Ale Alert!
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As the bright lights of the holidays fade and with several gloomy months of winter stretching before us, we enter that extra-Portlandy time of year where fuzzy slippers become a necessity rather than a luxury, the rain on the roof gets a little less romantic, and the public breaks out in a bad case of the flannels. The solution, of course, is beer, and thankfully January’s calendar is more than up to the task.
In a whimsical return to childhood tradition—belied only by four servings of beer—the Jan 13 menu will feature entrees breakfast for dinner. Pop in the car and and head to Hood River (just over an hour away) to experience four AM-inspired courses, courtesy of Full Sail Pub chef Jeff Baldo, paired with ales from brewmaster Jamie Emmerson, as part of their Brewmaster Dinner series. On offer: soft-boiled eggs, crab cake benedicts, pork chops with breakfast potatoes, and blueberry blintzes. Held the second Thursday of every month during fall, winter, and spring, the dinner takes place in the tasting room & pub, costs $30 per person, and runs from 5 PM until they run out of grub.
Second Annual Buckman-Kerns Brewfest
Brewers of Portland’s Buckman and Kerns neighborhoods unite! For the second year running, local breweries will converge to pour some of their most captivating creations, as well as unveil a few new ones on Jan 15. Gracious host EastBurn – a pub that’s long on atmosphere, not to mention Northwest beer, wine, and spirits – will be slinging its award-winning victuals all afternoon. Participants this year include Lucky Labrador, Cascade Brewing, and Burnside Brewing, among other distinguished guests. Admission is $10, which includes 4 tickets (tickets are $1 each; one ticket gets you a taster, four for a pint) and a real Brewfest pint glass…not plastic, so your memories won’t melt in the dishwasher.
Flat Tail Brewing Co. Mustache Rye’d Red Release Party
Girlfriend hating on the mustachio lately? Head somewhere your facial hair will be appreciated, like this bangin’ stache-themed bash, complete with trivia, spoils, and booty, and all the Rye’d Red you can possibly swallow. Brewed with Weyermann rye, Munich malts, and an array of Willamette Valley hops, this sturdy little brew from Corvallis’s Flat Tail Brewing (winner of the 2011 KLCC Microbrew Festival People’s Choice Award), is sure to take everyone for a ride with their showcased beer, available on draught and in 22s. The event is going down Jan 19 at Roscoe’s, Montavilla’s happening home of the "Giant Jenga."
If you invited all your favorite craft brewers to a party, and they each brought one of their most delicious barrel-aged beers, the result would be CellarFest 2012. Featuring a roster of mellowed brews Bailey’s Taproom has been "sitting on for a while," the party will kick off at 4 PM on Jan 21 with 4- and 10-oz. pours, and will continue until midnight. Among those making appearances will be brews from Laughing Dog, Lagunitas, Sierra Nevada, and Deschutes Breweries. Admission is not required this year, and though no souvenir glasses or tokens will be provided, for $25 one can buy a calmer experience, slipping in at 2 PM and enjoying more space as well as the reinstated glass and tokens.
