Internal Brewsletter - March 5th, 2025
General
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 Patience! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for an Italian Grinder!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
This Week’s Releases
Releasing Friday, March 7th
Selection Series // 7.00%
Description: See Garrison’s Beer 101 for the farms & tasting notes
Key Takeaway: Each fall during the hop harvest, we travel to Yakima in search of the finest hops. Through a blind process, we evaluate hops from multiple farms and regions, selecting the perfect representation of each variety for our programs, often bending what is commonly assumed about the varieties.
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: West Coast IPA
An IPA Sub-style that originated 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!
Ancient Grove // Amber Ale
Series: Orbital
Releases: March 14th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: 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.
45 Below // New Zealand IPA
Series: Emerging
Releases: March 14th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Hemispheres collide. Southern hops meet northern ambition, unleashing waves of tropical lychee and citrus flavors from Superdelic, Riwaka, and Neleon Sauvin that dance across 90 degrees of latitude.
Queen’s Head // English Mild
Series: Pub Life
Releases: March 14th
Format: Nitro & Cask Only
Description: This beer showcases the depth that a careful selection of specialty malt can obtain. Not overly hopped but balanced, it drinks light and refreshing, with the fans of malt in mind. Offered solely on cask and nitro, we designed this beer to be the perfect springtime classic to welcome back our two favorite alternative serving styles, which have been out of commission since 2020.
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: Rocky Shores
Change of discount rule across all locations: All Super Nebula and Kriek 2025 release bottles will NOT be available for the Sunday 20% off discount until mid-March.
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
The next Happy Hour is this Thursday, 3/6!
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, and 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.
Beer 101: Selection Series
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
It’s that time of year! Our brew team is wrapping up packaging one of our favorite releases of the year, the 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 lots of our most used hops. Not all breweries, especially our size, get the opportunity, which is one reason 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 are excited to showcase each year when the new lots finally arrive.
This year, we showcased Citra, Strata, and Centennial, but as always, we left the last choice up to our fans. They picked Simcoe, and we’re finally ready to release the mixed four packs to the world. Here are three of my tasting notes on the final products and the farm they came from.
Centennial: CLS Farms, Yakima WA - Lemon Rind, Rose Water, Pine Pitch
Strata: F&D Farms, Woodburn OR - Grapefruit, Strawberry Candy, Lemon Diesel
Simcoe: Double R Ranch, Harrah WA - Red Lifesaver, Lychee, Blue Spruce
Citra: BT Loftus Farms, Yakima WA - Fresh squeezed Orange juice, Dole Pineapple cup, lime dumdums
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 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 engage with customers who are trying flights and see which are their favorites, what distinct aromas and flavors they can discern, etc. 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. As always, I’d love any feedback at garrison@block15.com.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Selection Series Release this Friday
Garrison dropped in some great information above for you ahead of the beer release. Make sure you’re ready with some talking points for when customers ask about the program!
Like I mentioned last week, you’ll have printouts for the taster glasses (below), which include these tasting notes. There are also informational cards with information about the program if people want to know more. I can’t wait to hear what people think about each variety and to see which one is the fan favorite!
I’m adding information on our website today (linked bleow) with a list of places that people can find the Selection Series around Oregon. We’ve already had a few people asking through social media, and if it comes up for you, you’ll have a place to direct our customers.
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
March Monthly Specials
March Monthly Specials are set to come out today at both locations!
PUB
Japanese Pork Katsu & Rice Bowl - 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. $16.99
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 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!
TAPROOM
Asparagus Melt - Tender roasted asparagus, melted provolone & creamy goat chevre, honey mustard and toasted pumpkin seeds on toasted artisan bread. $14.99
Vegetarian. Can be GF when gf bun is subbed.
Stout Sausage & Potato Rolls - Flaky puffed pastry rolls filled with stout sausage & creamy potatoes. Served with house pickles and pub mustard. $11.99
Has all the things.
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henricksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week!
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
We are looking to add to our FOH staff! Check out the newsfeed channel “Downtown Pub Updates” in Sling to sign up for an internal interview. That link will lead to “Server” interviews, but we will also use this for Host/Foodrunner opportunities. If there is not a sign-up slot that works for you, please reach out to Kira to get you scheduled!
Lead Server Promotions are out! Please congratulate Kaidyn, Salem, Helen, Paige, and Nicole next time you see them!
Now that we are out of Bourbon Month, we are going to offer the Blood Oath Pacts as single 1.5oz pours rather than the flight (though the flight button is still in if someone wants one while supplies last). Let folks know about the fun bourbons that we have when they are looking for something special!
Tap Room Updates
By Elise Pietromonaco, General Manager
If you haven’t already done so, please review the Taproom message sent out for info on proper usage of our Soda water Tap!
With the sun coming out a bit more, we may start seeing busier days and longer pops! Remember our top priority is customer service and teamwork! Please deliver feedback to management if you are feeling understaffed on certain days or time frames so your scheduling managers and other department managers can do their best to support you.
Caves Updates
High Fives
ALL Taproom staff- You have been coming together as such an excellent team! Thank you for welcoming our new staff with such open arms and working your butts off on the first busy days of, dare I say Spring? 🙂 Very proud of all of you, keep up the excellent work!
Travis Smith - Travis has played a huge role in mentoring me as a trainer and a friend. He has accepted new responsibilities as the head chef at caves and he will thrive in the new position. I wouldn't be where I am as a line cook or a person without Travis' advice and genuine feedback. He's the hardest worker I know and the best person to have in your corner, he deserves a shout-out and all of the support in the world
Trinna - Every time I work with Trinna, she reads my mind and I never even have to ask her for help because she already knows! Trinna you're best!!
Nico Campbell - Nico always comes to work with a smile on his face! He’s so nice and always super helpful!
Scott Dolsen - The man the myth the warehouse czar thanks for showing us the ropes in warehousing, and thank you for everything!!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share about your co-worker anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human Resources
Staff Section
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Emma Krumbah - Pub Line Cook
Charitable Programs
Dine Out! for Linus Pauling Middle School - This Tuesday, March 11th
Our next Dine Out will be held this coming Tuesday while we’re open at both locations to support Linus Pauling Middle School. Folks don’t need to mention the event in order to participate. We tally the total food sales from the day and cut a check for a percentage to give to our partner organization.
What do you need to do as an employee that day?
If you’re working front of house, please try to mention the event in some way as you interact with our guests. It can be as easy as “Thank you for joining us today as we’re donating part of our sales to Linus Pauling Middle School, just down the street, to help them pay for their 8th-grade graduation trip.” Mentioning the event can lead to more questions and information shared, which is great for gaining awareness. They listed four things they’re raising money for, so you have options!
Here’s a refresher about the donation and the school:
What will our donation go towards?
The Linus Pauling PTO has been organizing this with us to help raise money to benefit the commissioning of an interactive art mural on campus, the 8th-grade graduation trip, the 8th-grade dance, and the establishment of an after-school STEM club.
Learn about Linus Pauling Middle School
Their mission is to provide a community of equity, compassion, growth, and opportunity for all students by preparing lifelong learners for success in education and careers as engaged citizens and leaders in a global society.
Their school serves over 800 students from a wide range of backgrounds. Along with comprehensive core instruction, they offer various opportunities through electives, early bird offerings, after-school athletics, and learning clubs. Linus Pauling is Corvallis School District’s host middle school for the dual immersion (DI) program. About one-fourth of our students participate in DI, which includes at least two periods of instruction each day in Spanish.
