Gluten-Intolerant? Rejoice!

Just got word that Omission, a gluten-free beer brewed at Widmer Bros. Brewing in Portland, is now being rolled out nationwide after a successful launch in Oregon.

Omission beers include a pale ale and a lager so far, but I heard from an insider that there’s talk about making an IPA. These are made in a unique way through a process that strips the gluten from the barley instead of using an alternative to barley. Which means the beers taste “like good beer,” as so many people told me during a Taste-It Tuesday sampling two days ago at Thatcher’s.

Here’s the news release for all the details:

Beginning this week, Omission Beer will start distributing Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale, the first two craft beer offerings from the new brand, nationally. Previously available only in Oregon, the phased rollout will begin on the West Coast and is expected to be available nationwide by mid-June.

Announced in late March by Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), Omission is the first craft beer brand in the U.S. focused exclusively on brewing great-tasting craft beers with traditional ingredients—including malted barley—that are specially crafted to remove gluten. Brewed by Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Ore., Gluten levels in every batch of Omission beer are measured by the brewery and two independent labs using the R5 Competitive ELISA test to ensure that the beer meets the brewery’s standards. Test results for every batch of Omission beer are available to consumers at: www.omissiontests.com.

“After introducing Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale in Oregon last month, we’re eager to share our great-tasting brews with the rest of the country,” said Terry Michaelson, CEO. “Omission is a testament to the creativity, innovation and dedication of our team. As a celiac, I’m thrilled with the result, and think others in the celiac and craft beer communities will be, too.”

Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale
“We wanted to offer great craft beers to people who aren’t able to fully enjoy the craft beer experience due to gluten intolerance,” said Joe Casey, brewmaster. “Omission Lager and Omission Pale Ale are approachable beers and are true expressions of their respective styles. We’re looking forward to sharing both beers with people across the United States.”

Omission Lager is a refreshing and crisp beer, brewed in the traditional lager style. Perfect for a variety of occasions, Omission Lager’s aromatic hop profile offers a unique, easy-drinking beer for those looking for a lighter and approachable beer style. Bold and hoppy, Omission Pale Ale is a hop-forward American pale ale, brewed to showcase the Cascade hop profile. Amber in color, Omission Pale Ale’s floral aroma is complemented by caramel malt body, making for a delicious craft beer.

About Omission Lager

About Omission Pale Ale

Ingredients
Malts: Pale, Caramel 10
Hops: Citra, Sterling, Mt. Hood

Profile
IBU: 20
ABV: 4.6%

Ingredients
Malts: Pale, Caramel 10, Dark Munich, Carapils
Hops: Cascade, Citra

Profile
IBU: 33
ABV: 5.8%

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 17, 2012

Craft Beer Deal Alert!

Groupon Portland has a deal today for $7 for $15 in deli fare at Birra Deli. That means you can save some money on lunch and spend it on their awesome beers they sell there.

Here’s my link if you want to give me credit for telling you about it: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu409931

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 17, 2012

May 16 Officially 'Gluten-Free Beer Day' In Portland

Got this yesterday from the PR folks for Craft Brewers Alliance, which makes the new-ish Omission Gluten-Free Pale and Lager"

“This Wednesday, Mayor Sam Adams will declare May 16 to be Gluten-Free Beer Day in Portland, Ore. The official ceremony will be held at City Hall, and we invite you to witness Adams deliver the proclamation to supporters of gluten-free beer, including the latest addition to Portland’s established gluten-free beer scene, Omission Beer.

Here are the details:

WHEN: Wednesday, May 16 at 9:30am

WHERE: The proclamation will be read pre-gavel, before the City Council meeting at City Hall (1120 Southwest 5th Avenue) in the city council chambers.

WHO: Members of the brewing community, gluten-free community, media and the public are all welcome to join the celebration and listen to the official reading of the proclamation.

At first glance, this seemed a little contrived to me. And I guess it still kind of does. But … I will always take any good nod of the head from the city, county, state and country toward craft beer. And I am very thrilled that craft brewers are using their creativity to make beers that can be enjoyed by those with gluten intolerance and Celiac disease. Plus, brewers are making these beers so good that they can be truly enjoyed by anybody! So hats off to Portland and craft brewers for helping make beer even more inclusive.

Coincidentally, our Beer of the Week this week is Omission! We are pouring both the pale ale and the lager tonight at Thatcher’s, 7906 SE Stark Street. Brady Whalen, former beer blogger turned marketing guru for Craft Brewers Alliance will join me in giving away free samples and answering any questions you might have about Omission. Kick off Gluten-Free Beer Day a bit early and join us!

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 15, 2012

Heard On Beer O'Clock -- Pints Brewing; Farmers Markets

We started our visit in our virtual pub this week with Carl Singmaster of Belmont Station. He brought us his tasting notes on these beers:

Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

10 Barrel Oregon Brown Ale

Widmer Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout ’12

He’Brew Schmaltz Funky Jewbelation

You can hear the full report here:

Next, we talked with Zack Beckwith, of the new Pints Brewpub in downtown Portland. You can hear his visit here:

And our Homebrew Chef Sean Paxton dropped by to talk about farmers markets and cooking up our fresh finds with the right beers. You can hear Sean’s inspired imagination here:

Last but not least, our Beer of the Week is a gluten-free brew from Widmer called Omission. You can hear the story behind Omission here:

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 12, 2012

The Beer Report: Happy Birthday, Fred Eckhardt

This weekend, we are celebrating the birthday of a very important beer person: Fred Eckhardt.

Fred is a Portlander who is called the Dean of American Beer Writers. And if it weren’t for Fred, we might not have the thriving craft beer culture we have today.

Fred wrote his first book on home brewing in 1969 — that’s a good half decade or so earlier than it was even legal to brew beer at home. But that didn’t stop Fred.

He then went on to write a book on the different styles of beers, most of which weren’t even available to taste as examples at the time.
Fred has inspired countless brewers to create new styles and work to improve their craft. And at 86 years of age he’s still going strong!

We celebrate Fred’s birthday with FredFest each year. It’s part beer festival — with nearly 30 unique beers — and part birthday party complete with cake — and it’s happening Sunday at Hair of the Dog Brewing in southeast Portland. A few tickets are still available. You can order them here. I’m still working on the program, but you can get a sneak peek at the beer list here:

FredFest_2012_Beers_inside_program_final

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 11, 2012

FredFest Participants Get Sneak Peek at Deschutes - Hair of the Dog Collabo

Just found out that the first entry into Deschutes’ collaboration series, a joint effort with Alan Sprints of Hair of the Dog, will be poured at FredFest this Sunday. This will be the FIRST time the general public will get to sample Collage — the first in Deschutes’ Conflux series — and at a very limited quantity, it might be the only chance you get!

Here’s some info from Deschutes on the beer:

“It took two years, and lots of time aging in the dark and mysterious interiors of hand-selected barrels for four distinctive brews to become COLLAGE, the first beer brewed in Deschutes Brewery’s Conflux Series. The journey began with a conversation between Hair of the Dog’s Alan Sprints and Deschutes Brewery’s Gary Fish, when they set out to explore the idea of a collaboration beer unlike any other.

In the spring of 2010, four world-class beers were brewed: Deschutes Brewery’s The Stoic and The Dissident and Hair of The Dog’s Fred and Adam. These four classics continued their courtship for the next 24 months aging in a variety of cask barrels, including rye whiskey, cognac, sherry, pinot noir, bourbon, new American Oak, and new Oregon Oak.

In fact, more than 100 distinct barrel-aged rounds were sampled to identify prominent flavors and subtle nuances. Gary, Alan and the Deschutes Brewery brewmasters then began the fun and challenging task of determining the perfect blend. In the end, Gary Fish declared, “We expected something really good. What we got is really great."

bq. The result is a virtual “collage” of patience, time and collective curiosity. The final blend has so many flavors and gradations; it is unlike any other tasting experience imaginable. Alan Sprints marveled, “It was amazing how we blended all those different barrels together and you can still pick out individual characteristics from each barrel.”

A match made in craft beer heaven? We think so."

Only a handful of FredFest tickets are still available here.

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 08, 2012

Heard On Beer O'Clock -- Gigantic's 1st Brew, Remembering Sasquatch & More

This week in our virtual pub, we have a real treat: An exclusive audio postcard from Gigantic Brewing as founders Van Havig and Ben Love as they finish up their inaugural brew on their brand-new system. How did it perform? What’s it like to finally get brewing? What was their big “whoops!” moment? Join these two innovative brewers as they embark on their new adventure and talk about their philosophy of Gigantic Brewing.

You can hear this audio postcard — a moment in time for Gigantic Brewing right here:

Oh, and by the way, Gigantic opens its doors for reals on May 9 at 3 p.m.!

We also hear from organizer Chewie Burgess about the 10th annual Sasquatch Brew Fest in Eugene that’s happening on May 12. It’s a beer fest, fundraiser and remembrance of brewer Glen Falconer all in one. Hear more about Glen, the brew fest and the good it does here:

Of course, it wouldn’t be Beer O’Clock without a visit from Belmont Station Carl Singmaster, who brings us his tasting notes on his top picks for the best new bottled beers that have just hit the region’s retailers. This week, Carl reviews:

Hopfenstark Ostalgia Blonde

Hales Kolsch

Fire Mountain Tan Line IPA

Oakshire Line Dry Rye

You can hear our conversation here:

And Bridgeport brewmaster Jeff Edgerton gives us the inside scoop on this year’s Stumptown Tart, which takes a totally different turn than previous versions. Find out why right here and learn where you can taste it for free next week:

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 05, 2012

Coming Up On Beer O'Clock: Gigantic's First Brew

Ever wonder what it’s like when a new brewery finally gets to test out its equipment for the first time? What goes wrong? What worked better than expected? What did they forget?

Well, this week on Beer O’Clock Radio, you get to listen in on Gigantic Brewing founders Van Havig and Ben Love as they finish up their very first brew on their new system. It’s an exciting time for this fledgling brewery, and we are right there for this momentous occasion!

We also get details on the 10th Annual Sasquatch Brew Fest and we learn how Bridgeport’s brewmaster Jeff Edgerton went in a completely different direction with this year’s Stumptown Tart — our beer of the week!

All this and more on Beer O’Clock Radio — Saturday, May 5 at 3 PDT — in Portland on Newsradio FM 101, across the Pacific Northwest on the Radio Northwest Network — and around the world on KXL.com!

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 03, 2012

British Beer Humo(u)r

(I am trying a new series of posts from a writer named Ann Nguyen. This is her first post. Please let me know what you think.)_

_To get an idea of what British people find funny, try taking a look at some of the latest Foster’s beer ads on their website fosters.co.uk.

The Fosters good call ads have been shown on British screens for about a year now, and each one of them features Brad and Dan – two hard-to-dislike young Aussies.

Seemingly, these two blokes spend the majority of their time in the cool of their beach shack on a hot sunny beach in Australia. They take it easy, drinking their ice cold cans of Foster’s and watching the world go by. Each advert focuses on a call that has come through on the Foster’s helpline and at the other end of the line is a young British man with a problem.

Whether it’s the man with the hairy back who doesn’t know if he should shave it off before his holiday, the man whose girlfriend has come home with a terrible haircut, or the man who needs help getting someone out of his personal space in the pub, Brad and Dan are there to help. They have an answer for every question and their easy going, laid back delivery is obviously working a treat with the British public.

The ads have proved so popular that the two of them are now featuring in a new series of ads for Foster’s new premium beer – Foster’s Gold. Obviously considered a step above the normal Foster’s beer, the ads have a slightly different feel to them, although the irreverence is still there. In the first Foster’s Gold ad, we saw the boys looking distinctly out of place at a “fancy jamboree” of a cocktail party with Holly Valance – a current Australian It girl. They offered Holly some advice on how to avoid having to “frock up” for posh parties like these.

In the latest ad, Brad is out of his depth at an English garden party, confused by the lack of meat in the cucumber sandwiches. He has to place a call to Dan, back in the beach shack, about how to handle the situation.

What appeals to the British public most about these ads is the gentle mocking of Australians in general and their lack of refinement. The closing line for the Foster’s gold ads says it all – “Foster’s Gold – Australian for Chic!”

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 03, 2012

Heard On Beer O'Clock -- Links and More for 4/28/12

Belmont Station’s Carl Singmaster brings us his inspired tasting notes on these beers:

Firestone Walker Wookey Jack Black Rye IPA-

Good Life Brewing Mountain Rescue Pale Ale

Full Sail Brewing Phil’s Existential Alt

Heater Allen Smoky Bob

You can hear Carl’s visit with us here:

Then BeerGyver, Kerry Finsand of Taplister.com, stops by with tips on Mail-Order Beer and using the “ale underground.” These are the websites he talks about.

Reviews of online Mail-Order Beer businesses:

Beer Advocate

Rate Beer

Beer of the Month recommendation:

Michael Jackson’s Beer of the Month Club

Beer Trading sites:

Beer Advocate

Rate Beer

Chow.com

BeerGyver’s recommendations are all right here:

Then, we talk with Jason Carriere about Falling Sky Brewery, the latest addition to Eugene’s awesome craft beer scene. You can hear all the details here:

And, we have a nice visit with Brewmaster Lars Larson, talking about Trumer Pils, our Beer of the Week! What does he have to do to make sure that the Trumer Pils brewed in Berkeley, California, tastes exactly like one brewed at the original brewery in Austria? Find out here:

Posted by Lisa Morrison on May 03, 2012