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July 30th through August 1st in beautiful Bend, Oregon

Join Breedlove Guitars and Deschutes Brewery for amazing Grammy award winning entertainment played on extraordinary Breedlove instruments in Central Oregon’s pristine high desert.  Entertainers include Sugarland, Ed Gerhard, Chris Hillman and many more.  For the complete festival line-up and to purchase your tickets, visit Breedlove’s website!

Space is limited so purchase your tickets today!

Thursday, July 30th
AMA, CMA and Grammy award winners Sugarland will be performing at the Les Schwab Amphitheatre. Start the weekend off right with us as we host you in the private Breedlove tent. Dinner and beverages are included with your ticket.

Friday, July 31st & Saturday, August 1st
The Festival will be jam packed with performances by:
Grammy award winning artist - Ed Gerhard
Grammy nominee, Grammy Hall of Fame Inductee, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Inductee, Country Music Hall of Fame Inductee, Chris Hilman with Herb Pedersen
Dire Straits founder David Knopfler & Harry Bogdanovs

Last week I pulled from every corner of my arsenal of clothing to combat the weather; ski jacket, shorts, rain gear, flip-flops and the requisite fleece, so I know that spring is here. Spring is an exciting time for us here at the Bend Pub.  Cinder Cone Red is released, we begin our planning of the Sagebrush Classic, our annual golf tournament and feast benefiting the Deschutes Children’s Foundation, and we start gearing up for the summer tourist season. We also put out our spring and summer menu.

Menu changes are an exciting part of the job of being a Chef, especially a spring menu. We get to think about summer crops with beautiful, fresh produce and vegetables. Trips to the farmer’s market offer weekly inspiration and the summer fishing season will soon begin. Menu Changes are often challenging too. It is a delicate balance of offering something new without removing a favorite. Someone’s feelings are always hurt.

We start the process with an “anything is possible” brainstorming session. Nothing gets the creative juices flowing like one of Paul’s (our brewer at the Pub) specialty brews.

I found the Pilsner to be especially inspiring this year. The blend of Czech and German Malts add a complexity to this pilsners’ crisp and refreshing flavor. The flavors sing summer to me. Halfway through my pint and my mind is on the lawn at Les Schwab enjoying a Sunday concert. A salad would be great with this beer.

How about a spinach salad? That sounds good. What kind of dressing? Something light I think. Let’s make a Green Lakes Vinaigrette, nice and aromatic, and light on the palate. Green Lakes Organic Ale is perfect for this, the blend of organic malts, barley and seven types of hops add a sense of the high Cascades. What else? Pondhopper cheese, the semi-soft goat cheese from Tumalo Farms. This cheese’s rich flavor will help balance the sharpness of the vinaigrette. And for a final touch, candied Munich Malts. One of the staples of our beers coated with sugar and spice and roasted in our bakery. Now that’s a salad for summer.

We go through this process several times creating dishes inspired by summer and the bounty of ingredients available in Oregon. Some of the other dishes we have created include a Trout Po’ boy with Idaho trout and house pickled vegetables, fresh fish tacos on Wednesday, and marbled cheesecake with vanilla beans and hibiscus. Pair these with Paul’s amazing brews including his newest creation; La Fleur, a beer made without the use of hops, the bitterness comes from an amazing assortment of herbs including mugwort and milkthistle, and you have a selection that should satisfy for summer.

Cheers,

Matt Neltner, Executive Chef

We often scan the world wide web to see what beer fanatics are saying about our beers, especially the new ones like Red Chair IPA. So, when we come across a review like this one, we had to share it with you. 

Modern Brewery Age
(Five out of Five Mugs)
A beautiful hop forward beer, practically exploding with fresh hop aroma and flavor. The nose is a stunning bouquet of floral hops, and every sip fills the palate with citrusy fruit flavors. It’s a terrific and distinctive IPA, with 6.4% abv and a relatively modest 55 IBUs. Tasters were blown away by this one from the first scent.

“Holy shit!” said Greg Zannella.

“Unbelievable!” said Marty Juliano.

“Very floral up front, they really make phenomenol beer.” “Great hop nose,” agreed Robert Lachman.

“Wow!” “Aroma is nice big floral and citrus, well rounded, and very Pacific Northwest,” said Gregg Glaser.

“Floral right through to the taste, like lilacs,” Greg Zannella added.

“Floral up front, then grapefruit flavor and finish,” Marty said.

“Stops just short of too much grapefruit,” said Phil Simpson.

“Maybe a quarter rind short of too much grapefruit,” Gregg Glaser laughed. “And it sure tastes a lot bigger than 55 IBU.”

“Excellent beer, this should get a special 27 mug rating,” said Robert Lachman.

“I’ve never had a bad beer from Deschutes,” said Von Bair. “Now when the Hell will they start shipping to the East Coast?”

“Terrific fresh hop character,” said Tom Conti, “A beautiful thing.”

Now, we look forward to reading your comments about what you think of this juicy IPA.

The long, warm evenings in Central Oregon once again herald the return of Twilight Ale, Deschutes Brewery’s award winning summer seasonal. This hot weather quencher is available Memorial Day weekend through September in 6-packs, 12-packs, and on draft. Now your idea of summer fun might be matching the hatch, honing your short game, or flying down single-track on the edge of sanity. We believe Twilight Ale will make hanging out next to the Weber and reflecting on these pursuits that much more enjoyable.The use of Cara-Pils and Carastan malts lends Twilight Ale a subtle, wafer like body. This is at once offset and complemented by citrus and floral aromas. These are brought about with late additions of whole flower Cascade, Amarillo, and Tettnang hops. The overall result is a crisp, effervescent, highly drinkable ale that will pair beautifully with picnic classics like barbecued ribs, and salads with lemon and dill.

Twilight Ale was named for that magical time of day when shadows are long, laughter comes easily, and you really just want the moment to last forever. One more cast, one more putt, one more leg of the trail, just one more Twilight Ale. So keep on chasing down those low slung rays of summer light, and we’ll keep doing things the Deschutes way, deal?

Cheers,

John “Abe” Abraham, Brewer

Growing up in the Midwest, I consider the hamburger to be the quintessential American food. When done right it displays the best America has to offer. It is opportunity for its economy and accessibility to all. It is thrift in that its meat is often a grind of cuts that are too small for steaks and roasts. The rich flavored beef comes from cattle fed on grains and grasses grown on windswept prairies and raised by cowboys. The vegetable set, a sweet-hot onion, crisp lettuce and a juicy tart tomato, is a complex delight harvested by farmers who settled this land. Place all this on a bun made by bakers who are drawing on a thousand years of collective experience and you have an American classic. Follow it with a great beer and you have perfection at the table.

Deschutes Brewery displayed such a prowess for the hamburger on my first visit that it now seems inevitable that I would eventually be the Chef there. It was in the spring of 2002 and a perfect Central Oregon day. It was about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. The room was lively but not overcrowded, (A great time to visit if you love the beer and food but want to avoid the crowds). The sun shone through the windows illuminating a room that is reminiscent of an English Pub. The smell of malts and barley steeping in the mash filled the air as the brewers worked their magic.

I dressed my cheeseburger and bit in. My teeth made their way through a soft bun smothered with Brewers Mustard, ketchup, and mayo. I felt the crunch of lettuce and onion. I tasted the onion’s sweet heat as I tore through tomato and beef. I could taste the juice of the Borlen Beef as it coated my tongue with its rich, natural goodness, and I knew. This burger had been cooked perfectly. The cooks had readied my repast to perfection. I wiped the juices from my chin and washed down my bite with a pull of Mirror Pond Pale Ale. My tongue was in bliss. Even the simplest dishes are elevated to the sublime when executed with respect and precision. This meal set the bar for such execution. It is the standard I use in leading an amazing team of cooks at Deschutes Brewery.

Cheers,

Matt Neltner, Executive Chef

After a longer than anticipated wait, Mirror Mirror is, indeed, in the bottle and being dipped in black wax as I type and we even have photos to prove it. This first Reserve Series release of the year will be out in the market in just a couple of weeks.

What:
Gourmet Beer-Pairing Event: Get a taste of the renowned Deschutes Brewery Sagebrush Classic Feast, which is held each summer in beautiful Bend, Oregon. The Sagebrush Sampler features six Portland chefs pairing small-plate specialties with craft beers from Deschutes Brewery.

Where:
Deschutes Brewery Portland Pub
210 NW 11th & Davis
Portland, OR   97209

When:
Monday, May 11th
6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Who:
Some of Portland’s Finest Chefs:
Cathy Whims, Nostrana
Pascal Sauton, Carafe Bistro
Scott Neuman, Oba! Restaurante
Pascal Chureau - Fenouil Brasserie
Jill Ramseier, Deschutes Brewery, Portland
Jeff Usinowicz, Deschutes Brewery, Portland
Philippe Boulot, The Heathman Restaurant & Multnomah Athletic Club

Entertainment:
Aaron Meyer, concert rock violinist

Beneficiary:
Morrison Child & Family Services

Dinner Tickets*:
$100 each. Call 503-332-5000 or stop by the Portland Pub to purchase tickets.

Attention all craft beer enthusiasts who live to discover bold brews and push the sensory envelope. A new member of the Deschutes Brewery Bond Street Series is set to debut in mid May and will be available in 22oz. bottles through September. Red Chair IPA is named after the oldest operating lift at Mt. Bachelor, a classic old school double that locals flock to on fresh powder mornings. This beer has been wildly popular with our pub regulars, who always seem to know when we have hit on something special. Red Chair will be the latest in a volley of experimental hop beers originating at our Bond Street pub in downtown Bend.

Given the wild reception and enthusiasm shown by the public for the likes of The Abyss, The Dissident, Hop Henge, and Hop Trip, we are confident that there is no shortage of folks out there who appreciate innovation. Clearly people understand and appreciate the importance, or dare we say, the absolute necessity of our continuing to be experimental and cutting edge.

Red Chair is a bright copper beauty (think freshly minted penny) with a solid head and perfect lacing that typifies Deschutes ales. It has a plush body with satiny caramel flavors derived from seven varieties of malt including British crystals, German pilsner, and domestic versions of cara-pils and Munich. Despite all of this, Red Chair is still a hop forward ale, but not in the way many have gotten used to. You will find no cloying, mouth puckering bitterness here. In its place a straight up succulent citrus punch to the nose. This is due to the experimental nature of some of the hops, as well as, how late in the process they were added.

To say that the seemingly contradictory elements of caramel maltiness and citrusy hops get along would be an understatement; they coexist in blissful harmony. Red Chair would pair exceptionally well with hot-n-sour soup, enchiladas with mole sauce, or thin crust margarita pizza. But don’t take our word for it, get a little experimental yourself and enjoy this wonderful beer with any food you see fit, or all by itself.

Cheers,

John “Abe” Abraham, Brewer

As our country and state fall further into financial chaos, large gaps are left in state and federal budgets and our elected leaders are challenged for ways to deal with them.  Historically, they have turned to “so-called” Sin Taxes, taxes on tobacco and alcohol.  I won’t deal with tobacco here because while alcohol can be abused, when consumed per manufacturers instructions (moderately and responsibly), alcohol causes no harm and there is ample scientific evidence it may actually contribute to a healthy lifestyle. (Duhhh!)
In Oregon, as in some other states, legislators have decided to target the beer industry (not wine or spirits or junk food or Britney Spears, just beer) for a significant increase to the excise tax on beer.

Excise taxes are taxes assessed at the point of manufacture or import.  The tax proposal in Oregon would affect all beer sold in Oregon regardless of where it is produced.  It would not affect beer we produce and sell out of state. (Those state’s excise tax would be assessed upon our beers importation into that state.)  The key here is where do you sell most of your beer?  For Deschutes Brewery, we sell half of the beer we produce in Oregon so we have a much larger exposure to heavily taxed beer should the current proposal pass.  Other Oregon brewers sell ALL of their beer in Oregon.  This places them at a significant disadvantage when competing with out of state companies that can average costs over a broad range of territory.  What it really means is that Deschutes Brewery’s state excise tax bill would go from $220,000 to $4.5 Million!  If you think that will only amount to 15 cents per beer, you should think again.

Oregon’s craft brewing industry did not exist 25 years ago.  In that time, the industry has grown to the healthiest in the nation.  The percentage of craft beer sold in Oregon (that is made in Oregon) is more than double that of the next highest state.  Portland (also known as Beervana) has the most breweries of any city in the world.  The reasons for this are many.  Among the most important, though, is the relatively advantageous excise tax environment we enjoy in Oregon.  (We say “relatively” because all excise taxes are inherently regressive and unfair, but we do compare favorably to our neighboring states**).

If we were to suggest to the legislature that we could provide in 25 short years a new industry that would provide 5,200 family wage jobs, would be clean, green, very involved in their communities, popular with Oregonians and provide an attraction for visitors that would exceed the state’s wineries, companies would forego any tax breaks plus agree to pay tens of millions of dollars for the privilege of doing business in Oregon, what would the legislature say?  Yet, that is exactly what we have done.  Meanwhile, the legislature has provided millions to California’s film and TV industry to try and lure them here so they can take their dollars back to California.  (Make no mistake, California needs those dollars!)

Oregon’s brewers have been accused of misstating facts and being pawns of the large international brewers.  Meanwhile no one seems to want to question the “facts” alleged in the legislation itself, or the motives of its authors.  Our motives are clear.  We must protect our industry, our companies, our co-workers and our communities.  We know there is no amount the tax can be raised that will not damage all four, to say nothing of what a 2,000% increase will do.  In this economic climate this is truer than ever. 

So, who is really manipulating who?

Tell your legislators, Don’t tax my beer!

For more information on how to fight for what’s right, go to:  http://oregonbeer.org/2009/02/17/sign-our-online-petition/

** Excise tax rate per barrel
Oregon $2.60
Washington $8.06
California $6.20
Idaho  $4.65
Wyoming  $0.62
Montana  $4.34
Missouri $1.86 (home of Anheuser Busch)
Wisconsin $1.86 (home of Miller)
Colorado $2.48 (home of Coors)