Raise a Bottle of Buzzsaw Brown to Spring
Plus, after 19 years of brewing, we still have firsts: a bottled Belgian-style brew

Deschutes Near & Far
From Guatemala to the Top of the World!

Once again several great photos have come in from some very passionate fans proving that Deschutes beers travel to more exciting places than most people I know. Not only does Black Butte Porter make it to the far northern reaches of Alaska, but Mirror Pond Pale Ale seems to frequently end up on remote tropical islands. 

Here is a photo of Craig Martini, Brewery Tour Guide Nicole Martini-Helzer’s dad, after a hard day of fishing in Guatemala last February with friends Hans Eriksson, Bruce Schafer and Pete Bowers.

Bill Young was traveling in Copenhagen, Denmark last November where he had his photo taken while “sharing a good story and Mirror Pond Pale Ale” with Hans Christian Andersen.  John Speare from Spokane, WA took this great photo of his bike that specializes in hauling Jubelale.

The next photo comes from the top of the world: Barrow, Alaska, where Robert Omstead washes down some King Crab with a rare Black Butte Porter. Robert has to go to extreme lengths (and cost) to get his hands on a six pack of beer, so we are honored that he would choose Black Butte Porter.

This photo Laurie Banks sent in shows significant evidence to support her claim as one of the biggest Mirror Pond Pale Ale fans. It also looks like Mirror Pond is perfect for quenching your thirst before, during and after mowing the lawn.

Tom Arnold, from Eugene, with beer and camera in hand (or at least in his backpack) set off for Europe, where he took an arsenal of photos with a bottle of Deschutes Brewery as the lead character in each shot. The bottle of Inversion might be hard to see in this shot but you can’t miss the Serbian spelling of Cascade!

And finally, a photo from Shawn Ferguson that will make any Pacific Northwesterner jealous after a long, cold, wet winter.  I think most of us will agree with Shawn that “nothing compares to a good Deschutes Brew” except maybe digging your toes into the white sandy beaches in Aruba.

Employee Profile
Hop Trippin' in Yakima, WA

To brew the best beer you have to start off using the best hops. Deschutes Brewery is fortunate to be one of the first in the world to get a crack at selecting the “best of the best” hops coming from Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Each year a few of our brewers are lucky enough to make the trek up to Yakima to inspect the current hop harvest. Shown here are (clockwise from lower left) Sean Garvin, Paul Arney, Jimmy Seifrit, Brett Porter and Larry Sidor enjoying a little hop aroma therapy.

Clams over Linguini with a Buzzsaw Brown Sauce

1 lb. Fresh clams
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Sweet onion
1 Bottle Buzzsaw Brown Ale
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 dashes Tabasco
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 c. Cooked linguini

Directions.
Rinse the clams in cold water and set aside. In a shallow pan, large enough to hold all the clams without crowding them, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Thinly slice the ½ sweet onion and sauté until translucent.

Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic to the pan and continue cooking until the garlic becomes aromatic, about 1 minute. Add the clams to the pan and stir to coat the clams with the onion and garlic oil. Add ¾ of the bottle of Buzzsaw Brown to the pan. Drink the remaining ¼ bottle for quality assurance. Turn the heat to high and add the Tabasco, cayenne, salt and pepper. Cover the pan and allow the clams to open, about 3 minutes. Cut the butter into 1 tablespoon sized pieces. When the clams have opened remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time allowing the butter to emulsify into the sauce. Taste for final seasoning. Pour the clams and sauce over the linguini and serve.

Serves 4

Mike's Angle
The Roots of Central Oregon Culture . . .

Oregon folklore talks of a great big man who came along the Oregon Trail to the small town of Farewell Bend sometime in the early 1900’s. His name, the legend says, was Theodore Aloyisious “Buzzsaw” Brown. He was called “Buzzsaw” because he had an enormous tattoo of a buzzsaw on his chest. Legend does not tell where or when he got it, though there is speculation about a saloon and a woodcutter’s daughter. He always wore an enormous fleece pullover and beanie, even on hot days and indoors.

Buzzsaw Brown is said to be one of the main forces in defining the culture of Central Oregon. It is told that he used to ride down the snowy mountains (or, in a word that he is said to have invented “shred”) on a plank of wood that he called his “snow board”. He would attach wheels that he got from a roller skate in the summer, at which point he would refer to it as his “skate board”. He eveloped oversizedtires with bumps on them for his bicycle so that he could go “biking in the mountains”. It is theorized that he had the first Subaru. He had a giant Black Lab named Porter who, legend says, created the Cascade Lakes in his footprints after a walk in the mountains.

Buzzsaw was also a home brewer. Legend has it that he inspired others with the quality of his beer and indirectly began the microbrew revolution. So when you’re enjoying a Buzzsaw Brown Ale from Deschutes Brewery, remember that you’re not just drinking a great beer, you’re drinking history.

EDITORS NOTE:
There may be some “poetic license” in the above article.

Deschutes Brewery Open House

Saturday, June 16th from noon-4pm at the Brewing Facility, 901 SW Simpson.

Deschutes Brewery’s Annual Open House is scheduled for Saturday, June 16th from noon until 4:00 p.m. Come tour the brewery, sample fine ales, talk to our brewers and enjoy tasty snacks. This is our fourth year for the Open House and everyone who visits has a great time. Bring your family and friends for this once-a-year opportunity. All ages are welcome!

Deschutes Brewery’s 3rd Annual Barrel Tasting

Saturday, June 16th at the Mountain Room, 901 SW Simpson. Doors open at 7pm.

8 Barreled Beer Samples include:
Bourbon Obsidian Stout: aged 6 weeks in Jack Daniels Bourbon Barrels
French Oak Mirror Pond: aged 2 months in both new and used French Oak Barrels then dry hopped with copious amounts of Cascades
Pinot Jubel: Our 2006 & 2007 Jubelale aged 6 weeks pinot noir barrels then blended with Bachelor Bitter and dry hopped with East Kent Goldings
Mirror Mirror: aged 8 months in French and Oregon Oak Barrels
The Abyss: aged 3 months in both French Oak & Bourbon Barrels
Nitro Bourbon Porter: aged 2 months in Makers Mark Bourbon Barrels
Oregon Oak Cinder Cone Red: aged 6 weeks in all Oregon Oak and then dry hopped with Amarillos
Bourbon Imperial Porter: aged 6 months in Makers Mark Bourbon Barrels

Hors d’oeuvres include:
Poached Shrimp and Margarita Salsa on a Fried Wonton
Grilled Beef Tenderloin on Focaccia Toast Points
Smoked Chicken Mini Pizzas with Brie, Caramelized Apples and Onions, Scallions
Veggie Crisp Stack with Goat Cheese Spread
Spicy Pork Wraps Action Station with Corn, Cucumbers, Tomato, and Cilantro

$35.00 per person all inclusive.
Contact Sharon at 385-8606 for reservations.

The Bitter Truth about Beer Tax (again!)
Now is the time for all craft beer aficionados to come to the
aid of the industry!

Well, the legislative session is certainly heating up. With the state running a surplus and the economy humming along, it seems that there is still a fervent desire to increase the excise tax on beer by a considerable margin. This is the tax that manufacturers (us) and importers pay the state of Oregon on beer before we sell it to distributors and they sell it to retailers who then sell it to you (you lucky dogs).

A little background: Oregon has the fifth lowest excise tax rate in the nation behind Wyoming, Missouri, Wisconsin and Colorado. What these states have in common (with the exception of Wyoming) is that they are beer producing states (I’m sure you’ve heard of Anheuser Busch, Miller and Coors). I think Oregon is a beer producing state as well, and we have, by far, the healthiest small brewing industry in the nation. I also think the legislature and, yes, the Governor too, should take credit for that because they have kept the excise tax reasonable and allowed this small industry to flourish. By the way, wineries in Oregon also have a very favorable tax situation which is one reason why they have flourished as well.

But, there are some who feel that, just because the tax is among the lowest in the nation and it has not been raised for a while, it should be raised. There seems to be no other good reason besides this to punish an industry that has become so important to Oregon and the nation. The drafters of the measures being considered (there are four as this is being written) cite other alleged factoids regarding the “cost” of beer to Oregon from those who abuse it and consume it while not “of age.” The facts, of course, tell somewhat of a different story. Likewise, these crusaders conveniently disregard the benefits, economic and social, that beer, particularly craft beer, provides to society.

Well, some of what these campaigners do not tell you is this:
1. Teen drinking rates in Oregon have remained stable and are comparable to national averages.
2. Fatalities in Oregon teen drunk driving dropped by 72% between 1982 and 2005.
3. Most Oregon teens that drink are not drinking beer; Among 11th graders, 61.4% report no past-month drinking, 8.7% report drinking beer and 18.2% drank liquor.
4. The high rate of drinking of liquor is despite the fact that Oregon has a very high tax rate on liquor.
Therefore, higher taxes on alcohol have no consequence on how much teens drink.
5. Teens that drink typically do not purchase alcohol, they get it from somewhere else.
6. Raising tax rates will not prevent teens from drinking, it only makes prices higher for legitimate adult drinkers.

In addition, increasing the taxes on beer will kill one of the truly “Oregon” industries.

Please contact your legislative representative and tell them NO NEW BEER TAXES!

This Summer Go Cog Wild!
Mountian Biking & Beer

Deschutes Brewery is teaming up with Cogwild this summer to bring you the best that Central Oregon has to offer: mountain biking and beer! Spend your days riding fabulous trails either around Bend or on the world class North Umpqua trail, then finish it off by downing a couple of cold, refreshing Deschutes brews. For more information on the Bike & Brew Weekend and Umpqua River Mountain Bike Adventure go to www.cogwild.com.