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Oregon NA Beer – Beerlandia Jan/ Feb 2024

1859 Oregon’s Magazine Beerlandia Column Jan/ Feb 2024

If you’re reading this, then you probably already know… Oregon is the best state for beer. In every corner of our state, in every fold, every valley, and every town, we have some of the best beer in the world at our fingertips.

But there’s a time and a place for everything. Sometimes we have to boldly choose to give ourselves a break from alcohol for the sake of safety, health, and even sanity. But that doesn’t mean we have to forego the flavor and the experience we’ve grown to love.

I’m not into diets or even Dry January. Giving up something I love for a time is one of my personal definitions of madness. Rather, I advocate for a mindful and sustainable lifestyle. A good meal is balanced by exercise and portion control. A good beer is balanced by Non-alcohol alternatives. For every action, there must be an equal and opposite reaction. Screw the diets, this is the way.

No alcohol, or NA beers, are defined as having less than .5% alcohol. Zero alcohol is self-explanatory. Modern technology has not only allowed brewers to make damn tasty NA beer, but it also helped this segment grow to a $17.5 Billion industry in 2020. For reference, that’s way bigger than Taylor Swift.

Big brands have created some great NA options, but so have some of our favorite local Oregon Breweries. We can now drink good Oregon beer without worrying about driving, who’s watching the kids, or excess calories. It doesn’t matter whether you choose to go dry for life, for a month, or for a moment, the choice is yours, and all are welcome to this party.

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Holiday Party Pairings – Beerlandia November/ December 2023

1859 Oregon’s Magazine Beerlandia November/ December 2023

I hadn’t been much of a carnival type since I was a kid, but there I was, running the Drinko game for all the contestants. Drinko is really Plinko, but this version was a 10-foot tall board covered in saran wrap into which people tossed crushed beer cans. I received an exclusive invite to a private beer festival in its 15th year and thought I should volunteer. In case you think you misread “private beer festival,” you got it right. Imagine a bottle share, beer festival, and carnival with a thirty-foot Maypole with streamers, games, music, blind beer tasting challenge, and comedic skits, except in someone’s backyard. Volunteers checked invites at one table and more volunteers sold this year’s T-shirt at another. The entire event was about well-organized frivolity… and beer.

This got me thinking, we really ought to step up our holiday party game. We’ve all been to parties where guests bring some food to share, something good to drink, then spend hours trying to sound interesting or, more importantly, interested. What if we took a page from this backyard beer blast from above and create an event people will look forward to every year?

Imagine a holiday party with a theme, North Pole BBQ, Tropical Thanksgiving, or Christmas Vacation movie, for example, where everyone dresses accordingly. Then, instead of a potluck,

imagine guests bringing food paired with beer to share as a course.

Pairing takes a beer and turns it into something more memorable. And pairing is more intuitive than we think. We inherently know what we like and should have more confidence in sharing it.

The best part is people will generally step up their game to impress, and by the end of the evening, everyone will be feeling merry and bright.

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Once Upon a Time in Beerlandia: A Brief history of Oregon Beer

1859 Oregon Magazine’s Beerlandia Column Sept/ Oct 2023

I giggle a little while drinking Oregon beer. Brewers outside Oregon and the US often reference our beer as the standard they strive for. The reason is the beer in our glass, the stuff we take for granted, is not only world-class but on the tip of the craft beer edge.

There’s a good reason for this, and a good story.

Oregon got its first brewery a few years before it earned statehood status in 1859. By the turn of the century, Henry Weinhard was building a brewing empire. Oregon State began developing hops in the 30s, which proliferated. Two world wars ravaged hop fields in Europe, which put Oregon at the forefront of hop production. Despite our little experiment with prohibition, the area around Independence, in Polk County, became the hop center of the world.

Meanwhile, OSU was breeding varieties meant to compete with desirable German hops. Many of these hops were shelved because they had too much flavor. Post prohibition, we had three Macrobrewers that sold virtually the same thing. We reveled in homogeneity as we kept up with the Joneses.

Craft pioneers discovered the world of beer outside the US and demanded better upon returning. They experimented with Oregon’s failed hops like Cascade. In doing so, they created the pine and citrus flavor of American craft beer that dominated the world.

Initially, the craft beer revolution struggled for traction. After a few decades, it gained momentum. By the 2000s, craft threatened big beer, and Oregon stood proudly on the front lines of flavor.

Even though the story of Oregon beer goes back nearly two centuries, the story is still being written. Every time you head to your local and grab a pint, you write a new chapter with every sip. What’s next, I wonder.

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Pairing Beer with Oregon Places – Beerlandia July/ August 2023

1859 Oregon Magazine’s Beerlandia Column July/ August 2023

As I write this, I’m in the air returning from Nashville. I enjoyed some good beer while I was there, but that’s not what I think about when I think of Music City. Images of barbecue, whiskey, and blues-infused country music fill my mind before beer. I’ve been fortunate to have been a few places in the world where I tasted the beer and got the T-shirt. A few of those places are well-known for their beer. Others are well-known but also have a beer. Oregon is different. It’s well known for beer and… fill in the blank.

I’ve enjoyed some unforgettable experiences in Oregon. The moments sitting dockside at a high lake, dangling my legs on a tailgate at the end of a southern trail, driving past the verdant hills of the east, staring at the mountains that benevolently dare us to climb, or donning a wetsuit at the coast have all contributed meaning to my life. These experiences still would’ve meant something without it, but a good beer caps off these experiences like a soundtrack to a movie. This, for me, is what Oregon is known for, the beer-filled experience that sates our thirsty souls.

There are a few places in Oregon on my agenda this late Summer. I can’t hope to visit them all, but I do hope to visit and experience them again. Places like the Oregon Brewer’s Festival on Portland’s Waterfront, The Oregon Trail Brewfest in Oregon City, The Babes and Brews in Lincoln City, and all the patios, fun runs, and beer festivals throughout Oregon.

Chances are I’ll be near the water this Summer. But, wherever you are, go outside. Go find your place. The best Oregon beer experience is always the next one, and the next one is around the bend.

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Embracing the Darkness: A Return to Beerlandia

Embracing The Darkness

It’s cold outside and I’m hunkering down in an old speak easy where, instead of illicit spirits, there’re a plethora of taps. Despite the dim lighting my beer is quite cheery. I’m drinking an Oatmeal Stout. First time in years. I normally gravitate toward other styles, but today it’s just what I needed. Roasty flavors, faint notes of coffee, subtle bitterness, and a slick body delight my senses and serve as a fleece jacket for my soul. I had forgotten how cathartic it feels to brood with a dark beer in winter.

From German influence we find flavors of dark bread, chocolate, nuts and toast in beers like a Dunkel, a Schwartz, or an elegant Doppel Bock from breweries like Heater Allen or Chuckanut. If you’re into banana bread with a side of booze, then a dark Weizenbock will improve your chill factor in more ways than one.

A Belgian Dubbel and a Quad share warmth, not through roastiness, but through a dry body, clean alcohol and flavors reminiscent of raisins, nuts, and a nod toward clove and all-spice. Breweries like Monkless and Pfriem are knocking these out of the park.

Home of Porters and Stouts, the UK is well adapted for brooding in cold weather. Wee Heavies, Imperial Stouts, or my Oatmeal Stout sitting in front of me, are sweet, smooth and delightful. Breweries like Santiam, Fort George, Porter Brewing and Pelican usually have these lined up for winter.

Many people find dark beers intimidating. The truth is, while some are intense, most are comforting, especially in Winter. With Craft Beer month coming in February, we have a chance to sink deeply into our glasses and embrace the darkness. Just add a fire, and hopefully a little snuggle.