Internal Brewsletter - August 14th, 2024
General
Corvallis Beer Week
Corvallis Beer Week will run from August 29th - September 7th this year. We’ll be hosting and participating in a few events:
Thursday, August 29th at Caves: Starting location for the Kickoff March & Pub Crawl. From 4-5 pm, we’ve invited folks to hang out and enjoy a hand-selected lineup of beers paired with small plates from our Gather Hour menu.
Tuesday, September 3rd at the Pub: From 5-7 pm, we’re hosting a Flight & Pretzel Bites event and getting people excited about Bloktoberfest by giving out a free half-liter mug with the purchase of the pairing.
Friday, September 6th at Treebeerd’s: They’ll be celebrating their 5th Anniversary with Block 15 and Dirt Road beers pouring from 4-8 pm.
Saturday, September 7th at Avery Park: We’ll be pouring a few beers at Septembeerfest to close out the week’s celebrations.
Bloktoberfest
Our big fall Oktoberfest party is just around the corner! We wanted to include a few important details in the Brewsletter ahead of our first Press Release next week, just so you’re aware if someone asks (and to get stoked!). More information will be finalized as time goes on and posted on the Information HUB.
Dates: October 11th, 5-11 pm, October 12th, 12-11 pm
Information HUB: https://block15.com/bloktoberfest-2024 (link will be live Monday, 8/19)
Stein Pre-Order Packages: Starting September 5th, folks can pre-order a Stein Package, which includes either a half or full-liter mug, their first fill of beer, and a commemorative Bloktoberfest 2024 pin.
Entertainment Lineup: Live music, games, stein-holding contests, costume contests, and more
Kinder Corner: This year, we’re adding a few more kid-friendly activities, like a kid's corner with coloring pages, face painting, a kid's pretzel toss, and a kid's costume contest.
Food & Beverages: Like last year, we’ll be featuring German-style food from Block 15, plus hosting a couple of food carts. Bloktoberfest & Deep Seek will be the featured beers from Block 15, with guest beers from Wayfinder and Ferment. Wine, cider, and N/A bevs will be available also.
Employee Provision
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 Gavin! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Tandoori Baked Wings!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES
Check back next week!
COMING UP ON DRAFT
Releasing Friday 8/16
Wandelpad //
Description: Inspired by the Trappist beers of Belgium, this Blonde Ale is crisp, complex, and refreshing. Pairing traditional malts and yeast with PNW-grown hops, it balances fruity esters, rustic flavor, and a zesty hop finish. // 6.50%
Key Takeaway: Naturally conditioned in tank, this step adds time to the process, but it's a commitment to quality that we can't overlook. The refermentation of Belgian beers is essential to the mouthfeel and perception of dryness the style requires.
Tasting Notes: Bartlett Pear. Ginger. Leisurely Stroll.
Format: Draft Only
Series: Pub Life
Beer Style: Belgian Blonde Ale
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: Tipping Point
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Bloktoberfest // Märzen Lager
Series: Perennial
Releases: August 23rd
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Celebrate Oktoberfest Block 15-style with this amber-hued Märzen lager. Noble hops impart subtle floral and spicy aromas, while PNW-sourced Pilsner and Munich-style malts build a delicate base.
Buzzworks™ // NW Pilsner
Series: Synergy, collab with Chris King Precision Components
Releases: August 23rd
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Brewed with our friends at Chris King Precision Components to celebrate the riding season, this West Coast Pilsner is bursting with citrus, lychee, and strawberry hop notes.
Highland Hymn // Scottish Ale
Series: Perennial
Releases: August 23rd
Format: Draft & Cans
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.
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
4:00 Pm Every other Thursday @ the Pub
Join us every other Thursday in the Game Room at the Pub to taste through beers, discuss our beers, brewing, or any other related topics you have questions about. This is a casual session anyone is welcome to attend. If you have an interesting bottle of beer you would like to taste/share with the group, bring it in. Your first beer is on us if you attend. The next tasting is Thursday, August 22nd, at 4 pm!
Beer 101: Wandelpad and Abbey-Style Beers
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Abbey-style beers are some of my favorites. Inspired by Belgian monks who brewed for sustenance and as a way to make a living, the beers still brewed in monasteries are referred to as Trappist beers. The monks were required to offer hospitality to guests passing through their area and were allowed to brew as a way to make money to pay for hosting these travelers. Abbey beers are beers brewed in this style outside of monasteries which contain an incredible depth of complexity and can be found at different strengths of alcohol content for any occasion. They have been brewed for generations, far longer than Belgium has been an official country. My personal favorites are the enkle and the quad, which lay at opposite ends of the Abbey spectrum.
The names of Belgian abbey-style beers relate directly to their strength and indirectly to their color. They are, in order, Belgian Enkle (1), Dubbel (2), Tripel (3), and Quad (4). Enkles are light, Dubbels are dark, Tripels are light, and Quads are dark. Color differences are due partially to differences in grain bills (the Quads and Dubbels have dark specialty malts), and partially to the color of Belgian candi syrup used to naturally condition the beers. I know we have touched on natural conditioning before, but here’s a quick refresher.
Natural conditioning is the process of capturing the carbonation formed during the fermentation process. We add Belgian Candi Syrup, a thick, sugary liquid that acts as the fuel for a second fermentation after the primary fermentation has finished. This leads to the formation of much smaller bubbles within the carbonation, which have a much smoother and creamier mouthfeel.
Belgian yeast is a major player in the final character of these styles, as well. It produces tons of fruity esters and spicy phenols, leading to classic notes such as banana, fig, clove, pepper, doughy bread, pear, bubble gum, and candied cherry.
While this style may or may not be your favorite, it is important for anyone who works in our line of work to appreciate the nuance and artistic expression that these styles offer. I encourage each of you to sample Abbey-style beers as they are available. I promise you will only like them more each time you do.
This week, we are releasing Wandelpad. Brewed at a lower ABV, close to Enkle, this Blonde Belgian offers all of the Abbey characters with less of the bite. The monks would call it a Patersbier, or Father’s beer, as the monks could drink it, and they could continue with their duties at the monastery. I love Wandelpad for its depth of character and level of complexity. We use Blonde Candi Syrup to naturally condition in the tank, and I think it’s a really good example of the style.
Do yourself a favor and open yourself up to the world of Abbey-style beers. It is nothing but rewarding, and it counts as going to church.
From the Executive Chef
Next Friday, August 23rd we will be swapping our our strawberry bell for a new version! German Chocolate!
Decadent chocolate cake with a rich coconut filling & topped with chocolate cream cheese icing. This update to a childhood classic is then topped with a classic swirl and a cherry on top!
Please don’t forget to share your personal or guests food feedback, especially on new menu items and specials! These insights really help to dial in our offerings for all our locations.
PUB UPDATES
Please focus on using/ stocking coasters for Perennial releases while they’re on draft- i.e. Animal Cookies and Fresh Flow- over using Perpetual coasters (like Gloria or Sticky Hands). This will help prevent paper product waste or having to hold onto the coasters until the next release.
Just to clarify–we no longer need to burn the downstairs server ice bin every single night and this can go back to once a week. The lists will be updated to reflect going back to the previous way.
While bartenders are swatting flies in the morning, if you have extra time and notice a particularly heavy fly area, please use the racket on them. This is the worst time of year for flies, so it can feel like an uphill battle, but taking 10 minutes to run through in the morning can help. Also, please only use the electric racket when we are closed as it draws a lot of attention and makes a lot of noise.
Pub Focus Points
ALL: Smoke/Bathroom break Awareness!! It is policy to let a manager know when you are stepping off of the floor at any time. This will help ensure that all parts of the restaurant are being monitored so we can ensure fantastic service. We are all entitled to breaks, but communication is a requirement. If there is a consistent lack of communication, it can lead to a write up.
FOH: Taster Tray Awareness!! Please make sure you read Goody’s message on slack regarding taster tray/flight information and expectations. Also, when you are bussing a taster tray, make sure you are using a magic eraser on the card and returning it to the proper place behind the bar clean.
Line: Portioning Awareness!! When using a portioning scoop lets make sure we are scraping off excess product. Also when we can, let's make sure we are using a rubber spatula to get the last bit of product transferred from pan to pan.
Prep: Boomstick Awareness!! Please be gentle with the boomstick. Make sure the blade is always submerged below the level of what you are blending, and move it around slowly. If you hear screeching or a bad motor noise, stop!
Pub Company Direction Objectives
Consistently promote and encourage teamwork and strengthen the ties within our team–we are our most successful when we work together and support/understand each other.
Promote ongoing education on all things Block 15 through monthly "Deep Dives" on items from the kitchen, and from the brewery/bar. Each month (roughly) Sarah and myself will send out our information on respective Deep Dives on menu items. Food & Beverage Discovery 5/15/24
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We are in the process of updating the tables to be painted gray. It’s time-consuming but we will see those get completed soon!
We will be closed on August 25th all day for the company party. If you are interested in a deep cleaning shift, please reach out to Ian.
We have a Tap Room GM hired! Please be on the lookout for an announcement this week.
Tap Room Focus Points
BOH:
Check the quality of the Elotes after a few days. If it starts to get mushy, make a new batch! We should be prepping no more than 3 days max
Please check the drip trays of the reach-in coolers. If you aren't
sure where they are, ask around and someone will point you in the right direction!FOH:
Keeping busy! Make sure we are getting out from behind the bar to interact with customers during lulls of ordering and running food.
ALL:
Find one extra thing this week to clean or touch up! If you see something that needs to be cleaned, attack it! For example, the little black ladder was filthy but got cleaned on shift. Even though that isn’t on a weekly/monthly, let’s address it when we see it!
Upcoming Events
Beer School: Exploring Hops
August 22nd 5:30-7
Topic: Hops!
For this month's class, we're covering one of our favorite beer ingredients: hops! On the cusp of fresh hop harvest season, we'll go over our experiences with hop selection, introduce you to the concepts behind our upcoming fresh hop beers, and discuss other significant aspects of working with hops and hop products.
Cost: $10
Tickets can be purchased on our website under Store > Experiences or through the Event Listing. All the updated info is on these pages if you’d like to read more about the event.
2024 Objectives
Elevate engagement through impactful community-centered opportunities and events
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Caves Updates
Just to keep you all updated, we unfortunately had to cancel our Vegan Harvest Dinner that was to take place on August 20th. While we had good interest in the dinner, the ticket sales didn't quite hit where we needed to be in order to ensure the best experience for guests and staff. If folks have questions, please feel free to direct them to email me (Goody) at alex@block15.com
2024 Caves Direction Objectives:
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Keep eyes up and out and move through the restaurant rather than just behind the bar when making loops. Offer to grab another beverage, refill waters, or pre-bus tables, even if they aren’t yours.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
HIGH FIVEs
Benny Gemetti - Shout out to Benny! Overall kind dude. But really, he’s consistent, leads by example, and takes care of his coworkers very well and it does not go unnoticed.
Siarra Edwards - She has been working so hard lately, we see you girl!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Check back next week!
SAFETY TIPS
Make sure to be cleaning up spills, using wet floor signs and keeping floors clean to prevent slips, trips, and falls.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10 am - 1 pm
Wednesday: Tap Room : 1 - 4 pm
Thursday: Tap Room 9:30 am-12:30 pm, Pub 1-4 pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Check back next week!
WHAT’S UP ON INSTA??
FEEDBACK
Hey friends! If you find yourself sitting at home, or out and about and something pops into your mind that you would like to pass along to the team, feel free to use this form! Please be mindful of keeping feedback or suggestions constructive and positively worded!