Simplification. And Saturday.

This is my only personal blog now. Simplifying things so that I have less to manage, the design, beer & pdx adventures are all rolled into one. Aaahhhhh.

co-bosses: fearless leaders of the pdxbeergeeks

I'll still be posting beer related items as the co-founder of PDX Beer Geeks... and I still reign as the resident Beer Geek at Portland Rules! but this makes my life so much more enjoyable!

Simplifying the shop space is really feeling like the right move, and I can't wait to get rid of some pieces of furniture, move things around, clear things out... I stall a little here and there (like here, here - blogging instead of doing) but every so often I feel like I have to sit down and revisit my list of things to do - staying on track is requiring an immense amount of mental focus. This is something that I really need to practice - following through and not getting distracted when things get boring or tough. So far though, I'm happy that the original focus of design & beer has remained steady... I am enjoying the distillation of those things into the most important aspects to me, and the throwing overboard of things that are too time consuming, both physically & emotionally, is feeling right.

OG beer geeks... mmcooljam, Jared, Doug, Lance & me

Spent a little bit of time at the Oregon Brewers Festival yesterday with some great people. I'd missed the opening night Thursday because of that damn migraine, and then yesterday we were fortunate to finish up in time to head down before picking the kids up... we busted ass in the garage to get room for the vintage shop/estate sale stuff next weekend... and of course the usual errands like Costco, a little laundry, and minimal housekeeping result in a weekend that is too quickly gone... I'll plan another quiet night to avoid reamplification of the ongoing (and quite pesky) headache.

Lance, me & Doug

photo by mmcooljam: geeking out over my next move

Beers tried at the Oregon Brewers Festival:
(Top Five are **)
10 Barrel Zitrone Kolsch: lemon fizz
Boundary Bay Double Dry Hopped Glacier Pale Ale: Coors Light - esque
**Caldera Brewing Co Hop Hash: delicious, well balanced & super hoppy
**Elysian Brewing Idiot Sauvin: fantastic beer. Great flavor with the Nelson Sauvin hops.
**Lagunitas Lil Sumpin' Wild: tasted like a blend of Belgian + IPA, nice body, great flavor.
Laht Neppur Brewing Co Peach Hefeweizen: Thankfully I did not pay to get this in my cup. Terrible.
Mad River Brewing Co Jamaica Sunrise ESB: I really liked this one, a little earthy, a little citrusy.
**Mt Emily Wildfire Red Ale: Liked this alot, came across sweeter than I expected, but delicious.
Natian Brewery CuDA Cascadian Dark Ale: This was tasty.
**The Prodigal Son Bruce/Lee Porter: lovely coffee espresso notes, not too watery or chompy.
Terminal Gravity TG Pale: The line was long for this one, and the line wasn't worth it. Standard.
Widmer Bros Foggy Bog Cranberry Ale: Tart. Not bad, but not something I'd voluntarily purchase. Glad (again) that I didn't pay for this in my cup.

Friday.

my funny little man

Planning my upcoming trip to the Oregon Brew Fest tomorrow... Do you think it's wrong to bribe children with the promise of flowing rivers of Root Beer? I feel like I'm really just preparing them for a lifetime of successful brew fest attendance... The little man and I made it down to the fest for an hour today - just enough time to redeem my mug/token special, get him a leopard tattoo, and enjoy a glass of rootbeer before swim lessons... He was a freaking champ. Swerving through throngs of people, bee lining without fretting about the crowds... He's his mama's boy.

the big ol' tent at OBF!

Tomorrow, the real thing - the full on experience, complete with impromptu meetup of my pdxbeergeeks. I love these people. So freaking enthusiastic about craftbeer, genuinely nice people, and a ton of fun to hang out with. I feel so fortunate to have stumbled across this little pocket of people, and they are responding in leaps and bounds to the new PDX Beer Geeks project that Michael and I came up with over CDA vs Black IPA conversation that I didn't know was happening, and our mutual dislike for a certain beer which was neither a CDA nor a Black IPA, but was, in fact, rather awful.

this mamma jamma was in my car this morning!

The other day I was remembering not too many years ago, maybe 7 or 8, when I was so sad and depressed and despondent over my life that I had considered driving off the road. Like just, literally, steering my car off of the highway and into a tree. It seemed preferable to the life I was living at the time, and I thought about doing it more than a few times. It pains me to write this - to think about my younger self, how bleak the world looked, how lonesome I'd become and cut-off from friends, alienated from family... It's a long story, but suffice it to say, it got worse before it got better - the steps along the way to *this* point make me so grateful for the opportunities I have each and every day. The connections I make with people breathe life and love into me, and these crafty people, craft beer people, my friends from Found, the people who I meet and instantly love - this is the reward for walking through that darkness. I have my tribe. Every day, I am thankful I knew that pain, because every day, I have the chance to make a friend, to hold tight to those I love, and to enjoy life. These are my rewards and I cherish them every day.

deliciousness at Ristretto...

Sorry, that was a little heavy. But it had to be said. I really do love my people. All of them. Annnnnnnnnnd moving on. Slept 9 hours last night, better living through pharmaceuticals, thank you very much Benadryl... Awoke to a slight twinge of migraine remaining, but powered on through (ok, really, it wasn't so much powering as *coasting* on through) the morning, including a re-do on the coffee & breakfast with my little man today - headed up to Ristretto Roasters for some delish coffee (cocoa for him) and grabbed a bagel sandwich at Bagel Land. Best bagels ever.

Stopped by the office where it appears as though our garden is going great guns now that the rains have stopped for a bit - hoping that the lush tomato plants will soon yield some juicy fruit... And as soon as the blackberries come on I'll be saving some of the juiciest ones for blackberry vodka... Nom.

neglected hops are happy hops

My hops, though neglected this year, seem to be perking right along. Despite the lack of trellis, they are climbing happily along the top of the fence, and don't seem to have any powdery mildew this year! I'm expecting a good crop, enough for a mystery fresh hop beer - next year I'll have to separate out the vines, because this year I'll have an unknown hybrid of Willamette, Magnum & Nugget hops. Makes for an exciting and truly unique beer come September.

all packed up... awaiting garage sale day on Aug 6th.

That's it - the report for the day. I'm pleased to announce that aside from the separate project of PDX Beer Geeks, I'm down to one blog. This makes me smile. That, and the bittersweet fact that this weekend will mark my last as a vendor at Found on Fremont, but these decisions are all culminating in good things; more design work, less clutter, less busy work, more time with friends & family. Learning to work to live instead of live to work. And I'm loving every step of the way.

A little shout out to a few people who have helped inspire my reclamation of time & sanity... Y'all know who you are, I wouldn't be where I am without you, or the girl I am now without you in my life.

I would walk the ends of the earth for you guys, and I love you forever.

Oregon Craft Beer Month: Week Four

It's been a wild and wooly week of craftbeer love here in Portland... I've been to a couple of fun events (including Puckerfest), I cataloged the contents of my beer fridge (including an alphabetical list, by brewery. I know. I might be a little crazy), and some friends and I have been reviewing the Excel spreadsheet one created of the beers available at the upcoming Oregon Brewers Festival, color coding beers we'd like to try. Yes, this month is a Beer Geek's dream... and there's still 9 days left of beery cheer to go!

Wrapping up with the last full weekend of July, Oregon Craft Beer Month has brought me together with many like minded and wonderfully funny individuals over a beer. To enact your own "choose your own adventure beer story," I recommend grabbing some friends and heading on down to one or two of these events.

cont'd from July 18 through Sunday, July 24: Puckerfest noon to 11 pm at Belmont Station: 4500 SE Stark Ave
nue in Portland; via the Puckerfest website, "Now in it’s fifth year, Puckerfest has grown to become one of the most popular little festivals in July. Appropriately sandwiched between the Portland International Beer Festival and the Oregon Brewer’s Fest, Puckerfest 5 is shaping up to be the best yet. Beer lovers can look forward to a rotating cast of 10-12 funky beers on tap daily, along with numerous “Meet the Brewer” nights where we bring brewers from around the region to the Biercafé to share their stories and some extra special beers." I attended this Wednesday night and had the pleasure of chatting briefly with the brewer from Upright, Alex Ganum. This is an intimate, cozy setting - perfect for chatting with friends, trying new things, and meeting new people. The adventure of browsing the cases and reading bottles is worth a trip to Belmont Station alone. Go pick something completely new!
Friday, July 22: Oakshire Anniversary ESB Release at the Sam Bonds Garage - 407 Blair Boulevard in 
Eugene; Oakshire is one of my favorite breweries. This is bound to be a fun time!

Saturday, July 23: LOLA: A Day of Celebrating Women in Beer: Saraveza 11 am - 10 pm - 1004 N. Killingsworth in 
Portland; a day of women brewers and women-brewed beers on tap.

Thursday July 28 through Sunday, July 31: Oregon Brewers Festival at Waterfront Park
 in Portland; "Always the last full weekend in July,”
 This is the 24th annual Oregon Brewers Festival. Free admission, tasting tokens are $1 each and good year after year. You must purchase a current year's mug for $6 if you want to try beers. Thurs through Sat – Noon to 9 p.m., Sun-Noon to 7 p.m.
 from the Oregon Brewers Festival website: "Token & mug sales cease one-half hour prior to the taps closing
," so plan accordingly.

As always, have fun and don't be afraid to try something new and different! So many wonderful opportunities for expanding your palate abound this time of year - and we are incredibly fortunate to live in such a haven of creative breweries and supportive community. Enjoy!

** originally posted by me July 22nd on Portland Rules! **

Produce Row Cafe!

After a long and torturous drive home from the coast Sunday afternoon (if you must know, I detest driving...) I arrived home to an empty kitchen. The fridge held the requisite string cheese and some chips made it back from the beach, but not even the presence of a full beer fridge was enticing. Luckily, the husband had a great plan. "Get in the truck. We're going to Produce Row Cafe. They have falafel there for you... and good beer."

He was right. They do, indeed, have falafel, in a gyro sandwich wrap... and their hummus platter and mac n cheese are pretty tasty too. But the beer! They have a great selection of interesting beers, and when we asked nicely, the bar offered a half flight of four seven ounce tastes instead of the flight of eight offered on the menu. (Holy cats! I do love me some beer, but really? Fifty six ounces? That's too much for a quick Sunday dinner.) So! I got to choose the four I thought sounded most interesting, since the husband likes to indulge my inner craft brew fancier. (And we got an extra taste of the Amber Ale... just for kicks.)

Boont Amber Ale: Anderson Valley Brewing Company : 5.8% ABV - nice standard. Golden tones, bright and carbonated, delicious and a little tart from some citrusy/grassy tones. I liked this one very much, and would like it with a salmon Caesar salad.

Four Farmhouse Wheat: Upright Brewing : 4.5% ABV - I got a lot of traditional Belgian flavors out of this - spicy top notes, lovely unfiltered wheat with a good malty pull.

Helles Lager: Caldera Brewing : 5.6% ABV - this was the surprise favorite of the evening! I'm not much of a lager fan, but I'm a perpetual optimist - so I like to think that it's more because I haven't had a great lager yet that I *think* I don't like them. This is ultimately a lovely beer, some rounded grape tones at the front, evenly balanced, great golden tones. I would stock this in the fridge. (That's HIGH praise.) This was delicious with the herbed mac n cheese.

Crosstown Pale Ale: Hopworks Urban Brewery : 5.3% ABV - this beer had a great nose, lovely balance, very nice carbonation and lacing. Fantastic iris top notes, solid hoppy floral through and through. A great beer. Paired really well with my falafel.

Hercules Double IPA: Great Divide Brewing Company : 10% ABV - I loved the flavor profile in this beer, but I was sad that the carbonation made this drink more like a barleywine than an IPA. The lack of brightness from carbonation let the super hoppy flavors set too much like syrup. I was sad about this, because I really wanted it to shine.

Overall, a successful foray into a wonderful little spot to have a great beer and some tasty food. Some innovative ideas on the menu for the beer & whiskey pairs, and some beer cocktails (I want to try the Bourbon Ginger cocktail, with Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Fentiman’s Ginger Beer, bitters, and fresh ginger... mmmm). I was also really pleasantly surprised at how relatively inexpensive this dinner ended up being - $65 total w tip for the half flight, a steak sandwich, hummus platter, falafel sandwich, honey sandwich (for the kiddo), a pop, AND an extra falafel sandwich to go for husband's lunch the next day. I hadn't been in several years, and the renovations since I'd been last are really nice. Spacious patio with plenty of seating and shade, great back booth room, and some nice large tables for big parties. We'll definitely head back... maybe we'll see you there!

** originally posted by me July 21st on Portland Rules **

Oregon Craft Beer Month: Week Three

Halooooo! Doing things a little differently today - there are plenty of reports on what's going on this week in Portland for Oregon Craft Beer Month - check out this calendar for a comprehensive list of events... So while I have a few events pegged as those you might not want to miss, the innerwebbings certainly don't need another list of places you can go to drink when you can easily find them summarized at the main site above. This week, my report is pared down: a few choice events, and my take on Coalition Brewing's special release of homebrewer extraordinaire Mike Marsh's collaboration beer; Tuscan Wheat.

I never even suspected that Coalition Brewing existed on SE Ankeny in the middle of the block between 27th and 28th. Just around the corner of Grilled Cheese Grill and Esparza's Tex Mex is a sweet little hideaway with plenty of charm. A tidy and well appointed place with a few tables outside and not many more inside, this immediately felt like I was stepping into a gathering spot for the neighborhood. A simple aesthetic lends to the comfort, where folks belly up to the bar to order a drink, friendly people smile and hand you a menu for small bites, or you can walk around to the Grilled Cheese Grill, order and carry in to Coalition (helpful if you travel with smaller people, as I often do). But enough about the place, let's talk about the beer!

Mike's Tuscan Wheat (Cantaloupe) beer was brewed as part of the Coalator Program at Coalition, the result of his a chance to brew what most of us homebrewers do in 5 to 10 gallon batches as a larger batch on Coalition's pilot system. Beers then are put on tap at Coalition, in the bar, and those that are very popular can be offered a chance at creation on the 10 barrel system. Yep, regular ol' people get to fill out an application for a chance to brew their beer in collaboration with the Coalition brewer Bruce MacPhee lending support, and then have it served on tap at Coalition. Pretty cool.

The beer itself was fantastic. A lovely, unfiltered golden brew, the nose is light and full of fruit, touching on honey at the first sip. I was so excited at the first pull, because often I'm mightily disappointed in the way that fruit beers come across. I usually find them either too cloyingly sweet, or they leave me wondering where the fruit is. In the Tuscan Wheat, I got a mouth full of perfectly ripe cantaloupe, and the balance was spot on. This was easy drinking, and my smooth and juicy pint was gone in no time... A delicious beer expertly done, I was really happy to have been able to get my pint before the beer disappeared shortly after 8 pm. (Two hours from start to finish. That's pretty awesome.)

Sadly enough when it's gone it's gone, so if you didn't get a chance to try the Tuscan Wheat at Coalition, you'll have to scout out some other tasty brews to quench your thirst. Luckily for you, there are a few choice venues to peruse this weekend for fun and hijinks.

The celebration of craft beer is in full swing here in Oregon - especially in Portland, where the Portland International Beer Festival is ramping up for opening day... Typically a very busy festival, this one is held in the Pearl District North Park Blocks... Easy to access, you can even take the trolley to 10th and Glisan for safe arrival and departure from a day of imbibing. Open Friday, July 15 from 4 - 10 pm, Saturday, July 16 from 12 - 10 pm and Sunday, July 17 from 12 - 7 pm there is plenty of time to enjoy all of the beers available. Touted as having over 150 beers available from over 15 countries, this festival is not for the faint of heart or weak of spirit. Often crowded (and with many very drunk people), this is my least favorite of the beer festivals in our fair city. If you go, steel yourself for long lines and smaller spaces. Thus far the Fruit Beer Festival and the North American Organic Brewers Festival are significantly more enjoyable in terms of community and beer cheer than this... but if you're hardcore and count festival points in beers swilled instead of joviality - have at it!

Beach Saison Release by Breakside Brewer Ben Edmunds on Saturday, July 16. This brew is a collaboration of Edmunds' with Cascade Brewing’s Sean White, creating a Dupont-style saison for summer. Offering specials to those who come dressed in beach wear, Breakside is also hosting a special release of a second version of the Beach Saison aged on Oregon cherries. For more information, call 503.719.6475. Breakside Brewery is located at 820 NE Dekum in Portland.

Saraveza's 2nd Annual IIPA Festival! Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17, 1 to 10 pm. Saraveza's quintessential style belies serious beer business with over 20 rotataing IPAs on tap, special brews for the festival, and delicious food (including BBLT sandwiches... double bacon, for those who delight). Live music ensures this is sure to be an awesome time. I personally love the vibe over at Saraveza, and this festival will be one not to miss!

As always, have fun & try something new! There are a ton of great beers available all over P-town this weekend - so venture forth and sample something outside of your comfort zone. You might like it!

** originally posted by me July 15th on Portland Rules! **

Double Mountain Brewery & Tap Room

Hello, Portland! I've tried 15 beers since I talked to you all last; not all of it *new* beer, per se... But there were beers that I hadn't tried before, and one place in particular I'd been itching to try. Double Mountain Brewery & Tap Room in Hood River. It was memorable enough to recommend:

We took a fantastic drive up the Gorge last Sunday to Double Mountain - delicious food, great beer, sweet setting... The drive up is gorgeous, and you can make it a day trip, extending your stops at Multnomah Falls, Crown Point, the Stonehenge Memorial & Maryhill Museum. I love quaint little Hood River, so I was especially excited about visiting to see all the changes. I haven't been up there for years, despite the easy access from Portland, and the mere 45 minute drive! Once in Hood River, I really like the way that Double Mountain is set into the hill - it feels like a cozy hometown spot to grab a solid beer and some tasty pizza. Kid friendly (and with food that the small people actually eat), we grabbed lunch and a tasting tray with each of the 8 beers on tap at Double Mountain.

The primary standout here for me was the Double Mountain Vaporizer - described as featuring nothing but Challenger hops from the Yakima Valley with a house Pilsner malt, this light and lovely beer is delicious. Warm notes of iris run with the gentle effervescence of the brew (what?! it's nicely carbonated! The floral notes read like iris to me!) and this is the one that I would have chosen for a full pint if we'd had the time or the luxury of being slightly tipsy for an hour or so. Alas, the 6% ABV will have to wait until my next visit, and one where I'm not driving three children to Stonehenge Memorial.

Also of note on the tasting tray, the Double Mountain Kolsch. Now, this is a beer style that I have seen coming up in the ranks of availability here in Portland as of late. While not as flavorful as the Apricot Kolsch from Captured by Porches, the Double Mountain Kolsch is a fun example of using general guidelines in beer styling and then tweaking the classic to come up with a twist. True to Kolsch styling, this is a pale beer, with a higher ABV (5.2%) and relatively subtle flavoring of malt. While the Double Mountain Kolsch has a wonderful carbonation, light lacing, and a bright nose, it differs from the style guidelines, however, as it is unfiltered, and has been imbued with more hops than a traditional Kolsch. I described this during tasting as "like drinking soft cats," which apparently made someone laugh and shoot beer out their nose. But this is a prime example of describing beer flavors using non-traditional methods. It works for me, and perhaps you'd know what I meant if you tried the Kolsch.

Lastly, the Double Mountain No. 1 Shandy - while some report that a Shandy is traditionally described as beer mixed with lemonade, others say that it can be any combination of beer with another non-alcoholic drink, such as soda, lemonade, ginger beer or ginger ale. It can also be mixed with cider, which is how the Double Mountain Shandy is created. Using hard cider made from local apples, the Shandy is blended with the Pilsner and creates a light, well carbonated, fresh summer drink. The Pilsner and cider balance nicely, bringing faint tart notes to the Pilsner's neutral base. I really liked the innovative taste of this, and it would have been perfect if paired with a more acidic food, like a tomato pizza.

To get to Double Mountain from Portland, head East on Interstate 84 towards the Dalles, using exit 63 towards Hood River's City Center. The exit drops you right, onto 2nd Street, where you go a block to Cascade Street. Turn right onto Cascade, head two blocks to 4th, and find parking. Double Mountain is located a couple blocks away from Full Sail, down the hill from Big Horse, and across Bridge of the Gods (into Stevenson, Washington) from Walking Man. It was advised to me by locals that if you're going to make it a crawl, be careful at Walking Man because of their whopping ABV beers (moderation is key!) and that if you do the trio in Hood River, start at Big Horse and work your way DOWN the hill. Not up. Unless you're a masochist, in which case, by all means, walk up hill. Above all else; have fun and taste something new!

** originally posted by me July 14th on Portland Rules! **

Oregon Craft Beer Month: Week Two

Oregon Craft Beer Week is in full swing. Lots of exciting events going on all over the state! Here are my top picks for the week of July 8 - 14, 2011:

Saturday, July 9 ★ TOP PICK ★ Cans Fest! Cans Fest! I can't wait to hang out with some of my very favorite people, Jesse Cornett & Molly Aleshire of The Guild Public House. Hosting the first Inaugural Cans Fest, The Guild Pub is one of my favorite places in Portland - and nicer people (and SMART, to boot!) you will never meet. A single day event here in Portland, there will be 35 craft beers in cans, food, and music from 12 - 10 pm. $4 tasting glass and $1 per pour, this event is held in partnership with Ride on Portland in celebration of Oregon Craft Beer Month. You can find The Guild Public House & The Cans Fest on 11th Ave. in between East Burnside and NE Couch, at 1101 East Burnside, Portland, OR 97214. I'm working 12 - 3 for this event, so come on out & say hello!

Craft Dash: While this event is SOLD OUT, entertainment still abounds out and about host shop Saraveza, and the participating start & end establishments during the day. Starting at The Hop & Vine and finishing at Amnesia Brewing the Craft Dash is a “good cause” 5k that benefits North Portland’s Open Meadow Alternative School. Celebrating some of NoPo's best neighborhood beer spots, participants receive a commemorative t-shirt and pint glass and beer at each of the five stops on the run. Grand prizes include a case of beer every month for a year from Widmer!!

Sunday, July 10 Oakshire Beermaker Dinner @ The Hop & Vine - previous pairings have seen wonderfully creative combinations of food and Oakshire brews... Call for more details 503-954-3322
Dinner begins at 7pm and is $30 per person.

★ TOP PICK ★ Beer & Cigar Pairings at the East Burn 5-7pm A unique experience, indeed - $50 for 3 fine cigars, 5 unique beers, 2 light food plates and a copy of the new 33 Cigars tasting notebook by Reserve seats in-person at East Burn or via PayPal at NewSchoolBeer.com.

Wednesday, July 13 Roof Top BBQat Laurelwood Public House and Brewery located at 5115 N.E. Sandy Boulevard in 
Portland. The event begins at 4 and runs until 9 p.m. Green Mammoth Organic Imperial IPA - as described by the brewery, this is the Imperial version of Laurelwood's Green Elephant Organic IPA (one of my favorites at the recent North American Organic Brewers Fest). Says Laurelwood of the Green Mammoth: "This beer is all about hops, hops and more hops. Cascade, Ahtanum and Amarillo hops added in the kettle, hop back and fermenter give this beer it’s kick. Warning- not for the faint-of-palate." That sounds delicious! Call 503-282-0622 for more details.

Wednesday, July 13 - Friday, July 15 Double Mountain Brewery Kriek Kamp! Located at 8 Fourth St. Hood River - As described on Double Mountain's website, "In honor of our most special of beers, we hereby invite the public to join a limited cadre of Double Mountain fanatics at our first-ever “KRIEK KAMP”, an immersive celebration of all things Kriek-y and good. Kampers will get to hang out with our brew staff; see the full picture of how our Devil’s and Rainier Krieks make the voyage from the farm to the glass; and even join in the process themselves." This sounds really awesome. Call 541-387-0042 for more details - $150 Includes meals, beers, and transportation to/from events.

There are plenty of other events out and about the city - check out the calendars compiled at Oregon Craft Beer Month and Brewpublic. And don't forget that local bottle shops, pubs & breweries are some of the best places to spend a few hours to find out about new and exciting events going on. Go on, get out of the house! Grab a friend, and have a craft beer!

** originally posted by me July 8th on Portland Rules! **