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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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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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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Benedictine Brewery | St. Benedict Farmhouse Ale

This summer has been a filled with near constant travel to celebrate the weddings of those nearest and dearest to me. As such, they know exactly what info I need when I get to each place. Just as fate joins two strangers to cross paths and join each other in marriage, fate placed my friend’s wedding in Mt. Angel, Oregon; which is home to one of three true monk-run breweries in the nation, Benedictine Brewery. Obviously I had to check it out – as well as sample the namesake, St. Benedict Farmhouse Ale.
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Fort George Brewery | Matryoshka

It’s not every day that you get to taste a truly marvelous beer – a beer that defies expectations across flavor, aroma, body; that leaves you “oohing and ahhing” at every sip. Personally, when this happens to me, I feel the need to share it, to sing its praises. I send texts, take notes and, as demonstrated with this post, divulge all the details here on PorchDrinking. The Matryoshka, from Fort George Brewery, is such a brew – and is perhaps one of the best beers that I’ve been able to get my hands on this year.

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Portland’s BridgePort Brewing Closing Their Doors in March

Image courtesy of the BridgePort Brewing Facebook page.

The year after I graduated college, I visited Portland, Oregon for the very first time. To celebrate my arrival to the Pacific Northwest, I immediately commenced my visit with a stop at BridgePort Brewing Company. I vividly remember sitting on their outdoor deck, ordering a sampler tray, and blissfully working my way through their varieties – being taken by each brew that I tried.

Six years later after that visit, BridgePort Brewing has announced that they are closing their doors.

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pFriem | Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout

pFriem (pronounced “reem”) Family Brewers is a German and Belgian-inspired brewery in Oregon, a location where breathtaking views of the mountain and rivers make you wonder why you haven’t moved to the Pacific Northwest. Josh Pfriem devoted his career to learning as much as he could about crafting delicious beer and, in 2012, he achieved his lifelong dream of opening an artisanal brewery in Hood River with partners Ken Whiteman and Rudy Kellner. Today, they have several award-winning beers pouring from their taps along with a well-earned, loyal following.

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Brewery Showcase | Rogue Ales

Here at PorchDrinking.com, we ran a series in August titled “the OGs of Craft Beer,” in which we featured classic or well-known beers that have helped to define and grow craft beer culture throughout the country. One beer featured in our series was Dead Guy Ale from Rogue Ales, a beer born in 1990 when the craft beer wave was in its infancy. Rogue Ales, established in 1988, is one of the true OGs of craft breweries and we’re proud to be featuring them today. Read More

Deschutes Brewery | Twilight Summer Ale

Some of the best outdoor memories I have are around the twilight hour. You’re settling in for the evening – dinner is already done, fire stoked and watching the stars peek out as the sun sets. There is something about the feeling of moving with the sun, I am usually up when the sun wakes up and winding down after it sets, you just feel one with the universe.

Deschutes Brewery‘s seasonal offering of Twilight Summer Ale seems to capture these feelings beautifully.

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Pelican Brewing Company | Beak Bender

Now, don’t get me wrong—I understand that everyone is different. That said, we’re all human and there are a handful of things that are guaranteed to make anyone’s day. Take, for example, a yawn-inducing work meeting being cancelled, a spectacular cup of coffee, running into a puppy on the street, and, perhaps best of all, one of your favorite breweries adding a beer onto their year-round line-up. Queue Pelican Brewing Company and the Beak Bender, a hoppinated India Pale Ale that is now available year-round. You’ll want to get familiar with this one—trust me. Read More

Deschutes Brewery | Black Butte Porter

My PorchDrinking 2018 beer resolution was to drink more of the classics and the beers that first got me into craft beer, so I picked up a six-pack of Deschutes Brewery‘s Black Butte Porter for this beer showcase. Bend, Oregon-based Deschutes has been making Black Butte since the very beginning and it is very easy to see why it has stood the test of time just like its namesake landmark — the stratovolcano, Black Butte. The butte is breathtaking and if you want to see for yourself, you can virtually hike it in under three minutes on their website.

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The Commons Brewery & Epic Brewing | Common Interests

Whether its music, art, film or food, we are fans of a good collaboration—with no exception when it comes to beer. With the steady rise in craft beer popularity, numerous collaborations between so many like-minded individuals in our community is inevitable. Particularly, The Commons Brewery from Portland and Denver’s Epic Brewing took on a collaboration in a fun and interesting way. While each brewery selected an adjunct ingredient native to their location, they created something unique and tasty. The Commons Brewery brought Oregon red winter wheat and Epic Brewing choose Colorado honeydew melon; together they created a sour ale called Common Interests.
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Fort George Brewing | Cavatica Stout

I’ve been drinking a lot of imperial stouts. Unlike most, I believe every season is stout season. Luckily for me it’s February and I don’t get flak for drinking a 12% Russian imperial stout. The proliferation of adjuncts to the market has been interesting. Brewers adding coffee, vanilla, cocoa, peppers, mint, you name it. While fun for the palate, I still prefer an adjunct-free stout. Let that malt shine, those chocolate and coffee notes should develop alone. One favorite is Cavatica Stout from Fort George Brewing.
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Pelican Brewing Company | Captain of the Coast

Fall has arrived, and I can’t say that I’m upset about it. This time of year brings out that rich, golden foliage, pumpkin-spiced everything, and the years-old sweaters that have been hiding in the back of your closet. But perhaps best of all, fall brings barrel-aged beers that are perfect for the season – as breweries finally debut their much-anticipated releases. One of the best releases to come from this fall’s barrel-aged line-up is undoubtedly Captain of the Coast, a Wee Heavy Ale aged in Dry Fly Wheat Whiskey Barrels, from my favorite coastal brewery, Pelican Brewing Company. Read More

Pelican Brewing’s Cannon Beach Location Hits the Mark

It’s a typical spring day on the Oregon Coast here in Cannon Beach. The beach is sprinkled with people, many with their dogs, walking up and down the shore. Haystack rocks stands as tall as ever, waves crashing at their base. And the newest location of Pelican Brewing is bustling. Despite its massive footprint in the sleepy beach town, there isn’t a free table in the joint. Truly, everything just seems right in the world. Read More

pfriem Family Brewers | Belgian Strong Dark

On a trip to Oregon back in June 2016 we were able to visit so many breweries with really amazingly consistent quality! Most of our time was spent in Portland, but we capped off our trip with a day in Hood River on a coffee barista’s recommendation. The one hour drive thru the Cascade Mountains is absolutely worth it for the views and beer. We spent the day watching kite sailing under a blue sky and visited pFriem Family Brewers for lunch. pFriem has specialized in lots of Belgians and sour varietals since opening in 2012 but offers a very eclectic and well-executed menu as a whole, including tasty pub-style food! Oh, and it’s pronounced “FREE-um,” as a waitress helpfully clarified for us.
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Women in Beer | Hopped Up on Jewelry

Photo Courtesy of Hopped Up Jewelry

One day while perusing social media, I came across a post by Deschutes Brewery promoting beer-themed jewelry for women. It’s the first time I had ever come across anything beer related that was exclusively made for women (how many ‘unisex’ beer shirts are in your drawer)? I immediately went to the website for Hopped Up on Jewelry and made my first purchase, a pair of steel hop earrings with my birthstone.

A few months later Kimberly Markley, the creative genius behind the unique business, happened to be passing through Austin and reached out to me about delivering a necklace that I purchased in person. After an engaging meeting at a local coffee shop, I knew that her story needed to be told. Read More

Event Recap | de Garde Brewing 3rd Anniversary

PorchDrinking made it to de Garde Brewing’s 3rd Anniversary to celebrate another year of world class wild beers, beautiful days amongst wild Oregon farmland, and the fantastic people that make it all happen. Read on to find out what was old, new, borrowed, and blue.

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PorchDrinking Playlist | Deschutes Brewery

I built this little brewery in my garage and I just enjoyed brewing so much that I realized Sunday mornings, when I was out in the garage with music going … Read More

Brewery Showcase | The Pelican Pub & Brewery (Pacific City, OR)

Photo Courtesy of Paul Erlandson

Pacific City is picturesque.

Located two hours west of Portland, Pacific City is one of the quaintest towns that you’ll find in Oregon coast. … Read More