porr's blog

Coming soon to a store near you, maybe. Kid Rock beer.

Patrick Orr — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:34:58 -0500

Yes, you read that headline right. Detroit-based hip-hop/southern rock icon Kid Rock is working with a company called Drinks Americas to develop and market a Kid Rock signature “premium domestic beer.”

Hmmm. I am having a hard time with the concept of a Kid Rock “premium domestic beer.” I suspect the company’s definition of “premium” and mine are a lot different.

TableRock Brewpub + Dawson Taylor Coffee = “Stimulator Stout”

Patrick Orr — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:32:46 -0500

Long time Boise imbibers know that TableRock Brewpub produces some mighty fine beer and Dawson Taylor Coffee Roasters brew a killer cup of joe.

In the “this idea makes so much sense why haven’t we tried this before?” department — both Boise beverage stalwarts have partnered to make to make a coffee-infused beer, the Stimulator Stout.

TableRock is Boise’s oldest brewpub, firing up the brew kettles in 1991. Dawson’s has been brewing coffee since 1995. Both businesses are locally owned and operated — not part of a chain. This is a local collaboration in every sense of the word — and a very cool idea.

Two killer “Brewer's Nights” this week at the Front Door: Big Sky Brewing and Lagunitas

Patrick Orr — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 13:52:53 -0500

I've got some good news for craft beer fans in the Treasure Valley this week. The Front Door (105 S. 6th St. in Boise) is hosting two “Brewers Nights” this week with regional brewers — Montana-based Big Sky Brewing on Tuesday and Boise-area favorite Lagunitas Brewing Co. (Petaluma, California) on Thursday, from 6-to-8 p.m. both nights.

These are very cool events, so if you are a fan of either company (both have superb beers) try to stop by for a pint or two. Representatives from Big Sky (Tuesday) and Lagunitas (Thursday) will be there to hang out and answer questions. There will be drink specials and the reps from the breweries will be giving away swag.

Celebrate winter warmer season for just $10 at the Stonehouse Saturday

Patrick Orr — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 12:55:49 -0500

For a lot of craft beer enthusiasts — myself included — winter is the best time of year, thanks to the emergence of all those deliciously strong beers built for sipping around a fire.

Fortunately for us, the guys at the Ram (709 E. Park Blvd. in Boise) have decided to spread some holiday cheer a little early this year and hosting their final $10 economy-busting event at the Stonehouse this Saturday from 5-to-9 p.m.

Fresh hop ale tasting at the Boise Co-Op wine shop this Sunday

Patrick Orr — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:36:22 -0400

One of my favorite recent developments in craft beerdom over the last several years is the emergence of fresh hop ales to coincide with the Fall harvest.

Regular readers know I love my hops — which are of course prominently featured in the IPAs, pale ales, stouts, porters, etc ... of the Pacific Northwest.

Adding fresh hops to those recipes in the fall usually adds yet another enjoyable layer to the drinking experience, and this year’s entries have been superb. If you want to get a good idea of what is out there, jet on over to the Boise Co-Op wine shop (across the parking lot from the main Co-Op building at 888 W. Fort St.) Sunday between 2-and-5 p.m. for a free tasting.

“Beer guides — Get your beer guides here”

Patrick Orr — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 14:53:36 -0400

Have you ever tried to remember the name of favorite craft brew from another city, but couldn’t quite remember what it was, or why you liked it so much?

Do you like to argue the merits of particular beers, and wish you had some info to back you up every now and then?

Would you like a travel size, comprehensive Zagat-like guide to over 2,700 of the best beers the world has to offer? For a reasonable $9.95?

If your answer is yes to any of the three questions above, go to the Boise Co-Op and buy a copy of “The Beer Guide” — edited by RateBeer.com’s long time editor Josh Oakes — for a mere $9.95.

Laughing Dog beer dinner at the Front Door next Thursday

Patrick Orr — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:44:56 -0400

Laughing Dog brewmaster Fred Colby is going to travel down from the Panhandle next week to pair up some of his newest beers with a meal at the Front Door Thursday.

The Front Door has held several brewer’s dinners over the last year and they have all been good. Thursday’s dinner should be especially cool since it involves an Idaho brewer who makes excellent beers.

Seats are limited and tickets for the five course-five beer dinner are $45 each (including gratuity), which is not a bad deal, especially since Colby is going to bring several beers currently not available in the Boise area, including his Hop Dog Harvest Pale Ale and a Rye IPA. The Dogfather Imperial Stout will be included in the beer/meal pairings as well.

GABF 2008 medal winners

Patrick Orr — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:50:27 -0400

OK — it might be a day late but here is partial list of some of our favorite Pacific Northwest craft brewers who won medals at this year’s Great American Beer Festival.

You can also click here to search a database, by state, to identify every 2008 GABF medalist in all 75 style categories. Very cool. You can also download a pdf of all the winners if you want a handy list to refer to.

But here is a quick summary of regional brewers who medaled in Denver if you can't get to that right away.

Regular readers know that only one Idaho beer medaled at the 2008 GABF: Grand Teton Brewing Co.’s delicious Bitch Creek ESB won the silver in the American brown ale category. This was a well deserved win for Grand Teton brewmaster Rob Mullin and his crew and not really a surprise. The silver was their fourth medal for the Bitch Creek over the last five years.

The Ram gets shut out at GABF, but Grand Teton gets a silver medal for the Bitch Creek ESB.

Patrick Orr — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:36:36 -0400

The judging is finally over and Idaho beers have only managed one medal at this year’s Great American Beer Festival.

Lets give some props to Victor, Idaho based Grand Teton Brewing for winning a silver medal for their Bitch Creek ESB in the American-style Brown Ale category.

The Bitch Creek has now won gold medals in 2004 and 2005 and a bronze in 2007. So the 2008 silver gives Grand Teton a medal sweep of sorts in the category.

It’s a fine achievement to be get a silver medal, especially since there were 47 other beers in the American-style Brown Ale competition.

The job of a GABF judge

Patrick Orr — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:39:10 -0400

For a craft brewer, winning a medal at the Great American Beer Festival is one of the most coveted prizes ever — the likely culmination of years of hard work and recipe tweaking in the quest for perfection.

But what about the men and women who determine who wins the gold, silver, and bronze medals? Over 100 volunteer GABF beer judges spend three days in small hotel conference rooms gazing at, smelling, tasting, and then drinking very small glasses of the same kinds of beers.