Black Out Beer Festival Beer Lineup

Courtesy Lompoc Brewing Co.

Lompoc Brewing will host its third annual Black Out Beer Fest on Friday, Feb. 20 from 4 to 10pm at Sidebar, 3901 N Williams Ave. The Black Out Beer Fest will feature 19 dark beers: four from Lompoc and the remaining 15 from craft breweries including Alameda, Breakside, Buoy, Burnside, Cascade, Ecliptic, Fort George, Gigantic, Hopworks, Lucky Lab, pFriem, The Commons, Three Creeks, Upright & Widmer. The Black Out Beer Fest will serve the beers in Sidebar and in the tented and heated parking lot adjacent to Sidebar on N. Williams.

Tasting packages are required to drink the Black Out beers and cost $15, which includes a souvenir 15.5 oz glass tasting mug and 8 beer tickets. Additional tickets are available for $1 apiece. It costs four tickets for a full mug or $1 for a taste. Original mug and ticket sales take place in the fest tent. There will also be live music by Joey Comanche in the fest tent. Food service will be available in the 5th Quadrant. Bring ID, the event is for ages 21+.

BEER LINEUP
Alameda Siberian Bear Russian Imperial Stout: Russian Imperial Stouts were originally brewed by English breweries for export to the Russian Tzars. Higher in strength and bitterness than ordinary stouts, they were meant to travel and be consumed during the cold winters. This version was brewed with a small amount of peat smoked malt lending a smokey, scotch-like flavor to this ale. Blacker than night, roasty, smokey and strong, this is the perfect beer to black out on. 11% ABV

Breakside Salted Caramel Stout: A collaboration with Salt & Straw Ice Cream, this has been one of Breakside’s most popular beers over the past few years. The base beer is a full-bodied stout, with sea salt and a specially made caramel added to the wort before fermentation. The finished beer is rich and balanced with a luscious caramel flavor in the aroma and mid-palate, a hint of salt in the finish, and a smooth, rich roast character. 7.9% ABV

Buoy Beer Co Swarzbier: Buoy’s take on this traditional German lager features medium-bodied and malt accented without the strong roasted character found in most dark ales. 5.1% ABV

Burnside Red Light District: A stout brewed with chocolate and strawberries aged in rum barrels. 8.5% ABV

Cascade Dark Day CDA: Cascade’s tribute to the shortest days of the year, this citrusy-resinous, hop forward, malty Cascadian Dark Ale was brewed with roasted cacao nibs and a healthy dose of Brewer’s Gold, Centennial, Cascade and Amarillo hops. If you’re looking for a hoppy, spicy, chocolaty ale with a smooth, black malt character and gripping hop bitterness, you’ve found your cure. 6.0% ABV

Ecliptic OORT Imperial Stout: Named after the mysterious region of our solar system that breeds comets, OORT is as black as the vacuum of space. Loads of roasted barley and chocolate malts combine with three types of caramel malts for a rich, full, roasty mouthfeel. Chinook, Cascade and Sterling hops lends a balanced bitterness and subtle hop flavor. This beer is thick and chewy and has been aging since June. 8.5 % ABV

Fort George Tuesday’s Lunch Stout: A smooth, well balanced stout made with all the fixin’s for your PB&J Sammy. Brewed with roasted Spanish peanuts and blackberries, this beer will definitely pack your lunchbox. 9.3% ABV

Gigantic Saboteur Baltic Porter: It’s like Porter but with more! Richly chocolaty and roasty, with a smooth alcoholic warmth, Saboteur tastes a lot better than a machine broken by a shoe. 8% ABV

Hopworks Motherland Russian Imperial Stout: As dark as a moonless Siberian winter’s night, but warming enough to weather it. Bittersweet chocolate flavors mingle with deep fig and plum fruitiness. A gentle heat and spiciness linger long on the palate, leaving you craving more of the sweet warmth of the Motherland. 9.8% ABV

Lompoc Batch 69 Baltic Porter: This strong dark beer has hints of chocolate and black licorice. It was brewed with a lager yeast giving it a much cleaner smoother finish than a traditional porter.

Lompoc 2013 Bourbon Barrel Aged Dark Side Porter: A robust, dark porter with hints of toffee and soft roastiness in the nose balanced with flavors of rich chocolate and toasted nuts, aged for 10 months in Bourbon barrels. 6.4% ABV

Lompoc Jitterbrew Stout: A light-bodied stout that has a chocolate malt base. The brewers added six lbs of Tarrazu Santa Ekna coffee from Ristretto Roasters to the kettle and dry-hopped it with eight lbs of orange peel to create an Orange Mocha Frappuccino beer. 6.6% ABV

Lompoc Cheval de Trait Belge: Named in honor of Belgian work horses, which are one of the strongest breeds of horses, this dark Belgian strong ale has a malty body finishing dry with notes of chocolate and tobacco. 8.5 % ABV

Lucky Lab Accidentally Iced Porter: An old favorite with a new twist, Lucky Lab took a Stumptown Porter that was over-refrigerated and froze. This resulted in a fair portion of water removed. The sweetness of the porter blends with the extra kick for a subtle, smooth finish. 8.5% ABV

pFriem Oatmeal Stout: This creamy stout with notes of hazelnut and chocolate was inspired by pFriem brewer Dave McGinley. Oatmeal has been a long time favorite brewing ingredient since King Arthur’s time and once you savor the rich smoothness you’ll understand why! 5.5% ABV

The Commons Putin from the Wood: A Baltic Porter aged in Bourbon Barrels with Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. 8.0% ABV

Three Creeks Tenpine Double Chocolate Porter: A chocoholic’s dream! This amped up version of the brewery’s popular Fivepine Chocolate Porter features double the chocolate malt, and double the dark Belgian chocolate in the boil; it’s then aged on organic cacao nibs in the brite tank. A true dessert beer with a full body and intense chocolate flavor. 8.4% ABV

Upright Oyster Stout: Formerly an annual bottled seasonal, this is now a draft-only brew. The beer uses a robust bittersweet stout base and adds dozens of whole oysters plus gallons of “juice,” making the beer nearly 3% by volume oyster liquor. While it may sound strange, the result is a satiating beer with a complex flavor and finish, showing strong minerality. 5.8% ABV

Widmer KGB Russian Imperial Stout: Using roasted barley, chocolate malt and Midnight Wheat, KGB has a color that is as dark as a torrid past, a body as full as a well-kept dossier, and a taste as complex as a conspiracy theory. 9.3% ABV

A Portland staple since 1996, Lompoc Brewing creates seven flavorful year-round beers, plus a ridiculous number of seasonals. You can find Lompoc in 22 oz bottles and on draft at locations around the Northwest, and at its five neighborhood pubs: Lompoc Tavern in Northwest Portland, Fifth Quadrant and Sidebar in North Portland, and Hedge House and Oaks Bottom in Southeast. Drink Local, Drink Lompoc! 

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Lompocbrewing.com 

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Ninkasi Brewing's Beer is Love Program for 2014

Through its Beer is Love Program, Ninkasi Donations Supported More Than 500 Nonprofit and Community Organizations

Courtesy of Ninkasi Brewing Co.

EUGENE, Ore.—Feb. 12, 2015—Established in 2012, Ninkasi Brewing Company’s Beer is Love program allows the brewery to contribute donations and support to nonprofits and community organizations throughout all the states where Ninkasi is sold. The program enables Ninkasi to Perpetuate Better Living, which is the company’s core purpose, by helping community groups raise awareness and funds for their causes. In 2014, Beer is Love offered support to more than 500 organizations – spanning from the brewery’s home state of Oregon, up to Vancouver, B.C. and down to San Diego, Calif. – donating more than 500 barrels of beer, or nearly 120,000 pints of Ninkasi, to these organizations in 2014 alone.
On a local level, Beer is Love enables the Ninkasi Tasting Room to host regular Pints for a Cause events, occurring twice a week in Eugene, to donate a percentage of pint sales to local community groups. In 2014, Ninkasi held 90 Pints for a Cause nights, raising $22,456 for local Oregon nonprofits and community organizations. The program also works with many regional organizations to provide beer, product and on-the-ground support to help them make a positive difference in the community.
In 2014, Beer is Love expanded its employee volunteer program to offer more support to local community groups. With the help of the new administrative building, the brewery hosted several non-profit partners for a series of volunteer projects and fundraising events. Additionally, employees were encouraged to use paid work days to support local causes of their choice. Ninkasi also expanded its partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Eugene/Springfield to provide funding and volunteers for the brewery’s first start-to-finish home build in Springfield, Ore.
“We are thankful for the nonprofit organizations we have been able to work with and look forward to donating more beer to help their great causes in 2015,” says Emilie Hartvig, Beer is Love Western donations manager.
“Beer is Love is about meaningful community partnerships and helping work towards progress and positive results whenever we have the opportunity,” explains Nicole Nelson, Beer is Love Northwest program manager. “We value our partners and consider them part of our team.”
For more information about Ninkasi’s Beer is Love program and to request a donation, visit: www.ninkasibrewing.com/beerislove.

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Burly Beers and Barleywines Festival

NORTH CAROLINA CRAFT BREWERS GUILD AND SIERRA NEVADA CELEBRATE
BIG BEERS WITH INAUGURAL BURLY BEERS AND BARLEYWINES FESTIVAL

 

Courtesy of Sierra Nevada Brewing CO.

Press Release:

Mills River, NC—February 9, 2015—The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild (NCCBG) is partnering with Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. to present the inaugural Burly Beers and Barleywines Festival, which celebrates the bold, malt-forward beers common in the cooler months. Together they’ve invited more than 50 breweries from across the country to gather at Sierra Nevada’s brewery in Mills River, NC on Saturday, March 28, to pour a selection of their heartiest beers that will include at least one of the following: Barleywine, Stout or Imperial Stout, Barrel-aged beer or Spiced beer.

Featured breweries at the festival include Allagash Brewing Company (ME), Epic Brewing Company (UT), Dogfish Head Brewery (DE), Flying Dog Brewery (MD), and North Carolina’s own Duck-Rabbit Craft Brewery. NCCBG and Sierra Nevada will share the final brewery list late-February at www.SierraNevada.com/BurlyBeers where festivalgoers can find all of the event details.

Festival tickets, on sale today, February 9, at 10 a.m. EST, include a commemorative tasting glass, unlimited tasting pours, live music and food provided by the soon-to-open Sierra Nevada Taproom and Restaurant. All ticket proceeds benefit the NCCBG, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to promote the interests of the craft breweries of North Carolina and to promote North Carolina craft beer.

“You can always cut the chill of winter with a big beer, and the options from American craft brewers are endless,” said Brian Grossman, second-generation brewer and co-manager of Sierra Nevada’s Mills River brewery. “Here in North Carolina, winters are a little longer and a little colder than we were used to in California, so we’re breaking out the Barleywines to celebrate that. We’re excited to see what our brewing friends bring for beer fans—what new twists they’ll use to give their brawny releases an extra edge.”

“We’re honored to partner with Sierra Nevada on this bold new festival,” said Margo Knight Metzger, executive director of NCCBG. “It’s going to be a stellar kickoff to NC Beer Month in April which celebrates our state’s burgeoning craft beer industry with special events and unique brews.”

Burly Beers and Barleywines is the East Coast complement to the annual Single, Fresh, Wet & Wild Harvest Festival held each fall at Sierra Nevada’s Chico, CA location—considered a favorite festival by both brewers and beer lovers alike.

Burly Beers and Barleywines Festival Overview:

• WHEN: Saturday, March 28, from 12–4 p.m.
• WHAT: Rare beer, local food, live music, good cause, great times for all
• WHERE: Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., 100 Sierra Nevada Way, Mills River, NC 28732
• TICKETS: $65 general admission. $30 designated driver. On sale starting today, February 9, at 10 a.m. EST online at www.SierraNevada.com/BurlyBeers. Must be 21 years or older to attend.

About the North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild
The North Carolina Craft Brewers Guild is a not-for-profit member organization whose mission is to advance the interests of the craft breweries of North Carolina and to promote North Carolina craft beer. North Carolina boasts the largest number of craft breweries in the American South, with more than 125 breweries and brewpubs. Learn more at www.ncbeer.org.

About Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Founded in 1980, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co. is one of America’s premier craft breweries, highly regarded for using only the finest quality ingredients. The pioneering spirit that launched Sierra Nevada now spans both coasts with breweries in Chico, California and Mills River, North Carolina. Sierra Nevada has set the standard for craft brewers worldwide with innovations in the brewhouse as well as advances in sustainability. It is famous for its extensive line of beers including Pale Ale, Torpedo^® Extra IPA, Hop Hunter^® IPA, Nooner^® Pilsner, Porter, Stout, Kellerweis^® and a host of seasonal, specialty and limited release beers. Learn more at www.sierranevada.com.

Stone Brewing Releases 2015 Old Guardian Barley Wine and 2015 Old Guardian Barley Wine-Extra Hoppy

Courtesy of Stone Brewing Co.

Press Release:
ESCONDIDO, CA (Feb. 9, 2015) – Since 1998, Stone Brewing Co. has released Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, a much-anticipated robust, malty ale on an annual basis. In odd-numbered years, the company also releases an “Odd Year” version of the beer per its “Odd Beers for Odd Years” program. Today, 2015 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine (the classic version) and 2015 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine - Extra Hoppy will start arriving in 22-ounce bottles and on draft to restaurants, bars and retailers in select markets where Stone beer is sold.

“We started ‘Odd Beers for Odd Years’ in 2011 to focus on Stone's two longest running annual special releases—Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and Stone Imperial Russian Stout,” explains Stone CEO and Co-founder Greg Koch. “In this case, ‘Odd’ means a different, new and creative take on the classic version, and it has allowed our brewing team to show off their innovative talent by developing beers like 2011 Stone Old Guardian BELGO Barley Wine and 2013 Stone Old Guardian OAK-SMOKED Barley Wine. We’re always excited to have our fans experience a unique take on each style.”

2015 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine is a rich American-style barley wine that highlights a medley of bready and toffee notes stemming from its heavy malt bill. As the beer begins to warm and open up, fans will discover molasses, banana and subtle tropical fruit flavors. The recipe, created in 1998 by Stone Co-founder and original Brewmaster Steve Wagner, changes only slightly from year to year, and always features a strong hop profile to balance the brawny malt backbone.

 

Courtesy of Stone Brewing Co.

For the 2015 “Odd” version of Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine, current Brewmaster Mitch Steele decided to develop an über hopped interpretation of the beer. Steele and the Stone Brewing team wanted to showcase the attributes of the new Azacca hop varietal (which we think kind of sounds like the name of an all-powerful genie), so copious amounts were used to dry-hop the base recipe, which gives the beer a big candied-fruit character and citrus, pineapple aromatics. Just pop open the bottle to release the genie; no rubbing required. Some wishes granted on request. Others not. No telling which.
 

Courtesy of Stone Brewing Co.

2015 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine and 2015 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine - Extra Hoppy are ready to be enjoyed as soon as fans please or may be cellared for several months...or even years. With both beers, the hop character will become subdued and the strong malt characteristics will become smoother and more refined over time.  

2015 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine Classic and "Odd" Release Distribution:

National Distribution: AK, AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, DE, FL, GA, HI, IA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, MO, NC, NE, NH, NJ, NM, NV, NY, OH, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WA and Puerto Rico
International Distribution: Alberta and British Columbia, Canada; United Kingdom; Singapore; and Sweden
Find Beer: find.stonebrewing.com

Courtesy of Stone Brewing Co.

2015 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine (Classic Release) Quick Facts:
URL: Stonebrewing.com/OG
Stats: 11.2% ABV, 80 IBUs
Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning February 9
Hops bill: Cascade, Chinook, Delta and Nugget  

Courtesy of Stone Brewing Co.

2015 Stone Old Guardian Barley Wine - Extra Hoppy ("Odd" Release) Quick Facts:
URL: Stonebrewing.com/OG/odd
Stats: 11% ABV, 80 IBUs
Availability: Limited 22-ounce bottles and draft, beginning February 9
Hops bill: Azacca, Cascade, Chinook, Delta and Nugget 

About Stone Brewing Co.
Founded by Greg Koch and Steve Wagner in 1996, San Diego-based Stone Brewing Co. is the 10^th largest craft brewer in the United States. Stone has been listed on the Inc. 500 | 5000 Fastest Growing Private Companies list 10 times, and has been called the “All-time Top Brewery on Planet Earth” by BeerAdvocate magazine twice. The multi-faceted company will be the first American craft brewer to own and operate its own brewery in Europe, and is also building a production brewery and destination restaurant in Richmond, Virginia. Brewing at both locations is anticipated to begin late 2015. Known for its bold, flavorful and largely hop-centric beers, Stone has earned a reputation for brewing outstanding, unique beers while maintaining an unwavering commitment to sustainability, business ethics, philanthropy and the art of brewing. For more information on Stone Brewing Co., please visit stonebrewing.com or the company’s social media sites: Facebook, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter and The Stone Blog.

3rd Annual Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival

Advanced tickets are now on sale for the 3rd annual Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival on Saturday March 28th and Sunday March 29th in Portland, Oregon. This is Portland's only festival dedicated exclusively to rustic farmhouse saisons, oak barrel-aged, spontaneously fermented brettanomyces beers and gruits brewed with locally foraged herbs and spices. 

Hosted by Saraveza Bottleshop & Pasty Tavern this years festival will be the most ambitious yet by closing off even more of the street on N. Michigan for booths, beers and food vendors. Exciting additions to the festival this year are special guests Crooked Stave Artisan Beer from Denver, Colorado and Almanac Brewing from San Francisco, California as well as beers from newcomers Holy Mountain Brewing of Seattle, Washington. They will be joined by breweries from across the country including Block 15, De Garde Brewing, The Commons Brewery, The Ale Apothecary, pFriem Family Brewers, Destihl, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Upright Brewing, Agrarian Ales, Holy Mountain Brewing, Solera Brewery, Pelican Pub and Brewery, Ommegang, Stillwater, Propolis, Elysian, Breakside Brewery and more.

For the first time this years festival will feature guest artisan snack and food vendors carefully selected to pair well with the food friendly beer lineup. The Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival is pleased to announce we will have a cheese booth from Cascadia Creamery, Charcuterie and sausages from Olympic Provisions and an assortment of Pickled veggies from Picklopolis all on-site.

Like last year we will have an exclusive festival bottle release, this year by Upright Brewing. Bottles will be on sale of this single cask sour fruited wild ale exclusively at the Farmhouse Festival with a few kegs on draft as well. More details on the beer TBA.

Advanced Tickets are now on Sale at http://www.beerboutique.com/product/portland-farmhouse-and-wild-ale-festival-entry

3rd annual

Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival

Saturday March 28th 11am-9pm & Sunday March 29th 11am-7pm

at Saraveza, Bad Habit Room and on N. Michigan Street.
$25 Entry includes 10 beer tickets and a commemorative tasting glass. Choose from 30+ Rotating Farmhouse and Wild Ales.
There is a $1.25 processing fee for purchasing your ticket online. Additional entries and beer tickets can be purchased (Cash Only!) at the door.
This is a ticketless entry - your purchase will be recorded on a will-call list. All ticket holders must be 21 years of age or older and are required to show photo ID at the door.