The Official Deschutes Brewery Newsletter
Winter 2008 Vol. 20 No. 1
WHAT’S ON TAP
Buzzsaw Brown. After a successful introduction into the seasonal rotation two years ago, Buzzsaw Brown’s release has been moved from early spring to late winter. This remarkable brown ale is chestnut in color with a medium body and satisfying mouthfeel. With a slightly sweet, biscuity flavor and mellow hop profile, Buzzsaw Brown is an easy drinking beer that is refreshing even after the hardest day’s work.
“Buzzsaw Brown is one of my favorite beers,” says Deschutes Brewery Brewmaster Larry Sidor. “The unique combination of European and American malts makes it a very food friendly beer that pairs well with a wide variety of flavors.”
Deschutes Brewery and Public House Head Chef Matt Neltner recommends pairing Buzzsaw Brown with winter squash and pumpkin flavors, especially seasonal soups or pies, to bring out the beer’s sweet and light flavor profile.
Green Lakes Organic Ale. Deschutes Brewery’s latest release in the Bond Street Series, Green Lakes Organic Ale, hit the shelves right around Christmas. “We have always been committed to sustainability and see this new beer as a natural extension of our interest in doing things the best way possible,” said Deschutes Brewery founder Gary Fish.
“Green Lakes is a classic amber ale,” noted Deschutes brewer Paul Arney. “We used caramel and Munich malts for a nice color and six different varieties of hops.” The reddish colored brew has a nicely balanced taste with a distinctive but restrained hop profile that includes Salmon-Safe certified Sterling hops.
No rock was left unturned as the brewers searched the world for the best available organic ingredients. In fact, Deschutes brewmaster, Larry Sidor, has spent the past four years looking for organic barley to meet Deschutes criteria. “Conventional and organic barleys roast differently,” says Sidor. “We knew we wanted to create an organic beer that had the same signature flavor complexity which also honored the respect for traditional brewing that Deschutes is known for, but -- we had no idea what an adventure this process would be.”
After working with Oregon Tilth for nearly six months, Deschutes Brewery received organic certification for its 50 barrel brew house. The brew house, built in Oregon by JV Northwest, was the anchor of the brewing facility built in 1993 that expanded the operation outside of the original brewery and public house. After brewing 20,000 batches of beer, it now meets the stringent standards of the National Organic Program.
Green Lakes launches in 22-ounce bottles only but will be available in most western states. Then in March, it will be available year-round in 6-packs but only in OR, WA, ID, MT & AK.
The Abyss. If your favorite beer-lover is missing on January 14th…don’t panic. They’re probably just one of the many enthusiasts anxiously waiting in line for the release of Deschutes Brewery’s The Abyss.
This exceptionally popular imperial stout, aged in French oak, pinot noir, and bourbon barrels since March, has immense depth with its rich and complex flavors. True to its name, subtle notes of coffee, chocolate, molasses and licorice pull you in deeper and deeper. Cherry bark and vanilla bean added during the dry-hopping process are the proverbial “cherry on top”!
Early December was originally publicized as the release date for the 2007 version of The Abyss. Perfection cannot be rushed though. Emails from excited fans continue to flood the Brewery asking, “When is it coming and where can I get it?”
“The Abyss has developed somewhat of a cult following,” reveals Deschutes Brewery’s Jason Randles. “In fact, we’ve had reports from some bottle shops where six or seven cases have already been reserved through single bottle orders.”
In addition to being a beer aficionado’s favorite, The Abyss has been showered with industry and consumer awards: the “Best Stout in the World” by Men’s Journal’s October 2007 issue, Top 10 on BeerAdvocate.com’s World’s Best rankings, “Gold Medal Imperial Stout” at the 2007 Great American Beer Festival, and “Best Beer Above 7%, International Champion Beer & Supreme Champion” at the 2007 International Beer Challenge.
“The Abyss was one of those beers I didn’t want to end,” said beer writer and Men’s Journal contributor Christian DeBenedetti. “I was totally blown away - this is precious stuff.”
UPCOMING BREWS
Available only at our Public House in Bend, Oregon
Saison De la Bond
Wolf Mt. Wit - Belgian style wheat
Double Black - Double version of the Black Butte Porter
Rootin’ Tootin’ Low Gluten Ale - sorghum base low gluten beer with Crystal Hops
Horse Ridge IPA
Double Red - Double version of our Cinder Cone Red
Simple Beer - this beer uses all the core ingredients for beer-1 hop,1 malt, 1 yeast, and of course one source of water
St. Abe Belgian Noel - High alcohol Belgian dark beer using coco, juajillo peppers, and candied sugar
Ubër Pils - Higher alcohol version of a traditional German Pilsner
Lupulin Pale - a pale ale made with all lupulin
PORTLAND PUB UPDATE
The construction on the Portland pub is in full swing. The roof is on, the concrete has been poured, the historically accurate windows are being replaced and the framing for the walls is under way. We have our beautiful, shiny Kaspar-Schultz 21 barrel brew system all ready to go here in Bend and will be trucking it over at the beginning of the year. Our brewer, Cam O’Connor, says we’re going to make some really good beer. We’re excited about the progress and are still shooting for a spring opening. In order to keep you posted we now have a Portland Pub page on our web site with all of the latest photos and news links.
Interested in working at the new Portland pub? Check out the employment page of our web site or send your resume to careers@deschutesbrewery.com.
FROM THE PUB KITCHEN
Irish-Stout Sausage (Links)
Makes 40 lbs
40 lbs ground pork
¼ oz ground sage
¼ oz ground ginger
¼ oz nutmeg
¼ oz mace
1 T ground white pepper
¼ cup kosher salt
2 cups Obsidian Stout
Mix ingredients together in Hobart mixer until thoroughly blended. Check for seasoning. Put into hog casings and hot smoke until internal temperature reaches 145F.
UPCOMING EVENTS
5th Annual Crabfest
January 25th & 26th
Starts at 6:00 pm
Live music performed by Bill Keale.
Tickets are $75 per person, and include all the beer, wine, and crab you can eat (of course gratuity, too).
Appetizer: Fresh Oyster Bar
Appetizer: Chorizo Sausage Stuffed Squid
Salad: Smoked Sea bass Salad
Ale Crab Boil: Cracked Dungeness Crab Legs, Peel & Eat Prawns, Kielbasa Sausage, New Potatoes - French Loaves, drawn butter & Fresh Lemon
Dessert: Key Lime Pie
Liberty Bank Winterfest
Deschutes Brewery is the official beer sponsor once again for the LibertyBank Bend WinterFest presented by Les Schwab held in downtown Bend taking place Friday, February 8th through Sunday, February 10, 2008.
Created as a way to celebrate arts, culture and winter sports in Central Oregon; WinterFest offers fun for everyone.
For a complete list of WinterFest activities please visit www.bendwinterfest.com.
2nd Annual Poker Run
Click on the logo for all of the details
MIKE’S ANGLE
In 2008 you’ll see the release of our first certified organic beer, Green Lakes Ale. The name comes from an area in the Three Sisters Wilderness. No one is sure exactly how many green lakes there are, as it is a magical place inhabited by fairies. It is said that if you follow the tinkling of the fairy bells, you will find a peaceful glade and slumber while dreaming of really good things; kind of the same result you can achieve with a couple of beers. Green Lakes is an amber ale. Most brewers make amber ale by using a bit of dark malt; we use actual amber. In fact, Alicia in the lab discovered an ancient mosquito encased in amber and successfully cloned a race of miniature dinosaurs.
There have been a few changes since we’ve been certified organic. For example, Paul Arney, who did the certification work, has grown his hair down past his shoulders and has recently taken to braiding flowers into it. There are several restrictions that arise in an organic brewhouse: All of the malt must be transported in a 1969 VW Microbus with a “Question Authority” bumper sticker. The brewers now wear tie-dyed bell bottomed jumpsuits and have adopted nicknames like “Earth Flower” and “Rainbow Muffin”. The brewery is festooned with hanging crystals, black lights and lava lamps. We have a resident druid priest named “Bob”. We brew to the music of Joan Baez, the Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. The greeting of the day has changed from “Hey, how’s it going?” to “Peace, man.” The brewers are mostly barefoot, which is a safety hazard because of the hot liquid and moving parts, not to mention the miniature dinosaurs running all over the place. And there has been a general feeling of love throughout the operation. We hope you feel it when you try the beer.
Peace, man.
NEW TAP HANDLES
A couple of months ago Deschutes Brewery unveiled its new Black Butte Porter and Mirror Pond Pale Ale tap handles in Oregon and Washington after having the same classic handle for over 10 years. Look for new Inversion IPA and seasonal handles at your favorite water holes soon.
ORGANIC RUMINATIONS…
By Amos A. Amarillo
Hiking the Green Lakes Trail for the first time I realize how I fell in love with Oregon. It is here in the Three Sisters Wilderness I find myself at home. Ferns and conifers dominate the landscape. The sound of mouthwatering, clear, running water is never far away. It is as though I were journeying back to the beginning of time. The Green Lakes Trail is the perfect gateway to this Eden reincarnated.
Upon reaching the summit of the trail, it is as though I am on the rooftop of the world, juxtaposed between one ancient, crumbling volcano and another in the process of rebuilding itself. The entire lifecycle of the Earth on stage before me. The scenery on top is in stark contrast to the lushness of the lower elevations. Small trees huddle for protection from the fierce wind. Pebbles and boulders rest side by side where negligent and apathetic glaciers left them. There is a vibrant primordial feeling pervading the scene that is pure, original, and coherent.
It is appropriate to dedicate Deschutes Brewery’s long-awaited first organic brew in a bottle to the gateway of all things good, the Green Lakes Trail. Cheers to the Green Lakes Organic Ale!
Copious amounts of time, energy, and genius were necessary to create the Green Lakes Organic Ale. The seeds were sown some years ago when Paul Arney brewed an organic red for our 14th Anniversary. Jimmy Seifrit resurrected the recipe last March and tinkered with at the Pub until the Scarlet Fire Red emerged. The quaffability of the brew, consumer demand, and a desire to produce an organic beer in a bottle combined to give birth to the Green Lakes Organic Ale. Securing quality organic malted barley and a brewhouse certified organic by Oregon Tilth took some time. Finding organic hops was most challenging though. We procured salmon-safe hops in the Willamette Valley from Goschie Farms. A contract to purchase organic hops is in the works.
One healthy sip of this brew reveals this is no ordinary amber ale. Crystal, Carapils, Munich, and Chocolate (just a touch) malts provide a slightly sweet, solid backbone. The intricate hop profile includes Sterling, Amarillo, Brewers Gold, Centennial, Cascade, and Liberty varieties. It is a well-balanced amber, yet possesses Deschutes Brewery’s signature pizzazz. Eyes grow wide as it graces the palette. Surprise! It is simply, organically delicious.
I look forward to my next trek up the Green Lakes Trail in the spring. It is a good time to refresh and renew as nature wakes from its slumber. And I know what I’ll have in my backpack…a six-pack of 12-ounce bottles of the Green Lakes Organic Ale. Cheers…
NEAR & FAR
This edition of Near and Far takes us for a whirlwind tour, globetrotting from our backyards of Central Oregon to the Sydney Opera House and many places in between. So many great pictures as always. The devotion and pride for craft beer never ceases to amaze us. It warms our heart, makes us smile. Keep up the good work and keep the photos coming! (Check out the pdf version for all of the stories and photos)
EMPLOYEE PROFILE/ NEIGHBORHOOD HOPS
A few Deschutes Brewery employees went above and beyond the call of duty last October when they roadtripped up to Seattle to help out with the Neighborhood Hops traveling beer festivals. (Check out the pdf version for the scoop and photo)