Internal Brewsletter - May 22nd, 2024
General
Sticky Vortex Limits
There will be a THREE 4pk limit per person on Sticky Vortex Cans at both locations for at least the first week of them being released!
Beer Tasting with the Brewers - every other Thursday
Next tasting is 5/30/24 @ 4pm in the Game Room at the downtown Pub. Come join us to taste through beers, discuss our beers, brewing, or any other related topics you have questions about. A casual session anyone is welcome to attend.
If you have an interesting bottle of beer you would like to taste/share bring it in. First beer is on us for anyone attending.
Group Ride Employee Sale - Get them before they’re gone
We’re still running a sale at both locations to push Group Ride 4 packs! Cost is $ 8.40 per 4 pack for employees ONLY. Deal only available for 4 pack purchases (AKA no single cans, must buy a 4 pack) Sale good until end of May. Available at either location. NO employee 25% discount due to them already being discounted. Thanks - Ian
Fluffhead T-shirt Order!
Hi folks! I’m ordering Fluffhead T-shirts. These shirts are coming from Comfort Colors (the same shirts as our Lagered by the Sun but without the pocket). I want to allow staff to purchase one if they want at cost! Shirts will be around $19.50 - Kelsea
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 Corndog(Connor)! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Corndog’s Corndog.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Cans
Releasing Friday 5/24
Sticky Vortex //
Description: Part two of our collaboration with Fort George Brewing, this brew pulls you into a pine, citrus, and diesel vortex crafted with the best parts of two iconic IPAs: Vortex and Sticky Hands. // 7.70%
Key Takeaway: Brewed in collaboration with our friends over at Fort George, Sticky Vortex is our version of the mashup of our 2 flagship beers, Sticky Hands and Vortex.
Tasting Notes: Diesel • Ripe Kiwi • Kaleidoscope
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Synergy
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.
Oregona //
Description: Named for a historic sternwheeler, and made to benefit the Friends of Historic Butteville. We collaborated with The Oregon Hophouse to feature 2b, McKenzie, and Anchor hops; all varieties from their breeding program. // 7.40%
Key Takeaway: Collaboration with organic hop pioneer Oregon Hophouse, designed to showcase the history of Oregon's esteemed hop industry.
Tasting Notes: Honeydew • Navel Orange • Locality
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Synergy
Beer Style: IPA
COMING UP ON DRAFT
Releasing Friday 5/24
Sticky Vortex // West Coast IPA
Oregona // 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: The Beer Walker
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Cassidy // Wild Ale with Honey, Hibiscus and Rose Petals
Series: Cellars
Releases: May 31st
Format: Draft & Bottles
Description: Inspired by Nick & Kristen’s daughter, Cassidy is matured in Sauternes wine barrels and conditioned on spring flowers and honey from her grandpa's hive. Blended every spring since 2015, each bottle contains a portion of all previous years' blends.
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
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 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. The next tasting is Thursday, May 30th at 4 pm!
Beer 101: Double Collab Week!
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
This week we’re releasing two different collaboration brews! Sometimes I get asked, “Why would we collaborate with our competitors?” My favorite part about the brewing industry is how rarely we look at anyone in the field in that light. It’s far more productive to look at fellow breweries as friends and comrades than strictly competitors. Collaborations are an important part of the modern brewing industry, as they keep ideas fresh and allow for the sharing of ideas outside the brewery. They build and strengthen relationships within the industry. They also provide new market opportunities for both businesses, and they’re just really fun to do! A well-planned collaboration should be a big win for all involved. Look for anything in our Synergy series to experience collaborations between Block 15 and our favorite breweries and businesses.
The first collaboration release this Friday is Oregona IPA. We brewed this beer for the second year in a row with The Oregon Hophouse. They offer Oregon Tilth-certified organic hops grown on the Leavy farm. The Leavys have owned their farm since 1912 and have been growing hops there since the 1920s. They planted on French Prarie near Butteville, which would become one of the oldest hop-growing regions in Oregon. The Oregona was a sternwheel ship that was used to ferry hops up and down the Willamette before roads were as pervasive as they are now. They utilize farm compost, cover crops to inhibit weeds and introduce natural predators to control pests. They are a pioneer and shining example of organic farming and produce some of the finest organic hops in the world. We’re proud to brew the beer they serve. Look for an assertive, melon-forward hop character on the palate with an aroma unique among Block 15’s IPAs.
The second collab release this week is Sticky Vortex. We brewed it in collaboration with our longtime friends at Fort George Brewery. Our CEO Nick and Director of Brewery Ops Matt traveled to Astoria to share ideas and design a pair of beers showcasing the best of our favorite IPAs from both breweries, Sticky Hands and Vortex IPA. That day, they brewed Vortex Hands and about a month later we brewed Sticky Vortex. It was a really cool experiment; while the beers are not identical recipes, they used the same ratio of ingredients. The same amount of grain and hops went into both beers, but we used ours and they used theirs. I think it’s a really great beer, with a nice kiwi, clementine, and diesel hop character, high quality of bitterness, and clean experience all around.
Let me know what you think about the releases on Friday, and if you have any questions or ideas for sweet collaborations, hit me up at garrison@block15.com I appreciate any and all of the feedback that I get.
From the Executive Chef
TAPROOM MENU UPDATES!
Wednesday May 22nd we have two new sandwiches on the menu! We are also no longer serving wings at the taproom. I know this is a tough one, but we will still have them downtown! See the linked doc to be armed with all the knowledge on these new items and what they are replacing.
MONTHLY SPECIALS for June!
Pub and TR monthly specials go live next Wednesday, 5/29!
PUB
Peanut & Ginger Chicken Sandwich-Soy and ginger marinated & grilled chicken thigh, sesame-napa cabbage slaw, house peanut & red curry sauce, and mayo on a toasted baguette. $14.99
Fried Pickles House pickled Beene Farm cucumbers, beer battered and fried to perfection. Served with spicy tomato ranch. $9.99
Lemon & Parmesan Kale Salad Julienned GTF’s lacinato kale, lemon parmesan vinaigrette, roasted sunflower seeds, fresh Riverland Family Farms’ strawberries, radishes & red onion. $12.99
TAPROOM
Strawberry-Chipotle Burger NW beef burger, Riverland Family Farms’ strawberry & chipotle sauce, melted brie cheese, crisp lettuce & sweet onion on a toasted brioche bun. $17.99
Strawberry & Chevre Bruschetta Toasted baguette with creamy chevre cheese, Riverland Family Farms’ strawberries & basil and balsamic glaze. $11.99
PUB UPDATES
Pub Focus Points
ALL: HOSPITALITY FOCUS–Positive Communication! No negative conversations about guests/service/staff on the floor whether on or off shift. No congregating at the host stand, and keep personal conversations light & to a minimum. Goody has sent out a message to everyone on Sling with more details pertaining to this focus, and it is a requirement to read.
FOH: Bussing Silverware to Dish Awareness–Be sure to continuously check & bring all the full dirty silverware containers to the dish pit so we can clean silverware as often as possible–it’s a pain to run out of clean utensils during a rush! Also, please only use the plastic ⅓ pans filled with pre-soak at the bus stations.
LINE: Bread Firing Awareness! Let's make sure we are prioritizing firing bread first when a ticket walks in so that the bread has enough time in the oven to become hot & crispy.
PREP: Closing List Completion! Be sure to sign off on the things you have done/are doing, and double check the list before you leave for the day.
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. Food & Beverage Discovery 5/15/24
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We now have small blue carabiners that will live on the ends of the patio tables (near the bottom leg area) for folks to easily clip dog leashes to. This is just to help be more convenient and know that your dog is secure to the table if you need to pop inside or just for ease of mind and make our patio even more dog friendly.
We will be replacing chicken wings on the happy hour menu with a 1/2 size clam dip for the time being
Reminder on House Comp Discounts: This button should only be used for when you have been informed AHEAD of time that we are taking care of someone's food, drink, package beer tab. EX: Williams tells you that the head brewer from Fort George is coming in for dinner tomorrow and he wants to cover their first round of drinks. You would house comp off those drinks since we knew we were taking care of them. Any other comps for damage control, employee appreciation, etc. should be manager item off or manager amount off.
Alabama Bbq and pesto will be leaving as sauce options with the menu change this week
Please make sure you have read Goody’s sling message about personal conversations in customer facing areas! It is on us to hold each other accountable and make sure we are keeping a positive workplace environment for us all to work and thrive together as a team.
Apricot Cosmic Crisp cans will go into rotation and on the menu this Friday!
Tap Room Focus Points
FOH: Keep up the great work! Thank you all for being so flexible, hardworking, and keeping up our hospitality standards over the last couple of weeks. We have a super awesome strong crew right now and each of you are so appreciated! As we get into summer, let's hit the ground running and keep it up!
ALL: Menu changes! Make sure you are aware of items that are coming and going! This will be continuing to happen consistently over the next couple of weeks so it is important to stay up to date and communicate with each other and customers as needed in a positive way!
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
May 23rd 5:30-7 - Tour n Taste and the Taproom! Guided Brewery tours are back!
3 tour times offered 5:30, 6, 6:30 - show up at your time slot of choice!
A small bite created by Sarah will be paired with Vital Vibe to taste
Ages 21 and over
Spring/Summer Trivia! Thursday, May 30th
5:30-8pm Hosted by Ian
Bakery Highlight: Bier Bread Pretzel
The bier pretzel recipe comes to us from our fearless leader Nick Arzner! He researched pretzel recipes and made test batches at home before handing it off to our fledgling little bakery back in the early days. Blocktoberfest 2009 spurred the idea, and the resulting product was kept on the menu at Caves when she originally opened in 2011. To quote the recipe, in regards to shaping the dough, "Every pretzel should have a smile".
Pretzels have a rich history in the beer world, originating in south Germany in the 6th or 7th century. Here is a good article about the history of the beer pretzel!
When the taproom opened in 2015, since we moved our bakery operations from the pub to the new space, we thought the pretzel would be a wonderful addition to the menu as a quick fire taproom item and as a way to really highlight the bakery! And then it quickly hopped onto the menu at the pub!
Pretzel is a fantastic vegetarian option, but it does contain butter so it is not a vegan offering.
Interesting Facts & Tidbits About our Pretzel from Lindsey!
In a world where soft pretzels aren't hard to find on pub menus, I think ours stand out as exceptional amongst a sea of bland, dry, bready offerings. What sets our pretzels apart from less tasty counterparts out there? It could be the fact that we use 100% Gloria! pilsner in place of any water (literally putting the "bier" in bier pretzel)! It's also thanks to the addition of a little whole wheat flour (from our friends at Camas Country Mill). And it's most certainly helped by all the butter in the dough, not to mention the melted butter that's brushed on top at time of service. Once everything is mixed into a smooth dough, it gets a slow rise in the fridge overnight.
Perhaps the most impactful step in our pretzel-making process is the two-stage cooking method. Akin to bagels, our shaped pretzels get dipped in a boiling baking soda solution prior to going in the oven. This chemical reaction results in a beautiful dark brown color, a slightly chewy crust, and more pronounced flavor in the end.
These days we make pretzels for all 3 locations and they are in production most bake days. They require following a lot of steps, but it's a labor of love. At this point we could all make pretzels in our sleep. If we had to. Don't actually take me up on that!
Try to highlight and/or suggest this item to 3 different customers per shift you work!
Caves Updates
2024 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.
Keep eyes up and out and move through the restaurant rather than just behind the bar when making loops. Offer to grab another beverage, refill waters, or pre-bus tables, even if they aren’t yours.
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
Annalee Anglin - She has been covering shifts left and right for people and it is extremely appreciated! She works really hard, does an amazing job, and is a true team player. Thank you so much Annalee for being so wonderful, we are lucky to have you!<3
Danny Perston - Danny is always willing to go the extra mile to help out a coworker in any department and I think he's really coming into his own as a brewery manager. He also looked super cool on Wednesday in his cutoff sweatshirt and bandana. Tres chic.
Max & Kaidyn - Congratulations to Max for becoming a part of the FOH team at the pub! We can’t wait to see you bring your positive energy to the host stand and share that with our guests. Great job so far tackling your training shifts despite it being busy! You’ve been crushing it. And shout out to Kaidyn for being a great trainer. I was really impressed with your communication and calm energy when we picked up speed. You offered great tips and thorough conversations to ensure Max is set up for success! Awesome job. What an iconic duo!
Brana Drummond - Brana rocks. She has great service and is so knowledgeable about our products. I’m always impressed by her ability to handle a really busy section and communication to take on more tables. Also she’s a beast when it comes to food running. She always does an awesome job and I appreciate her being so efficient!
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:
Greg Barkley (Distro)
SAFETY TIPS
Fire Safety Emergency Planning: where is your evacuation meeting spot? If you have to evacuate the building for any reason, such as a fire, the Pub and Caves’ meeting location is the Jefferson Place parking lot on the corner of 4th and Jefferson. The Tap Room’s meeting spot is the sidewalk just to the south of the parking lot entrance by Willamette Graystone.
Office Hours
Monday: Tap Room 10 am - 1 pm, Pub 2 - 5 pm
Thursday: Tap Room 1-4 pm
Friday: Pub 1-4 pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Check back later!
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!