Internal Brewsletter - June 4th, 2025
General
New Mug Club Year
We've updated some discounts for the Mug Club for this year! 2025-2026 Mug Club Benefits that have changed:
10% off all draft - no longer .50 off, we've moved it to a % to match the packaged beer discount. This means the discount ranges from .55 cents off to .80 off depending on the price. Buttons are all updated already, I am fine with this being a day early as it's when I had time to do it.
10% off packaged beer - same as last year, no change
20% off retail merchandise - increased 10%, and a new discount button is live.
New Mug Club Website to answer questions and see events! (This is password protected. Please ask Holly if you need to access it.)
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 Autumn! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Fig, Brie, & Prosciutto Bruschetta!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
This Week’s Releases
Check back next week!
Upcoming Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule. Please keep that in mind!
Alumni Club: Sunriver Chapter // Southwest IPA
Series: Synergy, collaboration with Sunriver Brewing Company
Releases: June 13th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Developed in collaboration with our friends and fellow OSU graduates at Sunriver Brewing, this SW IPA features Neo-Mexicanus Medusa and Amarillo hops, along with a touch of flaked Maize—a crisp and aromatic IPA capturing the essence of hot days and cool nights in the high desert.
When I Tip, You Tip, We Tip // Hazy IPA with Spruce Tips
Series: Pub Life
Releases: June 20th
Format: Draft Only
Description: Coming soon
R&D 2171 // XPA (Extra Pale Ale)
Series: Pub Life
Releases: June 20th
Format: Draft Only
Description: Coming soon
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:
Beer Education
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room for an educational session where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome! *Note: If there are no new releases, this meet-up will likely be cancelled that week.
4:00 pm Every Other Thursday @ the Pub
The next Happy Hour is Thursday, 6/12.
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: Kölsch
By Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Kölsch is one of Germany's most distinctive beer styles, originating in the medieval city of Cologne (Köln) and its surrounding areas. This pale, crisp beer emerged in the early 20th century as local brewers competed with the growing popularity of pilsner-style beers sweeping Germany. I always like to say that Kolsch was Germany’s answer to Czech Pilsner. What makes Kölsch truly unique is its protected designation of origin status, established by the Kölsch Convention of 1986, which dictates that in Germany, only breweries within and around Cologne can produce authentic Kölsch. The beer must be served in the characteristic thin, straight-sided 0.2-liter glass called a Stange, and the brewing process is overseen by the exclusive Kölsch Brewers Association, making it one of the most geographically and culturally specific beers in the world.
The brewing process of Kölsch represents a fascinating hybrid technique that lies somewhere between ale and lager production. Brewers begin with a simple grain bill, creating a golden wort that's fermented with ale yeast at relatively cool temperatures around 60-65°F. However, the magic really happens during the conditioning phase, where the beer undergoes a cold lagering period similar to lager production, typically lasting several weeks at near-freezing temperatures. This unique combination of warm fermentation followed by cold conditioning creates Kölsch's signature clean, delicate flavor profile with subtle fruit esters from the ale yeast balanced by the crisp, smooth finish achieved through cold maturation. The beer is then filtered to crystal clarity, packaged, and enjoyed.
Beyond its technical brewing merits, Kölsch represents the heart and soul of Cologne's social culture, where it's consumed in traditional brewhouses called Brauhäuser that have operated for centuries. The serving ritual is equally important as the brewing process – servers called Köbes carry wooden trays laden with the slender Stange glasses, automatically replacing empty glasses with fresh ones until customers place a coaster on top to signal they've had enough. This beer culture survived both World Wars and Communist occupation, with local breweries maintaining their recipes and traditions through generations of political upheaval. Today, Kölsch serves not just as a refreshing beverage but as an embodiment of Cologne's resilient identity, representing how local brewing traditions can thrive and maintain authenticity in an increasingly globalized world.
These brewing and drinking traditions are the reason that I got into brewing. They connect us to hundreds of years of ancestors who enjoyed the same simple pleasures that we do. They bring people together, and often are the most enduring and resilient forms of cultural expression because, well, they’re fun. Anything that we can do these days to remind us to stick together and keep fighting the good fight is important, even if it’s just enjoying a beer and reminding yourself that it comes from generations of folks keeping the tradition going, through good times and bad.
Marketing Updates
By Holly Amlin, Marketing & Creative Manager
Block 15 + Corvallis Knights
Each year, we brew Summer Knights Kölsch to celebrate our partnership with the Corvallis Knights baseball team, made up of collegiate players primarily from the West Coast. A favorite summer pastime for those in the area, this year’s season runs from June through August with themed nights and plenty of fun to be had. The first home game is next Wednesday, June 11th!
As the official beer sponsor of the Corvallis Knights, we provide a variety of our beers in both can and draft offerings at the locations within the stadium that sell adult beverages.
Block 15 Beer Garden @ Goss Stadium all Summer
We have a dedicated spot to play shuffleboard, watch the game, and grab a beer on the third baseline.
Events
Meet the Brewer Nights
On June 20th and 27th, and July 18th and 25th, we’re hosting Meet the Brewer Nights at our Beer Garden at Goss Stadium, where folks can hang out with one of our brewers, taste a new seasonal beer, and join a raffle for Block 15 swag or gift cards.
Lunch with the Corvallis Knights
June 29th, 2025, 12 - 2 pm @ our Southtown Tap Room
Meet the team! The Knights will be joining us for lunch before their game.
From the Executive Chef
By Sarah Farey, Executive Chef
PUB June Monthly Specials! Launch June 4th!
Hummus Platter - Ultra creamy hummus made with tahini, garlic& lemon, served with fresh carrots, cucumbers, radishes, sugar snap peas, mixed olives and house baked flatbread. 13.99
-Vegan and can be GF without the flat bread.
Peanut & Ginger Chicken Sandwich - Soy and ginger marinated & grilled chicken thigh,napa cabbage slaw, house peanut sauce, and mayo on a toasted sesame baguette. $14.99
-Dairy free. Can be GF without a GF bun subbed. Contains soy and peanuts!
159 Mile Salad - Oregon dried blueberries, Face Rock 24 month aged cheddar, Freddy Guys’ toasted hazelnuts, Riverland Family Farms’ salad greens & our fresh herb vinaigrette. $13.99
VEGETARIAN AND GF (Can Be Vegan if cheddar is held or subbed for vegan cheddar)
This is a throwback to a salad that we had on the menu YEARS ago called the 185 Mile salad, where all the main ingredients were sourced within 185 miles of the downtown pub! It consisted of dried cranberries, hazelnuts, Willamette Valley Cheese Co. aged gouda and an herb vinaigrette! I made some minor changes, which brought our sourcing bubble even closer!
Reminder
A quick reminder that anytime you’re making food for yourself off the line, please be sure to account for and pay for all ingredients used. This helps us manage food costs and keep things fair for everyone.
If something you need isn’t already in the system or requires a button to be put in Toast, let me know and I’ll take care of it!
Bakery
Notes from Lindsey Henriksen, Bakery Manager
Pub June Monthly Dessert!
Replaces the pineapple upside-down cake.
Strawberry-Passionfruit Pavlova
Crisp & airy meringue shell with tart, tropical passionfruit curd & Riverland Family Farms' strawberries. Topped with fresh whipped cream. $8
Pub Updates
By Kira Sciarrotta, General Manager
As we move into consistently nicer weather and folks being excited to sit outside, I wanted to make sure we are all on the same page by using the signs posted on our tables. The corral signs should always show “Please Order At The Bar,” unless we have assigned a dedicated server to that section, it is then the responsibility of that server to flip the signs to say “Please See Host Inside For Table Availability.” This is to avoid any customer confusion and prevent folks from seating themselves in that space. The signs on the 100s should always show “Please See Host Inside For Table Availability.”
Employee Provision Reminder! I know there are a lot of new faces and new leads as of late, so I wanted to gently remind everyone that the employee whose provision gets picked DOES NOT pay for their meal. The benefit of submitting an idea that gets chosen by Simon is that you get it for free! So, submit those ideas and get your creation on us!
We have re-vamped our Mug Club perks! Please take a look at this list of frequently used discounts/benefits for the members in our Mug Club and make note of any that have changed:
10% off all draft - no longer .50 off, we've moved it to a % to match the packaged beer discount. This means the discount ranges from .55 cents off to .80 off depending on the price. Buttons are all updated already.
10% off packaged beer - same as last year, no change
20% off retail merchandise - increased 10%, and a new discount button is live.
First pint free within the new Mug Club year - A welcome beer is always nice!
Mug Club Mondays (additional $1 off pints - Monday’s Only)
$50 birthday gift card
Exclusive bottle pre-order opportunities
Early access tickets to Block 15 events
Exclusive Mug Club gatherings (like the Knight baseball game)
Option to purchase a Mug Club Souvenir Mug
New Website with information Hub
Tap Room Updates
By Elise Pietromonaco, General Manager
Caves Updates
By Aidan Welch, General Manager
High Fives
Cedar Nelson - Who doesn’t love Cedar??? Icon alert keep up the great job! I always appreciate feedback and a good spirit followed with a smile.
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:
Jacob Gordon- Dishwasher
Kenzie Whaley- Caves Host/Server
Micayla Tourtillott- Caves Host/Server
Charitable Programs
Our next event will be in July.