When you look back in your life, there are ‘big’ moments, and ‘BIG’ moments, those events that you can point at and say with certainty “That’s a day my life changed forever”. For me, it was the day I flew into Portland from Albuquerque and rode the MAX to my friend’s house, single suitcase and…
A sticky subject
I’ve been thinking a lot about some pretty serious things lately, and many of them revolve around beer and the business of it – even though I’m not currently employed in it. It’s strange when you care so much about something that you watch international news and notice headlines that will probably have an impact…
Coastin’
Sinking into a deep leather chair at Nebulous in Beaverton, I contemplate this Fort George Beta variant IPA and munch a WinCo premade hoagie. I have been laagering some thoughts on the Festival of the Dark Arts, and it’s telling that of all the 48-ish taps available to me here, I chose another beer from…
Mission update: Volunteering 2.0
Mission accomplished; many gallons of stout were poured, 3oz at a time, to hundreds of folks braving the drizzle and chill of a not-really-bad February afternoon in Astoria. I lucked into a great pouring station – inside The Ruins, the large, derelict ballroom-style base level of the multi-story apartment building across the street. While technically…
Festival of Dark Arts 2023 – Volunteering 2.0
The Stoutening I have interrupted my usual slow writing process – remember, you’re at the lager of beer blogs – to rush some timely piece into production, just for your eyes, dear reader. Ideally, this would be an expansive, nearly comprehensive piece on exactly how to proceed during the upcoming FODA23 in Astoria. Hosted by…
New System
I am posted at the bar of my favorite bottle shop (again) going deep into the isles to find evidence that ‘Cold IPA’, as a style, is at least as legit as Hazy NE IPAs were at some point in the distant past, before everybody had to have one in their lineup. While I don’t…
Battle Royale
Bottle shop v brewery v brewpub I recently took a trip to flyover country, the American Midwest, home of the Field of Dreams, Iowa. There were several reasons for the trip, but at it’s core, it was meant to be an opportunity to explore Iowa’s craft beer scene, specifically the breweries that have opened over…
Wheels Down – DSM
Dry January…air. I have now been in the rarefied air of mid-central Iowa for several days* and boy do I feel…cold? It’s Iowa in January and there’s just enough snow on the ground to remind me/you that it’s frosty outside, and it seriously discourages me from doing anything much outdoors, I can tell you that….
STOP ALREADY
I am at the sit-down place in the DSM airport, a large space with a bar and a number of tap handles featuring all-Iowa beer. The staff have an assortment of brewery t-shirts on, the likes of which I would have had to drive hundreds of miles to obtain on my own. Even though I…
Hotel Rooms
As I wind down the clock before my flight back to Portland, I’m left with that peculiar feeling of loss that comes every time Ipack my things up and leave another hotel room in another city. I’m sure most people don’t think about it much, but with every check-out I feel the lost possibilities of…