5 Questions with The Ale Apothecary’s Paul Arney

Paul Arney, co-owner and head brewer of The Ale Apothecary in Bend, OR has a bit of a reputation. Words like “legendary” are often thrown around to describe his brewery and the unique, place-based wild beer he brews. Arney has a bit of a nutty–yet deeply intellectual–personality. It’s not uncommon to hear him lovingly referred to as bats#&@ crazy. We sat down with Arney for five questions about Ale Apothecary and to see how he’s holding up during the pandemic. We were relieved to hear that he hasn’t let up one bit on his unrelenting “art over industry” philosophy.

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Opening in a Pandemic | Here Today Brewery & Kitchen Eyes Spring 2021

Over the past eight months, we’ve heard many stories of creativity, resilience and perseverance throughout the on-going pandemic. For many in the beer industry, this period has called for the necessity to adapt in order to survive. But for those ambitious entrepreneurs who had just barely begun working toward their dreams of launching a brewery, these past few months have been just as trying in different ways.

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Halloween Beer Treat | Pelican Brewing Midnight Malt Cocoa Porter

As Halloween approaches, treat yourself to Pelican Brewing Company’s newest release, Midnight Malt Cocoa Porter. As the late Michael Jackson sang, “Darkness falls across the land, the midnight hour is close at hand.” In this case, the Midnight Malt Cocoa Porter should certainly be in your hand. Brewed with Meridian Cacao Company nibs, which are sourced from farmers in Tanzania, this Porter boasts a rich, dark chocolate flavor with subtle caramel undertones, coupled with light roasted coffee notes and a classic malt finish. Whatever your Halloween plans might be this year, crack open a can of Midnight Malt Cocoa Porter under the full moon and let it thrill you.
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Cascade Brewing | Framboise Northwest

Cascade Brewing’s latest Sour release — Framboise Northwest — is an ode to raspberries, incorporating 3000 pounds of red raspberries grown locally in the Northwest into their base Blonde Ale. “In this beer, just the flavor of the raspberries is so true to the fruit, it really captured the super-fresh raspberry flavor and we didn’t want to manipulate it in anyway,” shared Kevin Martin, Director of Brewery Operations at Cascade Brewing in Portland, Oregon. Read More

Deschutes Brewing Releases 2020 Anniversary Black Butte XXXII Imperial Porter

Deschutes’ Black Butte Porter has been the brewery’s flagship beer since its first year of its existence, and to celebrate the 32nd anniversary of this amazing beer, the brewery released its 2020 anniversary Black Butte XXXII Imperial Porter.

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Fremont Brewing Releases 11th Anniversary Series

Located in Seattle, Washington, Fremont Brewing first opened its doors during the 2008 financial crisis and is no stranger to making high-quality beer in the middle of a recession. Quality, sustainability and ingenuity have been the mainstays of brewing at Fremont over the past 11 years, a tradition they continue even as the COVID-19 pandemic rages on… and “ingenious” is the word that comes to mind when sampling their latest release: the 11th Anniversary series. These two Stouts debuted in mid-August and are already sold out on their website (but don’t worry: limited cases are still available—see below for details). Their classic barrel-aging process, with a twist, makes these beers something special.

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Rogue Ales & Spirits Challenges Fans to ‘Paint the Can Dead’ This Fall

Dead Guy Ale, Rogue Ales & Spirits’ flagship beer and one we featured at PorchDrinking.com as part of our OGs of Craft Beer series, turns thirty this year. Rogue is celebrating those three decades of Dead Guy by challenging fans to ‘Paint the Can Dead.’   And, for those that really bring out the spirit of Dead Guy, prizes await them. For those that don’t win, it’s a great way to pass the time in a socially-distanced world; drink beer and do some coloring!

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Dragon’s Gate Brewery | The Arkenstone

Nestled amongst the sprawling vineyards of the Walla Walla Valley, down a single-lane dirt country road is Dragon’s Gate Brewery. Recently featured as a top brewery in Eastern Oregon, this 10-acre farm offers gorgeous views of the surrounding Blue Mountains and provides the perfect backdrop to enjoy these Farmhouse Ales. Owned and operated by Adam and Jennifer Gregory, this brewery is truly a family affair with beers brewed with passion and rooted in traditional Belgian brewing practices. Their tasting room is in a converted barn, and their brewhouse, barrel room and fermentation area are all on-site. Inspired by old-world stylings, this brewery takes you back in time, or to another world entirely.

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NBA Bubble Beers? Deschutes Brewery Debuts New Rip City Lager to Cheer on Portland Trailblazers Remotely

The NBA’s ambitious quarantine “bubble” has delivered promising results so far in its attempts of preventing the spread of COVID-19 among NBA teams and their personnel. The hope is that the bubble can hold a brief resumption of the regular season, which starts Thursday, along with a full playoff to follow that eventually crowns a champion. One of the teams competing for the title is the Portland Trailblazers, who resume their regular season on Friday. In an effort to support their local team remotely, Bend, Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery is releasing the affectionately names Rip City Lager, so fans of the Blazers across the nation can remotely unite with a common, easy-drinking beer in-hand. 

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Wayfinder Beer & Great Notion Brewing | Cold Kush Hazy IPA

We’re halfway through the summer and an undisclosed amount of weeks into quarantine, so it’s only natural to keep reaching for “something new” to try. In this case, Cold Kush – Faded & Decocted IPA is just that something new to switch things up a bit. Wayfinder Beer teamed up with their neighbor, Great Notion Brewing, to create this deliciously hoppy, Hazy IPA.

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Pyramid Brewing Talks Brand Refresh, History, and Relocation

For old-school craft beer drinkers, Pyramid Brewing, with its iconic label featuring a double pyramid and evoking the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, is one of the tried and true originals. For many, their Hefeweizen, Wheaten, Apricot Ale or Outburst Imperial IPA was the gateway to quality craft beer. The times have changed, but the quality of Pyramid’s beer hasn’t.

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Ultimate 6er | Beers for Mountain Biking

Great beer and a rowdy mountain bike ride go hand in hand. Each of the beers selected for this Mountain Biking Ultimate 6er had to fit three criteria. First, it has to come in cans. When you’re packing the cooler to rip hot laps with the crew, bottles won’t do. Second, the brewery of choice must be based out of a premier mountain bike destination. Lastly, the beer must fall into one of two categories based on when it’s consumed.

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Oregon’s Best Breweries and Beers by Region to Enjoy During COVID

From the sea cliffs on the coast to the high plains desert in the east, Oregon beers bring a world of flavor and craftsmanship no matter where you’re enjoying them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we visited the websites of all 302 craft breweries in Oregon and built a database of over 2500 beers for sale. Then, we matched these beers with their reviewer rankings on Untapp’d to identify the very best beers and breweries in the state. We recently published the list of the top ten beers in Oregon. Here, we provide the top three beers and top five breweries in each of Oregon’s eight regions, excluding the beers in our top ten list. Post-COVID, we hope you’ll head out to support these local breweries. Until then, check brewery websites or call ahead to confirm availability and service hours.  Read More

Drinking Through Deschutes’ Latest Small Batch Reserves | Tumalo Kriek & The Ages 2020

Barrel-aged and blended beer releases aren’t just for winter months and colder temperatures. The dark liquid, bourbon barrels and boozy aftertastes of October through December releases give way to lighter colors, wine barrels and fruit-forward flavor offerings found in April and May. Such is the case for Deschutes Brewery, which has staked its fall and winter barrel-aging claim thanks to the likes of the popular The Abyss Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. The Bend, Oregon brewery also recently announced the release of two new additions to their Small Batch Reserve series for spring: Tumalo Kriek and The Ages 2020. Both are available in 500 mL bottles and both highlight warm weather, seasonal ingredients: cherries in Tumalo and pears in The Ages. Deschutes was kind enough to send a bottle of each my way. With extra time on my hands, I really got to enjoy both of these beers. Here are my thoughts. 

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Deschutes Releases Specialty Barrel-Aged Beers

Quarantine in Oregon just got a lot tastier. Northwest craft beer staple Deschutes Brewery announced last week the addition of four new specialty barrel-aged beers to their portfolio, proving that no amount of uncertainty can keep them from their craft. Plus, the brewery is encouraging their community to “stay home and save lives” by making their beers just a click away. Deschutes’ legacy portfolio along with the new and vintage Reserve beers are now available on their website for delivery to their customers based in Oregon.

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Ultimate 6er | The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Are Drinking Craft Beer

During this medical pandemic, let’s have some childhood fun! Let’s think back to when we were growing up, before the time of hand sanitizers and coughing into your elbow like Count Dracula. What better way is there to bring history into the present situation than to consider the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, who were named for Renaissance artists who were around when the first quarantine originated? What might these fun-loving mutants of the sewer choose to drink, pouring one to enjoy with their pizza? Let’s find out.

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Portland’s Cascade Brewing Announces Sale to Local Investors

A cornerstone of Portland and the Oregon craft beer scene, Cascade has been a pioneer in the Pacific Northwest for their innovative sour beers. It was announced yesterday that, after more than 20 years of business, Cascade has been sold … Read More

Stickmen Brewing Company | S.M.A.C. Triple IPA

It’s been well established that Portland is a bustling beer mecca. Good beer is so easily accessible; often one can walk three blocks in any direction and accidentally run into quality, independent craft brews. In the hustle of the … Read More

Ultimate 6er | DC Comics Heroes and Villains and Craft Beer

From the gritty streets of Gotham to the alien world of Krypton, we decided to take a look at what the DC Comic Universe’s most renowned heroes and villains would drink after a long day (or night) of crime-fighting and chaos creating.

The main set of DC Comics characters that come to mind in a Family Feud kind of way include Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman (The Dark Knight), Bane, The Joker and his chosen Gotham City siren, Harley Quinn. Each one of these deep, complex and foreboding characters loves a good solid IPA like Eliot from Ex Novo Brewing in Portland: clean, crisp and always solid with its hop-forward citrus, resinous and dank flavors.

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Deschutes Announces Additions to their 2020 Release Calendar

“New Year, New Beer” pretty much sums up Deschutes Brewery‘s 2020 release announcement. The Bend, Ore., local has added many innovative offerings to its lineup, and now that we’re in 2020, Deschutes is adding even more. Deschutes will be providing new offerings to its year-round releases, limited releases, the Brewery Reserve Series, Small Batch Reserves and draft-only releases.

So, without further ado, here are the descriptions the brewery shared of what you’ll be able to look forward to in the Deschutes 2020 lineup.

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