Three breweries, three states, three beer cocktails. On February 25th, BREWPUBLIC is bringing together a trifecta of tristate craft breweries to perform the ultimate beer mixology hat-trick at The Guild Pub in Portland, OR.

Saturday evening, starting at 6pm, The Guild Pub will experience an invasion of brewers and a three-way tap and cocktail menu takeover. Representing the home team is Commons Brewery, a small craft brewery located in Southeast Portland, Oregon. Joining the threesome from the North is Mt. Tabor Brewing, the newest craft brewery to open in Vancouver, Washington. And completing the love triangle, from the state to the South, is Bison Brewing, a 100% certified organic craft brewery from Berkeley, California.

“The Guild has been interested in doing beer cocktails for some time and is excited to partner with three innovative craft breweries, Portland’s number one source for beer news, and the country’s premier beer mixologist for the first of many beer cocktail events to come.”  – Dan Roy, owner of The Guild Pub.

For four straight hours, The Guild Pub will feature a menu of original beer cocktails designed by each of the breweries with the help of BeerMixology.com’s founder, Ashley “Beer Wench” Routson. In addition to the cocktails designed by each brewery, there will be a special “his & her” beer cocktail collaborated on by beer blogging duo, Angelo De Ieso and Ashley Routson. Sample pours of each beer will be available for the inquisitive minds craving a side by side analysis. Brewmasters from each brewery will also be in house, making the menage-a-trois of beer love an even more intimate experience.

The Beer Mixology Hat Trick
Who: BREWPUBLIC, Commons Brewery, Mt. Tabor Brewing, Bison Brewing
Where: The Guild Pub
1101 East Burnside Street
When: February 25th, 6-10pm
Cost: $8 per cocktail, $4 per pint

This past weekend, I attended the 16th Annual Holiday Ale Fest in Portland, OR. The 5-day winter beer fest took place under a large tent equipped with heat lamps in the heart Pioneer Courthouse Square, underneath the city’s largest Christmas tree. More than 50 winter ales were poured this year.

The Holiday Ale Fest is unlike any other winter beer fest that I’ve been to or even heard of. The organizers of the fest have extremely strict requirements — any beer poured must either be of a rare vintage or it must be brewed exclusively for the Holiday Ale Fest. Essentially, this fest is a heaven for beer geeks, boasting dozens of the rarest beers in the world.

Sadly, my trip to Portland was short and sweet, spanning exactly 48 hours. The only days of the fest that I was able to attend were Friday and Saturday — the two busiest and craziest days of the event. Luckily, I arrived early enough on Friday and was able to make some rounds before the insanity started. Unfortunately, I was unable to taste every single beer at the event. However, I relied heavily on the palate of one of Portland’s most beloved beer bloggers and beer experts, Angelo De Ieso of BREWPUBLIC, to guide me to the best beers in the fest. Here are my top 5 picks of the weekend:

1. Sang Noir 09′

Cascade Brewing Barrel House
Barrel Aged Sour Ale • ABV: 9.3% • IBUs: 9 • O.G.: 20.0° • F.G.: 3.5°
Description: This NW-style sour ale is a blend of red and double red beers that were aged in Pinot Noir and Bourbon barrels for 12-24 months. Look for sharp dark cherry and slight Bourbon notes in the nose and the first sip, where tart cherries and oak will soon take over and take you on a wine-like journey ending with a dry, tart fruit finish.

Wench’s Notes: I was extremely lucky to catch the special release of this vintage barrel-aged sour. Deep ruby brown in color, medium-bodied with excellent carbonation, Sang Noir boasts flavors of dark sour cherries, blackberries, balsamic vinegar and sherry wine with hints of oak and vanilla with a touch of earthy funk. Wine-like with a notable viscosity, Sang Noir finishes tart and dry leaving the palate craving more.

Can’t lie, I’ve never had a bad beer from Cascade. In fact, every beer I’ve had from them has not only been good, but extraordinary, and the Sang Noir is no exception.

2. Sang Noir

Cascade Brewing Barrel House
Barrel Aged Sour Ale • ABV: 9.3% • IBUs: 9 • O.G.: 20.0° • F.G.: 3.5°
Description: This deep, dark double red was aged over a year in Pinot and Whiskey barrels, then blended with a barrel of Bing cherries. This deep and rich NW double red is one of our most complex winter offerings.

Wench’s Notes: The current vintage is considerably more tart than it’s 09′ sibling, but excellent nonetheless. Lots of sour cherry and lactic flavors with a touch of oak and vanilla. Filled up an entire mug twice with it — and probably would have been satisfied drinking it the entire time.

3. 100% Bourbon Barrel Aged Velvet Merkin

Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
Oatmeal Stout • ABV: 8.6% • IBUs: 33 • O.G.: 15.0° • F.G.: 5.5°
This small batch traditional oatmeal stout is brewed with 15% oats, 31% Maris Otter malt and a portion of roasted barley and hopped with US-grown Fuggles. The combination produces a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, accompanied by a mild bitterness and a roasted caramel finish. This batch was aged on 100% Bourbon barrels, most from Heaven Hill.

Wench’s Notes: Not my first time tasting this beer, however it was the first time tasting this vintage. Deep brown in color with a creamy off-white head, Velvet Merkin seduces the senses with rich aromas and flavors of chocolate, espresso, vanilla, oak, and roasted malts. Addition of oats gives it a creamy mouth feel. Notable alcohol warmth from the Bourbon barrel aging, yet still smooth and drinkable. Velvet Merkin is one of the sexiest beers I’ve ever had.

4. Tangerine Trees & Marmalade Skies

Bison Brewing
Bourbon barrel-aged Belgian Tripel brewed with Marmalade
A first in its history, Bison Brewing aged its special draft-only release Belgian Tripel brewed with locally-sourced navel orange marmalade into Evan Williams Bourbon barrels for 5 months. The result is a full-bodied ale boasting rich notes of toasted oak, vanilla, sugar cookie and burnt caramel with hints of orange zest and a slight alcohol warmth.

Wench’s Notes: “Picture yourself in a boat on a river, with tangerine trees and marmalade skies. Somebody calls you, you answer quite slowly, a girl with kaleidoscope eyes.” – That is the state of mind this beer will put you in — a psychedelic state of euphoria. Tangerine Trees & Marmalade Skies reminds me of a classic Sidecar cocktail — boozy with hints of citrus, vanilla, oak and caramel.

Obviously, I’m very partial to this beer since I work for Bison Brewing and I got to name the beer — but that doesn’t mean that it really wasn’t the 4th best beer I tasted at the event. I was extremely impressed by it, and drank my fair share of it.

5. The Nutcracker

Oakshire Brewing
Gingerbread Imperial Porter • ABV: 8.0% • IBUs: 30 • O.G.: 19.7° • F.G.: 4.7°
The Nutcracker is a rich imperial porter with notes of aromatic ginger and cinnamon, perfect sustenance for those chilly damp holiday nights.

Wench’s Notes: Even though I’ve sworn off The Nutcracker forever (my parents danced in it for nearly 15 years and I’ve seen the ballet more times than I’d like to admit), I made an exception for this beer though. Deep brown in color, with solid carbonation and a medium-heavy body, The Nutcracker boasted rich aromas and flavors of roasted malt, chocolate, cinnamon and ginger. It was notably spicy from the use of raw ginger, yet not overwhelmingly so. For an 8% alcohol beer, The Nutcracker was entirely way too smooth and drinkable for its own good and I can see it getting me into some serious trouble.

BEST BEER NAME:

BARRY WHITE’S VOICE IN A BARREL, Bison Brewing

I would love to be modest about this one, but since the majority of festival goers thought it was the best name, I can’t deny it.

“Barry White’s Voice in a Barrel is a dark, slow-pouring aphrodisiac of the smoothest proportions; rich roast, luscious oak, bittersweet and oh so sexy.” – Dan Del Grande, Bison’s Brewmaster & Owner

This is the first time in its 23-year history that Bison Brewing has aged its flagship beer, the iconic Chocolate Stout (often referred to as “Barry White’s Voice in a Bottle”), in Bourbon barrels. Taking into consideration the base beer’s moderately low alcohol content and medium body, Bison’s brewmaster Dan Del Grande decided to age the Chocolate Stout for  8 months in second use Four Roses Bourbon barrels. The result is a delicately balanced, medium-bodied ale boasting notes of toasted oak, vanilla, dark chocolate and espresso with hints of molasses and caramel.

————————————–

Outside of the actual beers at the fest, there were a lot of additional highlights. The top highlight of the entire weekend, for me, was meeting Angelo of BREWPUBLIC, a fellow beer blogger for whom I have tremendous respect and adoration. Angelo was kind enough to help a first timer navigate the fest like a seasoned pro.

Photo Credit: BREWPUBLIC

Portland’s Yelp team was also in the house, with a “Roving Photo Booth” (designed by local artist: Pete Soloway) near the entrance gates. Not exactly being the most camera shy person, I spent quite a good deal of time hanging out with the Yelp boys, striking a few poses and even starting a spontaneous German Sparkle Dance Party.

Photo Source: Portland Yelp

The Oregon Lottery also had a photo booth set up inside the fest, with an ugly sweater theme. Festival goers were promoted to deck themselves out in a selection of ugly xmas sweaters and pose with tacky holiday props. Sadly, I only did it once (pics still aren’t up, though)…

Angelo and his friend Dean

I was delightfully surprised to reunite with my friends Brad and Maeve from the Chicago based video podcast, Hop Cast, at the Holiday Ale fest. The beer industry never ceases to amaze me. It is so awesome that I can be visiting a different city at the same time as friends from another region in the country, and just randomly attend the same beer event. Sooooo cool.

Also had the opportunity to meet many new friends, as well as see some old friends. Was really exciting to meet Preston, one of the fest founders who also works as a blender for Cascade Barrel House. Learned all about a new blackberry blend the brewery just did which, unfortunately, was such a small batch that we won’t see it outside of the brewery.

Moral of the story, the Holiday Ale Fest was a really fun event. Fantastic beers with fantastic people in a fantastic city, how could you go wrong?

Cheers!

Anyone who follows me in some capacity on the interwebs has undoubtedly gotten wind of my love-hate relationship with the enigmatic city of Portland and its esoteric residents.

Although I still think Portland is even weirder than it promotes itself to be, I have found a very soft spot in my heart for its extraordinary food & beverage culture. In fact, Portland has become one of my favorite cities to visit. I love its public transport system, its dedication to sustainability and localism, its liberal politics, its remarkable art and music scene, and I’ve even become an advocate of the CDA (Cascadian Dark Ale).

But the best part about Portland, by far, is its beer scene. Portland has one of the most passionate, collaborative, supportive and innovative beer cultures in the world (note: I said one of the most, not the most). It has the highest number of breweries & brewpubs per capita in the United States (55 according to the Oregon Brewers Guild). Portland also boasts over 50 beer festivals a year, which equates to just about one every week (I’m sure one of my blogging friends will step in and correct me on that number). And we aren’t just talking about any old beer fest, we are talking about creatively themed festivals with some of the most interesting, innovative and rare beers in the world. One such fest is the Holiday Ale Fest, which kicks off today.

Being still newish to the West Coast craft beer scene, especially the one in Portland, I only just got wind of the Holiday Ale Fest 2 months ago. This marks the 16th year that this 5-day winter beer fest has been celebrated. It takes place under a large tent equipped with heat lamps in Pioneer Courthouse Square, where one of the city’s largest Christmas trees can be found. More than 50 winter ales are being poured this year. But not any old holiday beer is allowed to be poured at the fest. The organizers of the fest have extremely strict requirements — any beer poured must either be of a rare vintage or it must be brewed exclusively for the Holiday Ale Fest.

And what does that mean? It means that the Holiday Fest boasts quite possibly the largest rare beer fest in the world, considering most people will not be able to find any of the beers before or after the fest is over.

Naturally, it also means that this is one of the biggest attractions for the biggest of beer geeks, and one of the most coveted fest entries for craft breweries. Which is why you all know I couldn’t resist 1. getting one of our beers from Bison Brewing into the fest and 2. witnessing the action in person. Unfortunately, we arrive Friday and will only be spending two days at the fest — but two days are better than no days, right?

Soooooo let’s get to the nitty gritty, shall we? The list of beers is a bit intimidating, and I fear being able to tackle the whole thing. So I’ve narrowed it down to the 5 beers that I am most interested in seeking out:

1. Cherry Christmas, Lompoc Brewing: Cherry Christmas is a blend of four different beers: Golden Ale fermented in stainless steel with sour cherries; Golden Ale fermented in Port barrels with sour cherries; Brown Ale inoculated with a lambic blend yeast ale aged in Merlot barrels for four years; and a two-year old Gueze.

2. Cranberry Biere de Table, Breakside Brewery: This petit saison is crafted with a French farmhouse yeast strain. A substantial amount of Munich malt in the grist bill maintains the body. The beer was fermented directly on Oregon-grown cranberries, which impart color, tartness and fruity aromatics to the beer. A hint of additional winter spice gives the beer extra complexity.

3. Sang Noir, Cascade Barrel House: This NW-style sour ale is a blend of red and double red beers that were aged in Pinot Noir and Bourbon barrels for 12-24 months. Look for sharp dark cherry and slight Bourbon notes in the nose and the first sip, where tart cherries and oak will soon take over and take you on a wine-like journey ending with a dry, tart fruit finish.

4. The Nutcracker, Oakshire Brewing: The Nutcracker is a rich imperial porter with notes of aromatic ginger and cinnamon, perfect sustenance for those chilly damp holiday nights.

5. 100% Barrel-aged Velvet Merlin, Firestone Walker: This small batch traditional oatmeal stout is brewed with 15% oats, 31% Maris Otter malt and a portion of roasted barley and hopped with US-grown Fuggles. The combination produces a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, accompanied by a mild bitterness and a roasted caramel finish. This batch was aged on 100% Bourbon barrels, most from Heaven Hill.

Oh, and naturally, I highly recommend anyone attending the fest to track down a sample of Barry White’s Voice in a Barrel from Bison Brewing: This is the first time in its 23-year history that Bison Brewing has aged its Chocolate Stout (often referred to as “Barry White’s Voice in a Bottle”) in Bourbon barrels. Bison aged the beer for eight months in second use Four Roses Bourbon barrels. The result is a delicately balanced, medium-bodied ale boasting notes of toasted oak, vanilla, dark chocolate and espresso with hints of molasses and caramel. <– The only reason it was on my must find list is because I work for the brewery and have already enjoyed lots of it… tough life, I know.

If you are in the Portland area this Friday and Saturday and want to grab a beer, definitely give me a shout out!

Cheers!

DRINK WITH THE WENCH PRESENTS:
The Beer Blogger Interview Series

Curious what goes on in the minds of your favorite beer bloggers? Well, The Beer Wench is and she has embarked upon a mission to interview as many beer bloggers that she can — from all over the world. Are you a beer blogger? Do you want to share your story? Send me an email!

INTRODUCING: EMILY ENGDAHL

AUTHOR OF: PDX BEER GEEKS

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Emily Engdahl
Twitter handle: @emilyengdahl
Name of blog: #pdxbeergeeks
Current location: Portland, Oregon

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

I’ve lived in Oregon my entire life. With the exception of one year in Ashland for school, and a brief stint into the way SE of Portland, I’ve lived within less than 5 miles of where I grew up, and where my Grandmother has lived for the last 65+ years. My kids are 5th generation/native NE PDX residents.

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?

Sports and I aren’t really great friends. I have double vision all the time – my brain doesn’t process 3D images. So the sports I wanted to play, like tennis & golf, were impossible! I danced instead, including ballet until I was about 19.

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?

Probably about 16. It was terrible. The boys in high school would always drink Mad Dog, Old English, and Coors Light. I wasn’t a big fan of beer.

4. If you can recall, what is the story of your first beer? Where did you have it? What style and brand was it?

The first craft beer I ever had might have been at a party in Southern Oregon – I think it was the Pyramid Apricot Ale. Someone got a keg of that and it was big time. (That was back in 1995.)

5. Where, if applicable, did you go to college? What did you study? What additional activities, organizations, sports did you partake in during college?

I bounced around a lot – I went to Southern Oregon University for a year, then I came home and went to Oregon College of Art & Craft for a year. I ended up finishing my degree at Marylhurst University (just outside of Portland) and I have a communications degree with a certificate in Conflict Resolution & Mediation. I took a lot of psychology & counseling courses, transition management, communication & world studies, theology, art classes… I have a wide range of interests, so it would seem.

Craft Beer Epiphany

Every craft beer enthusiast has at least one pinnacle craft beer experience that completely changes ones perspective on beer. I refer to this mind-blowing moment as a “craft beer epiphany.”

1. What was your first craft beer epiphany? Recall as many details about it as you can:

I told this to Jamie (Floyd, of Ninkasi) this summer – My craft beer epiphany was when Tricerahops first came out. I remember drinking it and thinking, “Holy sh*t. WHAT IS THIS!?!” I was hooked. I couldn’t believe that there was beer that wasn’t Henry Weinhard’s (what my parents always drank when I was growing up) or that awful, tasteless “beer” from the big three. From my first Tricerahops, I was absolutely enthralled with the new craft beers. I became friends with the specialist (Justin) at my local market, and started trying as many new and different beers as I could, whenever I had the opportunity. I’ve never looked back.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:

I was on a hop kick there for a while – and it was during a glass of Firestone Walker Double Jack on tap that I decided I needed to branch out and drink things completely opposite of IPAs. I’d attended the OMSI Science of Beer Camp, learned how to brew from my brother (a nano-brewery called Lantern Brewing in Seattle) and I started homebrewing on my own. I started reading everything I could find, learning everything I could about craft beer and homebrewing. I try to brew outside the box – I don’t brew things that I can buy. I try to think about the beers I brew as an opportunity to push myself further – so the second craft beer epiphany was a combination of all of these things – when I began seeing craft beer and homebrewing as a creative expression.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog?

I’ve been writing about beer since 2008 on my own blog (pdxhomelife.com) but #pdxbeergeeks is a recent iteration of the blogging I was doing personally – we’ve created a community blog about beer for people to come and celebrate the geeky aspects of beery friendship.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

It was literally a conversation with a brand new friend the same night we met. Michael (@mmcooljam) and I were at a brew pub, and we were talking about how we needed a place where all the random, geeky people in Portland could get together and talk about beer and hang out.

3. Why did you choose the name of your blog?

It came up in that same conversation. Everyone calls Portland “PDX,” so it was a natural fit – pdxbeergeeks.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?

I like the fact that we’re really one of the only truly community based blogs on beer. We truly like each other – I feel really fortunate to have such a fantastic group of people to hang out with. My personal goals for the blog are what I’ve listed in our mission statement – “#pdxbeergeeks exist as ambassadors of the craft beer world. Living in Portland affords us rich opportunities to interact with other citizen beer fans, and our local brewers. Focusing on supporting our local craft beer economy, we encourage consumer education, good geeksmanship, community craft beer connections, resource building, informed craft beer choices, and keeping craft beer fun and accessible.”

5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?

I’ve been blown away at the immediate family & tribe of the craft beer community. 99% of the people I’ve met are golden hearted, truly wonderful folks. I get a kick out of striking up conversations with complete strangers, finding common ground over a beer, and next thing you know, we’re planning a big group dinner for the next week. It’s like family. I can’t imagine my life without the people I’ve met through blogging about beer.

6. What are you top 3 favorite beer blogs/beer websites?

I love BREWPUBLIC for the smart writing & top notch information. Angelo is a genius as far as moving through & navigating the world of craft beer. That’s probably the one I personally reference most often. I also check in on the Oregon Brewer’s Guild site. There are so many great beer blogs it’s impossible to keep up on all the good ones!

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

I love ESB, IPA & Red ales for session beers. Daily/fridge stock for me would be Elysian The Wise ESB, Vortex IPA from Fort George, and Double Mountain’s IRA.

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Fort George, Double Mountain & Lantern Brewing.

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?

Two answers. Obviously, I’d love to be able to help & work for my brother. He is one of my favorite people in the entire world – and the way he approaches brewing is fascinating for me. He and I have a shared ability to talk about flavors/colors/thoughts/emotions in terms of beer that makes riffing off of each others ideas inspiring. Barring that, I’d love to work at Fort George. I just feel at home there, and I love the beers, the culture there, and the way they embrace the history of their craft.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?

Yes – I am a homebrewer. My favorite thus far has been the Blackberry Black Currant that I did this summer. It was a constantly morphing process (I brew with a general idea in mind, knowing where I want to end up – but if the process isn’t getting me where I want to go, I have no problem changing horses midstream) – and it turned out beautifully. I got a little flack from some of the other beer people on the Twitters for putting fresh hops into it (allegedly masking the fresh hop purity) but I don’t care about that when I’m brewing 5 gallons at a time. I shot back “Why would I want to do something that I can get anywhere during the season?” That’s not my goal. I want to paint a picture with my beer. I want to do something fun and interesting that amuses me, tastes great, and was a blast to think about and create. When I wake up first thing in the morning thinking about the beer I’m making, after having dreamed about it all night, I know I’m on the right track.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?

Not yet.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

I love a great, clean IPA with spicy fish tacos. I would have that for breakfast, lunch & dinner if I could.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

I’ve worked in the mental health field for the last 13 years.

2. If you could change your career at this very moment, without any restrictions on what you could do, what would you want to do and why?

I would continue to do what I’m doing now, without the day job. I freelance graphic design for beer & spirits labels, I write about beer, I brew, I create community & build connections over and around craft beer. I would just be able to switch tracks faster than my current plan of phasing out of my current job.

3. Are you married? Children?

Married, yes, and I have three delightfully curious children. My youngest recently said “Mom, is that Hop in the Dark?” about one of the beers in my flights. We were at Double Mountain, so I had to let him down gently – “No, but that was a great guess.” (It was a porter instead of a CDA. He’s 6. I guess we discuss beer and he listens.)

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?

I’m a paper sculpture artist (I’m currently working on an installation of an all vintage paper and fabric flower wedding – over 200 hand crafted paper blossoms, an altar, all the centerpieces, boutonnieres, bouquets, etc.), I love photography, I bake, I cook, and I’m taking an aerial arts class (trapeze & silks). Anything creative, I’m into it.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be an why? 

A nice IPA. Universal appeal. Goes with lots of different things. I get along with just about everyone, and it seems that most people can identify with a good IPA. Not too hoppy, just balanced… Just a good, solid beer.

2. You were caught smuggling beer illegally, which has now been made punishable by death. Right before you are sent to the executioner, you are offered one last beer. What beer would you chose and why? N

inkasi Tricerahops. It brought me in, it would have to take me out.

3. If I contracted you to brew a beer (or design a beer recipe) called “The Beer Wench” — what style would you chose and what, if any, extra ingredients would you add?

Well, with your current hair color, I’d create an IRA with hints of ginger (for sass & spice) in it.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?

Healing. I hate to see people suffer.

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?

Oh, now… there are too many stupid things that have been done… I’m lucky to have had the grace I had, because there was a time when I was young, dumb, and hell bent on self destruction.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Bacon should be left on the pig. I don’t eat meat of the warm and fuzzy variety. I’m kind of waiting for everyone to be bacon-ed out and get excited about something like leeks.

SPECIAL THANKS TO EMILY FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!!

(And stay tuned for an interview with the rest of the PDX Beer Geeks!!!)