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.