Internal Brewsletter - April 1st
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Salem! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Spicy Lemongrass Chicken Salad!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-New Releases This Week-
Spark // Spontaneous Refresher // 4.00%
Spark was developed to satisfy the desire for an approachable, lighter option while retaining the levels of complexity that Block 15 is known for. Crisp, refreshing, mildly tart, and drinkable at any level of experience, Spark is a great choice for anyone seeking a lower ABV beer.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
An approachable, refreshing, and subtly complex low ABV option for lovers of light, mildly tart beverages.
Tasting Notes: Tart • Citrus • Approachable
Availability: On draft only at our locations
Series: Emerging
DEF: Emerging- Exploratory and experimental. Available for a month or less.
What is a Spontaneous Refresher?
This style, developed at Block 15, is designed to be a light, easy-drinking, low ABV option that is not only approachable for newer palates but also complex enough for experienced beer drinkers to enjoy. Influenced by our long-running wild cellar as well as our modern production brewery, this is a beer for anyone wanting to try something truly new and unique.
Harbinger // PNW IPA // 6.50%
Celebrate the spirit of Independence. Brewed in collaboration with our friends at Xicha Brewing and Hetty Alice Beer, this beer is a herald of good things to come in the truly self-reliant craft brewing community. Each brewery made three distinct beers that reflect its identity. We made a PNW IPA with an uber exciting array of hops, including Anchovy, Columbus Cryo, and Sultana Lupulin pellets.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
A collaboration between three breweries that all use Independent distributors, this beer is a celebration of the good things to come in the truly independent craft beer community.
Tasting Notes: Fruity • Dank • Indie
Availability: On draft only + Distributed in a limited capacity
Series: Synergy - Collaboration with Hetty Alice Beer & Xicha Brewing
DEF: Synergy- Collaborations with friends of Block 15. Available for a month or less.
What is a PNW IPA?
Pacific Northwest IPA stands apart from its San Diego counterpart in its tendency to lean more towards pine, resin, and citrus, and away from the tropical fruit known farther south. We also tend to lend a sturdier malt backbone and more earthy and floral notes than San Diego.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Sticky Hands: Frutería // Hop Experience Ale
Series: Sticky Hands/Orbital
Releases: 4/10/26
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Illuminated // Belgian Tripel
Series: Orbital
Releases: 4/10/26
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Ancient Grove
Zero Lux
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
NO MEETING THIS WEEK!!
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
HARBINGER, A SIGN OF GOOD THINGS TO COME
We recently participated in a collaboration between ourselves and two other breweries, Xicha and Hetty Alice, in Salem and Portland, respectively. This collab was a little different than others that we’ve participated in. We didn’t travel to their breweries to brew, and they didn't travel to ours. Instead, we all brewed our own beers. We didn't even all brew the same style. The spirit of this collaboration was to celebrate independent distribution.
A few weeks ago, a major craft brewing distributor sold to another, much larger distributor. This move was good for the higher-ups in both companies, but left many people who work hard every day out in the lurch. Many craft breweries vehemently didn't want to work with the larger distributor, and the entire industry felt the ground move a little.
Luckily, there is still a lot of hope out there for truly independent breweries and distributors. That is why we brewed Harbinger. Hetty Alice is distributed by Day One Distribution, and Xicha is distributed by Upstanding Distribution. Block 15 is, of course, distributed by Block 15 Distribution. These are three truly independent distributors, making us three truly independent breweries. We brewed this beer as a symbol of the fighting spirit, showing that we answer to no one and will continue to stand proud against the tide.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Check back next week!
Events List:
Check back next week!
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Pub Monthly specials going live Today, April 1st!
Pina-Pepper Burger-Hand spanked NW beef patty, sweet & spicy caramelized pineapple, pepper jack cheese, sriracha mayo, jalapeno chimichurri, shredded lettuce & sweet onion on a toasted Bread Stop brioche pub bun. $21.99
Chimichurri is a South American sauce/condiment that typically consists of parsley and other herbs, garlic, oil and vinegar. We included jalapeno in ours for a spicy kick!
Can be vegetarian with an earth patty, or GF with a gf bun.
Potato & Green Chili Flautas-Creamy, spicy potato and green chili wrapped in flour tortillas and fried crispy. Served with salsa borracha, sour cream, queso fresco & fresh radishes $13.99
Flautas are a flour tortilla filled with meat or vegetable filling, rolled tight and deep fried. Similar to a taquito, which uses corn tortillas.
Vegetarian. Contains dairy and gluten.
Huli Huli Chicken Sandwich
Huli Huli marinated and grilled chicken thigh, creamy jalapeno-mango slaw & sriracha mayo on a toasted brioche bun. $17.99
"Huli" means "turn" or "rotate" in Hawaiian, so "Huli Huli" refers to turning meat (usually chicken) multiple times over a smoky, often kiawe wood, fire while basting it in a sweet, soy-ginger glaze. It is a quintessential Hawaiian BBQ staple originating in the 1950s
Asparagus & Chevre Salad-Tender greens, roasted asparagus, julienned radish, toasted pumpkin seeds, crispy breaded chevre & herb fritters and creamy citrus-parmesan vinaigrette. $14.99
Vegetarian. Can be GF if fritters are held.
This weekend we are expected to be very busy with the OSU gymnastics tournament happening! We will be running a slightly slimmed down “game day” menu in order to alleviate pinch points on the line. I will print a special menu that does not have the yakisoba, sweet potato fries and chicken tenders. Go Beavs!
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Carrot cake is arriving soon! We’ll make the switch from the chocolate almond cake to Carrot Cake on Friday, April 3rd. This cake is lightly spiced, layered with cream cheese frosting and topped with candied walnuts.
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
New cocktail coming at you!!
Peachy Keen $11
In a shaker tin, combine:
1 Scoop of Ice
2oz Four Spirits White Rum
1oz White Peach Lemonade
1oz Lime
.5oz Simple
Shake and strain into a Coupe glass. No garnish.
Tap Room Updates
Check back next week !
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Happy April everyone!
With spring now fully in swing, get ready for even busier days especially during our bigger weekends! (Easter, Mothers Day, Grad weekend)
Make sure to brush up on the new food options that Sarah and Travis have added to the menu. And with all our new beers, wines and cocktails at this turn of the season, make sure we are sampling these new options to make sure our big beautiful brains are full of knowledge!
If you’re unable to taste them, check in with your coworkers to get info on flavor profiles, mouthfeels and more. These are all great talking points to flex to our guests. (We will be checking in with yall for little pop quiz questions! ;))
You all absolutely killed it this last month! Thank you for all your hard work! :)
Distro
By Blake Myers, Sales & Distribution Director
Where Trucks are headed this week!
Portland Metro Area - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
Salem Area/Polk County - Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday
Southern Oregon - Wednesday & Thursday
Corvallis, Albany, Lebanon, Philomath - Thursday
Eugene Area - Thursday & Friday
FAQ About Block 15 Distribution
Where can we find your beer?
Block 15 Distribution sends beer from Block 15 Brewing as well as several other Craft Beer, Cider, and Coffee products across Oregon & SW Washington. As far South as Ashland, As far North as Battleground, WA & as far East as Pendleton.
If you are looking for a specific place to purchase our beer in your area, you can access our beer finder on our website, Block15distribution.com by selecting the "Availability" tab and scrolling to “Find Products”
If a potential account comes in and wants to work with Block 15 Distribution who do I send them to?
You can have them reach out to Blake Myers, blake@block15.com and he will make sure they are taken care of.
Thanks, everyone. The Pub, The Taproom, and Caves can be a phenomenal resource for us to get the word out to fans of Block 15 on where to find our products where they live. I also have a laminated sign hanging behind the bar at the Pub with some of our top accounts in the mentioned territories above. I would encourage you to familiarize yourself with that list in case someone asks where they can find us!
High Fives
Blake - Shoutout to Blake for jumping in for his team when needed. Way to crush that forklift work 💪
Tate- Tate has been killing it lately and guests are lovin’ it! Thanks for all you do!
Tate- Has exceeded my expectations of serving. Definitely a great addition to our server pool!
Kira- You do an amazing job! Block 15 really appreciates how much time you have put into keeping this place running smoothly and efficiently.
Brenden- Brenden killed it when he stepped up and cleaned upstairs and did shift change as the bar opener while servers were slammed!
Kaidyn- Happy Birthday you block star!
Cedar- I really appreciate the thought you have put into keeping things organized and clean. The restaurant flow is better because of you!
Salem- Salem hopping in the kitchen to run grill as a sever when we got our a$$ handed to us.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Emilia Wight - Taproom Server
Dori Furrer - Taproom Server
Zoey Sabbatino - Taproom Server
Ian Austin - Distro
And welcome back to Emma Bartlett!
Charitable Programs
The People’s Pint Tap for April - Gloria!
As we kick off the month with our next Charity Partner, please take a moment to read about what our donation will be going toward so that you can communicate it with our guests. I’ve placed a logo next to Gloria to highlight its selection as the beer we’re running this donation with.
Here’s more info on our partner and the People’s Pint program:
Who are we supporting? Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force.
About Oregon SATF- Their mission is to facilitate and support a collaborative, survivor-centered approach to the prevention of and response to sexual violence. We accomplish our mission by advancing primary prevention and providing multi-disciplinary training and technical assistance to responders in Oregon and
What is it going towards?
Our donation will help Oregon SATF strengthen efforts to prevent sexual violence and support survivors through training, advocacy programs, and critical statewide resources.
What is The People’s Pint Tap?
This is a way for us to give back to our community, one pint at a time by supporting local non-profit groups.
Internal Brewsletter - March 25th
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Lindsey! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Jalapeno Popper Chicken Sandwich.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-New Releases This Week-
Selection Series: Confluence // West Coast IPA // 7.00%
Confluence unites our four favorite hop selections from the latest harvest—El Dorado, Mosaic, Strata, and Citra—into an artful blend. This West Coast IPA is our ultimate harvest celebration.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Thoughtfully brewed to showcase each of the four hops chosen for Selection Series in a single, balanced West Coast IPA.
Tasting Notes: Lemonade • Blueberry • Mingled
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
Limited release. Brewed periodically. Available for a month or less.
What is a West Coast IPA?
An IPA sub-style originating in California. It has evolved over the years to showcase a balance of bright fruit, resinous pine, and dank (cannabis-forward) hop flavors and aromas, with a moderate to light malt presence and a dry finish with an assertive bitterness. West Coast is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Harbinger // PNW IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: 4/3/26
Availability: On draft only + Distributed to select locations around Oregon
Spark // Spontaneous Refresher
Series: Emerging
Releases: 4/3/26
Availability: On draft only at our locations
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Punch out & Prost!
Ocean Man
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
REMINDER - BRRT IS AT PUB DURING TAPROOM RENOVATION
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
This week’s topic: triple blind tasting with mystery away team guest
Selection Series, Confluence
Hopefully, by now, we’ve all had a chance to try the four Selection Series beers. You may have had one or two that stood out to you as favorites, or one that you really didn’t care for. This project has several real aims:
To illustrate the influence that hop variety selection has on our beer
To show us the difference between the whole flower hops that we rubbed at selection and the finished product brewed with them
To show where some varieties will perform better when used at different times in a beer's production
As you know, hops are added at different times during the brewing process. The main reason for this is a process called isomerization. Isomerization is the reason that hops make beer bitter. Hops are packed with sticky resinous compounds, the most important for brewing being alpha acids. In their natural state, these compounds are not very bitter and are not soluble in water or beer.
If you add heat, you begin a process called isomerization. Think of isomerization as a molecular rearrangement. The same atoms, shuffled into a new shape. After the molecule has been rearranged, they are called iso-alpha acids, and two important changes have been made: they dissolve in liquid, and they taste bitter. The longer that the hops are exposed to the heat of the boil, the more isomerization takes place, and the more bitter the beer.
At Block 15, we add hops at four important points:
Early in the boil - contributes to the bitterness only. Flavor and aroma are mostly cooked off
Late in the boil - contributes to a smaller amount of bitterness, but retains flavor and aroma specific to the variety
Whirlpool / hopstand - wort is cooled to prevent isomerization, and hops are added to the whirlpool. Almost all bitterness is lost, and aroma and flavor are the majority of what remains
Dryhop - Hops added to cool, nearly finished beer. No bitterness is contributed. Only aroma compounds in the hops contribute to the beer.
Some hops perform better than others in specific roles. As brewers, it’s our job to use the appropriate hop in the appropriate role. For confluence, we chose to distribute them as such:
Early boil - El Dorado
Late boil - Citra
Hop Stand / Whirlpool - Strata, El Dorado
Dry Hop - 55 lbs El Dorado, 77 lbs Citra, 77 lbs Strata, 99 lbs Mosaic
I hope this sheds a little light on some different reasons that we do Selection Series apart from just making four separate single-hop beers for the fun of it. I also hope that you see a cool opportunity in Confluence to really experience the hops used in the way we really feel is best.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events List:
Attack the Block Tap Takeover at Loyal Legion
We're excited to be part of Attack the Block 2026, a full tap takeover at Loyal Legion Oregon this April 1–3. Six Oregon brands. Three nights. One takeover.
Featured Beers from Block 15:
Loyal to the Block IPA — our annual collaboration with Loyal Legion.
Harbinger — a collaboration between Block 15, Xicha Brewing, and Hetty Alice Brewing. Each brewery will be pouring their own variation to celebrate independent craft brewing.
Plus fresh seasonals and year-round favorites.
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
April pub specials coming ‘atcha Wednesday, April 1st!
Pina-Pepper Burger-NW beef patty*, caramelized pineapple, melted pepper jack cheese, lettuce, sweet onion, gochujang mayo and jalapeno chimichurri on a toasted Bread Stop brioche pub bun $21.99
Potato & Green Chili Flautas-Creamy, spicy potato and green chili wrapped in flour tortillas and fried crispy. Served with salsa borracha, sour cream, queso fresco & fresh radishes $13.99
Huli Huli Chicken Sandwich-Huli Huli marinated and grilled chicken thigh, creamy jalapeno-mango slaw & sriracha mayo on a toasted brioche bun. $17.99
Roasted Asparagus & Chevre Salad-Roasted asparagus, Pickled red onion, julienned radish, citrus-parmesan vinaigrette, lightly fried herb & chevre fritter. $14.99
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Carrot cake is arriving soon! We’ll make the switch from the chocolate almond cake to Carrot Cake on Friday, April 3rd. This cake is lightly spiced, layered with cream cheese frosting and topped with candied walnuts.
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Ice Cream Scoop Awareness! Paul brought it to my attention that our current habit regarding the Server Station Ice Cream Scoop DOES NOT meet health code regulations! Typically, I see people grab a scoop, fill a soda cup with hot water, and plunk that bad boy in there for the ENTIRE DAY. This violates health code as the utensil is not being stored in a temperate regulated vessel. SO! Instead, Paul lovingly brought us up a few more grey scoops (the only scoops that should be used for ice cream!) and we will use them only a single time before sending them back to the dish pit for a wash.
As you all have probably noticed, we are hosting an All Staff Meeting on March 30th at 8:30am. This meeting will be held at CAVES and your attendance is MANDATORY, so spread the good word! Before this meeting, please read over the following document:
I’ll make this clear now: the content of this meeting and why we are having it is not as a result of a single person or instance. See you all there!
Tap Room Updates
Check back next week !
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Get ready for some exciting beers joining our taplist this spring! Make sure to swing by to get some tastes of really unique imports!
Love & Ritual from Great Notion
An awesome homage to all the things we love about our Hazy IPAs!
1516 Kellerbier from Weihenstephaner
From the oldest brewery in the world est. 1040 Kellerbier is a fantastic unfiltered amber-orange lager. Rich malts and soft hops make for some easy drinking
Belgian Tripel from St. Bernardus
For those who know Belgian beers, this is a must. A golden-blonde abbey ale with fruity esters and distinct spices
Anno 1050 Marzen from Weltenburger
The second oldest brewery in the world est. 1050, and the oldest monastery to brew. This Bavarian golden-amber lager will have a smooth full body, notes of honey and red apple.
With the warmer days en route, we’ll be opening our streetside windows and bringing in that fresh Oregon spring, so expect some good vibes and even better bevs. Cheers yall!
High Fives
Prep crew and line helpers - Thank you for taking on such a big walk-in project. That was a ton of work but very necessary.
Rachel- She’s a freaking BEAST
Matt Williams- Makes a great bartender!
Maxwell- Is always ready and locked in at work :) Great vibes always
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Estevan Escalona - West PDX Sales
Colton Troyer - Distribution
Charitable Programs
The People’s Pint Tap for April - Gloria
Who are we supporting? Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force.
About Oregon SATF-
Their mission is to facilitate and support a collaborative, survivor-centered approach to the prevention of and response to sexual violence. We accomplish our mission by advancing primary prevention, and providing multi-disciplinary training and technical assistance to responders in Oregon and
What is it going towards?
Our donation will help Oregon SATF strengthen efforts to prevent sexual violence and support survivors through training, advocacy programs, and critical statewide resources.
What is the People’s Pint tap?
This is a way for us to give back to our community, one pint at a time by supporting local non-profit groups.
Internal Brewsletter - March 18th
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Cody O! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Cabbage Rolls!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-No New Releases This Week-
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Selection Series: Confluence
Series: Orbital
Releases: 3/27/26
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Harbinger
Series: Synergy - Collab with Xicha Brewing and Hetty Alice Beer
Releases: 3/27/26
Availability: On draft only + Distributed to select locations around Oregon
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Fluffhead
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
REMINDER - BRRT IS AT PUB DURING TAPROOM RENOVATION
This week’s topic: Blind tasting: three samples, you tell me what beer you’re trying based on picking the characteristics apart. Winner gets a really ***exciting*** prize.
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Meet the Yeast: Our tiny coworker who does a lot of the work
We all know (hopefully) that beer is essentially comprised of four key ingredients: water, hops, malted barley, and yeast. Three of those ingredients really just set the stage; yeast is the one that is actually doing something. Microscopic, single-celled organisms eat sugars brewed into the wort, and in return make alcohol, CO2, and a whole host of flavor compounds that define the beer they produce. Without yeast, we would make sweet, hoppy tea. With yeast, we make an IPA, a Belgian tripel, a sour, or a lager. The difference between which style is produced is often heavily influenced by which yeast does the job, what conditions it’s given, and how happy/healthy it is.
Yeast has personality. Different strains produce different flavor profiles. Belgian yeasts generally produce fruity esters that might make a hefeweizen smell like banana or clove. American Ale yeast usually produces a clean and neutral beer, letting grain and/or hops take the spotlight. If we stress our yeast by giving it too little oxygen at the start of fermentation, or hold it at the wrong temperature, it will likely produce off-flavors that are easy to notice. When we treat it right, it hums along beautifully and does exactly what we expect.
If you’ve ever wondered what makes styles so different when they look very much the same, the answer is often the yeast strain used. When we pick a yeast strain, it’s like picking a collaborator.
Our most used yeast strains at Block 15 are American Ale and Juice. American ale makes a diverse lineup and is our workhorse. Beers from Sticky Hands to Nebula and Ridgeback Red all use American Ale. Juice produces anything hazy that we brew. In those beers, the hops and malt do most of the talking.
Beers coming up with non-standard yeast strains are Illuminated (Gnome yeast), College Cream Ale (Dieter yeast), Spark Spontaneous Refresher (blend of Lager yeast and wild yeast), and Caves Saison (Solera method wild yeast).
Keep an eye out for these, and experience something different!
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events List:
Check back next week
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
April pub specials coming ‘atcha Wednesday, April 1st!
Pina-Pepper Burger-NW beef patty*, caramelized pineapple, melted pepper jack cheese, lettuce, sweet onion, gochujang mayo and jalapeno chimichurri on a toasted Bread Stop brioche pub bun $21.99
Potato & Green Chili Flautas-Creamy, spicy potato and green chili wrapped in flour tortillas and fried crispy. Served with salsa borracha, sour cream, queso fresco & fresh radishes $13.99
Huli Huli Chicken Sandwich-Huli Huli marinated and grilled chicken thigh, creamy jalapeno-mango slaw & sriracha mayo on a toasted brioche bun. $17.99
Roasted Asparagus & Chevre Salad-Roasted asparagus, Pickled red onion, julienned radish, citrus-parmesan vinaigrette, lightly fried herb & chevre fritter. $14.99
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week !
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Ever have a table give you an awesome piece of feedback for the Brewery Staff? Please direct them to the QR Code at the bottom of their drink menus! This links to a Google Form that goes directly to our Head Brewer himself! We should be encouraging/reminding folks to leave their ideas, questions, and thoughts right there :)
Please check over your lists carefully for the next couple of weeks. Kelly and Kira have been working on some updates to go along with Cedar’s new 5S System! We know these lists are something that a lot of you have memorized, so please read carefully as things are being updated!
DAIRY RESTOCKING REMINDER: While completing the re-stock in the mornings, please remember that we move through dairy (half-and-half, milk, and heavy whipping cream) extremelyyyyy slowlyyyyy. Do not upstock on these products - if there is one in the fridge, DO NOT add another! ALSO remember to DATE any dairy as you open them!
New Cocktail comin’ atcha! Sunbeam Splash by Sophia K.
In a shaker tin, combine:
+ 1 Scoop of Ice
+ 2oz Orange Juice
+ 1oz Pineapple Juice
+ 0.5oz Super Lime
+ 0.25oz Coconut Simple Syrup
Shake and strain over ice into a rocks glass
Top with Coconut Cold Foam float (about 2 inches)
Garnish with dehydrated pineapple wedge
To add a shot of liquor to any of our NA cocktails, look under “Liquor Mods” and make a selection for a $2.00 upcharge!
And finally… NAPKIN AWARENESS. If you’re running a table’s food or dessert and you realize that they already have a stack of untouched napkins, please don’t leave any more! They can always ask their server if they end up needing more, but we’ve been seeing a lot of napkin waste lately.
Thanks Team!
Tap Room Updates
Check back next week !
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Check back next week !
High Fives
Prep crew and line helpers - Thank you for taking on such a big walk-in project. That was a ton of work but very necessary.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week
Charitable Programs
Check back next week for April’s People’s Pint information.
Internal Brewsletter - March 11th
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Sophia K ! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Roasted Brussel Sprouts.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-This Week’s Releases-
Sol Fresco // Mexican Lager // 5.25%
Brewed for warm days in the sun and packaged fresh for your enjoyment. This golden-hued lager balances gentle corn sweetness, light hop bitterness, and aroma with a crisp, clean finish.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Our take on Mexican lager, this falls neatly between the two extremes of the styles spectrum. From Negra to Clara, Sol Fresco pours a medium amber and showcases the very best of both worlds. Brewed with 100% domestic malt and 100% PNW hops.
Tasting Notes:
Blue Cornchip • Noble Hop • Tranquilo
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Perennial
Returning seasonals released around the same time each year. Available for 1-3 months.
What is a Mexican Lager?
Established by Austrian and German immigrants to Texas and Mexico, these beers were originally Vienna-style lagers brewed with Maize. The style is controversial, though, as it can refer to a lot of different beers. Generally, the name is given to a low IBU lager with a clean fermentation profile and extremely high clarity. Macro breweries use corn in their mash to achieve a highly crisp drinking experience at low cost, but craft brewers sometimes prefer to use flaked maize in its place as it has had proteins, oils, and other components removed and is generally a higher-quality ingredient.
Ancient Grove // Amber Ale // 5.00%
Our GABF Gold-winning recipe, Ancient Grove, is brewed in the German Altbier tradition with extended cold conditioning. Beautiful caramel-rich malts are balanced with a crisp and refreshing finish.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Gold Medal winning recipe blending the styles of lager and ale. using top fermenting yeast at lower than normal temperatures we are able to capture the mouthfeel and depth of an ale with the crisp clean finish of a lager.
Tasting Notes:
Toffee • Fresh Baked Bread • Tradition
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
Limited release. Brewed periodically. Available for a month or less.
What is an Amber Ale?
Altbier, originating in Düsseldorf, Germany, is a traditional copper-colored German ale dating back to the 13th century. This top-fermented beer persisted even as bottom-fermented lagers gained popularity throughout Germany, with "alt" meaning "old" in German, referencing its ancient brewing style. Characterized by its clean, crisp profile with a moderate maltiness and pronounced hop bitterness, Altbier undergoes a cold conditioning (lagering) period after primary fermentation, giving it a smooth character that marries ale complexity with lager drinkability. The style presents a medium body with caramel and toasted malt flavors, balanced by spicy, herbal hop notes, and moderate bitterness. The long and short is that Altbier is a combination of ale and lager brewing styles, and represents a relic of the past that persists to this day. Ancient Grove, our Great American Beer Festival gold medal-winning Altbier, is themed after the native oak savannahs that covered the hilltops of the Willamette Valley lowlands. The image on our can depicts an oak, showing its roots as well as its branches, inspired by traditional illustrations of the Tree of Life. This image is associated with the archetype “as above, so below,” which ties in nicely to the beer's top-fermenting vs. bottom-fermenting nature. Read more under Beer 101 !
Block Pearl // Oyster Stout // 4.50%
Every year on Valentine's Day, Joel from Corvallis Brewing Supply would brew an oyster stout to be drunk on St. Patrick's Day. Sadly, they closed their doors in 2022. To keep the world from being deprived of this most festive tradition, we offered to brew it with him at our pub brewery! A dry Irish stout brewed with whole oysters in the mash and shells in the boil, Block Pearl has a unique mouthfeel and overall experience.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Oyster stouts offer a unique mouthfeel due to the mineral content of the shell and a briney character from the oyster itself. Truly a unique drinking experience.
Tasting Notes:
Roast • Briny • Deep
Availability: On draft only + Distributed to select locations around Oregon
Series: Synergy/Pub Life
Synergy: Collaborations with friends of Block 15. Available for a month or less.
Pub Exclusives: Small and limited batches found only at our locations. Available for a very short period of time.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Selection Series: Confluence
Series: Orbital
Releases: 3/27/26
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Harbinger
Series: Synergy - Collab with Xicha Brewing and Hetty Alice Beer
Releases: 3/27/26
Availability: On draft only + Distributed to select locations around Oregon
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Charmed Life & Ocean Man
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
REMINDER - BRRT IS AT PUB DURING TAPROOM RENOVATION
This week’s topic: Selection Series Tasting, compare and contrast
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Altbier: Germany’s Ancient Beer
Altbier, meaning “old beer,” is Germany’s oldest surviving beer style. It’s a top-fermenting ale rooted in the brewing tradition of Düsseldorf, and has been around since before lager yeast completely transformed German brewing in the 16th century.
When cold-fermented lagers swept the rest of Germany and Europe, Düsseldorf brewers held tight to their tradition of brewing ales. They did condition the beer at near freezing temperatures, which led to an especially crisp, clean character. Today, traditional brewpubs known as Hausbrauereien serve altbier fresh off the tank in small, .2 liter glasses.
Altbier is copper to dark brown, dry, bitter, and malt-forward. It does not have the fruity sweetness of British ales of the same color. Pale and Vienna malts with specialty malts for color and German Noble hops provide herbal, earthy bitterness. Esters are controlled and mitigated by the extended cold conditioning.
Altbier feels both ancient and modern. It’s sessionable, balanced, and famously showcases the very best that beer has to offer.
Some recipes endure because they got it right the first time.
This week, we are packaging and releasing Ancient Grove, our GABF gold medal-winning Altbier. The image on the can represents the Oak Savannahs that covered our Willamette Valley before colonial settlers cleared them for farmland. It also hints at traditional Tree of Life Iconography, showing that the root systems of trees often resemble their branches. As above, so below, a reference to the beer containing both top-fermenting and bottom-fermenting characteristics.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Block 15 Kickball Team & Playground Sports Sponsorship
I shared this info in my Sling announcement, but wanted to make sure everyone saw it. ⬇️
Block 15 will be sponsoring Playground Sports again this summer, and as a part of that, we get to have a Block 15 Kickball Team! This is your invitation to join.
To field a team, we need at least 10 players each week: five guys and five gals. We can have up to 20 per game, though. You do not need to commit to coming every week, but we will make a sign-up sheet to make sure we meet our minimums.
Cost: Free
Location: Crystal Lake Sports Fields in Corvallis
When: Season runs June 17th - July 15th on Wednesdays
Time: Games start at 6:30 pm and 7:30 pm, with one double header
What's provided:
Shirts
One free pitcher of beer at the Pub after the game to share with the team
What you need to play:
Good shoes to run in (cleats are great but not required)
They have an alcohol permit, so you can bring bevs to the field. A lot of people bring their dogs/friends/family/picnics to the games to hang out. It's very laidback. Large speakers encouraged.
I've played in the league the last two seasons, and it's a ton of fun. Everyone who plays cares more about having fun and good sportsmanship than being hardcore super athletes. You DO NOT need experience to play. I'll be the team captain and have a lot of kickball experience to be able to help you with the basics (yes, I know that sounds funny, but we all have our strengths haha).
Please Sign Up by May 1st!
Events List:
Check back in next Week!
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Don’t forget to share your thoughtful personal or guest food feedback!
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week !
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Closing awareness! While you guys have been doing great helping out labor with your quick closes, we also need to be VERY mindful that our hospitality does not fall through the cracks. It is not acceptable to get swept up in cleaning duties and forget to give every patron the same Block 15 Hospitality that we’ve become known for. Guests FIRST, Closing SECOND.
Another Hospitality reminder brought to you by Tivey: Similarly to the lesson last week on “just one,” when seating a guest dining alone - avoid using transactional phrases like “do you want…” Instead, work to use phrases like “would you like…” or “can I bring you…”
Sling Reminder! Every now and then we have to kindly remind everyone that the Out Times listed on Sling for your shift are a VERY ROUGH estimate. Please be mindful of your peers and be flexible. Shifts are dependent on floor needs and patterns that everyone is not always privy to. Trust your floats and give them the space to make decisions on the floor - of course it is always appreciated to bring insight on your section, but not to coerce a floor decision pre-maturely!
It is EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY to bus and flip tables when we are on a wait. If you are walking through a section that isn’t yours and see dishes/glassware that could be bussed. BUS IT! We are a team working towards the same goal and making money in the same tip pool. Make sure to pull your weight and be a Blockstar!
THIS SECTION IS FOR LEADS. Kelly has put together a wonderful additional check list for our Lead Servers! Let me set the scene: have you ever checked shift change and thought “that’s awesome, boxes have already been carried downstairs,” only to walk past the Brewery and see ONE MILLION HEAVY BOXES WAITING TO BE CARRIED DOWN THE STAIRS. Here’s where the new Lead Checklist comes in! I want to impress upon the Leads this new responsibility. There will be a few things that Leads are double checking for and if things are being checked off, but not completed - bring it to a manager immediately. Find this checklist on the bottom of the Shift Change List soon. We love our Leads! <3
Tap Room Updates
Check back next week !
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Check back next week !
High Fives
Bre- Bre just kills it with doing our scheduling!!! Thank you for being so communicative and prompt with time off requests and swapping. You make it look easy Queen!
Bre- She has been doing great with cocktails and has been brewing up some tasty ideas!
Sophia K- Sophia is always pulling through with an extra set of hands or has already read my mind and gotten a task done! Slays every time <3
Sophia S- Sophia has been crushing it in her new role in Marketing! She has great energy and works hard every day.
Aubrey- You’re always locked in & helping in any way, regardless of whether it’s your “designated” role, and always keep a great energy going!
Cedar- My favorite shifts are always with Cedar, she knows exactly how to balance professionalism & a fun time at work ! Genuinely one of the kindest and easiest to talk to, regardless if it’s related to work.
Wiley- Darth Wiley rocks, that’s it.
Kaidyn- Takes double & triple seating like a champ & always respects the host’s decisions, it goes a long way!
Kira- So grateful to have such a great manager, it really can make or break a job. You keep the vibes and energy up ALWAYS at B15.
Staff Section
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Selkie Carr - Host/Food Runner
Charitable Programs
Dine Out! for CHS Robotics - March 19th
Next Thursday, we’re partnering with the Corvallis High School Robotics Team! All day on the 19th, a portion of food sales at the Pub will be donated to help fund their season. We’re very excited to work with this local group - some of whom are related to Block 15 employees.
Please be prepared to introduce the Dine Out to our guests on the 19th! The Robotics Team will also provide table tents so people can learn more about them while they dine with us.
Learn More About CHS Robotics
Each January, the team receives the year’s competition rules — and from there, they have just two months to design, manufacture, assemble, program, and test a fully competition-ready robot before heading into events. By April, the season wraps — but the work to fund it continues year-round.
What will our donation go toward?
The money we’re donating supports more than just a robot. It goes towards registration fees, parts and raw materials, travel expenses, and competition costs. As well as supports hands-on engineering, problem-solving, teamwork, and the next generation of innovators.
Internal Brewsletter - March 4th
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Kira and Salem ! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Creamy Roasted Chicken Pot Pie !
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-This Week’s Releases-
Selection Series // West Coast IPA // 7.0%
Our latest Selection Series release features four single-hop West Coast IPAs brewed on the same base recipe, allowing each hop variety to shine on its own. Each beer showcases hops selected during our annual Yakima hop selection trip, highlighting unique aromas and flavors from specific farms across the Pacific Northwest.
Each Selection (Sourced) - Tasting Notes :
Strata (Crosby Hop Farm, Woodburn, OR) — Currant • Red Jolly Rancher
Mosaic (Jackson Hop Farms, Wilder, ID) — Blueberry • Mango
El Dorado (CLS Farms, Moxee, WA) — Pineapple • Watermelon
Citra (Van Horn Farms, Moxee, WA) — Lemonade • Orange Peel
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital Series
What is the Selection Series?
Each fall during hop harvest, our team travels to Yakima to evaluate hops from multiple farms through a blind tasting process. The hops we select become the foundation for beers throughout the year. The Selection Series highlights these picks with a set of single-hop West Coast IPAs brewed on the same base recipe to showcase each variety’s unique character.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Sol Fresco // Mexican Lager
Series: Perennial
Releases: 3/13/26
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Ancient Grove // Amber Ale
Series: Orbital
Releases: 3/13/26
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Block Pearl // Oyster Stout
Series: Pub Life/Synergy
Releases: 3/13/26
Availability: On draft only + Distributed to select locations around Oregon
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Punch Out and Prost!
Beer Education
REMINDER - BRRT IS AT PUB DURING TAPROOM RENOVATION
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
This week’s topic: Off Flavor Workshop, DMS threshold testing
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Selection Series
It’s that time of year! Our brew team is currently wrapping up packaging one of our favorite releases of the year, Selection Series. Each year, we travel to Yakima, in the heart of Washington’s hop country and the densest hop cultivation region in the world, to select the best lots of our most used hops. Not all breweries, especially of our size, get the opportunity, and it is one of the reasons that our beer stands out in the crowd. We choose hops not only to get the most interesting, aromatic, and delicious hops that we can, but also to play defense against bad lots that can lead to off and undesirable characteristics. It is an important exercise that we take seriously, and we are excited to showcase it each year when the new lots finally arrive.
This year, we chose Citra, Strata, El Dorado, and Mosaic to showcase, and we’re finally ready to release the mixed four packs out to the world. Here are three of my tasting notes on the final products and which farm they came from.
Mosaic: Jackson Hop Farms, Canyon County, Idaho. Blueberries, lemonheads, dragonfruit
Strata: Crosby Hop Farms, Woodburn, Oregon. Red Jolly Rancher, Currant, Pineapple
El Dorado: CLS Farms, Moxee, Washington. Citrus rind, pineapple, mango
Citra: Van Horn Farms, Moxee, Washington. Lemonade, orange zest, peach.
Be sure to try each and compare them. These are single-hop beers that share an otherwise identical recipe. That is a great opportunity to really experience each of these legendary hops in their purest forms. Talk about them with other folks around your same tasting level, and with folks who seem to have more advanced palates. Drinking beer with folks who have more advanced palates is the absolute best way to develop your own. Feel encouraged to really engage with customers who are trying flights and see which are their favorites, what distinct aromas and flavors they can discern, etc.
New this year, this week we brewed SELECTION SERIES: CONFLUENCE, an amalgamation brew that uses all four selection series hops in one meticulously designed beer. Our Director of Brewery Operations, Matt, used his almost 20 years of production brewing knowledge to write this recipe himself. I’m really looking forward to tasting it. I know that a lot of consideration and care went into it.
This is a really fun project that takes a lot of work on our side, so please have fun with it and use it to your advantage, so that all of that work is really worth it!
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Selection Series 2026
Please encourage people to vote! The link is on the handout, on our table tents, and on our website:
Events List:
Check back in next Week!
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Pub monthly specials will launch on Wednesday 3.4!
Japanese Pork Katsu & Rice
Panko breaded and fried pork cutlet served over a bed of steamed coconut basmati rice with our Japanese curry sauce, shredded napa cabbage, and quick citrus pickled cucumbers. 17.99
Dairy Free. Tempeh can be subbed BUT the curry sauce DOES contain chicken stock!!!
Honey-Chili Shrimp Po Boy
Sweet & spicy grilled wild Gulf shrimp, shredded lettuce, sweet onion, fresh tomato & chipotle-lime remoulade on a house baked sesame baguette. 16.99
Dairy free
Sweet Potato & Romesco Dip
Creamy sweet potatoes, romesco, almonds & cream cheese dip served chilled with veggies and toasted bread. 11.99
Vegetarian. Dip is gluten free, and DOES contain almonds!
Romesco is a rich, smoky sauce originating from Catalonia, Spain. It consists of roasted red peppers, smoked paprika, tomatoes, almonds, garlic and olive oil.
Grilled Turkey Cheddar Sandwich
Roasted turkey breast, grilled onions, Tillamook Cheddar cheese and house-made honey mustard on toasted artisan bread. $15.99
Can be dairy free if cheese is held.
This is a throwback to a Block 15 original!
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week !
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
New cocktail replacing the Tiger Shark!
Spring Breeze
In a Tulip glass, combine:
+ 1 Scoop of Ice
+ 2oz Spring Breeze Batch
+ 0.75oz Super Lemon
+ 2oz Prosecco
Stir to combine. Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel.
Let’s make sure to push the last of the Bourbon Pomegranate Spritz, as it will not be on menus!
Now for a few regular reminders/announcements:
Safety calls! LOUD AND PROUD. We’ve had some really close calls lately, so please make sure to be diligent around every corner and through every door.
I also want to encourage everyone to move through the restaurant like you would driving a car on the road. Moving on the right side and passing on people’s left sides!
Simple Green Awarness. We’ve seen some refilled bottles (awesome!) filled with 100% Simple Green (not awesome!). It’s a very aggressive chemical so we want to make sure to dilute it - about 1-2 fingers width at the bottom of the bottle and the rest with water!
Bathrooms should be getting multiple checks throughout the day/your shift - not just for shift change! If you’re clocking out, remember to check that the bathrooms are stocked and cleaned up before checking out with people.
Hosts! Your first impression to guests at the Host Stand are people’s immediate first thought about us. That’s a lot of weight on your shoulders, but I want to remind you that first impressions really matter and we should be ready to make people’s day from their first moment in our establishment.
To go along with this, be careful with the word “just.” For example, “just one today?” Instead use, “one today, perfect! Follow me this way.” We’d never want to accidentally offend anyone with our choice of verbiage.
With nicer days on the horizon, please remember to wipe down the outside tables as the closing server to help out the openers in the morning!
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
We have received our keg of Duchess de Bourgogne! This is a fantastic Belgian Flanders red produced by Brouwerij Berhaeghe, characterized by its sweet-and-sour flavor profile reminiscent of balsamic vinegar, cherries, and dark fruit. (And yes I’m bias as it is by far my favorite “sour” ever) Swing by to at the very least to come get a taste of this awesome brew!
As we get into our spring season this month, keep an eye out for our new spring wine selection as well as a new cocktail crafted by our very own AGM, Luke! 🙂
For our Caves staff, make sure we are hitting up the outside tables with not only a good cleaning, but also making sure entry way is leafblown and dusted for those pesky cobwebs
When we have our guests dining outside, please ensure we are using the outdoor space heaters ONLY when the outside tables are being used, and we are shutting those off when our customers leave
You all are crushing it these busy weekends! Keep up the fantastic work! 🍻
High Fives
YAYY to supporting eachother!! Keep the high fives going <333 - Soph
Kira- I really appreciate what Kira has done as GM! She keeps things moving efficiently and it is not unnoticed how much work she has put in so far! We <3 Kira!
Max- Bodega baddie Max slayed the last few busy weekends. He’s really got that WAP (Wisdom and Patience). His attitude is up and it has stuck. PERIOD.
Sophia & Megan- Their dessert presentation is unlike anything I’ve ever seen
Ellie- Ellie has been killing it extra lately which is not unnoticed! Thanks for being a Blockstar.
Lily Smalling- She is always so fierce and warm and welcoming and also kicks ass in the kitchen! She helps in so many ways and reachers to servers and managers in a way that I highly respect. She’s the queen!
Donlon- Donlon has a lot going on with school but still shows up ready to rock. Thanks for all you do to keep things going! We<3 Donlon.
Tilly- I love working with Tilly because she is so fun and helpful! Customers have been raving about her lately so shout out for that #hospitality !!!
Uncle Danny- For busting ass getting brewers trained and living through Mardi Gras
Cedar- For taking initiative with pub 5S and being altogether a force for positivity in our company
Cedar- Cedar has been putting in the work to make the pub more organized! She completed reorganized the server station upstairs at the pub and the cabinet downstairs as well! It looks really great now!
Julia Wren- Works so hard everyday! Always doing big tasks without being asked and wants to learn all the new projects. She is a great addition to the prep team and we love having her!
Emma Krubmah- She is such a strong force in the kitchen! Works GREAT with everyone around her, awesome energy and never lets the busy shifts get to her. She is the definition of a Blockstar! Give this girl a high five!
James, Travis & Jon- Thank you guys for being awesome leaders! And fun to work with!
Staff Section
Check back next week !
Charitable Programs
Dine Out! for CHS Robotics - March 19th
This month, we’re partnering with the Corvallis High School Robotics Team! All day on the 19th, a portion of food sales at the Pub will be donated to help fund their season.
Each January, the team receives the year’s competition rules — and from there, they have just two months to design, manufacture, assemble, program, and test a fully competition-ready robot before heading into events. By April, the season wraps — but the work to fund it continues year-round.
The money we’re donating supports more than just a robot. It goes towards registration fees, parts and raw materials, travel expenses, and competition costs. As well as supports hands-on engineering, problem-solving, teamwork, and the next generation of innovators.
Internal Brewsletter - February 25th
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Garrison ! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Roast Beef & Cheddar Sandwich with Curly Fries (The Arby’s Special)!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-This Week’s Releases-
Ocean Man // Baltic Porter // 8.00%
Originating from the lands surrounding the Baltic Sea, this bold, rich, and highly drinkable lager pairs notes of coffee, dried plums, and dark chocolate with a clean, but decadent finish.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Your new obsession - Baltic Porter delivers massive dark chocolate and dried fruit flavors with an impossibly clean, lager-crisp finish that'll have you wondering where this beer has been all your life.
Tasting Notes:
Toffee • Bakers Chocolate • From the Depths
Availability:
On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
Orbital: Limited release. Brewed periodically. Available for a month or less.
What is a Baltic Porter?
Originally inspired by strong English stout porters that Russia imported in the 18th century, breweries in the nations around the Baltic Sea began producing their own versions of these beers early in the 19th century. Very dark to black in color, it is hard to judge the clarity of these beers. They typically range from 6% to 9% abv with flavor coming mostly from the malt, which expresses a slight roasted character, reminiscent of black coffee, also usually expressing dark fruit, toffee, molasses, and nutty notes. They have a medium bitterness that balances their sweetness and gives them a slightly dry finish on the palate. They are exceedingly smooth for their abv.
Amplified Diesel // West Coast IPA // 6.78%
Put the hammer down on dank with Amplified Diesel, a WC IPA nitro-boosted with CTZ Cryo pellets and CTZ Salvo, Strata, Simcoe, and a special water adjustment designed to charge hard into our favorite hop characteristics --- Canni-Resin + Diesel.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Designed to showcase some favorite but less common hop character, CTZ is showcased and creates a unique IPA experience.
Tasting Notes:
Dank • Earth • High Octane
Availability:
On draft only + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series:
Emerging: Exploratory and experimental. Available for a month or less.
What is a West Coast IPA?
An IPA sub-style originating in California. It has evolved over the years to showcase a balance of bright fruit, resinous pine, and dank (cannabis-forward) hop flavors and aromas, with a moderate to light malt presence and a dry finish with an assertive bitterness. West Coast is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Selection Series // Four Single-Hop West Coast IPAs
Series: Orbital
Releases: 3/6/26
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Block Pearl // Oyster Stout
Series: Publife/Synergy
Releases: 3/13/26
Availability: On draft only + Distributed in limited capacity to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Pub: Rocky Shores
TR: Love Potion #9
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
This week’s topic: Ingredient Deep Dive - Malted Barley
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Baltic Porter
The history of Baltic porter starts with the Russian court of Catherine the Great, who was a lover of imported British Stout Porter. Stout at that point referred to a stronger version of any beer. Eventually, the stronger Stout Porter just became known as Stout as Porter beer fell out of popularity.
Supply chain disruptions throughout the region, as a result of the Napoleonic wars, gave brewers of the region a reason to make their own versions of these beers. Initially, they made dark ales just as the British Stout Porters were, but slowly shifted to using lager yeast and cold fermentation throughout the 19th century as lager beer was rapidly becoming the most popular beer production method in the world. Originally over 10%, these beers eventually came down to the 6%-9% range we see today, and are largely produced in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
This week, we are re-releasing Ocean Man, our take on this classic style. Aligned with our Lagered by the Sun program, Pure Idaho Pilsner malt, Munich, and Vienna from Great Western are all grown and malted in the North West. There are inevitably some specialty malts that cannot be sourced from regional sources. In some cases, there are domestic malts that can fill in from other parts of the US, but in other cases, we bring in very small amounts of specialty malts from Europe. We always keep these products to an absolute minimum.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Selection Series 2026
To aid in service, I’ve made you all a handout to share with anyone who orders a Selection Series flight. This includes all the information about the program, including the farms where the hops came from. On the right is the tasting order of the flights, arranged to mimic our taster trays.
Kira is going to laminate some of these and keep some non-laminated behind the bar so that people can take them home if they want to.
This is a super unique thing that we do that no one else in the beer industry does! It always gets people talking about hops and encourages them to seek out beers with those hops in them.
Please encourage people to vote! The link is on the handout, on our table tents, and on our website:
Events
Bourbon Month
As we close out Bourbon Month, please encourage folks to drop off their stamp books at the Pub by the end of the day Saturday. We’ve advertised that the completer’s party will be on April 8th for those Neat Freaks who get all their stamps. This is a fun party where we deliver their prize, eat small appetizers, and raffle off some fun Bourbon-themed trinkets.
Events List:
Check back in next Week!
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Pub monthly specials will launch on Wednesday 3.4!
Japanese Pork Katsu & Rice
Panko breaded and fried pork cutlet served over a bed of steamed coconut basmati rice with our Japanese curry sauce, shredded napa cabbage, and quick citrus pickled cucumbers. 17.99
Dairy Free. Tempeh can be subbed BUT the curry sauce DOES contain chicken stock!!!
Honey-Chili Shrimp Po Boy
Sweet & spicy grilled wild Gulf shrimp, shredded lettuce, sweet onion, fresh tomato & chipotle-lime remoulade on a house baked sesame baguette. 16.99
Dairy free
Sweet Potato & Romesco Dip
Creamy sweet potatoes, romesco, almonds & cream cheese dip served chilled with veggies and toasted bread. 11.99
Vegetarian. Dip is gluten free, and DOES contain almonds!
Romesco is a rich, smoky sauce originating from Catalonia, Spain. It consists of roasted red peppers, smoked paprika, tomatoes, almonds, garlic and olive oil.
Grilled Turkey Cheddar Sandwich
Roasted turkey breast, grilled onions, Tillamook Cheddar cheese and house-made honey mustard on toasted artisan bread. $15.99
Can be dairy free if cheese is held.
This is a throwback to a Block 15 original!
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week !
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
From Bre, our resident Cocktail Gal:
New cocktail coming out Friday: Dirty Chai Cold Brew! Siberian Spice is still available to be ordered but will not be on menus. Please push the Coconut Cold Brew and Tiger Shark!
Dirty Chai Cold Brew
In a Collins glass, combine:
+ 1 Scoop of Ice
+ 3oz Chai-Lua
+ 3oz Cold Brew
+ Couple dashes Xocolatl Mole bitters
Stir to combine, top with water if needed. Add a splash of regular cold foam. Garnish with nutmeg and cinnamon sprinkles.
We’ll now be adding a “Restaurant Vocab” section to the Brewsletter every week! If you ever have a vocab word you would like to see in the Brewsletter, please let Kira know 🙂
This week’s Vocab Word is brought to you by Lily! “All Day - We’ve got 6 Enchilidas All Day.” This means we have 6 enchiladas for the rest of the shift and then we will be out until more are made.
Beer prices (both draft and cans) will be making their annual up-tick in price this week, beginning officially on March 1st. This will be a roughly $0.25 increase on pints in the 1 and 2 price tier (meaning it essentially only impacts our perpetuals and some perennial beers). There will also be a roughly $0.40 increase on can prices.
There’s been some confusion on the Silverware Soaking procedure, as it has recently changed, so I went ahead and made a laminated document with the instructions and posted it next to the 86 Board in the Kitchen for your reference! PLEASE LET A MANAGER KNOW IF THERE IS STILL CONFUSION ABOUT THIS TASK.
Similarly, I wanted to remind everyone that it is the food runners job to ensure that we do not run out of silverware. When we are down to about 15 forks/knives, it is the responsibility of the food runner to let the dishwasher know to run another load soon. DON’T WAIT UNTIL WE ARE COMPLETELY OUT TO SAY SOMETHING.
Tap Room Updates
The Taproom will be closed for the month of March so that we can refresh it! We will have some cleaning, organizing and installing hours available to anyone in the company who is interested. Please reach out to Bre or Sarah to get scheduled for a shift!
Even though we will be closed, please make sure that any internal feelings about this are not reflected to the customers. Emphasize that it’s an exciting change, and that there are many cool things to come. Try to stay in high spirits, and finish out the week strong!
Dock Sales (keg orders) during Taproom closure will be by appointment only. If anyone asks about them them, they can email Andy at andy@block15.com
FOH daily chores/tasks have been modified this week to reflect the upcoming closure. Make sure you’re giving this a look over!
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Check back next week!
High Fives
Tivey - She makes my job a lot easier every day.
Alissa Ballard - Welcome back! It’s like you never missed a beat
Caitlin N. - she’s always busting her butt making sure customers are happy and taken care of, and that the restaurant is in tip top shape.
The Entire Taproom - thank you all for working so hard, being so flexible with the upcoming closure and uncertainties that come with it, and being so great to work with. You all make the Taproom what it is, and I’ll miss you all over the break.
Bre- Her sense of humor is unmatched, and no matter how stressed she may be, she always puts others first—making sure everyone is okay and never letting her own pressure spill over onto those around her.
Megan & Tilly- My entire day is made when I work with these two girls ! They know how to get their work done and still have a fun time!
Staff Section
Check back next week !
Charitable Programs
Check back next week !
Internal Brewsletter - February 18th
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Sophia K ! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Chicken Salad Sandwich!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-This Week’s Releases-
Animal Cookies // Hazy IPA // 7.00%
Brewed for the hop-loving animal inside of you, this can is packed with sticky, pungent hops. Unleash a swirling circus of pineapple, tangerine, mango, pine, and dank herb hop characters.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
The very best that hazy IPA has to offer. Balanced with plenty of structure to prevent flabbiness often associated with the style.
Tasting Notes:
Ripe Papaya • Navel Orange • unchained
Availability:
On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series:
Perennial; Returning seasonals released around the same time each year. Available for 1-3 months.
What is a Hazy IPA?
An IPA sub-style originating in New England, it originally evolved from American IPA to have a lighter malt bill, which had a soft finish from adjuncts containing higher protein levels and water naturally high in Chloride. Early versions retained an assertive bitterness, but that mostly softened over time, giving way to a soft, juicy beer with a big, sweet body that mostly featured fruit notes (citrus, tropical, stonefruit, red fruit, etc). Some versions can contain pine or dank notes as well. Bitterness ranges from light to moderate, and body ranges from moderate to heavy. Hazy is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Charmed Life // Irish Red Ale // 5.00%
Fortune favors the bold - and this lucky Irish Red Ale proves it. With a deep ruby hue and velvety malt backbone, Charmed Life delivers a taste of Irish brewing tradition in every blessed drop.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
A true representation of a classic Irish Red, brewed with tradition in mind and respect for one of our favorite styles.
Tasting Notes:
Bread Crust • Burnt Sugar • Jig Inducing
Availability:
On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series:
Perennial; Returning seasonals released around the same time each year. Available for 1-3 months.
What is an Irish Red Ale?
This classic style of amber ale has its roots in Ireland, though not under the name Irish Red Ale. That name originates from Coors and their iconic brand, Killian’s Irish Red, which is, in fact, a lager, not an ale. The tradition of making amber ales in Ireland goes back many centuries, always featuring a caramel and toffee-like malt flavor with a mild bitterness and very little hop flavor.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Amplified Diesel // West Coast IPA
Series: Emerging
Releases: February 27th
Availability: On draft only + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Ocean Man // Baltic Porter
Series: Orbital
Releases: February 27th
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
BOTH: Prophecies & Zero Lux
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
This week’s topic: Carbonation’s effect on finished beer: a sensory evaluation
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Clean Glassware
Clean Glassware is more important than we sometimes assume. It directly impacts the beer’s flavor, aroma, and appearance. Oils, soaps, and soil (residue from lipstick, prior drinks, etc.) interfere with the beer’s ability to make and retain foam. Flat beer with poor foam (in most styles) looks and tastes worse than it could. Sight is the first sense that a beer drinker uses when enjoying our products, and it’s critical to make a great first impression. It is absolutely the difference between an okay and a stellar experience with our beer. Not only that, but experienced beer drinkers know the signs of a dirty glass, and judge our whole operation based on one flaw.
Beyond just making it look bad, soils, oils, and soaps add off flavors to the beer that we’ve worked so hard to keep pristine until this point. They grab onto carbonation and remove it from solution, affecting the carbonation and mouthfeel, and can even make customers sick.
Lastly, clean glassware demonstrates to our customers that we are professional and that we respect their time and the fact that they chose us as the place to spend their money. I would absolutely not return to an establishment that served me two dirty glasses in a row.
It is important to me that we are serving every pint in an absolutely spotless glass. If you are having a hard time getting your dishes clean enough to be considered truly spotless, please reach out to me and your manager. A little lipstick on a glass is absolutely not an okay thing to send out, and I want us all to be keeping a sharp eye out for it. I for sure will be.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Selection Series 2026
This year’s Selection Series beers will be released on March 6th! This is a fan favorite of ours each year, as we highlight different hops in four single-hop WC IPAs.
Each fall during the hop harvest, the Block 15 Team (usually Nick, Matt, and Garrison) travels to Yakima in search of the finest hops. Through a blind process, we evaluate hops from multiple farms and regions, selecting the best representation of each variety for our programs, often challenging common assumptions about the varieties.
For 2026, we’re highlighting Citra, El Dorado, Mosaic, and Strata. We encourage folks to try these on draft side by side or take home a mixed 4-pack. Learning about how different hops present in a beer is super cool! You can really taste the difference.
This program is SUPER unique in the beer industry, too. By providing this learning experience for our guests, we’re creating new fans of beers with specific hop varieties. Outside Block 15, there are accounts across Oregon that serve all four of these beers as an event and make the same comparison.
Something new this year: We’re having folks VOTE on their favorite variety. The link is on our website and will be on table tents in the restaurant while the series is on draft.
Events
Bourbon Month
END OF BOURBON MONTH is Feb 28th! Keep up the good work, everyone, and finish the month strong. - Holly
Next Monday’s special bourbon is:
February 23rd - George Dickel Leopold Brothers Collab - Three Chamber Rye 100 Proof / 50% ABV
George Dickel has teamed up with the Leopold Bros to produce an innovative rye whisky offering. The release blends George Dickel’s column still rye produced at Cascade Hollow Distillery with Leopold Bros’ Three Chamber Rye to recreate a historic style. This union between column-distilled rye and Three Chamber distilled rye turns back the hands of time, returning to an era that saw heavy-bodied rye whisky served at bars and saloons throughout America.
Events List:
Check back in next Week!
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Pub monthly specials will launch on Wednesday 3.4!
Japanese Pork Katsu & Rice
Panko breaded and fried pork cutlet served over a bed of steamed coconut basmati rice with our Japanese curry sauce, shredded napa cabbage, and quick citrus pickled cucumbers. 17.99
Honey-Chili Shrimp Po Boy
Sweet & spicy grilled wild Gulf shrimp, shredded lettuce, sweet onion, fresh tomato & chipotle-lime remoulade on a house baked sesame baguette. 16.99
Sweet Potato & Romesco Dip
Creamy sweet potatoes, romesco, almonds & cream cheese dip served chilled with veggies and toasted bread. 11.99
Grilled Turkey Cheddar Sandwich
Roasted turkey breast, grilled onions, Tillamook Cheddar cheese and house-made honey mustard on toasted artisan bread. $15.99
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week !
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
As a part of the new 5S System joining us at the Pub (more from Cedar soon!) Shirley Temples and Roy Rogers will now be made by servers themselves at the soda station! Please check in with a manager if you have any questions/have never made one before and we will give you the run down :) The button for those items will no longer ring in at the bar starting this Friday!
Tap Room Updates
Check back next week !
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Get ready for some much colder days these coming weeks! Travel safe as these evenings are going to be pretty frosty ❄️
Some exciting new additions to our beverage options now that we are getting closer to spring!
Wine:
Anne Amie Vineyard’s ‘Enchante’ Pinot Blanc
On Tap:
Great Notion’s Northleft - Hazy IPA
Block 15’s Green Truck - American Lager
Fremont Brewing’s Dark Star - Double Barrel Aged Imperial Stout
Duchess de Bourgogne (COMING SOON)
We will be adding our V-Day cocktail Love and Murder to our menu for the rest of the winter season as it was a huge success! And excellent job, team! You all absolutely killed it this V-Day weekend!
From the Caves Kitchen!
This Friday potato latkes will be making a comeback to the menu! If you remember them from last year, they will be slightly different with them being served with a parmesan cream sauce rather than the cambozola sauce. They will replace the roasted beet dish.
Crispy potato & sweet onion latkes, parmesan cream sauce, fresh Oregon pear, microgreens $8
This weekend we will also be running a French Onion Pasta special that James has put together!
High Fives
No High Fives this week :(((
Make sure to give a little love to your work bestie or someone who stepped up — your words might mean more than you think.
Staff Section
Check back next week !
Charitable Programs
Check back next week !
Internal Brewsletter - February 11th
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Cedar ! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Mediterranean Flatbread!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-This Week’s Releases-
Rocky Shores // IPA // 6.80%
As rugged and unique as the rocky shorelands of the Oregon Coast, this bright and flavorful IPA showcases both southern hemisphere and PNW hops with a blend of citrus, stonefruit, and herbaceous notes.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
We used biscuit malt in this brew, creating a dynamic combination of malts and hops. Enigma, Simcoe, Chinook, and Nelson Sauvin showcase the very best of both the Pacific Northwest and the Southern Hemisphere, making this IPA a focus on balanced hop and malt aromas.
Tasting Notes:
Grapefruit Peel • Spring Pine • Squall
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around a month or less.
Punch Out & Prost // Dortmunder Export Lager // 6.25%
Punch out with us! This golden lager blends a delicate malt base with floral and spicy noble hops from the PNW. Lingering bitterness balances honey notes and offers a crisp finish, perfect for ending a long day. Prost!
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Pushing for authenticity in our continental lagers, but balanced by our desire for sustainability, we used over 90% PNW grain and hops to create something authentically German.
Tasting Notes:
Biscuit • Honey • Bottoms Up
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around a month or less.
What is a Dortmunder Export Lager?
This pale lager was developed in Dortmund, Germany, in the late 19th century, and was designed to be a perfect export beer for the region. It aimed to lie between Uber-Light Munich Helles and bitter Czech Pilsner. Golden, crisp, and bready, this beer is sweet but not to the point of cloying. Moderate hop bitterness keeps it balanced, and a dry finish makes it incredibly drinkable. Popularity fell off until craft brewers rediscovered its balance and incredible drinkability. Somewhat of a hybrid between two ends of the pale lager spectrum, it represents a high point of drinkability.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Animal Cookies // Hazy IPA
Series: Perennial
Releases: February 20th
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Charmed Life // Irish Red Ale
Series: Orbital
Releases: February 20th
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
PUB: The Prophecies
Beer Education
Check back next week !
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
Bourbon Month
Keep on crushing through Bourbon Month! I’ve talked to a bunch of people this year, and they’ve been super happy with what we’re offering. <3
- Holly
Next Monday’s special bourbon is:
Peerless Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon 109.4 Proof / 54.7% ABV
Peerless® Bourbon is rooted in fruits, florals, and oaks. The nose features citrus, cedar, honeysuckle, and a nice balance of spicy oak. The first sip is caramel and toasted oak before a multitude of notes from around the flavor wheel appear on the palate. The finish showcases an enduring duel between sweet and spicy notes as citrus, florals, and sweet oak struggle for dominance against dry cocoa, cinnamon, and spicy oak. The result is a fantastic whiskey that should be fascinating for beginners and connoisseurs.
Events List:
Bourbon Dinner - Tuesday, Feb 17th @ Caves
Bourbon 5-course pairing dinner, curated by Sarah & Aidan. We still have some tickets to sell: https://block15.com/experiences/p/bourbon-dinner-at-caves
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Check back next week !
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week !
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Check back next week !
Tap Room Updates
Check back next week !
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Check back next week !
High Fives
Ben, Dabbs, Salem, Tyler- Thanks to these cooks in particular for helping prep out outside of their usual schedules. We really are one unit here at Block and these four have been showing their ability to be team players like its nothing! We appreciate all the work you put in. Give them a high five when you see them next!!
Lily Smalling- Killer provision execution! Always rocking the recipes sent her way and keeping it as true to the OG recipe as possible. Great work!
Bre- Shout out to Bre! She makes the schedule, slings beer, and just slays the day away. You are welcoming and get sh*t done sister.
Ellie O- Ellie did a fantastic job introducing and describing the new layout of the beer menu to customers! She’s putting in that work!
Tyler- Tyler was so epic to step up as lead in the kitchen when they were down a few people during dinner. She took the lead and rocked it !!
Sophia S. and Holly- Sophia and Holly has been killing it on the marketing lately! the incredible release ad was great
Staff Section
Check back next week !
Charitable Programs
Check back next week !
Internal Brewsletter - February 4th, 2026
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Sophia K! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a BLTTA!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-This Week’s Releases-
The Incredible // Triple IPA // 10.60%
Beyond belief, our triple IPA pushes boundaries with the monumental hop characters of fresh tropical fruit and sticky resin soaring above a pristine malt foundation for incredible balance.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Incredibly balanced for the strength. Sweetness comes from the high ABV, and is balanced by bready malts and aromatic hops.
Tasting Notes: Pineapple • Resin • Heavy-Hitter
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be available a month or less
What is a Tripe IPA?
Triple IPA is an unofficial beer style, meaning that it is not recognized by major organizations such as the BJCP, and style guidelines for triple IPA therefore do not exist. Usually upwards of 10% abv, they are bigger than imperial IPA in every way. More bitter, more sweet, with more body and alcohol, they are a challenge to keep in balance. When thoughtfully crafted, however, they shine in the face of those who would deny them.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Rocky Shores // American IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: February 13th
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Punch Out & Prost // Dortmunder Export Lager
Series: Orbital
Releases: February 13th
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Pub: Love Potion
Beer Education
Check back next week !
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
Bourbon Month
Our kickoff events went really well. Thank you to everyone who helped make sure everything ran smoothly! Let’s keep the momentum going as we go through each week.
Next Monday’s special bourbon is:
Angel’s Envy Private Selection Sherry Cask Edition 116 proof / 58% ABV $21
Angel’s Envy sourced premium French oak barrels from the Bordeaux region of France which were seasoned with Oloroso Sherry in Jerez, Spain for over a year—introducing fruit notes along with the nutty, tobacco flavor profile characteristic of Oloroso Sherry. These barrels offered a distinctive richness to our five-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which finished in them for up to 16 months.
Events List:
4 Spirits Tasting 6-8 pm @ Pub + Dine Out for 4 Spirits Foundation, Wednesday, Feb 11th @ Both
Representatives from 4 Spirits Distillery in Corvallis will be on-site at the Pub from 6 - 8 pm for a special tasting to help us celebrate Bourbon Month. We’re also offering cocktails on our menu, substituted with 4 Spirits options! In addition, we’re hosting a Dine Out event all day at both locations, with a portion of the day's food sales donated to the 4 Spirits Foundation.
Bourbon Dinner - Tuesday, Feb 17th @ Caves
Bourbon 5-course pairing dinner, curated by Sarah & Aidan. We still have some tickets to sell: https://block15.com/experiences/p/bourbon-dinner-at-caves
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Check back next week !
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week !
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
We’ve been picking up in business (yay!), but unfortunately we’ve also seen a pick up in some less than desirable behaviors. Please keep these things in mind:
The kitchen is an extremely small space where the most important voice is that of the Line Lead. THIS IS NOT AN AREA TO HAVE LONG/LOUD CHATS. As FOH staff, there are many better places to pass on information to one another, please respect BOH’s space and find somewhere else to have those conversations. Be aware of your volume and what is going on around you.
If you’re working in the food window and there is an issue with a ticket or you have questions (beyond adding some sauces or seasoning to fries) please bring that information to the line lead rather than talking to fry-side. There is just one leader in the kitchen - this is to simplify communication and ensure everything moves smoothly.
Phone Policy Reminder! Unless there is a special circumstance that has been cleared with a manager, the floor and our kitchens are an absolute no phone zone. Please keep your phone in your cubby and utilize your breaks for checking messages, etc.
General Congregation - It is not appropriate to congregate for conversations at B0, the host stand, or in the kitchen where heavy traffic is common. If you have a couple minutes to catch up in the middle of the rush, the only appropriate area to do this would be the back server station by the merchandise. There should only ever be one person at the host stand and one person in the food window (unless of course the situation calls for multiple staff in those areas).
Respond to safety calls and maintain professionalism! If someone calls behind you, make an effort to shrink your body and allow them to cross behind you. We are one entity and must move as such. We should all operate with as much unity as possible and practice being fluid in a restaurant as small as ours.
Summary: We are a POOLED TIP ESTABLISHMENT. Each and every dollar is earned through the constant collaboration between every staff member and is divided as such. Please make sure that you are actively earning your place in that structure DAILY.
Burger Awareness! The Maple Bourbon Bacon Burger and the Icon Burger can look VERY SIMILAR in the food window. Here are some key differences to help you identify the correct item:
Icon has orange sauce (Burger Sauce)
Maple Bourbon Bacon Burger has white sauce (Rosemary Aioli)
Employee Five-Ounce Reminder! It has come to my attention that some folks are not familiar with our “Fivers,” as we lovingly refer to them as. Every employee can order up to five, five-ounce pours of any of our draft offerings for just $0.50 - that’s only $2.50 for almost an entire pint of delicious choices! We want to encourage folks to take advantage of this benefit and use it to become more knowledgeable and passionate about our products.
Tap Room Updates
Phasing and break awareness: as we see an uptick in business at the Taproom, be diligent about making sure that both FOH and BOH are in a good place before phasing out people or taking a break. Mid dinner rush is not an OK time to take a break – breaks should only be run when there is extended downtime in the restaurant. Use your best judgement about phasing, but if you are unsure, air on the side of caution and keep that extra body on a bit longer. There need to be at least three bodies on Fridays and Saturdays for dinner. You are expected to stay on until not only the restaurant, but your team members, are in a good spot to phase you out; if you are kept on longer than expected, please keep a good attitude and respect your peers’ decision to do so. When people can feel that you don’t want to be here, it affects the morale of the entire staff. Check in with a manager– if there isn’t one working, communicate as a group what your needs are for staffing and breaks for the evening and make sure everybody is on the same page.
Closing awareness: several important things have been getting continuously missed while closing. If you are signing off on closing tasks, make sure they are actually getting done. Everybody forgets things occasionally, but the back of the closing list needs to be done and checked over 100% of the time. Doors need to be locked and armed (barring distro being there still), and all kitchen appliances need to be off, always. When BOH is done closing for the night, do a quick walkthrough with the FOH closer to confirm that everything is off, fridges are on, and that the kitchen door is locked. If you don’t know how something is supposed to look at night, ask.
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Check back next week !
High Fives
Levi S. - for working a crazy long day and single handedly packaging all of the Super Nebula pre-orders for the next day.
ALL FOH who worked the bottle release - thank you all for coming in with a good attitude, staying positive, and rolling with the punches. We could not have gotten through it without your hard work and perseverance.
Emma, Cody, Laramee, and Lily - Thanks for helping us finish up that prep shift. I'm sure coming down to prep can feel like working a second shift since you've already finished your original job, but you all were so helpful. We really appreciated it and it and we were able to end the day on a good note instead of being super stressed.
Jon- Having great vibes always & keeping the energy up regardless of how busy/hectic it is ! 🍪
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Eddie Ceja - Brewery
Charitable Programs
Dine Out for 4 Spirits on Wednesday, February 11th
This month's charitable event will be held on February 11th at both of our locations, with a portion of our food sales that day benefiting the 4 Spirits Foundation. 4 Spirits Distillery is our neighborin Southtown, and the Foundation is something we’ve supported over the years.
More About 4 Spirits Foundation and the initiatives they support:
4 Spirits Veteran Scholarship Programs
In 2013, the first 4 Spirits Veteran Scholarship fund was started at Oregon State University to help combat veterans with college expenses. As of 2022, they have fully funded endowed scholarships at both OSU and WOU and have started awarding scholarships to veteran students-Forever!.
Social and Mental Health Programs
They scout programs across the U.S. that provide the highest impact to veterans while providing the biggest bang for the buck. They’ve worked with some of the best, including Central Oregon Veteran's Ranch, Vets Helping Vets HQ, Heroes and Horses, Veteran Advocates of Ore/Ida, Brigadoon Service Dogs, Operation Rebuild Hope and XSports4Vets to name a few. They are excited to consolidate these funds through the Foundation and provide more to the veterans out there that need our help.
Internal Brewsletter - January 28th, 2026
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Rachel! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Chopped Cheese Sandwich!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-This Week’s Releases-
Super Nebula Series:
Super Nebula 2026 // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs // 13.80%
This year's Super Nebula was matured in Willett bourbon barrels and then conditioned with wild-harvested, fair-trade cocoa nibs, carefully selected to complement its decadent character.
Tasting Notes:
Chocolate • Dark Roast Coffee • Opulent
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout aged in Willet bourbon barrels. We then condition this on fair trade, wild harvest cocoa nibs. Sourcing cocoa this way costs us more, but allows indigenous populations to self-employ and self-distribute, so they get market price instead of wages chosen by a farmer. It also avoids using farmed cocoa, which is often planted on clear-cuts of rainforest.
Super Nebula: Valhalla // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Cardamom, Star Anise, and Juniper // 13.80%
From our cellars, Valhalla features fair-trade chocolate, cardamom, star anise, and juniper. This bold stout, aged in Willett Bourbon barrels, delivers intense cocoa and spice. It's an opulent brew that effortlessly conquers the North wind.
Tasting Notes:
Bakers Chocolate • Pepper • Complexity
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Inspired by the Scandinavian nations where it originated, Nordic or Icelandic Stout is robust and warming, helping drive out winter's cold.
Kriek 2026 // Oud Bruin Matured in Bourbon Marrels with Cherries // 7.40%
Spontaneously fermented in our wild cellar, Kriek is our Oud Bruin matured over two winters on locally farmed tart Montmorency cherries in second-run bourbon barrels, first used to mature Super Nebula, our Imperial Stout.
Tasting Notes:
Tart Cherry • Roasty Malts • Intricate
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
This beer spends two winters on the cherries themselves. It is exceptionally tart for a Block 15 wild ale and shows plenty of character from the fruit, the spontaneous fermentation, and the used Super Nebula barrels.
Availability: On draft and in bottles to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Draft releases January 30th
Bottles release January 31st
Series: Cellars
Zero Lux:
A modern IPA featuring Erebus hops, which, in Greek mythology, is the primordial god of darkness and shadows. Shining with the characteristics of citrus oils, passion fruit, and rose. Step into the darkness to taste the light.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
This beer showcases Erebus hops and pours a bright gold pint. Fruity with a touch of jasmine, this hop is fast becoming one of our favorites.
Tasting Notes:
Jasmine • Passion Fruit • Lucent
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around a month or less.
What is a West Coast IPA?
An IPA sub-style originating in California. It has evolved over the years to showcase a balance of bright fruit, resinous pine, and dank (cannabis-forward) hop flavors and aromas, with a moderate to light malt presence and a dry finish with an assertive bitterness. West Coast is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
The Incredible // Triple IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: February 6th
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Pub: Prophecies
TR: Ol’ Saint Nick
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
This week’s topic: Off Flavor workshop: Isovaleric Acid
Heads up, on the 29th of this month, BRRR will be at the pub
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon
Bourbon is a uniquely American spirit. Born in Kentucky, where grain is abundant, Bourbon was invented by Irish and Scottish settlers who adapted to the greater availability of corn than barley or rye. They named it after Bourbon County, and by the early 1800s had defined the key characteristics that stick with bourbon to this day: 51% corn in the mash, aged in new charred American oak barrels, and produced in the USA. No additives, no coloring, and bottled at 40% ABV. No one knows if the charred barrel was invented on purpose or by accident, but it gave bourbon its amber color, vanilla and caramel nose, and smooth finish. Interestingly, the emphasis on barrel quality would lead bourbon barrels to become some of the most meticulously made barrels on earth. Since they are only allowed to be used once for bourbon production, they are highly sought after as a used commodity. Even the best Scotch is aged in once-used American bourbon barrels.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, railroad development and river travel spread bourbon far and wide, with names like Old Forrester and Jim Beam establishing reputations for themselves that remain to this day. Prohibition was, of course, devastating for the bourbon industry, killing distilleries and throwing out generations of craft distilling knowledge. Still, a few joints kept producing “medicinal whiskey,” allowing the tradition to carry on through the great mistake.
World War II led to massive grain rationing, making production expensive, and the 1960s and 70s saw a huge shift in customer tastes toward lighter spirits like vodka and tequila. By the 1980s, bourbon distilleries were shutting down, and the industry seemed like it was lost.
Luckily, the 1990s saw another huge swing in customer preference. Folks began to desire experience, authenticity, and craft. Small batch and single barrel releases transformed bourbon into a premium commodity, and farm-to-table culture connected bourbon's agrarian roots to their mission, valuing tradition, standard, and simplicity over mass production and fast fashion.
Today, bourbon and craft beer walk hand in hand. We both value terroir, grain selection, experimentation with technique, and transparency in our production and the telling of our stories.
This month, we celebrate bourbon and its long history. We offer bourbon cocktails, paired dishes, and bourbon barrel-aged beers. Whether you are new to bourbon or an avid fan, I encourage you to try some of the world-class bottles we bring in each February. Let me know which is your favorite.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
Bourbon Month
As you’ve heard, a special Bourbon will be featured every Monday. What this bourbon is will be released to the public in our newsletters and on social media. Otherwise, it’s word of mouth!
The first one will be February 2nd: Booker’s “Phantom Pipes” Batch 126.4 proof
Events List:
Official Launch Friday, Jan 30th @ all locations - Beers release on draft, Stamp Books Released, Bourbon menu launch at Pub
Brewer's Dinner Friday, Jan 30th @ the Pub
Guided Pairings Saturday, Jan 31st @ the TR
Brewer's Dinner Saturday, Jan 31st @ the Pub
Bottle Release Saturday, Jan 31st @ Both
4 Spirits Tasting 6-8 pm @ Pub + Dine Out for 4 Spirits Foundation, Wednesday, Feb 11th @ Both
Bourbon Dinner - Tuesday, Feb 17th @ Caves
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
February monthly specials at the pub go live today, Wednesday 1/28!
Maple Bourbon Bacon Burger-Pairs with Super Nebula
NW hand spanked beef patty, crisp bacon, grilled onions, smoked cheddar, and rosemary aioli. Finished with our bourbon maple glazed and served on a toasted brioche bun. $19.99
Smoked Gouda Croquettes-Pairs with Super Nebula Valhalla
Fluffy potato & smoked gouda croquettes, breaded and fried, served with sweet & savory date mustard sauce $11.99
Southern Fried Oysters-Pairs with Kriek
Yaquina Bay oysters, cornmeal breaded and fried & served with cherry-chipotle remoulade $16.99
Cajun Red Beans & Rice-Pairs with Super Nebula
Slow cooked red beans with Cajun spices, tomato, green bell pepper, ham, bacon and Pepper Tree Sausage House andouille sausage, served with steamed rice and fresh scallions.$16.99
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
New desserts arriving Friday!
Fan favorite Peanut Butter Pie replaces Black and Tan Cheesecake.
Bouncing off some of the flavors in the Super Neb Valhalla variant, we will be offering an Orange Cardamom Tres Leches cake this year. In the past we’ve run a bourbon cuatro leches that was very popular during bourbon month, this time we decided to highlight the beer instead. Orange was chosen as a complement to the citrusy character of juniper, which pairs great with cardamom. A star anise garnish on top is a further nod to the beer’s spices.
The Taproom’s rotating cookie flavor will be Cheesecake Stuffed Red Velvet Cookie.
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
You’ve all had a lot thrown at you with FOH meetings this week, so I won’t add too much here. Study up for Bourbon Month and complete that additional quiz!
One important thing, a new cocktail this week designed by Brenden! The name on this guy is currently TBD, but here are its components:
Toasted Coconut infused Four Roses
Velvet Falernum
Lemongrass Simple Syrup
Lime
Angostura Bitters
Tap Room Updates
Make sure you are staying up to date on Bourbon Month happenings, important dates, and events– even though we won’t have any bourbons out at the Taproom this year, we still want to get folks excited!
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Check back next week !
High Fives
Sophia and Holly- The bourbon month decals look so good down at the pub! Thanks for putting in all that work!!
Maggie- I wish I could work with Maggie every shift!! Maggie is magic & her smile is infectious which always makes the day so much easier!!
Kelly & Spencer- Thanks for holding down the Block 15 bookkeeping role for the last 6 months, and making it look easy! Appreciate you all more than you know!
Daveeeee- Dave helped me out crazy the other day. It really made me feel better to know I had someone to rely on when I needed it. Thanks again! You make Block... Blocktastic!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Eddie Ceja - Brewery
Charitable Programs
Dine Out for 4 Spirits on Wednesday, February 11th
This month's charitable event will be held on February 11th at both of our locations, with a portion of our food sales that day benefiting the 4 Spirits Foundation. 4 Spirits Distillery is our neighborin Southtown, and the Foundation is something we’ve supported over the years.
More About 4 Spirits Foundation and the initiatives they support:
4 Spirits Veteran Scholarship Programs
In 2013, the first 4 Spirits Veteran Scholarship fund was started at Oregon State University to help combat veterans with college expenses. As of 2022, they have fully funded endowed scholarships at both OSU and WOU and have started awarding scholarships to veteran students-Forever!.
Social and Mental Health Programs
They scout programs across the U.S. that provide the highest impact to veterans while providing the biggest bang for the buck. They’ve worked with some of the best, including Central Oregon Veteran's Ranch, Vets Helping Vets HQ, Heroes and Horses, Veteran Advocates of Ore/Ida, Brigadoon Service Dogs, Operation Rebuild Hope and XSports4Vets to name a few. They are excited to consolidate these funds through the Foundation and provide more to the veterans out there that need our help.
Internal Brewsletter - January 21st, 2026
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, with ideas sourced from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Dave! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Larb!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
-This Week’s Releases-
Love Potion #9 // Stout with Chocolate and Raspberries // 7.00%
Brewed with an irresistible blend of dark malts, rich chocolate, and raspberries, this potion offers velvety notes of chocolate ganache and fresh, juicy berries.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
This beer gets chocolate character from four directions. Cacao Nibs and Husks, chocolate extract, dark roasted chocolate malt, and red raspberry lend color, flavor, aroma, and to this delectable Valentine's stout.
Tasting Notes:
Chocolate Ganache • Raspberry Syrup • Entrancing
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around for a month or less
What is a Stout with Adjuncts?
An adjunct is an ingredient added to a beer outside of malt, yeast, hops, and water. These can include, but are not limited to: Unmalted grains, fruits, sugars, herbs, and spices. These ingredients are added to affect flavor, body, mouthfeel, color, efficiency, and cost. Adjunct stout is a style of beer brewed to serve as a palate for the adjuncts added. Light in typical roast barley character stout is famous for, these beers allow the adjunct ingredient to shine. Common adjunct stouts utilize vanilla, berries, baking spices, and cocoa.
Gold Can Stay // Hoppy Golden Strong Ale // 10.00%
Made to showcase the beauty of this traditional style, with a modern, creative philosophy. This beer is an amazing confluence of classic flavors and nuevo hops.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
We made this beer at ColdFire as part of their 10th-year anniversary collaboration series.
Tasting Notes:
Floral Citrus • Pink Peppercorn • Honeydew • Tropical Fruit
Availability: On draft only
Series: Synergy
This beer was made in collaboration with our friends at ColdFire Brewing in Eugene, Oregon.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Super Nebula // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs
Series: Cellars
Releases: January 30th on draft, January 31st in bottles
Availability: On draft and bottles to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington in a limited capacity
Super Nebula: Valhalla // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Cardamom, Star Anise, and Juniper
Series: Cellars
Releases: January 30th on draft, January 31st in bottles
Availability: On draft and bottles to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington in a limited capacity
Kriek // Oud Bruin Matured in Bourbon Marrels with Cherries
Series: Cellars
Releases: January 30th on draft, January 31st in bottles
Availability: On draft and bottles to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington in a limited capacity
Zero Lux // West Coast IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: January 30th
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer(s) is/are:
Pub: Hoppy Holidays
Tap Room: Hoppy Holidays & Ol’ Saint Nick
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays at 4 pm
This week’s topic: triple away team BJCP
Heads up, on the 29th of this month, BRRR will be at the pub
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Bourbon Month Beers and Super Nebula, [VALHALLA]
It’s almost February, which we all know means that it’s almost bourbon month. I won’t restate a bunch of stuff that you’ve already read in 50 places, but I do want to take a minute to talk about this year's S’Neb variant and what makes it so special.
Super Nebula, [VALHALLA] is unlike any beer that we’ve ever made. Variants are usually adjunct-heavy and themed after a treat like cookies, candies, or desserts. This year, we designed a Nordic Stout, also called an Icelandic stout. Valhalla has the same amount of Cocoa nib character as the rest of Super Nebula, but is also treated with white pepper, cardamom, juniper, Madagascar vanilla, and just a pinch of star anise. These ingredients lend a depth of complexity that reflects our fanbase’s maturing palate. Craft beer fans’ tastes have become more sophisticated as the years have gone by, and this beer showcases the best ingredients for customers who are ready and willing to try something completely new. You’ve likely not tried a beer that tastes exactly like this one, and that’s a very good thing. Once upon a time, we were trying new things almost every day. This one is just a level up. I encourage you all to try Valhalla and discover what about it is most interesting and attractive to you, as you will be the ones selling it and need to be able to tell folks what YOU love about it. Let me know what you think!
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Check back next week !
Events
Bourbon Month
It’s almost here! Next Friday, we kick off Bourbon Month. Everything is coming together for this to be a very special year - between the Bourbons we snagged, the beers we made, and the food specials we’ve crafted. If you saw the shirts we shared last week, those will be available to you this week if you would like to purchase one ahead of the kick-off.
In terms of events, we’re almost sold out of the Guided Pairing tickets, and our Brewer’s Dinner ticket lottery went well! If folks would still like to join us for a dinner, the Caves Bourbon Dinner still has tickets available - and is an awesome pairing experience! Find tickets on our website.
I hope you’re all as excited as we are to share this annual tradition with our guests.
Events List:
Official Launch Friday, Jan 30th @ all locations - Beers release on draft, Stamp Books Released, Bourbon menu launch at Pub
Brewer's Dinner Friday, Jan 30th @ the Pub
Guided Pairings Saturday, Jan 31st @ the TR
Brewer's Dinner Saturday, Jan 31st @ the Pub
Bottle Release Saturday, Jan 31st @ Both
4 Spirits Tasting 6-8 pm @ Pub + Dine Out for 4 Spirits Foundation, Wednesday, Feb 11th @ Both
Bourbon Dinner - Tuesday, Feb 17th @ Caves
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
February monthly specials at the pub will go live next Wednesday, 1/28 so they are up and running for the launch of bourbon month!
Maple Bourbon Bacon Burger-Pairs with Super Nebula
NW hand spanked beef patty, crisp bacon, grilled onions, smoked cheddar, and rosemary aioli. Finished with our bourbon maple glazed and served on a toasted brioche bun. $19.99
Smoked Gouda Croquettes-Pairs with Super Nebula Valhalla
Fluffy potato & smoked gouda croquettes, breaded and fried, served with sweet & savory date mustard sauce $11.99
Southern Fried Oysters-Pairs with Kriek
Yaquina Bay oysters, cornmeal breaded and fried & served with cherry-chipotle remoulade $16.99
Cajun Red Beans & Rice-Pairs with Super Nebula
Slow cooked red beans with Cajun spices, tomato, green bell pepper, ham, bacon and Pepper Tree Sausage House andouille sausage, served with steamed rice and fresh scallions.$16.99
- We will be running a toasted ravioli special at the pub this weekend!
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week !
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Shout out to our new Lead Servers: Maggie, Sophia K., and Kylie! Congratulate these awesome Block Stars next time you see them!
Education meetings are happening this week and next! Please be diligent about completing that additional quiz and if you’re left with any questions please reach out!
Tap Room Updates
Shifts may look a little bit longer for the foreseeable future with a couple scheduling adjustments coming up. If you have any questions about phasing or shift length adjustments, check in with a manager– we want this to be as smooth as possible for everyone, but also welcome any feedback!
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
Check back next week !
High Fives
Kim Smith- Kim stayed after being phased out to assist with a surprise 20 top, not only to help with the party, but to bus and clean up as well. Thank you Kim!
Kelly and Spencer- These two people are smart, hardworking, and just really really really really cool. I appreciate your willingness to learn new skills and expand your knowledge of what it takes to keep Block 15 running smoothly in the back of back of house. I'll miss you guys <3
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Darren Durando - Caves Bartender
Sydney Malcolm - Caves Host
Charitable Programs
Dine Out! on January 28th for Benton County Historical Society
Next Wednesday, we’ll be hosting a Dine Out! to support our local arts and culture institutions. On January 28th, at both Block 15 locations, a portion of the day’s food sales will be donated to the Benton County Historical Society, which curates and operates the Philomath and Corvallis Museums! They’re celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, no small milestone.
I met with Benton County Historical Society this week, and they are beyond grateful for the support. Their funding was heavily impacted this last year, and every dollar helps them out. Read more about them below!
What will our donation go toward?
Our donation will go directly toward fundraising for the Horner 100 Campaign, which celebrates the collective memory of Benton County. For many Corvallis residents, the Horner Museum was their first museum experience. Opened in 1925 and closed in the late 1990’s, all the artifacts have been saved and are managed by the Benton County Historical Society. They’re celebrating 100 years of preserving our local history and the stories that make up our community. They are celebrating the legacy the Horner Museum built and the progress the Benton County Historical Society has made, especially as they introduce exciting new exhibits at the Corvallis Museum and revitalize the richness of our historic Philomath Museum.
In addition to the Horner 100 campaign, funds go toward: Collections, Research, Exhibits, Education, Cultural Programming, Events, Building Maintenance, and more!
About Benton County Historical Society
Their mission is to connect their community by preserving and sharing its diverse, evolving stories through history, culture, and art. They are a center of the community, fostering dialogue and ideas that catalyze an inclusive understanding of our past and culture, and consideration of the shared future they hope to create.
Internal Brewsletter - January 14th, 2026
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Autumn! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Salmon Burgers!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
A Nugg Hugg // Hazy IPA // 7.00%
A sticky squeeze of hop nugs embraces you with this aromatic, juicy IPA that draws on a heady charge of hops to deliver luscious waves of candied peaches, pineapple, mango, and spruce.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Juicy, but dank, hazy, but refreshing, A Nugg Hugg defies expectations. A true Block 15 style hazy IPA.
Tasting Notes:
Candied Orange • Dank Herbs • Crowd Pleaser
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Perennial
This beer will be around for a month or more
What is a Hazy IPA?
An IPA sub-style originating in New England, it originally evolved from American IPA to have a lighter malt bill, which had a soft finish from adjuncts containing higher protein levels and water naturally high in Chloride. Early versions retained an assertive bitterness, but that mostly softened over time, giving way to a soft, juicy beer with a big, sweet body that mostly featured fruit notes (citrus, tropical, stonefruit, red fruit, etc). Some versions can contain pine or dank notes as well. Bitterness ranges from light to moderate, and body ranges from moderate to heavy. Hazy is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Carpathians // Czech Dark Lager // 5.20%
A Czech dark lager inspired by the depths of Bohemia, Carpathians is smooth and mysterious. Brewed with Northwest malts and hops, notes of roasty toffee and dates emerge like shadows from the ancient mountains.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Brewed in the tradition of czech lager brewers, but with PNW malts and hops, this beer is dark but easy drinking.
Tasting Notes:
Espresso • Molasses • Brooding
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around a month or less
What is a Czech Dark Lager?
Simply referred to as Tmavé Pivo or dark beer in Czech, these beers generally range from 3.5% to 6%. They are more similar to Munich Dunkel than Schwarzbier in that they are dark but not overly rich and do not strongly feature roasted malt character. It is difficult to find authentic Czech versions of these in the U.S. market, but craft brewers have embraced the style with a strong emphasis on authenticity. U Fleků, in Prague, brews the most famous version of this beer. The malt flavor leans to caramel and dark fruit, achieved either with caramel malts or multiple decoctions (a process where grain is removed from the mash tun and boiled to create melanoidins). Hops are always Czech in origin with the characteristic black-pepper spice notes and an assertive but balanced bitterness, like all Czech-style lagers.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Love Potion #9 // Stout with Chocolate & Raspberries
Series: Orbital
Releases: January 23rd
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Pub: Green Truck
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
Topic: Stouts!
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
Bourbon Month
Ticket sales have kicked off, and our Brewers Dinner ticket lottery is live! Please direct folks to our website if they have any questions or would like to purchase tickets.
We’ll be selling new Super Nebula T-shirts & passing out stickers for this year’s event.
Events List:
Official Launch Friday, Jan 30th @ all locations - Beers release on draft, Stamp Books Released, Bourbon menus launch
Brewer's Dinner Friday, Jan 30th @ the Pub
(TBD) Brewer's Dinner Saturday, Jan 31st @ the Pub
Guided Pairings Saturday, Jan 31st @ the TR
Bottle Release @ Both, Saturday, Jan 31st
4 Spirits Tasting at the Pub + Dine Out for 4 Spirits Foundation, Wednesday, Feb 11th
Bourbon Dinner - Tuesday, Feb 17th @ Caves
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Meetings Meetings Meetings! You all should see a few meetings coming up in the next few weeks:
All FOH Staff X2: one will be to discuss our new procedure for menu introduction with guests and another is for Bourbon Month Education.
Leads and Managers: Bourbon Beer tasting led by the brewers, this is required for managers and leads but if you’re interested please reach out to me or Bre and we can let you know when those meetings are scheduled!
Introducing a new cocktail! The Cranberry Collins: Cratelake Gin, Cranberry Ginger, Lemon, and topped with Soda Water! This drink replaces the Twilight Tempest.
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Ian - For putting together a magical holiday party, getting the biggest piñata and all the work he put in to clean up after! Thank you Ian!
Scotty aka DJ JammyPants - For dropping phat beats and being a tremendous help cleaning up the aftermath. We love you Jammy! Somebody get this man a margarita.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week!
Charitable Programs
Dine Out! on January 28th for Benton County Historical Society
In two weeks, we’ll be hosting a Dine Out! to support our local arts and culture institutions. On Wednesday, January 28th, at both Block 15 locations, a portion of the day’s food sales will be donated to the Benton County Historical Society, which curates and operates the Philomath and Corvallis Museums! They’re celebrating their 75th anniversary this year, no small milestone.
The folks at Benton County are super grateful to have been selected as one of our partners, and really appreciate our support! Make sure you read about them and are ready to talk to our guests about our event. <3
What will our donation go toward?
Our donation will go directly toward fundraising for the Horner 100 Campaign, which celebrates the collective memory of Benton County. For many Corvallis residents, the Horner Museum was their first museum experience. Opened in 1925 and closed in the late 1990’s, all the artifacts have been saved and are managed by the Benton County Historical Society. They’re celebrating 100 years of preserving our local history and the stories that make up our community. They are celebrating the legacy the Horner Museum built and the progress the Benton County Historical Society has made, especially as they introduce exciting new exhibits at the Corvallis Museum and revitalize the richness of our historic Philomath Museum.
In addition to the Horner 100 campaign, funds go toward: Collections, Research, Exhibits, Education, Cultural Programming, Events, Building Maintenance, and more!
About Benton County Historical Society
Their mission is to connect their community by preserving and sharing its diverse, evolving stories through history, culture, and art. We are a center of the community, fostering dialogue and ideas that catalyze an inclusive understanding of our past and culture, and consideration of the shared future they hope to create.
Internal Brewsletter - December 30th, 2025
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Sam W! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for PB&J Spankray Burger!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
Block Water: Citrus Shift // Sparkling Water with CBD // 0.00%
Jump into the new year with Block Water. This sparkling water is steeped with Citra hops and boosted with house-made extracts of lemon peel, orange peel, elderflower, and lemon verbena. All-natural and alcohol-free, we also added CBD to bring on the zen after the holiday craze.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Our brew crew created a blend of extracts in our production facility intended to be combined with our house-made hop water. The addition of CBD infusion lends a calming quality to your dry January and beyond. Lemon verbena and elderflower also offer a host of health benefits.
Tasting Notes:
Citrus Peel • Lychee • Fresh
Availability: On draft only + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Perpetual
This will be available year-round.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Sticky Hands: Tropical Slam // Hop Experience Ale
Series: Orbital
Releases: January 9th
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Pub: Prophecies
TR: Squirrel Stash and Highland Hymn
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
Taking a week off
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
Bourbon Month is coming at the end of January! Look for more info soon.
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
As you’ve noticed, Joy draft is back on at the Pub! This is a special Pub Batch that Williams did for us and I’m very curious to hear everyone’s opinions on continuing to have Joy, a lighter Pale Ale, as an option through the winter. Please collect feedback from folks as we’re offering this Pub Batch and get it back to either him or I, thanks!
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Max - I greatly appreciate Max’s energy and teamwork! You can tell he comes to work ready to slay. He’s been helping a ton this holiday season so it’s been very nice to have him around more.
Sophia K. - Sophia is a beast. Every day I hope someone beats her in the daily contest though.
David - Big congrats to manager Dave. We are eager to see what your “thing” is. Will it be the server restock area, like Donlon? Proper composting like Rachel and Cedar? Be creative. You’re killing it so far!!!
Tilly - Tilly is hilarious and good at her job! I love working with her.
Pub Peeps - Thanks to everyone for powering through a whacky / busy holiday season. We did it and we did it the Blockstar way! Excited to spend 2026 with all of you.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
For those who don’t know, Block 15 offers a 401(k) program with employer matching, and people are eligible to enroll after six months. I’ve been checking in with newly eligible folks, but if anyone who has been here a while wants to get one set up in 2026, please email me at tivey@block15.com.
Charitable Programs
Check back next week!
Internal Brewsletter - December 17th, 2025
General
2025 by the Numbers
I’ve been compiling some fun data from across Block 15, and wanted to share a few of the fun facts that are getting shared with our customers and fans this week. Check them out! - Holly
This year, we packaged 1,649,344 pints of beer at our brewery and canned 251,016 cans of Sticky Hands. Our distribution team made over 10,000 deliveries, hauling 2,300,000 pounds of beer across the Pacific Northwest. We even recycled 20 pallets of PakTechs.
In our restaurants: 45,656 burgers spanked, 13,805 pretzels baked, 40,586 mushrooms stuffed for our Magic Mushrooms appetizer, and 2,571 cookies baked. We celebrated 732 birthdays with free desserts, served up 7,685 monthly specials, and mixed 5,481 fruit lemonades.
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Kelly! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Latkes!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
The Prophecies // Belgian Quadrupel // 10.30%
Inspired by a favorite Abbey quad enjoyed on a visit to Belgium. Blending specialty malts, dark Belgian candi sugar, & Abbey yeast, this beer has hints of dark fruit and Dutch cocoa with a rich yet delightful finish.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Naturally conditioned in tank prior to canning, this beer is the strongest and most characterful of our abbey series beers.
Tasting Notes:
Raisin • Dutch Cocoa • Iconic
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around a month or less.
What is a Belgian Quad?
An abbey beer sometimes referred to as “Belgian Strong Dark Ale,” the name Quad follows the convention of Dubbel and Tripel, each rising in strength. These beers are usually between 8% and 14% abv and feature a rich malt flavor, including plummy or figgy fruit notes, chocolate, caramel, and molasses. The characteristic Belgian yeast aromatics of baking spice and pear lean more to black pepper. These are rich but well-attenuated beers that are often highly carbonated, almost always attained with re-fermentation, or natural conditioning, where carbon dioxide from a second fermentation is captured to create the necessary balance and mouthfeel.
—
Danger Hill // Hometown IPA // 6.80%
See the Marketing section for more info on this West Coast IPA collab with Hetty Alice!
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Check back next week!
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beer is:
Both: Highland Hymn
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
Topic: Away Team 3x BJCP - Dortmunder Export or Imperial IPA
Beer 101: Touch of Haze
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
You may notice that Sticky Hands and some of our other IPAs have been slightly hazier than normal recently. Great news, it’s by design!
The haze that you see is not from yeast, as is popularly believed, but from complex matrices of hop flavor and aroma compounds that remain in suspension in highly hopped (especially dry hopped) beer. Oils, resins, and other particulates don't fully settle out. We have traditionally fined (added ingredients to improve clarity) these beers to high heaven, but have found that the dropping of mild haze from our IPA is dampening the expression of the hops themselves, and that’s pretty unforgivable. We’ve chosen to reign back the finings, accept some haze, and present the best-smelling and tasting beer that we’ve ever made in exchange for a slight haze. So if you get a question from a customer about the increase in haze, just point out that it also comes with an increase in everything that they love about Block 15 IPA! A little is ok, but as usual, if you see a beer poured that you think doesn't look right, ask your bartender to pull you another. Only very select beers should ever be truly hazy, like Hazy IPA, wheat beers, etc., so always raise your hand if you have a question, and I’m always available to come to with quality questions, as well!
Happy holidays!
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
We Made a Beer with our Friends at Hetty Alice Beers
Earlier this fall, our Head Brewer, Garrison, collaborated on a recipe with Gavin Lord, Founder and Brewer at Hetty Alice Beers in Portland. It turns out that, both gentlemen grew up in Silverton, Oregon, a town of about 10,000 people northeast of Salem.
Using their shared roots as inspiration, they decided to source ingredients from Silverton’s Goschie Farms, one of Oregon’s founding hop farms. They chose the juiciest strawberry-Squirt soda giving Strata hop lot ever, and second, a new project, Goschie Promise, which is barley grown by Gayle Goschie in Silverton and malted by Admiral Malting in California. It’s rich and decadent without being overpowering, just like a Willamette Valley upbringing.
For the name, Gavin explains the meaning, “East Main St. in Silverton includes a 20° hill, with a great big S in the middle that has been taunting young people on wheels for generations. Three times I challenged the hill, and three times it harvested my young flesh. I'm sure it got Garrison, too. It's also unpassable when frozen. Hence, at some point, a sign was installed. DANGER. HILL. The name stuck.”
The Beer
Danger Hill Hometown IPA. 6.8% ABV 100% HOMER. Pours like nostalgia with fluffy white foam. Fresh strawberry, grapefruit soda, and juicy citrus precede raspberry, brioche, and peach rings before a bright finish with just a kick of pine.
Read a little more about the collab from Gavin:
At 17, I hit the door running. I wanted to be anywhere where nobody knew my name. I wanted to ramble like Kerouac and gonzo like Thompson. I wanted to travel and learn and fight and love and find my people. And truth be told, I'm still chasing that ideal. It's funny though, after some time away, how what once felt like a cage begins to look more and more like a refuge. Garrison (Schmidt, Head Brewer at Block 15) and I grew up in Silverton, Oregon. Five miles and six years apart we were cut from the same textured cloth and later bit by the same Craft Beer bug. Here are some fun facts about other notable Silvertonians. Homer Davenport, born in Silverton in 1867 was the most prominent political cartoonist and satirist of his day. Don Petit, born in Silverton in 1955, is an Astronaut and Chemical Engineer who has accumulated 590 days in Space. Silverton is also home to the first Transgender Mayor in the History of the United States, Stu Rasmussen, (from whom I borrowed wigs for Halloween costumes and talent shows as a kid). Stu was elected twice in the 90's pre-transition and once in 2008, post transition, and described herself as a gender anarchist, using both he/him and she/her pronouns, and occasionally going by Carla Fong. Finally, in 1923, a couple from Silverton road tripped across the country to visit family in Indiana with their two year old Collie, Bobbie. While stopped for gas in Wolcott, Indiana, Bobbie was chased by three other dogs, and despite desperate efforts, after three days of searching the family was forced to return home. Then, somehow, Bobbie walked his ass the 2,551 miles back to Silverton. Verified the same dog (somehow) check ripley's believe it or not. Seems like Silverton wasn't so bad after all.
Events
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
‘Tis the season: come get your peppermint hot cocoa cookies at the taproom while you can!
For January’s dessert, we’re looking at running another flavor of bread pudding. :)
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
HOPpy Holidays! We will not have a Weekly Quiz next week, consider it my holiday gift to you all :) With so many people being gone for the holidays, I will do my best to limit the amount of new information coming at you.
I’m SO sorry that the new board fell off the wall and many people missed it :’( I will leave the last question from last week's quiz the same to give everyone an opportunity to look at our awesome new board (assuming it decides to stay on the wall this week lol).
If you’re traveling this/next week, be safe and I look forward to seeing you back soon! If you’re staying in town and working so others can go home, thank you so very much and have a great time with your local friends and family.
For everyone working on Christmas Eve this year, please enjoy a full 70% credit on your meal, we really appreciate you all!
Special Drop-in from Marketing! New Beverage Menu Designs Launch this Friday
This Friday, you’ll start to see new beverage menus in circulation. The main change in this redesign is on the front of the menu with how we represent our beers. We’re moving away from organizing by style and instead organizing by our beer series, which relates to how the beers are offered.
When we went through a rebrand in 2022, we started categorizing our beers into series. You may have noticed these on our can labels, on our one sheets, and in the Brewsletter each week. As a team, we’ve been working to better define what these series mean, and we’re ready to share that with our customers through our menus.
With this arrangement, we hope to set good expectations with how long a beer is going to be around, highlighting which of our beers are here year-round and which are limited. Please familiarize yourself with this, as it will change how you guide our guests through our menu.
Beer Series
Perpetual: Year-round favorites. Available all the time.
Perennial: Returning seasonals released around the same time each year. Available for 1-3 months.
Orbital: Limited release. Brewed periodically. Available for a month or less.
Emerging: Exploratory and experimental. Available for a month or less.
Cellars: Extended aging in oak barrels. Availability depends on how much we make.
Synergy: Collaborations with friends of Block 15. Available for a month or less.
Pub Exclusives: Small and limited batches found only at our locations. Available for a very short period of time.
We’ve also added a QR code for customers to drop beer ideas for the brewery! Matt and the other brewery management will be reviewing these.
The backs of the menu also got an update. I’ve reorganized our non-alcoholic options to separate out the options that are 21+ only. Our previous “Guest Options” section has been reorganized by beverage type: Wine, Cider, and Gluten-Free options.
Since this is new, I’d love to hear feedback on it! Send me a slack, sling, or email. holly@block15.com. Thank you!
Tap Room Updates
There are lots of important Taproom specific updates coming the next couple of weeks, make sure you are being diligent in reading the read and sign every week and staying up to date on the happenings out here.
Be cool, be kind, and stay awesome.
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Handsome James - Handsome James makes the best sandwiches, has a positive attitude, knows all the words to the hardest gangsta rap, and his vape smells like what I think rainbows smell like. Undeniably cool. I wanna be like James when I grow up.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week!
Charitable Programs
Check back next week!
Internal Brewsletter - December 10th, 2025
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Ian! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Chicken Focaccia Sandwich!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA // 8.80%
Welcome in 2026 with a bang of the finest Northwest-grown hops, a crisp body orchestrated by a dance of specialty malts, and a bubbly finish. Hoppy New Year from Block 15!
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Ring in the new year with an ipa that pairs the citrus character of Amarillo, citra and Bravo with the tropical and herbal character of Talus and Nelson Sauvin.
Tasting Notes:
Grapefruit • Papaya • Booming
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around a month or less.
What is an Imperial IPA?
Imperial IPAs (often called Double IPAs) feature a more robust profile of malts and hops. Significant factors that set Imperial IPAs apart from regular IPAs are their alcohol content and bitterness levels. An Imperial IPA can range from 7.5%-10% ABV. Due to the increased malt load it takes to create the additional alcohol, more hops are required to balance out the beer and keep the malt in check. An Imperial IPA should be intensely hoppy, medium-light to medium-bodied, and have balanced hop characteristics. There can be Imperial versions of virtually any IPA style or sub-style.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
The Prophecies // Belgian Quadrupel
Series: Orbital
Releases: December 19th at Block 15
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Pub: Hoppy Holidays
TR: Squirrel Stash and Highland Hymn
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
Topic: Off-flavor workshop: Ethyl Hexanoate
BEER 101: Belgian Quadrupel Ales and The Prophecies
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Next week, we’re releasing The Prophecies, our take on the Belgian Quadrupel Ale. Topping the list of Belgian Abbey-style ales, the Quad is the strongest and darkest of them all.
Not an official, traditional style, the Quad was popularized by La Trappe brewery in the Netherlands around 1991 to showcase their ability to brew strong, dark ale.
Usually 9-12%, Quads are characterized by malt-forward profiles. Dark fruit like raisins and plums, caramel, toffee, and burnt sugar are accompanied by Belgian yeast phenolics. Quads emphasize sweetness, partially from the ethanol present, but should be balanced by the carbonation and attenuation.
We work hard to carefully select the best ingredients from at home and abroad. Certain ingredients from the continent cannot be replicated stateside. These styles also require careful management of fermentation schedules. Additions of dark candi sugar drive up the ABV without adding weight, but added at the wrong time can weaken yeast and stall ferments, leaving cloying sweetness and heavy mouthfeel. Done properly, it allows for the zippy and light natural carbonation that the style is famous for.
It’s a complicated and delicate art, but Belgian Abbey ales, and Quads in particular, are a great addition to a tap list during the cold days and long nights of winter. Crack a Prophecies and let me know what you think. Share one with a friend and cheers the Belgian way - Proost!
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Oh What Fun is the Holiday Season! As many of you have probably noticed, this can be a slow time of year for restaurants as a whole. Please don’t be surprised if shifts get a little shorter/change a little bit as managers adjust in-times and phasing patterns.
This also means it's a wonderful time for cleaning! Block 15 lives lovingly in a 100 year-old building, and I am willing to bet there are corners that haven’t been touched in all those 100 years 🙈 Find them! The last one to clean something is a rotten egg (and remember: Santa is always watching).
On a serious note, there has been an uptick in downtime and that means an uptick in some very naughty behaviors: crowding around the host stand, backs to the front door, and chatting in the kitchen. Please be conscious and considerate of the time spent chatting and ensure any necessary conversations are brief and efficient. You don’t want to make the Naughty List!
Tap Room Updates
With Hoppy New Year releasing on Friday, and Hoppy Holidays still on draft and in cans, please be diligent in ringing in these two beers correctly – they can look similar in the system if you’re going fast!
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Makenna - Thank you for doing such a beautiful job decorating the Taproom for the holidays!
Sophia K - Sophia is always so awesome and gets things done! I think that she is diligent, down to earth, and approachable and adaptable! You slay girl.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week!
Charitable Programs
Drum roll please…
Our 2026 Charitable Partner selections are (in order of most votes):
South Corvallis Food Bank
Oregon Sexual Assault Task Force
Ocean Blue Project
Corvallis High School Robotics Team
Forestry Club at OSU and the College of Forestry Logging Sports Team
Old Mill Center for Children & Families
Benton County Historical Society / Corvallis Museum
4 Spirits Foundation
Corvallis Youth Symphony
Thank you to those who voted this year! Your opinion of who we support each year is valuable.
Internal Brewsletter - December 3rd, 2025
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Salem! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Fried Pickles.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
No new releases this week
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: December 12th at Block 15
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
The Prophecies // Belgian Quadrupel
Series: Orbital
Releases: December 19th at Block 15
Availability: On draft and cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Pub: Highland Hymn
Tap Room: Flicker and Squirrel Stash
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
Topic: 3-way blind BJCP - American Craft Pilsner
BEER 101: Holiday Brewing: A Tradition
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
We are used to seeing Sierra Nevada Celebration and Deschutes Jubelale creeping onto grocery store shelves earlier and earlier every year. While Christmas beer available in September is an invention of modern brewery marketing, holiday brewing is a long tradition that we are proud to be a small part of.
The first known holiday beers on record were brewed in Viking Norway before Christianity was practiced there. Pagan Jul Ale was brewed to be especially strong in order to honor their pantheon of gods and bring a little extra warmth to their exceedingly cold and dark winter nights. King Haakon passed a law over a thousand years ago that any house that did not brew a Jul Ale was to be fined, and if you skipped the brew three times in a row, you could lose your home and property.
During the English Tudor period, when many of our modern holiday traditions originated, each night during the nights of Christmas, a bowl of wassail was prepared. Strong, spiced, and hot, it was brewed specifically to be shared with friends and strangers alike. Medieval monks brewed “liquid bread” during holiday fasts, think a meal replacement shake that actually tastes good and gets you drunk. The Belgians brewed dubbels and trippels, the English brewed spiced old ales, and finally, the Germans used this time of year to brew Bocks and doppelbocks, strong, dark lagers often nearing 10% ABV.
Rolling all of these traditions into one in the traditional American method, modern craft brewers use this time of year to produce big, warming beers with lots of comforting spice, Seasonal spins on familiar favorites, and barrel-aged offerings. While we may use modern techniques and ingredients, our holiday brews are heavily influenced by these brewing traditions.
Holiday beers we currently offer include;
Imagine - Bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Belgian Stout
Figgy Pudding - Brandy Barrel-aged English Old Ale with holiday Spices
Hoppy Holidays - Imperial IPA with Spruce Tips
Ol’ St. Nick - Winter Warmer
By far, the most important piece of holiday brewing is to create beers that bring joy during dark months and encourage sharing a drink with people who are important to you. Try them all, and let me know which is your favorite.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Merch Survey Results
Thank you to everyone who took the merch survey a few weeks ago! Your input is really helpful, and will help me a ton when putting in future merch orders.
Some common threads ;)
Top types of merch: T-shirts, Zip-up Sweatshirts, and Crewnecks, with fun write-in mentions of Garth Brook’s style-button ups, beer can earrings, and muscle tanks.
Top garment colors: Black, Muted color, or Gray
Preferred art placement: Full back and/or small left chest
Top designs: Regular Block 15 logo art, Super Nebula, Deep Seek, and Nebula
Lots of fun ideas in the write in section! Here’s a peek: Retro vibes, adding Corvallis, Oregon to the art, disc golf putters, socks, fun art or graphics. There were too many to mention, but your ideas are great.
Fresh Pow
You may have noticed that our locations have been decked out for wintertime… and Fresh Pow! We release this seasonal Hazy IPA throughout the winter, which is why you see it advertised as “Brewed Fresh November through January”.
To continue enhancing Fresh Pow, we've revised our recipe—and brought even MORE POW than last year's release. The slushy remnants of Azacca have been replaced with the fluffy flakes of Strata CGX and Sultana. To complement, we swapped in Apollo Salvo for Comet Salvo. The result is an upgraded storm of juicy passionfruit, lime, and mango to carry through the winter season.
If you have any questions about the beer, feel free to chat with our brewers, your managers, or me. If you haven’t had a chance to try it, please do! I thought it tasted particularly delicious this year and would definitely be something people who like hazys would enjoy.
Events
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Pub December Monthly Specials Launch Today
Tahini Baba Ganoush
Roasted Eggplant, garlic and tahini dip with fresh bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots and house baked flatbread. $12.99
Mushroom & Beef Stroganoff
Stout braised Oregon beef chuck with The Mushroomery chanterelle, shitake & porcini mushrooms and sweet onions in a savory sour cream sauce, with radiatore pasta & fried parsley. $21.99
French Dip Sandwich
Tender roast bottom round, tangy horseradish cream, melted provolone cheese on a toasted house baked sesame baguette. Served with a side of warm jus. $19.99
Festivus Burger
NW beef patty, melted fontina & gruyere cheeses, garlic aioli, Balsamic onion jam & arugula on house baked rosemary focaccia. $18.99
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
December Monthly dessert is Egg Nog Creme Brulee! Vanilla creme brulee base infused with nutmeg and bourbon. Both locations starting Friday.
New cookie at the taproom is Hot Cocoa, a chewy chocolate cookie studded with white chocolate and candy cane bits.
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
You guys have been crushing your hospitality and our Rate Per Guest is steadily headed upward, congrats everyone! BUT, we can’t stop here! Remember that hospitality is a skill that needs to be stretched and strengthened everyday. Keep working on creative ways to engage with guests. Not only to make their experience better, but to drive sales and tips!
If you ever witness (or provide yourself) an awesome moment of hospitality, please make it a point to tell a manager, this is going to play into our Daily Server Competitions in the very near future!
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Levi - For jumping into the warehouse and slinging beer around! You saved our bacon the other night, and the distro team is very thankful! Cheers homie!
Donlon Hanly - Donlon is always so stellar as a float and/or opener and/or server! I have so much respect for him and he is always literally one of the kindest and adaptable people I’ve met. On top of being an OSU student. I’m grateful to work with you and your ability to be fabulous at Block 15 doesn’t go unnoticed!
Lily - She is a freaking ray of sunshine and makes everybody's day better. She is a positive force, and I appreciate the love she shows for her work and coworkers. Glad you work here, Lily!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week!
Charitable Programs
Applications closed for 2026 partners today. I’ll be sending out a poll later this week for us to choose which organizations we work with for our Dine Out and People’s Pint events. Your vote matters in helping support our local community organizations! - Holly
Internal Brewsletter - November 26th, 2025
General
Expanded List For Recyclables
By Tivey Hornberger, Human Recourses
Republic Services has expanded the list of recyclables they accept in the mixed recycling cart! We can now recycle poly-coated cartons (half & half and heavy cream containers), egg and berry cartons, small pieces of scrap metal, and other items. Please continue to empty and rinse containers, and don’t include lids unless they are screwed onto their bottles. See here for the full list:
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
Vital Vibe // West Coast IPA // 6.60%
We’ve harmonized Citra and Mosaic with Krush, the new king of aura. Experience the bass of citrus and stone fruits amplified by the highs of tropical fruits. Pour up and discover your Vital Vibe and that B15 feeling.
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
This beer was originally made for our experimental hop project Consortium: Mosaic x HBC-586. One of our most popular emerging IPAs, it was graduated to a stand-alone brand, Vital Vibe, in late 2023. HBC-586 went through a 17-year process as an experimental hop variety and was officially released as a commercial hop brand, Krush™, in 2024.
Tasting Notes:
Candied Peach • Orange Juice • Aura
Availability: On draft or cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Orbital
This beer will be around a month or less.
What is a West Coast IPA?
An IPA sub-style originating in California. It has evolved over the years to showcase a balance of bright fruit, resinous pine, and dank (cannabis-forward) hop flavors and aromas, with a moderate to light malt presence and a dry finish with an assertive bitterness. West Coast is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: December 12th at Block 15
Availability: On draft or cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
The Prophecies // Belgian Quadrupel
Series: Orbital
Releases: December 19th at Block 15
Availability: On draft or cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Both Locations: Squirrel Stash
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
Topic: No Roundtable this week, Happy Thanksgiving!
BEER 101
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Thanksgiving Beer Pairings
Thanksgiving. What can you say? A lot going on there. But anyway, it’s a fun time to drink beer with food, so I’m going to do a short list of suggestions for pairings with our favorite food-based holiday!
Let's begin with the actual reason for the season: the stuffing. I love an IPA or hoppy pale for this, as the bitterness can cut the richness and match the herbal intensity.
Next, for the centerpiece of the table, I like to pair an amber ale or Vienna lager with roasted turkey. A moderate hop character and malty sweetness complement savory, seasoned meat without overpowering it.
Taters and gravy require a crisp pilsner or kolsch, which cuts through fatty creaminess and refreshes your palate. Sweet potatoes or candied yams, however, call for a brown ale or a marzen lager with their own caramel and toffee notes to complement the dish's sweetness.
Whether your cranberry sauce is hand-made or out of the can (elite), consider pairing with a Belgian wit or a more fruit-forward saison, which will echo the berry flavor while remaining balancing and refreshing.
Now, I realize that most of us won't have the courage to sit down at Thanksgiving dinner with 7 or 8 beverages, so if I have to suggest a beer to pair with the entire meal, I’d go with a Belgian dubbel or tripel. Their spicy, fruity character and moderate sweetness can bridge multiple dishes on one plate.
Finally, with dessert, I always suggest a Figgy Pudding from your local Block 15. It genuinely shines next to pumpkin and pecan pie, complementing their warm spices
Whatever you choose to drink on Thursday, I hope that you get to spend it with people that you love and who make you happy. Enjoy the walk with your cousins before dinner, and avoid politics at the table. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
Block Friday Sale - November 28th - 30th
50% off select merch + Vintage Bottle Sale at the Tap Room only. Our Sunday 20% package beer discount DOES NOT apply on top of the sale price.
👕 Merch Sale 🧢 - Out with the old and in with the new - we're clearing space for new items and are offering 50% off on some t-shirts, long sleeve plaid shirts, beanies, and hats.
🍾 Vintage Bottle Sale 🍾 - We're opening the vault and releasing a limited collection of vintage bottles that have been aging in our cellar. We’re offering these at 35% off. Quantities are limited and vary by beer.
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Pub December Monthly Specials
Tahini Baba Ganoush
Roasted Eggplant, garlic and tahini dip with fresh bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots and house baked flatbread. $12.99
Mushroom & Beef Stroganoff
Stout braised Oregon beef chuck with The Mushroomery chanterelle, shitake & porcini mushrooms and sweet onions in a savory sour cream sauce, with radiatore pasta & fried parsley. $21.99
French Dip Sandwich
Tender roast bottom round, tangy horseradish cream, melted provolone cheese on a toasted house baked sesame baguette. Served with a side of warm jus. $19.99
Festivus Burger
NW beef patty, melted fontina & gruyere cheeses, garlic aioli, Balsamic onion jam & arugula on house baked rosemary focaccia. $18.99
This is a rework of an old special burger we used to run in December.
Posole Vs. Pozole!
It was brought to my attention that there’s been some back and forth on the spelling when writing this on the board, so I wanted to clarify. We use posole because this recipe was created to showcase New Mexico flavors and was originally developed to pair with our Native Land 2.0 Mexican lager, brewed with New Mexico blue corn to honor Native Americans. Pozole is the Mexican-Spanish spelling. Here’s the blurb on the beer that was shared on socials back in 2023!
Native Land 2.0: A 4.7% Mexican Lager made for the second year of @bowandarrowbrewing's international @nativelandbeer collaboration with 39 breweries to raise awareness that Native Americans are not only an important part of our country's history but are still here.
The collaboration is intended to source native corn from the region of the brewery collaborating, and the proceeds benefit land stewardship for access, or to preserve traditional foods for a native organization. Oregon did not have a native corn, so we purchased corn from the tribal organization at Santa Ana Pueblo in New Mexico.
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Happy Thanksgiving team! This week, I want everyone to head to the “High Five” tab and write a nice, thankful message to one of your coworkers! Shout them out and tell everyone why you’re thankful for them, get creative!
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Cedar Nelson - Thanks for being an unexpected hospitality superstar!
Max Spears - Great mention of Max in our Secret Shopper and Manager RnD for knowledgable and fantastic service.
David Mellison - For being promoted to manager, and also for getting excellent feedback in Secret Shopper reports!
Mars, Charles, and Stirling - I heard these guys talking about the new monthly specials. Thanks for keeping informed!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Kayla West - Warehouse
Charitable Programs
Check back next week!
Internal Brewsletter - November 19th, 2025
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Mars! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Cajun Shrimp & Rice!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
Fresh Pow // Hazy IPA // 7.00%
Amplified for the winter season, we have piled on the pow, doubling one of our favorite NZ hops. Slide into a resinous, citrusy, and tropical hop avalanche with a pillowy, soft body. Powabunga!
What are some highlights or changes for this beer?
Forecast: Increased hop intensity and deeper flavor accumulation. To continue enhancing Fresh Pow, we've revised our recipe—and brought even MORE POW than last year's release. The slushy remnants of Azacca have been replaced with the fluffy flakes of Strata CGX and Sultana. To complement, we swapped in Apollo Salvo for Comet Salvo. The result is an upgraded storm of juicy passionfruit, lime, and mango to carry through the winter season.
Tasting Notes:
Mango • Lime Zest • Powabunga
Availability: On draft or cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Series: Perennial
This beer will be around for a couple months!
What is a Hazy IPA?
An IPA sub-style originating in New England, it originally evolved from American IPA to have a lighter malt bill, which had a soft finish from adjuncts containing higher protein levels and water naturally high in Chloride. Early versions retained an assertive bitterness, but that mostly softened over time, giving way to a soft, juicy beer with a big, sweet body that mostly featured fruit notes (citrus, tropical, stonefruit, red fruit, etc). Some versions can contain pine or dank notes as well. Bitterness ranges from light to moderate, and body ranges from moderate to heavy. Hazy is still a rapidly evolving style.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Vital Vibe // West Coast IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: November 28th at Block 15
Availability: On draft or cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: December 12th at Block 15
Availability: On draft or cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
The Prophecies // Belgian Quadrupel
Series: Orbital
Releases: December 19th at Block 15
Availability: On draft or cans to-go + Distributed to our network in Oregon & SW Washington
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Pub: Event Horizon
TR: Squirrel Stash & Eminent Point
Beer Education
Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
This week’s barrel room round table: Off-Flavor workshop - Hydrogen Sulfide
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
Block Friday Sale - November 28th - 30th
50% off select merch + Vintage Bottle Sale at the Tap Room only. Our Sunday 20% package beer discount DOES NOT apply on top of the sale price.
👕 Merch Sale 🧢 - Out with the old and in with the new - we're clearing space for new items and are offering 50% off on some t-shirts, long sleeve plaid shirts, beanies, and hats.
🍾 Vintage Bottle Sale 🍾 - We're opening the vault and releasing a limited collection of vintage bottles that have been aging in our cellar. We’re offering these at 35% off. Quantities are limited and vary by beer.
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Pub December Monthly Specials
Tahini Baba Ganoush
Roasted Eggplant, garlic and tahini dip with fresh bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots and house baked flatbread. $12.99
Mushroom & Beef Stroganoff
Stout braised Oregon beef chuck with The Mushroomery chanterelle, shitake & porcini mushrooms and sweet onions in a savory sour cream sauce, with radiatore pasta & fried parsley. $21.99
French Dip Sandwich
Tender roast bottom round, tangy horseradish cream, melted provolone cheese on a toasted house baked sesame baguette. Served with a side of warm jus. $19.99
Festivus Burger
NW beef patty, melted fontina & gruyere cheeses, garlic aioli, Balsamic onion jam & arugula on house baked rosemary focaccia. $18.99
This is a rework of an old special burger we used to run in December.
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
New cheesecake starts Friday! The Black and Tan Cheesecake.
Our creamy vanilla bean basque cheesecake with a brownie bottom, served with sour cherry topping. Made without gluten! Both locations.
Figgy Pudding (the dessert) is now available at both locations, and going forward we will have monthly desserts at both locations until further notice. Things could change next year when we have soft serve up and running again!
We will be running an eggnog creme brulee special this weekend at the taproom only, limited supply.
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
The beer board is back! This was a loved practice that was taken down a couple of years ago, but it’s back to stay! This is a huge task and requires everyone’s watchful eye. If you ever notice something is wrong, please let a manager know!
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Salem - Salem is constantly going above and beyond for Block 15 and their coworkers. Salem is always in a great mood and wants to work hard. Definition of a Blockstar!!
Max - Max is always in the mood to make money and have a good time. He’s always got a high spirit and it’s obvious his tables love him. So happy to be able to work with him !!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week!
Charitable Programs
End of the Year Recap & Upcoming Voting for 2026 Partners
We’re finished with our events for the year, and will be voting on next year’s partners soon. Keep an eye on this section for more info.
We raised a total of $6,549.25 for our partners this year through Dine Outs and People’s Pint! Thank you for your efforts in helping talk about this to our guests; it’s appreciated.
As a recap, we partnered with and donated to Grace Center for Adult Day Services, CASA, CMRU, 4 Spirits Foundation, Linus Pauling Middle School, Mary’s River Watershed Council, Whiteside Theater, SafeHaven Humane Society, and Chintimini Wildlife Center.
If you know any organizations personally, please invite them to apply for next year! The application window closes on December 3rd.
Internal Brewsletter - November 12th, 2025
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Lily! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Sweet Chili N Fritos!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
Hoppy Holidays // 9.20%
Description: This yuletide IPA is brewed with a sleighful of hops, orange zest, and foraged spruce tips. Our gift of pine and citrus is wrapped in a warm malt backbone that is sure to bring holiday cheer.
Key Takeaway: 250 Pounds of Spruce tips went into the beer, which were hand-foraged by our staff at Starker Forests in the Coast Range. 100 pounds of orange zest add the perfect amount of fruity flavor.
Tasting Notes: Jolly Rancher • Orange Peel • Festive
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Imperial IPA with Citrus and Spruce Tips
Imperial IPAs (often called Double IPAs) feature a more robust profile of malts and hops. Significant factors that set Imperial IPAs apart from regular IPAs are their alcohol content and bitterness levels. An Imperial IPA can range from 7.5%-10% ABV. Due to the increased malt load it takes to create the additional alcohol, more hops are required to balance out the beer and keep the malt in check. An Imperial IPA should be intensely hoppy, medium-light to medium-bodied, and have balanced hop characteristics. There can be Imperial versions of virtually any IPA style or sub-style.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Fresh Pow // Hazy IPA
Series: Perennial
Releases: November 21st
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Amplified for the winter season, we have piled on the pow, doubling one of our favorite NZ hops. Slide into a resinous, citrusy, and tropical hop avalanche with a pillowy, soft body. Powabunga!
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Pub: Flicker
Beer Education
NEW: Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
This weeks barrel room round table: TBD
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Events
Block Friday Sale - November 28th - 30th
50% off select merch + Vintage Bottle Sale at the Tap Room only. Our Sunday 20% package beer discount DOES NOT apply on top of the sale price.
👕 Merch Sale 🧢 - Out with the old and in with the new - we're clearing space for new items and are offering a deal on some t-shirts, long sleeve plaid shirts, beanies, and hats.
🍾 Vintage Bottle Sale 🍾 - We're opening the vault and releasing a limited collection of vintage bottles that have been aging in our cellar. Quantities are limited and vary by beer. Bottle discount % and list of offerings are still being finalized.
Here are a few examples of what beers we’re offering:
2018 Turbulent Consequence, The 5th
Designed to celebrate the fifth anniversary of our friends at de Garde Brewing, Turbulent Consequence, The 5th features a blend of spontaneously fermented stock out of our Turbulent Consequence program that was matured for two years in neutral oak, conditioned on Cara Cara orange peel and cognac staves, and bottle conditioned with local honey for natural carbonation.
2019 Summer Amusement
Block 15 and De Garde’s Amusement series was a rotating seasonal project that blended friendship, technique, and beer from both breweries. Summer Amusement features a young table saison from Block 15, blended with one-year-old spontaneously fermented and oak-aged wild ale from de Garde, producing a crisp blend that is bright and zippy when enjoyed fresh and has gained beautiful complexity upon cellaring.
2021 Golden Canary
This foeder-conditioned blend of Golden Wild Ales combines a bready malt base with bright acidity, earthy funk, and just a touch of barrel character. Enjoy fresh notes of stone fruit, green apple, and citrus zest. As it aged in the bottle, the wild character has developed complexity over time.
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Next Wednesday 11/19 we will be replacing the Oregon pesto pasta with our bucatini parma rosa at the pub!
BUCATINI & MEATBALL PARMA ROSA Bucatini pasta, house-made creamy fontina-tomato sauce, parmesan, basil and a jumbo beef & pork meatball. 17.99
Also on the 19th both locations will be getting a NEW fry seasoning option! We are adding French Curry, or “Vadouvan” which is the actual name.
Vadouvan is a French-inspired, dry curry spice blend that combines traditional Indian spices like cumin, coriander, and turmeric with aromatics such as shallots, garlic, and onion
When it goes live I would LOVE folks at both locations to try them and report back with their favorite dipping sauce to pair with them! Let’s find French Curry’s honey mustard :) IYKYK.
While soft serve is on hold for the winter at the tap room, we will be running the same monthly dessert as the pub as our second plated dessert option!
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Next week we will start running the monthly desserts at both locations! This means the taproom will carry figgy pudding, and in December we will switch to a creme brulee. Dessert switches happen the Friday after monthly menu changes.
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week!
Charitable Programs
Internal Brewsletter - November 5th, 2025
General
Employee Provision - Submissions Needed!
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Kira! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Spicy Broccoli Cheddar Soup served in a Bread Bowl!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas! Remember, if your provision gets selected, you can order one for free!
This Week’s Releases
Highland Hymn // 5.80%
Description: Inspired by the majestic sights and sounds of Scotland, Highland Hymn is a malt-forward crescendo of caramelized sugar and toffee notes accompanied by a robust, and complex finish.
Key Takeaway: Comfortable, cozy, and drinkable, this ale was developed by one of our favorite student interns. Tweaked over the years to bring it as close to an authentic Scottish Ale as possible, we present this most classic of UK styles.
Tasting Notes: Caramel • Peat • Spontaneous Ballads
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Scottish Ale
Scotch ale can refer to a spectrum of beers that are almost all amber to dark with prominent malt flavor and have a light hop flavor and bitterness that leads to a smooth, sometimes decadent drinking experience. Scottish ale usually refers to a beer of moderate strength, between 5% and 6%.
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Hoppy Holidays // Imperial IPA with Citrus and Spruce Tips
Series: Orbital
Releases: November 14th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: This yuletide IPA is brewed with a sleighful of hops, orange zest, and foraged spruce tips. Our gift of pine and citrus is wrapped in a warm malt backbone that is sure to bring holiday cheer.
Crowler/Package Sale for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers, and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday of a specific beer.
This week’s beers are:
Pub: Squirrel Stash
Tap Room: Squirrel Stash & Eminent Point
Beer Education
NEW: Barrel Room Roundtable - Thursdays 4 pm
This weeks barrel room round table: Off-flavor workshop - Triangle Test for Isovaleric Acid
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Employee Merch Survey
What's up, Block 15 all-stars? I get awesome ideas for merch passed to me all the time, but wanted to create a little survey so that I could keep those ideas a little more organized as I do some merch planning going into 2026. Your help and time are greatly appreciated! - Holly
Events
Veteran’s Day Special - November 11th
At the Pub only this year, Veterans receive their first drink and entree free as a thank you for their service.
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
Starting Friday the tap room will be going back to having fries instead of chips as our standard side option, with soup (coming back!) and salad available as an upgrade. This will increase the price of items with sides, but just simply explain to guests that it is the same price, we just do not have chips anymore! Mac salad can still be a side option without an upcharge.
Also on Friday, the tap room will also be phasing out soft serve for the winter! We will bring on another dessert to replace it. Once that is finalized, I will share that info on Sling so keep an eye out for that in your TR newsfeed!
The pub will run a slightly modified menu for family weekend, removing wings and fish & fries Friday-Sunday.
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Check out our Marbled Rye bread on the beet reuben, it’s a new recipe we are excited about! Still a vegan bread.
New cookie at the taproom is a Chai Snickerdoodle. This one is good as is or warmed up to order.
Figgy Pudding is landing at the pub on Friday! This recipe is an old Block 15 favorite, to celebrate the beer of the same name. A moist cake baked with brandy soaked figs and dates, served warm with brandy hard sauce and cream. These are served in spin dip boats, and the bakery is making the hard sauce by the quart.
Caves is now running a Hazelnut Sherry Chocolate Torte made from our bakery. They are serving it with their housemade honey and orange blossom ice cream! This dessert is made without gluten.
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Tap Room Updates
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Kelly - She’s been doing a great job with bookkeeping, on top of her other duties! Thanks for all you do, lady.
Max - Max is always a positive energy every shift he works! Customers love him (and so do we!) He killed it on a busy game day and kept everyone’s spirits up.
Cedar - Cedar is a beast on the floor and the bar! She worked a 12 hour day and somehow made it look easy. We love Cedar!!!
Dave - Dave makes me happy every shift I work! He has a really great way of talking to people, both guests and coworkers. I appreciate his helpfulness and vibe!
Dabbers - Always has such an amazing attitude and smile when I see him.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Staff Section
Check back next week!
Charitable Programs
Dine Out! for Chintimini Wildlife Center on November 12th
Next Wednesday, we’ll be hosting a Dine Out! event to benefit Chintimini Wildlife Center. This runs at both locations while we’re open. We donate a portion of food sales from the day, and all folks have to do is dine with us to participate. Please mention this to guests when they come in that day! I’ve included some info about Chintimini for you so that you can be prepared when someone asks.
What is our donation going toward?
The donation will go toward food and medical supplies for bird, mammal, reptile, and amphibian wildlife patients!
About Chintimini Wildlife Center
Chintimini Wildlife Center treats the urgent and often life-threatening needs of wildlife in the Willamette Valley through their Wildlife Rehabilitation Clinic. Their clinic treats more than 2,000 injured and orphaned animals each year.
In addition, their preventative efforts take the form of a number of education to children and adults in the community. Because many injuries treated in their clinic are the result of negative human-wildlife interaction, they view education as the best preventative measure. Sharing their experience and knowledge with the community leads to better stewardship of local wildlife and our shared environment.