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Time spent with Larry Sidor, Brewmaster at Deschutes Brewery, sheds some light on the experimental nature of the beer known elegantly as Hop Henge.

Let us sculpt a figure, worthy of the ancients. We begin with an idea and a commitment. We employ new materials and exotic tools. We add passion and experience. Inevitably we fashion something that destiny will declare a heroic journey. It comes as no surprise then as we begin our discussion-the Brewmaster’s first words are, “As always, hopping is an adventure with Deschutes Brewery.”

What is this guy talking about? Hop Henge Experimental IPA has a one-track mind. It is obsessed with its’ role as a heavyweight hop personality. But not just regular, old heavyweight hops. We are talking about a fresh hop heavyweight. The question is how to achieve this without the harvest’s richest bounty-fresh picked hops. With a patent pending for the process, Brewmaster Larry Sidor reveals much about little. He details a new method for extracting everyone’s favorite gland, lupulin, from whole hop flowers. Approximately 3.2 seconds after he says “the measure of the efficiency of concentration”, my head begins to swim towards the dark recesses where I buried high school chemistry. Intriguing….but not my strong suit. The translation is simply this: fresh hop flavor and aroma available all year round. Heroic. Hop Henge brings an undeniably bright hop character to the table. Nothing dull or musty here. The citrus grabs hold of you like a snake charmer with a magic flute. This is the wonder of fresh hops. Have you ever walked through a hop field just before harvest? You want to…trust me.

“Just a minute,” you interrupt. “This is a big beer at 8.75% ABV. The IBUs at 95. This is nothing like the fresh hop beer you make!” True. Hop Henge is properly considered within the imperial realm. Traditional approaches to Imperial IPAs advise adding copious amounts of the highest alpha hops at every opportunity in the beer-making process. However, the resulting “IBU-vehicle” concoction, requiring a huge malt presence and unavoidable alcohol level for a quaffable balance, sometimes misses the mark. Sidor and his merry band of genies never settle for anything less than a bullseye. Armed with an unquenchable curiosity and a full house of hops, they asked “why not?”

Why not add Amarillo and Centennial hops to the malt in the grist mill? Why not utilize some Herkules hops (Germany’s answer to high alpha American hops, but with great aroma) in concert with the Millenniums and Northern Brewers in the kettle? Why not add the hottest hop variety in the country right now, Citra hops (since the Brewery has been tinkering with them for four years), into the hop back with the Northern Brewers and Brewers Gold? Who says you can’t add Cascades and Amarillos into the whirlpool? And maybe some pellets of Centennials, Cascades, and Amarillos into the fermentation tank (very unusual for Deschutes Brewery)? Or how about a seven-day dry-hopping with whole hop Citras just to round it all out? Whew! That was heavyweight….5.01 pounds per barrel, to be exact!

Additions. Extractions. Combinations. And fascination. Certainly a journey. A heroic journey. Examining Hop Henge like a tea leaf, in search of my muse, I smell this fantasy turned reality long before it glides over my palette. Orange zest and pink grapefruit serve as olfactory intoxicants. The carbonation not only tickles my nose, but makes my tongue feel like it is coated in bubble wrap gone mad. It deftly accents the bitter citrus I crave. Piney bitterness swells intensely. A clean, malty sweetness rescues me in the middle of the wave, just as I reach bitter overload. Only to be plunged deeply back into a complete, satisfying, hop immersion. I arrive suddenly back on shore, magically standing on two legs, with only the echo of a vibration on my tongue.

I am a hophead. And I am in love.

By Amos A. Amarillo

Original art by four Tumalo Art Co. members whose art has been chosen for the packaging of Deschutes Brewery’s popular seasonal winter ale, Jubelale, will be shown during the First Friday Gallery Walk, February 5th, 5-9pm in Bend, Oregon.  Pam Jersey Bird, Lindy Gruger Hanson, Susan Luckey Higdon and Tracy Leagjeld will all have more of their current work on display.

Jubelale’s yearly fall release is highly anticipated both for it’s distinctive taste and because a different local artist is chosen to have their art used on the packaging each year.  This season Tracy Leagjeld’s monotype of a wintry scene with ski tracks was used for the design.

All original Jubelale artwork becomes part of Deschutes Brewery’s own collection in their headquarters in Bend.  Viewing the collection is the final stop and a highlight on Brewery tours.  For that reason the four originals will only be on display during First Friday Gallery Walk Feb.5.  New work by the four artists will be shown through February.  Jubelale will be served during the event.

Tumalo Art Co. is located at 450 SW Powerhouse Dr. #407 in the Old Mill.

I attended a beer dinner the other night.  It has taken me a few days to digest (pun intended) exactly what happened.  This was a fundraiser for Morrison Children and Family Services in Portland.  A description of their services follows.

The event was deemed “Chef’s Challenge” in that seven of Portland’s finest chefs would combine their talents to pair their dishes with Deschutes’ beers in a very friendly competition.  I was lucky enough to be one of the judges of this august contest, at least I thought.

Along with me as judge was John Foyston, noted retiring beer columnist for the Oregonian; Cole Danehower, of Northwest Palate Magazine; Amy Faust, of The Wolf 99.7 FM; and Alan Kropf, of Mutineer Magazine.

The evening started off innocently enough with a trio of appetizers from Deschutes Brewery’s own Chef Jeff Usinowicz, who made Cortes Island Oysters on the half shell with a hop infused ponzu sauce, quail egg yolk, and tabiko caviar and the first, Ale Pretzel with a warm chantrelle mushroom taleggio cheese sauce for the second and a hop and lime marinated wild gulf prawn with a mango glaze.  All paired with Cascade Ale.  This was a delightful way to begin and a great palate conditioner.  Then things began to get serious.

Chef Pascal Chureau of Fenouil prepared a Rabbit Loin Crepinette with Chantrelles Faro Risotto, Bone Marrow Butter and Maple Syrup and Bourbon Gastrique paired with Miss Spelt Hefeweizen.  Everything went very quiet at the judges table.  We all agreed that whatever the flavor of Bone Marrow Butter actually was, it was a huge hit and the only criticism was there should have been more of it on the dish.  Admittedly, I was not excited about the pairing on this one at first.  But after trying it the pairing was done brilliantly!  The esters of the yeast and husky graininess of the spelt knitted perfectly with the rabbit and even the marrow butter.  We were off and running for sure.

Next, Chef Adam Berger from our neighbor Ten 01 paired our D Straat Dubel with House made duck and hazelnut sausage with cranberries.  This was done in a much more Germanic preparation, but, again, a brilliant pairing.  The sausage was laid on a bed of cooked red cabbage with cranberries on the side.  The sausage was sprinkled with crushed hazelnuts and tangy salt.  The fruity sweetness of the Dubel worked its way into the tanginess of the cabbage – no doubt cooked with vinegar – and the sweet tanginess of the cranberries with the soft gaminess of the duck sausage and, finally, the salty, nutty hazelnuts all touched every sensory gland in my mouth.  I was beginning to sense this event was, truly, something special.

Next came Chef Paul Bachand from Farm to Fork prepared a Smoked Trout, Leek and Potato Mason Jar Pie, with Fresh Herb and Winter Radish Salad.  Going in I didn’t know what a Mason Jar Pie was, but I sure learned.  Resembling a Pot Pie, it was comfort food on steroids.  Soft, warm and savory with the smokiness of the trout, the pie was accompanied by an herb (mostly frisee) and winter radish salad.  Taken all together it paired (again) brilliantly with the Long Shadow Black IPA, contrasting perfectly with the beers bright herbal hoppiness and the roasted astringency of the malt it was another of many surprises for me that evening.  I think it was at this point that John Foyston turned to me and said, “We are so screwed!” Of course referring to the inevitable judgment we would be required to make.

The next course was from Chef Kurt Spak of Alba Osteria.  He paired Jubelale with  Agnolotti al Plin with Oregon Black Truffles.  This turned out to be my favorite of the dishes that evening.  Of course, it’s wonderful to do a dinner in truffle season.  The soft, rich agnolotti and the rich earthiness of the truffles paired seamlessly with the malty, hoppy Jubelale .  It was game-on now as Amy turned to the rest of us with a wistful look and said, “I didn’t think I had any love left!”  That pretty much summed up what the rest of us were feeling as well.  But our work was far from done.  The amount of love we all carried would be sorely tested for sure!

Our final “dinner” course was Chef Cathy Whims of Nostrana who paired Obsidian Stout with Cauliflower Sformato with Oregon Black Truffles.  This is where we all went into a bit of sensory overload.  Rich, creamy cauliflower pudding covered in cheese sauce with generous slices of truffle all over.  My kind of food.  Cathy outdid herself with this one!  What can I say about the pairing except, perfection.  Simple, humble, perfection.

Finally, it was time for dessert.  This dish prepared by our own Pastry Chef Jill Ramseier who made a bevy of delights entitled, Sweet & Salty Peanut Butter Bon Bons with Root beer Meringue.  These “bon-bons” were two and quite different.  One traditional bon bon and one of peanut butter ice cream.  The Root beer Meringue had everyone mesmerized and they worked around the chocolate butterfly Jill made to wow the crowd with her presentation.  All this paired with, what else? The Abyss.  Unbelievable!

Afterward, the judges awarded Chef Spak’s agnolotti first prize while the audience favorite was Chef Bachand’s Mason Jar Pie.  In private conversations John Foyston and I agreed that after attending hundreds of beer dinners over our careers (and some very, very good ones) this may have been the best one ever.  If you were there you will know what I mean.  If you missed it, well, you really missed it.  We will look forward to doing more as we continue to push the envelope.  Records are meant to be broken, after all.  Watch our website for announcements of coming events.  You will want to make the next one for sure!

Cheers,

Gary

Links:  http://www.morrisonkids.org/

Morrison Child and Family Services provides a comprehensive range of mental health, substance abuse, juvenile justice, and prevention services. Each year we touch the lives of more than 5,000 children and their families who are struggling with physical and sexual abuse, neglect, exposure to drugs and alcohol, learning disabilities, depression, and serious emotional trauma. Our programs include residential, day treatment, outpatient counseling, parent education, home and school-based programs, and foster care.

EAT GOOD. DRINK GOOD. DO GOOD.

Monday, December 14th from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Deschutes Brewery’s Portland Pub will present the opportunity for a handful of Portland’s hottest chefs to be pitted against each other in this fierce but friendly competition. Each chef’s creativity will be spotlighted as he/she creates a special dish to pair with a different Deschutes beer. Local celebrity judges will select the best food/beer pairing of the evening while event guests will also have their say via the People’s Choice Award. Proceeds from the event benefit Morrison Child and Family Services.

Competing Chefs to include:
Paul Bachand, Farm to Fork
Adam Berger, Ten 01 and Tabla Mediterranean Bistro
Pascal Chureau, Fenouil
Kurt Spak, Alba Osteria
Jeff Usinowicz, Deschutes Brewery
Cathy Whims, Nostrana

Only 100 tickets to this event are available. Just $75.00 admission into this private culinary experience will include a serving of each of the 6+ food and beer pairings and the opportunity to vote for the People’s Choice Award.

Register here: http://morrisonkids.org/events/

Morrison Child and Family Services delivers specialized services to children, ages birth through 18, and families coping with adversity and trauma. At the core of our work is a deep respect for the complexity of human nature and human needs–we guide children and their families through difficult issues by creating tailored treatment plans to address individuals needs and help them live productive lives.

Flowing lazily through Bend thanks to a small dam, the otherwise wild and turbulent Deschutes River pools up to form the serene Mirror Pond. Sitting at the heart of downtown Bend, this beautifully reflective pond provides locals and visitors with the perfect summer stroll amid the massive Ponderosas along the bank. Kayaks and river floaters share the pond with the swans and ducks, and footpaths wind along the shoreline. Warm summer nights bring thousands along the shore to enjoy concerts every week. Car shows, farmers markets, concerts, and countless other festivals fill the shady green lawns of adjacent Drake Park throughout the year.

Do locals take quaint little Mirror Pond for granted? Sometimes. Afterall, a 20 minute drive can put you among dozens of remote high alpine lakes, deep in the Cascade Range. Yet despite its diminutive size and pedestrian traffic, this shiny pond provides daily respite from the bustle modern life. Whether you’re a Bend local or in town for the slopes or trails, do yourself a favor and enjoy a nice stroll, bike ride, or picnic along Mirror Pond.

All of the above can also be said about our Mirror Pond Pale Ale. Tried and true, a blend of wild and civilized, our award winning Mirror Pond Pale Ale embodies all that is great about Bend. So whether at our pub, at the Munch ‘n Music festival, or at home, keep the Mirror Pond flowing!

Geoffrey Landgraf

Author of “All Around Bend” & Deschutes Brewery employee

Well, lots has been going on around Deschutes Brewery lately. Everyone has been so busy; keeping up with communication sometimes does not get the priority it deserves. I am writing here on the day after The Abyss release. This is probably the most anticipated event of the year here (although Hop Trip day is pretty cool too). People line up early to make sure they can get their supply. It becomes an event of its own. I went down to the pub last night and enjoyed some of the nectar myself. They had the ’07,’08 and ’09 versions all on tap at the same time. Quite the unique experience keeping up with how the product really ages. As we stood by the bar enjoying our libations, some of the brewers and myself were discussing, among the various attributes of The Abyss, the difference between the “vintages”. Certainly, the older versions were more oxidized; after all, that is what the aging process is. But the flavors were knitting together in very interesting ways. The ’09 tasted pretty “linear” to me. All the various flavors were on display in their individualistic forms. The alcohol, roasted malt, molasses, licorice, etc. were easily identifiable. With the older versions, whereas the flavors were all there, they seemed to be creating new flavors as the sum of their parts. The wood was a pleasant background as was the bourbon, although the vanilla characteristics of both were working pleasantly with the tannins in the roasted malt now. The molasses had lost much of its sweetness, leaving earthy flavors that seemed to meld with the licorice in perfect harmony. The longer the liquid sat in my mouth, the more it revealed. As my palate seemed to get more accustomed to the product being there, more layers appeared; dark fruits and spices, roasted herbs and more earth. All in all it was a truly rewarding experience because the time, efforts and patience of so many seemed to be rewarded so appropriately.

We have always believed our Reserve Series beers would age well. But, until we actually could experience it, we would not know for sure, or for how long. I believe they have significant aging capacity, particularly with products like The Abyss and The Dissident because of their acidity and the tannins that provide the structure on which these beers will age gracefully for many years. How fun the discovery!

Our Reserve line of beers has created some very interesting opportunities and some interesting challenges as well. We have attempted, with all our products, to push our own limits in beer making. We have created beers that will age like wine, use many non-traditional ingredients (whatever that means, because tradition is an elusive thing very conducive to selective memory), age in various types of wood barrels and date the bottles in a completely confusing way.

Larry Sidor, our Brewmaster, and I periodically have private tastings where we sit in his office and drink whatever esoteric beer we might have recently come upon, solving all the brewery’s and many of the world’s problems at the same time. Sometimes the beers we drink come from abroad, often from Belgium. As we all know the Belgians can be somewhat creative in the ways they make beers and in the ways they market those beers. As we were sitting there one day examining the label of a particularly unique Belgian offering (no, I don’t remember which one it was) we noticed the date code on the label said “best if consumed after . . . “ The date was set at least a year out (not knowing the bottling date we could not be sure). “What a clever idea!” We had been struggling with date coding our Reserve Series beers because we knew they could cellar well for several years, just how many we could not yet be certain. It is likely, that with some, they may last for a decade or two, or more. So, last year we started date coding our Reserve Series bottles with a “Best After” date that was set one year from bottling. We thought the beers were better off having a year to age and would only improve from there. Well, people were certainly confused. “Is it ok to drink before one year?” “Will it make me sick?” The answers are simple, no it will not make you sick (Unless you drink too much and we all know we drink responsibly, don’t we?) And, yes it is ok to drink before one year. As evidenced by our experience last night, it is not only ok, but terribly delicious as well.

So, our recommendation is as always, buy enough bottles so you can enjoy one now and have others to enjoy as far in to the future as your patience and self discipline will take you. Keep it “cellared” appropriately in the mean time (in a cool, dark place), so your efforts will yield the maximum benefit. Maybe you can put on your own “vertical” tasting for family and friends and show what you really know one day.

Cheers!

Gary Fish, owner

For over 15 years, Jubelale lovers have enjoyed the art on the outside of the bottle almost as much as the art inside the bottle. Each year, a different Oregon artist designs a winter-inspired label to adorn this festive holiday ale. This year, Deschutes Brewery is taking all of the Jubelale art on tour.   All events will showcase a full line-up of Jubelale illustrations through the years, as well as tastings of 2009 Jubelale.  In addition, limited edition retrospective posters that highlight all 22 Jubelale labels will be available.

The Jubelale Art Tour is in full force so check out the list of stops below to see where you can view the collection of Jubelale artwork and sample the beer.

December
12/1  Fenario Art Gallery 5-7 pm | Eugene, OR

12/2  Bier Stein 5-7 pm | Eugene, OR

12/3  Art Source Gallery 6-9 pm | Boise, ID

12/4  Rodeo Steakhouse 5-7 pm | Junction City, OR

12/5  Winterfest 1-9 pm | S. Pearl – Denver, CO

12/5  Anthem Golf & Country Club 10 am -10 pm | Persimmon, AZ

12/7  Lola 6-9 pm | Denver, CO

12/9  Bear Creek Beers 5-7 pm | Medford, OR

12/12  The Front Door 6-9pm | Boise, ID

12/11  Argonaut Liquors 3-6 pm | Denver, CO

12/11  BevMo 4-7 PM | Scottsdale, AZ

12/15  Coach & Willies 4-7 pm | Phoenix, AZ

12/17  Whole Foods 4-7 pm | Scottsdale, AZ

12/18 Downtown Phoenix Art District 7-10 pm

12/19 Papago Brewing Co. 6-9 pm | Scottsdale, AZ

12/20  Way Cool Hair Pollution Gallery 4-7 pm | Phoenix, AZ

October has been good to us!  First, Men’s Journal released their annual America’s Best Beers article recognizing The Dissident, Hop Trip and the Portland Pub.  Then, Sunset came out with a great beer pairing article written by Portland’s Jeff Alworth that pairs Black Butte Porter with shellfish.  And then for the hat trick, the new issue of Dirt Rag hit the stands this past week and their one-page “Beer Me” article about funked up beers featured The Dissident. 

After reading this I know the million dollar question is going to be, “So where can I find The Dissident?”  Well, The Dissident is probably the least available beer we ever released and the first batch is long gone.  The good news is that the second batch is brewing and will be released sometime in late 2010.  Cheers ~

As an avid homebrewer for many years, Kyle Hollingsworth, keyboardist of The String Cheese Incident, has long been a fan of microbrews and specialty beers and has found the perfect way to blend his love of brewing with his love for music. In select cities on his fall tour, in support of his brand new release Then There’s Now (September 15, 2009), Kyle has teamed up with local breweries and the American Homebrewers Association (AHA) to offer a public meet & greet, and several lucky fans will win passes to a private tasting with Kyle at that night’s venue or brewery.

On Saturday, October 17th, the Brew Tour heads to Portland, OR, to enjoy brews with Deschutes Brewery at their Brewery & Public House, followed by the concert later that night at Mississippi Studios. The general meet & greet at the Deschutes Brewery & Public House is open to the public.

For your chance to win two passes to the Deschutes tasting with Kyle Hollingsworth and tickets to the concert that night at Mississippi Studios, email us a story of your best beer and live music experience or a photo documenting the event, along with your name, phone number, email address and AHA member number (if applicable) to info@deschutesbrewery.com with “Kyle Hollingsworth Contest Entry” in the subject line.

Send your email by October 14th, winners will be contacted on October 15th.  Good Luck!

It was Thursday, August 27^th and there was cause for celebration at Deschutes Brewery. The previous day and well into the night we had brewed six batches of Hop Trip, a fresh hop pale ale. Things had gone flawlessly. Around 8:30 am on Wednesday brewmaster Larry Sidor and senior brewer Jimmy Seifrit phoned the Huppmann brewhouse. They had spent the night in the valley and gotten themselves to Sodbuster farms at the crack of dawn to help oversee the care of our special ingredient. They informed us that 4200 pounds of fresh Crystal hops were nestled into 32 cherry bins. These were currently being loaded onto a truck bound for Bend. The first Hop Trip was mashed in at 9:35 am. Each of the six brews received 700 pounds of fresh hops, spread between the third and fourth additions (late in the boil for aroma). The last Hop Trip was safely in the fermenter by 1:48 am Thursday.

We only get to brew this beauty once a year. Due to the nature of fresh hops, we only have one chance to get it right. As one might imagine, a year’s worth of anticipation can cause a high level of excitement and agitation. So when everyone came back Thursday to the news that the brewing had gone through the night without a hitch, the party was on. There is even a legend building around this year’s batch. When head brewer Brett Porter’s wife Amy heard how good the Crystals were, she went ahead and had a baby boy. According to the burgeoning legend, this happened at almost precisely the same moment we were mashing in the first brew. We brewers lobbied hard for the name Crystal Tripp, but it looks like they went with something a tad more traditional. Oh well, can’t win em all, I guess. Congrats to the Porter family, and cheers to all.

John “Abe” Abraham, Brewer