The Official Deschutes Brewery Newsletter

Summer 2008 Vol. 20 No. 3

WHAT’S ON TAP
Sensational Summer Ales & Wild Reserves 
Head toward the light or go to the darkside. It is all possible with our summer lineup of beers!

Twilight Ale. Summer is here! Let’s get outside and squeeze the most out of every day. That’s what Twilight Ale is all about. Employing four different hop varieties, the hints of citrus in this lively, crisp ale guarantee an easy-drinking beer that quenches the thirst of summer like no other.  Twilight Ale is a refreshing choice whether consumed at the trailhead, in your backyard, or wherever your summer adventure finds you.  Our brewers and chefs pair Twilight Ale with anything you can pack into a picnic basket, especially foods like bratwurst and potato salad, sharp cheddar cheeses, and BBQ chicken. You will find this seasonal offering on the shelf and on draft through September. 

20th Anniversary Wit. Deschutes Brewery’s summer Bond Street Series offers yet another refreshing, hot weather quencher to complement Twilight Ale. This unique Belgian-style wheat beer was brewed with zested Curacao orange peel and just enough spices to keep your taste buds guessing. Our brewers tinkered with the recipe for months at the Public House in Bend, Oregon, before perfecting what will arrive on shelves in 22-ounce bottles this June. One prototype of the Wit was sampled at Portland’s Spring Beer and Wine Festival in March, where it earned a gold medal. With a whisper of citrus and a dash of spice, the 20th Anniversary Wit matches well with spicy Thai dishes, like Pad Thai, garlicky Caesar salad, rosemary chicken, or smoked cheeses, such as Gouda.

Black Butte XX. This masterpiece is a tribute to Black Butte Porter, the revolutionary Deschutes Brewery beer that has excited beer enthusiasts since 1988. This special Reserve Series release is a colossal version of Black Butte Porter. Our brewers enhanced this elixir with Theo’s Chocolate cocoa nibs from Seattle, “dry-hopped” with 100 pounds of Bellatazza’s locally roasted coffee, and then aged a portion of it in Stranahan’s Colorado whiskey barrels. These regional partners provided quality artisan ingredients that give this commemorative beer a truly handcrafted complexity.  A very limited amount of Black Butte XX was released on draft at select establishments and in hand-waxed 22-ounce bottles on June 27th. Black Butte XX is perfect served with flank steak and chimichurri sauce, crème brulée, cherries jubilee, and strong bleu cheeses.

The Dissident. Every once in a while you just have to go against the grain. Not to mention the yeast. We are thrilled to introduce (and drink) our wildest brew yet, The Dissident—a distinctive, Belgian-style, sour brown ale, brewed with cherries from Central Washington. Fermented for 18 months with wild, Belgian yeast, we had to isolate this brew so as not to risk wrecking our primary cellar.  We always discard convention where our Reserve Series is concerned. The Dissident argued for more time, delaying its release by several months. Without further ado, we present to you this labor of love as of August 18th. That is, if The Dissident will let us.

An Exclusive Interview with Woody
Nine Questions with a Champion
By Amos A. Amarillo

One of Deschutes Brewery’s newest team members has garnered accolades from all corners of the territory. It seemed appropriate for this plucky reporter to snag an interview with the former heavyweight shot put champion and beer guru extraordinaire. He had time for just nine questions before he pulled out for his next festival. Despite his limited time, he was gracious, candid, and full of mirth, underscoring his playful nature. I had to choose my questions carefully, as I wanted to make them count. Here they are with his answers:

Describe the nature of the work you do for the Brewery?
I am an ambassador. I bring an authentic Deschutes Brewery experience to our raving fans, in their backyard. I make them smile, laugh, even dream. It’s about showing the love, Deschutes Brewery-style. And quenching mighty thirst...

What was your life like before Deschutes Brewery?
Well... I trained all my life to be a champion shot-putter and I accomplished this. I hold the world record for the longest, and highest, shot, by an under-25 year old barrel, ever. They were glory-filled years, to be sure. Part of my training regimen included beer. Beer...is food. I realized great beer was the only way to go. It’s healthy for me and I enjoy it more. It became a hobby of mine...seeking out great beer. When I retired from professional sports, it was a no-brainer to go into the beer business. Especially since they said I didn’t have the right voice for broadcasting...

What’s your employer like?
Deschutes Brewery? Oh they’re terrific. I mean, c’mon. They make so many delicious beers. I am happy and proud to pour any one of them. And the benefits package is out of sight.

There are some rumors regarding a “Betty”. Can you describe that relationship for the record?
You know...rumors. My relationship with Betty is all business, totally professional. Yes, we work very closely together. I am dependent on her for so many things. To be honest, I couldn’t do my job without her. She is everything I ever could’ve wanted...

What are your plans for the future?
My immediate future is busy. My summer is booked full of events. Lots of music and beer festivals. I have no plans to retire anytime soon. I love representing the Brewery. Eventually I would like to brew my own beer, maybe open a brewpub like Gary did twenty years ago. And I should probably set some records on the senior shot put circuit at some point.

What’s your favorite body part?
My disco ball, without a doubt....

How do you feel about being a completely one-of-a-kind individual?
I definitely relish my special status. I am not aware of any other big, mobile, wooden barrels out there, but I wouldn’t mind “getting down” together if one came along.

How did you come by your name? Do you go by any others?
I am made out of mostly wood. Oak, actually. Kind of natural to be named Woody. I have been called dreamboat, superfly, everyman, and “guv’nah”.

A current schedule of events featuring Woody can be found at www.neighborhoodhops.com.

SAGEBRUSH CLASSIC: July 18 & 19, 2008
Handcrafted Beer and Haute Cuisine Are Main Course at 2008 Sagebrush Classic...

Celebrity chefs and beer are the perfect pairing at the Sagebrush Classic. July 18th & 19th marks Deschutes Brewery’s 20th Sagebrush Classic, at the exclusive Broken Top Club in Bend, Oregon. The affair showcases an intriguing lineup of talented chefs from around the world. This high-profile golf and dinner event has raised nearly $2 million for several nonprofit organizations benefiting children and families in Central Oregon.

“This is such a special weekend for many reasons. It unites chefs from all over the world who work hard preparing their specialties for our community. Plus, I have never seen another event that combines high-end contemporary cuisine with handcrafted beer,” says Deschutes Brewery Founder and President Gary Fish.  “It might sound like an obvious idea in 2008, but when Sagebrush started, no one even considered beer and world-class food as a match, even world-class beer!”

The Classic Feast on Saturday, July 19th, is a sensory extravaganza, prepared by a starstudded lineup of 18 celebrity chefs from across the nation and around the world. It is one of the Northwest’s premier culinary events and Central Oregon’s “Party of the Year.” More than 1,200 guests sample gourmet cuisine, sip handcrafted brews from Deschutes Brewery, and enjoy complementary wines. Diners dance to top-notch entertainment under the summer sky to round out the evening. This year’s opening act is concert rock violinist, Aaron Meyer. Headlining the bill is Jack Mack & The Heart Attack.

MIKE’S ANGLE
Witticisms

Deschutes Brewery has long been known for its traditional handcrafted English ales.  To that end, for our 20th Anniversary we have created a Belgian Wit Bier. It is called “Wit” because it is clever and funny – or as Webster’s defines it, “... the association of ideas in a manner natural, but unusual and striking, so as to produce surprise joined with pleasure.” The Belgians do other funny things, too. They have words like “vershrikkelijk” which is useful to say if you find yourself choking on a fish bone. Witbier was invented in a town called Hoegaarden by a bunch of very happy monks.  Instead of hops for bittering, they used “grut” – sounds tasty, eh? Grut is a bitter herbal mixture including Curacao orange, coriander and cardamom seed. Speaking of Brussels, do you know what they call Brussel Sprouts in Brussels? Brussel Sprouts – no lie – except they say
it in French or Flemish. Wit is the classic summer beer, it is light and refreshing and fizzy and tastes of cloves and peaches with a floral apricot finish. It is perfect for a sunny afternoon. Or, as they say in Belgium, “aan de afbeeldingen kunt u geen rechten ontlenen” (translation: the photographs have no legally binding force. Ed.).

So grab a Wit and enjoy the feestelijkheden.

EDITOR’S NOTE:
Some of the facts in the above article are true.

FROM THE PUB KITCHEN
Green Lakes Organic Ale Cucumber Salad

This is the Pub version of a Japanese Sunomo Salad.
It is a very refreshing summer salad or works great as a side dish.

2 cups rice vinegar
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup Green Lakes Organic Ale
12 cucumbers
2 yellow onions

Mix the sugar, vinegar and beer in a large container. Slice cucumber and onions thinly. Add cucumber and onions to vinegar mixture and refrigerate. Allow to marinate for 24 hours. Serve as a salad or side dish. 

This can hold in the refrigerator for a week. Yields 1 Gallon.

UPCOMING BEER & FOOD PAIRING DINNER
Oregon Summer Bounty Beer Dinner
Saturday, August 23rd at the Mountain Room, 901 SW Simpson.
Doors open at 6pm. 21 & over!

This menu is intended to easily be vegetarian – please request ‘Vegetarian’ when making your reservation, and we will omit the Scallops and the Beef in the entrees.

A Day For The River (Saturday, September 13th)
Join us for an all-day celebration of the Deschutes River including: canoeing, white water rafting, birding, fly-fishing, and other fun family-oriented events. The festivities will be held at McKay Park, featuring food from local vendors, live bluegrass, and of course, delicious beer! We are brewing a special beer for the Deschutes River Conservancy (DRC) yet to be named. Woody, the big barrel on wheels, will be there to dispense this river-themed beer. All proceeds from the day support the mission of the DRC to restore streamflow and improve water quality in the Deschutes Basin.

NEAR & FAR
From the Historic McKenzie Highway to Antarctica.  (Check out the pdf version for all of the stories and photos.)

EMPLOYEE PROFILE
Deschutes Dirt Riders Unite!

It’s time to hit the trails! Join the Deschutes Dirt Riders Club on Thursdays after work for group mountain bike rides that always end with a tailgate session (if you know what we mean). Official 2008 t-shirts are in the works and sell for $20. All donations benefit bike safety-related issues, focusing on children who can’t afford helmets (or for that matter, bikes). Last year, the club raised nearly $1000 thanks to donations. Contact Colby Nightingale at cnightingale@deschutesbrewery.com for the dirty details.

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