Cascade Brewing | Gose

School is back in session, the leaves are beginning to change, and I even need a jacket in the morning on some days. Fall is just around the corner. While breweries are racing to get their pumpkin beers and fall seasonals on tap and on the shelves, I’m refusing to let go of summer just yet. That’s why I’m enjoying my last reserves of Cascade Brewing Gose. Read More

The Commons Brewery | Urban Farmhouse Ale

The Commons Brewery is by far my favorite discovery since moving to Portland 2 months ago. While other new breweries have satisfied my palate in my search for delicious beers … Read More

Crux Fermentation Project | Better Off Red

Since moving to the Pacific Northwest, Crux Fermentation Project has consistently been one of my favorite breweries. Not only are their core beers spot-on, but they also nail the small … Read More

Prairie Artisan Ales- Eliza5beth

This was my first foray into the world of beers from Prairie Artisan Ales out of Krebs, Oklahoma, and I have heard nothing but excellent opinions of their creations. So when I was able to snag a bottle of their Eliza5beth Farmhouse Ale when I was back in Colorado, I was both excited and curious. It’s not that I am new to farmhouse ales by any stretch of the imagination; I have just found it extremely hard to find their beers. My only regret was that I didn’t buy more…

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Crux Fermentation Project- Impasse Saison

Crux Fermentation Project in Bend, OR claims that for this beer they were “at an impasse”—use standard fermentation techniques to have a more controlled beer and greater yield, or use the traditional Belgian style of open fermentation to produce a more unique flavor profile. In an ode to the ages-old Belgian saison style, they threw caution to the wind and went with the latter. And as the consumer, we should be glad they did!

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Crooked Stave- Vieille Cranberry and Spice

Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes… All staples of a delicious holiday dinner. However, in my opinion, there’s one food that completes the meal but never gets the credit it deserves: the … Read More

Hardywood Park Craft Brewery- Saison Rustica

The holidays are the time of year we associate most with family and home. Unfortunately, I’m on the opposite side of the country as my family (I’m in Oregon, they’re … Read More

The Ultimate 6er | Black Friday Edition

The most controversial shopping day of the year is nearly upon us. Black Friday (now starting on Thursday evening) is the one chance a year to score outrageous deals on things you didn’t even know you needed. Some people live for this day, planning months in advance and scouring every store’s mailers for the deals of the century. Others avoid it like the plague, refusing to leave their house and risk getting caught up in the cutthroat madness. A select few have even been known to consider it a spectator sport and wake up at ungodly hours to watch the chaos ensue…guilty as charged. Regardless of which group you identify with, at the end of the day, you are going to need to do some serious recovering and reassessing. This will surely call for the Ultimate 6er Black Friday Edition. Read More

The Commons Brewery- Flemish Kiss

I have been on a mission to try as many new beers as possible and have definitely had my fair share of seasonals recently. However, there is something to be … Read More

Hopworks Urban Brewery – Abominable Winter Ale

It’s that time of year. The temperatures have begun to tickle the freezing mark and now that I’m in Oregon, the rains have come. Yes, the fabled northwest rains that have prompted me to eat Vitamin D tablets like candy and consider purchasing a sun lamp. The other remedy for this otherwise depressing weather? A delicious, flavorful winter beer that warms the soul; a beer that is a little more malt-forward, slightly higher in ABV, and has the right spiciness and flavor that reminds me of the holidays. That’s what I have found in the Hopworks Urban Brewery Abominable Winter Ale.

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Logsdon Farmhouse Ales- Fresh Hop Seizoen

This past weekend I volunteered pouring beers at the Portland Fresh Hops Festival. The event is an annual tribute to our love of lupulin-laden libations that are crafted within hours of the hop harvest. While the vast majority of breweries showcased their share of lagers and pale ales, IPAs and CDAs, there was one beer that really stood out to me. Logsdon Farmhouse Ales’ Fresh Hop Seizoen piqued the interest of my taste buds in a way that no other fresh hop beer has. After about ten 4 oz. samplers of hop-forward beers, a subtly-hopped Belgian Saison was just what the doctor ordered. The Fresh Hop Seizoen from Hood River, OR is 7.5% ABV and really opened up a new perspective on fresh-hopped beers for me.

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Hopworks Urban Brewery- Centennial IPX

As I sit here sweltering on an unseasonably hot Oregon day, I feel like the beer gods have smiled on me. In my hand is a HUB (Hopworks Urban Brewery) IPX Single Hop Series brewed exclusively with Centennial hops. Unlike many of the intense, resiny IPAs that I am used to drinking that test the limits of my taste buds, this one is quite refreshing and definitely the right choice for a scorcher of an afternoon. At only 6% ABV and 60 IBUs, it is also very sessionable. I wish I had more bottles!

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