Internal Brewsletter - March 27th, 2024
General
Employee Food Discounts
While we are evaluating more long-term employee discount updates, we are effective immediately removing the 20% discount, so the percent discount will be as follows:
If you work 0-8 hours, you will receive a 50% discount (so even if you get sent home 30 minutes after clocking in, you will still get 50% off of your food).
If you work 8+ hours, you will receive a 70% discount
Employee Breaks
As we head into a busy season with spring, Family Weekends, Graduation, and many OSU sports, we wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of the breaks that they are entitled to when a break is needed and the lengths of those breaks. If you are working a shift but not immediately offered a break based on length, please always feel free to check in and ask and we will get you all taken care of when it works with the flow. Below is the Block 15 Handbook policy on breaks and the link to the BOLI Meals and Breaks for Workers link. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to check in with HR or your supervisor!
Employees working a shift of 6 or more hours are entitled to one 30-minute meal break. Employees are additionally entitled to one 10-minute break for every 4 hours, or major part thereof, worked in one work period. These breaks should be taken as close as possible to the middle of each 4-hour work segment. All breaks are paid. Meal and rest breaks may not be taken in conjunction with one another or combined with/attached to the beginning or end of the work day so as to shorten the work day. Employees who fail to comply with these meal and rest break policies may be subject to discipline. If you believe you are unable to meet your obligations under this policy for any reason, you must bring it up to your supervisor or any person in management.
Always check with a manager/person in charge to make sure it is an appropriate time to take a break.
Meal credits may be used during your break or meal period and must be entered in on the POS system.
Employees are not allowed to leave the property during their break period.
Employees may only smoke cigarettes while on designated breaks in designated smoking areas.
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 Griffin! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Ceviche.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Marketing
Corvallis Knights
We are sponsoring the Corvallis Knights this year! We haven’t made an external announcement yet, but we are excited to be the exclusive beer of the game this year.
For those of you who have attended many baseball games, please share your ideas as we prepare for the season under the stadium lights! This could be anything from on-field games between innings to posters or fun contests run in the stadium.
https://forms.gle/fUCWy5XJPzA9Gn7k8
Corvallis Half Marathon
For those of you who want to run, we have our registration codes now! Please send me an email (kelsea@block15.com) with the title “Sign me up!” and I’ll shoot the code to you.
Again, this will be held on April 6th on OSU’s campus. For those of you who want to test out your legs for the big day, Byce, Danny, and I threw together a running group called “Next Wednesday Running Club”. Some Wednesdays are hit or miss, but we are running 3/27 (today) from the Southtown Taproom at 5ish. See you there!
-Kelsea
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
Releasing Friday 3/29
Rocky Shores IPA // As rugged and unique as the rocky shorelands of the Oregon Coast, this bright and flavorful IPA showcases both southern hemisphere and PNW hops with a blend of citrus, stonefruit, and herbaceous notes. // 6.80% ABV
Takeaways: We used biscuit malt in this brew, creating a dynamic combination of malts and hops. Enigma, Simcoe, Chinook, and Nelson Sauvin showcase the very best of both the Pacific Northwest and the Southern Hemisphere, making this IPA a focus on balanced hop and malt aromas.
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit Peel • Spring Pine • Squall
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: American IPA
The classic IPA style originating in America has evolved less than other substyles. Moderate to heavy malt presence with a balance of citrus, herbal, pine, and floral hop flavors and aromas most commonly. It is fuller-bodied than West Coast IPAs and has an assertive bitterness that balances malt sweetness. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 3/29
Rocky Shores IPA // American IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beer is: Sticky Hands Beer Pageant
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
Series: DAB Lab
Release Date: April 12th
Highlight: The next beer in our returning DAB Lab program uses a new hop product from Yakima Chief Hops. Called YCH 702, it’s designed for use on the hot side of brewing to amplify survivable compounds and aromatics in the finished beer. If you were wondering, DAB stands for “Dank A$$ Beer.” This series has historically been used to experiment with new and cutting-edge hop products, which tend to find their way into our other beers if we like how they operate.
CBC IPA // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 19th in-house and at the Craft Brewers Conference in Las Vegas, NV, April 21st-24th, at Crosby’s booth
Highlight: This draft-only beer was made to showcase Crosby’s CGX product line, a cryogenic technology that separates lupulin from whole-hop cones to deliver concentrated lupulin pellets jam-packed with resins and oils. CBC IPA (or “Crosby Block 15 Collab” IPA) uses Estate Grown Comet CGX, which carries aromas of tropical/fruit, citrus, and floral.
Pink Boots Collab // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: We’ll be brewing this beer on March 29th at the Tap Room with the Willamette Valley Pink Boots chapter, which J Pascoe, one of our Brewers, is co-leader of. This year’s collaboration will focus on a bright West Coast-style IPA made with Chinook, Nelson, and potentially El Dorado hops.
Sol Fresco // Mexican Lager
Series: Perennial
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: Sol Fresco is one of our seasonal lagers, which balances gentle corn sweetness, light hop bitterness, and aroma with a crisp, clean finish. And it’s Lagered by the Sun.
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!
Beer 101: Rocky Shores and the Potential of IPA
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
The Pacific Northwest, in the grand scheme of things, is a really young region regarding food and beverage production. Many places in the world where culture has been established for far longer have their own regional identity surrounding what and how they eat and drink. Think about places like Champagne and Burgundy in France, Basque in Spain, Bavaria, the Mediterranean, Latin America, India, etc. They are all known for their foods and beverages. Here, we have incredible ingredients at our disposal and really passionate, talented people making amazing food and drink, but if I asked you what food the Northwest is famous for, how would you answer? We know that we make great beer here, and I don’t think that is going to change, so my question is: what beer will the Willamette Valley and the Pacific Northwest be famous for in 100 years?
My guess is something like Rocky Shores. This beer doesn’t subscribe to nomenclature like East Coast or West Coast. It isn’t a hazy, it isn’t a brut, and it doesn’t follow the guidelines to be lumped in with any kind of fad. We’re labeling it as an American IPA simply because it is the style that has the widest open guardrails and affords us the most creative room to work. This is a really good beer, just for the sake of really good beer.
We used Biscuit Rye Malt in the mash on this to lend depth and spice, creating a balanced IPA that has more going for it than just hop character. The malt here is more than just a backbone to support hops. Not to say that the hops aren’t going to be a huge player in this, too. Chinook, Simcoe, Enigma, and Nelson Sauvin hops used in the dry hop and boil lend a stirring aroma to this beer that has a ton of personality and complexity. I think it’s especially cool because using old favorites and Southern Hemisphere hops creates a feeling of familiarity with a touch of mystery and wonder. I am really excited about this beer, but I’m also excited about what this beer represents. I think a balanced IPA that defies the boundaries set up by hype-ey style guidelines is what we will be famous for here in the future. Once we have perfected IPA and built a regional identity around it, Rocky Shores is close to what I imagine it will look like. Drinkable, digestible, complex, balanced, and defiant, this beer is one to get excited about.
From the Executive Chef
April’s Monthly Specials!
The pub will launch our April specials on Wednesday, April 3rd, and the taproom will launch theirs the next day due to being closed Wednesday to refinish the floors!
PUB UPDATES
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. Deep Dive 3/13/24
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
Reminder that Happy Hour food is for in-house only, not to-go.
The Corral is coming back! We will have more details in the weeks to come to share with you all and our guests, so stay tuned! For now, if you have any questions, please feel free to check in with me (Goody).
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Please check-in with a server before taking over a large table for just yourself during open hours!
Happy hour beers: when ringing in 2+, you still only get $1 off that entire order. Send the first one, repeat, then discount again to make sure the customer gets the discount they deserve. Also, keep in mind that the happy hour button disappears when happy hour ends (there is a 5 min buffer) so make sure to ring in happy hour beers when you pour them.
Please refrain from placing dirty glassware or dishes on the bar counter regardless if customers are sitting there or not. Take dishes directly to the kitchen, set them on the dirty glassware racks, bus tubs, etc. The bar top needs to remain a clean space that is welcoming for customers.
Please make sure to check in with the kitchen staff before clocking out. Offer to run some dishes through, take out recycling, and ensure that everything is up to date menu-wise (it’s always good to check in regarding numbers and whether 86ed items are back)
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
Upcoming Events
March 27th - Piroshky Piroshky Pick up 4-6 pm
April 22nd - Opening full summer hours and Earth Day
Bakery Highlight
Ciabatta/Tuscan Chicken Sandwich! There is some fun history for this one, please see this doc for more information!
Caves Updates
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.
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 FIVE SECTION
Griffin Dorris - Griffin is always positive and a joy to work with! He is always willing to help out wherever needed and makes the work day so enjoyable!
Josh S.G. - Josh has been absolutely killing his prep shifts lately and stepping up to help anyone who needs it if a lead isn't present. You're doing amazing Josh!!!
Barb Haberkern - She does a great job, and I enjoy working with her!
Wyatt Dabbs - Just a nice person who works hard--we appreciate you :)
Wyatt Dabbs - What a ray of sunshine. He's got a great attitude regardless of how busy we are and is the first to offer to help out. Thanks for being a joy to work with!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Connor Meissner (Caves BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Corner awareness: don’t just say “corner” use the mirrors and spatial awareness to see if a fellow coworker or a customer is going around the corner too.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10am - 1pm
Tuesday: Tap Room 1- 4pm
Thursday: Pub 1 - 4pm
Friday: Tap Room 10am - 1pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine out for Corvallis Environmental Center - April 9th
Our next Dine-out will be on April 9th with the Corvallis Environmental Center (CEC)! They will also be tabling at our Taproom from 5-7 p.m., so come by and say hi! A portion of our food sales will go directly to CEC to help fund their efforts in our community. Let our customers know that they are playing a part in helping the community on April 9th!
About CEC:
Corvallis Environmental Center (CEC) is a community-based educational nonprofit that has prioritized partnerships to implement programs to address community needs since 1994. CEC's mission is to create a healthy, sustainable community. We do this through pre-K through 8th environmental education, Farm to School programs, youth leadership development, teacher training, and food security.
CEC’s programs include after-school programs, summer camps, NaturePlay preschool in Avery Park, and classroom education and field trips in partnership with school districts in Benton and Linn Counties. We offer family programs and events, including summer concerts and a fall film festival, and operate a 1-acre demonstration and education garden in Starker Arts Park known as SAGE. The food grown at SAGE is donated to those in need through our social service partner agencies.
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!