There's been a noticeable turn in the weather over the past couple of weeks. The sun is bright but mild, the average temperature is dropping, and the nights are chilly and humid.
With this turn in weather comes a change in perspective. The citrusy summer IPAs that seemed so inviting just weeks ago are being replaced with nutty, caramel-centric browns, and pumpkin-spiced beer is looming on the horizon.
I'm looking forward to this next month for many reasons, but primary among them is my impending visit to Germany for Oktoberfest and being able to try many classic German styles fresh from the source. Others who've been have told me to expect a revelatory experience - a sort of master class in the art of subtle hopping and complex malting. In particular, I'm eagerly awaiting the opportunity to try many breweries' take on Marzen beer.
Meanwhile, Eugene appears to have at least a couple new breweries set to launch in the next few months, and the established breweries continue to expand and experiment.
This is also a good opportunity to mention that sometime this past month I realized I've been blogging for 3 months. Here's to many more!
Cheers!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Saturday, August 30, 2014
First Impressions: Elk Horn Brewery
Wednesday I had the opportunity to check out Elk Horn, Eugene's newest brewery, on their first day of service.
Elk Horn is run by the same folks behind Delacata, the popular Southern-style food cart you've likely seen around town. The owners' Southern influence shows in all aspects of the presentation, food, and experience.
The most surprising thing I discovered, upon placing my order, is that Elk Horn isn't brewing their own beer yet! I was told that'd be ready in October. In the meantime, Elk Horn has another claim to fame ready to go - they're the only business in Eugene producing hard cider. It's the cider I focused on - there were 5 on tap, ready to be sampled. The rest of the tap handles are rounded out by a good, but not spectacular, selection of local and regional beers easily found elsewhere in town.
I'll be the first to admit that my experience with cider pales in comparison to that of beer. That being said, Elk Horn seems to know what they're doing in this regard. Compared to macro-scale cider, Elk Horn's are milder and drier, with lots of subtle flavors that meld well together. From the acidic and mild Dry to the sweet, rich, and full Blackberry, these are all worth trying. I didn't much care for the Black Currant - it had a harsh and bitter vegetative note - but the rest are winners.
Another mark in Elk Horn's favor is the food. The owners have put their time with Delacata to good use, producing a menu full of Southern goodness - including gumbo, fried catfish, and what I assume to be their signature offering, an imposing elk burger.Over the past few days, they've also added BBQ, including chicken and tri-tip, as well as a couple of good-looking desserts. The food's a bit on the pricier side, but portions seemed generous and everything I saw coming out of the kitchen looked well put-together.
Speaking of a well put-together experience, the decor is top-notch. Elk Horn's owners have transformed the already-interesting multilevel Carl's Jr into a comfortable and relaxing place to be. Bluegrass and Americana waft from the speakers, the walls are covered in reclaimed wood (made from pallets, as I'm told) and the upstairs windows are now garage-style, which I'm sure will be great when the weather cools off a bit. There's also a good outdoor patio that was a very popular choice. Parking is a bit limited - the lot was full while the restaurant was not, and there's not a lot of street availability. My other concern here is that the open kitchen is quite noisy, but I bet that it'll be quieter once the staff gets into a good rhythm.
Overall, Elk Horn's well worth a visit, especially for fans of good Southern cooking with a PNW twist. They're located at Franklin and Hilyard.
Elk Horn is run by the same folks behind Delacata, the popular Southern-style food cart you've likely seen around town. The owners' Southern influence shows in all aspects of the presentation, food, and experience.
The most surprising thing I discovered, upon placing my order, is that Elk Horn isn't brewing their own beer yet! I was told that'd be ready in October. In the meantime, Elk Horn has another claim to fame ready to go - they're the only business in Eugene producing hard cider. It's the cider I focused on - there were 5 on tap, ready to be sampled. The rest of the tap handles are rounded out by a good, but not spectacular, selection of local and regional beers easily found elsewhere in town.
 |
| Elk Horn's ciders - Dry, Apple, Peach, Blackberry, and Black Currant |
I'll be the first to admit that my experience with cider pales in comparison to that of beer. That being said, Elk Horn seems to know what they're doing in this regard. Compared to macro-scale cider, Elk Horn's are milder and drier, with lots of subtle flavors that meld well together. From the acidic and mild Dry to the sweet, rich, and full Blackberry, these are all worth trying. I didn't much care for the Black Currant - it had a harsh and bitter vegetative note - but the rest are winners.
Another mark in Elk Horn's favor is the food. The owners have put their time with Delacata to good use, producing a menu full of Southern goodness - including gumbo, fried catfish, and what I assume to be their signature offering, an imposing elk burger.Over the past few days, they've also added BBQ, including chicken and tri-tip, as well as a couple of good-looking desserts. The food's a bit on the pricier side, but portions seemed generous and everything I saw coming out of the kitchen looked well put-together.
Speaking of a well put-together experience, the decor is top-notch. Elk Horn's owners have transformed the already-interesting multilevel Carl's Jr into a comfortable and relaxing place to be. Bluegrass and Americana waft from the speakers, the walls are covered in reclaimed wood (made from pallets, as I'm told) and the upstairs windows are now garage-style, which I'm sure will be great when the weather cools off a bit. There's also a good outdoor patio that was a very popular choice. Parking is a bit limited - the lot was full while the restaurant was not, and there's not a lot of street availability. My other concern here is that the open kitchen is quite noisy, but I bet that it'll be quieter once the staff gets into a good rhythm.
Overall, Elk Horn's well worth a visit, especially for fans of good Southern cooking with a PNW twist. They're located at Franklin and Hilyard.
Sunday, August 24, 2014
Beer of the Moment - Sir Orange A Lot
It will come as no surprise to anyone that I try a lot of different beers. Happily, blogging regularly is enabling me to put this tendency to good use.
Sometimes, I happen upon a beer that's so perfect for the season or such a well-executed example of a style that I can't help but pass it on.
This week, that beer is Hop Valley's Sir Orange A Lot. As the name implies, it's heavy on the citrus, both from the hops and from the added orange peel. The peel also adds some nice vegetative bitterness that compensates for the low IBUs (20, in this case). At 5.9%, it's a bit too strong to be sessionable, but for the style, it's right in the sweet spot, having just enough body to achieve a medium mouthfeel.
Beyond the standard characteristics, this beer just tastes like summer to me. When the mercury climbs to 90 and higher, citrus is such a refreshing flavor, and I've rarely had a better citrus-infused experience. If you're in the area, make sure to stop by and grab a pint while it lasts.
(For those who prefer lemon to orange, Hop Valley's also got a very good wheat beer on tap at the moment with a pronounced lemon flavor, called Wheat Doctrine #1. It's also tasty, but I feel Sir Orange A Lot embodies the ideal summer beer more closely. Your mileage may vary.)
Sometimes, I happen upon a beer that's so perfect for the season or such a well-executed example of a style that I can't help but pass it on.
This week, that beer is Hop Valley's Sir Orange A Lot. As the name implies, it's heavy on the citrus, both from the hops and from the added orange peel. The peel also adds some nice vegetative bitterness that compensates for the low IBUs (20, in this case). At 5.9%, it's a bit too strong to be sessionable, but for the style, it's right in the sweet spot, having just enough body to achieve a medium mouthfeel.
Beyond the standard characteristics, this beer just tastes like summer to me. When the mercury climbs to 90 and higher, citrus is such a refreshing flavor, and I've rarely had a better citrus-infused experience. If you're in the area, make sure to stop by and grab a pint while it lasts.
(For those who prefer lemon to orange, Hop Valley's also got a very good wheat beer on tap at the moment with a pronounced lemon flavor, called Wheat Doctrine #1. It's also tasty, but I feel Sir Orange A Lot embodies the ideal summer beer more closely. Your mileage may vary.)
Saturday, August 23, 2014
Marketing New Beers
My decision to try a lot of new beers last week led me down a worthy line of thinking:
How do Eugene's breweries get the word out about new beer releases?
After some research, it turns out the answer is that often, they don't.
I looked at each Eugene brewery's website, Twitter, and Facebook page, trying to get a feel for what sort of information they're trying to present. Almost without exception, social media is used to promote local events or events at the brewery. Taking things a step further - at the breweries I visited this week, I asked the managers how new beers are promoted. The answers I got were variations on 'sometimes we'll post about it, but usually we just put it on and let people find out when they visit.' I was told to either come in or call to get the most up-to-date information.
I'll admit that I'm a bit confused by this. Beer is a brewery's raison d'etre - why wouldn't a brewery spend a little bit of time to get the word out about new beers? Why should I be the one having to do the work to learn what a brewery's up to? I find it especially vexing because this'd be such an easy thing to fix - just pour a pint, take a picture, and make a quick Twitter or Facebook post including the description.
I ask this as someone who's well-known as a novelty drinker - tell me a brewery's got an interesting new beer to try, and I'm there. That's not to say that I don't appreciate standards - I think Oakshire's Watershed is a fantastic IPA, for instance. But I would almost never visit Oakshire and get a Watershed - why would I? It's in every beer store and supermarket and tons of other bars in town. When I visit a brewery, I want to try something new, something I can't easily find elsewhere.
So it's a bit disheartening to find that the local breweries aren't marketing their new beers to people like me. Sure, Ninkasi'll have announcements for new beer lines on occasion, and Oakshire's been pretty reliable about releasing a new beer every week on Tuesday. But everyone else I talked to and looked at doesn't market their new beers effectively.
How do Eugene's breweries get the word out about new beer releases?
After some research, it turns out the answer is that often, they don't.
I looked at each Eugene brewery's website, Twitter, and Facebook page, trying to get a feel for what sort of information they're trying to present. Almost without exception, social media is used to promote local events or events at the brewery. Taking things a step further - at the breweries I visited this week, I asked the managers how new beers are promoted. The answers I got were variations on 'sometimes we'll post about it, but usually we just put it on and let people find out when they visit.' I was told to either come in or call to get the most up-to-date information.
I'll admit that I'm a bit confused by this. Beer is a brewery's raison d'etre - why wouldn't a brewery spend a little bit of time to get the word out about new beers? Why should I be the one having to do the work to learn what a brewery's up to? I find it especially vexing because this'd be such an easy thing to fix - just pour a pint, take a picture, and make a quick Twitter or Facebook post including the description.
I ask this as someone who's well-known as a novelty drinker - tell me a brewery's got an interesting new beer to try, and I'm there. That's not to say that I don't appreciate standards - I think Oakshire's Watershed is a fantastic IPA, for instance. But I would almost never visit Oakshire and get a Watershed - why would I? It's in every beer store and supermarket and tons of other bars in town. When I visit a brewery, I want to try something new, something I can't easily find elsewhere.
So it's a bit disheartening to find that the local breweries aren't marketing their new beers to people like me. Sure, Ninkasi'll have announcements for new beer lines on occasion, and Oakshire's been pretty reliable about releasing a new beer every week on Tuesday. But everyone else I talked to and looked at doesn't market their new beers effectively.
Sunday, August 17, 2014
This Week in Eugene Beer: 8/10-17
Howdy, folks.
This is the debut of a new semi-regular feature on the blog. I'm going to try to stay on top of interesting new beers being released here in Eugene, to help direct the thirsty novelty-seeking beer enthusiast to worthy watering holes.
Without further ado, here's this week's report:
Oakshire
This week, Oakshire featured Reunification, a Berliner Weisse. It's got a crisp, slightly sour bite that mellows into smoothy, bready malt that lingers a bit. This is a great introduction to the Berliner Weisse style - it's not too sour and doesn't linger, and at 4.5%, it's sessionable. Perfect for escaping the heat.
Hop Valley
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hop Valley's got an excellent milk stout on tap called Galactose. It's possessed of a rich, caramelized/roasted malt flavor tempered somewhat by creamy lactose. It's also very sessionable at 4.8%, and definitely worth seeking out for those stout-lovers among us.
McKenzie
Moving into stronger territory, Steelhead's got a new IPA out perfect for the late summer - it's called Guavalicious. It's everything the name implies - heavy on guava flavor blended with tropical hops, clocking in around 7%. Word of warning, though: it's got quite a bitter finish, especially for having such mellow initial flavors.
Plank Town
Back on the lighter side, Plank Town's featuring a very good pilsner called Blue Pool. It's definitely rooted in the style's Germanic origins - traditionally floor-malted barley and Noble hops combine to produce a light, refreshing, and flavorful beer that's eminently sessionable at 4.3%.
Rogue
Eugene's Rogue outpost is undergoing some substantial changes, with ex-brewer Sam Scoggin working to get soon-to-open Elk Horn Brewing off the ground. I've heard Rogue just recently hired a new brewer to make its Eugene-based Track Town beers. Which is to say that new Track Town beer will be hard to come by for a little while longer. The only remaining draft at present is Pentathlon - a Belgian pale ale made with rye. It's got an interesting blend of rye spice and typical Belgian yeast esters. Worth a try if you find yourself downtown soon.
I hope y'all check these beers out soon!
This is the debut of a new semi-regular feature on the blog. I'm going to try to stay on top of interesting new beers being released here in Eugene, to help direct the thirsty novelty-seeking beer enthusiast to worthy watering holes.
Without further ado, here's this week's report:
Oakshire
This week, Oakshire featured Reunification, a Berliner Weisse. It's got a crisp, slightly sour bite that mellows into smoothy, bready malt that lingers a bit. This is a great introduction to the Berliner Weisse style - it's not too sour and doesn't linger, and at 4.5%, it's sessionable. Perfect for escaping the heat.
Hop Valley
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Hop Valley's got an excellent milk stout on tap called Galactose. It's possessed of a rich, caramelized/roasted malt flavor tempered somewhat by creamy lactose. It's also very sessionable at 4.8%, and definitely worth seeking out for those stout-lovers among us.
McKenzie
Moving into stronger territory, Steelhead's got a new IPA out perfect for the late summer - it's called Guavalicious. It's everything the name implies - heavy on guava flavor blended with tropical hops, clocking in around 7%. Word of warning, though: it's got quite a bitter finish, especially for having such mellow initial flavors.
Plank Town
Back on the lighter side, Plank Town's featuring a very good pilsner called Blue Pool. It's definitely rooted in the style's Germanic origins - traditionally floor-malted barley and Noble hops combine to produce a light, refreshing, and flavorful beer that's eminently sessionable at 4.3%.
Rogue
Eugene's Rogue outpost is undergoing some substantial changes, with ex-brewer Sam Scoggin working to get soon-to-open Elk Horn Brewing off the ground. I've heard Rogue just recently hired a new brewer to make its Eugene-based Track Town beers. Which is to say that new Track Town beer will be hard to come by for a little while longer. The only remaining draft at present is Pentathlon - a Belgian pale ale made with rye. It's got an interesting blend of rye spice and typical Belgian yeast esters. Worth a try if you find yourself downtown soon.
I hope y'all check these beers out soon!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Breweries of Eugene - McMenamins High Street
McMenamins is a venerable chain of brewpubs dating back to the mid-80s. Elsewhere in Oregon they're well-known for their interesting properties and attractions, such as the Old St. Francis School in Bend (with meeting space, hotel rooms, and a small movie theater) and the Crystal Ballroom (a popular concert venue in Portland). Here in Eugene they're the proprietors of three pubs - the East 19th St Cafe near the UO campus, the North Bank restaurant right by the river, and the High Street pub, which brews a lot of local beer.
My focus being on the beer, I decided to visit the High Street location this afternoon after running some errands in the area.
The pub is a cozy, inviting, warm space. Memorabilia from concerts and newspapers from years past dot the walls, indie/folk/country plays on the radio, and the large dual patios are a comfortable place to take a load off when the weather's fine.
As always, though, the atmosphere's a secondary consideration. I want to find excellent beer. So how does McMenamins stack up with its local pub brews?
From my tasting notes:
Purple Haze: A fruit beer made with boysenberries. Light, clean, bready, with an almost-sour finish.
Ruby: A celebrated gateway beer, saturated with raspberry flavor. But it's watery and thin.
Hammerhead Pale: Bugspray hops abound!
Copper Moon: An English-style pale ale. Much richer and more varied hop presence. Good.
Halcyon Dreams IPA: Earthy, almost minty hops dominate, well-balanced by malt. Very nice.
Terminator Stout: Sweet and buttery, with a distinctive roasted note.
Terminator, Ruby, and Hammerhead are the chain-wide beers, and they were all markedly less interesting than the other three, all locally-made. I could see myself definitely enjoying a pint of the IPA and the Copper Moon. I understand that pretty much every McMenamins brewpub operates under this same principle - they all serve the pub standards, but have some freedom to experiment on beers of their own design.
Overall, High Street makes pretty decent beer. They have a great happy hour menu and friendly, homey service. While they're not usually a high priority for me, I'm pleased with the local pub beer I had today. I'll try to keep up with them more regularly in the future.
My focus being on the beer, I decided to visit the High Street location this afternoon after running some errands in the area.
The pub is a cozy, inviting, warm space. Memorabilia from concerts and newspapers from years past dot the walls, indie/folk/country plays on the radio, and the large dual patios are a comfortable place to take a load off when the weather's fine.
As always, though, the atmosphere's a secondary consideration. I want to find excellent beer. So how does McMenamins stack up with its local pub brews?
 |
| The sampler flight. |
From my tasting notes:
Purple Haze: A fruit beer made with boysenberries. Light, clean, bready, with an almost-sour finish.
Ruby: A celebrated gateway beer, saturated with raspberry flavor. But it's watery and thin.
Hammerhead Pale: Bugspray hops abound!
Copper Moon: An English-style pale ale. Much richer and more varied hop presence. Good.
Halcyon Dreams IPA: Earthy, almost minty hops dominate, well-balanced by malt. Very nice.
Terminator Stout: Sweet and buttery, with a distinctive roasted note.
Terminator, Ruby, and Hammerhead are the chain-wide beers, and they were all markedly less interesting than the other three, all locally-made. I could see myself definitely enjoying a pint of the IPA and the Copper Moon. I understand that pretty much every McMenamins brewpub operates under this same principle - they all serve the pub standards, but have some freedom to experiment on beers of their own design.
Overall, High Street makes pretty decent beer. They have a great happy hour menu and friendly, homey service. While they're not usually a high priority for me, I'm pleased with the local pub beer I had today. I'll try to keep up with them more regularly in the future.
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