Rogue Ales launches Pilots Pale Ale, a University of Portland homage, partly created by CBB fave Anna Abatzoglou

With somewhere between 5,000 and 6,000 breweries operating in the United States right now, Rogues Ales and Spirits continues to be unmistakably distinct. Much of that comes from its intrepid portfolio of ales, lagers, sodas and spirits, but much of it also comes from its creative marketing arm via impressive thought-leaders like Anna Abatzoglou. In our humble opinion, she is one of the best beer influencers in the industry — especially when it comes to working with the press — and we work with quite a few breweries.

So, we were excited to see Rogue launch Pilots Pale Ale this week as a tribute to the brewery’s ties to the University of Portland. Two former Portland Pilots (now Rogue employees), Danny Connors and Abatzoglou, created the ale. As Rogue’s Innovation Brewer, Connors has quite a résumé too (check it out here). He is a former Pilot men’s soccer player while director of marketing Abatzoglou was a volleyball player on The Bluff. To the press release!

“I’m very excited with this partnership with Rogue Ales, and specifically, the connection with two of our former student athletes,” University of Portland Vice President for Athletics Scott Leykam said. “We are very excited for the launch at this Saturday’s men’s basketball season opener.”

What’s even cooler is that Rogue Pilots Pale Ale will launch officially at the University of Portland men’s basketball regular season opener against Portland State University on Saturday, Nov. 11, at the school’s Chiles Center. Can you imagine going back to see a big college game at your Alma mater and they’re serving a beer you helped create? Meanwhile, across town, an official tapping will be held at Rogue Hall, which is located next to Portland State University’s campus.

What’s this beer all about?

Hazy golden in color with citrus and blueberry on the nose, Pilots Pale Ale delivers an initial fruity hop flavor and a slight malt sweetness that ends with a crisp bitterness. Sessionable, aromatic and downright delicious, Pilots Pale Ale is the go-to beer for game day or catching up with your old college roommate.