in other words
october16
2014
13
Another Round: More Words of Wisdom About Beer
By Scott Laird
We’re Back!-
Maybe
you
missed us, may-
be you didn’t.
But after a long
hiatus, I just
couldn’t resist
the temptation to
taste beer and report on interesting beer
news. Make sure to check this column
regularly for fun happenings, new brew-
eries or brews you might
want to try, and anything else
that’s silly, funny, or beer re-
lated. Hopefully you’ll en-
joy reading this column as
much as I enjoy writing it.
McMenamins Black Wid-
ow is Here for Hallow-
een-October is here, and
you know what that means
– cooling weather, chang-
ing leaves and time to ditch
light microbrews and delve
into something darker and
heavier. We’ve got just the
thing for you, McMenamins
dark-bodied Black Widow
Porter! Originally created
at Thompson Brewery more
than 20 years ago, Black Widow has
since become a much anticipated Hal-
loween treat at McMenamins properties
all over the Pacific Northwest.
This festive pour beckons you to
head on in to a McMenamins pub, (the
Grand Lodge and Cornelius Pass Road-
house are not that far from Vernonia)
and enjoy its robust black and roast malt
flavors with undertones of caramel and
licorice.
Black Widow is available on tap
and in 22 oz. bottles at all McMenamins
locations starting October 15 through
Halloween.
If you’re planning to try the
Black Widow, you might consider head-
ing to the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse
(CPR) on October 29 th , starting at 6:00
PM, when they are offering a night of
“Spooky Ales,” limited-edition beers,
BLUE HERON HOLLOW
600 California Avenue
Vernonia, OR 97064
including the Black Widow, at happy
hour pricing all night long. CPR brewer
and Vernonia resident Brady Romtvedt
tells us that the other beers they will be
pouring that evening are :
• The Widow Jager-a deep black gob-
let full of black and roast malts, further
spirited with ethereal wisps of caramel
and licorice. But wait! Don’t forget the
Jager-soaked oak spirals that add depth
and goulish delight. At 7.35% ABV this
should give you a good scare!
• Ghost Lager-six ghost peppers
conspire with a dozen habaneros to
haunt you. Spooky good flavor
with a scary hot finish!
• Pole-Axe Strong Ale-
deep mahogany in color
and dangerous just like
the ancient weapon it’s
named after. Also rated
at 7.35% ABV... sip
slowly or lose your head.
Meet the brewers,
ask beer questions and enjoy lim-
ited edition pours at happy hour prices.
What a great way to get into the spirit of
the Halloween season!
More Roadhouse News-As October
turns into November, mark your calen-
dar for November 7 th for The Cornelius
Pass Roadhouse’s Fall Brewers Dinner.
This beer party in the Octagonal Barn is
the quintessential fall gathering! Brew-
ers will introduce their beers, which are
paired throughout the five-course meal;
a Helles Bock with roasted New York
strip and wild mushroom, an Irish Cof-
fee Stout with stout chocolate cake, and
more. Hear from the brewers as they in-
troduce their favorites, all paired with a
seasonal menu. Tickets are $70 and must
be purchased in advance.
Oregon a Big Winner at Great Ameri-
can Beer Fest- Oregon breweries and
brewers made quite a haul at the 2014
Great American Beer Fest (GABF) in
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Denver earlier this month. There were
268 medals awarded this year from
5,507 entries and Oregon brought home
twenty-two of those. Among the high-
lights was Milwaukie’s Breakside Brew-
ery bringing home the gold medal in the
prestigious American-Style India Pale
Ale. In the most contested category at
the festival with 279 entries, Breakside
IPA came out on top.
Another big surprise was new-
comer Buoy Beer Co. of Astoria. Buoy
Beer is less than a year old and was re-
cently featured in the Wauna FCU
autumn newsletter insert in
the October 2 issue of Ver-
nonia’s Voice. Buoy Beer
won the silver medal in
the European-Style Dun-
kel category for their
Buoy Dunkel. A quick
look at the Buoy Beer Co.
website shows a beautifully
converted cannery building
right on the water, with fourteen
of their own beers on tap, and a fantastic
food menu. Looks like a road trip to As-
toria sometime soon is in our future!
Other big Oregon winners at
the 2014 GABF were Barley Brown’s
Brew Pub in Baker City which brought
home four medals, including two golds
and 10 Barrel Brewing Co. from Bend
with three total medals. Portland Brew-
eries that won medals included Widmer
Brothers Brewing Co., Ground Breaker
Brewing, The Commons Brewery, Old
Town Brewing Co., and 13 Virtues
Brewing Co.
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