The Official Deschutes Brewery Newsletter

Winter 2009 Vol. 21 No. 1

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WHAT’S ON TAP
Deschutes Super Seasonals '09: Drink Up!
These seasonals will only be available for a short while, so don’t miss out on this line-up!

Buzzsaw Brown. Deschutes Brewery’s first seasonal release of the year, Buzzsaw Brown, honors the heritage of the Brewery’s hometown of Bend, Oregon. The town’s history is inseparable from the rugged laborers who spent long, hard days in the sawmills on the banks of the Deschutes River.

Buzzsaw Brown provides a tasty encore to the Brewery’s winter seasonal, Jubelale. This is Buzzsaw Brown’s third year as part of Deschutes’ strong seasonal line-up that also includes Cinder Cone Red and Twilight Ale. This remarkable brown ale is chestnut in color with a slightly sweet, biscuit-like flavor. Buzzsaw Brown is a highly drinkable beer, rewarding on any occasion.

“Buzzsaw Brown is one of my favorite beers,” says Deschutes Brewery Brewmaster Larry Sidor. “The unique combination of the finest European and American malts makes it a very flavorful beer that pairs well with a wide variety of foods.”

Bend Deschutes Brewery and Public House Executive Chef, Matt Neltner, recommends pairing Buzzsaw Brown with meatloaf and malted mashed potatoes or your favorite veggie burrito.

Look for Buzzsaw Brown in 6 packs, 12 packs, and on draft through March.

Hop Henge Experimental IPA. Deschutes Brewery’s Hop Henge Experimental IPA reappears this January, as part of our Bond Street Series, with more extreme hop flavors than ever before. The new formulation is the epitome of the brewery’s experimental style and commitment to innovation, while gratifying their unquenchable thirst for beautifully balanced hoppy beers. The newest incarnation of Hop Henge uses several new hop processes and techniques to create a truly unique and unexpected beer.

“When people taste Hop Henge, I want them to stop and realize – ‘Wow, this is what hops are supposed to do’,” says Brewmaster Larry Sidor, who worked in the hop industry for seven years before joining Deschutes in 2004. “I am interested in creating hop perfection, and for Hop Henge that means producing a great aroma and a juicy hop experience.”

The immense hop flavors of Hop Henge makes it a perfect beer to pair with pizza and burgers. Jeff Usinowicz, Executive Chef at the Portland Deschutes Brewery and Public House, recommends pairing Hop Henge with a wide variety of the Pub’s signature dishes – anything from fish and chips to a pretzel or hot wings.

Hop Henge Experimental IPA will be available in 22-ounce bottles and on draft throughout the western United States from the end of January through May. Don’t miss this amazing hop experiment that is sure to leave your taste buds begging for more.

Mirror Mirror. You asked for it! We listened! Four years after launching the Reserve Series with Mirror Mirror, it is once again aging in oak barrels in a covert corner of the Brewery, preparing for its second limited release in April. Mirror Mirror is an inspired barleywine born of a double batch of Mirror Pond Pale Ale. It is then aged in oak wine barrels, adding layers of rich flavor to the already complex profile.

We hope you share our excitement in anticipation of this special Reserve Series release.

The "Strange Brew" Theory
by Amos A. Amarillo, staff reporter

This reporter has covered the Deschutes Brewery beat for some time now. One of the most striking elements of the job has always been encountering Deschutes Brewery fans. Their unflagging devotion is the stuff of legend. Sports fans have nothing on the Black Butte Porter drinker in front of his/her favorite pint of “nectar of the gods”. What is it about Deschutes Brewery that creates such loyal fans?

"There have always been rumors the Brewery adds something to the water they use to brew beer (what I like to call the “Strange Brew” theory). After a recent trip away from Bend and the ensuing return, an epiphany appeared like an angel, as I stepped on to the airport tarmac. Have you ever arrived at the Redmond Airport, after an absence, and breathed in deeply through your nose...while simultaneously looking westward at the snow-capped Three Sisters, Broken Top, Black Butte, Mt. Bachelor, and Mt. Washington? The smell is unmistakable. It is the smell of home for those of us who live here. And the view is incomparable and ever present. It is as inviting as warm socks fresh out of the dryer on a cold winter morning (or something like that)."

Perhaps it was more than the water though. Maybe it was the place. The geography. The landscape. But how can one taste the place in a beer? And do we really want to? I needed help digging into this one. So this reporter went fishing...in the deep reservoir of Deschutes Brewery. Who better to explore the question?

This is what some of the employees at the Brewery had to say:
“.....the choice to live somewhere beautiful...slower paced, clean air, healthy all around...that goes into the beer.” –Jason Randles
“...the good life. I wanted a city with a pulse and a sleepy small town...That is what we want for our beers--high quality beers being made by high quality folks. The best of all worlds.” –Matt Bussmann
“When I play outside, it’s invigorating. The beer is the same way. The freshness of the landscape, the people, the attitude...” –Erin Rankin
“Open a beer. Have a sip. Taste the richness. Look outside. It’s all really richly gorgeous.” –Laura Stilts

After countless interviews there seems to be general consensus. The folks who work for the Brewery can taste Bend in every bottle and pint. Not literally of course. There are no flavors of Cascade obsidian, sagebrush and juniper, or snowflakes. Yet it is unmistakable that the spicy aroma of mountains, the sweet thrill of free moving water, and the dry satisfaction of a perfect day present themselves on our palettes. The rich quality and invigorating beauty are in every sip. This reporter suspects Deschutes Brewery fans taste this as well.

They say we can only taste three or four different flavors. They say we smell the rest. After this examination, I am inclined to declare we feel flavor as well. 

UPCOMING BREWS AT OUR PUBS
BEND
Oh Be Joyful.  Strong American Pale Ale hopped exclusively with NW Amarillo hops.
Oatmeal Pale Ale (Nitro).  Smooth and complex pale ale brewed with flaked oats, crystal and biscuit malts
Belgian Quad.  10+% ABV strong Belgian-style ale brewed with Trappist yeast and dried currants.
Rooster Cream Ale.  A favorite session ale.
PORTLAND
Oak Aged Super Jubel.  11% ABV, spiced and aged in oak barrels.
Oak Aged Big Red.  Imperial Cinder Cone Red aged in oak barrels.
South German Hefeweizen.  Our interpretation of the classic German ale.  Extremely refreshing!

GARY'S CORNER
The Economy of Beer

I can’t tell you how many people have suggested to me lately that beer is “recession proof”, half tongue-in-cheek, but half seriously. They refer, of course, to the Depression-era analogy of people drowning their sorrows in alcohol as a way to escape the desperate situation they are in. I try to explain to them that situation does not exist, certainly not with beer. Even more so with craft beer. However, the craft beer segment of the industry does seem to be faring better than the rest (albeit not as well as last year, before the now official start of this current travail). Why is that?

It has also been suggested that, in a recession, the products that do the best are alcohol and cosmetics. That seems to make more sense to my cynical mind because people always want to feel good about themselves. People want to look better and continue to use cosmetics as a vehicle to that end. They like to believe they can still enjoy some of the simple pleasures of a better life, if not a more lucrative one. The latter describes craft beer. It is extremely affordable. It is something beermakers put a great deal of passion, love, knowledge and skill into. It is also something, with today’s available variety, that can be individualized to each person’s tastes. That certainly is still experienced in our pubs where people congregate to enjoy each other’s company (and that of those they do not yet know) and indulge in a simple, affordable luxury. And it tastes good!

People could easily spend their hard earned dollars on a less expensive, commodity-like beer as a reflection of the economic times, but it seems they are frequently choosing differently. I would say our humanity is catching up with our economy (maybe the economy can return the favor). We still believe in living life in full color, in spite of circumstances that (let’s face it) impact all of us and we have little control over.

I am not a big one for New Year’s resolutions, but as we welcome this New Year, I for one resolve to not let the bastards get me down. This recession may last for a little while, but it will not last forever. I will be around longer than it will, with my humanity intact, and a wonderful beer in hand.

Cheers to a wonderful and prosperous 2009!

FROM THE PUB
Broiled Pork Loin
with a Buzzsaw Brown Ale Honey Mustard Glaze

Marinade
12 oz bottle Buzzsaw Brown Ale
12 oz Ginger Ale
2 tbsp Fresh Ginger
¼ cup Whole Grain Mustard
1 tbsp Sea Salt or Kosher Salt
2 tbsp Black Pepper-ground
8 each Garlic Cloves-peeled

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Then cool completely.

Glaze
6 oz Buzzsaw Brown Ale (You may have to drink the other 6oz!)
6 oz Stone Ground Mustard
2 oz Clover Honey
½ tsp Cayenne Pepper

Combine all ingredients and whisk together until incorporated.

Pork Loin
6 each Pork Loin Chops-bone in or without
Sea Salt and Black Pepper (to taste)
1 batch Marinade

Place the chops in the chilled marinade and allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator. Drain off the marinade and discard. Place chops on a broiling pan without overlapping each other. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set the oven broiler on high. Brush some of the glaze on the chops with a pastry brush. Place the pork chops one-third of the way down from the broiler. Turn chops over and brush with more glaze when they are nicely browned. Cook until the middle of the chop is 150 degrees. Brush on the remaining glaze. Serve over garlic mashed potatoes or scalloped potatoes with a seasonal vegetable.

Serves 6 people

MIKE'S ANGLE
The Shadow Knows

Groundhog Day is celebrated on February 2nd. The legend says that if a groundhog emerges from hibernation on February 2nd and sees his/her shadow (a.k.a. the sun is out), there will be six more weeks of winter. Regardless of how ridiculous this sounds, it is no less reliable than the National Weather Service, which this year, with global warming, is predicting six more weeks of winter followed by 1,000 years of summer - that means the big bottle of SPF 150. So how did we come up with the whole groundhog thing? For this we must look to the Germans. And when we talk about Germany, we must also talk about beer (see where this is going - clever, eh?). Without the groundhog, or in German, zee marmot, there would be no beer – or vice versa. The groundhog’s emergence and consequential witnessing of his/her shadow sets in motion a far-reaching chain of events. First, the German guys put on big hats and wait around outside of the groundhog hole, or in German, zee den, and wait for the groundhog to appear. At this point they could just check to see if they are casting a shadow, but it’s a lot more fun with the groundhog because “the groundhog is a timid creature, and the sight of his own shadow will scare him” (I got that off the internet, so it’s true). After the little creature frightens himself (or not), the men in the big hats report their findings to the Chancellor of Agriculture, zee Farmermeisterburger, and he coordinates the planting of hops and barley putting the production of beer in motion. Also, if the groundhog sees his shadow, they immediately break out the reserve beer. If not, they immediately break out the reserve beer. Here in our highly-advanced modern American society with Doppler radar and weather satellites and The Weather Channel, we at Deschutes Brewery rely on Punxsutawney Phil for our information - mostly because “Punxsutawney" is fun to say. And we are always prepared to release the reserve beer. So remember to lift a beer, ein bier, and give thanks to the glorious groundhog on February 2nd.

Editor's note: Most of the above is not true. And believe me when I say that, I know. - Lamont Cranston

UPCOMING EVENTS

Winter Wednesday Beer Events (Bend Pub)
Every Wednesday in January
Starts at 5:00 PM
Jan. 7: Buzzsaw Brown | Jan. 14: Fresh Hop Beers
Jan. 21: Hop Henge IPA | Jan. 28: Sour Beers
Featuring special menus, food pairings and more.

Beer Geek Night (Portland Pub)
Monday, January 12th
and every second Monday of the month through 2009

January's session will be on IPAs - Inversion, Hop Henge & Red Chair
Cost $5.00
Hosted by our brewer Cam O'Connor & Market Manager Mike Foy

Deschutes Brewery 7th Annual CRABFEST
Saturday, Jan 24th @ 6:00 pm
Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room
901 SW Simpson Ave, Bend, OR

Live Music: Bill Keale

Menu:
Passed Appetizers – Crab Cakes & Crab Crostini
Plated Appetizer – Seafood Beer-Tini
Plated Salad – Dungeness Crab Louie
Classic Crab Boil – Dungeness Crab, Kielbasa Sausage, Peel & Eat Prawns, and New Potatoes
Served with Rosemary Bread, Drawn Butter, and Lemon Wedges
Plated Dessert – Mocha Cream Pie with Chocolate Cookie Crust

Tickets are $75 per person
Includes all the beer, wine and crab you can eat (gratuity, too). 
Contact Sharon at 541.385.8606 for reservations.

Spring Beer Dinner ‘Contemporary Comfort Food’
Saturday, March 7th @ 6:00 pm
Deschutes Brewery Mountain Room
901 SW Simpson Ave, Bend, OR

Menu:
Passed Appetizer – Beer-Battered Oyster Po' Boy Slider
Beer Pairing-Wit
Salad - Bacon Porter Maple Spinach Wilt
Beer Pairing-Wit
Course #1 - Stout Seafood Gumbo
Beer Pairing-Kolsch
Course #2 - Pale Honey-dipped Fried Chicken with Malted Mashers and Greens
Beer Pairing-Oatmeal Pale Ale
Dessert - Abyss Bread Pudding with a Bourbon Anglaise
Beer Pairing-Belgian Quad

Tickets are $45 per person
Includes beer and food (and gratuity, too).
Contact Sharon at 541.385.8606 for reservations.

Portland Pub BEER DINNER
with guest Chef Kurt Spack of Alba Osteria
Monday, January 26th (6:30 pm)

Six Courses (Three by each chef)
Dessert (done by Deschutes Pastry Chef Jill Ramseier)
Beer paired with each course

Cost $50.00 per person (gratuity not included)
Call for reservations 503.296.4906

Bend WinterFest
Deschutes Brewery beers will be pouring once again at the LibertyBank Bend WinterFest presented by Mt. Bachelor and taking place in Bend’s Old Mill District February 13, 14 & 15.

Enjoy the festivities, including fireworks, ice carving, the cross country ski sprint, live music and the always exciting Rail Jam. Created as a way to celebrate arts, culture and winter sports in Central Oregon; WinterFest offers fun for everyone.

Visit www.bendwinterfest.com for details.