Internal Brewsletter - May 29th, 2024
General
NCAA regionals this weekend
OSU Baseball is hosting the NCAA Regionals tournament this weekend! There will be 3 visiting schools and their fans in town. There's going to be at least 6 games throughout the weekend, the first two on Friday are at 1pm and 6pm. Depending on how the games play out they could go all the way till Monday evening. Be prepared for more traffic in town, give yourself a few extra minutes for getting to and from work and be ready to see some busy pops throughout the weekend!
Beer Tasting with the Brewers - every other Thursday
Next tasting is this Thursday, 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 - last Chance
Last chance for Employee Group Ride 4pks! This week is the last week to snag some tasty Group Ride cans! $8.40/4pk for employees and no other discounts are applicable.
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 Gavin! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Chopped Pork Torta.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Bottles
Releasing Friday 5/31
Cassidy //
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. // 8.40%
Key Takeaway: A lovely and robust wild farmhouse ale, Cassidy finishes pleasantly dry, with a floral kick. A unique staple in our wild lineup.
Tasting Notes: Floral • Rustic • Celebratory
Format: Draft & Bottles
Series: Cellars
Beer Style: Wild Ale with Honey, Hibiscus and Rose Petals
COMING UP ON DRAFT
Releasing Friday 5/31
Cassidy // Wild Ale with Honey, Hibiscus and Rose Petals
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 beers are: Vital Vibe (both) and The Beer Walker (Pub only)
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Fresh Flow // IPA
Series: Perennial
Releases: June 7th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Ready to float into the finest beer dispensers around the Pacific Northwest, this summertime IPA features a soft malt base beneath a tidal wave of exotic tropical and juicy citrus hop varietals.
Summer Knights // Kolsch
Series: Perennial
Releases: June 7th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Brewed as the MVP for the season roster, celebrate the warm season under stadium lights with a cold one. Crisp hops and smooth malts make this brew the perfect choice for any occasion.
Alumni Club: Portland Chapter // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy, Collaboration with Lazy Days Brewing
Releases: June 7th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Welcoming a new member annually, the Alumni Club celebrates the OSU's lasting impact on the brewing industry. This year, we are working with the crew at Lazy Days Brewing in Portland OR. This sessionable West Coast IPA has a crisp body paired with a refreshing blend of hop characters like pine, grapefruit, and citrus.
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: Pub Brewing
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
If you work at the Pub, you may have noticed an increased presence of our brew team on-site. Folks who have worked there for a while may remember when there were brewers working at the pub every day, but during the pandemic, we were forced to redirect our attention to the production brewery for a host of reasons. That’s in the past now, and we are going to get that place back up and spinning like a top!
We are going to use the pub to brew old favorites that we can't justify brewing 20 barrels of at the taproom but just can't live without, as well as new and experimental beers that are a fundamental part of Block 15 Brewing's culture.
Brewing at the pub is exciting to me because it’s so visible to the public and engages us with new faces on the street. It allows us to meet folks who only work downtown that we wouldn’t get face time with otherwise. The pub has changed a lot over the years, but in many ways, it’s the same place where many of us brewed our first batch. It’s going to allow us to continue learning and changing, and for that, I’m grateful.
This week we’ve got two exciting brews taking place in the old house. Wednesday 5/29, Brewer J is whipping up some Horchata Cream Ale, a recipe of their own that they developed during their time brewing in Philadelphia, representing new beer that sounds so good that it simply must be brewed. Then, on Thursday 5/30, founding brewer Nick is brewing Cassidy, a beer he brews every year to commemorate the birth of his oldest daughter of the same name. Make sure to pop your head into the brewhouse, say hi, and ask questions.
From the Executive Chef
Strawberry Bell replacing Carrot Cake Bell
This Wednesday 5/30, the Carrot Cake Bell will be replaced by the Strawberry Bell!
Oregon strawberry cake with a fluffy cream cheese filling. This update to a childhood classic is then topped with a classic swirl and a fresh strawberry. $8
With this coming out, please reference the dessert photos displayed in both kitchens for proper garnishing of the berries for both the bell and cheesecake!
MONTHLY SPECIALS for June!
Pub and TR monthly specials go live NEXT WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5th. We had to switch the date due to a bit of a strawberry shortage! I am also pivoting from the fried pickles until we can get the cucumbers locally from Beene Farms, who we have always loved featuring for this dish! We will instead have our tahini baba ganoush featuring veggies from both Riverland Family Farm and Groundwork Organics out of the Eugene area! Over the next week please read through the descriptions and procedures so you are ready to go!
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
Tahini Baba Ganoush-Roasted Eggplant, garlic and tahini dip served with Riverland Family Farms’ snap peas and Groundwork Organics cucumbers & radishes, red bell peppers and house baked flatbread.$11.99
Citrus Berry Salad GTF’s salad greens, creamy citrus-parmesan vinaigrette, roasted sunflower seeds, fresh local berries, radishes, basil & pickled 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
Though the weather isn’t exactly summer ready right now, the Corral is up and ready to go! As our Focus Point says, and as was stated in a Sling message, we will need to communicate and all be on the same page to be successful! A manager will let you know when the Corral is staffed by a server, and when it is bar service so that we can confidently guide our guests. We will also have signs on each Corral table that will need to be flipped depending on the service that we are giving. There may also be times where we slate 100’s as bar service and staff the Corral, but again, this will all be communicated to those on the floor. When it’s not too hot, folks often want to sit out in the sun, not the shade so this will allow us to seat the most desirable sections.
We have added a new container of allergy medicine, some insect bite/sting treatment, and electrolyte/hydration mix packets in the first aid kit by the office. If you need something, check it out! If we are running low on an item or if you can think of something else that would be helpful, ask a manager to help pass it onto someone who can place an order.
Pub Focus Points
ALL: Flow Awareness & Feedback–We'll be figuring out the Corral and how that affects sections and the flow. Keep an eye out for pinch points and communicate those with your float/manager on staff so we can evaluate. Please keep feedback constructive.
FOH: Corral Communication Awareness–Let’s make sure that we are aware when the Corral is bar service vs server and communicating this to guests correctly. We’ll need to make sure that we are all on the same page and communicating well to avoid any confusion for customers.
LINE: Proper Scoop Cleaning Awareness! Scoops have not been getting adequately cleaned. Keep in mind that banh mi scoops will need to be scrubbed before entering the dishwasher. If there's pork residue left on a scoop, that renders the whole scoop bucket unsanitary.
PREP: Do a Project You Haven’t Done in A While Awareness!It’s time to do a project that you haven't done in a while. Burgers? Chicken? SV? Smoker stuff? Closing dish? Any small project you haven't gotten a chance to do yet? Go ahead and try it out!
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
If you take the last of something (cider cans, liquor, ginger beer, toilet bowl cleaner bottles, etc.) make sure to leave a note in the communication log so a manager can order more and please make sure to grab the empty box or container, don't leave it empty.
Make sure we are dating items correctly. Whenever backing something out (like smix, raz van syrup, sauces, etc) Make sure you put the date from when the original thing was made not when you backed it out.
We are in the works of getting some N/A Cosmic Crisp Cider cans from 2Towns to add to our N/A offerings. It will still be for +21 ages only.
Keep getting feedback from yourself and customers on our new menu items and make sure you are writing it on the log in the kitchen! And also take note if people are missing something that is no longer on the menu too.
Please keep the dirty keg area tidy! The brewers have requested that we keep the back area where we stack used/empty kegs tidier, so they aren’t having to interact with it when on the brewery floor. Try to stack & organize kegs as best you can to keep the shared space as clean and tidy as possible! Break down extra flats/boxes, keep personal items on the cart or up in the break room, etc.
Please make sure we are consistently keeping the water cups separate from pints and 10oz glassware in the dirty racks. Pints and 10oz go in the top red/blue rack and plastic/metal water cups go in the bottom shelf red/blue rack.\
Let’s make sure we are spot sweeping/mopping throughout the day and thoroughly sweeping/mopping at night, especially under the bar seats and tables!
Tap Room Focus Points
ALL: Please triple check or have a 2nd person check the walk-in before 86ing anything. All wine bottles live on the same shelf as the ice tea, smix, and cellar bottles. Back up desserts live on the bottom right of the packaged beer shelving.
FOH: Staying informed! Please make sure you know and are talking to guests about upcoming TR events, menu changes, beer releases, etc! Hype up with guests and use it as a way to turn a negative situation into a positive (a food item they love is gone but you can spin that if you know what tasty new stuff is coming out)
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
Spring/Summer Trivia! Thursday, May 30th
5:30-8pm Hosted by Ian!
Teams up to 6 people, tables are first come first serve
Corvallis Knights Season Ticket pickup Monday, June 3rd
5-7pm about ~50 people
The Knights will have a table set up outside for folks to pick up their season ticket packets and will also be giving each person a drink voucher to redeem at the register. (they will all go on a Knights tab they will pay for at the end)
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
Molly Branstetter - She always has a positive attitude and can make you you laugh during the longest shifts. You rock girly pop!
Jack Kellems - So positive, great communication, and aware of kitchen needs (stocking plates, grabbing fifos). Thank you!
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:
Brittany Bernstien (BOH)
Cora Priest (BOH)
Piper Winder (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Make sure to keep any areas that have been taped off clear of debris or other items. These areas have been taped off as a safety precaution and it is vital that those spaces are kept clear.
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
The People’s Pint - Month of June
For the month of June, we will be hosting a People’s Pint Tap! What is a People’s Pint Tap you ask? For the whole month, we dedicate a portion of proceeds from a beer (or tap space) that goes directly toward an organization! This includes packaged and draft sales from the beer of choice.
People’s Pint Tap beer: Gloria!
Organization: Ocean Blue Project
A grassroots 501c3 nonprofit organization with a compelling mission – to rehabilitate and conserve the world’s oceans, beaches, and rivers. We work to keep pollutants from entering ecosystems through the recovery of plastics from ocean, beach, and river clean-ups, solutions, collaborative community-driven service learning projects, and youth education. Our commitment to a cleaner, healthier ecosystem drives our work, and we empower individuals and communities to join us in this vital mission.
Beach Clean-Up - June 30th 11 am - 1 pm
With that, we will be hosting a beach clean-up in Newport, OR (at Nye Beach) on June 30th to celebrate World Ocean’s Day and do our part in cleaning up our beach! This is our 3rd year in a row doing this and it is a fun way to get outside and help our environment!
Date: June 30th
Time: 11 am - 1 pm
Location: Nye Beach
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!