Internal Brewsletter - September 27th, 2023
General
Monthly Specials are coming Back NEXT WEEK!
Starting the first Wednesday of every month we will be featuring 2-4 specials at each location that are old favorites or exciting, new items to be highlighted for that month! This is a fantastic opportunity to get guests excited and enthusiastic about new, fresh things to try on our menu.
And the enthusiasm starts with YOU! We will be doing plenty of tasters that first week we are featuring to make sure everyone gets to try them and relay the goodness to the guests. I will also expect an abundance of food feedback from you all on these items, especially in the first few days/weeks.
When soliciting feedback, find ways to ask for specifics…something other than “it was great!” I have also included links to the line procedures for each item. BOH’ers, please look it over in detail before your first shift on or after the 4th so you are prepared and/or have your questions ready!
Pub Monthly Specials October 2023
El Padrino
Pepper Tree Sausage House chorizo, aleppo-lime roasted sweet potatoes, cilantro-jalapeno mayo, arugula and jalapeno kettle chips on house baked ciabatta bread. $15.99
Pork Schnitzel
Thinly pounded Carlton Farms pork cutlet, breaded and fried. Drizzled with brown butter pan sauce and served with apple compote and warm, house made German potato salad. $17.99
Taproom Monthly Specials October 2023
El Padrino
Pepper Tree Sausage House chorizo, aleppo-lime roasted sweet potatoes, cilantro-jalapeno mayo, arugula and jalapeno kettle chips on house baked ciabatta bread. $15.99
Brussel Sprouts & Squash
Roasted brussel sprouts & butternuts squash, shallot-dijon vinaigrette, Block 15 honey roasted hazelnuts, parmesan $9.99
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Travis! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Travis’ Burger Rancheros, Huevos Rancheros as a burger made with refried beans, pico, cheddar jack, and an egg.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 9/29
Squirrel Stash // An artistic brown ale brewed with a host of specialty malts and English yeast. Soft body and a malt profile with notes of toasted nuts, baker’s chocolate, and coffee with a dry finish. // 4.60% ABV
Takeaways: A classic style that was once on every craft brewery's taplist. It's just a comforting beer to drink.
Tasting Notes: Spun Sugar, Toasted Biscuit, Classic.
Series: Perennial
Story of the Ghost // A haunting offering brewed with bountiful hops shrouded by velvety grist. Be possessed by otherworldly hop flavor with notes of dank herbs, pine, and tropical delight to reanimate your soul. // 8.75% ABV
Takeaways: Featuring an elite blend of Chinook, Mosaic and Azacca hops, this bold beer is further bolstered by and hefty dose of Galaxy hops to really round out the Tropical Fruit character, complementing the pine and citrus expression already present. Story of the Ghost is a bold, balanced, and assertive hop-forward ale showcasing some of our all-time favorite hops in a well-rounded format. Now with 25% more ghosts!
Tasting Notes: Orange Marmalade. Fir Tips. Haunting.
Series: Orbital
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 9/29
Squirrel Stash // Brown Ale
Story of the Ghost // Hauntingly Hazy Pale Ale
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Sticky Hands High 5 and Low Voltage
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
SunShein // Helles Lager
Cheers to the Land // Pale Ale made in collaboration with Oregon Agricultural Trust
Specular Reflections // Belgian Dubbel
College // Cream Ale
Something Big and Resinous // Imperial IPA
Ol’ St Nick // Winter Warmer
Space Candy // 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: Brown Ales
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Brown ale was once a staple style to find on craft brewery draught lists but has fallen out of fashion in recent years. It’s deceptively light, with a dry finish that accentuates the toasty and nutty flavors imparted by the specialty malts. Low hopping rates and a low bitterness allow the subtlety of the malts to shine. I think of the style as being cozy and refreshing, the maltiness and smooth mouthfeel are perfect for these early fall days, but it’s dry enough that it can still be enjoyable on warmer days as well.
The term “brown ale” refers to a very broad spectrum of beers from German Altbiers to Belgian Bruins and American craft Brown ales. Squirrel stash represents the classic Northern English style of brown ale. The first British brown ales came out of the 18th century, with one of the most famous producers of Brown Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery, being founded in 1758 in Yorkshire. Their classic brown ale is sold in the United States as “nut brown ale.”
The most famous English Brown ale is Newcastle brown, first brewed in 1927. Newcastle rose to prominence as a direct competitor with the, then popular, pale ales of Burton-on-Trent we have written about previously. Newcastle’s great innovation wasn’t in beer production but in bottling technology. Their clear bottles became very popular and have maintained a spot in the United States market as well.
In 2023 Squirrel Stash is moving away from the British-sourced pale malt that it has been brewed with for years, instead, we are using PNW-grown and malted pale malt from Great Western. This is a part of our efforts to reduce our carbon footprint and highlight the fantastic malt available to us locally. We still use a fair amount of English specialty malts that are hard to replicate, as well as that classic English pub yeast that is so important to the aromatics of all English beer.
At 4.6% abv, Squirrel Stash is one of the lighter beers on our tap list. It is clear with a distinct brown color, elevated by brilliant ruby highlights reminiscent of Newcastle. It may appear heavy, but it is definitely an easy drinker.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
New cocktail this Friday to replace the Texas Sun:
Currant Mood
Buffalo Trace, Creme de Cassis, Lemon, Honey, Ginger Beer.
This will be served with a cinnamon sugar rim.
The tiny little leaves are back! Please hokey throughout the day to keep the floors looking as nice as possible.
Corral is being taken down on October 2nd to make way for Bloktoberfest! Since the outside seating needs to be down by October 31st, we will not put it back up after Blokotberfest.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
With rainy weather upon us, please make sure to not put the rocking chairs in the grass and to keep the high bar stools back a little farther towards the pillar to keep them from getting waterlogged!
Now that we are officially going into fall we will no longer need to use the outside water station. The outside bus station has moved to in front of the locked door of the patio door (across from inside water station)
Reminder about keg/corni fills: We only do orders for kegs and corni’s online (block15.com/kegs) no same day or day of orders/fills can be done. If anyone has any questions about kegs please give them my email (madie@block15.com). I am the only person who can make exceptions or give direct answers to questions!
Non-slips!! Please make sure you are wearing non-slip shoes at work anytime you are on the floor, in the kitchen, etc. You are welcome to leave them in a cubby if you don’t want/need to take them home. It is a requirement from the employee handbook so please reach out to Shelby in HR or any manager if you have any questions.
Caves UPDATES
Great notes on communication and service from this week, so check em out to see what we want to continue focusing on!
Kir Royale being added to the menu this week, along with the Saviah Sauvignon Blanc.
Marketing
Last week, the crew went up to Yakima, Washington, for hop selection! Every Fall, Block 15 and breweries from around the world make this trip to select hops for the following year. We showcase the hops we select in our Selection Series, but we also use these hops in the other beers we brew, such as Sticky Hands. This year, we selected 6 different hops based on aromatic characters and qualities that blend well with the direction we want our beers to go.
Events
Back to School at the Taproom 9/27
Faculty and Students will be bringing their ID’s to get a sweet discount on a Burger and Blue Truck for $13! Tell your friends!
Camp 15 at the Taproom 9/28
Live acoustic music from 6-8pm
Roast s'mores with a s'mores kit on a fire pit
Food in foil pack starting at 5pm
4pks of Flicker will be 10% off
Flicker pints $1 off 5-9pm
Bloktoberfest 2023
Volunteers Still Needed
We’re still looking for a few more volunteers for the event. If you or someone you know might be interested, share this link with them!
The signup cutoff is 5pm tomorrow, September 28th.
If you are able to volunteer, we would like to say thank you with a 2023 Bloktoberfest mug (1ltr or .5 ltr, empty), a Limited edition 2023 Bloktoberfest pin, free entrance and $50 in tokens for spending at Bloktoberfest/Block 15. If you volunteer for Sunday Clean-up then you will be offered the above but with $30 in tokens.
Sign Up / More Info: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090444ACAA2EAAF49-44425619-2023#/
Operating hours at each location during the event
Tap Room
Friday 11:30-4, Lunch service only & Saturday closed
Pub
Normal Hours both Friday & Saturday
Caves
Normal Hours both Friday & Saturday
Visit the Bloktoberfest Hub for all the deets on the event.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
All taproom employees and brewing staff - High fives to everyone that I work with at the taproom! I appreciate you all and I always look forward to work because of all of you wonderful, amazing people! It’s always fun to brag about how much I love my coworkers to customers!!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Welcome the following folks to the team!
Molly Branstetter (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
If the floor is wet due to rain or spills please make sure to use the wet floor sign and get the area cleaned up as quickly as possible.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Check back next week.
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!