Internal Brewsletter - March 19th, 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 Ryan Larson! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Pasta a la Vodka Gochujang!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
This Week’s Releases
Releasing Friday, March 21st
Animal Cookies // 7.00%
Description: 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.
Key Takeaway: 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
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
An IPA sub-style originating in New England, it originally evolved from American IPA to have a lighter malt bill, that 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.
Illuminated // 8.90%
Description: Brewed with respect for tradition, a dynamic array of imported grains, select hops, and classic Belgian yeast illuminates this crisp abbey ale with notes of pear, baking spice, and a rich, honey-like finish.
Key Takeaway: Extreme care and attention to detail are necessary to represent the Belgian Tripel style authentically. We have spent years honing this process, culminating in a deeply complex but approachable Belgian ale, tank-conditioned to give it the appropriate carbonation style and mouthfeel.
Tasting Notes: Bartlett Pear • Clove • Enlightened
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Belgian Tripel
Pale with medium bitterness and a higher ABV between 7% and 10%, Belgian Tripel follows the naming convention of Dubbel and Quad and lies between the two in order of strength. Spicy, complex, and with noticeable yeast-driven characteristics. Highly carbonated with a long-lasting, meringue-like head, this beer should be conditioned naturally in the bottle and finish dry and clean on the palate. Noticeable malt sweetness, Belgian yeast phenolics, and old-world hop character is common.
Queen’s Head // 4.00%
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.
Key Takeaway: Brewed with a cacophony of specialty malt, this beer shows complexity doesn't always have to carry weight.
Tasting Notes: Toast • Nutty • Classic
Format: Draft Only (Nitro & Cask)
Series: Pub Life
Beer Style: English Mild
See Garrison’s Beer 101 for more info.
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: March 28th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: 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.
Demo Tape - Side A // West Coast IPA
Series: Emerging
Releases: March 28th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Sometimes, a side of a tape is so good you've got to play it again. Rewound and cranked up, Side A features the dynamic duo of Talus and Krush hops, blasting notes of citrus and tropical fruits dripping in hop resin. Smash that play button.
Prickle // Oud Bruin with Blackberries and Raspberries
Series: Cellars
Releases: March 28th
Format: Draft Only
Description: A complex Oud Bruin aged for 5 years in white oak barrels and conditioned on blackberries and raspberries. Tart yet balanced, with notes of dark fruit, vanilla, and wild funk. The extended aging creates extraordinary depth and a refreshingly dry finish. A celebration of brewing patience rewarded.
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
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, 3/20.
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: The Queen’s Head and the History of Cask, Nitro, and English Mild Ales
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Cask-conditioned ale represents one of brewing's most venerable traditions, dating back centuries to when British publicans would receive beer in wooden casks where it would continue fermenting and developing complex flavors. This traditional method—where beer naturally carbonates in the vessel it's served from—creates a distinctively smooth, lightly carbonated brew with nuanced flavors that can't be replicated through modern kegging. The 1970s saw the formation of CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) in the UK, dedicated to preserving this brewing heritage that was being threatened by mass-produced, filtered beers. Meanwhile, nitro beers emerged as an innovative variant in the 20th century, most famously pioneered by Guinness in 1959 with their iconic nitrogen-dispensing system that produces that mesmerizing cascade effect and velvety mouthfeel we've come to love.
Today, craft breweries worldwide are rediscovering these time-honored techniques, recognizing that cask and nitro methods offer unique expressions of their brews that can't be achieved through standard carbonation. The lower carbonation levels allow subtler malt characters to shine through, while the nitrogen-infusion creates an unparalleled creamy texture that transforms the drinking experience. We're thrilled to announce the return of our cask and nitro programs featuring The Queen’s Head - English Mild—a perfect showcase for these traditional serving methods that highlight the beer's intricate malt backbone and delicate balance without overwhelming carbonation. Join us in celebrating these brewing traditions that connect us to centuries of craft and community!
English Mild History
The English Mild has roots stretching back to the 1800s, though it wasn't always the lower-alcohol, malt-forward beer we know today. Originally, "mild" simply meant young, fresh beer that hadn't aged or soured—contrasting with "old" or "stale" ales popular at the time. By the early 20th century, Mild had evolved into the working-class beer of choice across England—a nourishing, affordable pint for coal miners and factory workers at the end of their shifts. Though its popularity waned in the post-war decades as lagers began dominating the market, Mild has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Today's versions, like our Queens Head English Mild, honor this heritage with their subtle complexity, gentle roasted notes, caramel sweetness, and remarkable drinkability that makes them perfect session beers. Though modest in alcohol and assertiveness, these beers offer a depth of character that rewards the attentive drinker.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
April is Deep Seek Month!
Over this year, we’ll be spending some dedicated time with a few chosen Perpetual beers for one-month periods of time. During April, we’re focusing on Deep Seek company-wide. This means that everyone is highlighting it across the board. The brewery has planned to keep us stocked with fresh beer, sales are planning events with it, and at our locations, we have special merch to hand out.
About the Beer
Deep Seek is our 6.50% year-round West Coast IPA brewed with mountains of pungent, resinous hops. It captures depths of dank pine and bright citrus to complement your next adventure.
Tasting Notes: Pine resin, tangerine, mango, pineapple, fruit candy, iris, spruce, lemon rind
Take a Deep Dive 🤿
We explored the modern West Coast IPA recipe with Deep Seek, continually developing it over time to drive intense, punchy hop flavor and aroma that complement a crisp, lighter-bodied beer with balanced bitterness.
As we evolved Deep Seek over the last year, we introduced a new hop product, HyperBoost, a concentrated hop oil extract intended to amplify hop aromatics and increase yield. We really like how the Simcoe variety added brightness and intense aroma without affecting the body or bitterness of the beer.
We made Deep Seek West Coast IPA with primarily West Coast ingredients. Our focus on NW-grown malts, in particular, provides balance and body to this beer without it feeling heavy or overwhelming. Deep Seek has classic West Coast hop characteristics of pine, tangerine, and lemon rind, which come from a recipe of NW hops, Simcoe HyperBoost, and the New Zealand variety Nectaron. It’s bitter but not astringent, hoppy but not palate-wrecking.
Drinkability is key, and Deep Seek has become a hallmark of the Pacific Northwest beer landscape. It delivers an iconic West Coast IPA experience that pairs with many occasions.
At Our Locations
We’d like to offer folks a small taste of Deep Seek. Please suggest this beer as an option to those you’ve verified at 21+ at either the table (Pub) or counter (TR). There’s a ton of good information above for you to use when talking to our guests about Deep Seek.
Besides posters, table tents, and a piece of wall art, we have Deep Seek stickers to hand out for free. The Pub and Tap Room each get 100, making these an exclusive little token to those who order Deep Seek (while sticker supplies last).
We have Deep Seek t-shirts landing, too! I’ll hold aside sizes for those who have expressed interest in one already.
Ian (COO) has a little diver helmet he will lend us for a fun scavenger hunt at the Tap Room - more on that next week.
Out in the Wild
Our sales team has been pre-selling Deep Seek with what’s called “Stack Designs.” These are larger pieces of branded posters and signs that you see with beer in stores. Keep an eye out for them!
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
April Monthly Specials Preview!!!
PUB
Pina-Pepper Burger - Caramelized pineapple, pepper jack cheese, gochujang mayo & jalapeno chimichurri $17.99
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 $12.99
Chickpea & Avocado Salad - Tender greens & romaine blend, julienned watermelon radish, crispy chickpeas, fresh avocado, and mint-chevre vinaigrette $12.99
TAP ROOM
Toasted Italian Eggplant Sandwich Breaded and fried eggplant, melted fresh mozzarella, sweet & hot peppers and basil mayo on house baked ??? (still testing which bread to use) $15.99
Pimento Cheese Fritters w/ apricot pepper jelly $11.99
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henricksen, Bakery Manager
Check back next week!
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
Buckle up for some more Drink Menu changes! First things first, we are going to be changing our well tequila offering from Altos Reposado to Cazadores Reposado. Cazadores has a rich history dating back to 1922 in Jalisco, Mexico. “Cazadores,” which translates to “The Hunters,” represents the journey one man made as he set out to develop the world’s best tequila, a recipe that was passed down from generation to generation. If you guys are curious and would like to learn more, please check out the Cazadores website linked here!
This change will occur gradually as we move through our current stock of Altos.
Two more new cocktails for you all!
Whiskey A Goji will replace the Current Mood
Bourbon cocktail with Cocchi Rosa and Goji tea infused simple syrup
Painkiller will replace the Sprig & Seed
Appleton and Flor De Cana Rum blend featuring orange, pineapple, and coconut cream
Time to sell those Super Nebula bottles! Beginning on Sunday, March 23rd, Super Nebula and all of its variants (Breakfast with Hayden, Ceylon Praline, and Kriek) will be eligible for our 20% off Sunday Discount. There are folks that have been waiting for these bottles to go on sale, so it’s important to advertise this update. It’s also important to note that bottle limits have been lifted, so sell those bottles, team!
With the release of Queen’s Head this week, I wanted to make extra clear how this beer will be sold. We’ve had a nitro tap installed as well as repairs made to our cask system, so this beer will be offered in both of those styles! Cask will be poured as 20oz ONLY.
Tap Room Updates
By Elise Pietromonaco, General Manager
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Chris Heuchert - Chris expertly installed a phone mount in my car. I had been putting this chore off for AGES! Thanks Chris! You Rock!
Salem - Bless your soul for taking care of the urinal disaster of 2025. You were very brave. I’m so sorry. It shouldn’t have been like that, but it was, and we appreciate your efficient use of bleach. :/ and we appreciate you for lots of other reasons, too.
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:
Rylan Vaughn–Dish
Jenna Joham–Prep
Robert Fisher–Dish
Charitable Programs
People’s Pint Tap in April with Deep Seek
We’ll be supporting Grace Center for Adult Day Services this April by donating a portion of every pint and can purchased of Deep Seek to them. Please let people know about this during the month, so there’s awareness for who we’re supporting!
About Grace Center
They provide day services that optimize the cognitive and physical abilities of older adults and adults with a disability so they can remain as independent as possible and in their homes. The center specializes in both memory care and post-rehabilitation, serving adults with dementia, those recovering from strokes or brain injuries, and others. Grace Center’s services also provide vital respite to caregivers.
What is The People's Pint?
We strive to make a positive impact on the community by supporting local non-profit groups focusing on issues such as health and wellness, education, and environmental sustainability. The People's Pint program allows us to contribute to the overall well-being of our community.