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Last week I pulled from every corner of my arsenal of clothing to combat the weather; ski jacket, shorts, rain gear, flip-flops and the requisite fleece, so I know that spring is here. Spring is an exciting time for us here at the Bend Pub.  Cinder Cone Red is released, we begin our planning of the Sagebrush Classic, our annual golf tournament and feast benefiting the Deschutes Children’s Foundation, and we start gearing up for the summer tourist season. We also put out our spring and summer menu.

Menu changes are an exciting part of the job of being a Chef, especially a spring menu. We get to think about summer crops with beautiful, fresh produce and vegetables. Trips to the farmer’s market offer weekly inspiration and the summer fishing season will soon begin. Menu Changes are often challenging too. It is a delicate balance of offering something new without removing a favorite. Someone’s feelings are always hurt.

We start the process with an “anything is possible” brainstorming session. Nothing gets the creative juices flowing like one of Paul’s (our brewer at the Pub) specialty brews.

I found the Pilsner to be especially inspiring this year. The blend of Czech and German Malts add a complexity to this pilsners’ crisp and refreshing flavor. The flavors sing summer to me. Halfway through my pint and my mind is on the lawn at Les Schwab enjoying a Sunday concert. A salad would be great with this beer.

How about a spinach salad? That sounds good. What kind of dressing? Something light I think. Let’s make a Green Lakes Vinaigrette, nice and aromatic, and light on the palate. Green Lakes Organic Ale is perfect for this, the blend of organic malts, barley and seven types of hops add a sense of the high Cascades. What else? Pondhopper cheese, the semi-soft goat cheese from Tumalo Farms. This cheese’s rich flavor will help balance the sharpness of the vinaigrette. And for a final touch, candied Munich Malts. One of the staples of our beers coated with sugar and spice and roasted in our bakery. Now that’s a salad for summer.

We go through this process several times creating dishes inspired by summer and the bounty of ingredients available in Oregon. Some of the other dishes we have created include a Trout Po’ boy with Idaho trout and house pickled vegetables, fresh fish tacos on Wednesday, and marbled cheesecake with vanilla beans and hibiscus. Pair these with Paul’s amazing brews including his newest creation; La Fleur, a beer made without the use of hops, the bitterness comes from an amazing assortment of herbs including mugwort and milkthistle, and you have a selection that should satisfy for summer.

Cheers,

Matt Neltner, Executive Chef

We often scan the world wide web to see what beer fanatics are saying about our beers, especially the new ones like Red Chair IPA. So, when we come across a review like this one, we had to share it with you. 

Modern Brewery Age
(Five out of Five Mugs)
A beautiful hop forward beer, practically exploding with fresh hop aroma and flavor. The nose is a stunning bouquet of floral hops, and every sip fills the palate with citrusy fruit flavors. It’s a terrific and distinctive IPA, with 6.4% abv and a relatively modest 55 IBUs. Tasters were blown away by this one from the first scent.

“Holy shit!” said Greg Zannella.

“Unbelievable!” said Marty Juliano.

“Very floral up front, they really make phenomenol beer.” “Great hop nose,” agreed Robert Lachman.

“Wow!” “Aroma is nice big floral and citrus, well rounded, and very Pacific Northwest,” said Gregg Glaser.

“Floral right through to the taste, like lilacs,” Greg Zannella added.

“Floral up front, then grapefruit flavor and finish,” Marty said.

“Stops just short of too much grapefruit,” said Phil Simpson.

“Maybe a quarter rind short of too much grapefruit,” Gregg Glaser laughed. “And it sure tastes a lot bigger than 55 IBU.”

“Excellent beer, this should get a special 27 mug rating,” said Robert Lachman.

“I’ve never had a bad beer from Deschutes,” said Von Bair. “Now when the Hell will they start shipping to the East Coast?”

“Terrific fresh hop character,” said Tom Conti, “A beautiful thing.”

Now, we look forward to reading your comments about what you think of this juicy IPA.