Internal Brewsletter - December 14, 2022
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - CANS
Releasing Friday
Sticky Hands: Greatest Hits Vol 2 // Sticky Hands Variant This hoppy compilation includes hits from all Sticky Hands Variants across 2022. Tropical Slam, Brewer’s Cuts, Crosby Cuts, and Fruitcup all provide a unique contribution to this remastered hop experience. // 8.10% ABV
Takeaways: Lemondrop hop oil steals the show; first used in double dab this really sends a bright lemon rind aroma that balances nicely with the pine and tropical notes in this beer.
Tasting Notes: Lemon Rind. Pine Resin. Anthology.
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - BOTTLES
Holiday Friends // Wild Farmhouse Ale A collaboration with our friends at Fort George, this wild ale was brewed with locally foraged spruce tips, then matured in oak barrels. Vivid and resinous with notes of blue raspberry and a bright snappy finish. // 9.25% ABV
Takeaways: The gin barrels used for this beer previously held bourbon. This created A unique combination of flavors that compliment the exotic notes from the spruce tips.
Tasting Notes: Resin. Blue Raspberry. Bright
COMING UP ON DRAFT
Sticky Hands: Greatest Hits Vol 2 // Double IPA
Holiday Friends // Wild Farmhouse Ale
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Prophecies // Belgian-style Quadrupel Ale
Hypnosis // Barley Wine Matured in Cognac Barrels
Crisp Start // Winter Wheat with cranberries and orange peel
Squirrel Stash // Brown Ale
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale - Guy incognito
Sunday Package Discount - We will NOT offer Imagine, Imagine Joyous, Figgy Pudding, and Ol’St. Nick in the package sale on Sunday
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics is continuing:
Tuesdays at 2pm at the Taproom
Thursdays at 11am at the Pub
Beer 101
A new section where you can learn more about beer and the techniques used in the brewing process!
What is dry-hopping?
Dry-Hopping is a technique where we add hops directly to a fermenter during, or after fermentation to impart greater flavor and aroma to the beer. We mostly use pelletized hops, which has become the industry standard (Hop flowers are dried in a kiln, then run through a mill and pushed through a die that compacts them into pellets), but we sometimes use advanced products like critical CO2 extract or steam distilled oils from the hops.
Hops are either added by pouring directly into the top of the tank, or pushed in from a pressurized vessel. We have a piece of equipment at the taproom called a “hop cannon” that allows us to blow the hops into the tank through the blowoff arm on the tanks, this allows us to keep the exposure to oxygen to a minimum. By doing this we can extract delicate compounds from the hops we wouldn’t otherwise be able to.
Dry-hopping is a standard technique in brewing IPA’s, but we use it in other styles as well. Ridgeback Red, for example, gets a relatively small dry hop compared to Sticky Hands, which gets the largest dry hop of any of the beers we produce.
If you want to learn more about dry-hopping, read here: https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/96jvGQTSdT/
PUB UPDATES
In order to promote continual beer education and focus, we are going to start incorporating some easy to answer knowledge questions in our weekly check-ins! The questions will directly pull from resources in the “Beer Education '' portion of the Brewsletter, so please be sure to explore that area as you are reading your Brewsletter each week!
This week’s FOH Focus Point is to increase the overall check average per guest (meaning trying to maximize sales for each person that decides to come in). Quick and easy ways to hit this point can include some or any of the following points below. Plus, higher check averages means more tips, and everyone loves more tips! Let’s work as a team to bump our overall average up!
Offering appetizers to those that are still deciding on lunch/dinner.
Hitting desserts/coffee every time (or if it’s lunch time and dessert doesn’t feel right, folks can always go for a mid-afternoon coffee)
After dinner drinks (cocktails, bourbon, tea, coffee, etc.)
Packaged beer to-go–this is a HUGE one that we can absolutely nail. Packaged beer to-go is an easy sell and further gets our name out on there to potential new customers. If you have a table that has had a beer with lunch/dinner, remember to offer some of said beer to-go!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Let’s make sure that we are checking the front packaged beer cooler consistently for organization. We all make frequent trips by it so if you see that things are out of stock/not pulled forward, or faced, make it look beautiful.
With our new card stock menus, we only need to be handing out a few to each table.
We have all been super good lately about upselling packaged beer, but keep it up! Especially around the holidays!
The Barrel Room should be set up for service after 5pm each day. Things to check off are as follows.
Floors and Tables are clean and organized.
Lighting is appropriate(overhead lights off and accent lights on) Please check with a brewer before turning off the overheads.
Music is turned up at an appropriate volume.
CAVES UPDATES
Reminder: We are open for brunch on Fridays! Please let people know this if they ask!
We will be having Egg Nog coming up next week! We’ll also be replacing the Autumn Almanac (but will still be able to make this if a customer asks), Endless Summer, and Lively Up cocktails soon- stay tuned!
Look forward to some new items coming from the kitchen as we head into winter!
GENERAL
New Dessert!
This Friday we will be replacing the pumpkin cheesecake at both locations with our Cranberry Basque Cheesecake!
Cranberry-Orange Cheesecake-Light & airy Basque style cheesecake topped with bright cranberry-orange compote. $8
Basque style cheesecake is a crustless cheesecake that is cooked at a higher heat to create a caramelized top and has a lighter, slightly souffle-like texture. Traditional Basque cheesecake has a bit of flour in the batter, but we are opting to use gluten free flour to keep it as a dessert made free of wheat/gluten!
It is called a Basque style cheesecake because it originated from the Basque region of Spain!
MARKETING
If you're looking for an opportunity to get involved with the behind-the-scenes part of the toy drive, this is for you!
We're looking for 4 people total... 2 volunteers to help sort the toys on December 21st (2 hours per person) and 2 people to deliver the toys to Portland on December 22nd (3 hours per person).
Let me know if you're interested in spreading holiday cheer or have other questions!
Please email me at Kelsea@block15.com or through Hotschedules!
-Kelsea
Deep Seek Launch Feedback
Hey Folks! As team, we truly value your thoughts and ideas. Getting feedback from all areas of the team helps us with our success to get closer to our goals! The Marketing team has put together a feedback form for how the Deep Seek Launch went… Please let us know how it went!
EVENTS
Toy Drive - Ongoing through December 20th
The near month-long drive will begin on Friday 11/25 and run through Tuesday 12/20.
Cameron Merrill passed away from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2013, at the young age of 2 years and 4 months old. In response to this devastating loss, his family established Cameron Merrill's Legacy to support children with serious illnesses, and their families. By gathering toys for these children, they hope to bring joy during very difficult times, while showing their families community support.
How people can get involved: Block 15 will be collecting new, unwrapped toys for kids of all ages. These gifts will be delivered to Doernbecher and Randall Children’s Hospital’s pediatric ICU in time for the holidays! Toys can be dropped off at either the Block 15 Downtown Pub or Southtown Tap Room locations during business hours.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Jess Andrew - Jess always comes in ready to kick butt and have a good time while doing it. That girl kills it whether she's bartending, floating, or food running. Love getting to work with her!
STAFF SECTION!
Congrats to the following for becoming Lead Servers!
Liv Sallee
Sarah Gruber
Benny Gemetti
THE PEOPLE’S PINT
Check back next month!
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!