I’m heading to my favorite beer pairing event this weekend. No, not Savor, the ultimate event for complementing the ingredients and sensations of craft beers and chef prepared food taking place June 1 and 2 in Washington, D.C. That’s just one type of beer pairing. Me? I like to pair beer best with live music, which I will be doing in unnecessary quantities at the Nelsonville Music Festival this weekend. As I was getting ready to write my dumb intro to this column, it hit me that the anticipation of seeing live music is pretty much inseparable from the experience of having a few beers and awkwardly grooving amongst fellow festival goers. And for me, certain beers pair well with certain music, sensations of sound and taste mixing to match the mood. In honor of beer and music, each beer in Five Beers to Know this week will be paired with a song from the Nelsonville line up. Cheers.
Squatters tems with Best Friends Animal Society
Paired with: George Clinton “Atomic Dog”
Squatters Craft Beers has teamed up with Best Friends Animal Society in announcing its latest brew, Chasing Tail Orange Golden Ale. Squatters’ much-loved Chasing Tail Golden Ale gets a citrus fruit finish and higher alcohol content at 5.2% ABV in this fresh line extension. Alongside Chasing Tail Orange, Squatters Craft Beers and Best Friends Animal Society will be highlighting their partnership throughout 2018 with adoption and fundraising events, as well as offering beer lovers the opportunity to win a trip to Best Friends Animal Society’s Sanctuary in Southern Utah. This collaboration went national with a special tasting and Yappy Hour event on May 3 in Nashville. During the kickoff event, dogs found new homes and attendees learned about animal advocacy opportunities – all while enjoying delicious craft beer.
“When our CEO, Julie Castle, planted a stake in the ground stating that we would advocate for all shelters in the US to become “no kill” shelters by 2025, we knew we couldn’t do it alone,” said Eric Rayvid, director of PR and Social Media for Best Friends Animal Society. “With partners like Squatters Craft Beers, we’re able to reach an audience that might not know that 4,100 dogs and cats are dying in shelters every day. We truly value their partnership and their help in getting the word out about our work and mission.”
Brewmaster Jon Lee said, “This beer should be enjoyed anywhere you take your dogs, which should be everywhere! Home for TV cuddle time, hiking, camping, biking, swimming, walkies, summer patios… It has a nice orange aroma and flavor and is well supported by the traditional Golden Ale we’ve all come to love in Chasing Tail.”
Chasing Tail Orange will be distributed throughout Squatters Craft Beers’ distribution footprint of 19 US states.
Coin Toss Brewing brews special pickle beer for minor league team
Paired with: Deer Tick “The Bump”
When this email came into my inbox, this is all I could think of. Anyway, craft beer lovers and baseball fans will be able to “get their pickle on” at all Portland Pickles baseball games this summer, thanks to Coin Toss Brewing Co.’s “Caught in a Pickle Lager.” The beer is a unique and refreshing blend of bread-and-butter pickle juice and the brewery’s house lager. Originally created as a one-off beer for the Portland Pickles Great West Brew Fest in 2016, Caught in a Pickle Lager is a fan favorite every time it appears at the Coin Toss taproom in Oregon City.
“You really need to be eating a hot dog and sitting at a baseball game while drinking this beer,” said Coin Toss Brewing founder Tim Hohl. “We are big baseball fans at Coin Toss and are thrilled to be a part of every Pickles home game this season.”
Portland Pickles owner Bill Stewart agrees. “It’s a fun partnership with a great local company, and serving a pickle infused beer is truly a one-of-a-kind experience for our fans.”
Look for Caught in a Pickle Lager on tap at the main tap trailer at Walker Stadium starting Thursday, May 31, when the Pickles host a pre-season exhibition prior to the Home Opener on Friday, June 1.
Former Green Flash brewer revives former award-winning stout recipe
Paired with: The Decembrists “Mariner’s Revenge Song”
Former Green Flash brewmaster Chuck Silva is now the co-owner of Silva Brewing with wife MJ and is reviving and reimagining his award-winning barrel-aged imperial stout, Silva Stout. The beer was a Top-Rated beer after its initial bottle release in 2010 and remained on numerous top 100 lists for years while also earning a prestigious silver medal in the Wood- and Barrel-aged Strong Beer category at the 2012 edition of the Great American Beer Festival.
“When MJ and I left San Diego to start our own brewery, we felt we had a duty to keep Silva Stout alive and, in doing so, replicate the glory of those original, award-winning batches,” says co-founder and brewmaster Chuck Silva, who tips his hat to Green Flash for handing him the trademark when he set off for Paso Robles. “I’m giving Silva Stout a rebirth with a new imperial-stout base recipe that adds depth and fullness to the beer’s body and overall character. A variety of different spirit barrels are being used to age the stout for extended periods to get the full flavor each barrel has to offer and allow for unique small-batch releases.”
The new imperial stout siphoned into those barrels goes by the name Ouroboros (the Greek symbol of rebirth). The first release will consist of stout aged for 14 months in rye whiskey barrels. Maturation in rye barrels lends boozy notes along with nuances of molasses and oak that mesh with the base-stout’s inherent dark chocolate and roasted cacao flavors. Additional notes of plum, dates and prunes come courtesy of the barrel-aging process while a hint of cola nudges its way in care of exotic sugars added to the boil kettle. The contents of two rye whiskey barrels were blended together for this release, with a touch of fresh stout added back to tame the booziness and finesse the concentrated beer.
Cork-finished 510-millileter Italian-sourced Tosca bottles of Silva Stout will be available for purchase at the Silva Brewing tasting room, located at 525 Pine St, Suite B, Paso Robles, starting Friday, June 1, 2018, with samples available on-draft while supplies of this highly-anticipated and limited release last. Future releases of Silva Stout will explore the beer aged in different types of barrels and remain small-batch in nature.
New Belgium celebrates 20 years of its sour program
Paired with: Wooden Shjips “For so Long”
New Belgium Brewing is rolling out 2018’s sour beer offerings in style with the simultaneous release of this year’s La Folie and Transatlantique Kriek. Why so much sour in such a short time? Because New Belgium is celebrating the 20th anniversary of one of America’s most prominent sour beer programs.
“We helped launch this whole sour thing in America 20 years ago,” explained Andrew Emerton, New Belgium’s specialty brand manager. “It’s taken two decades of painstaking love and attention to maintain the magic of the oldest continuous souring culture in America. We knew we had to do something to celebrate.”
To mark the occasion, La Folie, Transatlantique Kriek and all future sour releases are putting on some party clothes. Each beer is returning to its roots, packaged in 375 ml cork & cage bottles and bottle-conditioned.
“It’s hard to believe we’ve been experimenting with sours for two decades, but I’ve loved every moment,” said Lauren Limbach, New Belgium’s wood cellar director and blender. “It is definitely a mix of art and science, with so many different combinations and outcomes. Taking risks and playing around is all part of the romance.”
Portland Cider Co. releasing Pineapple Cider
Paired with: Counterfeit Madison “I Hope It’s Alright”
I snuck a cider in at the end here in honor of last year at the Nelsonville Music Festival where I drank a cider and thought it was some cool sour beer the entire time. Portland Cider Co.’s beloved Pineapple Cider, coming out in 22-ounce bottles this year, is sweetened with fresh pressed pineapple juice from Costa Rica after fermentation to reach the perfect balance of sweetness. With a semi-sweet finish, this six-percent ABV fruit cider pairs beautifully with barbacoa pork quesadillas, Asian chicken salad and, of course, traditional Hawaiian foods like mac salad and Kahlua pork.
“We’ve made our Pineapple cider to pay equal tribute to both the pineapple and the Northwest apple,” explained Deron Davenport, head cider maker at Portland Cider Co. “You’ll be able to clearly taste the apple, while still getting the incredible tropical notes from the fresh pineapple juice. There are no artificial flavorings or concentrates used here, keeping the flavor of the pineapple delicate and delicious.”
Portland Cider Co.’s Pineapple is available June 2 through August in 22-ounce bottles and draft kegs. It can be purchased at either of the company’s two taprooms, as well as at select retailers in Oregon and Washington.
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