Oregon Beer Odyssey Gone Wild
Oregon Beer Odyssey's Ben Edmunds teaches us about sour beers
As far as I can tell, interest in sour beers seems to have grown in recent months. It seems that sours have become a more frequent topic of conversation; they’re finding their way into a more regular rotation at local bars; and they seem to have earned some additional shelf space at local bottle shops – shelf space that was likely once home to other more recognized, expected, and accepted styles.
Admittedly, I’m fairly inexperienced when it comes to sour beers. While I enjoy them, I haven’t devoted much time or energy to really learning about them. So, my perception that sours are gaining traction and becoming more readily available may be skewed by the fact that I’ve recently started to pay more attention to the style. In any case, I wanted to learn more. Conveniently, I also wanted to check out the Oregon Beer Odyssey, a recently launched Portland-based company offering a series of beer classes. On Saturday, I attended Oregon Beer Odyssey’s Sour and Wild Beers class, and I can’t say enough good things about it.
Beer Review: New Belgium Ranger IPA
Late last year, we caught wind that New Belgium was going to change the labels of some of its beers and simultaneously release a new beer called Ranger IPA. Ranger rounds out the new Explore Series of beers from New Belgium, which also includes old favorites: Mothership Wit, Abbey, and Trippel. All four beers have been branded with new, simple, two-tone labels that are a pretty dramatic departure from the artistically painted labels that have helped make New Belgium beer bottles so easily recognizable.
While I do like the new labels, I don't like them for New Belgium. It somehow feels like New Belgium is abandoning a part of the brand that everyone knows, that everyone appreciates, and that no other brewery can easily replicate. In looking at the labels here, it's easy to see that these new labels stand out. But admittedly, it's the new look that caught my eye when I was shopping this weekend - and lead me to pick up a six pack of Ranger IPA.
I like the story behind the beer: Ranger IPA is a tribute to New Belgium's regional representatives, or Beer Rangers as they're called. From the brewery:
Beyond the Pacific Northwest: Out of Market Beers Worth Checking Out
While I tend to lean towards beers that are brewed locally, over the past few weeks I've had a few beers brewed outside the Pacific Northwest that stood out for me. Each of these are pretty readily available, and I think each are worth checking out:
New Belgium Le Fleur Misseur
Le Fleur Misseur is part of New Belgium's Lips of Faith series of beers. We were looking for something different when we picked up a bottle of this beer; we hadn't tried this one from New Belgium, the name was intriguing, and the attractive packaging sealed the deal. We weren't disappointed.
