Internal Brewsletter - August 30th, 2023
General
Employee Provision:
We’re looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 9/1
Sticky Hands, High Five: Hop Experience Ale // An even stickier, ickier version of our iconic Hop Experience Ale, we turned up the dank herb and sticky tropical with five of our favorite hop varieties. Featuring Azacca, Talus, Galaxy, Mosaic and Citra.// 5.50% ABV
Takeaways: Five extra dank, extra tropical hop varieties make a playful combo in this long returning Sticky Hands variant. We brewed this one using our new PNW pilsner silo to reinforce those light honey notes, where perceivable sweetness balances the dank intensity.
Tasting Notes: Candied Mango. Pine Resin. Elevated Perspective.
Series: Orbital
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 8/25
Sticky Hands High Five // Hop Experience Ale
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Topwire 2, Fresh Flow (Taproom Only)
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Fresh Hop Gloria! // Pilsner
Blue Truck // American Premium Lager
C-Hops // American IPA
Fresh Catch // Fresh Hop IPA
Fresh Hop Nugg Hugg // Fresh Hop Hazy IPA
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: Oktoberfest (The Festival)
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Originating in 1810 to commemorate the wedding of the Bavarian Prince Ludwig to Princess Therese of Sachen-Hildurghausen, Oktoberfest has grown into the largest beer festival in the world. Held every year (minus a few exceptions), Munich Oktoberfest lasts 16 to 18 days from the end of September to the beginning of October and hosts about 6 million visitors a year. Largely just called “Wiesn” now, which means “the meadow,” it is held in the 77-acre Theresienwiese in Munich, a sprawling park that hosts only six breweries (Paulaner, Spaten, Löwenbräu, Augustiner-Bräu, Staatilches Hofbräu-München, and Hacker-Pschorr-Bräu), each with their own tent which reaches up to 10,000 seats.
As was discussed last week, there have been many different beer styles available at Oktoberfest. Currently, Festbier is the king. Designed to be a pale lager, it is lighter and easier to consume than the traditional Marzen. That’s not to say you won’t find Marzen there, or other styles. Many different beers are served at Oktoberfest, somewhere around 6.5 million Liters of it each year. It’s not just about the beer, Oktoberfest is a full-on folk festival with food and cultural events as well as an amusement park, it is similar to the feel of a state fair but larger than even the largest state fairs in the U.S.
The event is so popular that smaller Oktoberfests are held all over the world, from Brazil to Vietnam. The largest Oktoberfest in the United States is Oktoberfest Zinzinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio, which hosts about 500,000 people annually. Oregon hosts several Oktoberfest celebrations, including our own, Bloktoberfest.
Bloktoberfest was first held in 2009 and ran continuously until 2020 when it was canceled due to the Pandemic. We typically sell between 3,000 and 4,000 tickets. 2023 marks the first time since the Pandemic that we’ve been able to hold this event, and we’re all working hard to make sure the experience lives up to previous Bloktoberfests.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
We have more of the cup covers that have arrived, so please use these instead of using a to-go soup cup as a lid cover.
With all of the little leaves falling, we are noticing some nice “nature confetti”. Take a moment to hokey the carpets in downtime if you notice a bunch of tiny leaves.
We all have moments where we want to check in, socialize, and say hello, but we should keep these times short and not have them in customer facing areas. If you are at the host stand, no employee should have their back to the door. This is where we greet our guests and we need to be ready to greet them with a smile, not our backs.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Clarification on our Block 15 Cider. We can do GROWLER fills of it but CANNOT do Crowlers. There is a button for a growler fills in toast.
A reminder that broken glass goes in the dumpster and empty bottles or other glass items go in the glass recycle, be careful not to throw full bottles into the recycle so they stay intact!
Please keep the cocktail mini fridge between 37-40 degrees, anything cooler and the back of the fridge will ice over and keep it from maintaining the right temperature.
Caves UPDATES
This week’s big focus is Damage Control. Sarah, Patrick and Goody have spent time revamping our Damage Control Doc which can be found in the Newsletter, as well as put together a concrete plan for what needs to be done when something goes wrong. You’ll each get a rundown of what the expectations are so we can make sure we are always crushing it.
New beers and a new wine on the horizon! While there will be more info in the Newsletter, what we have coming down the pipeline is as follows:
Juice Jr → pFriem Hazy IPA
pFriem Japanese Lager → Ayinger Oktoberfest
Tripel Karmeliet is sticking around for another round–she popular!
ColdFire Pale Ale → Sunriver Rippin’ NW Pale Ale
Ovum EZ TYGER → Illahe 2021 Pinot Noir by the glass
Events
Bloktoberfest 2023
More information is available and going out to the public this week. Please refer to the Bloktoberfest HUB for the most up to date information.
Dates/times:
October 6th from 4-11pm
October 7th from 12pm-11pm
Pre-Sale Packages (sale starts 9/11):
Half Liter $25
Full Liter $35
Regular Admission $5 for those 13+
Music & Entertainment
Schedule is listed on the HUB, go check it out!
HIGH FIVE SECTION
None this week! Keep the good times rollin’!
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If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Maya Greydanus (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
When it comes to food allergies it’s important to follow the 4 R’s: Refer the food allergy concern to the department manager or person in charge, Review the food allergy with the customer and check ingredient labels, Remember to check the preparation procedure for potential cross-contact and Respond to the customer and inform them of your findings.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine Out! Elakha Alliance - September 12th
On September 12th, a portion of sales from both Block 15 locations will be donated to help support Elakha Alliance.
About: Sea otters are a keystone species whose predation and behavior have a profound effect on the mix of species around it. In their absence, Oregon’s marine ecosystem has suffered, becoming ecologically less robust.
The Elakha Alliance was formed in 2018 by tribal, nonprofit, and conservation leaders with a shared belief in a powerful vision: an Oregon coast 50 years from now where our children and grandchildren co-exist along with a thriving sea otter population and a robust and resilient marine ecosystem.
Their mission: To restore a healthy population of sea otters to the Oregon coast and to thereby make Oregon’s marine and coastal ecosystem more robust and resilient.
Elakha (ee-LAK-uh) is a Chinook trading language word for sea otter, which were once plentiful in Oregon’s coastal waters.
Representatives from Alakha Alliance - Oregon will be on-site at our Southtown Tap Room from 5-7 pm, providing more information about our organization. Stop by and say hello!
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!