Pints for Prostates Portland Pale Ale Invitational Celebrates America’s Favorite Beer Style

PORTLAND, OREGON – The inaugural Pints for Prostates Portland Pale Ale Invitational will be held on July 25 from 5:30-8:30 p.m. at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Ore. The event celebrates the allure, complexity and flavors of pale ale.

The tasting event features pale ales from a dozen Oregon breweries and a dozen breweries from around the globe. Presented by Beer West magazine in conjunction with the Oregon Brewers Festival, the event benefits the Pints for Prostates campaign.

“We are bringing together a collection of great pale ales in a city where pale ales are truly appreciated, all to raise awareness about an important men’s health issue,” said Rick Lyke, a drinks journalist and prostate cancer survivor. Lyke founded Pints for Prostates in 2008 after successful prostate cancer surgery. “Our goal is to reach men through the universal language of beer with a message about the importance of early detection.”

Tickets for the Portland Pale Ale Invitational are $30 and will be available online starting on March 1 at http://www.pintsforprostates.org . All net proceeds support the mission of the Pints for Prostates campaign.

“We are excited about the brewers that have agreed to take part and the world class pale ales they will be pouring. Beer fans will get the chance to try a wide variety of pale ale styles in a single session,” said Megan Flynn, publisher and editor-in-chief of Beer West magazine.  “Pale ales have become America’s favorite type of craft beer. This event salutes the passion brewers and beer drinkers have for pale ale.”

The 24 participating breweries include: BridgePort Brewing, Portland, Ore.; Caldera Brewing, Ashland, Ore.; Cascade Brewing, Portland, Ore.; Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.; Fire Mountain Brew House,  Carlton, Ore.; Firestone Walker Brewing, Paso Robles, Calif.; Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, Ore.; Lompoc Brewing, Portland, Ore.; MacTarnahan's Brewing, Portland, Ore.; Moa Brewing, Marlborough, New Zealand; New Holland Brewing, Holland, Mich.; Ninkasi Brewing, Eugene, Ore.; NoDa Brewing, Charlotte, N.C.; Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, Colo.; Oregon Brew Crew, homebrewers from Portland, Ore.;  Rogue Ales, Newport, Ore.; Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, Calif.; Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, Wash.; Snake River Brewery, Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Southern Oregon Brewing, Medford, Ore.; Stone Brewing, Escondido, Calif.; Tree Brewing, Kelowna, British Columbia; 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, Calif.; and Wells & Young’s,  Bedford, United Kingdom.

“This year marks the 25^th annual Oregon Brewers Festival so we are proud to be able to help support Pints for Prostates by making our venue available for the Portland Pale Ale Invitational on the eve of our silver anniversary,” said Art Larrance, one of the founders of the Oregon Brewers Festival.  “The Oregon Brewers Festival is already one of the world’s biggest beer events and the Portland Pale Ale Invitational is another reason for people to visit and enjoy great craft beer.”

Judges at the Great American Beer Festival award medals in seven different pale ale categories. Pale ale categories attract the most entries and are the hottest contested.

“Men are 33 percent more likely to develop prostate cancer than women are to have breast cancer, yet few men know about the critical importance of early detection,” Lyke said. “The support of Beer West magazine, the Oregon Brewers Festival and the two dozen great craft brewers donating beer for the event will help us reach an audience that needs to hear our message.”

About Pints for Prostates

Pints for Prostates is a 501(c)3 a campaign that reaches men through the universal language of beer to encourage them to take charge of their health. The group was founded by prostate cancer survivor and beer writer Rick Lyke in 2008. The grassroots effort raises awareness among men about the importance of regular health screenings and PSA testing by making appearances at beer festivals, social networking and pro bono advertising. According to the National Cancer Institute, 240,890 new prostate cancer cases were diagnosed in the U.S. in 2011. More information is available at www.pintsforprostates.org. Pints for Prostates also has a presence on Facebook and Twitter (@pints4prostates).

About Beer West Magazine

Founded in 2007, Beer Northwest has grown to become the leading beer culture and lifestyle magazine in the Northwest. In January 2011, the magazine expanded into California and became Beer West. The magazine covers the thriving West Coast beer market and is the only regional publication of its kind. Beer West has more than doubled its circulation and visibility in the past year, with a focused readership of 80,000 beer and food enthusiasts. Beer West is a celebration of the unique Western beer-loving life.

About the Oregon Brewers Festival

The Oregon Brewers Festival is one of the nation's longest running and best loved craft beer festivals. Situated on the west bank of the Willamette River, with towering Mt. Hood as a backdrop, it is the ideal venue for anyone who loves craft beer. With a laid back attitude and scores of award-winning beers, the festival reflects the essence of the city of Portland, and is the crowning jewel of Oregon Craft Beer Month. The OBF was at the forefront of exposing craft beers to the public. A total of 84 craft breweries from all parts of the nation will serve more than 30 beer styles to nearly 80,000 beer lovers from around the world. Another 50 specialty beers will be available for tastes in the Buzz Tent.

Maple Bacon Porter?

News out of Portland, Oregon.
Rouge to team with Voodoo Doughnuts to produce a Maple Bacon Porter. Cathy said, "sounds gross". I think that it sounds pretty tasty, I could probably split one with someone. I usually don't get excited for gimmick beers, but since I've tasted this doughnut from Voodoo, I'm intrigued.

10 ingredients
Great Western 2 Row, Chocolate, Black, Biscuit
Maple syrup, apple smoked bacon, vanilla beans, vanilla extract
Pacman yeast, Free range coastal water.

Availability: 750ml bottles
5.6% ABV (13 plato / 2.5)

Original Article from Beer Street Journal

Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew

Widmer Brothers Citra Blonde Summer Brew from Portland based brewer Widmer Brothers, one of Portland's first craft breweries.

When we were up in the NorthWest, I was trying as many different beers that I could, since most of my choices aren't available back in Ohio. Widmer Brothers offers a 12 pack sampler with 4 different beers to try, so that makes buying at the beer store much easier (and cheaper!).

This was very similar to Bell's Oberon. Slight cloudy appearance with some off white lace. Smells of citrus (duh!), grainy/grassy, you can very much smell that this is a smooth light summer beer.

Very smooth, crisp, citrusy and session-able. Not much bitterness though, which was a surprise because of the overwhelming citrus smell. Completely what I was looking for on a nice warm summer evening. By this time I was sick of pale ale's and this thing really hit the spot.

Now, every time I sit down to write or think about our amazing vacation, I get a little bit sad that I can't experience some of these great beers all year round. But, I think it makes me appreciate them that much more. We will be back to the great state of Oregon someday, but until then, I can hope that some of these beers will find there way into Ohio.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy
Where: Lake Quinault, WA (home to the Roosevelt Elk!)
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

BridgePort Blue Heron Pale Ale

Blue Heron Pale Ale from Portland based brewer BridgePort

Our heritage beer, Blue Heron, was first brewed in 1987 as a special release for the Audubon Society, and named after Portland’s official city bird. The taste reflects its Northwest roots, drawing on indigenous ingredients from the hop fields of the Willamette Valley and the barley fields of the high Northwest desert.

I picked this beer out because when I was looking at cycling shirts when we were in Portland, I didn't feel that I could wear the shirt if I hadn't tried the beer!

This very much represents the NorthWest, style, taste and color that you get in these regional American Pale Ale brews. Light copper color and very clear, can see through the glass easily. Slight white lacing. Super malt/bread smell and the taste coincides with the aroma. Very easy and light flavor of malt, earthy with some slight citrus (bitterness is almost completely non-existent).

Honestly, it took me a few different APA beers to figure out this NW style, the local ingredients are very different than those from the Midwest American Pales that I am used to.

All in all this was a pretty good beer and easy to drink. I would love to be able to bring this one home and use it as a gateway beer for my non craft beer drinking friends. Lots of flavor, not filling, not bitter! Great for a newbie! I don't give out many 5 / 5's but I think this one deserves it based on being the beer that finally made me "get" the NW style.

Happy Drinking!

Who: Cathy
Where: Seaside, OR
Price: $$
Score: 5 / 5

The great Northwest: Oregon, Washington and Beervana

Mt. Hood - Oregon

Cathy and I just returned from a 10 day trip to Portland, OR and Seattle, WA (and everywhere in between!). What a great trip filled with a lifetime full of memories, beers, people and beautiful scenery. We landed in Portland, Oregon late Friday night and made it to the hotel around 12am (or 3am our time), so we hit the sack and headed out early Saturday to experience all that Beervana had to offer.

Beervana - was a phrase coined in Oregon to describe the burgeoning craft beer movement that had taken hold here in the 1980s. And indeed, it's an apt description, as those who are actively involved in the beer community think of it a near-religious experience to make and enjoy well-made brew.
But Beervana also describes the transcendent union of climate and environment which makes Oregon the home to great hops growing and affords the brewmasters the highest quality water.
http://www.opb.org/programs/oregonexperiencearchive/beervana/

The day was filled with a self guided walking tour of Portland (museums, shops, nature, etc.) finally ending with an attempt to go to the 24th annual Oregon Brewer's Festival. Bad mistake... There were 85 beer vendors at the festival and each had a line 100+ deep to get a beer. WOW! So we decided to come back to the festival on Sunday afternoon, hoping for smaller crowds.

We decided to try Deschutes Brewery for a few beers and dinner, and on our walk to the Public House, we stopped along the way to have a beer or 2...

Oregon Beer is good...

at the Deschutes Brewery

The next afternoon we headed back to the Oregon Brew Fest and thankfully, the crowds were way smaller and we could enjoy the beers and the beautiful weather. Over the course of the afternoon we were able to try around 12 different beers each (don't worry, we only did 3-4oz tastings and not full beers...). Each beer that we tasted was something new to us and something we are not able to have back in Ohio, so needless to say, my Untappd account was busy.

My guess is that there was easily over 100,000 people who visited this festival over the 3+ days. It was so busy, that many of the brewers ran out of beer on Saturday afternoon and had to restock for the full day on Sunday! We had such a good time, that I might try to talk Cathy into going back again next year.

When our busy 2+ days in Portland were up, we picked up a rental car and headed east towards Mt. Hood and the Columbia River gorge -- good decision. Again, great scenery and great beer was enjoyed. We stopped at Full Sail for lunch and was able to get a few pub exclusive beers and a nice view of the Columbia River.

at Full Sail Brewery

After lunch we drove the "Fruit Loop" a 35 mile stretch of road that heads towards Mt. Hood and had over 10 different fruit farms for visitors to stop and take in scenic views of the mountain and buy fresh cherries, apples and ciders.

Our next destination was the Oregon coast. Small little tourist towns blanket the coastline and the drive between the Clatsop and Tillamook State Forests was pretty amazing.

Horsetail Falls

While there weren't the crazy amount of breweries on the coast as are in Portland, the beer culture is still very strong. I only remember seeing a few places with AB-InBev products to drink, most everywhere served local craft beers, which is awesome to see. I think that everywhere we stopped, we were able to try a new and different beer from the stop before. Now, it may seem like all we were doing was drinking beers (we sort of were) but in between we were hiking, biking, reading and eating our way from Portland to Seattle.

Our next stop took us to tiny Lake Quinault Resort for a few nights stay and a trip to the Hoh Rainforest (yeah, we have rainforests in NW USA!). We were able to meet some really fantastic folks who run the resort, as well as, another family visiting for the weekend. We were able to share dinner with them both nights we stayed, and Cathy even "traded" Facebook links with them! We toasted to #IPADay (quietly to ourselves), as our new friends were drinking Coors Light and Tecate! To each his own, I say!

Lake Quinault

A few relaxing days helped refresh us for the crazy tourist area and final destination: Seattle.

We filled our last few days away from home by checking out the Public Market, eating a lot of fish, hunting for ghosts and trying to explore all that Seattle had to offer us. Although, I think I would say that the best time we had in Seattle, was when we left Seattle... and ferried out to Bainbridge Island and caught a few beers on the patio at the local waterfront restaurant.

Market Ghost Tour

I would recommend Portland and the Northwest to any craft beer drinker. I think that they truly embrace the craft beer culture and it is rivaled by no other place at this time. We have been to Asheville, NC (the other beer-centric city) many times, but I have never experienced the full on culture and embrace of craft brewing like in Portland (it is definitely there in Asheville, I just think it is on a way smaller scale). It really is embedded into Portland and is part of what makes that city great.

Cheers and Happy Drinking.

24th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival

I'm excited to say that Cathy and I will be visiting the beautiful city of Portland the last weekend of July. This happens to coincide with Oregon Craft Beer Month (every July) and the Oregon Brewers Festival (always the last full weekend in July). This festival is especially exciting for me because I haven't had much chance at tasting Oregon / West Coast beers (other than the big boys -- Rogue, Sierra, Stone).

Look for some pictures and a write up, when we return. Follow me on twitter (@adamsonnett) or Untappd (adamsonnett) to see what I am drinking at the fest.

Happy Drinking!

Rogue American Amber Ale

Rogue American Amber Ale

Pours a very nice reddish brown amber color with a fair amount of white head at the top. Very hoppy taste for an amber ale. I was very much expecting a more malty flavor but this tastes a bit more like an American Pale Ale than your typical sweet amber beer. Maybe that is why they called it the American Amber...

As I have found with other west coast brews, Rogue comes in with big flavor (a lot like Stone, Full Sail, etc). Not a bad thing when done right, and this beer was done right. It wasn't my favorite beer and I am not going to be rushing out to buy a 6 pack, even though I think that some of my friends could enjoy this beer, especially those who aren't hop heads. I believe that Dead Guy Ale is a much better beer to drink, but all in all, this turned out to be a nice surprise for me and I will definitely try it again.

Who: Joe
Where: Beer Engine
Price: $$$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!

Full Sail Amber

Full Sail Amber - Hood River, Oregon.

When I am tired of IPA's, I always seem to turn toward the amber style. I guess it's a nice change up from the bitter hops of the IPA's.

The beer pours a nice dark amber color as you would expect from the style of beer that it is. A nice mix of citrus fruit, hops and malt are the first things you notice when you smell the beer. Also notice a sweetness (maybe caramel from the sugar).

Pretty smooth and sweet beer. I had 3 last night while watching the Dayton Flyers @ Ohio State basketball game. I think that I would have been better off with 2, as the 3rd didn't go down as easy as the first two. A touch of bitterness showed up towards the end of the last beer that wasn't there with the previous two.

I think that this is a well crafted beer from Full Sail. They talk about how they first started brewing this beer during the 80's light lager craze. Almost as if they were the first brewers to try something different during that time period. I will most likely try others from their collection if I see them in the future and I might even buy another 6 of the Amber if I want a sweeter taste in the future. Overall it was an unexpected pleasant beer.

Who: Billy
Where: My house
Price: $$
Score: 4 / 5

Happy Drinking!