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Good Ideas

Singing the Brews

Wow & Flutter buys fans a beer

Posted by: John Chandler on Jan 24, 2012 at 03:00PM Speech Bubble4 Comments

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Who says all the great ideas have been taken? Behold, an example of thinking outside the box that leads to a very savvy marketing campaign. At Saturday’s record release party, veteran Portland band Wow & Flutter will be giving its legions of fans a download code for a new EP, Double Deuce (Jealous Butcher Records). Now here comes the innovative part: The download code will be emblazoned on a wax seal that tops 22 oz. bottles of Double Deuce Imperial Ale from Alameda Brewing. Think of it: This could become the ultimate marriage of commerce and culture. Soon, every product imaginable, from light bulbs to toilet paper, could come with downloadable tunes. Everything’s a commodity, right? Consumer goods become just a little bit hipper and starving artists get some walking-around money. Win-win.

Drummer Jack Houston, who bottles beverages for Green Bottling Company, figures it’s a sweet deal for everyone. “Our fans tend to be drunks and derelicts,” Houston explains. “This way, they’ll end up buying several copies of the album. And we won’t be stuck with a lot of CDs taking up valuable space in our homes.” Houston says that Alameda head brewer Carston Haney is one such fan—and that he also happens to suffers from synesthesia, a condition that causes him to experience sound as a sensation he can taste in his mouth. “So he wanted to brew something that tasted like our music—you know, classy, strong, and expansive.” Wow & Flutter has been around in one form or another fo more than 15 years, and in that time their music has evolved from immense glacial soundscapes, to buzzy, clattery, punk-infused songs reminiscent of Archers of Loaf, the latter of which describes where the band is at on their new album. “Tighter, shorter, more effective songs,” Houston says.

The CD release party is Saturday, January 28 at Kelly’s Olympian. At press time, the band hasn’t settled on a price for the beer/album two-fer, but Houston promises it will be more than fair. Wow & Flutter: You will drink them up. Meanwhile, here’s a band video from the PDX Pop Now Festival from 2005.

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Tags: New Beer, Alameda Brewing Company, Wow & Flutter, Kelly's Olympian

First Impression: Sasquatch Brewing Company

A new home for brews, bites, and babies

Posted by: Sarah Moore on Jan 23, 2012 at 04:00PM Speech Bubble3 Comments

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Sasquatch

If your weird uncle polished up his floors to a high sheen, bought a bumload of brewing equipment and a whole bunch of classy wooden furniture, and started cranking out gourmet popcorn and toothsome cheese platters, his place would probably look a lot like Sasquatch Brewing Company, a spanking new gastro-pub located out on Capitol Highway. Sporting Southwestern wall hangings, a mounted buck head and a variety of eclectic art—not to mention the requisite ginormous beer-selection-bedecked chalkboard—the place maintains a fun garage-sale charm with none of the spiderwebs. It’s family-friendly vibe, far from detracting, adds to the allure of this refurbished Portland rambler.

Prospective visitors should be advised that, while cozy and cheerful, the bar area has limited seating. Groups should plan to gather around tables, and while doing so, enjoy some of the wonderful food on offer, such as beet fritters with chevre, or buttermilk fried chicken. During happy hour, peckish patrons can munch on excellent fries or house-made herbed popcorn for $2, warm olives or a honeyed pretzel for $3, and the house burger for $6. With its comfy chairs, broad rain-spattered windows, evening candles, and able serving crew, Sasquatch is as good a place to duck in and grab some chow as it is to stay and chill for an hour, two, three…up to you, really.

Live music is in the works and on February 21, giant ape enthusiasts can come meet notables from Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot and learn more about the pub’s elusive namesake. In the meantime you can partake of a wide selection of worthy craft beers (e.g., Oakshire’s Overcast Espresso Stout or the venerable Fred Ale from Hair of the Dog) while anticipating the arrival of Sasquatch’s own house beers; among those planned are a few IPAs, a brown ale, red ale, and a light session ale, all made with Northwest ingredients.

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Tags: New Beer, New Bar, Sasquatch Brewing Company

Beer Bulletin

Happy Birthday, Dear Beer!

Three of our best breweries light the candles

Posted by: John Chandler on Mar 15, 2011 at 10:00AM Speech Bubble3 Comments

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March is loaded with birthdays I would do well to remember. Darryl Strawberry…Paul Kantner… Dr. Seuss… the list goes on. Around these parts, a trio of noteworthy brewing operations also are lighting some anniversary candles and I’m taking this opportunity to offer up my best wishes to the following folks who are always there for me when my thirst for hops gets the upper hand. Cheers one and all!

Laurelwood Brewing Brawny-but-balanced brews like Workhorse IPA and Free Range Red have provided me with countless hours of inspiration and merriment. To celebrate 10 years in the beer biz, Laurelwood will be throwing a birthday bash this Friday at the Laurelwood Pub & Brewery (5115 NE Sandy) from 5-11. Laurelwood brews will be a paltry $2.50 a pint and lucky attendees can look forward to a taste of two spanking-new beers from head brewer Chad Kennedy. The “Big O” Organic Pale Ale (named for the great Oscar Robertson, perhaps?) and the Imperial Workhorse IPA (just like the excellent Workhorse IPA—but bigger!). Cheers to Kennedy and owner Mike De Kalb.

Upright Brewing Brew master Alex Ganum and his hardworking colleagues are marking their second anniversary with a party at the Upright tasting room (240 N. Broadway, Suite 002) this Sunday from 1-6. The star of the show will be Four Play, a sour farmhouse cherry wheat beer that’s been aged in pinot barrels. Brew believers, do not miss this one; it’s based on Four, Upright’s awesome wheat beer that’s been barrel-aged for a year with a load of cherries. Also making an appearance will be the guest of honor from last year’s soiree, the Apricot Anniversary Ale, aged in Ransom Spirits Old Tom Gin barrels. In fact, it’s safe to say you’ll have a barrel of fun!

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Redhook I’ve been knocking back Redhook long before the term craft beer was bandied about. Back in my rock ‘n’ roll days we referred to such tasty titles as Ballard Bitter (now called Long Hammer IPA) and spicy seasonals like Winterhook as “microbrews” (it seems almost quaint now). True, this long-running operation is based in Seattle, but it was the first microbrew to gain national distribution and thus helped pave the way for others to follow. In honor of its 30th anniversary, Redhook has unveiled it’s “back-to-basics” stubby-neck 12 oz. bottle along with some new packaging and color-coded label design. Soon to come from Redhook will be a pilsner style and its Copperhook will be available in cans.

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Tags: Beer Festivals, Craft Beers, Upright Brewing, New Beer, Redhook Brewing, Laurelwood Brewing

Beer Bulletin

Long Live the Kingpin!

The Bar Pilot is seeing red

Posted by: John Chandler on Mar 04, 2011 at 03:00PM Speech Bubble7 Comments

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Yes, I enjoyed a few bottles of Bridgeport’s Kingpin this week.

I can’t remember the last time I had a “go-to” beer, one that exerted a pull so powerful that it caused me to ignore the sale-priced suds of the week and reach for a sixer no matter my financial circumstances. It’s like being in love: When you’re between relationships one tends to be very unsentimental and pragmatic when it comes to passing fancies. In other words, we buy whatever brew is on special. But when Cupid’s arrow finds its mark, and your palate pouts when there isn’t a bottle or two of your favorite in the fridge, the world is suddenly spilling over with choirs, unicorns, and the laughter of children—and that’s how Bridgeport’s Kingpin makes me feel.

Bridgeport’s head brewer Jeff Edgerton (who succeeded the legendary Karl Ockert last year after serving a 13-year apprenticeship with the company) explains that the triple-hopped red ale came about because he was looking for a new brew that would feature Liberty hops, a relatively recent strain with a lovely sweet aroma.

As we chat over the phone, it’s pretty obvious that Edgerton is every bit as jazzed as I am about his latest creation. We agree that it’s surprisingly light and drinkable for a 7.5 percent ABV ale and that Kingpin’s full-bodied “candy orange” citrus flavor is a revelation. The balance of rye and malt is seamless, and even with three loads of hops added during the brewing process, it’s a well-rounded taste with almost no trace of lingering bitterness. Aesthetically, the beer is a rock star from Mars; a deep, rich red in the glass that’s like staring into a warm, ruby infinity. This is a beer that inspires poetry.

The best news of all, Edgerton says, is that Kingpin is a permanent addition to the Bridgeport roster. It also dawned on me that in all the time I’ve been reporting on the local beer brigade, I’ve said very little about Bridgeport. This isn’t because I don’t care for their product—far from it. Bridgeport is as dependable as a bus driver with OCD, and all of their beers are consistently high quality. Blue Heron, Bridgeport IPA, and ESB, are like model employees that you never have to worry about. And now they have a rising star on their hands. So where did the name come from?

“The original idea for the Kingpin label was kind of mafia-inspired,” Edgerton says. “But a lot of people have brought up a bowling connection because of that Woody Harrelson movie.” If I had Kingpin at my local bowling alley, every game would be perfect.

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Tags: Bridgeport Brewing, New Beer

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Jchandlerbar

In his twenty-plus years as a roving journalist and his forty-plus years as a native Oregonian, Portland Monthly web editor John Chandler has developed an appreciation for a properly stirred cocktail, all manner of beer, smoky single malt scotch, and the odd moment of clarity. “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamed of in your philosophy,” is his pet quote, and he’ll break it out whether the occasion calls for it or not. Rock ‘n’ roll snob, film geek, and cultural kibitzer, Chandler can usually be found perched on a local bar stool muttering to himself about “the good old days” when he was always on the @#$%&!* guest list. Approach with caution.

Follow him on Twitter. Email the editor »

Bar Pilot navigates from dingy dive bars to ritzy schmooze-and-booze affairs to brain-melting rock shows, and points of interest in between. Chandler will do his utmost to jot down keen observations, hopefully inspire a few barroom arguments, and guide his readers through another night on the rocks.

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