AT THE COAST?
Continued from Pg. 8
Seaside Three Course Challenge meet in Sep-
tember, the Brewer’s Dinner is the program’s
largest fundraising activity.
$dditionally, the dinner serves as the ¿nal
exam for second-semester students. As the sec-
ond semester ends March 11, Holen has “to bring
them back for a couple of days and take them out
of their other classes” to pull off the dinner.
“I give them an incomplete until after the
beer dinner,” he said. “That’s their ¿nal exam.
And it’s about executing it and following through
and showing up on time and showing up, period.
That’s what the lesson is about.”
In general, he believes in giving the students
practical assignments to improve their work
ethic and give them marketable skills in the
local hospitality market.
A love of craft beer
During the festival, tasters can vote on their
favorite beer. At the end, the brewery with the
most votes will win the People’s Choice Award
and a trophy — or rather, a surfboard the brew-
ery can display and bring back the following
year. The reigning champion is Wild Ride
Brewing of Redmond.
The Oregon Coast Homebrewer’s Competi-
tion also is a highlight of Pouring at the Coast.
The competition is open to all home brewers, at
least 21 years old, from across the country. They
can submit — either through drop-off or mail-in
— one exhibit in each category. The entries are
judged March 18 and the morning of March 19
according to the 2015 edition of the Beer Judge
Certi¿cation Program style guidelines. Winners
are announced at the end of the festival.
The festival has evolved since its early days,
when it featured about 10 breweries from the lo-
cal area. However, while the venue has changed
and the number of participants grown, the cul-
ture surrounding the festival has remained, Grif-
¿n said. In general, people want to collectively
celebrate and appreciate an array of ¿ne craft
brews in a single location, rather than party and
get wild.
“Culturally, it has remained a tasting festi-
val. People are going because they are fascinat-
ed with and have a love for craft beer,” Grif¿n
said. “It provides a really unique opportunity for
people who wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to
these beers to have access to them.”
Besides, he added, who doesn’t want to attend
a beer fest at the beach? And because the event
takes place indoors, weather is not an issue.
“Whether it’s pouring at the coast or not,
Pouring at the Coast still goes on,” Grif¿n said.
The festival is sponsored by Fred Meyer,
Ohana Media Group and Seaside
Brewery. The Brewer’s
Dinner is sponsored by
Teevin & Fischer Quarry,
and Sysco donates food.
Tickets are available through the
Seaside Chamber of Commerce by
calling 503-738-6391 or by visiting
www.pouringatthecoast.com
Photo by Katherine Lacaze
Each of the five courses of the Oregon Coast Brewer’s Dinner
will be paired with a craft beer.
March 17, 2016 | coastweekend.com | 9