Oregon Brewers Festival Recap
And what a weekend it was. As we look back on a great weekend at the Oregon Brewers Festival, it's pretty amazing to think that there's still nearly an entire week left to enjoy Oregon Craft Beer Month. But before gearing up for the home stretch, I wanted to offer up my impressions of the OBF.
Having moved to Portland just after last year's fest, this was my first Oregon Brewers Festival experience. Overall, I thought the festival was great. While beer obviously plays a central role in any beer festival, I appreciated the fact that OBF includes a variety of festivities and experiences that work to create a real festival atmosphere. Unfortunately, I missed the opening day parade and keg-tapping, but in reading reviews from others in attendance, it's obvious that the opening ceremony really helped set the tone for a great weekend.
Before the festival got started on Thursday, I had posted my picks for the Oregon Brewers Festival. These were all beers I had never had before. And after visiting the fest a couple times this weekend, I'm pretty happy that I was able to try all but one on my list (sadly, the beer I wasn't able to try was Flying Fish Exit 4 - which was well received and made several peoples' best of the fest lists).
Cheers to Belgian Beers 2010 Recap
This year's Cheers to Belgian Beers festival was my first. And of all the beer events and festivals I've attended, Saturday's event has definitely earned a spot as one of my favorites.
I like the idea behind Cheers to Belgian Beers: it's a brewing competition where all the beers share a common yeast strain. This year, brewers were tasked with using Wyeast 3726-Farmhouse yeast. Having never attended the fest, I was impressed with the spectrum and diversity of choices among the 30+ beers brewed for the event. The choices showcased a variety of ingredients from grapefruit peel to peppercorns, and styles from farmhouse table beer to Belgian dark strong ale. There was something for everyone. Evidence of this could be found in just about every conversation going on at the fest, and is reflected in the varying written opinions from Bill, Jeff, Angelo, Derek & Dr. Wort.
While many beer festivals quickly become chaotic and uncomfortable, Hopworks, the host for this year's event, offered an experience that was was refreshingly easy. We were met with a line of about 20 people when we arrived around 3:00pm, but the volunteers were organized and friendly. The line moved quickly and, with our pockets full of tickets and tasting glasses in hand, we reviewed our options. We barely took one step towards the beer tent when we came across a group of friends who were eager to share opinions of what they'd already tasted. This, and the fact that it was conveniently located at the beginning of the alphabetical lineup, prompted me to choose Block 15 La Ferme' de Demons as my first choice.
Spring Beer and Wine Fest Recap
In the weeks leading up to the Spring Beer and Wine Fest, I had heard mixed reviews. Sure, there's a pretty long list of breweries and wineries represented, but most people I talked with were in agreement: the beers offered are fairly standard and predictable. At the same time, many pointed to the ambiance, or lackthereof, of the Oregon Convention Center, and the strange variety of vendors sprinkled among those serving beer and wine; all of this seemed to shape a less than enthusiastic view of the Fest.
Having moved to Portland in August of last year, I had never been to the Spring Beer and Wine Fest. So after hearing similar stories from a number of people, I was looking forward to checking it out myself. On Friday, as part of a media preview event hosted by Lisa Morrison, I had the opportunity to tour the exhibit hall, taste a hand-picked selection of the more unique beer offerings, and listen to some of the brewers talk about their breweries and their beers. While I experienced some of the drawbacks mentioned above, it sounds like steps were taken this year to address these issues. Overall, I had a good time at the Fest. Thanks to Lisa, we were treated to a solid selection of beers - some of which I hadn't previously had the opportunity to try. And while the Convention Center may not be the most visually appealing event space, it offered a welcome escape from the cold and rainy Portland weather.
Check out Beervana's post about the beers we tried as part of the tour; It's Pub Night also has posted a brief write-up of the event. Highlights of the Spring Beer and Wine Fest for me included:
