Zwickelmania year two, how you frustrate me. On one hand I had a great time at the few places I attended, Cascade was top notch as ever, Upright had some excellent seasonals on, Saraveza’s Brewpublic party beer line up was stellar. On the other hand it still feels like only a few breweries really give a crap or feel the need to make any effort. Not singling out all that I didn’t mention, I really wanted to make it out to Heater Allen, Vertigo, and a few others but time/driving/beer make strategy necessary. Still some breweries seem to sign up for this event with no intention of making some extra effort to connect with their customers and loyal fans.

Oh, you’re giving a tour and selling pints are you? How neat! During your regular scheduled tour hours or are you adding in a extra tour for today?OMFG, free coasters? I think I just wet myself with joy.

Eh, why sit here and complain about those who don’t, they never will. Zwickelmania to them will never be more then another chance to pull a few more bodies into the net and force feed them their structured marketing chum. The others that get it have a chance to really connect with their customers. There’s really something to be said for trying a beer from the tank, before all the polish and final presentation. In the unrefined state you get a true sense of it’s life and journey from the grain to the pint. The brewer explaining the choices that went into creating that pint you drink.

Cascade’s Noyeau blend showed itself at two locations, the brewery at Raccoon lodge and later at Saravaza for Brewpublic’s My Beery Valentine beer tasting. Now someone purchasing this beer at Saraveza might have said, “wow, this is the damn elixir of the gods” while enjoying the shit out of their delicious snifter of sour goodness. But had that same someone attended the Raccoon lodge open house they might have had the pleasure of hearing the tales of toil brewer Ron Gansberg went through to create that beer. From the taking of shrapnel from cracking apricot pits to minor witchcraft to clear the pits of cyanide, this beer was far off your typical brewery tour rehash. Zwickelmania provides this connection, from the brewer to their beer, or so it should. Why some breweries fail to connect this is beyond me, if you put a face and personal story to your beer you become more then just a label.

Just saw this interview with Ron Gansberg from Cascade Brewing on Seattle Beer News.

This part was the most exciting for us PDX sour beer fans:

We are opening a second location on 935 SE Belmont. It will be called “Cascade Barrel House.” At this facility, we will be aging over 300 oak barrels of beer, blending, bottling and conditioning all our specialty products. This is a real commitment to our barrel-aged sour beer process. We will have a pub that will serve our specialty and sour beers as well as a few picked guest beers. We will also serve our barrel-aged beers straight through the cooler wall with traditional old brass taps… barrel strength Kriek, Bourbonic Plague from a Heaven Hills Bourbon barrel and Blond Quad to name a few. We want to tap a new beer every week. We are targeting mid to late winter for the opening.

Ron and Curtis have continued to amaze me with their sour beers, and from the results of the GABF I’m not alone. Hopefully this will really draw some well deserved attention to the great work they have been doing and give them the much needed room to expand.

Congrats on the GABF wins!

Very late notice, but tonight’s meet the brewer at the Green Dragon will feature Ron Gansberg of Cascade Brewing. Recently I haven’t been all that enthusiastic about meet the brewer, maybe it was due to price shock of pints at the Green Dragon, maybe the lack of interesting beers being poured, but this week is an exception. Unfortunately I won’t be able to make it due to prior plans and Rogue not announcing this until today (a little more notice might have been nice), but I highly recommend you drop in to try some of Ron’s outstanding beers.

On tap will be:

Sprint Seasonal IPA – I haven’t tried this one yet, but I believe it was on tap at the brewery

Spiced Belgian Brown – I think this was the Brugges beer that I had at the brewery the other day and really enjoyed

Double Sour Red – I’d really like to try this beer as I’ve enjoyed the rest of the Cascade sours, hopefully this will show up again on tap around town or at the brewery.

Anyway, if you make it to this event let me know your thoughts on the Double Sour Red. I’m sure I’ll be kicking myself later for missing out on that one.