Glass Dismissed
Ale appreciation classes on tap
Posted by: John Chandler on Mar 12, 2010 at 09:00AM
5 Comments
Have you browsed the beer aisle at Fred Meyer lately? Sheesh! It’s a veritable Library of Congress of confounding labels, from teeny-weeny domestic microbreweries to exotic imports in towering bottles with $10 price tags. If you’re feeling a bit flustered by all the unfamiliar faces, relax and rejoice ’cause help is on the way.
A recently organized organization called Oregon Beer Odyssey is hosting a series of beer appreciation classes at various drinking venues across the city. Co-founder Ben Edmunds, a brewer who’s worked in Belgium and Germany, explains that attendees will acquire knowledge about beer styles as well as specific flavor descriptions which should magically transform them from six-pack slobs into erudite icons of sudsy sophistication. The classes start March 20 and most are individual sessions with titles such as “Tasting and Talking About Beer” and “Great Beers of the Northwest.” Damn, where were these guys when I was in college? I could have gotten a master’s degree in two years. “Yeah, we aren’t offering degrees in beer styles,” Edmunds laughs. “Although they do in Germany.”
They’re way ahead of us over there.
Oregon Beer Odyssey’s headquarters is in the same building as Beermongers bottle shop at 11th Avenue and SE Division St. Edmunds is visualizing the area as a hoppy hotspot, with the debut of a beer bar called Apex in another month or two. “They’re going to have a pretty aggressive opening,” Edmunds says. “They’ll open with 50 taps.”
So this stretch of inner Southeast will soon sport a bottle shop, a beer-centric bar, and a place to get some lager learning. I plan on enrolling and maintaining a sparkling GPA (Great Passion for Ale). Education never tasted so good.
Tags: Beer
Road trip to Germany?? For the degree I mean. Also, you should know this spam filter thingy just asked me to type in the words “spiteful can.” I’m considering this an omen, and thus will drink from bottles for the foreseeable future. Because that’s just creepy.
Great post – way to keep the beer-lateriat informed about all things beer. Apex sounds like my kind of place, too.
I’m afraid my neighborhood is getting over run with too much beer. Just kidding- let me know when it’s time to hit the new bar, BP.
Beermongers is where I get my kegs. One of the last times I was in there, I thought I overheard someone say that the people behind Apex are also somehow affiliated with the Toronado in San Francisco. If there’s any truth to that, it bodes well.
APEX is finally open and the space kicks ass! They have a fantastic selection of beers pouring right now and the outdoor picnic tables are awesome. I can’t wait until they work up to 50 taps. I hear they are going to serve some pretty rare beers.