Internal Brewsletter - February 14th, 2024
General
Valentine’s Day Specials
Valentine’s Day Love Potion #9 Crowler Sale! Both locations will be featuring $5 Crowlers of Love Potion #9 all day Wednesday, 2/14!
We also have a dessert special at the taproom today! $5 Love Potion #9 Coco Bells while supplies last (taproom only).
2024 Block 15 Vision & Aim
We are excited to share our overall 2024 vision for the company to create a united, impactful point of focus. Clarifying this aim allows us to communicate more specifically what we will achieve this year and how each of you is integral to that accomplishment.
Each of you is an essential and unique part of the Block 15 experience. We can share the vision, but it’s your individual and team contributions that really make the vision a reality.
Please review and genuinely consider your location’s objectives. I also ask that you review the other department’s objectives to understand what the rest of your team is working on. It’s pretty easy to see how we will move the needle on the Block 15 experience with our focused energies working on these objectives towards our 2024 aim.
Guided by the same company mission and vision for this year, we look forward to working together to move the needle on the Block 15 experience to exceptional!
- Kristen & Nick
Sling etiquette guide
Please limit social chat within Sling
While Sling is a great messaging service, we want to remember that it is for work communication only. Please keep all non-work-related communication to texting or other social media platforms.
Less is more
We want to limit communication to only conversations that are applicable to the people involved to cut down on communication overload. Keep in mind that everyone receives alerts over Sling and we don’t want to lose the efficiency of Sling by creating too many unnecessary notifications for people.
Keep messages and your profile professional
With any work-related communications, it’s important to remember that there is a certain etiquette to follow when creating messages. The tone doesn’t have to be formal, but remember that this is still a professional environment so all communication needs to be work-appropriate.
Your profile pic, should you add one, should also be appropriate for a work setting, meaning it should be family-friendly with no inappropriate language – written as text or as physical body language.
Failure to uphold these standards of conduct can lead to verbal or written warning and/or termination.
Clothing Donations for Vina Moses Center
Winter clothing donation for the Vina Moses Center has begun at the Taproom. Bring new or gently used clothing to the Taproom now until Sun Feb. 25th. Spread the word to customers! Help cap off the donation period at the Winter Warmup Fri 2/23- Sat 2/24!
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 Nicole! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Dill Pickle Chicken Salad Sandwich.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
Bourbon Month Events - Last but not least
Winter Warmup - February 23rd-24th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Taproom
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 2/16
Demo Tape - Side A // Side A of this demo tape features a dynamic duo of Talus, and HBC-586 presented as a refreshing West Coast IPA with a balance expressive of pungent citrus, tropical, resin, and dank herb hop notes. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: Side A is the same hop duo as Side B but balanced to present as a resinous west-coast IPA with a dry, snappy finish. HBC-586 is the star of this one, showing off the piney, dank herb and spice notes that balance with tropical fruit and citrus. Talus is there in support.
Tasting Notes: Peachie O's. Lychee. Recorded in Stereo.
Series: Emerging
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.
Demo Tape - Side B // Side B of this demo tape features a dynamic duo of Talus and HBC-586 but is presented as a juicy Hazy IPA with a balance expressive of bright tropical, citrus, dank herb, and sweet candy hop notes. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: Side B is the same hop duo as Side A but balanced to present as a juicy, Hazy IPA with a rich, creamy finish. Talus is the star of this one with the huge coconut and pineapple tropical notes this hop is known for, backed with citrus, floral, herbal, and sweet candy notes. HBC-586 is there in support.
Tasting Notes: Ruby Grapefruit. Blue Spruce. Recorded in Stereo.
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
An IPA sub-style originating in New England, it originally evolved from American IPA to have a lighter malt bill, that had a soft finish from adjuncts containing higher protein levels and water naturally high in Chloride. Early versions retained an assertive bitterness, but that mostly softened over time giving way to a soft, juicy beer with a big, sweet body that mostly featured fruit notes (citrus, tropical, stonefruit, red fruit, etc..). Some versions can contain pine or dank notes as well. Bitterness ranges from light to moderate, and body ranges from moderate to heavy. Hazy is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
The Incredible // This preposterously smooth Triple IPA is brewed with a duo of PNW-grown pale and pilsner malts and balanced by a bounty of our favorite hop varietals. Approachable but incredible. // 10.60% ABV
Takeaways: Revamped, reimagined and fully loaded. We took our classic Triple IPA and gave it the attention it deserves, focusing on a crisp, dry finish with intense hop aroma and dangerously smooth.
Tasting Notes: Resinous. Pineapple. Heavy Hitter
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Triple IPA
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 2/16
Demo Tape Side A // West Coast IPA
Demo Tape Side B // Hazy IPA
The Incredible // Triple IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Love Potion #9
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Charmed Life // Irish Red
Favorable Fortune // Irish Dry Stout
Flannel Fakeout // Northwest Pilsner
Group Ride // IPA
HEADHAZE // Imperial Hazy IPA (Collab with Moonraker Brewing)
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Beer 101: Demo Tape
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Once upon a time, before the pandemic, Block 15 made a collaboration beer with Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) for the KLCC Brewfest. That beer, which featured two experimental hops that were still just emerging from the Hop Breeding Company, was named Demo Tape in reference to the only two hops in it being still unnamed and in the R&D phase. Those two hops, HBC-692 and HBC-586, made a delightful IPA that was made to be draught-only at a time when draught-only beers were still very popular. We brought it back for another glance, but this time as a more detailed study of these two hops.
The HBC designation is given to hops from the Hop Breeding Company program before they are named. HBC was founded in 2003 as a collaborative effort between Yakima Chief Ranches (the hop breeding arm of YCH operations) and John I. Haas, Inc., a powerhouse in hop breeding, production, and processing for over a century. These hops undergo years of breeding and experimentation before they are released to the public and then years of scaling production before they are given more conventional names. Since January 2020, when Demo Tape was originally released, HBC-692 was named Talus and has been brought in to feature heavily in our recipe for Joy, our year-round Hazy Pale Ale. HBC-586 remains unnamed, but it’s been building notoriety among brewers this whole time and is a pretty widely loved product. These two hops are complementary but still maintain unique characteristics that made us reconsider what Demo Tape would look like when we brought it back.
We talk a lot about the creative side of recipe design with IPA substyles, what they mean, and how our perception of them changes. I know I’ve written about the shifting idea of what a West Coast or American IPA is. The hops you use in these styles are also constantly changing. We thought it would be fun to make two Demo Tapes, a ‘Side A’ and a ‘Side B,’ that feature only these two hop varieties but in different ratios, using different techniques, base styles, and malt compositions to create unique products. It’s very easy to bring in something new and make something exciting, but the real work in brewing is the minute details, the slow dialing in of products, and the steady experimentation that enlightens us on the obscure reactions between products that create completely unique drinking experiences.
Demo Tape ‘Side A’ is a west-coast IPA that features HBC-586 over Talus in a ratio of about 2:1. We have a crisp, unobtrusive malt profile that allows the hops to shine and give a dry, snappy finish. Demo Tape ‘Side B’ is a Hazy IPA and features Talus over HBC-586, also in a 2:1 ratio. It is rich and viscous, with a different hop profile, despite being made with the same two hops. Our hope is that these two products will be clearly distinguishable while carrying common notes that make them a fun pairing. We are always trying to create a fun experience. It’s beer, after all, our job is to help curate our customers' enjoyment.
PUB UPDATES
Make sure that you are taking every Creme Brulee out with a biscotti garnish!
All of the broken readers for the handhelds are officially fixed. Hopefully these are the last ones to be on the fritz for awhile, but if you come across more that are acting up, let a manager know so we can do some test fixes and see if they need to be replaced. Again, let’s treat these gently as they are not cheap to replace or fix if it happens often.
Special Weekly Release (LAST ONE) Monday, February 19th:
Barrel “Seagrass” Rye, 120.4 proof $18
Nose: Honeydew Melon, Rye Spice, Balanced
Palate: Apricot Brandy, Molasses, Cohesive
Finish: Clean, Warming, Persistent Tannin** Seagrass is a blend of American and Canadian rye whiskeys, with each ingredient meticulously sourced and finished separately in Martinique Rhum, Madeira & apricot brandy barrels. It highlights the grassy oceanside notes we love in rye and the opulence and spice of finishing barrels. Barrell Seagrass is an ode to coastal memories, blended to evoke the joy of a day on the beach and an evening listening to the soothing rhythm of waves. Hot sun, brisk air, dry sand, and oceanside vegetation are brought to mind. A ripe and inviting tropical nose and grassy, bright body evolve to a finish as long as the view down the shore on a clear day.
Barrell Craft Spirits is proud to announce a collaboration with The Ocean Foundation. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Barrell Seagrass will be donated to The Ocean Foundation to contribute to the conservation and restoration of seagrass. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005811/en/Barrell-Craft-Spirits%C2%AE-Proudly-Supports-The-Ocean-Foundation
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Reminder to please make sure the Glencairn bourbon glasses get covered with a big plastic cup before going into the dishwasher as they are super fragile and expensive!
We have a new dishwasher! This should help with keeping our glasses clean and watermark/smudge free. Take note of how glasses look coming out of the dishwasher this week and if there is any feedback or concerns let a manager know!
Let’s make sure the specials board is staying up to date and accurate throughout the day, if we 86 something that is up there please make sure it gets taken down or changed quickly.
When restocking the beer coolers make sure all options are accounted for in the fridge, if there is an empty row, double check the walk-in to make sure we aren’t missing any beers and if we are, please restock them!
The happy hour $1 off discount button will now just be applied to the regular draft beer list, wine, kombucha, and rootbeer buttons. We no longer have all the beers, wine, kombucha and rootbeer buttons also in the happy hour menu. The only items in the Happy Hour menu page are the special cocktails and the food. You will still discount all the drinks the same way, it is just less screens to have to go into (and is the same way the pub does it). Let a manager know if there are any questions or glitches!
Make sure we continue to check in with tables periodically, pre-bus, offer another round, get food feedback, etc. We want folks to feel taken care of!
Special Weekly Release (LAST ONE) Monday, February 19th
Jefferson Reserve “Twin Oak”, 90.2 proof $18
Nose: Oaky, Vanilla, Cinnamon-Apple
Palate: Baking Spice, Almond, Orchard Fruit
Finish: Medium Length, Lingering Spice** The Jefferson’s barrel is made from grooved staves increasing the surface area of the barrel allowing more bourbon to come in contact with the oak at the peak of flavor. The barrel is toasted to a specific time and temperature recipe and then flash charred. The result is a tremendously full-flavored, complex, balanced bourbon from a seasoned, double-barreled whiskey.
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Laura Wilson - For approving my time off
Paige Schwandt - Paige is great! She is always helping other people and we really appreciate her hard work. Keep slaying!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
Remember to follow safe lifting guidelines such as keeping a wide base of support (feet shoulder-width apart), bending at the hips and knees only, keeping good posture with your back straight and lifting slowly while holding the load as close to your body 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!