on Posts

2009-01-14T16:40:00.000-08:00

I know this is silly, but I just realized that folks have been leaving a few comments on the blog posts. I hadn't even though that people would read this blog let along spend time commenting on it. So here is my promise, I will reply to anything you all decide is worth the time to comment. (Means I won't be a dufus and not bother checking for comments in the future)

60 min/90 min/120 min Dogfish Head Ale

2009-01-14T15:54:00.000-08:00

For Christmas my brother-in-law bought me a mixed 6 pack of beer from a specialty beer store in Seattle Wa. One of those beers was Dogfish Heads 120 min IPA. This beer has always been one that I've been morbidly curious about. Morbidly because it is a 20% ABV beer. I had visions of sticky sweetness with raw hop juices mixed in...basically I wasn't planning on enjoying drinking this but was curious.

So to scratch that itch, I and a friend each got one of the 60 minute IPA, the 90 min. IPA and the 120 min. IPA. These beers and named this way because Dogfish Head has developed a unique way of hopping that is termed "continual hopping". This is essentually a device that drops in hops though out the boil. The longer the boil the more hops added, the bigger the beer becomes.

The 60 minute IPA was nicely crafted, pretty good tasting, not over board in any fashion. It wasn't anything like Pliny the Elder or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, but a pretty good beer none the less. This is a beer that I would (and likely will) buy again.

The 90 minute IPA was quite a bit stronger. Instead of the 6% ABV of the 60 min. this one was 9% ABV. It was noticably more hoppy but not any more sweet (which is a nice surprise compaired to many of the bigger double IPAs). The fuller body and additional hoppyness of this beer was nicely balanced. I likely won't buy this one again outside of the occasional one or two bottles a year mainly due to cost, not taste.

The true point of this post: the 120 minute IPA. This beer states quite plainly "Ages Well", and I can see why. The hop level is out of this world, and alcohol is very present. One friend described this beer as a "hopped brandy". I can't say he is too far off. Definatly desgined for small tasting glasses, at over 10$ per 12 fl. oz. bottle I would have to say one or two oz is plently.

We served this beer at standard in the fridge for a few hours temps, just below 40 degrees F. As the beer warmed up, so did the evidence of the alcohol level. After a few mintes of tasting and swirling and tasting again it was almost too much for me.

I can't say I would ever buy another one. I think this beer is just too expensive and not really what I would call a great beer...but I can't say this isn't for everyone. I applaud DFH for brewing this and NOT having an overly sweet beer. I commend DFH for putting this to market. Obviously, someone out there likes this beer. Maybe I will too in a year or two when I open the second bottle that I have now stored away in the beer cellar.

Giddy Up!

2009-01-13T15:40:00.000-08:00

New beer from the New Belgium pioneers in the US, it's a Coffee infused belgian style beer. I was intrigued and worried from the outset ever since reading about it. now that I've had a chance to drink it I found more to question.
The taste is very smooth, light belgian yeast taste on the back, with a lemon front from the peel they brew with. the coffee taste was very subdued and almost undetectable from the bottles I tried. It makes me wonder if I already had a mishandled case from the reviews I've gotten online about this beer. http://www.BasicBrewingRadio.com commented over twitter that it tastes much more bold at room temperature, as the flavors really stand out. Now I have to find another case and let some warm up in my tasting glasses.
Thanks to my friend BC for the giftmas present of a set of 6 Chimay tasting glasses. And yes I'll be stealing some of the wine tasting glasses my wife got for Giftmas for beer tasting.
now if only I could find some Pinot glasses for my collection, as I see those on the recommendations from Russian River for most of their beers. Giddy up does give a little kick to it, as I was up drinking them very late. :)

Win a 10 gallon brewing scuplture with MoreBeer.com

2008-12-16T13:52:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-11T11:49:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-11T10:50:00.001-08:00

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

2008-11-26T09:54:00.000-08:00

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 1000^th 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!

2008-11-21T12:25:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-06T14:07:00.000-08:00

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

2008-10-20T12:08:00.001-07:00

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.

2008-10-20T12:00:00.001-07:00

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

2008-10-15T14:35:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-13T11:37:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-10-10T16:30:00.000-07:00

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)

2008-10-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

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

2008-09-04T11:42:00.000-07:00

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.

2008-07-28T11:56:00.000-07:00

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

2008-07-14T09:35:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-07-01T12:03:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-23T15:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

(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

2008-05-27T11:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-05-23T16:49:00.000-07:00

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

2008-05-19T11:55:00.000-07:00

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

BREWERY TOURS

*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

2008-04-30T14:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-23T11:04:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-04-21T11:17:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-04-14T19:15:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-02T10:53:00.000-07:00

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.