Oregon Brewers Festival

I know that beer has nothing to do with coffee, except that we enjoy both and sometimes they put coffee in beer. However, since this is a review blog of sorts I thought I'd throw in our take on the 2007 Oregon Brewers Festival.

We arrived in Portland on Thursday July 26th checking into our hotel, Marriott Portland City-Center, and although we dug the hotel itself, we were none too impressed when we found out that we would have to PAY for internet. And not only did we have to pay for it but it wasn't wireless either. The cherry on top? LOCAL phone calls cost $1 each. That is, unless you bought the $9.95 a day internet package--then you got free local and long distance calls. Now, I don't know about you but most hotels we've stayed in included free internet, free local calls, and most often the internet was wireless. Even in the Best Western hotel we crashed at on Saturday night there were no extra charges for anything AND the internet was wireless. Yes, I'm still bitter that on top of shelling out $200 PER night we had to pay another $10 so we could look up a few necessary things. Ridiculous. In looking at the front page of their website it states:

• In-room high-speed Internet access

hmmm...nothing on there about the COST and/or it not being wireless. In going further through the site it does have the asterisk beside it which you then scroll down to read:

* Available through Marriott’s “Wired for Business” in-room technology package

It doesn't say how much, or that it's a requirement to get online. Whatever. Still bitter. Working on letting go.........

But who cares about all that when you have BEER to drink! We decided to hit the BrewFest on Friday around 12'ish, although there were people down there at 9 a.m. Those are some hardcore drinkers! We were pleased to find there was no long line to get in at that time, got our wristbands on after they checked our ID's, "he" bought a mug and some tokens, then a program, and we were off. The trailers were split into two sections. 1-3 were on the right side (from where you came in at) while 4-6 were on the left. In between were the food trailers and on the outside of the beer tastings were the porta-potties. As an aside, seriously folks--I know you wanted to speed things up a big by installing male urinals, but you could TOTALLY see the guys peeing--you did not cover up the big, wide, non-door-having, stall thingies at all. Granted, none of the guys seemed to care and I'm sure after a few "full tastes" whatever shred of modesty they had went right out the window, yet still. I saw way more than I thought I would. Funny for me, probably completely wrong for others.

BEER.

We started off at the 1-3 trailers and "he" quickly dove in to start the sampling. I was only able to sip from his mug as I really shouldn't be drinking these days (my liver is screwed up) but I did try everything he did. After we tried the various brews on the "right" side, we grabbed some food. I got a beef gyro from Greek Cusina and he got a salmonwich from Truly Med (I think it was)--it looked like a wrap, had salmon, lettuce, croutons, and Italian dressing in it. Mine was okay, a little heavy on the cucumber sauce and the meat was cold, yet I ate it. "He" liked his salmon-thingamabob a lot. We also grabbed Mango Lemonades that were tasty. Next we hit trailers 4-6. I should add that both sides had large tents with tables and chairs so that you could drink your brew in the shade. This tent was rocking! The rowdies abounded here as they would start off with a chant (one was "Trailer 6 is the best, trailer 6 is the best, BEER!) and then it was followed by a "wave" of sorts which consisted of whoops/yelling. We laughed EVERY time! Good times, good times.

All in all it was so worth the drive and the bastard hotel. Everything was run very smoothly and although the crowd had definitely picked up by the time we left (around 3 p.m.), people behaved themselves and it was easy to navigate the area. Of course this was probably different at night, yet we had no plans to find out. ;) Here's a list of what we tried and our thoughts:

Watermelon Wheat by 21st Amendment -- We had heard that if you went to the BrewFest you HAD to try the Watermelon Wheat. Well you didn't have to tell us twice because we both were down with giving this one a go. Surprisingly enough this one was done well. Just a hint of watermelon and a good wheat beer flavor backing it up. Refreshing, different, fun.

Hennepin by Brewery Ommegang -- "He" doesn't like Saison's and this one was no different. I don't think I cared for this one, yet didn't hate it. We forgot to take notes. Sue us.

Razberry Wheat by Cascade Brewing -- Good LAWD the raspberries have taken over and not in a good way! I usually like "fruity" beers, as does "he," yet this one was just wrong. Too bitter, too much raspberry taste, and barely any of the lovely wheat shining through. Pass.

Honey Orange Wheat by Eugene City Brewery -- Totally disappointed in this one. Not enough orange flavor to even taste it. We also would've liked a touch more sweetness to "feel" the honey flavor. Not a bad beer, just tasted like a regular wheat. Did they even put any of the oranges or honey in it? Not sure.

Donner Party Porter by Fifty Fifty Brewing Co. -- Both of us love a good porter. Like really love it. This one was smooth, rich, and roasty. Granted it doesn't beat Deschutes' Black Butte, yet if the store was out of BB but had the Donner, we'd grab the Donner in a heartbeat.

Bourbon Barrel Abbey Dubbel by Flying Fish Brewing Co. -- "He" adores Dubbels so there was no way this one was not going to be sampled. Before we tasted it, we could smell it. Bourbon times ten! This was one strong beer flavor-wise, but it was also smooth...just like a good bourbon. We weren't a big fan of it as the bourbon taste overpowered the beer taste, yet if you ever see it out grab one and give it a go. You'll probably just need one.

Red Thistle Quercas by Golden Valley Brewery -- This beer had a funky taste to it. Not sure if it was supposed to taste like that, if it was the aging in the oak barrels, or if it got ruined along the way. Didn't matter...we sipped and dumped.

"El Jefe" Weizen Ale by Hale's Ales -- German Wheats are "his" absolute faves and I really like them as well. Just the smell of the El Jefe brought me back to my grandma's kitchen with freshly baked banana bread coming out of the oven. Yum. This beer was a big hit with us. Not only did Hale's Ales nail the German Wheat brew, but they also added in a kick with a few spices that gave it some zing. Way to go, guys! If you ever see a spot for this beer at one of the stores and it's routinely empty...blame us!

SummerAid by Lompoc Brewing -- Can't remember what this one tasted like. It was probably just "okay" since we didn't immediately think "it sucked!" or "it rocked!" when I brought this one up.

Farmer's Daughter by Max's Fanno Creek Brewpub -- Another Saison...not his thing but gave it a try. I thought it was alright. "He" didn't.

Believer by Ninkasi Brewing Co. -- Usually when we get a Red Ale we like it to be malty, or at least more malty than hoppy. This beer was unfortunately the opposite. While the hops were not overwhelming it just didn't jive with how we like our reds. Not a fan.

A Midsummers White by Old Market -- "He" isn't a fan of Belgian Wits. This beer is a Wit beer. I'm still not sure why he got it except that he seemed shocked when I told him it was a Wit. Wit = White. This one was sampled and then poured out at the "rinse" station.

Heiferweizen by Pelican -- Another Wit, another sample and down the drain. Not tasty.

Betsy Ross Imperial Golden by Philadelphia's Brewpub -- Quite possibly the second beer making the trip worthwhile. I loved this one and "he" really liked it as well. Memory fails on how best to describe it yet if you ever, and I mean ever, see this anywhere don't hesitate and grab it!

Velvet Pale Ale by Rock Bottom Brewery -- This is what happens when you don't take notes. "He" thinks it was okay. I think it wasn't good. Or maybe it was just okay. And we call ourselves reviewers.

Pliny the Elder by Russian River Brewing Co. -- Can I have some beer with my hops?! This was one that "he" HAD to try. I think hops sprouted out of his ears after drinking this one. Normally I dig hops so long as they are balanced. I can't say I felt this one was very balanced. Nor could he. How people drink more than one of these boggles my mind.

Mai Bock by Sprecher Brewing Co. -- Another of "his" favorite types of beers. Bocks are routinely seen in our fridge and he would've stood in line for an hour to get a drop of this one. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. "He" liked this one...said it tasted like Mai Bock. But if you don't know what a Mai Bock tastes like then you're screwed.

Vertical Epic 7/7/07 by Stone -- One of the better Saison-type beers, definitely different enough that we liked this one. We actually finished the taste.

TG Triple by Terminal Gravity -- "He" digs Trappist and Abbey Ales and felt like this was a good example of one. Malty, strong, and full-bodied this beer delivered a rich taste that he classified as "very nice."

Noggin Grog by Widmer Brothers Brewing -- Another decent beer despite it being a Wit. Like the Vertical Epic, this one was an exception rather than the rule.

It's possible I left one or two out. After many tastes and not taking notes, things ran together. Then we slept between then and now and well, we're old and we don't remember stuff as well as we used to. Either way, it was a helluva lotta fun being able to sample different brews and see other beer lovers as well. We'll definitely be back!

Stumptown visit

I've blogged about Stumptown before but given we were just up there this past weekend for the Oregon BrewFest (more on that coming soon), and hit Stumptown several times, I thought it prudent to blog again about what we learned.

First, my cappuccinos pale in comparison to the ones at Stumptown. Seriously. Like, they blow. We figured that part of the problem are the cups we use. They are larger than a typical cappuccino cup is. Of course "he" says that's my fault because I don't like the color. Fair enough--they are brown. I like brown, but on a cup it's boring. He wanted to order some yet I was determined to find the right size in fun colors. Needless to say I haven't had much luck. Go figure. I have now broken down and said that he can get the brown cups because I am determined to make my java better. We do have two correct-sized cups that I've been practicing with and although the first two were better, the one I made today was not so much. My frothing techniques still need to grow as I usually make too much microfoam and not enough milk to mix perfectly with the espresso.

Second, there was a girl learning how to be a barista at Stumptown and we just happened to be sitting at the bar so we had front row seats to the training. If you've ever been to Stumptown you know that the baristas there know their shit. They take it seriously and they are GOOD. Like really good. We had at least 5 cappuccinos in a 3-day span and they were all wonderful. Even with that we were both impressed at how perfect everything had to be. There were two baristas (one gal and one guy) working with the barista-to-be. They began (well, began meaning that we came in at this point) at the milk frothing stage. The B (barista who knew her stuff) was showing the BTB (barista-to-be) how to hold the pitcher and feel the milk heat up. Now, we never do this. I don't because I'm a pansy and I don't want to burn myself. Plus, I like knowing the exact temp of the milk via the thermometer. It's how "he" taught me and I've just kept doing it. Anyways... The BTB frothed at least 4 pitchers and dumped them out all the while the B explained what went wrong. Can you tell that we were in total HEAVEN?! We were like spies minus the evil mastermind plot. We just wanted to make our own cappuccinos better not share trade secrets with some other coffee place. mwuahahahaha

Moving on.

Once the BTB had her frothing technique worked out they moved her onto pouring. POURING. Not making the espresso, not running the machine 100%, but POURING the milk. Can we say thorough? I can only imagine what the training at Starbucks is like, "Put the cup under here, push the button, pour the milk in, and put the top on." Now, this is where I learned a lot. This is also where the second barista (a guy) stepped in. He apparently is the master of pouring as he showed the BTB how fast to pour the milk in, at what angle to hold the pitcher, and how close it needed to be to the cup. Granted, I knew most of this but physically watching it all in person was a major learning trip for me.

They went through several cappuccinos, all of which both he and I kept saying to each other, "We'd drink that!" and lamented at how sad it was when the BTB dumped them down the drain. The gal B had stepped back in and both baristas would discuss how the milk blended with the espresso with the BTB. On one pour the gal B scraped the top of the foam with her finger revealing a milky mixture underneath that was obviously not well blended. "See how the milk has already seperated from the espresso?" she asked the BTB. "That's what can happen if it's poured wrong." Oh, and I should note that neither of the B's were "B's" (bitches). They weren't pompous, or condescending, or anything but informative.

Finally, after several pitchers of frothed milk and finished cappuccinos poured, the BTB created one that had the B's cheering. He looked at me and said, "Are you proud of her too?" And I said yes. How could I not be? :) It was then that we took our leave armed with more knowledge to try out at home and proud of witnessing a BTB make her first truly good cappuccino.

What happened to the cappuccino? She drank it. And smiled.

As a side note, most of our visits were at the Downtown location and at their new one in the Ace Hotel. The Ace Hotel is very cool and we highly recommend checking it out. In addition to great coffee they also serve hard to find, amazingly good beer.

Coffee x2

The worst part about coffee is that when you get to the end of the bag the beans typically take on a bitter taste. Sometimes it can even be metallic. Almost always it's tough to drink. I think this is probably why so many people say they don't like coffee/espresso. Unless you're hitting joints like Thump, Backporch, or Bellatazza where they use fresh beans, it's quite likely you're getting "old" beans. Then if you have a barista that operates a machine that is completely automatic and can't be adjusted, you can pretty much bet it's not going to be nearly as tasty as going somewhere that knows what they're doing. Unfortunately most people don't know this. So they either keep drinking crappy coffee or avoid it altogether. I love Brian at DoubleShot's motto--"Drink more coffee." but he will tell you that what he actually means is "Drink BETTER coffee." If more people had properly prepared coffee/espresso than I'm guessing there would be more coffee lovers in the world.

Where is this all going?

We get down to the "dregs" of the beans and finally run out. I told "him" over the phone that I was going to pick up some more when he got home from work. Then immediately after I got off the phone I forgot what I had said and decided to go right then. I picked up some espresso beans and also grabbed 12 ozs. of a Guatamalen for the Toddy. Hit the store, came home expecting to see him, and he wasn't home yet. No worries. Put everything away and do some more work. He comes home and what to my wandering eyes did I see? Coffee beans! Two bags. One espresso blend and one for the Toddy. Almost 4 pounds of coffee. Remember how I said that coffee beans start going bad the minute they come out of the roaster? And how usually by the time we hit the bottom of the bag they have taken on that not-so-tasty flavor? Oh, did I mention that we're going up to the Portland BrewFest this week/weekend? So that takes away 4 days that we'd normally be consuming said coffee?

Ay yi yi.

I asked him why he got the coffee. He was trying to save me a trip because I told him I'd go when he got home from work. I told him this and did the exact opposite and of course he had no way of knowing this. Galiant on his end, stupid on mine.

I blame the "old" coffee. It wasn't working as well as it should have been. Time to break out the vaccuum-sealer.

X-Rated Latte Art

Don't say I didn't warn you...and don't scroll down with kids around. Oh, and if you're easily offended by genitalia...ummm...don't look at all.

Presenting...the Penilatte
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Lady

"Do you like my new do?"

Apple

Apple.

Toddy experiments

As predicted, "He" researched like a maniac and found a Toddy Coffee Maker at Kitchen Complements downtown. I can't say I was even remotely surprised when he came home with it, yet I will admit I was a little excited too. The next step was to get some beans. Since we love Thump's Toddy-style Iced Coffee we thought what better place to stop in and grab some roasted goodness then at the place where I had first fallen in love with it? After perusing their fine selection of beans we decided to use the Sumatra Blue for our first try. The barista told us that the Sumatra Blue had a nice sweetness to it so I was really looking forward to giving it a whirl. We all know how I like natural sweetness, baby.

He ground the beans using the grinder he hates...I keep telling him to get a new one yet he keeps putting it off since we rarely use it. Maybe now that he's on the Toddy kick he'll break down and get one. Whoops...there I go again, off on a tangent. I guess I should back up and explain how the Toddy-style coffee maker works. First, you have a large glass jar that the coffee eventually drains into. On top of that is a large, handled, "vat" that has a spot for the filter to lay in, and a plug at the bottom. The nice part is that you load it up with coffee, put in the required amount of water, and place the vat on top of the glass jug, and throw it all in the fridge. Well, you don't really throw it. More like slide it in gently. Can't have that plug coming out at the wrong time now. Talk about ruining a pound of coffee! Yi, yi, yi. The mere thought makes me grow gray hairs.

Where were we?

Making Toddy coffee. We let our oh-so-tasty looking concoction sit overnight just chillin' and the next morning he removed the plug so that the concentrate could flow forth. And boy did it flow. Flowed, and flowed, and flowed some more. I think it took at least a half an hour for it all to drain. Maybe more. Eventually we were rewarded with our Toddy style coffee concentrate. He was the first to sample the results but chose to make a "hot Toddy" rather than an iced one. The coffee was good. Damn good. Both of us really liked the Sumatra Blue's flavor. Didn't need any sugar whatsoever. Since he had had such good luck I thought an iced Toddy was just what the doctor ordered. I mixed it appropriately and ran into the same problem I had at Thump. Raw sugar. My love/hate relationship with it continues. Sooo tasty and sooo natural and yet such a pain to mix. Especially when you're putting it into something cold. I can't say I enjoyed our iced Toddy coffee even half as much as Thump's. It just didn't have that magic like theirs did. I think the Sumatra may have been too strong of a coffee and thus needed more water and ice to get the right flavor down. Either way, I think drinking the Sumatra Blue "hot" is the way to go.

Between mixing it with hot water, making gelato out of it, and using it in various other recipes, the consensus was that we enjoyed our Toddy coffee. Naturally we were wanting to make a good iced coffee and came up with the brilliant idea to ask the barista's at Thump as to which beans they used for their Toddy's. Let me dazzle you with our belated brain power. The other day I happened to be in Thump and got 12 ozs. of Stumptown's Nicaragua Miraflor (Organic Fair Trade) after they told me that's what they had used--at least in their latest batch.

The finished concentrate is sitting in the jug as we speak. He made a hot coffee tonight and although it was slightly "weaker" than the Sumatra Blue, it was still quite delicious. I plan to whip up an iced Toddy tomorrow. This time I shall make a simple syrup first so as not to curse me beloved/hated Sugar in the Raw. Reporting back soon...