If you are among the herd attending this year, make certain to pit stop at Bison Brewing — the 100% certified organic brewery headquartered in Berkeley, CA. We will be featuring our Organic Honey Basil Ale and our Organic Chocolate Stout this year. And if you want to meet up with me at the fest and grab a beer, don’t hesitate to send me a tweet @TheBeerWench on the day of!

It is also important to note that the NAOBF is sustainable in a number of ways: festival attendees sample beer from reusable and compostable cornstarch glasses made from domestically grown corn by a zero-waste, solar-powered company. Onsite composting and recycling stations are provided for festival waste and are supervised by recycling czars. Food vendors are required to use compostable cutlery and plates and employ sustainable practices. Electricity needs are met with a combination of biodiesel and solar generators. Volunteers wear organic cotton and hemp t-shirts, and all event signage is reusable.

Event hours are Noon to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission into the event is free. The purchase of a $6 reusable, compostable cornstarch glass is required for tasting beer, as are tokens, which sell for $1 apiece.

Why an organic beer festival? Studies show that the world’s population currently consumes 30% more natural resources than the Earth’s ecosystems can replenish. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, commercial agriculture is accountable for 70% of the pollution in our country’s rivers and streams. Genetically modified ingredients can be found in nearly every grocery store. The NAOBF believes that education and exposure leads to awareness, and awareness can translate to passion. If everyone becomes passionate about sustainability, as a whole we can make the planet a cleaner and healthier place for all of us to habitat. If the conversation starts with an organic beer, that’s even better!

Today I would like to introduce to Alex Ganum, the owner and head brewer of one of Portland’s most beloved craft breweries, Upright Brewing. Alex recently took home a bronze at the World Beer Cup 2012 for its Oyster Stout at the World Beer Cup 2012 in the category for “Indigenous Beers”. (Headline Photo Credit: Brewpublic.com)

Photo: UprightBrewing.com

Inside the Mash Tun: Alex Ganum

Owner & Head Brewer, Upright Brewing
Portland, OR
Twitter handle: @UprightBrewing

How did you get into the craft beer industry?

Like everyone else, homebrewer who couldn’t stop! I started right after moving to Portland in 2002 after meeting a bunch of other homebrewers, and within a year and a half ended up as an intern at Brewery Ommegang. That was a wonderful experience, both professionally and personally, and I returned to Portland in early 2004 to look for a gig. Eventually Dan Pedersen who ran the local BJ’s hired me, and I spent a few years there learning a bunch and having a blast making beer!

How long have you been brewing at Upright?

Upright started producing beer in March 2009.

Out of all the beers you have brewed, what is your all-time favorite?

Wow, tough question. I’ve made a lot of beers here. For the bigger releases, I’d have to say the Flora Rustica really does it for me. I’m just a sucker for that herbaceous/floral/bitter profile. For smaller batch beer, probably the Special Herbs. That one brought together pretty wild aromatics in a pleasant way, and had a great level of acidity that played into the whole thing perfectly.

What is you favorite beer and food pairing?

Anchor Steam and plain cake donuts. I also like to mess around with stinky cheeses and various beers.

Photo: Brewpublic.com

What is the best part about working for Upright?

Being a brewer is fun because for all the hard work, the job really is super satisfying and you can show up and leave with a big smile everyday. Specific to Upright, I’d say getting to work on different styles throughout the year is the best part.

If you were a style of beer, what would you be and why?

That’s a silly question.

Photo: UprightBrewing.com

Outside of craft beer, what are some of your other hobbies and interests?

I like pursuing other projects and have another business with more to come down the road, which certainly chews up some time. Apart from that, I enjoy going out to new restaurants with friends, visiting wineries, distilleries, and the like, and also listening to records, mostly jazz, orchestral and Afro-Cuban.

And lastly, what does craft beer mean to you?

Craft beer is so much. Personal pleasure, bonding with others, and quenching thirst to name a few. It’s not heavy or serious, even if you pour yourself into it completely or can’t imagine living without it. You know the feeling. It is the real thing.

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Want to see one of your favorite brewers featured? Just leave a note in the comment section below or shoot me an email!

Today I am truly honored to introduce you to my good friend Eric Surface, the very funny and always charming Jack-of-all-trades and owner of Mt. Tabor Brewing Company in Vancouver, WA. Eric is also an advocate of the beer cocktail movement, which you all know is near and dear to my heart! Cheers!!!

Brewer Spotlight: Eric Surface

Grunt, Grain Schlep, Keg Washer, Brewer, Server, Owner, Delivery Guy at Mt Tabor Brewing Company
Vancouver Wa USA (formerly of PDX OR)
Twitter handle: @mttaborbrewing

How did you get into the craft beer industry?

I started out as a homebrewer with several friends.

How long have you been brewing at Mt Tabor?

Originally, it was known as the Mt Tabor Brew Crew and there were 5-6 of us who got together once a month to brew beer post marriage and kids. It was our excuse to get together and hang out once a month. Eventually there were two of us who were hooked on it and that’s when the ball started rolling downhill. Hence Mt Tabor Brewing was created over one too many beers if I remember right.

Out of all the beers you have brewed, what is your all-time favorite?

Originally it was the Asylum Ave IPA, I think I brewed that beer at least 30 times before I got it where I wanted it. But as of the past few years my all time favorite house beer is the Sibeerian Bull Imperial Stout. I only brew it once a year and it can last several years. I just finished off a keg that was from 2009.

What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Up until recently, my favorite food and beer pairing was an Imperial Stout Float. Take the Sibeerian bull and combine it with either coconut or peppermint candy ice cream and I’m hooked. Recently we did a food and beer paring dinner with Tommy O’s Pacific Rim Bistro in Vancouver. That night I realized how well a hoppy IPA that’s fermented with a Belgian yeast pairs with a simple salad that had butter lettuce, citrus wedges, fennel and a citrus vinnagrete. Probably one of the best beer/food pairings I’ve ever tasted.

What is the best part about working for Mt Tabor?

My favorite part of working at the brewery is the freedom to express my creativity. I love combining beer styles that i like to create something that’s unique to MTBC.

If you were a style of beer, what would you be and why?

Probably something that’s bitter, I’m becoming a bitter old man these days due to lack of sleep.

Outside of craft beer, what are some of your other hobbies and interests?

My wife and kids are very important. With the amount of time I spend on my regular job as well as getting the new brewery location firing on all cylinders doesn’t leave much time for anything else. So what ever they want to do I’m in or at least I’m along for the ride. We like to explore the cities around us, travel to the mountains and spend time outdoors and hang out with other families. My wife and I like to sample new restaurants whenever we get the chance, you never know where we might want to get a tap handle at next…

And lastly, what does craft beer mean to you?

Wow, that’s a tough question. I look at crafting beer more as creating something that is unique to individual or the brewery. Throw out the traditions, style guidelines or rules and it’s all about creating something that you envision on your taste buds and want to see in your glass.

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Want to see one of your favorite brewers featured? Just leave a note in the comment section below or shoot me an email!

Today I would like to introduce to Ben Edmunds, the genius brewer behind Breakside Brewery’s outstanding line-up of aristan beers. Inspired by his passion for the culinary arts, Ben is one of the most creative and innovative brewers in the craft beer industry. As a graduate of both Yale University and the Siebel Institute of Technology, Ben is not only talented, but extremely intelligent. Cheers!

Photo Credit: BREWPUBLIC.com

Inside the Mash Tun: Ben Edmunds

Head Brewer, Breakside Brewery
Portland, OR
Twitter handle: @breaksidebrews

How did you get into the craft beer industry?
I am a long-time craft beer lover and homebrewer. I left my job as a high school teacher in 2008 to move to Portland, where I was amazed by the depth of the craft beer scene. I always had it in the back of my head that I might want to try and become a pro brewer, and moving to Portland confirmed it for me. In 2009, I went to the Siebel Institute to get my training. I returned to Portland in 2010 and have been here in the industry ever since.

How long have you been brewing at Breakside?
I’ve been involved with Breakside since the planning phase–the owners and I first met in early 2010. It wasn’t until November 2010 that we were actually brewing in house. Since then we’ve been going strong!

Photo Credit: BREWPUBLIC.com

Out of all the beers you have brewed, what is your all-time favorite?
We made a lot of different beers–over 85–last year, and we’re on track to do the same this year, so it’s hard to pick just one. We made a spruce beer last summer called “Just the Tip” Spruced Wheat that I really loved. We made a German Pils last fall that I was really proud of as well.

What is your favorite beer and food pairing?
I don’t know that it’s my all time favorite, but recently I was at a beer dinner where we had a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Tripel paired with pork scrapple. That was pretty mind blowing.

What is the best part about working for Breakside?
We’ve got a fantastic staff and wonderful regulars. Everyone in our pub looks forward to trying new beers, and on a small brew system we get to be really creative. Portland is also the greatest beer city on the planet, and one of the direct perks of working for Breakside is that I get to contribute to and learn from the beer community here.

If you were a style of beer, what would you be and why?
I guess I fancy myself as a saison of sorts. Fruity and dry…appropriate in most situations and well suited to food.

Beer Bloggers Conference Panel - Photo Credit: Emily Engdahl

Outside of craft beer, what are some of your other hobbies and interests?
I’m an avid cook–if I weren’t a brewer I would definitely work in a kitchen, and some of my closest friends are cooks and chefs, so we spend a lot of time playing with cooking projects in our spare time. Portland has a lot of great smaller music venues, so I love going to see new music and up-and-coming acts. I do the gym thing a lot these days. Usually I’ll spend a lot of time on a day off in a coffee shop reading the New York Times, The Economist, or one of the books I have checked out from the library.

And lastly, what does craft beer mean to you?
I’m a brewer because I believe that creating a great environment with beer and food creates great community. Making beer is also a labor of love–it requires patience, trial and error, precision, living with your mistakes, technical rigor, imagination. I love that at the end of the day, I have a product of my own making to share with someone. It’s an industry that’s equally committed to quality, artisanship, and fun.

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Want to see one of your favorite brewers featured? Just leave a note in the comment section below or shoot me an email!

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

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.

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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!

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: ANGELO M. DE IESO II

AUTHOR OF: BREWPUBLIC

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Angelo M. De Ieso II
Twitter handle: @BREWPUBLIC
Name of blog: Brewpublic
Current location: Portland, Oregon, Cascadia, Beervana

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Central Maine, in and around Dover-Foxcroft

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

Played a bit of intramural basketball for our radio station, but that’s about it. Was mostly a bench warmer in high school

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

Beside sipping the head off my dad’s beer as a child, my first full beer was probably when I was a sophomore in high school.

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

It was a warm Busch Light my older friend Don had. It was more of a rebellion thing than a taste thing.

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 went to school at Emerson in Boston and U-Maine Orono for a brief stint. I wasn’t really serious about my education fresh out of high school. So I took about six years off before getting a BS in Speech Communication at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. I was heavily involved in the college radio station KPSU where I served mostly as the music director but also as program director and promotions director for a bit. I was also really involved in a few writing groups throughout college where, like at KPSU, I met friends that I still keep in touch with today.

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 remember first enjoying beer for the ABV levels, but I did have a Samuel Adams doppelbock that an older homebrewing friend gave me and remember how malty it tasted. After too many years of Mickey’s, I finally fell in love with the now defunct Lagunita’s Dogtown Brown when I lived in San Francisco. I soonafter moved to Portland, Oregon where my knew no one. I was working on graveyard shift and met my friend Shane who was a grocery clerk on the night shift across from my apartment building. He was gungho about beer off the bat and got me drinking Deschutes, Full Sail, BridgePort, Nor’Wester, Saxer, Widmer, and imported stuff like Spaten Optimator. He would make fun of me for drinking swill beer and I finally came around to really loving the complexities that craft beer had to offer.

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

Well, I think that I went through a similar progression of craft drinking that many people go through. I started cutting my first tooth on affordable quasi-craft brands like Henry Weinhards and Blitz. Then I soon moved on to hoppy beers. I’d seek out the biggest hoppiest and often booziest beer I could find, and would often times only concern myself with IPAs and IIPAs. Then, I became burned out on palate wrecking bitter bombs and opted toward ambers, brown ales, stouts, porters, etc. That is until I realized the wonderful world of Belgian beer and wild ales. Even at a point recently I got burned out on sour, sour, sour, and now, I think my palate is at its most eclectic phase. I feel I am much more attuned to recognizing off-flavors and other components of beer through experimentation and education. In many ways I am still quite a novice, so I am excited to continue to realize new “ephipanies” with beer and flavor.

Beer Blog Background

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

I started Brewpublic around September 2008.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I have always had an affinity for writing about art, music, and culture. My first passion for writing came with music. I did music reviews for a few local papers and zines. I was a music geek. Then, after being a beer enthusiast for a few years and tinkering with homebrewing, I took on a job at Belmont Station in 2006. Here I was writing for their beer blog as well as one called Guest on Tap which was tied to a column of the same name that ran in the Portland Tribune. That was when I know I wanted to be a beer blogger. I made a few half-ass attempts at writing beer and brewery reviews traveling around Oregon. Those, in retrospect, seem pretty novice, but it opened my eyes to the possibilities.

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

I wanted a name that was easy to remember and resonated with people. My college friend Aaron Miles, who is Brewpublic’s graphic and web person sat with me for a few days brainstorming names. “Yeast Meets West”, “Portland Pint”, and many that we discovered were already taken. We almost settled on Brewpublican, but since we are far left leaning liberals, his wife suggested that it sounded to GOP-esque. So, we settled on Brewpublic. We want to be a community and an inclusive site that even novices can appreciate, yet without dumbing ourselves down to appeal to a broader audience. I am happy with Brewpublic as the name today, though I often hear people throwing out misnomers like BrewRepublic or BeerPublic. But, hey, whatever…

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

My ultimate goal is to advocate for the proliferation of craft beer. Moreover, I think it is important for Brewpublic to showcase what we have regionally here. I don’t want the site to be narcissistic or too editorialized, but sometimes that can be the nature of any blog. I want it to be a resource that people use to find out what is going on in our community. Further, it is an expression, on some level, of how much I love beer. I think the popularity of our site is a testament to how superior the Pacific Northwest’s beer culture compared to the rest of the world. I will always at heart be a New Englander, but I honestly believe that no other place can hold a candle to this region, and particularly Portland, Oregon when it comes to craft beer.

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

I think the first time I got a media pass to an event was a milestone event for me. Now I get invited to more beer events than I could possibly attend, but I will never forget when Jamie Floyd of Ninkasi first put me on the media list for Sasquatch Fest in Eugene. It made me feel like, “yeah, this is what I want to do.” Probably the coolest thing of all has been becoming friends with my mentor John Foyston of the Oregonian/The Beer Here. John is a true Renaissance man who I deeply respect and admire. He is an example of what enjoying beer is all about to me.

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

Tough question. I regularly check in with Adam Nason’s BeerNews.org site. He puts forth an amazing amount of content on a national scale that I have to salute. Before him, the late William Brand’s What’s on Tap was probably the first I read and thought “Holy crap, this guy is insanely driven. How does he do it?” He set the mark for the rest of us in the beer blog word, whether people know him or not. The ultimate regional respect goes out to John Foyston of the Oregonian’s The Beer Here. Don’t mean to shine him too hard, but he was the original. He was blogging about beer and getting you all the Hop Tips before anyone else. Now there are several noteworthy voices like Jeff Alworth of Beervana and Ezra Johnson-Greenough of The New School, but all of us in this area owe a little to John.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

Impossible question, but I will entertain it. I’ll say Berliner Weiss, Bavarian Pilsner, and American Pale Ale. It’s nice to have more than a few in a session, so why not go with these three…

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Again, that’s like asking me what my three favorite bands or films are. I will offer the following three with a brief explanation as to why they were chosen (I am sure once I send this to you, it will change).

• Avery Brewing, Boulder, Colorado – Not in Oregon?! I know, right. Avery gets the nod for doing an array of styles from hoppy IIPAs and barleywines to barrel-aged stouts and wild ale. I find this to be the benchmark of a great brewery. Their repertoire is simply mindblowing. I even named my cat Avery after their fine beer.

• Upright Brewing, Portland, Oregon— Upright gets the nod from me in a many ways because of my connection to the brewery. Founder/brewer Alex Ganum is one of my dearest friends. I think the personal connection is a big thing for me. I think when beer, especially world class beer, is being produced by someone you care about and are close to, it makes it that much better. Beer, after all, is a sort of social glue that binds us. It’s not just that I love Alex, Gerritt, and the rest of the people at Upright, but I think they make the best barrel-aged beers in the region, save for maybe Block 15, Cascade, or Oakshire.

• New Glarus, New Glarus, Wisconsin—Unfortunately, I don’t have easy access to the beers of this fine brewery, but I have had a lot of different brands from them, all exceptional. When I visited the brewery in 2009, it was an incredibly mindblowing experience getting a tour from brewmaster Dan Carey and getting to sample all of his beers in his QA lab. Everything from their Totally Naked lager up to their Black Top CDA and Ice Barleywine are all phenomenal. Plus his Thumbprint Series and the tart fruit ales are some of the most spectacular brews I have ever witnessed New Glarus’ IIPA is the best I’ve ever tasted. Mad respect for these folks!

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

If it were just for the beer, I’d say that I am pretty contented in having worked for Cascade and Upright, but I would have to say I’d probably work for Nogne O, simply so that I could live and work in Norway. Perhaps it would be nice to work at an Italian brewery like Nuovo Birrifico. I’d even consider working at Hallartau or Epic Brewing so I could live near Auckland in New Zealand.

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

I am a homebrewer. Not as prolific as many people I know when it comes to the art, but I do enjoy making beer from time to time. Probably the most interesting beer I made was a Rooibos Red Ale with black tea, oatmeal, and orange peel. I love Rooibos and I think more people should brew with it.

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

None. I have taken the BJCP course but never tested out. I would love to go to Siebel someday. In fact, I plan on it.

7. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

I guess I would have to say pizza and IPA. Full Sail Wreck the Halls or Double Mountain Fa La La La La with a nice oregano, basil, and garlic heavy pie is top notch.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Besides running Brewpublic, I work as a beertender at By The Bottle in Vancouver, Washington. I also work part time at Upright Brewing.

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?

Not sure. I think I am happy right now. I wouldn’t mind involving myself more in helping those less fortunate than myself or in working with animals.

3. Are you married? Children?

No. no.

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

Music, film, exercise, vegetarian cuisine. I don’t know, beer takes up a lot of my time and energy.

Off The Beaten Path

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

Another tough question. I honestly don’t know how to answer this. I guess I would want to be something tasty with a good nose, not too dank or funky.

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 choose and why?

Man, these are hard questions to answer. Maybe a Drie Fonteinen Geueze, Deschutes The Abyss or The Dissident, Sierra Nevada Celebration. I guess I would choose these because they leave a nice lingering taste in my mouth.

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

I guess I would need to know you better to design a beer around you. I suppose I would find out what kind of beer you’d like to drink and perhaps make use of some ingredients from your area or where you grew up, or perhaps something symbolic of who you are and what caters to your palate. Probably not a Fresh Hop CDA.

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

I would want my super powers to be able to make myself and everyone around me happy. Not ignorant bliss, but just peacefulness and joy. Does that sound lame? How about the ability to read minds when I choose.

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

Hmmm. I did a lot of stupid shit when I was younger. Nothing super crazy. I’ll have to think on that one…

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

I used to be obsessed with bacon when I was in high school. I played drums in a punk band when I was 19 that had a song called “Bloody Bacon Meet” attesting to our love for bacon. However, for the past 14 years or so, I have been living on a mostly vegan diet. I am a lover of animals and chose no longer to eat them. Therefor I do not eat bacon. I know, right.

Was an honor to interview one of Portland’s most beloved beer bloggers and beer geeks. Thanks Angelo! Hope to grab a beer with you soon. Cheers!

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: PETE DUNLOP

AUTHOR OF: BEERVANA BUZZ

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Pete Dunlop
Twitter handle: beervanabuzz
Name of blog: beervanabuzz
Current location: Portland, OR

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?
Clarkston, Washington. It’s a small town on the Snake River in the southeastern corner of Washington state.

2. What sports if any did you play growing up, through college and beyond?
Growing up, I enjoyed water skiing, snow skiing. I played high school football, which was maybe not the smartest thing in retrospect. I wasn’t very big. Luckily, most of our opponents weren’t either. After high school, I focused heavily on tennis and got pretty good. I started playing racquetball while I was in grad school and still play today. I also enjoy golf, cycling and skiing.

3. How old were you when you had your first beer?
Oh, definitely not very old. My dad didn’t have a strict policy about kids and beer. I was probably 5 or younger when I tasted my first 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?
It was some kind of macro brew…probably Pabst or another Midwestern beer. My parents came from the Chicago area. I was in the backyard in Pleasant Hill, Calif. It was a hot summer day. I’m sure my dad was having a beer and I got part of a glass. I remember thinking, “Hey, this isn’t too bad.”

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 attended Washington State University in Pullman, which is about 30 miles from Clarkson. My undergrad program was mostly unfocused. I took a lot English and history, and earned a BA in Liberal Arts. I worked in record stores during school and for a few years after I graduated. I decided there wasn’t much of a future in it, so quit and I entered graduate school. I eventually earned a Masters in history. I didn’t realize there wasn’t much of a future in that, either. Probably the best experience I ever got was working on the student paper, The Daily Evergreen, for several years. For two years, I wrote and edited opinion stuff and later edited sports. That was great experience.

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 knew about craft beer before I moved to Portland in 1989, having been introduced by a farmer friend in Pullman. I wasn’t instantly converted. I drank a lot of Henry’s Blue Boar while in grad school. After I got to Portland, my tastes gradually evolved. Craft beer was everywhere in Portland and you couldn’t miss it. One of my favorite places back then was Bridgeport Brewing. This was back in the days when what we now call the Pearl District was comprised of industrial warehouses. The streets were virtually impassable for much of the year, with gigantic potholes big enough to swallow a Volkswagen. Bridgeport was a rustic, quaint place that served good craft beer and wonderful pizza. I loved going there and we went there often.

2. Have you have additional craft beer epiphanies since the first? Detail as many of them as you wish:
The most significant epiphany occurred in July 1991, when a friend invited me to the Oregon Brewers Festival. That was an eye opener. They were serving all these terrific beers in the park. You could get a beer and enjoy the sights, whether it was the young ladies or the Willamette River. I missed the 1992 OBF because I was out of town. But I haven’t missed one since. To me, the OBF is the quintessential beer event of the year in Portland…probably in the Northwest, maybe on the West Coast. I can say with complete confidence that the OBF changed my view of craft beer.

Beer Blog Background

1. How long have you been writing your beer blog?
I started writing the blog over the summer, June or July. It’s not very old.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?
I’ve been doing a bit of freelance writing, which included stories about Portland beer events and breweries. I noticed that these stories got a lot of hits. I decided to write a book about the craft beer culture here. Once I made that decision, the blog was a logical step. The book, Beervana Rising, was published as an eBook in September. The book and the blog complement each other.

3. Why did you choose the name of your blog?
I wanted Beervana in the title from the start. I messed around with some possible modifiers and eventually landed on Beervana Buzz. I’m not sure it works, but it’s okay.

4. What are you personal goals for your blog? What do you hope to achieve with it?
It’s a good place to showcase my writing. I’ve got a website with work samples and I write another blog dealing with football. But the beer blog is top dog. It’s fun and, like I said, it goes with the book. It gets me noticed. Maybe it will help me get a job in the beer industry at some point. Maybe it just furthers my writing.

5. What is one of the coolest things that happened to you as a result of being a beer blogger?
Meeting other people who care about good beer has been the coolest thing. The Bloggers Conference was an eye-opener. We get a little beer-centric here in Portland because we have so much going. It was so refreshing to meet people from all over the place who are just as passionate about beer as people here. That was a big WOW for me.

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

• Beervana (Jeff Alworth) is probably my go-to site. I read Jeff’s stuff long ago when he wrote for the Willamette Week. He covers are wide range of beer topics.
• Beeradvocate: Most complete beer site around. Ratings, reviews, etc.
• Brewpublic Maybe the most complete blog around.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

• IPA: Firestone Walker, Pliny the Elder, Hop Stoopid, Laurelwood Workhorse, Boneyard RPM, many more
• Red or Amber Ale: Red Nectar, Red Rocket Ale,
• Barleywine: Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws, Full Sail Old Boardhead
• Barrel-aged blends: Hair of the Dog and Cascade Brewing Barrel House make a lot of these

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

• Hair of the Dog (exquisite beers, classy tasting room and restaurant)
• Russian River (I’m visiting Thanksgiving weekend!)
• Deschutes (always thinking about quality)

3. If you could work with or for any one brewery, which one would it be and why?
I’d want to work for a brewery that cares about quality and uniqueness. Hair of the Dog is at the top of my list because Alan Sprints, to my way of thinking, is the Steve Jobs of craft beer in Portland. He started by brewing old world ales and eventually got into barrel-aging. Others are following now, but Alan has been doing this seemingly forever. I have a ton of respect for this guy and what he does. There are a lot of great breweries producing great beers in Portland and elsewhere. What he does is unique.

4. Are you a homebrewer? If yes, what is the most unique and interesting beer recipes you’ve brewed as a homebrewer?
I brewed consistently for 15 years, then quit several years ago due to issues with bad batches. I sold all my stuff. I just recently started again…brewed a red ale at one of our local on-premise brewing supply places. I’ve got a notebook full of recipes. Lots of tweaked IPAs, as well as reds and others. I once made a dopplebock that was pretty good, though it took forever to finish fermentation. The most interesting may have been a red lager fermented in the garage during the winter back in 1998. The weather cooperated exactly once. I tried to make this beer again, unsuccessfully…too much temperature variation.

5. Do you have any beer certifications (BJCP, Cicerone, Siebel, American Brewers Guild)?? If so, what are they?
What’s that? Maybe someday.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?
I like a crisp IPA with fish and chips or fish tacos. Yummy.

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?
I’ve worked in marketing communications for many years, but I’m currently in between day jobs doing freelance writing.

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?
No question, I would be working in craft beer marketing. That could mean working for a single brewery or doing the kind of thing Chris Crabb does…providing media support to multiple breweries and beer events. Why? I would never get tired of that work.

3. Are you married? Children?
Married, yes. Children: Labradors Blitz (black) and Biscuit (yellow). Yeah, that’s Blitz on my Facebook profile.

4. Outside of beer and writing, what are some of your other hobbies?
I enjoy all kinds of music, playing around with techie gadgets, fast cars, NFL football, Washington State football (sad, I know), golf, trips to Kauai, cycling.

Off The Beaten Path

1. If you were a style of beer, what style would be and why?
Probably a Double IPA. Why? The good ones have lots of body, complex character and are fairly bitter. That’s a good representation of me right there.

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?
Something with a lot of alcohol…Doggie Claws, Pliny the Elder. Why? To help forget about being executed!

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?
Some kind of big red ale, for sure. Lots of different hops…Simcoe, Citra, Amarillo. Dry-hopped, definitely. For extra pizzazz, I might use some cinnamon and peppers in the boil. At the end fermentation, I’d add some lemon zest to give the beer the appropriate tartness. This recipe might need some tweaking.

4. If you could be a superhero, what would you want your superpowers to be?
I like to have the ability to transport myself from place to place without assistance from a car or plane or train. I could visit a lot of breweries then.

5. What is one of the craziest things you have ever done and lived to tell the story?
Having grown up in a rural setting, I have a zillion crazy stories. I have no idea how I lived through some of the crap I/we did. In high school, we would have keggers out boonies. This was a long time ago and the beer was usually Lucky Lager or Heidelberg…Coors or Bud would have been considered delicacies. A lot of times these parties were in the winter, so it was damn cold out there. To stay warm, we would pull up fence posts and start a bonfire. That would eventually attract the attention of the rancher who owned the burning posts. I have no idea how none of us were ever shot over this. I suppose someone probably used beer to talk the rancher down. Sometimes the cops showed up. Not good.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?
I’m actually not a huge fan…although it has grown on me lately.

SPECIAL THANKS TO PETE FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!

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!!!)

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: BRADY WALEN

AUTHOR OF: THE DAILY PULL

Beer Blogger Interview

Full name: Brady Walen
Twitter handle: @thedailypull
Name of blog: The Daily Pull
Current location: Portland, OR

Background “Snapshot”

1. Where did you grow up?

Crystal Lake, IL

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

In high school, a group of friends pooled together some money at a backyard party to have somebody’s older brother buy us some beer. He came back with six packs of Mickey’s green grenades. It was the first, and last time I’ve had a green grenade.

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

I started college as an architecture student at Arizona State University. I finished college with a degree in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago.

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:

My love for craft beer started in the parking lots before and after Phish shows, where I was introduced to Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Samuel Smiths Nut Brown Ale and Oatmeal Stout – always sold as ‘one for $3, two for $5.’

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

I feel like there have been quite a few beers and experiences that have worked to change my perspective on beer; in seeking out new and/or unique beers, I’m looking forward to more of these epiphanies.

Some of the more memorable include: drinking Three Floyds Ham on Rye and Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout. My perspectives were continually challenged in my visits to the Map Room, the Local Option, and the Hop Leaf while I lived in Chicago; and the options in Portland have only worked to increase the number and scale of these experiences.

Beer Blog Background

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

I started writing The Daily Pull in January 2010, about four months after moving to Portland from Chicago.

2. What inspired you to start writing your blog?

I’ve been seeking out and drinking good beer for a long time. We moved to Portland, OR in August of last year; I was inspired by the amazing beer scene here, which is dramatically different from the beer scene we moved from in Chicago.

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

I didn’t want a name that included the words ‘beer’ or ‘brew’, and I didn’t really want to use a play on words associated with beer or brewing. ‘Pull’ refers to the action of pulling a draft beer handle, or drinking a swig from a bottle. For some of us, we experience either on a daily basis.

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

I use my blog to document my experience with beer. It allows me to look back on all the great beers we’ve had, events we’ve attended, and people we’ve met along the way. The blog, in addition to using Twitter, has been a great way for me to meet new like-minded friends. This was especially important to me as a newcomer to Portland.

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

Spending time with brewers and having them give private tours of their breweries is one of my favorite things that has happened as a beer blogger. Free beer is also very cool.

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

This is a tough question to answer because we have so many good local beer bloggers in Portland. I really like Brewpublic.com – these guys know and write about all the local beer happenings in the Pacific Northwest, and they’re great people too. Beernews.org is a great source for national beer happenings. And, I think the idea behind Taplister.com is awesome; I’m looking forward to watching this site and the idea behind it gain traction across the country.

Beer Talk

1. What are your top 3 favorite beer styles?

American IPA, Cascadian Dark Ale, Rye Ale

2. What are your top 3 favorite breweries?

Avery, 3 Floyds, Sierra Nevada

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

I’d work for Portsmouth Brewery, in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. I visited Portsmouth a few years ago, and have been looking for any reason to get back there. Working for a great brewer in town would be an amazing opportunity.

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

Not a homebrewer, but it’s something I’d like to delve into this year.

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

I don’t have any official beer certifications, and have never really given much thought to pursuing them.

6. What is your favorite beer and food pairing?

Pork & Red Rye Ale

The Personal Side

1. What is your current day job?

Marketing Consultant

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’m passionate about food and beer. I’d own a small brewpub with awesome food and drink, with a focus on sustainability.

3. Are you married? Children?

Married to my amazing wife Jessica. No kids, but we have two dogs: Reno & Jack.

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

Cooking, eating, hiking with the dogs, road trips to the coast, riding bikes, playing music, traveling when we can, and hanging out with our friends.

Off The Beaten Path

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

Anything coffee: you can usually find me with a beer or a cup of coffee nearby.

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?

Two Brothers Cane & Ebel. This beer tastes like fall in Chicago to me, which are two of my favorite things.

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?

Upright Brewing in Portland made a beer earlier this year called Fatali Four, a Belgian style beer aged in Pinot barrels with Fatali peppers. There’s something about the flavor and spice combination that comes to mind when I hear ‘beer’ and ‘wench’.

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

I’d want to teleport from one place to another.

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

We went deep sea fishing on a boat that was way too small and ran out of gas two hours off shore. When that happened, our fishing guide pulled out a huge bloody knife – for a second we thought we were dead, but we’re still here. He used the bloody knife to connect and siphon another gas line to the motor. When he got the boat working again, we celebrated with a beer.

6. What are your thoughts on bacon?

Love it. Bacon makes everything better.

SPECIAL THANKS TO BRADY FOR AN AWESOME INTERVIEW!

CHEERS!