Beer fridge….I knew thee well

We have all have been in situation where making small talk is just a requirement.  Inevitably the question, “well what do you do?”, will be asked.  Now, I like to believe my career is both interesting and important, but as person who works to live, this typical polite response is incomplete.  Some of this is may fault as I am not much for talk, small or otherwise, in such social situation.  If fact a walk through of my basement dose a better job of answering the question better than I so.  In one corner there are my bikes and tool, another fishing poles and tackle, but for most the center of the room will grab their attention first.  A homemade mash tun, kettle, carboys and a full sized beer fridge takes of more than their fair share of room in the basement.

Merry New Year

just lovely

Not really in the mood to write a bunch about this beer…or any beer, really.  Just wanted to say Happy New Year, and I hope everyone is sipping on something lovely.  Just like the first time I had this Barrel-Aged Old Tavern Rat, there are tons of sherry/madeira notes from the barrel aging with a rich, viscous quality that is just awesome to sit with.  The hops have melted away, but are not really necessary anymore.  The sweetness and richness are what stands out.  It really makes for a great late-night sipper.  There are still bottles available at the Sidebar and 5th Quadrant, so make the effort.  It’s worth your time.

Lompoc’s 2013 Holiday Beers

Ahhhh, the holidays

We made our yearly pilgrimage to Lompoc to try their holiday seasonal releases last night.  The actual release party is December 3^rd, but they like to give the “press” an early look to get the word out.  There are benefits to occasionally posting on this blog after all!  Lompoc brews more beers specifically for the holidays (9 specialty beers this year) than any other brewery in Portland.  Jerry Fechter (owner), Brian Keilty, Irena Bierzynski, and Grant Golden are one hardworking crew.  They get after it!  The tasting was held at the Sidebar, the Lompoc tasting room just around the corner from the 5th Quadrant on N. Williams.  The room is ringed by the barrels that constitute their aging program.  There is a picture of Don Younger over the fireplace.  This is a beer lovers place: warm and inviting.

Why should you be interested in Lompoc’s holiday offerings, you ask?  They’re good, that’s why. The following are my notes in real time from last night.  Michael will be posting later in the week with a comparison between this year and last year’s beers.  I highly encourage all of our readers to hit up Lompoc for some of these beers before they’re gone.  Unless you don’t live here.  In which case, get on a plane and get up here.  Now.

blackout beer

Last week as I was lying in bed trying to accept the fact that it was time to get up and go to work, a story came on NPR about the massive blackout of 2003 in the NE U.S. and Canada. What startled me most was the reason for the story: it was the 10 year anniversary of the event! What was startling is how ten years can pass with barely a blink of an eye. Because if I sat and thought about it, of course I knew it had been ten years, but it only felt like a couple really. I remember exactly where I was, what I was doing, and everything that happened that day.

a special draft

you never forget your first love

When I moved to Portland, almost 7 years ago, one of the first beers I had at a pub was Lompoc Strong Draft (later changed to Lompoc Special Draft) at the 5th Quadrant.  It was wonderful, a mixture of tastes and smells that I was wholly unfamiliar with in beer.  The unique combination of resinous hops with the smoked malt were a revelation for me.