New year, new brew news:
Veiled Conspiracy, a 100 percent Brett fermented pale ale, is new on tap at Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom.
Brettanomyces (AKA Brett) has long been synonymous with “sour” beers. But in reality, Brettanomyces is a diverse strain of yeast that is not predominantly souring, according to Anneke Ayers of Double Mountain.
“On its own, Brettanomyces can produce a multitude of flavors and aromas that standard brewing yeasts cannot. Veiled Conspiracy sheds light on the diversity and depth of Brettanomyces as a wonderfully complex, tropical, fruity pale ale that’s approachable and easy to enjoy. This pale was dry hopped with a small amount of Citra, Summer, and TNT.
“Let the veil of conspiracy be lifted and the Brett’s true nature revealed,” Ayers writes. “No longer shall it be known solely as a yeast that makes sour beers. Dynamite!” (6.6 ABV, 29 IBU)
Ayers also noted that the newest addition to the brew team, Jen House, made her debut Scotch-style ale, release date and name TBD.
In addition, Double Mountain has Moon Patrol Imperial Stout kegging on Sunday, release date to be announced.
Full Sail releases Session Wheat
“Cloudy with a chance of grain,” say the folks at Full Sail Brewery introducing Wheat, the newest in the award-winning Session lineup. It’s an American-style Hefeweizen featuring aromas of malted wheat with a citrusy hop finish.
“With Session Wheat, we have put our state-of-the-art mash filter to the test,” said Executive Brewmaster James Emmerson. “It allows us to use a substantial portion of unmalted wheat in the grist, which imparts a wonderful wheat character in the finished beer.”
As with all great Hefeweizens drawing upon their German roots, just enough residual yeast remains to give it a hazy golden pour. “Grown in the northwest, brewed in the northwest, Session Wheat is naturally hazy with a delicate crispness and a clean finish,” says Full Sail Brewmaster Jim Kelter. “It’s a refreshing, easy-drinking addition to our Session lineup.”
Session Wheat will be available year round in Session’s signature 11-ounce stubby bottles in 12-packs, 6-packs and on draft. (5.4 ABV, 24 IBUs)
Pouring at NW Coffee Invitational
Speaking of Moon Patrol, Double Mountain will present an off-shoot, shot up with coffee, called Space Jitters, at the NW Coffee Invitational in Portland on Jan. 30. Head brewer Kyle Larsen created the five barrel coffee imperial stout.
pFriem Family Brewing will present Golden Coffee Ale, a collaboration with Portland’s Coava coffee.
The invitational happens noon to 7 p.m. at Portland’s Goose Hollow Inn. Tickets are $15 and include a festival glass and eight tasting tickets.
EdStravaganza benefit
Plans are being firmed up for the Jan. 27 “EdStravaganza” art auction and birthday party for Ed Wilder at Butler Bank Social Club. The date is also Ed’s birthday; he experienced a severe stroke in November and faces a long period of recovery and rehabilitation.
Artists are invited to donate works to the next big fundraising event for Wilder, owner of da Brewshop tap room and Hood River Brewing Supply. Artist Kelly Phipps is coordinating art donations. She can be reached at kellyinor@gorge.net. Works need to be delivered to Phipps or to Boda’s Kitchen by Jan. 21.
EdStravaganza will run from 6-9 p.m. at Butler Bank, 301 Oak Street. The silent auction will continue to about 9:30. Ed’s brother, Mike, will speak at about 8 p.m., followed by the live auction. Boda’s Kitchen will bake a giant birthday cake for all to enjoy.
Event admission (revised) will be $20, including one drink ticket and finger foods. After 9 p.m., on Jan. 27, admission will be $5.
Of course, plenty of beer will be available, with the emphasis on local breweries; donations of wine are also on the way from a variety of local wineries. At about 9 p.m., DJ Marco Jimenez will start spinning tunes. He and his brother, Israel Ayala, of Zink Clothing, have printed up a second batch of “Cheers to Ed” green shirts, to be sold that night.
If you can’t attend — and Butler Bank does have an attendance limit — you can support Ed by looking for Cheers to Ed tap handle at your favorite watering hole.
Another way to help: Gorge Roller Girls next bout is Jan. 23 at The Dalles Armory, and the raffle for this event will go to Ed Wilder. Buy a ticket and a new Cheers to Ed shirt at the event. And, yes, beer will be available.
Full Sall: ‘raise a SupPorter for Ed'
“We want to help and what better way than to raise our glasses high and Cheers to Ed,” said Sandra Evans, marketing director for Full Sail Brewery. “We are dedicating and donating $1 for every pint of ‘Ed SupPorter’ to help.” Ed SupPorter is a silky smooth Porter that pours deep and dark in the glass with a faint garnet hue. Flavors of chocolate and roast abound.(ABV 6.6, IBU 30)
Year-end beer notes:
My happiest beer surprise of the year came on New Year’s Eve at Double Mountain, in the delicious form of The Lyle Rider — a Bloody Mary-style concoction of dry hopped ale vegetable cocktail from just east of us in Washington.
The green beans and asparagus embellishment was like a Special Flag so I quickly downed the snapping veggies and savored the spicy, accessible ale while enjoying the Calabrian rock (aka “Italian Hillbilly,” as Tom Butler called it during a rest from dancing) of the band Mbrascatu.
Finally, the camaraderie around Ed Wilder is further proof that there is a real beer community in the Gorge. It is touching to see the way that friends in the beer and hospitality businesses, as well as others who just love Ed, have matched the bonhomie of da Brewshop in coming together for its founder.
One of the best beers I had all year was in mid-November, the most recent one I enjoyed at Ed’s, a Silly mild ale from Belgium. I knew of it because the previous time I was in, he sampled me the beer.
Ed looks out for people, and it’s the caring spirit of those he touched that will help return his low-key welcoming self to handling the taps, dispensing non-PC commentary, cracking jokes, and flinging beer coasters at cars on Cascade.
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