February = Stout Month, and Fort George brewed up 8 Stouts this year.
Fort George Brewery and Public House
1483 Duane St
Astoria

Spank Stout
The Spank Stout is back and better than ever! With plenty of caramel and honey malts fronting this beer plus roast and black barley forming the backbone, this brew is made to balance out the impending heat of four different types of peppers, namely Anaheims, Pasillas, Habaneros, and Jalapenos. We threw 30 lbs of peppers into the rolling boil to impart a well-balanced heat to this great brew. What starts off as a slight heat on the tip of your tongue soon turns into a roasting revelation to the taste buds. We hope you enjoy this very fun and sizzling stout! 5.1 % ABV

Squashed Stout
Vegetable lovers rejoice! Our new veggie stout has two, count ‘em, TWO types of delicious squash in it! Both butternut and acorn squash had their parts creating a truly unique beer. The squash (squish?) imparts a rich, buttery taste to soothe the taste buds into a creamy revelation that will make you realize “I want to be squashed out with this squash stout!” Honey and caramel malts complement the squash by giving it a smooth and sweet body and pleasing mouth feel. Challenger hops balance out the sweetness and impart a floral and spicy bitterness. 6.7% ABV

Polish’s Black Walnut Stout
Our lead production brewer, Michal, aka Polish, put five pounds of walnuts in the secondary ferment to give the beer a light nutty, woodsy taste. He then added one more pound of smoked walnuts in the bright tank for a smoky and roasty aroma. The body of this beer is light with a caramel smoothness that makes the savory walnuts come alive. This is a beer that makes you want to smoke a pipe next to a warm fireplace, wearing a velvet robe, while petting your black panther. 6.8% ABV

Viva La Stout
What does a revolution taste like? Smooth, creamy, and with a kick of cinnamon! Our Mexican Chocolate Stout starts off with a smooth chocolate taste and balanced body. The different chocolate malts give off not only a creamy dark roasted chocolate flavor, but also a bit of bitterness to help prepare you for the wonderful spices that come at the end. With cinnamon, vanilla, and almond spices blended in the chocolate that we put in the kettle and the bright tank, this potent brew is great to enjoy before or after the revolution. Enjoy this sweet yet spicy new stout from the Fort George and celebrate the revolution that is Stout Month. 7.6% ABV

Cavatica Stout
An immense, bold, black as night, American stout beauty; Cavatica is no dry Irish anything. One sip and you’ll surely take notice of what you’re drinking. The name honors this brewer’s affinity with arachnia. Be forewarned, this beer will stain your clothes. This is Fort George’s house stout that has gained a reputation for being mighty and contagious among the locals. 8.8% ABV

Coffee Girl Stout
This year’s Coffee Girl is dry hopped with 5.5 lbs. of Ethiopian Yirgacheffe coffee roasted by the Columbia River Coffee Roasters. the beans impart a bit of a fruity taste along with hints of hazelnut, cream, and smooth caramel. This is a perfect blend for our Coffee Girl beer that has a strong roasted chocolate taste. This beer honors Zetty McKay, who hand-picks the coffee for our stout every year, making sure that the coffee is in the perfect condition to blend with our smooth, chocolatey stout. The beans sat and aged with the beer for a week, and in that time, the beans and brew evolved into something spectacular. A must try for coffee lovers. 9% ABV

Bourbon BBL Cavatica Stout
What could make our Cavatica Stout even better? Bourbon! We let our house stout sit in Maker’s Mark barrels for several months. There in the dark, bourbon-enriched barrel, our stout soaked up as much bourbon quality that it could before we sent it off to the bright tanks. With an up-front bourbon taste backed by our dark, malty stout, the Bourbon Barrel Cavatica is a deliciously potent brew that demands a taste. 9.1% ABV

Kentucky Tart Stout
We took our Coffee Girl Stout and put it into Makers Mark barrels with unique tart notes and let it sit. What came out of the barrels was…unnaturally delicious. Thick in body and strong in dark, roasted malts, this beer was perfect to try to harness the light tartness from the barrels. The sharp, tart taste is light and blends its complex fruit flavors incredibly well with the rich stout it saturated. That, combined with the upfront oak taste from the bourbon barrels and the unique coffee blend provided from the Astoria Coffee Company, makes this amazing beer nothing short of paradise. 9.3% ABV

Laurelwood Collaboration Brewer’s Dinner
02/08/12
Laurelwood Public House and Brewery
5115 NE Sandy Blvd
Portland
503-282-0622
$50
The dinner will feature collaboration beers brewed by Vasilios Gletsos of Laurelwood Brewing Co., Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing, Van Havig of Gigantic Brewing Co., and Tom Bleigh of Hopworks Urban Brewery. These exclusive handcrafted ales will be served with a five-course dinner prepared by Laurelwood’s Executive Chef Aaron Nichols.
Amuse: Chicken coronets with preserved lemon Beer: Cascadian Pilsner brewed by Van Havig and Vasili Gletsos
Appetizer: Mussel and shrimp soup with lemon grass, kafir lime leaf, fish stock, chilies, garlic, shallot, and Thai spices Beer: Thai Wit brewed by Tom Bleigh and Vasili Gletsos
Salad: Blood orange and arugula with red onions, Castelvetrano olives, and parsley Beer: Sour Red blended by Alex Ganum, Tom Bleigh, Van Havig, and Vasili Gletsos
Entrée: Smoked pork belly and pomegranate barbequed brisket with potato-chard gratin, and pomegranate demi glaze jus Beer: Scottish Ale brewed by Alex Ganum and Vasili Gletsos
Dessert: Grapefruit tart with pecan brittle and Chantilly cream Beer: Milk Stout brewed by the Laurelwood Brew Team
The food for this dinner is locally sourced from Draper Valley Farms, Sweet Briar Farms, and Country Natural Beef. Laurelwood will also donate 10% of the collaboration dinner sales to the Oregon Food Bank. Join us for a night of special one of a kind beers and a wonderfully prepared dinner.

Full Sail February Brewmaster Dinner
02/09/12
Full Sail Tasting Room & Pub
506 Columbia St
Hood River, Or 97031
541-386-2247
5pm
$30
Menu
February Brewmaster Dinner will feature a four course “Retro Classics” menu and each course will be paired with one of our award winning brews. Brewmaster Dinners are held the second Thursday of the month during the fall, winter and spring. Our next dinner will be held Thursday, March 8th and will feature seasonal dishes paired with our award winning brews.
“RETRO CLASSICS” MENU
First Course-Prawn Cocktail with Blood Orange Cocktail Sauce and Chiffonade paired with LTD 04
Second Course-Waldorf Salad with Grilled Ricotta Salata paired with Session
Third Course-Stout Marinated Beef Wellington with Roasted Broccolini and Bearnaise Sauce paired with Extra Special Barney
Fourth Course-Brioche Bread Pudding with Session Caramel Sauce and Nutmeg Whipped Cream paired with Top Sail Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter

Chocolate Beer Dinner
02/11/12
Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room
901 SW Simpson Av
Bend
6pm
$65–all inclusive
5 courses of beer and chocolate influenced or chocolate based cuisine

Pappy’s Dark Portland Release
02/11/12
The Hop & Vine
1914 N Killingsworth St
Portland, Oregon 97217
503-954-3322
3-6pm
Block 15 will be releasing Pappy’s Dark and they will be selling bottles of both Pappy’s Dark & Super Nebula in the Bottleshop starting at 3PM-1 per person. Block 15’s brewing team will be in the bar where all 8 taps will feature Block 15 beer including: Pappy’s Dark 2011, Pappy’s Dark 2012, Super Nebula, Imagine, La ferme de Démons, Figgy Pudding and two lighter beers

Caldera Brewing at Oysters and Ales
02/16/12
Bella Union
170 West California St
Jacksonville, Oregon 97530
541-899-1770
Featured beer on tap at a special price, oysters available any way you like them; cooked, over cooked, barely cooked or raw!

Meet the Natian Brewers
02/16/12
The Guild Public House
1101 E Burnside
Portland, OR 97214
6-8pm
Meet Nat and Ian from Natian Brewery with a partial tap takeover of a few of Natian’s beers with raffle prizes from some of Portland’s favorite beer spots-after 8pm help Ian celebrate his 3?th birthday!!

A Festival of Dark Arts- A Carnival of Stouts
02/18/12
Fort George Brewery
1483 Duane St
Astoria
2-10pm
$8 includes a tasting glass, drink tickets will cost $1
This event will include tattoo artists, belly-dancers, a locally curated Dark Art show, a Blacksmith demonstration, fire-dancers, tarot card reading, a Henna artist, dark poetry readings, The Stout Pounders (Celtic music from Seattle)

Zwickelmania-Oregon Brewers Guild Brewery Ooen House and Tour
02/18/12
11am-4pm
http://oregonbeer.org/zwickelmania/

Pouring at the Coast
3/16+3/17, 2012
Seaside
503.738.6391
Fri/McKeown’s 5:30
Sat/Seaside Convention Center 4-9pm
Seaside Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Oregon Brewers Guild will present “Pouring At The Coast,” a craft beer tasting and food pairing festival at the Seaside Convention Center on March 17, 2012. Friday is a Brewer’s Dinner at McKeown’s in Seaside, limited to 50 people, on Friday featuring a five course dinner paired with appropriate craft beers. Dinner begins at 5:30 pm. Reservations are requested.
First course: White Bean and Bratwurst Chili Paired with :
Second Course:Grilled Chicken, Apples and Gorgonzola with Winter Greens. Drizzled with Creamy gorgonzola dressing and Stout BBQ
Third Course: Steamers and Mussels in garlic beer butter Paired with
Fourth Course: Kobe Beef Steak with Mushroom Demi glace and Roasted Fingerling potatoes with caramelized fennel and onions
Fifth Course: TBD
Paired with:

Saturday Tasting and Food Pairing will be held at the Convention Center from 4 pm to 9 pm Guests will have the opportunity taste a variety of Oregon craft brews, sample some local chefs’

Oregon Breweries Have Come Down With a Case of Zwickelmania
Oregon Brewers Guild Hosts 4th Annual Statewide Brewery Tour

What:
On Saturday, February 18, 2012, thousands of beer fans will experience bouts of euphoria mixed with sporadic exuberance as the Oregon Brewers Guild’s 4th annual Zwickelmania brewery open house sweeps across the state. The Presidents Day weekend event offers visitors a chance to go into dozens of breweries, chat up the brewers and enjoy beer samples. Many of the participating breweries are not usually open to the public.

For the uninitiated, Zwickelmania takes its name from the zwickel sample valve on beer conditioning tanks. This sample port is an essential tool in the brewing process and allows brewers to take quality control samples during the fermentation process.

The Oregon Brewers Guild is again offering free shuttle bus service to select breweries in Bend, Eugene and Portland, making Zwickelmania a truly hassle free way to tour Oregon’s breweries.

When:
Saturday, February 18th, from 11:00a.m. – 4:00p.m.

Where:
OBG member breweries and brewpubs across the state.

Cost:
Admission to all Zwickelmania events is free.

For More Information:
For the most up to date information on Zwicklemania, please visit the OBG’s website at http://oregonbeer.org/zwickelmania/.

The newest batch of Full Sail’s very limited bourbon barrel-aged beer is set for release on February 1st. Top Sail Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter has been aging in oak bourbon barrels deep in the brewery’s cellar for an entire year. During those long months the bourbon barrels and time have been working their magic on our Imperial Porter. This commitment to patience and excellence results in a truly special beer – complex, elegant and supremely balanced with added depth and flavor. Soon, Full Sail will be able to share the delicious result— the 2012 reserve of Top Sail Bourbon Barrel Aged Imperial Porter.

“We love the concept of the bourbon barrel aging our beer. Our barrel aged beers have been a Full Sail tradition since 1998 when the Master Distiller from The Maccallan visited the brewhouse and suggested we try it. It was then we discovered the magic that happens when you pair vintage barrels, dedication, and patience. It’s an art form and when done right, it’s a wonderful thing. We brew this special beer in small batches, that’s why it is available in very limited quantities. You should get some while you can,” said Jamie Emmerson, Full Sail’s Executive Brewmaster.

“Brewed back in January of 2011, this imperial style porter was reserved and aged in Kentucky bourbon casks from Maker’s Mark, Jim Beam and Austin Nichols. After a year we created a blend that is 100% barrel aged beer to craft Top Sail. This aging amplifies our robust porter and brings out hints of chocolate, figs, vanilla and oak. It’s deep black in color, with a roasty malt flavor and a rich malt and vanilla sweetness that’s smooth and amazingly drinkable. A wonderful addition to any beer cellar,” added Emmerson. To help the beer aficionados that have the self-discipline to cellar this beer, Full Sail marks the bottle label with the reserve year. Top Sail was awarded a gold medal at the 2010 & 2011 World Beer Championships and was named One of the Top 25 Beers of 2010 by Wine Enthusiast. The beer will be available in 22 oz bottles and limited draft. (ABV 9.5%, IBU 40)

To celebrate the release of this beer Full Sail is planning two Vertical Tasting events that highlight the flavor components of this special brew. “Since Top Sail is a blend of the three barrel varieties, we thought it would be interesting to try a bit of each before blending, so we kegged off a very small stash of each variety for the release. Join us to celebrate the release of this very special beer and taste the nuances between the three versions and the final blend,” added Emmerson. The special tapping will take place at 5 p.m., Wednesday, February 1st, at Full Sail’s Riverplace Brewery in Portland, Oregon and at the Full Sail Tasting Room and Pub in Hood River. For more information call Full Sail at Riverplace at 503-222-5343 or the Tasting Room and Pub at 541-386-2247.

Deschutes “white-knuckles” it from well-worn paths to create a thrilling ride with this new brew

25 January 2012 – Bend, Oregon – Why not? That’s a favorite question around the Deschutes Brewery brewhouse. This mindset spawned the creation of Chainbreaker White IPA a hop-forward, citrus-packed beer with an unmistakably smooth character. The new beer is slated to be released at the end of March to the Pacific Northwest, with distribution expanded to the remainder of Deschutes’ 19 state network over the next few months.

“We’re always experimenting with new ingredients and new styles at the brewery,” said Cam O’Connor, brewmaster for Deschutes. “In the case of Chainbreaker our experimentation really paid off: the marriage of wheat, spices, yeast and hops have all come together to make a very drinkable, complex White IPA.”

The name Chainbreaker White I.P.A. was inspired in part by a legendary mountain bike race in Central Oregon called the Cascade Chainbreaker. The challenging race features a demanding course with multiple terrains, just as this beer challenges the palate to expand with a fusion of wheat and spice low notes alongside significant hop highs. Sweet orange peel and coriander round out the flavor profile for a refreshing ride.

First introduced at the Deschutes Brewery Bend and Portland pubs, as well as appearing at various special events, Chainbreaker White IPA was so well-received that the team decided to take it to the next level and make it part of the brewery’s year-round line up. Vital stats: 5.6 % ABV; 60 IBUs Chainbreaker White I.P.A. will be available in six-packs and twelve-packs in Oregon, Washington, Idaho starting in late March 2012. The beer will continue to roll out to additional states in the brewery’s distribution network later in 2012.

Scottish Beer Week at the Barrel House-we’ll be serving up a variety of Scottish beers all week long!

Join us for Mc Shagger Strong Scotch, a seasonal offering from the brewers with hints of chocolate and smoked peat, dark malts and hints of molasses and chocolate on the palate which lead to a creamy finish with notes of peat and whiskey (7.9% ABV, $5 teardrop);

Lil’ Bo Peat, a peated Scotch blonde that features light sweet malts and grains that greet you in the nose. Soft grasses and grains lend a creaminess to the palate that leads to a light, sweet crisp finish with notes of hop spice (5.6% ABV, $4.5 Imperial pint);

Black Sheep Stout, an easy drinking stout designed to shepherd you at any time on your beer journey, be that breakfast, lunch or supper. Sweet chocolate and roasted malts greet you in the nose. Smooth round notes of coffee and roasted barley on the palate lead to a creamy dark malt finish with a slight spiced hop bite that lingers like fog in the Highlands (5.8% ABV, $4.5 Imperial pint); and

Scottish IPA, an off-kilter seasonal from the brewers that’s a showcase for Calypso, Citra and Sorachi Ace hops. Dark citrus, hop spice and caramel malts greet you in the nose. Light peppery notes and a slight hop burn on the palate lead to a lingering hop presence that leaves you wanting more, much like a bagpiper’s last note (6.8 % ABV, $4.50 Imperial pint).

In keeping with the theme, tomorrow’s Tap It Tuesday at 6 pm is Soured Mc Shagger, a Northwest style sour Scottish ale that was barrel aged for 12 months in French oak. Smoke, peat and caramel malts greet you in the nose. Rich dark caramel, dark breads, peat and a hint of smoke on the palate are followed by a sweet dark candy finish that ends with a crisp dryness that lends itself to another sip for further contemplation (8.9% ABV, $6.50 glass).

Chef Troy has created some delicious specials for this week to pair with our Scottish beers, including: Lamb Shepherd’s Pie featuring braised lamb, celery, onion, carrot, mushroom, peas & corn in a rich red wine sauce and topped with creamy mashed potatoes ($5.5); Scottish Egg Deconstructed – breaded pork sausage topped with a barrel-brined hard boiled egg, whole grain mustard hollandaise & sweet roasted beet relish ($4.5); and Mixed Berry Irish Cream Trifle, a layered individual dessert with Irish cream-soaked pound cake, vanilla custard, tart mixed berry jelly & whipped cream ($4). Soup of the week is Chicken Leek. We’ll also be offering white & dark chocolate nibs for $1.

BIGGER BADDER BLACKER BEER WEEK
MONDAY JANUARY 23 – SUNDAY JANUARY 29
Belmont Station
4500 SE Stark St
Portland
503-232-8538
3-11 M-F
12-11 S-S
OREGON HIGHLIGHTS
* MON JAN 23: We Begin the Descent into Darkness today at 3PM with two amazing beers from Barley Brown’s, possibly the last we’ll have that were brewed by Shawn Kelso, the 13 (dark strong ale) and Turmoil CDA. Plus Laurelwood Moose & Squirrel Imperial Stout, and Deschutes Black Butte XXI. Update: Shawn Kelso is expected to join us for this. Come wish him well before he moves to Boise! Plus a few more.
* WED JAN 25 5 – 7 PM Full Sail Barrel-aged night. Brewmaster John Harris will tap 3 Barrel-aged beers: Top Sail Imperial Porter 2010, Black Gold Imperial Stout 2011, and the brand new Top Sail 2012
* FRI JAN 27 Fort George Stout Night. As a prelude to this Astoria Brewer’s Stout Month in February they will debut four of the best here: Maker’s Mark Barrel-aged Cavatica, Spank (Pepper) Stout, Mexican Chocolate Stout, and Squashed Stout (with Butternut Squash).
* SUN JAN 29 @ Noon BLOCK 15 Imagine tapping. A very limited amount of this bourbon barrel aged Imperial Belgian style stout is available.

There will be more: watch our homepage daily or follow us on twitter @Belmontstation for updates.

February Tours 2012
Behind The Scenes Tours – $75
Friday afternoons 1:00 – 5:00 pm (February 3, 10, 17, 24)
The tour begins at Buckman Village, a small brewery that shares space with a nano brewery and a distillery, located inside a SE pub that features 49 rotating taps. After sampling beers there, we then visit Cascade Barrel Brewing, a 7,000 square foot warehouse where beers are barrel aged and conditioned and unique sour beers are produced. We get a special behind the scenes peek at where the magic happens and taste unusual beers we never thought we would like! We then head NE to sample more beers and enjoy lunch at Laurelwood, Oregon’s first certified organic brewery. Our last stop is Upright, a production brewery with a casual tasting room at a brewery that specializes in farmhouse ales with a pacific NW twist.

Saturday Imbibing Tour – $75
February 11 – 12:00 – 4:00 pm
We begin at Coalition, a small 10 barrel brewery in the inner SE where we taste their handcrafted, highly drinkable beers that reflect traditional brewing techniques and NW innovation. Our next spot is Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB), Portland’s first eco-brewpub that offers handcrafted organic beers in a sustainably built and operating building. We get a fully brewery tour with an in depth description of the brewing process as we sample beers. For lunch we travel north to Breakside Brewery, a small 3 barrel brewery where we sample their vast selection of beers and dine in the restaurant. Our last stop is Lompoc’s Side Bar, a special tasting room that features a variety of barrel aged and seasonal beers that are only available in the tasting room.

FUNday Tours – $60
Sunday afternoons 2:00 – 5:00 pm (February 5, 19)
Sunday evening 6:00 – 9:00 pm (February 26)
We begin sampling new and usual beer styles at Hair of the Dog, a very small 4 barrel brewery in the inner SE that is known for bottle conditioning beers that improve with age. We then head to Widmer, Portland’s largest brewery, and the 9th largest brewery in the US. After snacking on some food and sampling fresh beer, we head to the Mississippi neighborhood’s favorite gathering spot, Amnesia Brewery, where they brew quality beer in a converted warehouse with an outdoor patio. We sit outside and enjoy the scene as we drink some delicious NW inspired brews.

The above tours are all-inclusive of beer, food, souvenir Brewvana Pilsner glass and safe and fun transportation all over town. Tours are 21+ with valid ID required.

Special February Tours

Hood River & More – $89
Monday, February 6 – 12:00 – 5:00 pm
What a way to start your week! Hood River is a beautiful little town, and they have great beer. Join us on a voyage from Portland to Hood River to visit three of the area’s best breweries. Our first stop will be Full Sail where we’ll tour the facility, sample beer and nosh. Next we’ll hit Double Mountain for beer and a tour, ending the day at Everybody’s Brewing for more beer.

Connoisseur Tour with Mike Branes – $69
Sunday, February 12 – 1:00 – 5:00 pm
Mike Branes, head brewer at Migration Brewery, takes you to his favorite Portland places. We’ll begin the tour at Migration, then visit Lucky Lab, followed by lunch at EastBurn, ending the tour at the Horse Brass Pub.

BEER LOVE – $69
Tuesday, February 14 – 5:30 – 9:30 pm
Are you over the lame V-day celebrations? Don’t need a day to remind you that you are single? Don’t need a day to remind you to love your partner? Then join us as we turn this Valentines Day into a celebration of our love of beer! We’ll start off showing our love for sour beer at Cascade Brewing Barrel house for their Tap it Tuesday, then head to NE for a tour of Breakside as well as beer sampling and dinner. The evening’s final stop will be Saraveza’s Bad Habit Room to have more beer and watch The Love of Beer movie. Tour is all-inclusive and will offer an additional pick up and drop off location – Apex Bar.

New School + Brewvana VIP Astoria Tour (an overnight trip) – $120 & up
Saturday, February 25 12:00 pm – Sunday February 26 – 2:30 pm
February is stout month, and Fort George has gone crazy with their dark and delicious, malty, liquid heaven beverages so we’ve got to go check them out! Hop on the Brewvana Bus and ride to the beautiful Oregon coast, check out three different breweries, and sample beer, have dinner at Fort George, spend the night in a beautiful hotel in Astoria, stop at another brewery in Cannon Beach and head home Sunday afternoon.
Itinerary
Saturday 12:00 pm – Leave Portland
Stop #1 – Rogue – beer sampling and appetizers
Stop #2 – Astoria Brewing – beer and tour with John Dalgren, head brewer
Stop #3 – Fort George Brewery – dinner and stout sampler tray
Shuttle to the Holiday Inn Hotel

Sunday 11:00 am – Leave Astoria
Stop #4 – Bill’s Tavern & Brewhouse
2:30 pm – Return to Portland

This tour is all inclusive. Beer provided for the road by Fort George Brewery. Must make a reservation in advance to secure your seats. Book together based on occupancy; with double occupancy may request 1 king or 2 queens.

APPLICATIONS ARE NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR FALCONER FOUNDATION BREWING SCHOLARSHIPS

With the generous co-sponsorship of the Seibel Institute of Technology, the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation is offering two full-tuition brewing education scholarships in 2012.

One scholarship is to the World Brewing Academy Web-based Concise Course in Brewing Technology from August to November 2012. The Concise Course in Brewing Technology is a two-week intensive program that covers every topic critical to successful brewery operations. The program is designed for brewers pursuing a wider knowledge of professional brewing standards and techniques in order to advance their brewing careers as well as individuals planning to enter the brewing industry.

The second scholarship allows candidates to apply for one of three two-week Web-based modules from the International Diploma in Brewing Technology Program. This specialty brewing scholarship is intended for those brewers who seek an in-depth understanding of a specific brewing discipline. Candidates must designate which module they wish to attend.

The Concise Course scholarship is open to individuals planning on entering the brewing industry and to professional brewers with no more than three years of brewery work experience. The specialty brewing scholarship is open only to professional brewers. Applicants must be from the states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Alaska, and Hawaii and California’s northern geographic region (San Francisco Bay/Monterey Bay areas and north). The full application must be received no later than March 23, 2012. Complete details and scholarship applications are available at www.siebelinstitute.com.

Laurelwood Collaboration Brewer’s Dinner

Laurelwood Brewing Co. is holding a one of a kind collaboration brewer’s dinner on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. The dinner will feature collaboration beers brewed by Vasilios Gletsos of Laurelwood Brewing Co., Alex Ganum of Upright Brewing, Van Havig of Gigantic Brewing Co., and Tom Bleigh of Hopworks Urban Brewery. These exclusive handcrafted ales will be served with a five-course dinner prepared by Laurelwood’s Executive Chef Aaron Nichols. Tickets are $50 per person and available at the NE Portland and Battle Ground, WA Laurelwood locations. The menu is as follows:

Amuse: Chicken coronets with preserved lemon
Beer: Cascadian Pilsner brewed by Van Havig and Vasili Gletsos

Appetizer: Mussel and shrimp soup with lemon grass, kafir lime leaf, fish stock, chilies, garlic, shallot, and Thai spices
Beer: Thai Wit brewed by Tom Bleigh and Vasili Gletsos

Salad: Blood orange and arugula with red onions, Castelvetrano olives, and parsley
Beer: Sour Red blended by Alex Ganum, Tom Bleigh, Van Havig, and Vasili Gletsos

Entrée: Smoked pork belly and pomegranate barbequed brisket with potato-chard gratin, and pomegranate demi glaze jus
Beer: Scottish Ale brewed by Alex Ganum and Vasili Gletsos

Dessert: Grapefruit tart with pecan brittle and Chantilly cream
Beer: Milk Stout brewed by the Laurelwood Brew Team

The food for this dinner is locally sourced from Draper Valley Farms, Sweet Briar Farms, and Country Natural Beef. Laurelwood will also donate 10% of the collaboration dinner sales to the Oregon Food Bank. Join us for a night of special one of a kind beers and a wonderfully prepared dinner.

As stated by Vasili Gletsos, Brewmaster, Laurelwood Brewing Co., “For this Collaborative Beer Dinner, we have broken the mold and created a unique experience by first asking the Chef to create a seasonal menu and then getting together a great set of brewers to create beers to pair with it.
The selection of the participating brewers has special significance for me since I have chosen to work with brewers who have been my past Brewmasters at my previous breweries here in Portland, and who have all gone on to other breweries, as I have. Part of what working at Laurelwood has given me is the flexibility to make lots of one-off and seasonal beers, as well as to answer the question “when will I ever get to work with those awesome brewers who have taught me so much?” This is a great opportunity for me to have a little reunion of brewers I have a high regard for as well as are good friends of mine. I know everyone else will be really pleased with the unique beers and pairings that we come up with.”