National Homebrew Day and the Big Brew

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]

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.

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!

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!