The Brew SiteBlooms and Brews festival
The first "Blooms and Brews" beer festival is coming up April 22 and 23 at the Oregon Garden. Where’s the Oregon Garden? In Silverton, east of Salem (don’t worry, I had to look it up too).
The inaugural Blooms and Brews Craft Beer Festival is April 22-23, and organizers hope the combination will become a destination event in future years as well as raise money to market the Garden.
"This is the start of a situation that will bring more people to the area," said Silverton City Council member Denny Stoll, who has been involved in the project with his wife Genie for several months. "We are hoping the Blooms and Brews fest will develop into the Oktoberfest of Silverton."
Nice list of brewers involved, too, including Alaskan Brewing, Deschutes Brewing, Kona Brewing, Pyramid Brewing, Rogue, Widmer, and Sierra Nevada Brewing. Price is $10, you get a commemorative mug.
Interestingly, I found this line in the article: "Laurelwood [Public House and Brewery] is the only certified-organic brewery in Oregon," and I have to wonder how that squares with the article I posted the other day (Oregon’s First Organic Brewery). Laurelwood has obviously been around longer than Roots (the "first" one), so what’s the deal? Is Laurelwood simply organic with several of their beers while Roots is organic with everything?
It may be the word "certified." Perhaps Roots hasn’t gotten the organic industry blessing yet. I don’t know the process, but it’s likely somewhat rigorous and costs money to be evaluated.
Organic or no, Laurelwood has the best top-to-bottom slate of beers in the city, IMO.
Roots isn’t certified yet, but they are all organic, which is probably the source of some confusion.
I have to agree with joe though, laurelwood is about as good as it gets – Portland or otherwise.
Do you know Christian (the brewmaster’s story?) He was working for another brewer at the same location in NW three years ago, and showed up for work one day and the place had been abandoned. He was out of a job. The current owners thankfully bought the place and hired him, and here they are. Widmer’s the best known brewery when people think of Portland beer (maybe Henry’s!), but Laurelwood deserves the attention more. I assume their world beer awards helped that cause.
Laurelwood is good, butnot top to bottom. The beers are well made and clean but their is no excitement to them. And i think Laurelwood was the first certified organic but Roots is the first all organic, Laurelwood maybe does two or three organic beers
What do you define as an exciting beer? Does it have to be 8 plus percent alcohol? one hundred plus ibus? If so try their umpteen imperial ipas. I think that drinkable well made beer consistently means your beers are good top to bottom. You’re right about the organic deal- although i don’t think roots has any certification yet.