Worthy Brewing knows how to throw a party! In their expansive brewhouse, designed by brewmaster Chad Kennedy, they set up a full stage and live music, a photo booth, face painting for the kiddos, plus knowledgeable staff in more than enough beer stations providing specially released Worthy Saison, two firkins: a one-off Amarillo dry hopped ESP and the Pilot Butte Bitter, as well as their Lights Out Stout, Go Time Xtra Pale Ale, and the Worthy Imperial IPA, among other delicious offerings. Outside in the drizzle that only April can bring, executive chef Mike Harrison kept his eye on a local pig roasting on a spit. Never mind the rain, the party had it all, including a special tribute to Hop Dr. Al Haunold* and as Roger Worthington, Worthy Brewing Owner, put it, his legacy is in every beer we taste, with every sip that passes our lips. Dr. Al Hanuold spoke briefly but passionately. Working with sub par hops in 1945 led him to proclaim, “I will not stand for this!” That is when he realized his purpose in life was to breed the greatest hops in the world. In honor of all that Dr. Al Haunold has done for hop breeding, the on-site Hop House at Worthy Brewing is dedicated to him. It was a great evening to honor Dr. Al Haunold but also revel in a brewery that seems to have a knack for going the extra mile for its guests. This is obvious in their attention to detail, quality, and service–and this is only the first of many parties to come!

Cheers to Worthy Brewing and congratulations on your grand opening!

*Dr. Al Hanold was the leading hop scientist for the USDA’s hop breeding program from 1965 to 1995. Source: http://inhoppursuit.blogspot.com/2010/01/first-of-series-us-hopmeister-in-chief.html

Good Life Brewery has a lot to celebrate these days. Just a week after the bottle release of the wildly popular “Descender IPA,” Good Life raised their glasses again to their first year in business. The Bend, Oregon brewery has enjoyed a huge amount of success in their first year, winning both the 2012 People’s Choice Award for “Descender IPA” as well as “Mountain Rescue Dry Hop Pale Ale” in 2011. However, these awards pale in comparison to the outpouring of loyal craft beer lovers that just can’t seem to get enough of Good Life brews. Good Life works hard to involve the local community with Thursday night “Local’s Nights” as well as featuring a menu that includes the Best of Bend to add a local flair. It’s been a whirlwind first year, but we think it’s safe to say that we can expect only good things from Good Life. Cheers to one year, Good Life!

Check out the photos posted above from Good Life’s birthday bash and find out more about the brewery here.

-Kate Mitchell for Beer West

For more information on Crux Fermentation Project, visit cruxfermentation.com

They did it again! The Oregon Brewers Guild announced on June 26 that during 2011 Oregon’s breweries crafted 1,168,000 barrels of beer, which is a 7.5% increase from 2010. While overall Oregon had weak employment figures, the brewing companies added over 600 jobs in 2011.

“Increasing production by 7.5 percent simply means more jobs,” said Brian Butenschoen, Executive Director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “When an increased number of Oregonians choose Oregon beer over other options, we need more farmers to grow hops and barley, brewers buy more equipment, open breweries, and hire new employees.”

Oregon has 110 brewing companies operating 145 brewing facilities in 58 cities. Portland also has 49 breweries within its city limits, more than any other city in the world. In addition to these impressive numbers, Oregon’s brewing industry also contributes $2.44 billion to the state’s economy and employs over 25,000 people directly and indirectly.

About 15.8 percent of  2.712 million barrels of all beer consumed in the state were made in Oregon. This percentage jumps up quite a bit with draft beer, with Oregon breweries producing about 42.8 percent of all draft beer consumed in the state. These numbers are the highest for any state in the U.S. In the United States, craft beer production has grown 13 percent in the last year and is 5.7 percent of the total volume of beer brewed in the U.S. (statistics provided by SymphonyIRI Group)

Adapted from Bill Chappell’s “To Grow a Craft Beer Business, The Secret’s in the Water” in NPR’s Food Blog, The Salt.

There is no denying that the popularity and brewing of craft beer is on the rise. Obviously this has great benefits, but there are often factors that have to be reworked as breweries expand in order to preserve the craftiness that a particular brew has come to be known for.

In a recent NPR article, “To Grow a Craft Beer Business, The Secret’s In The Water”,  author Bill Chappell discusses the importance of the flavor and mineral content of water in order to preserve many craft beer recipes. The success of the craft beer industry has led to a demand for some popular brews to expand beyond their home states.

For example, California’s Sierra Nevada is expanding into North Carolina. While this leap is great not only for business, but also for the new customers that will enjoy locally produced, fresher beer, it can also produce some quandaries. Expansion likely forces breweries to modify their recipes or even chemically change their water supplies at the new breweries.

As Chappell writes, “water is an essential part of beer. But its flavor is only part of the equation. Water also supports yeast, which then eats sugar and turns it into alcohol. Those are two reasons why a town’s water supply has long determined what the local beer tastes like.”

The popular movement in craft beer, as well as wine and food has been about bringing it back to its roots. Cited in Chappell’s article, Brooklyn Brewery brewmaster Garrett Oliver expands on this point, “everything’s been cleaned up so much—in wine, in beer, in food. And a lot of what is going on in craft brewing, in natural winemaking, in food movements, is bringing flavors of real stuff back.”

This focus on the so-called impurities and complexities in water that give a beer its own unique flavor can make it difficult to reproduce when it’s taken out of its original context. As Chappell asks, “what happens when a brewery is perfectly happy with its water—but decides to make the same beer across the country?”

To find out the answer to this question and many others check out Chappell’s full article “To Grow A Craft Beer Business, The Secret’s In The Water”.

A new study from Eastern Oregon University shows that beer stimulates a lot more than just cravings for the local taco truck. Eastern Oregon University Professor of Political Science, Jeff Dense and students from his Politics and Beer class produced a study that estimates the economic impact of the 2011 Oregon Brewers Festival on the local economy at $23.2 million.

Dense and his students interviewed 628 people at the 2011 Brewers Fest at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. Through the use of IMPLAN data and software package, they were able to estimate the Oregon Brewers Festival’s impact on Multnomah County to be $16.24 million in direct, $6.97 in indirect expenditures and additionally $5.9 million in induced expenditures.

The Oregon Brewers Festival attendees surveyed were questioned on estimates of expenditures such as transportation, meals, gasoline, lodging, and beer purchased to take home.

“The study highlights the economic impact of the Oregon Brewers Festival, and Portland’s role as one of the premier beer tourism destinations in the United States,” Dense said.

The study’s findings support Dense’s statement as 56% of attendees were out of state or international visitors. Out-of-state visitors also spent considerably more money on festival related expenditures with an average of $750 spent, while in-state attendees spent only an average of $104. Other findings of the study include the gender breakdown of attendees (64% were male) as well as age (35% were 21-29 years of age).

The Oregon Brewers Festival will celebrate its 25th year July 26-29 at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. To learn more visit www.oregonbrewfest.com.

I chatted with northern California writer Merideth, about her new book Teachings From the Tap: Life Lessons From Our Year in Beer (Beer Trekker Press, 2012), as well as her thoughts on West Coast craft beer.

Beer West: What first got you interested in beer and writing about beer?

Merideth: My husband Chris, and I were lucky enough to live in Oakland in the early 1990s. This was a time when “micro-brewed” beer was gaining momentum. Turning 21 in the right place at the right time was the perfect combination for becoming a craft beer lover. Writing about our beer travels came about five years ago. We already offered blogs and videos on our website thebeekgeek.com and writing a book was an outlet for telling more personal, in-depth stories about our beer travel experiences.

BW: What have you learned about both yourself and beer while writing this book?

M: Over the years we have met some truly amazing beer people—beer experts, judges, and industry historians, as well as brewers and home brewers. As a beer traveler I didn’t fit into any of these established niches and it left me questioning what I had to offer the beer community. While writing the book, I came to understand and embrace my unique contribution. Through telling tales of our beer travels, I could hopefully inspire others to discover their own beer adventures.

BW: What was the most influential moment during your beer travels?

M: In 1998, Chris and I traveled to Ireland, our first overseas adventure. We left just after Christmas, the weather was cold, rainy, and windy, but it couldn’t have been more perfect. Enjoying a Guinness in a cozy Irish pub with a turf burning stove showed us the importance of drinking a beer within its own context. We instantly fell in love with international travel and have been over seas more than two dozen times since then.

BW: What inspired you to begin this journey?

M: In the early 1990s, I worked at Barclay’s Restaurant & Pub in Oakland, one of the first multi-taps in the Bay Area. I wanted to be knowledgeable about the 28 rotating beers I served, so my husband suggested visiting the breweries. Our travels started out as day trips and weekend getaways, and then expanded across the country and eventually to international destinations. Over 700 breweries later, it’s safe to say that our beer travel is a full-blown obsession.

BW: Out of the 700 breweries that you have visited around the world, which is your favorite?

M: Andechs, located south of Munich, is my all-time favorite. I am extremely partial to Bavarian culture, food, and beer, and Andechs embodies all those things. We have visited during the winter when snow covers the ground, the air is crisp, and the small crowd gathered inside sports an average age of 70. We have also been there in the summer when the sun-filled patio is jam-packed with young, jubilant tourists. Always a fun time!

BW: What is your favorite West Coast brewery and beer?

M: Magnolia in San Francisco is the whole package—fantastic beer, remarkable food, and an amazing location. They’ve created a neo-hippie atmosphere without smelling like patchouli. My favorite beer tends to rotate with the seasons, but a perennial favorite is Magnolia’s Kalifornia Kölsch. It’s a clean brew with a refreshing flavor and nothing to hide.

Check out Merideth’s book Teachings From the Tap: Life Lessons From Our Year in Beer (Beer Trekker Press, 2012) available on Amazon now. Stay updated with Merideth, her husband Chris, and all things beer at thebeergeek.com.

Beer line-up for the event includes:

· Dark Rain Black Pale Ale from BridgePort Brewing, Portland, Ore.

· Caldera IPA from Caldera Brewing, Ashland, Ore.

· Portland Ale from Cascade Brewing, Portland, Ore.

· Armory XPA from Deschutes Brewery, Bend, Ore.

· Bogart NW IPA from Fire Mountain Brew House,  Carlton, Ore.

· Pale 31 from Firestone Walker Brewing, Paso Robles, Calif.

· Full Sail IPA from Full Sail Brewing, Hood River, Ore.

· Kick Axe Dry Hopped Pale Ale from Lompoc Brewing, Portland, Ore.

· MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale from MacTarnahan’s Brewing, Portland, Ore.

· Moa Pale Ale from Moa Brewing, Marlborough, New Zealand

· White Hatter, Black Hatter, Oaked Hatter, Farmhouse Hatter & Rye Hatter from New Holland Brewing, Holland, Mich.

· Radiant Summer Ale from Ninkasi Brewing, Eugene, Ore.

· Ghost Hop White IPA from NoDa Brewing, Charlotte, N.C.

· Wooden Elephant Barrel Aged IPA from Odell Brewing, Fort Collins, Colo.

· Protector Pale Ale for Oregon Brew Crew (homebrewers) from Portland, Ore.

· Chatoe Rogue Single Malt Ale from Rogue Ales, Newport, Ore.

· Flipside Double IPA from Sierra Nevada Brewing, Chico, Calif.

· Clear Creek Pale Ale from Silver City Brewery, Bremerton, Wash.

· Snake River Pale Ale and Pako’s IPA from Snake River Brewery, Jackson Hole, Wyo.

· Barely Legal Pale Ale from Southern Oregon Brewing, Medford, Ore.

· Stone Ruination IPA from Stone Brewing, Escondido, Calif.

· Hophead Double IPA from Tree Brewing, Kelowna, British Columbia

· 5-South Pale Ale from 21st Amendment Brewery, San Francisco, Calif.

· Wells Bombardier Ale from Wells & Young’s, Bedford, United Kingdom.

Great brews for a great cause? Sounds like a perfect match to us.

OK, so maybe this is old news to some of you, but for those of you who didn’t have the pleasure of attending the 2o12 World Beer Cup in sunny San Diego last weekend, here’s a recap of the West Coast winners. And extra super special shout out to super young breweries Sound Brewing (WA), Columbia River Brewing (OR), The Commons Brewery (OR), Breakside Brewing (OR), and Logsdon Farmhouse Ales (OR) for their first WBC medals.

According to The Weekly Pint: “This year there were 211 judges from 27 countries tasting blind; 2/3 of the judges were non-U.S. to balance results in the age of American craft brew—and macro brew—dominance, with gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded in 95 distinct beer styles. The average number of entries per style: 41. And how about this for a tap list: there were 3,921 beers judged from 799 breweries in 54 countries (and 45 U.S. states). In addition, honors for best brewery and brewmaster combo were awarded as usual, a highly coveted honor reserved for the end of festivities.”

What to do with this (in no particular order list)? Seek and find the beers! Have fun!

Brewery Winners:

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2012 Champion Brewery and Brewmaster

Mid-size Brewing Company
Firestone Walker Brewing Company
Paso Robles, CA
Matthew Brynildson

Brewers Association World Beer Cup 2012 Champion Brewery and Brewmaster

Large Brewpub
Pelican Pub & Brewery, Pacific City, OR
Darron R S Welch

Washington winners

Fish Brewing/Leavenworth, Dunkelweizen

Elysian, Great Pumpkin

BJ’s-Tacoma, Got Beer

Fremont Brewing, Bourbon Abominable Winter Ale

Black Raven Brewing, Great Grandfather Raven

Silver City, Winter Bock

Redhook Ale Brewery, Nut Brown Ale

Sound Brewery, Poundage Porter

Silver City Brewing, Old Scrooge

Pike Brewing, Pike XXXXX Extra Stout

Silver City Brewery, Imperial Stout

Oregon winners

Hop Valley, DD Blonde

Columbia River Brewing, Drunken Elf Stout

Upright Brewing, Oyster Stout

Bend Brewing, Ching Ching

Columbia River Brewing, Stumblers Stout

Pelican Pub & Brewery, Stormwatcher’s Winterfest

Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, Peche ‘n Brett

The Commons Brewery, Urban Farmhouse Ale

Laurelwood Brewing, Mother Lode Golden Ale

Pelican Pub & Brewery, MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale

Caldera Brewing, Caldera Ashland Amber

Breakside Brewing, Breakside Dry Stout

California winners

Rock Bottom-La Jolla, Longboard Brown Ale

Bayhawk Ales, Chocolate Porter

21st Amendment, Hqt

AleSmith Brewing, AleSmith Decadence 2010 Old Ale

AleSmith Brewing, AleSmith Old Numbskull

Alpine, Odin’s Raven

Third Street Aleworks, Blarney Sisters Dry Irish Stout

Left Coast Brewing Co., Voo Doo

Island Brewing, Starry Night Stout

Mad River Brewing, Steelhead Extra Pale

Beachwood BBQ & Brewing, Foam Top

Firestone Walker, Mission Street Pale

Firestone Walker, Pale 31

Green Flash, Palate Wrecker

Pizza Port Carlsbad, Poor Man’s IPA

Half Moon Bay Brewing, Mavericks Amber Ale

Sierra Nevada, Bigfoot

Pizza Port Carlsbad, Great American Brown

Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Tarantulas 2.0

Bear Republic, Black Racer

Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Achievement Beyond Life’s Experiences American Stout Brit Antrim Benefit Beer

Pizza Port San Clemente, Nerf Herder

Pizza Port San Clemente, Way Heavy

Oggi’s Pizza & Brewery, Alyssa’s Attitude

The Bruery, Melange #1

Mammoth Brewing, Double Nut Brown

Pizza Port San Clemente, Pier Rat Porter

Feather Falls Casino Brewing Co., Blackjack Stout

The Lost Abbey, Carnevale

The Lost Abbey, Gift of the Magi

The Bruery, Oude Tart

Sierra Nevada, Ovila Dubbel

Karl Strauss, Two Tortugas Belgian Quad

Karl Strauss, Red Trolley Ale

Telegraph Brewing, Rhinoceros

Rock Bottom-Long Beach, Rocktoberfest

Lucky Hand Beer, Cali Common

Third Street Aleworks, Annadel Pale Ale

Firestone Walker, 805 IPA

Mammoth Brewing Co, Real McCoy Amber

The Bruery, Hottenroth Berliner Weisse

Pizza Port Ocean Beach, Bacon and Eggs Breakfast Coffee Imperial Porter

FiftyFifty Brewing, Donner Party Porter

Hangar 24 Craft Brewery, Hangar 24 Winter Warmer

Sierra Nevada, Kellerweis

Marin Brewing, Star Brew

Manzanita Brewing, Where There’s Smoke…

Telegraph Brewing, Petit Obscura

Green Flash, Green Flash Brewing Co.

Russian River, Supplication

Whew, that’s quite a list, and a lot of beers to sample. For the complete list of 2012 World Beer Cup winners, click here.