Who wants to hang out with me Tuesday, December 2nd from 4-6PM at Lompoc’s newly renovated Sidebar for their Holiday Beer Extravaganza?

PORTLAND, Ore. – Just as Santa has eight reindeer, so does Lompoc have eight different holiday beers, including one brewed for Hanukkah. The annual Lompoc Holiday Beer Extravaganza will celebrate the release of them all on Tuesday, Dec. 2 from 4pm to Midnight at the newly renovated Sidebar, Lompoc’s barrel tasting room at 3901 N Williams Ave.

Who’s in Portland this weekend?  Would love to see this even hit capacity!

PORTLAND, OREGON: – Some of Oregon’s most sought-after beers will be at the third annual Brews for New Avenues (BFNA), the nonprofit beer event that hosts Portland’s only live auction of unique craft beers. Oregon breweries and private collectors are partnering with New Avenues for Youth’s ambassador board to produce an all-star auction list that is garnering national attention from beer writers and enthusiasts, including Hair of the Dog’s Dave (single bottles sell for $2,000 at other auctions), three bottles from de Garde and Deschutes’ The Abyss (2006 – 2013 full vertical). The full list of beers can be viewed at http://www.brewsfornewavenues.org/#!2014-event/c4ww

Brews for New Avenues will have on tap over 40 international and domestic craft beer kegs, including Cantillon’s Iris and de Struise’s Imperialist, alongside Cascade’s Honey Ginger Lime, Upright’s Engelberg and 10 Barrel’s Uberlliner (an imperial version of “German Sparkle Party Berlinerweisse” and has never been sold in the Portland market). This year, Brews will also feature a bigger, better “Wall of Beer,” where event attendees can donate $10 and select one mystery bottle. Some bottles will be rare, others just delicious. Additional highlights include beer-centric raffle items, chocolate stout beer floats, food carts (People’s Pig and Pulehu Pizza) and live music (The Get Ahead and The Sentiments).

What: 3^rd Annual Brews for New Avenues  

When: Saturday, September 6, 5pm to 10:30pm

Where: Leftbank Annex, 101 N Weidler St.

Entry: $10, 21+

All proceeds benefit New Avenues for Youth 

brewsfornewavenues.org

Quote from Trevor and Lindsay of de Garde Brewing: “This is about the most fun beer event you’ll ever attend. The charitable aspect makes it that much better. Brews for New Avenues is beyond worth the admission price and it’s all for a great cause.”

About New Avenues for Youth

New Avenues for Youth is a Portland-based nonprofit organization committed to helping foster, at-risk and homeless youth gain the life skills necessary to lead healthy, independent lives and avoid lifelong homelessness.

About de Garde Brewing

de Garde Brewing is a small rural brewery in Tillamook, OR specializing in many diverse styles of ales, but with a focus on spontaneous fermentations inspired by the European farmhouse traditions.

PORTLAND, Ore. – August 14, 2014 – There’s a first time for everything, and in the case of the Oregon Brewers Festival, it was a downpour on opening day. The 27th annual Oregon Brewers Festival took place July 23 through 27 at Waterfront Park in Portland. And while the rain kept some at bay, the mud puddles quickly dried and by the end of the weekend, attendance numbers rivaled those of the year before, coming in at 85,000 attendees.

 
Beer lovers came from across the nation and around the world to join in the celebration; they included a group of brewers from The Netherlands who were invited to pour beer in the festival’s Specialty Tent. Event founder and director Art Larrance heralded the relationship a natural progression in the evolution of craft brewing worldwide, and announced plans to bring in brewers from New Zealand in 2015.
 
“Thirty some years ago, U.S. craft brewers were looking outside of the nation for beer inspiration,” explained Larrance. “Today, it’s come full circle; craft beer markets from around the world are looking to us for insight. We’re seeing a beer revolution in places like The Netherlands and New Zealand, and the emergence of a lot of innovative brewing. Our goals is to celebrate and share that with the craft beer lovers who attend our event.”
 
Amidst the celebration, the festival took time to honor the memory of those who involved in the beer industry who have passed away this year, including Jack Joyce, the founder of Rogue Ales who was to be this year’s Grand Marshal; and Vic Atiyeh, Oregon’s former governor who signed Oregon’s Brewpub Bill into law in 1985. The Festival also donated $15,000 to The Dougy Center, a Portland non-profit that benefits grieving children and families, during the event’s opening ceremonies.
 
Beer lovers enjoyed 88 beers in the main tents, and another 100 rotating beers in the Specialty Tent, which featured vintage, barrel aged, blends and one-off beers from the participants. All beer was served in tasting glasses, a change that was implemented last year to allow consumers to fully enjoy the sight, smell and taste of their beer. It has been announced that the Portland Police Bureau is requiring the festival to do away with glass in the future; the festival is currently working with a vendor to procure a high-quality clear plastic mug.

Hello from Team Boston!

 
 In addition to beer tasting, there was live music all five days, food from six area restaurants, homebrewers brewing beer on site, and a collection of beer-related vendors ranging from wooden beer steins to glass blown pints to kilts. Minors and designated drivers received complimentary cups of handcrafted root beer in the Crater Lake Root Beer Garden.
 
Nearly 1,800 beer fans took advantage of the Hopworks Urban Brewery bike corral, where their bikes were monitored for free while they enjoyed the festival; their tips raised $500 for End Polio Now. The festival employed more than 2,200 volunteers to pour beer, sell tokens, and aid with recycling education.

View of OBF from the Burnside Bridge.

 
The Oregon Brewers Festival was founded in 1988 as an opportunity to expose the public to microbrews at a time when the craft brewing industry was just getting off the ground. Today, that industry has succeeded, especially in Oregon, where 173 brewing companies operate 214 brewing facilities in 70 cities in Oregon. Portland has 56 breweries — more than any other city in the world – and the Portland metropolitan area is the largest craft brewing market in the US with the most number of breweries at 76. The total economic impact from the beer industry on Oregon’s economy is $2.83 billion; the total annual economic impact from the Oregon Brewers Festival in 2013 was $31.2 million.

Best friends for 10 years, professional drinkers for 7!

 
The Oregon Brewers Festival always takes place the last full weekend in July. The 28th annual event will take placeJuly 22 through July 26, 2015. For more information, visit www.oregonbrewfest.com.  
 

Will you be there?

Don’t have plans tonight?  Consider heading to Kells Brewpub (210 NW 21st Ave.) to celebrate two years of brewing with a party.  There will be two special tappings at 6PM:

1. Kells Barrel Aged Red: The brewers took their Kells Irish Red Ale  and barrel aged it for many months in Bull Run Distillery whiskey barrels. Honey and vanilla notes of whiskey dance in your mouth with the light toffee and red fruits of the ale. 5% ABV.
2. Billy Ray Citrus CDSL: Billy Ray Citrus merges the dark roasty richness of a stout with the smooth, easy taste of a session lager. Two-row, caramel, carafa II (dehusked black malt) and Vienna malts are balanced by Northern Brewer, Hallertauer, Mt. Hood and Saaz hops, a great blend of the traditional European noble hops with the freshness of the Northwest. Fermented with lager yeast at room temperature gives this beer its fruity esters and a mild green-apple aroma.

Live music will start at 9pm.

Cheers!

Did you know that beer is a shine-inducing, volume-amplifying and nutritious supplement for your hair?  That makes it great for shampoo and conditioner!

My friend, Jon, brought me back some shampoo, conditioner and body wash from Prague that was made out of beer and I loved it!  Instead of flying to Prague to get this beer wash, below are some recipes that use beer to keep your hair clean.

Thanksgiving 2010 – Jon, Jenna and Jordan

Beer Shampoo:

1 cup regular shampoo plus ¼ cup of flat, mild-scented beer.

The alcohol cleans, the beer shines and volumizes, and the yeast nourishes.

Beer Conditioner:

1 cup of warm, flat beer plus 1 teaspoon jojoba oil.  Jojoba oil is non-greasy and will contribute to moisturizing your hair.

For best results, the beer should be unfiltered and unpasteurized.

Have you used beer as a beauty product?  How did it work for you?