Redhook's Iconic Blackhook Porter Returns For Spring

Courtesy of Redhook Brewery

SEATTLE, WASH. – January 26, 2017 – Redhook Brewery is bringing back its iconic Blackhook Porter, long a favorite of dark beer fans, as its 2017 spring seasonal. Blackhook is one of the original recipes developed by the pioneering Seattle brewery nearly 34 years ago.  

Blackhook was Redhook’s second beer in the early 1980’s, and has been part of the Redhook lineup on-again and off-again ever since. Blackhook remains a staple in the Redhook portfolio because it has a rich, malty backbone of roasted chocolate malts and Apollo hops. The result is a hit of bitterness and a resiny, spicy finish. Longtime favorite will be widely available as Redhook’s spring seasonal. Redhook Innovation Brewer Nick Crandall loves Blackhook’s versatility so much that he is also experimenting with different versions of the beer, including Blackhook variations brewed with ingredients like coffee beans, cocoa nibs, vanilla, and chocolate. These and other specialty renditions will be available on tap at Redhook’s Woodinville pub and at select bar and restaurant locations in Seattle beginning in February. 

“Blackhook is a cool part of our history and before we brought it into our seasonal lineup last spring, it was one of the most requested beers by Redhook beer drinkers,” Crandall said. “The beer is definitely a standard in our lineup but it’s also a great beer to experiment with. I’ve been playing with different versions like coffee and coca nib, vanilla and chocolate that we’ll be tapping throughout the spring.”

Blackhook Porter is part of Redhook’s seasonal lineup which also includes Summerhook Golden Ale and Winterhook Dark Ale. Blackhook is currently available in 12-ounce bottles (both six- and 12- packs and as part of Redhook’s Hook Pack variety pack) and on draft. Brewer Nick Crandall, will unveil several variations of the porter at the brewery’s Woodinville pub starting in February. Additional info about these specialty tappings will be posted to Redhook’s Facebook page and website. 

Blackhook Porter

Malts: Pale, Munich, C-80, Chocolate, Carafa Special III

Hops: Millennium

ABV: 5.2% 

IBU: 36 

 

For those looking to modify Blackhook at home, Crandall came up with this simple, yet creative Blackhook Porter Cocoa, which is also available at the Woodinville Pub for a limited time:

Courtesy of Redhook Brewery

2 fl oz Heavy Cream

8 fl oz Whole Milk

4 floz Blackhook Porter

¼ cup Brown Sugar, Packed

2.5oz Chocolate Chips (Measured by weight)

Dash Cinnamon

Courtesy of Redhook Brewery

About Redhook Brewery

Redhook was born out of the entrepreneurial spirit of early 1980s in the heart of Seattle. While the term didn’t exist at the time, Redhook became one of America’s first craft breweries with its focus on creating a better beer. From a modest start in a former transmission shop in the Seattle neighborhood of Ballard, to a Fremont trolley barn that housed The Trolleyman brewpub, to its current breweries in Woodinville, Wash., and Portsmouth, N.H., Redhook has become one of America’s most recognized craft breweries. Redhook will open a 10-barrel brewpub in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle in 2017.

Redhook’s beer lineup includes ESB, Long Hammer IPA, Extra Special Lager (ESL), American Pale Ale, and a variety of seasonal beers, including Blackhook, Summerhook, and Winterhook. Redhook beers are available on draught and in bottles and cans around the country. 

Redhook Brewery, Est. Seattle, WA 1981

For additional information on Redhook Brewery, visit redhook.com and follow the brewery on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Or, to find Blackhook near you, visit Redhook’s beerfinder: http://www.Redhook.com/find-beer.

Portland Brewing's Award-winning Raise the Roost Returns

Courtesy of Portland Brewing Co

PORTLAND, Ore. (January 26, 2017) — Raise a foamy glass to the release of Portland Brewing’s award-winning spring seasonal, Raise the Roost. The Belgian-style Red Ale debuted in 2016, earning an esteemed Silver Award at the 2016 World Beer Cup. Brewed with a special strain of Belgian yeast, Raise the Roost yields strong fruit, malt, and spice notes. The resulting flavor and distinct red hue have become an instant classic for the brewery. Raise the Roost hits shelves for its second run this January. 

Head Brewer Ryan Pappe and the Portland Brewing team carefully selected malts that would emphasize sweetness and body, while distinctly coloring the beer red. Brewed using Liberty, Nugget and East Kent Golding hops, along with malts 2-Row Pale, CaraRed, Melanoidin, C-120 and Roast Barley, Raise the Roost Belgian-style Red Ale awakens the palate with an array of spicy, fruity yeast notes and a roasted malt character.  ABV: 6.2% | IBU: 30 | OG: 15 | SRM: 15

Limited quantities of Raise the Roost Belgian-style Red Ale hit the shelves February 1 in Oregon and Washington stores and bottle shops. Raise the Roost is sold in 22oz. bombers, 12oz. 6-packs, and of course, on draft at Portland Brewing’s taproom and select Portland-area bars and restaurants. Cheers to another year of ruling the roost!

Courtesy of Portland Brewing Co

About Portland Brewing Company
Celebrating thirty-one years of passionate brewing in the Rose City, Portland Brewing looks ahead to a future of unwavering obsession over what our civilized world simply can’t live without: great beer.  Founded in 1986, the brewery is one of Portland’s craft brewing pioneers and remains committed to the city for which it is named. Portland Brewing is located at 2730 NW 31st Ave., Portland, OR 97210.  For more information about Portland Brewing Company, head to their website, Facebook and Twitter. 

Virtue Cider Releases Mitten Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cider in 12 oz. Bottles

Courtesy of Virtue Cider

Fennville, MI – Virtue Cider announces the launch of The Mitten, the company’s award-winning bourbon barrel-aged cider, in 12-ounce bottles this month. This cider joins Virtue’s lineup of 12-ounce bottles that include Michigan Brut and Michigan Harvest.

An official release party will take place at the 3rd Annual Virtue Cider Stone Fence Competition & Mitten Drive on Sunday, Jan. 29 at the Chicago Athletic Association

“The Mitten’s been our most popular cider at the Virtue Farm Bottle Shop, and we know it’ll be equally popular now that people can get it in a single-serving 12-ounce bottle,” says Gregory Hall, Virtue Cider founder. “We have this cider aging in 200 bourbon barrels for almost a year, and we taste through each and every one before we move to final blending.”

Courtesy of Virtue Cider

The Mitten, which was first released in 2012, is made with cider that has been aged for 11 months in Wild Turkey, Jim Beam, and Heaven Hill bourbon barrels. The aged cider is then blended together with juice from freshly pressed apples from this year’s harvest for a touch of sweetness. The result is a 6.8% ABV semi-dry cider that shows off a balanced blend of charred bourbon and high-acid apple flavors. Pronounced notes of vanilla and wood mingle with overripe apple, and maple flavors create a warm feel.

Hall has a long history with barrel-aging, having started bourbon barrel-aging beers in the 1990s at Goose Island Brewing Co., where he was brewmaster for 20 years. He brings this tradition to The Mitten, which was awarded Gold in the cider category at the Festival of Barrel-Aged Beers in Chicago, the first year the event included a cider category.

The new bottles of The Mitten are currently for sale at Virtue’s Bottle Shop in Fennville, MI. They will be available the Chicago area and in Michigan the week of Jan. 30. Virtue will also be at Cider Summit Chicago on Feb. 11 at Table 51.

Courtesy of Virtue Cider

About Virtue Cider:
Virtue is the hard cider venture launched in June 2011 by Gregory Hall, former brewmaster at Goose Island, and co-founder Stephen Schmakel. We make European-style ciders from fresh heirloom apples— never from concentrate—and employ traditional farmhouse production methods that include native and secondary fermentation, use of wild yeasts, and an expansive barrel-aging program.

Spokane Symphony and No-Li Brewhouse Collaborate in Support of Local Arts

Very limited release: Only 660 total 22 oz. bottles available. Graphics by Chris Bovey - Courtesy of No-Li Brewhouse

SPOKANE, WA…Spokane Symphony and No-Li Brewhouse collaborated to create “Beethoven Golden Ale” 22 oz. bottles (only 660 total bottles available) in anticipation of the Friday, March 10^th Beethoven Symphony at The Martin Woldson Theater At The Fox Theatre…Spokane, USA - Featuring Jorge Luis Uzcategui, Conductor

“We are pleased to present an evening of Beethoven with a special brew made just for the occasion," stated Lynda Sanders, Director of Marketing & Sales for Spokane Symphony. 

Limited release Beethoven Golden Ale 22 oz. bottles will be available at local Rosauer’s, Yoke’s, Rocket Market and Total Wine & More on Thursday, February 16^th.

Beethoven & Brews: Friday, March 10th

* The Martin Woldson Theater At The Fox Theatre

* 6 – 7 p.m. & Intermissions: No-Li Beer Garden

* 7:30 p.m. Beethoven’s Best Hits

^·         Ticket Information: (509) 624-1200 or SpokaneSymphony.org

Sponsored by the Heaton Family and Edward Jones

 Community Collaborations: The Inlander is a key component in community collaborations and partnerships.  The Spokane Symphony and No-Li Brewhouse came together through a mutual partnership with The Inlander.

About No-Li Brewhouse

Born & Raised in Spokane, Washington, No-Li Brewhouse is locally-owned and community-minded crafting Spokane-Style beers with No Boundaries: innovative beers brewed with locally-sourced ingredients. No-Li Brewhouse was awarded 2016 Washington Brewery of the Year, NBWA 2015 National Brewer Partner of the Year, No-Li has won twenty-one international awards.

For more information about the beers, brewery and the pub, visit www.nolibrewhouse.com, or follow them on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram @nolibrewhouse.

Cascade Brewing Announces 2017 Beer Release Schedule, Adds Seven New Projects To Its Lineup

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing Co

PORTLAND, Ore. – Cascade Brewing has announced an impressive lineup for 2017, with at least 17 beers scheduled for release both on draft and in bottle. The brewery will continue to offer its top sellers, including the award-winning Kriek (rated the #1 sour beer in America by the New York Times), Apricot, Blackcap Raspberry, Blueberry, Figaro, Manhattan NW, Noyaux, Sang Noir, Sang Royal and The Vine. In addition, the cellar team has been working on a number of new projects, seven of which will be released this year.

"Our brewing and cellar staff have taken our sour offerings to a whole new level that promises to blow your mind,” stated Tim Larrance, VP Sales & Marketing. “We are so excited to share these new projects with sour beer lovers worldwide."

Following are the new projects coming this year, followed by a scheduled release date. Larrance noted that when working with barrel aged sour beers, the beer determines when it is ready, not the other way around; therefore, release dates are subject to change. Some offerings will be very limited; all releases will have approximately 25% of the total production available in draft. 

 

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing Co

Sang du Chêne 2015: Meaning “blood of the oak,” this project showcases sour blond and triple ales aged in three distinct oak vessels: red wine foudres, toasted French and American oak puncheons and Cognac brandy hogsheads. Oak influences are the highlights, providing flavors of toasted sugars, vanillin and spice that are complemented by the bright acidity and fruity character of the base beers. Sang du Chêne captures the marriage of wood and beer at its finest. Scheduled for release in February.

Kentucky Peach 2016: This is a blend of sour wheat and quad ales aged in bourbon and wine barrels for up to 16 months with fresh, Northwest-grown peaches. This limited project offers flavors of ripe peaches and warm bourbon with hints of oak and a light malt sweetness. Scheduled for release in March.

Tangerine Dream 2015: Last produced in 2011, this extremely limited release is a blend of blond and quad ales aged in bourbon and wine barrels for up to 18 months with tangerine zest, mandarin zest, apricots and vanilla beans. Rich and complex, Tangerine Dream captures flavors of fresh tangerines, bourbon, vanilla and toasted malts. Scheduled for release in March.

Crazy Navel 2016: This features a sour blond ale aged in oak wine barrels for 14 months with freshly zested Cara Cara navel Orange zest. Last year we did a small, draft-only project and it was a huge hit, so this year we are taking it to the masses. Scheduled for release in June.

Framblanc 2016: Made for only the second time (first run was very limited), Framblanc features a blend of sour blond and triple ales aged in oak wine barrels for up to one year with white raspberries. Utilizing fruit grown less than 12 miles from our Blending House facility, this project showcases bold flavors of raspberries, grapefruit zest, white cranberries and peaches. Scheduled for release in August.

Cascade Collaboration with The Bruery: Details are still under wraps, but Cascade will use something grown in the state of Oregon while The Bruery will use something grown in Southern California. Scheduled for release in September.

 

Rose City Sour 2016: The cellar team infused sour wheat ale with a unique blend of dried rose hips, rose petals and hibiscus tea crafted for Cascade by Tao of Tea. Rose City Sour features flavors of roses, cranberries, watermelon, grapefruit and hibiscus tea. Scheduled for release in October.

Rounding out the year will be the release of Noyaux 2015 in April; Kriek 2016 and Apricot 2016 in May; Manattan NW 2015 in June; Figaro 2016 in July; Blackcap Raspberry 2017 in August; Sang Noir 2016 in September; The Vine 2016 in November; and Sang Royal 2016 in December. Blueberry 2016 was released earlier this month. Each Cascade project is named for the year the fruit was picked.

 

Courtesy of Cascade Brewing Co

About Cascade Brewing
Cascade Brewing has been a pioneer in the sour beer renaissance since 2006 and the proud innovator of the Northwest Sour Ale. Its distinctive sour beer blends feature fruit forward, barrel-aged ales with an emphasis on project year-to-year variation. These beers offer a complex array of flavors derived from Northwest grown ingredients with each project year release capturing the unique subtleties of that year’s growing season. Its beers are brewed in the brewery in Southwest Portland, then aged and blended at the nearby Cascade Blending House, which holds more than 1,600 oak barrels and nine foudre tanks.

 

Website: www.cascadebrewing.com
Social Media  @CascadeBrewing
Hashtags: #CascadeSours #HouseofSour
 

5th annual Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival - part of the inaugural Portland Farmhouse Weekend

Courtesy of Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival

Portland, OR -

March 31st - April 2nd, 2017 will see the kickoff of the Inaugural Portland Farmhouse Weekend organized around the 5th annual Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival at Saraveza and co-presented by Point Blank Distributing. Oregon's farmhouse brewers will come together to promote and celebrate the unique culture around U.S. farmhouse brewing that has taken off in Oregon and other regions across the country with events all weekend long including Upright Brewing's 8th Anniversary on April 1st and a weekend brewer meet-and-greet and tap takeover at The Commons on 3/31. Watch the website calendar at http://portlandfarmhousefest.com for more event announcements.

Returning for it's 5th year and larger than ever, the Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival will increase it's footprint both in outdoor tented space as well as a new Friday evening VIP session from 4-9pm. One of the annual festival exclusives, the 5th annual official fest beer is a single barrel spontaneously fermented wild ale from Logsdon Farmhouse Ales. Bottles will be available at the festival each day in limited amounts at opening. Over fifty different farmhouse ales will be 

Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival and the inaugural Farmhouse Weekend celebrate the rustic, working-class, yeast-driven beers that originated in France and Belgium but have had a new renaissance in the United States. Oregon being home to many great farmhouse brewers like Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, The Ale Apothecary, Alesong Brewing & Blending, The Commons Brewery, Upright Brewing, pFriem Family Brewers, Agrarian Ales, De Garde, Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery, Ruse Brewing, Great Notion Brewing, Culmination Brewing, Yachats Brewing, Reach Break Brewing, all who will be participating in this years festivities.

The beer and brewery lineup is not simply limited to local beers though, expect beers and brewers from: Perennial Artisan Ales (St. Louis, MO) Wander Brewing (Bellingham, WA), Engine House No. 9 (Tacoma, WA), Urban Family Brewing (Seattle, WA), Three Magnets Brewing (Olympia, WA), Matchless Brewing (Olympia, WA), Propolis Brewing (Port Townsend, WA), Almanac (SF, CA), Crooked Stave Artisan (Denver, CO), The Buery (Placentia, CA), Blackberry Farms (Walland, TN), Against the Grain Brewing (Louisville, KY), Stillwater Artisan Ales,  and many more to be announced. 

Tickets are on sale now for Festival General Admission Sat. April 1st 11am - 9pm and Sun. April 2nd 11am - 6pm and the Friday, March 31st VIP Session 4pm - 9pm at http://www.merctickets.com/events/40844884/portland-farmhouse-and-wild-ale-festival

The Portland Farmhouse and Wild Ale Festival is looking for volunteers to pour beers, work operations and security over the three days.  Volunteers receive festival entry, a meal and a Saraveza gift certificate.  Any interested parties, please contact: info@saraveza.com

For more info follow the Festival on Facebook at @PortlandFarmhouseandWildAleFestival or the new website at http://portlandfarmhousefest.com

About Saraveza:
Derived from the owner’s name and the Spanish word for beer, Saraveza is a place to celebrate craft beer, eat well and enjoy friends and strangers alike.  We’re a North Portland watering hole and craft beer convenience store w/ 250+ bottles and 9 rotating taps.  www.Saraveza.com

WHEN: Sat. April 1st 11am - 9pm and Sun. April 2nd 11am - 6pm, VIP Session Friday, March 31st VIP Session 4pm - 9pm

WHERE: Saraveza, The Bad Habit Room and along N. Michigan street at 1004 N. Killingsworth St, Portland, OR 97217

COST: $25 General Admission ticket for a branded glass and 10 drink tickets, additional tickets $1, 4oz pours 1-4 tickets. VIP Session $35 for same glass and ticket combo.

TICKETS: http://www.merctickets.com/events/40844884/portland-farmhouse-and-wild-ale-festival

Zwickelmania Doubles Down, Oregon Brewery Tours Now Two Weekends

Courtesy of the Oregon Brewers Guild

PORTLAND, Ore. (Jan. 23, 2017) — Beer enthusiasts rejoice, Oregon’s breweries open their doors once again for the 9th annual Zwickelmania. This year, there’s even more to celebrate. The festivities will span two weekends! Portland area breweries kick off the party on February 18th from 11a.m. to 4p.m. Breweries throughout the rest of Oregon welcome guests the following Saturday, February 25th from 11a.m. to 4p.m.

What’s a Zwickel? Visit any of the 150 participating breweries to find out. Go behind the scenes at your favorite breweries. It’s the annual craft beer celebration when big and small breweries participate with meet-the-brewer events, tours and beer tastings.

Oregon Brewers Guild executive director Brian Butenschoen says, “With two weekends, people from around Oregon can visit the 60+ breweries open in the Portland Metro area on February 18th and keep the beer flowing on the 25th at breweries that will be open for tours in Central Oregon, Eastern Oregon, Mt. Hood/the Gorge, Southern Oregon, The Coast and the Willamette Valley.”

Visit the Zwickelmania event page for a regularly updated list of participating breweries and cities in Oregon’s seven brewing regions. The Oregon Brewers Guild lays out maps, brewery listings and itineraries that you can view online or print out for Central Oregon, the Portland Metro area, Southern Oregon, The Coast, The Gorge and the Willamette Valley including Albany/Corvallis, Eugene and McMinnville/Salem.

Last year, more than 42,500 people toured 120 participating breweries statewide and the Oregon Brewers Guild expects that number to increase in 2017 with many beer fans enjoying both weekends.

For more information, head to Oregoncraftbeer.org, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter using the hashtag #Zwickel17.

About The Oregon Brewers Guild
The Oregon Brewers Guild is Oregon’s non-profit trade association for the state’s independent breweries. The Guild, which receives no state funding, comprises 160 brewing companies, 125 associate or supplier members and more than 4,000 enthusiast members or S.N.O.B.s (Supporters of Native Oregon Beer). For more information, see http://oregoncraftbeer.org/.

Worthy Brewing Has Launched StrataSphere IPA,

Courtesy of Worthy Brewing Co

BEND, OR -- Worthy Brewing has launched StrataSphere IPA, a fruity India Pale Ale, which utilizes the new hop Strata, in kegs for distribution across four states, as well as in Worthy’s pub.

Strata, formerly known as X-331, has been an ongoing collaboration between Indie Hops and Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. Strata is an open-pollinated Perle that expresses many of the oils associated with mango, oranges, and other fruits and herbs.

Roger Worthington, the founder of Worthy Brewing, is also the co-founder of Indie Hops along with his childhood friend, Jim Solberg. They partnered up in 2009 and rebooted Oregon State University’s hop-breeding program with a $1 million donation. Under the leadership of Shaun Townsend, Ph.D, they have developed over 50 new aroma-centric genotypes that thrive in the Willamette Valley terroir.

Strata is the first hop creation to emerge from the OSU-IH aroma hop breeding program. It has superior disease resistance, the promise of substantial yields, and boasts a tropical and herbal flavor profile along with a dual purpose alpha acid level that render Strata a potential stand-alone, one-stop hop.

“I felt like a proud daddy whose baby girl just won the state title in the 100-meter dash, shot put and mile,” said Roger Worthington. “With the hop breeding program, we didn’t want to bring sand to the beach. Our goal was to generate aroma hops tailored to the Willamette Valley —with a unique aroma, high yields and high tolerance to viruses. This was all part of our utopian vision to revive hop farming in Oregon and bring worthy flavors to the craft market. ”

Worthy Brew Master Dustin Kellner was one of the first to experiment with Strata:

"It was an honor to fiddle around and experiment with this hop,” Kellner said. “The aroma Strata gives off and the finish product blew our mind and all expectations. It's a staff favorite and received rave reviews in our pub."

After assisting in the selection of the hop, Kellner and his team brewed four (4) pilot brews in the pursuit of a more perfect IPA. They came up with StrataSphere , an IPA with a tantalizing array of layers. Sensory panelists describe StrataSphere’s hop character as tropical, candied fruit and a light herbal dankness.

“From terra firma -- pineapple, watermelon and a whiff of herbal dankness. From the jungle canopy -- passion fruit, and mango. On the outer rim -- detections of peaches, cotton candy, and juicy fruit gum,” Worthington says about his brewery’s most multi-layered beer.

StrataSphere IPA will be in draft only with intentions to go into package in the future. Kegs are distributed by Columbia Distribution in Oregon and Washington, Hodgen Distributing in Eastern Oregon, and by Hayden Beverage in Idaho through January. 

Courtesy of Worthy Brewing Co

 Worthy Brewing Company opened its doors in early 2013, delivering remarkably balanced, filtered ales that are hand-crafted using premium ingredients and the pristine water from the Cascade Mountains in Bend, Oregon. Worthy’s campus includes a large outdoor biergarten, full restaurant, and a greenhouse and hop yard onsite for growing estate and experimental hops in conjunction with Oregon State University and Indie Hops. An expansion will be completed in Winter 2017, featuring the “Hopservatory,” with a large telescope, “The Hop Mahal,” a banquet space, “The Beermuda Triangle” expanded indoor seating, and “The Star Bar,” an open air mezzanine bar

Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom releases Bourbon Chaos

Courtesy of Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom

Hood River, OR – January 17^th, 2017 – Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom releases Bourbon Chaos, the third batch in their barrel aged beer series. A limited quantity of this special release Imperial Stout is available in the bottle at the Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom located in downtown Hood River and Double Mountain Taproom in SE Portland.  Bourbon Chaos can be found throughout the Northwest in early February.

“Sometimes it’s best to put a beer to rest, forget about it for a year or so, and then bring it back to life. Well done, father time”- Matt Swihart Brewmaster

Bourbon Chaos
Belgian Style Imperial Stout
11% ABV, 100+ BU


Description: A year and a half ago, we laid some Imperial Chaos Stout to rest, entombed in an oaken sarcophagus within the friendly confines of our Cellar. It emerges with a robe of velvet draped over its shoulders. Vanilla, caramel, and molasses lead, with fig and blackberry following in the shadows.

About Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom: Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom was established in 2007 in the heart of downtown Hood River, OR. Double Mountain Brewery opened with a clear mission: make great beer for craft beer fans. Double Mountain Brewery’s unique location lends to not only using pure and clean glacial water for their beers, but they also take advantage of regionally grown hops. Double Mountain Brewery’s long-aged beers deliver maximum flavor and character. They can be found on tap and in bottles throughout the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Learn more at www.doublemountainbrewery.com