Technical Difficulties

I have made the switch wordpress, come check my new site at ltabeer.wordpress.com.

HOWEVER, I can't convince godaddy to switch my url forwarding over.  Until I figure this out ltabeer.com will only bring you back here.

Come check out the new site!

And the winner is...

Rebecca Schikora in Anchorage AK!

Cohoho Imperial IPA

The weather outside is frightful!  Up here in Alaska, our winter started off with a bang; we got almost 40 inches of snow in November.  It was a fun and wintery Thanksgiving, then the rain started.  During the weeks before Christmas, we were listening to Christmas music trying to imagine a white Christmas while everything around us was drippy and cold. I can't remember how many times I heard complaining about the rain and wishing for it to get just a little colder...

Then it started to snow.

Starting on Christmas, we woke up to more and more snow.  Every morning Jonah shoveled at least 4 inches off our car.  Wonderful!  A white Christmas! 

Then the snow didn't stop.

By the end of the week, we had a record making 82 inches of snow accumulation and it didn't stop as we started 2012.  Nearing the end of the first week of January, Cordova has not only declared one, but two snow days.  I have to say I found a great way to celebrate and/or recover from the frightful weather, opening the bottle of Cohoho Imperial IPA by Midnight Sun Brewing that my coworker Kate gifted to me for Christmas.  This beer takes Sockeye Red IPA and amps it up full of holiday spirit, or maybe just more maltiness and hops.  Cohoho is packed full of flavors, rounded out to make a snowy day a little more cheery, or maybe that's the higher alcohol content.  Anywho, extend the holiday season by grabbing one of these if there's any left!

Check out our little town covered in snow.  Amazing enough, the sun also made it over the mountains before it started to set again.  We haven't seen that happen in some weeks.

Photo by Rochelle Van den Broek

Photo by Rochelle Van den Broek

Photo by Rochelle Van den Broek

Favorite Beers of 2011

In order of consumption...

Crye Baby Rye by Arbor Brewing
Bitter American by 21st Amendment Brewing
Puget Sound Porter by Harmon Brewing
Immersion Amber by Two Beers Brewing
Ol' Ball & Chain by The Price Boys
Matt Porter by Denali Brewing
Nut Red Ale by Fort George Brewing
Kitty Kat Red by Coalition Brewing
Perseverance Ale by Alaskan Brewing
Old Growth Imperial Stout by Caldera Brewing
Na Zdravi by Southern Oregon Brewing
Breakside Aztec by Breakside Brewery
The Trip by New Belgium & Elysian Brewing

New Year Photo Contest

Alex Harris, our logo designer.

Photo Contest!
Let's see your favorite beer pics from the best party night of the year!

Go to facebook.com/letstalkaboutbeer.
Like the page.
Post your photo.

I will pick the best photo on January 7th.

Cheers!

Breakside Brewery

820 NE Dekum St.

Portland, OR 97211

503.719.6475

www.breaksidebrews.com

First night in Portland and I explored a new brewery, I am a very lucky girl.  I know I've said this before, but it's very hard being away from Portland when all these new breweries are popping up.  When I moved away from Portland in 2009 I had been to every brewery in Beertown, now I can't keep up - even with multiple vacations south every year. 

Mr. Peter Price picked me up from my lovely airport hotel.  (I'm in town for my job with the Copper River Salmon Association.)  My family lives in Southwest and Jonah's in Southeast, therefore accessing Portland from the Northeast made a handful of breweries much more accessible.  In no time, Peter and I were in the Woodlawn district, walking up to the brewery.  The first thing I noticed was the architecture; I am a BIG FAN of the melding of industrial and organic, a mix of metal and wood.  The second was that Breakside Brewery is the essence of a neighborhood brewery.  Man I wish I had a neighborhood brewery!

Peter and I sat outside on one of the many picnic tables.  They had the garage doors open, letting the warm fall air into the building.  We started with an IPA and the Dark Mild.  I won this round, the Dark Mild was DELICIOUS: light, crisp and full flavored - I could drink a hundred of these beers.  The IPA is no slouch though; maybe the opposite of the Dark Mild, it's a big beer with dramatic flavoring.  Second round was the Oatmeal Stout for Peter and the Farmhouse Golden for me; Peter won this round.  The Oatmeal Stout had a royal flush of flavors: coffee, chocolate, and a smokiness.  The Farmhouse Golden was a little intense for me; I'm still working on my saison knowledge. 

When I first came into the brewery I questioned the bartender about the beers on tap to figure out my game plan.  After two beers, I think the bartender was worried we weren't going to get to all his suggestions - he brought us out samples of the Aztec and the Dry Stout.  Ah!  These were the best beers we had!  Both of these beers are on their VERY short year-round list so count yourself lucky when you visit Breakside.  When I visited in October, the brewery was a year and a few months old and had already produced 37 beers.  The BEERS page of their website is by far the most extensive section with tabs for YEAR ROUND, SEASONAL, BEERS OF THE PAST, UPCOMING RELEASES, and most excitedly, there's a tab for the current beers on tap.  Usually that wouldn't be big news, but the list changes so often the tab is a blog, less than a week in between the posts. 
Here's what it looked like the day I visited:

I wonder what it will look like when I visit next!

Merry Christmas!

Fireside Chat by 21st Amendment Brewery

With Love, The Hyatt PDX

There's the bomber of Na Zdravi I thought I brought home for Jonah!  I forgot I couldn't wait until I got back to Alaska.  Amy and I barely survived the long drive to Portland, so we celebrate with some crisp brews and a game of cribbage!

Continuing on the Oregon Brew Crawl

 

Oh my god, it is taking me FOREVER to tell you about my trip to Oregon.  Hopefully I will finish before I visit Beertown again in February!  I could give you a hundred reasons why it’s been 22 days since I last posted, but nobody really cares about the reasons.  So, here I am!  I’m back.  Plus, I’m working on a surprise for all of you who have been putting up with my flakiness.

 

Anywho….  Amy and I left Southern Oregon Brewing with hopes to camp on the coast in Crescent City.  Yet again, our plans didn’t turn out the way we hoped.  We enjoyed our drive to the Northern California coastline via Highway 199, stopping at Kate's to use the bathroom, which is only for paying customers... 2 famous Kate's Bloody Marys please!  Probably one of the best Bloody Marys I have ever had (which reminds me, I need to add "invent my perfect Bloody Mary mix" to my bucket list.)  We were offered seats at the bar and conversation quickly sparked with the request to see my [Alaskan] driver license.  This is one of the best conversation starters ever, people always have questions about Alaska and what it's like to live there.  Have trouble getting to know people?  Totally get a fake I.D. or move to Alaska, we're pretty friendly up here.  Amy earned high marks when a fellow patron was super bummed Kate ran out of salsa, she bolted out to the truck and produced the container we had been living off for the last two days.  After our Bloody Marys, it was time to go, we needed to make it to Crescent City before dark to set up camp.

Swing and a miss...  this is the view of the sunset that welcomed us to Crescent City.  (And the best photo I got, too bad Jonah's not on the trip.)  We drove around the area, hungry and grumpy, and could only find closed campgrounds.  Finally came across a motor home campsite and drank our worries away with all the bombers and growlers we had been collecting.  The next morning our breakfast view made up for all the frustrations.

From Crescent City we made the long drive to Portland to drop me off. 
Next on the tour....
Breakside Brewery
Hopworks Bike Bar
Tugboat Brewing Company
Bailey's Taproom
Widmer Brewing Company

Christmas Beer

Seasonals!  I love seasonal beer.  (I also love year-round beer, I must just love beer.)  Every time another season rolls in, I think to myself: I think [insert current season]'s beers are my favorite seasonals.  Christmas seasonals are no exception, they might even be my favorite ;)  Big beers with lots of flavor, belly-filling and cheer-bringing.  This is my first Christmas season without my family and lineup of Oregon beers, how will I survive?!?  I bet a big hug from my husband and some tastings of a few Alaskan seasonals will do the trick. 

What seasonals are you looking forward to this holiday season?

Happy Birthday Pops!

Southern Oregon Brewing Co.

1922 United Way

Medford, OR

541.776.9898

www.sobrewing.com

Amy and I drove from Ashland to Yreka, CA in a vain attempt to get closer to Redding CA, our destination.  Waking up the morning of Amy's birthday, after checking the distance to our second day destination, we realized it would take 2 hours less to back track through Medford rather than continuing down to Redding.  What a lucky circumstance!  After checking my BreweryMap app on my iPod, I found our next mark on the Oregon Brew Crawl: Southern Oregon Brewing!

Amy with the SOB lineup.

Go visit this brewery!  Amy and I had so much fun.  Not only did we get to chat the entire time with the lovely bar manager, Jenn Brown, also the #1 of the Mug Club and the owner.  We started with samplers, quite an excellent lineup.  

Gold Digger is a crisp, classic "Northwest lager."  The owner, Dr. Tom called it his gateway beer, introducing people who aren't convinced of the power of craft brews to the SOB lineup.

SOB Pale is in the works to be renamed then bottled into 22s.  The Pale is subtle, definitely a second step in the introduction to the brews.

Nice Rack IPA is a "British style IPA," also Jenn's Mug Club moniker, a mellow IPA with a kick of bitterness at the end.

Na Zdravi, a "Czech-style Pilsner" was my favorite.  I fully intended to bring a bottle back for Jonah, but lost it along the way :)  It's a strong pilsner with full-flavor and a lot of kick.  The name means cheers in Czech, which I love.

Pin Up Porter, a "dry finishing Porter," is very complex; nutty with a clean aftertaste.  The Pin Up is the #1 seller in the Rogue Valley; Amy agreed claiming it her favorite.

Old Humbug, a "Traditional British Winter Ale" is yum yum yum good.  Be careful though, this beer is very sneaky.

Jenn Brown, the wonderful bar manager.

Not only does SOB have great beer, the taproom is a great place to be.  I got to chat with Tad, the #1 of the Mug Club, his dedication to the brews was clear.  When asked which is his favorite beer, his response: "that's like asking a parent who their favorite child is."  SOB puts a genuine effort toward green practices that you can read about on their website.  My favorite part of the taproom is even though they don't have a food service, you can order to-go dishes from local restaurants to munch on while you drink.  Have dinner at home and need beer to-go?  SOB will fill other breweries growlers, a definite plus for me and for the Eco-conscience practices SOB strives for.

Touring the brewery.

We left with full arms.  Jenn filled our quart growlers with Old Humbug and Na Zdravi.  Amy even got a free 22oz for her birthday!  We were well taken care of and had a hard time moving on, but we needed to make it to at least one camp destination on the trip!  The check was paid and we were on our way to Crescent City.

Crescent City, CA

Happy Birthday Katie!

Congrats on making it through the teenage years!  To 20 more!

Best Lady!

Monsters and the Lemon Tree (a favorite children's story)

Action Movie Stars!

"Ya, I'm talking to you"

Speechless in Seattle

Hey guys! Sorry I have been absent this week. I'm in Emerald City, visiting many excellent breweries. It has been an excellent time, however I haven't figured out how to use blogspot to my liking on my iPad. Suggestions anyone?

I will be back in Cordova next week with the rest of my Oregon Brew Crawl and some great breweries of Seattle.

Cheers!
Jessyka

Standing Stone: To Go

101 Oak St. 

Ashland, Oregon 97520. 

541.482.2448

www.standingstonebrewing.com

Around the block from Caldera Tap House is Standing Stone Brewing.  Since there was no way we were going to make it down to Whiskeylake, CA, Amy suggested we stop by for a beer before heading out of Ashland.  The place was packed!  We decided to grab some growlers and head to the hotel instead.  I must say that Standing Stone's growlers are kick-ass!  We got a few to celebrate Amy's birthday the next day.

 

The Oatmeal Stout was a great breakfast beer.

The Octoberfest was a great celebration for an October birthday.

The Farmer Brown was a great fall seasonal.

Caldera Brewing Company

Caldera Brewing Company

31 Water Street

Ashland, OR

541.482.4677

www.calderabrewing.com

Camping gear... check.  Chocolate for the smores... check.  Hangover... check.  For the trip down south, Amy and I had the truck packed, the dog settled and all by 3pm, only 4 hours after our intended leave time.  Cursing ourselves for going out the night before, we cruised down I-5 at a leisurely pace. 

We pulled into Ashland, ready for a quick in and out: the sun was going down soon and we were hours from our intended destination of Whiskeylake, CA.  Caldera's Tap House is right off the main drag, easy walk from the downtown area, and opens at 4pm daily (good thing we didn't leave Eugene until 3pm, right?).  The tap-house has a big porch to enjoy the sunny Southern Oregon weather, and a cozy tavern inside.  

Before visiting, I had only sampled Caldera's tri-fecta of canned brews: Caldera Pale Ale, Caldera IPA, and Ashland Amber.  Caldera IPA was a staple in my life when I lived in Eugene and I miss having the access to these brews up in Alaska.  Once we entered the tap-house, it was clear that a sampler tray was the only option with so many brews on tap.  Amy and I each got our own, 5 beers each, and didn't repeat any style, nor did we sample everything on tap! 

Well, our quick in and out turned into a 2.5 hour session.  We slowly sampled the beers and enjoyed the ambiance of the little local tavern. 

Here are some highlights:

Lawnmower Lager - Excellent, solid lager.

Pilsner Bier - A pilsner with girth.

Hibiscus Ginger Beer - Surprisingly subtle, sweet & spicy.  Great specialty beer.

*Old Growth Imperial Stout - Full flavor that you don't want to leave.  

Rauch ur Bock - Super smokey, would be a great pairing beer.

*Mogli - Tastes like ice cream!

     

*Brought a bottle home for Jonah.

Let's Shout "Hey" for Stout Day

 Actually, shout "YAY!" for Stout Day.  Last Friday, November 4th, I helped the Reluctant Fisherman host a Stout Day.  The Reluctant Fisherman is my favorite local watering hole in my town, Cordova, AK.  I have written about the bar manager Adam's love for finding new beers for his patrons in these posts, check them out:

The Reluctant Fisherman + Fish On! IPA = Happy Jessyka

Alaskan's Rough Draft Series 

Rotating Tap At The Reluctant

When I heard about Stout Day coming, it wasn't hard to get Adam on board for an event.  Starting with the stouts he already had in the cooler, Alaskan Brewing's Perseverance Ale and Denali Brewing's Chuli Stout, we decided there needed to be a third to obey the golden rule.  Adam did some investigating and came up with Kassik Brewery's Roughneck Stout. We ended up with three great Alaskan stouts that offered quite a bit of variety even though they belong to the same style group.

Photo by Jonah Dart-Mclean

The stouts came in pitchers and pints, of course, but Adam also put together a taster tray of all three options that I saw at many tables.

Photo by Jonah Dart-Mclean

There was a prize drawing, every stout purchase earned you a ticket!  We raffled off a LTAB shirt, a Reluctant tee, some Alaskan sifter glasses, and a lovely tee from Denali Brewing Company that they sent to us as soon as they heard we were featuring the Chuli Stout at the event.

Photo by Jonah Dart-Mclean

Overall it was quite a success!  Everyone at the event got excited about trying and comparing the different stouts offered.  Many enjoyed the event for the sake of celebrating beer, which put a smile on my face!

Photo by Jonah Dart-Mclean

Jonah and I had a wonderful, snowy walk home talking about all the fun we had.  I hope we can do it again!

Wordless Wednesday: A travel back in time

Stout Day: Almost Here!

Stout Day!

Technically (according to stoutday.com), Stout Day is November 3rd, so crack one open and toast to that delicious, dark brew that keeps us warm on cold winter days.  

If you happen to be in Cordova this Friday, November 4th, come to the Reluctant Fisherman!  I am helping Adam with a Stout Day celebration for the town.  Here's the line-up + 3 facts:

Denali Brewing Company's Chuli Stout.

1. Is a dry Irish stout with coffee-like flavors.

2. Was named after the Chulitna River, one of the 3 rivers in the Talkeetna area.

3. Won Best Ale in Alaska at the 2011 Alaska State Fair Microbrew Invitational.

Alaskan Brewing Company's Perseverance Ale

1. Is a Russian Imperial stout.

2. Was brewed to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the brewery.

3. Uses fireweed honey from Delta Junction for delicate sweetening.

Kassik's Roughneck Stout

1. Is an Oatmeal Stout.

2. Was brewed as a tribute to the oil industry workers.
3. The brewery is located in the woods of Nikiski, next to the home of the brewer.





Hint: these facts might come in handy.
See you tomorrow!