It seems it’s both the 20th anniversary of Deschutes Brewery this year and their 20th annual Sagebrush Classic. What’s the Sagebrush Classic? Read on.

Handcrafted Beer and Haute Cuisine Are Main Course at 2008 Sagebrush Classic
Deschutes Brewery Celebrates 20th Annual Celebrity Chef Pairing Dinner

At the Sagebrush Classic, celebrity chefs and beer are the perfect pairing. On July 18th & 19th, Deschutes Brewery celebrates the 20th Sagebrush Classic at the exclusive Broken Top Club in Bend, Oregon, with an intriguing line-up of talented chefs from around the world. This high-profile golf and dinner fundraiser has raised nearly $2 million for numerous nonprofit organizations benefiting children and families in Central Oregon.

“This is such a special weekend for many reasons. It unites chefs from all over the world who work hard preparing their specialties for our community. Plus, I have never seen another event that combines high-end contemporary cuisine with handcrafted beer,” says Deschutes Brewery Founder and President Gary Fish. “It might sound like an obvious idea in 2008 but when Sagebrush started, no one even considered beer and world-class food as a match, even world-class beer!”

The Sagebrush Classic began in 1989 and was originally designed as a golf outing and fundraiser for a few local pub customers, but over the years the Classic Feast has become the main course, attracting world famous chefs such as Mark Miller, Rick Tramonto, Jan Birnbaum, and José Andrés. The amateur best ball golf tournament on Friday, July 18th features a field of 52 foursomes battling it out for top honors in the 18-hole best ball competition on the private course at Broken Top.

The piece-de-resistance however, is the Classic Feast on Saturday, July 19th, the culinary extravaganza prepared by the star-studded lineup of 18 celebrity chefs from across the nation and around the world. This is one of the Northwest’s premier culinary events, and Central Oregon’s “Party of the Year.” More than 1,200 guests nosh on gourmet cuisine, sip handcrafted brews from Deschutes Brewery and enjoy cuisine-friendly wines. Diners dance to top entertainment under the summer sky to round out the evening.

“I love this event!” says veteran Sagebrush chef Philippe Boulot, executive chef of The Heathman Restaurant in Portland, Oregon and James Beard award winner. “Sagebrush Classic is well organized, they make it fun. It’s a great cause. The organizers treat us like royalty. It allows me to spend time directly with my customers. I can’t say enough about how much I love this party,” adds Boulot.

The list of this year’s chefs includes:
Philippe Boulot – The Heathman Restaurant (Portland)
Jody Denton – Merenda & Deep Retaurants (Bend)
Roberto Donna – Galileo & Bebo Trattoria (Washington, DC)
Tom Fleming – Central 214 (Dallas)
Ken Frank – La Toque (Napa)
Kenny Giambalvo – Bluehour (Portland)
Jennifer Jasinski – Rioja & Bistro Vendome (Denver)
Mark Kiffin – The Compound (Santa Fe)
Jackie Lau – Roy’s of Hawaii (Honolulu)
Michael Mackie – Broken Top Club (Bend)
Brian Malarkey – Oceanaire Seafood Room (San Diego)
Jason McClure – Sazerac (Seattle)
Matthew Neltner – Deschutes Brewery (Bend)
Scott Neuman – ¡Oba! Restaurante (Portland)
Michael Smith – Michael Smith & Extra Virgin (Kansas City, MO)
Greg & Mary Sonnier – Gabrielle (New Orleans)
Chris Taylor – Fraser’s (Perth, Australia)

For more information about sponsorship, attendance or general questions about the Sagebrush Classic, please contact Judy Anderson, the Executive Director at 800-601-8123 / 503-332-5000 or via email at sagebrushclassic@comcast.net. Additional information can be found on the website at www.sagebrush.org.