Internal Brewsletter - December 20th, 2023
General
Gloria! Serving Change for Both Locations
We are changing up how we serve our Gloria! Pilsner starting this Friday 12/22 at both locations.
.3 L $6.25 (Current Dimple mug) - we will fill these the same way we have been
.5 L $7.00 ( .5 L stein from Bloktoberfest) - There is a half liter line on the stein, fill clear to there, foam to the top.
5 oz - $2.25
No more 10 oz offering - (no more half-full dimple mugs or using a 10oz glass.)
Packaged Beer Discount for this weekend
This Saturday 12/23 we will be extending our Sunday Sippin’ discount and all packaged beer to go will be 20% off! Make sure we tell customers and push that packaged beer all weekend!
Food & Beer Pairing for Continuous Darkness
This Friday we will be adding our next food and beer pairing special to the menu at both locations!
Country Bleu Cheese & Date Spread
Danish blue cheese, sweet dates & toasted pecan spread served with fresh apple and toasted artisan bread. $11.99
Complementing Continuous Darkness, this robust imperial stout reveals dark chocolate and toffee undertones that harmonize with the caramel sweetness of dates, while balancing the savory richness of blue cheese. The tartness of crisp apples adds a touch of acidity, effectively cutting through the overall decadence of both the cheese and the beer. This pairing creates the ideal light snack, giving a perfect counterpoint to the bold flavors of this substantial beer.
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 Kira! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Broccoli Cheddar soup in bread bowls.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 12/22
Vital Vibe // Bring on the West Coast vibes with this bright and approachable IPA. Featuring a harmonious pairing of hops, it shines with notes of melon, kiwi, and pear with a crisp, snappy finish. // 6.60% ABV
Takeaways: Graduated through our creative process from experimental batch to stand-alone brand. We took one of our most popular emerging IPAs of 2023, Consortium: Mosaic x HBC-586, and developed a stand-alone brand for it.
Tasting Notes: Candied Peach. Orange Juice. Just Vibes.
Series: Orbital
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.
Continuous Darkness // Embrace the darkest days of the year with this luscious concoction that balances notes of chocolate, caramel, espresso, and decadent dark fruits, concentrated to velvety heights by an extended boil. // 14.00% ABV
Takeaways: Implementing several new techniques to make something unique, Continuous Darkness is a step beyond for us. No adjuncts were used to make this exceptionally big stout.
Tasting Notes: Bitter Chocolate. Espresso. Indulgent.
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: Russian Imperial Stout
Also more simply referred to as “Imperial Stout,” the term Imperial originates from the late 1700s when a London-made strong “export stout” was shipped to the Russian Imperial Court at the request of Catherine the Great. The Lonon-based brewery that exclusively made this beer, Anchor Brewing, later renamed Barclay Perkins, saw the marketing opportunity to rename this beer to “Russian Imperial Stout,” this is the origin of the term “Imperial” in describing beer with exceptionally high strength. As the name implies, this is a strong beer, usually between 8% and 12%, but some American examples can exceed 15% ABV. Dark with a strong roasted malt character, they often present notes of dried fruit, chocolate, and coffee flavors with a warm, bittersweet finish.
Upcoming Packaged Wine Releases
RELEASING Friday 12/22
Chalet Rouge // A deep red blend from the 2021 harvest of Grenache, biodynamic Syrah, and Viognier from Oregon and eastern Washington. // 15.00% ABV
Takeaways: Made from a blend of biodynamic Syrah, hand-harvested Grenache, and Salmon Safe Viognier from Oregon and eastern Washington, we designed this Cotes du Rhone-style wine to be perfect for sharing with loved ones on cold winter nights. Round, full, sweet, and luxurious.
Tasting Notes: Rich Jam, Structured, Epicurean.
Series: Cellars
AVA: Red Mountain Rocks District
Vineyards & Vineyard Management: Hedges - Biodynamic, Los Rocosos - Sustainable, Watermill - Live & Salmon Safe
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 12/22
Continuous Darkness // Russian Imperial Stout
Vital Vibe // West Coast IPA
Chalet Rouge // Red Blend
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: DAB Lab, Mo$aic
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Scientifical // IPA
Frequency Illusion // West Coast IPA (collab with Baerlic Brewing)
A Nugg Hugg // Hazy IPA
HS16660 Draft Only // West Coast IPA
Highland Hymn // Scottish Ale
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Pub
First and third Tuesdays at 11 am
Second and Fourth Thursdays at 11 am
Beer 101: Graduating Brands in our series
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
This week we are releasing Vital Vibe, a new brand, but not a new beer for Block 15. This is the graduation of Consortium: Mosaic x HBC-586 that was released last summer from that Orbital series to a stand-alone brand. We often use our recipes we’ve already developed, either rotating beers in our Orbital series or stand-alone beers in our Emerging series, to move up to stand-alone beers in our Orbital or Perennial series. Without getting too complicated as to the differences between these, it changes who Block 15 Distribution offers these beers to in the market, making them more widely available. Because of this we prefer to only graduate beers that we truly believe in, that have the opportunity to become staple beers that our fans think of when they think about Block 15.
We have to constantly develop new brands, just as we have to occasionally let some go. This is part of the process that keeps our beers fresh and appealing in the market. We have graduated several beers throughout 2023; Tipping Point and Juice Joint being two that graduated from the DAB Lab series into stand-alone brands. Next week’s release of Scientifical is as an Orbital brand, graduated from the Emerging series. The series that we use; Emerging, Orbital, Synergy, Perennial and Perpetual, as well as Sticky Hands Variants and DAB Labs, make up a pipeline for creative development that we use to constantly evolve our offerings and our brand.
PUB UPDATES
While we mentioned in the Brewsletter last week that we would be adding the Season of Mists to the menu this Friday, we are getting close to the end of our supply of Marionberries and will be changing the lemonade flavor to Blood Orange in about two weeks. At this time, we will add the Sparkle Motion (Donny Darko reference) back on the menu. This was a popular cocktail that we’ve run a few winters in a row featuring Prosecco, Aperol, Blood Orange, and Soda Water.
We are closing at 4pm on Sunday for Christmas Eve, and will be closed on Christmas Day. We are also closing at 8pm on NYE, and will be open normal hours on January 1st. Happy Holidays, everyone!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We will be swapping out the Cranberry Orange Ginger G&T to a cranberry ginger paloma this Friday 12/22
Like mentioned above, we are switching up the pour offerings for Gloria starting Friday. This also means we have mugs to use for Mug Club members. Main thing to remember is that if something is in a 14oz size they can get a Mug Club pour of it in the mug!
We will be closing at 4pm on Sunday for Christmas Eve and Closed Monday for Christmas. Happy Holidays to everyone!
Next week will be the last Craft Night Tuesday, we will be switching it up going into 2024!
Caves UPDATES
We will be closing after Brunch at 2pm on Christmas Eve, and will be closed on Christmas Day. On NYE, we will be open and seating guests until 9pm for those that want to celebrate with us. We have some specials that we are going to be featuring through the weekend, so see the Newsletter for more details. Both Block 15 locations are closing at 8pm, so we are likely to see a pop between 8pm and 9pm when folks are looking for dinner. We will be open normal hours on Monday, January 1st.
Events
Holiday Toy Drive for Cameron Merrill’s Legacy
December 4th - December 22nd
Cameron Merrill passed away from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2013, at the young age of 2 years and 4 months old. In response to this devastating loss, his family established Cameron Merrill's Legacy to support children with serious illnesses and their families. By gathering toys for these children, they hope to bring joy during very difficult times, while showing their families community support.
Block 15 is collecting new, unwrapped toys for kids of all ages between December 4th and 22nd. These gifts will be delivered to Doernbecher and Randall Children’s Hospital’s pediatric ICU in time for the holidays! Toys can be dropped off at either the Block 15 Downtown Pub or Southtown Tap Room locations during business hours.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Ian Hutchings - For killing it at hosting Trivia and making it a great event. You rock!
Garrison Schmidt - For always making my day brighter when I see him and always has the best, funniest stories/sayings. Love you Garry!!
Ted O’Hanlan - Ted is so passionate about craft beer and I think he's really brought a lot of our favorite recipes even closer to perfection, thanks Ted!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Congratulations to Gabi, Jack, Barb, and Katie for stepping into Lead Server roles!
SAFETY TIPS
For those interested, the Safety Committee Notes can be found on the Sling page labeled “Safety Committee Notes.” Please reach out if you have any questions or feedback or if you’d like to join the monthly safety committee meeting. The next meetings will be 1/17 at 12:30 pm at the Tap Room and 1/18 at 10 am at the Pub.
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!
Internal Brewsletter - December 13th, 2023
General
Fresh Pow party - This Friday 12/15 at the Tap Room
Fresh Pow Party THIS Friday 12/15! Tell all your friends, family, tables you serve ,etc! Trivia hosted by Ian 5:30-7, food/drink specials all day, winter crafts, lots of Fresh Pow to drink!
Brisket Chili & Cornbread - Smoked brisket chili with Tillamook cheddar, sour cream, green onions, and a house-baked corn muffin. Cup $6 Bowl $9
Spiked Hot Cocoa - Spiced cocoa mix, Tequila, Chila cinnamon cream, topped with whipped cream and dash of cinnamon $10 (Non-alcoholic version available, regular cocoa with whipped cream and festive sprinkles $4)
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Niko! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Fried Fish Tacos, made with slaw, fried rockfish, and a drizzle of chipotle crema.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 12/15
Keen As! // Heaps of juicy, and intense New Zealand Superdelic and Nelson Sauvin hops pair with pungent NW-grown Simcoe and Cashmere. Crisp, refreshing, and guaranteed to lighten your mood... if you're keen! // 6.60% ABV
Takeaways: New Zealand-sourced Superdelic is one of the hottest new hop varieties, demonstrating flavors of red fruit, candy sugar, citrus, and tropical fruit. All this packed into a balanced and fun progressive West Coast IPA.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Papaya. Creamsicle. Jandal Season.
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.
Carpathians // Inspired by the dark classic lager styles from Bohemia and crafted with Northwest pilsner and European dark specialty malts. Medium-bodied and smooth with notes of dates, toffee, and roast. // 5.20% ABV
Takeaways: Now lagered by the sun, we used PNW sourced pilsner and munich malts as well as Saaz hops grown in the PNW to make this a local as possible. Dark, but easy drinking.
Tasting Notes: Espresso. Molasses. Quaffable.
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Czech Dark Lager
Simply referred to as Tmavé Pivo or dark beer in Czech, these beers generally range from 3.5% to 6%. They are more similar to Munich Dunkel than Schwarzbier in that they are dark but not overly rich and do not strongly feature roasted malt character. It is difficult to find authentic Czech versions of these in the U.S. market, but craft brewers have embraced the style with a strong emphasis on authenticity. U Fleků, in Prague, brews the most famous version of this beer. The malt flavor leans to caramel and dark fruit, achieved either with caramel malts or multiple decoctions (a process where grain is removed from the mash tun and boiled to create melanoidins). Hops are always Czech in origin with the characteristic black-pepper spice notes and an assertive but balanced bitterness, like all Czech-style lagers.
The Prophecies // Inspired by a favorite Abbey quad enjoyed on a visit to Belgium. Blending specialty malts, dark Belgian candi sugar, & Abbey yeast with hints of dark fruit and Dutch cocoa with a rich yet delightful finish. // 10.30% ABV
Takeaways: Naturally conditioned in tank prior to canning, we have adapted the bottle conditioning technique we used to use to accommodate moving the packaging format. This increases the time it resides in the brewery. It is a commitment to quality, not efficiency.
Tasting Notes: Ginger Bread. Burnt Sugar. Rustic.
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Belgian Quad
An abbey beer sometimes referred to as “Belgian Strong Dark Ale,” the name Quad follows the convention of Dubbel and Tripel, each rising in strength. These beers are usually between 8% and 14% abv and feature a rich malt flavor, including plummy or figgy fruit notes, chocolate, caramel, and molasses. The characteristic Belgian yeast aromatics of baking spice and pear lean more to black pepper. These are rich but well-attenuated beers that are often highly carbonated, almost always attained with re-fermentation, or natural conditioning, where carbon dioxide from a second fermentation is captured to create the necessary balance and mouthfeel.
Upcoming Packaged Cider - Bottles
RELEASING Friday 12/15
Poire // An artistic blend of five pear and six apple varieties from the 2022 harvest at EZ orchards here in the valley. Fresh pressed juice was left to rest in our coolship and then spontaneously fermented and matured in neutral French oak casks, creating a wonderfully complex, semi-dry, tart cider. // 7.50% ABV
Takeaways: We spontaneously inoculated in our brewery's coolship before fermentation and conditioning in neutral oak barrels.
Tasting Notes: Gentle Acidity, Subtle Funk, Orchard
Series: Cellars
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 12/15
Keen As! // West Coast IPA
Carpathians // Czech Dark Lager
The Prophecies // Belgian Quad
Poire // Spontaneously Fermented Pear & Apple Cider
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Consortium
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Continuous Darkness // Imperial Stout
Vital Vibe // West Coast IPA
Chalet Rouge // Red Blend
Scientifical // IPA
Frequency Illusion // West Coast IPA (collab with Baerlic Brewing)
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Pub
First and third Tuesdays at 11 am
Second and Fourth Thursdays at 11 am
Beer 101: New Zealand Hops
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
This week marks the re-release of Keen As!, one of our most popular IPAs of 2023, we often build our IPAs around a central hop that we can construct a unique flavor profile from, but exists as a pillar to the recipe. Keen As! is built around Superdelic, a brand-new New Zealand variety released just this year (2023). This is an exciting time for hop breeding, many seasoned breeders are creating new and unique varieties every year, and we’re keen to try out any interesting new variety. The new varieties out of New Zealand are especially exciting.
Being in Oregon, we talk a lot about the hop industry in the PNW. Over the years, we’ve built many important relationships that have given us a chance to try new products early in development, but there is something about the terroir of New Zealand’s growing region that produces exceptionally unique and irreplaceable flavors different from hops of the PNW.
Hop cultivation in New Zealand began in the 1840s and had little acreage until the 1960s. The first craft or “boutique” brewery boom hit New Zealand in the early 1980s, giving way to an interest in unique varieties from that region. In 1947 the New Zealand government established a hop research station in Riwaka and began developing new hop varieties. The first notable new variety developed in terms of the craft beer movement was Riwaka, originally released in 1996. It featured huge citrus, tropical, and pine notes supported by an earthy, herbaceous note that would become something of a trademark for emerging varieties from this region. Motueka followed in 1998, Nelson Sauvin in 2000, and Rakau in 2007. All of these hops made a reputation for their unique fruit-forward flavors, often balancing tropical, citrus, and wine-grape notes, especially Sauvignon Blanc. There just aren’t any other hops in the market that taste like this, or as intense as this, since all of these varieties are, or were, characterized by significantly higher than average oil content, one of the primary factors in hop flavor.
There are now dozens of varieties regularly used in craft beer, Keen As! alone has three (Superdelic, Nelson Sauvin, and Waimea). As IPA grew to prominence in the US and later spread throughout the world, New Zealand established itself as one of the two most important hop-growing regions in the world for producing the hop varieties essential to these beers.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
With lots of folks traveling from out of town and big groups coming in, now is the perfect time to focus on upselling appetizers and desserts to your tables! Pick a specific one (or two) that you’re excited about, sells well, or one that is just fun to talk about, and offer it/them to your tables. This is one of the easiest ways to boost the overall check and watch those tips go up. This is already one of our key steps to great hospitality, and with some extra focus on upselling, I know we can crush this! As we see great participation in this, we will continue weekly or daily sales competitions with fun prizes or incentives attached to them!
This week we are replacing the Raspberry + Meyer Lemon SeekOut with Blackberry + Kiwi
Sprig & Seed will be replacing the Harvest Spritz this Friday featuring: Rosemary Infused Crater Lake Gin, Pomegranate Simple, Pomegranate Juice, Harlequin Orange Liqueur, and Lime.
Next week we will also bring back the Season of Mists while we have Marionberry Lemonade to add a sparkling wine cocktail to the menu. Below is the info and build on this one!
Season of Mists (this is a reference to a Neil Gaiman Sandman graphic novel title...I just like Neil Gaiman and it sounded fitting)
Fill a Coupe glass with ice to chill.
In a shaker tin, combine:
+ 1.5oz Marionberry Lemonade
+ 1oz Lillet Blanc (bottle should be in fridge and should always be chilled)
+ Very small splash of lemon juice and honey water (like less that a ¼ oz…very tiny splash)
Shake and double strain (using the fine mesh strainer) into the chilled Coupe (dump the ice first). This is a very important step—it helps the Prosecco have more spritz to it, and doesn’t leave a pulpy seedy mess at the end.
Top with 3oz of Prosecco
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Please keep the Barrel Room tidy and do not dump random items in there or use it as a storage space. It is already a tight space and it needs to stay looking clean for all our large party reservations.
Let’s make sure we are “upselling” and offering items to customers as much as we can. Offer another round of drinks, togo beer, dessert, merch, etc. but make sure it comes off natural and not forced.
A stack of pak techs will now live on the little table next to the front cooler for folks to be able to mix & match
When looking for a backup keg when needing to switch one out, please look in the entire walk-in before 86ing a beer. Sometimes they are not exactly right next to the tap. Have someone else check as well to be sure if needed and then if you do change it out please make sure the empty keg gets put in the dirty keg zone.
Caves UPDATES
SANTA’S COMING! On Saturday, December 16th, we are going to host Santa’s Folly! This is a Caves tradition where we offer pictures with Santa, and fresh baked cookies during the day, then at night, Bad Santa comes to hangout with some fun holiday bingo and holiday themed snacks and cocktails from 8-10pm. If folks are looking for something to do on a Saturday night, tell them to come play bingo with us and win some silly prizes!
Events
Fresh Pow Party
December 15th all day at the Tap Room
Fresh Pow Merch
Get a free Fresh Pow Koozie with any 4-pack purchase! Check out our Fresh Pow hats while you're here too.
Holiday Crafts
Decorate and make paper snowflakes and snowmen all day.
Winter-Themed Trivia
Trivia runs 5:30 - 7 pm and will be hosted by our very own Ian! (teams up to 6 people, with prizes for winners)
On the Specials Board
Chili & Cornbread available all day $6 cup $9 bowl
Spiked Hot Chocolate $10 and regular Hot Chocolate $4 available all day
Santa’s Folly
December 16th at Caves
Santa Stops by Brunch - For the Kids
Between 9 am and 12 pm bring the kids to Brunch to visit with Santa and enjoy free, specially decorated sugar cookies. For Saturday only, we'll feature Christmas Morning Strata on the menu.
Bad Santa Stops by Late Night - For the Adults
From 8 pm to 10 pm, Bad Santa will drop in to help us enjoy a few of our new winter cocktails like Egg Nog and Hot Buttered Rum. He'll also help run Holiday Bingo.
While there, enjoy a late-night special of French Onion Mushrooms, made with Breaded and Fried Mushroom Caps, Carmelized Onions, Thyme, Demi, and Torched Chimay Classique.
Holiday Toy Drive for Cameron Merrill’s Legacy
December 4th - December 22nd
Cameron Merrill passed away from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2013, at the young age of 2 years and 4 months old. In response to this devastating loss, his family established Cameron Merrill's Legacy to support children with serious illnesses and their families. By gathering toys for these children, they hope to bring joy during very difficult times, while showing their families community support.
Block 15 is collecting new, unwrapped toys for kids of all ages between December 4th and 22nd. These gifts will be delivered to Doernbecher and Randall Children’s Hospital’s pediatric ICU in time for the holidays! Toys can be dropped off at either the Block 15 Downtown Pub or Southtown Tap Room locations during business hours.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
Don’t fall for a false sense of security. During the holidays, with the end of the year approaching and a host of other things on our minds, we tend to relax on some of the safety procedures we’ve been trained to follow all year long. Don’t get into bad habits, no matter what time of year it is.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
We wrapped up our Donations for the year in November! Our donations will resume in February, starting with a tasting event for 4 Spirits celebrating Bourbon Month. For those of you who get asked about these programs, please send them to this page where they can apply for gift bag/card donations, beer donations, or People’s Pint/Din Out events. We will be taking submissions until 12/31 for the event-based donations (Dine Out, People’s Pint Tap, and Cheers for Charity)!
This year, we were able to donate $32,466 from fundraising at Dine Out/People’s Pin Tap/Cheers for Charity events, beers brewed for organizations (like Board Shorts, Native Land, and Liberty & Justice for All), merch, and gift cards donated, and beer donation to non-profits and organizations in the community and beyond!
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!
Internal Brewsletter - December 6th, 2023
General
Holiday Party Update
White Elephant Gift exchange! For those who want to participate, bring one wrapped gift valued at no more than $50 to the party. We will begin the exchange at 8 pm. Always a lot of fun! And a reminder that the party is at the downtown Marriott this Sunday from 6:30 to 9:30 pm.
Fresh Pow party - 12/15
Fresh Pow Party at the Taproom Friday, Dec. 15th! Food specials, drink specials, winter crafts, Fresh Pow merch all day! Trivia hosted by Ian 5:30-7 pm, teams up to 6 people! Spread the word and join us for some fun!
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by J! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Tteokbokki. Tteokbokki is a Korean dish consisting of rice cakes and fish cakes in a slightly spicy sauce based on anchovy and seaweed stock. Our interpretation will be topped with a sunnyside-up egg, furikake, and green onion.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 12/8
Tangerines & Elephants // Brewed with heaps of tangerine, this luscious IPA is amplified with a citrus-forward duo of Amarillo and Centennial, balanced with notes pine resin. Doo doo doo, brewed out our back door. // 6.50% ABV
Takeaways: We're not messing around with the Tangerine on this one. Copious amounts of real tangerine was added to the tank for refermentation, then complimented by a healthy dry-hop of Amarillo, Centennial and Mosaic. The name and copy for this beer was inspired by Creedence Clearwater song, Lookin’ Out my Back Door
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit. Pine resin. Fresh Squeezed.
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: Fruited IPA
An IPA sub-style that cropped up in the early 2000s, these IPAs feature fruit-forward IPAs, which then have the intensity of the fruit turned up to 11 by the addition of real fruit. Generally, the hops used are selected to align with the added fruit (grapefruit expressing hops paired with grapefruit, tangerine with tangerine, etc…). These beers tend to be of the hazy variety and are generally thicker, with a fuller, rounder mouthfeel. The fruit character should be intense both aromatically and flavorwise.
Hoppy New Year // Kiss 2023 goodbye and welcome in 2024 with a bang of the finest NW-grown hops, a crisp body orchestrated by a dance of specialty malts, and a bubbly finish. Hoppy New Year from Block 15! // 8.80% ABV
Takeaways: Ring in the new year with an IPA that pairs the citrus character of Amarillo, Citra and Bravo with the tropical and herbal character of Talus and Nelson Sauvin. Also featuring Craft pilsner malt from Linc Malt in Spokane.
Tasting Notes: Orange Peel. Herbaceous. Snappy.
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Imperial IPA
Imperial IPAs (often called Double IPAs) feature a more robust profile of malts and hops. Significant factors that set Imperial IPAs apart from regular IPAs are their alcohol content and bitterness levels. An Imperial IPA can range from 7.5%-10% ABV. Due to the increased malt load it takes to create the additional alcohol, more hops are required to balance out the beer and keep the malt in check. An Imperial IPA should be intensely hoppy, medium-light to medium-bodied, and have balanced hop characteristics. There can be Imperial versions of virtually any IPA style or sub-style.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 12/8
Tangerines & Elephants // Fruited West Coast IPA
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Fluffhead
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
The Prophecies // Belgian Quad
Carpathians // Czech Dark Lager
Keen As! // West Coast IPA
Poire // Spontaneously Fermented Pear & Apple Cider
Continuous Darkness // Imperial Stout
Vital Vibe // West Coast IPA
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Pub
First and third Tuesdays at 11 am
Second and Fourth Thursdays at 11 am
PUB UPDATES
Over the last 3 weekends, we ended up selling 253 cans of Deep Seek! Great job getting out there and getting folks excited about Deep Seek everyone. The team put a lot of hard work and effort into bringing Deep Seek to the next level, so your support is so appreciated! We will announce the location winner as soon as the rest of the numbers are tabulated!
Closing early at 3pm on Sunday the 10th for the Holiday Party! Last seating will be at about 2:30. If we are still fairly full at this time and have folks looking to snag some lunch, we may extend this seating up to, but no later than 3pm. This will be up to the discretion of the Bar Manager and Line Lead on Sunday.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Fresh Pow Party Friday Dec. 15th! Trivia 5:30-7pm, Chili and cornbread, hot chocolate, fresh pow merch, and more!
With our new beautiful holiday decor, please make sure all the plugged in lights get unplugged as part of your closing duties and turned on in the mornings!
As a reminder, try to use generic Holiday verbiage with customers as we may all celebrate different holidays or none at all or bits and parts of multiple and we should be respectful!
Reminder that we are closing early on Sunday the 10th for the Holiday Party! We will be closing at 3:30 with last seatings at 3pm.
Caves UPDATES
Next Tuesday (December 12th) is our Belgian Beer Dinner here at Caves! Check out the info in the weekly newsletter linked below and make sure to connect with those guests that might be extra interested in beers or our bottle book. If you see someone perusing the menus and asking questions about the beers, let them know that we have a fun event coming up!
We also have a small tasting and pairing event happening this Friday with three hand selected bottles from our cellar paired with three small plates created by Sarah.
Santa’s Folly is just around the corner–see the Newsletter for details and let your guests know about this fun event returning!
Events
Holiday Toy Drive for Cameron Merrill’s Legacy
December 4th - December 22nd
Cameron Merrill passed away from Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2013, at the young age of 2 years and 4 months old. In response to this devastating loss, his family established Cameron Merrill's Legacy to support children with serious illnesses and their families. By gathering toys for these children, they hope to bring joy during very difficult times, while showing their families community support.
Block 15 is collecting new, unwrapped toys for kids of all ages between December 4th and 22nd. These gifts will be delivered to Doernbecher and Randall Children’s Hospital’s pediatric ICU in time for the holidays! Toys can be dropped off at either the Block 15 Downtown Pub or Southtown Tap Room locations during business hours.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Holiday decor team - You rocked it and both restaurants look very cozy & festive. Thank you for adding some sparkle!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
Hey everyone! If you’re interested in joining the Safety Committee or attending our meeting next week, the meeting times are listed below!
Tap Room Safety Committee Meeting for December: 12/13 at 12:30 pm
Downtown Locations Safety Committee Meeting for December: 12/14 at 10 am at the Pub
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!
Internal Brewsletter - November 29th, 2023
General
Holiday Party! RSVP by Nov 30th using the button below
You and one guest* are warmly invited to the annual Block 15 and Caves Holiday party featuring a white elephant gift exchange (more info to come), beverages, appetizers, a photo booth, and good times!
When: Sunday December 10th, 6:30 pm-9:30pm
Where: The Corvallis Marriott Ballroom (400 SW 1st St. Parking available in their garage)
Attire: Many enjoy dressing up, but please wear whatever you are comfortable with!
RSVP**: By November 30th.
The pub and Tap Room will be open until 3:30, and Caves will close at 2:30 after the brunch service.
Discounted Hotel rooms: Call to book (541).753.0199 and tell the front desk representative you would like to use the “Take the Elevator Home” Rate for the Block 15 Holiday Party.
*Adults only. If your guest is a former employee, they must be OK'd through the signup form.
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Holly! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for 3 beef sliders on brioche buns, with goat cheese and house-made strawberry jam!
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
New Desserts
New Dessert At both locations! Starting this Friday a Chai Spiced Creme Brulee will replace the Figgy Pudding!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 12/1
DAB Lab: Mo$aic // The DAB Lab series focuses on fresh, vibrant, experimental IPAs featuring cutting-edge hop products. Mo$aic is a single-varietal exploration of one of the most multi-faceted hops around. // 7.30% ABV
Takeaways: DAB Lab is back! Returning with fan-favorite Mo$aic, we're bringing a new look to this crowd-pleaser and have started planning the future of the program, great things to come.
Tasting Notes: Blueberry. Cannabis. Worth every penny.
Series: DAB Lab
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.
Consortium: Strata x Luminosa // Amplified like a stereo record, this IPA unites two hop varieties to create a unique sensory experience. We paired the dank notes of Strata and tropical stonefruit notes from Luminosa. // 6.60% ABV
Takeaways: Luminosa is an exciting new hop variety from Indie hops, bred in partnership with OSU. Its bright tropical and stonefruit notes have blown it up relatively quickly to be a very sought-after hop.
Tasting Notes: Apricot. Navel orange. Silky.
Series: Orbital
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.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 12/1
DAB Lab: Mo$aic // Hazy IPA
Consortium: Strata X Luminosa // West Coast IPA
Frequency Illusion // West Coast IPA, collab with Baerlic Brewing in Portland, Oregon
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Nebula
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Tangerines & Elephants // Fruited West Coast IPA
The Prophecies // Belgian Quad
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA
Carpathians // Czech Dark Lager
Keen As // West Coast IPA
Continuous Darkness // Imperial Stout
Vital Vibe // West Coast IPA
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Pub
First and third Tuesdays at 11 am
Second and Fourth Thursdays at 11 am
Beer 101: DAB LAB
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Beginning in 2016, Block 15 started a program of rotating experimental IPAs known as Dab Lab, short for Dank Ass Beer. These beers have been unique and creative, always implementing an advanced hop product and often doing so in a novel way.
Sticky Hands was very ahead of its time for the implementation of variety-specific hop extract late in the boil to drive flavor, rather than just bitterness, this set a tone for Block 15’s progressive approach to making IPAs. Before that extract often didn’t come labeled by variety, it was designed to be added at the beginning of the boil for bittering as the extract doesn’t absorb the wort the way hop pellets do, thus improving yield. Block 15 and eventually other brewers realized that using CO2 extract allowed you to drastically increase the hop flavor intensity in IPAs without impacting yield or imparting heavy polyphenol character that creates undesirable astringency. By the time Block 15 launched the DAB Lab program suppliers like Hop Union, later renamed Yakima Chief Hops, had begun offering extract in many popular varieties like Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic.
Early DAB Lab beers also featured Lupulin Powder frequently, starting in 2016 as well. Lupulin Powder was eventually rebranded as cryo, and the format changed from a fine powder to a pellet, the same size and shape as standard hop pellets, which made it easier to use. This was a major change for the industry, despite this many breweries have remained reluctant to experiment with these products.
Hop oils have also played a role in the DAB Lab program, CO2 extracts originally were only able to be used in the kettle, due to their insoluble nature, Cryo could be used in both the kettle and fermenter. Hop oil was developed exclusively for use in the fermenter or brite tank after fermentation was complete. The vibrancy they add to beers is the result of their ability to solubilize in cold solutions quickly.
As the DAB Lab program grew, the use of these products changed from a taboo subject to a common practice. Brewers who had been afraid to disclose using anything other than whole leaf or pelletized hops, jumped on the bandwagon as advanced hop products became part of the lexicon of beer geekery.
Last year, as we approached our brand refresh, we released a slew of DAB Labs, so many that we decided to take a step back and really consider the value of the program going forward. We’ve taken a year off since that point, graduating a few popular DAB Lab brands into their own standalone brands (Juice Joint and Tipping Point both originated at DAB Labs), but our fans have continued to vocalize their desire to see the program continue. Now, with a better perspective on what the DAB Lab program has really meant for Block 15 and the culture of IPAs in the Northwest, we’re happy to relaunch this series. With a fresh rebranded and given more intention release to release, we’re happy to re-unveil the DAB Lab series, starting with Mo$aic, a fan favorite since its first release in 2018. Going forward we’re going blend new and old entries in a steady cadence so we can continue to push the boundaries of how we make IPAs, driven by our endless passion, curiosity, and drive for accessible brilliance.
PUB UPDATES
Just to clarify the note from last week about alcohol consumption outside after 11pm–guests that are dining only, or have non-alcoholic drinks outside are welcome to continue dining outside after 11pm. The sidewalk cafe law only states that alcohol service or consumption must stop/move inside at 11pm.
Dang! We talked about selling more Deep Seek and y’all showed up. We sold 111 cans this week, putting us at 198 total and over our 175 goal! With one more weekend to go, we are going to bump that goal to 300! Let’s finish this strong and give the Tap Room a run for their money!
December Monthly Specials! Releasing Wednesday, December 6th
Tahini Baba Ganoush
Roasted Eggplant, garlic and tahini dip with fresh bell peppers, cucumbers, carrots and house baked flatbread. $11.99
Mushroom & Beef Stroganoff
Stout braised Oregon beef chuck with The Mushroomery chanterelle, shitake & porcini mushrooms and sweet onions in a savory sour cream sauce, with radiatore pasta & fried parsley. $19.99
Holiday Mortadella Focaccia
Thinly sliced pistachio mortadella, arugula-hazelnut pesto, sundried tomato & garlic spread and stracciatella cheese on house baked focaccia bread. $18.99
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Deep Seek Competition Update: We sold 55 cans over the weekend which puts our total at 152. This is our last weekend to really push Deep Seek and get back ahead of the Pub!! Our goal for this weekend is to get to 300 total. Lets get stoked on Deep Seek!
There are now snacks that live in the employee break room that are up for grabs to anyone feel free to snag what you need.
Please make sure that when we are starting to do pre-close/closing tasks before 8pm that it doesn’t make customers feel that they need to rush and leave or take away from our customer service. Even if it is super slow at 7:45 all customers should still get A+ customer service and we should refrain from doing closing tasks that make it feel like we are closed. EX: rolling up mats, putting in blue scrubbies on taps, locking up the chairs outside, etc. Try to save these tasks for after 8pm. There are plenty of things you can do to get ahead on closing that customers won't notice or don’t make them feel uncomfortable (cleaning tap boxes, wiping stuff down, consolidating trash, outside bus station, washing mats, etc.)
December Monthly Specials! Releasing Wednesday, December 6th
Loaded Kimchi
Fries-Beer battered fries, spicy kimchi, house queso, bulgogi bbq sauce, spicy mayo, sesame seeds and scallions. $13.99
Pig & Fig Sandwich
Smoked & chopped pork, nebula stout & fig jam, pickled onions, garlic aioli and melted cheese cheddar on toasted artisan bread. $16.99
Caves UPDATES
Caves is hosting a Belgian Beer Dinner featuring Joel Rea of Corvallis Brewing Supply on December 12th from 6-8pm! This dinner will feature a 5-course meal with hand-picked beer pairings (some from our cellar, and some new offerings). Tickets are $150 and include gratuity. Folks can purchase tickets by going to the Caves website and clicking the “Events” link at the top of the page (or by going to this link https://cavescorvallis.com/events/2023/12/12/belgian-beer-dinner)
Deep Seek Evolution
Quick Hits
Crisp and snappy finish with lightened body
100% NW Malts
Nectaron Hops contributing big tropical and citrus notes
Constant evolution! With Deep Seek and all Block 15 beers
Deep Seek Tasting & Pairing Events
🤿 11/30 at Wildwood Taphouse Hillsboro - 3 - 7 pm
Deep Seek and Oyster Pop-Up from Oregon Fish Co.
Block 15 Beers accompanied by Oysters from Oregon Fish Co.
📍 9345 NE Windsor Street, Hillsboro, OR 97006
🤿 12/5 at Loyal Legion PDX - 5 - 8 pm
Deep Seek & Block 15 Favorites on draft with a pop-up from Câche Câche. Merch/Deep Seek pins will be raffled off/given to everyone drinking Deep Seek.
📍 Loyal Legion PDX 710 SE 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
🤿 12/6 at Loyal Legion Beaverton - 5 - 8 pm
Deep Seek & other Block 15 Favorites on draft. Merch/Deep Seek pins will be raffled off/given to everyone drinking Deep Seek.
📍 Loyal Legion Beaverton 4500 SW Watson Ave, Beaverton, OR 97005
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Elise Pietromonaco - She communicates really well and always wants things to run as smoothly as possible.
Bailey Birch - For being super flexible and covering shifts when we needed someone.
Gavin Thorud - Gavin really works hard and gets a lot done around the brewery when nobody else is around. I appreciate coming in to find out they've accomplished more than I expected. Thanks Gav!
James Bartholomew - James has been doing a great job in his new role. He approaches things in a very organized and efficient way that we all appreciate.
Tyler Lenz - Tyler is always going the extra mile for everybody and he is always ready to take on a project nobody else wants. He's a positive force around the taproom and I really appreciate everything he does.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Congrats to Wyatt Laramee and Lily Smalling on becoming Leads at the Pub!
SAFETY TIPS
Use the buddy system to lift heavy or awkward objects. A full keg weighs about 134 lbs and is awkward. Even the strongest person can throw out their back moving one. Two people are always required to move kegs.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
The People’s Pint Tap for Corvallis Mountain Rescue Ends November 30th
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!
Internal Brewsletter - November 22nd, 2023
General
Holiday Party! RSVP by Nov 30th using the button below
You and one guest* are warmly invited to the annual Block 15 and Caves Holiday party featuring a white elephant gift exchange (more info to come), beverages, appetizers, a photo booth, and good times!
When: Sunday December 10th, 6:30 pm-9:30pm
Where: The Corvallis Marriott Ballroom (400 SW 1st St. Parking available in their garage)
Attire: Many enjoy dressing up, but please wear whatever you are comfortable with!
RSVP**: By November 30th.
The pub and Tap Room will be open until 3:30, and Caves will close at 2:30 after the brunch service.
Discounted Hotel rooms: Call to book (541).753.0199 and tell the front desk representative you would like to use the “Take the Elevator Home” Rate for the Block 15 Holiday Party.
*Adults only. If your guest is a former employee, they must be OK'd through the signup form.
Limits Removed
We have removed all limits on Hoppy Holidays cans and Ol’ St. Nick draft to go at both locations!
Gift Card Promotion
Starting Mon 11/27- 12/24 anyone who purchases a $100 in gift cards will receive an extra $20 gift card!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 11/24
Super Fly Rye // Pull up a barstool and take a trip down memory lane with this nostalgic throwback RyePA. Amber hued with the gentle spice of rye malt, sappy hop resin, and zesty orange aromas. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: Remember the days of amber colored IPA's? This is a throwback recipe pulled from the Block 15 archives, but given a some process and ingredient updates to stand up against contemporary IPA's. A bit old school, but also fresh.
Tasting Notes: Orange Marmalade. Peppercorn. Memory Lane.
Series: Orbital
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Bottles
RELEASING Friday 11/24
Hair of the Peach // A collaborative blend series from Block 15 and Hair of the Dog encompassing the spirit and creativity of both breweries - 2015 bourbon barrel Peach Fred and specially brewed Block 15 barleywine ale, matured on Willamette Valley apricots. Notes of peach leather, almond pits, and apricot, with layered malt complexity. // 10.40% ABV
Takeaways: Hair of the Peach is the first beer in a collaborative series of Block 15 incorporating a vintage stock of beer from Hair of the Dog. This collaboration encompasses both breweries' spirit and creativity while celebrating the 30 years Hair of the Dog was open and the retirement of Alan Sprints.
Tasting Notes: Almond extract, Stone fruit, Ripe
Series: Cellars, Pick of the Litter - Collaboration with Hair of the Dog Brewing previously of Portland, Oregon
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 11/24
Hair of the Peach // Barleywine Ale Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Hair of the Dog
Super Fly Rye // India Pale Ale
Hop Shuffle: Alora // We're shuffling our deck of hops again to bring you something unique. Mosaic, CTZ, Talus, and HS17701 (just named Alora) combine big juicy notes of stonefruit and citrus with pine resin. Partnered in a hazy fashion. // 7.30% ABV
Takeaways: We're always looking for new and exciting hops to work with, this beer highlights HS17701, just named Alora. It is rich with stonefruit and citrus and is perfect for a juicy Hazy IPA, we're pairing it with some of our other favorite hops to build a uniquely Block 15 IPA.
Tasting Notes: Peach Skin. Tangerine. Fruit Stand.
Series: Emerging
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Ridgeback Red
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Consortium: Strata X Luminosa // West Coast IPA
The DAB Lab: Mo$aic // Hazy IPA
Tangerines & Elephants // Fruited West Coast IPA
The Prophecies // Belgian Quad
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Pub
First and third Tuesdays at 11 am
Second and Fourth Thursdays at 11 am
Beer 101: Pick of the Litter Series
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Production Manager
Oregon has a rich history of brewing. Pre-Prohibition, dozens if not hundreds of breweries opened and flourished in the pioneer society. Post-Prohibition, however, only a few breweries had survived. The 80s ushered in the era of craft beer, and other breweries saw the area for the market that it is.
Fast forward to 1993. Portland is littered with flannel shirts tied around the waist, torn Levi’s 501s, and high-top Converse. Hair metal is out, grunge is here to stay, and honestly, folks don’t look much different than they do today.
Enter Alan Sprints. He’s from California, but if anybody is a natural Portlander, it's Alan. He decided to start a brewery based on the premise of originality and didn’t care if anybody had tried it before. He is one of a kind.
Alan founded Hair of the Dog in 1993, and his brewery became the first in the nation to sell high abv bottle conditioned beer, ferment beer in a concrete vessel, and was among the first to age his beer in a barrel. Needless to say, he was incredibly impactful on all brewers to follow, especially those of us growing up in the Pacific Northwest.
Alan always prioritized buying as locally as he could. He proudly boasted that 99% of his ingredients came from within 350 miles of his brewery. He spent this effort to reduce his carbon footprint as well as support his own community. His pub restaurant focused on pairing food with his beer and also sourced locally. Even his bottles were made in Portland.
His beers were unique, and many had never been seen before and never will be seen again.
After the pandemic, he couldn’t keep employees on and was brewing, running the kitchen, and leading the front of the house by himself. He burnt out and sadly closed the business in 2022.
Late that year, brewers at Block 15 received an email from Alan. He admired our barrel aging program and had many left-over full beer barrels that didn’t have a future to speak of. Could we take them off of his hands?
If you are familiar with Block 15’s values, you know that many of the qualities Alan was passionate about line up with our own nicely, and he was influential on almost all of us. In January, Nick and I went to Portland, tasted through a selection of his barrels, and chose our very favorites. The beer was transported back to Corvallis, and we began designing recipes for beer to complement them.
The most important thing about Hair of the Dog’s beer was that it was always something that you’d never tasted anything like. We have designed brews to complement that quality while adding our own sense of intent and direction.
Hair of the Peach is our first offering in this series that we have come to call the Pick of the Litter, but it won’t be the last. We are so excited to show you what else we have in mind to blend with these legendary beers.
PUB UPDATES
Just to clarify since closing hours changed: Corvallis’ Sidewalk Cafe permit (the permit we apply for each year to have the 100’s tables) allows us to serve guests alcoholic beverages until 11pm, and all alcoholic beverages must be consumed by the guest by 11pm or they need to move inside. Whether we close at 10pm or 11pm, this rule will always state that all outside service and consumption of alcoholic beverages must conclude by 11pm.
When starting a tab for a table and entering in the “cover count” (number of guests you are serving in the space/at the table) please enter in the accurate (or as close to accurate) number of guests. This is a key piece of information that we are using to evaluate how the adjustments that we have made to our schedule and hospitality focus are going and where we might need to make adjustments. If folks are filtering in and out for a large Game Room reservation, that number doesn’t need to be continually updated, rather a ballpark figure works. In a similar vein, if you are helping the bar out and guests are looking for beer to go or drinks while they wait, you don’t need to ask how many people are in the party. We’ve seen some numbers in the 100’s for tables that can only seat 4 people, so those would be the numbers making things look funky. If you have questions, feel free to check in with a manager or Goody!
Deep Seek Location Contest Update: We sold 87 cans of Deep Seek over the weekend with a goal of 100. Way to start strong and sling some cans over a busy weekend. We were 10 cans off from the Tap Room, and I know we can pull ahead of them this week. Our new goal to match with theirs will be 175–offer samples, get hyped, and get some Deep Seek in guests hands!
We have 2 basque-style cheesecakes in the freezer that were cut too small when we had it on the regular menu, so we will be running it this weekend as a special for $5! Comes with a Cherry-Bourbon sauce!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Cellar Stash sale 11/24-11/25! Curated list of 500ml bottles all $12. Buy 6 or more and receive 15% off. Also receive 10% off merch if you buy any bottles. Excludes the fall release bottles and Hair of the Peach.
Deep Seek Location Contest Update: We sold 97 cans of Deep Seek over the weekend with a goal of 100. Way to go team for getting so close and really selling those cans!! Going into this weekend our new goal is 175 cans total (so we need to sell at least 78!) Keep up the great work and let’s beat the Pub (we are 10 cans ahead)! You can follow along and see updates at this link!
Thanks to everyone for being flexible, helping cover shifts, and kicking butt this weekend! Your hard work is much appreciated and I am so grateful for you all!
Caves UPDATES
Deep Seek Evolution
Quick Hits
Crisp and snappy finish with lightened body
100% NW Malts
Nectaron Hops contributing big tropical and citrus notes
Constant evolution! With Deep Seek and all Block 15 beers
Deep Seek Tasting & Pairing Events
🤿 11/30 at Wildwood Taphouse Hillsboro - 3 - 7 pm
Deep Seek and Oyster Pop-Up from Oregon Fish Co.
Block 15 Beers accompanied by Oysters from Oregon Fish Co.
📍 9345 NE Windsor Street, Hillsboro, OR 97006
🤿 12/5 at Loyal Legion PDX - 5 - 8 pm
Deep Seek & Block 15 Favorites on draft with a pop-up from Câche Câche. Merch/Deep Seek pins will be raffled off/given to everyone drinking Deep Seek.
📍 Loyal Legion PDX 710 SE 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
🤿 12/6 at Loyal Legion Beaverton - 5 - 8 pm
Deep Seek & other Block 15 Favorites on draft. Merch/Deep Seek pins will be raffled off/given to everyone drinking Deep Seek.
📍 Loyal Legion Beaverton 4500 SW Watson Ave, Beaverton, OR 97005
HIGH FIVE SECTION
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!
Griffin Dorris (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Hey everyone! We had our Safety Committee meetings for our Downtown and Tap Room locations last week. Linked below are our Safety Notes from the meetings. If you’re interested in joining the Safety Committee or attending our next meeting, the meeting times are listed below!
Tap Room Safety Committee Meeting for December: 12/13 at 12:30 pm
Downtown Locations Safety Committee Meeting for December: 12/14 at 10 am at the Pub
November meeting notes for downtown: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MZFODvoodjNakjynpYfoS0j4it32e2ZkhiCQwQozS-Q/edit?usp=sharing
November meeting notes for Tap Room: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SH-WcrorsEYb5Fg_Sy5tJUaGVYTsJaBriujGUwC6aq4/edit?usp=sharing
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
The People’s Pint Tap - November
For the whole month, we will be dedicating a tap handle to give back to our community. The organization we chose this month is Corvallis Mountain Rescue. A portion of the proceeds from each pint and packaged beer to-go will be donated to the organization from both Block 15 locations.
Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue (SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock.
More info here: https://www.corvallismountainrescue.org/index.html
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!
Internal Brewsletter - November 15th, 2023
General
Closed Thanksgiving
All locations will be closed on Thanksgiving day, and normal hours will resume on Friday the 24th.
Bottle Limits Lifted
Both locations are lifting all the limits on the fall release bottles! Folks can buy as many as they want starting today!
LET’S RIDE!
This Fall, we sponsored Cycle Lab’s Biktoberfest. In return, we all get 3 free passes to try out their studio! Each class is around $25 so this is an AWESOME opportunity! And free!
Head to this link HERE to sign up/create an account and use the code BEER23 to redeem your classes!
They expire on 12/31/23 so let’s get fit before the Holidays arrive!
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Simon with an assist from Pepper! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Pear and Blue Cheese Turkey Burger, made with garlic aioli, balsamic tossed arugula, fried shallots, turkey patty, blue cheese crumbles, and sliced pear.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Deep Seek Evolution
Quick Hits
Crisp and snappy finish with lightened body
100% NW Malts
Nectaron Hops contributing big tropical and citrus notes
Constant evolution! With Deep Seek and all Block 15 beers
Paired Food Special at block 15 locations
Available this Friday-Sunday while supplies last.
Blackened Wild Salmon Bowl
Wild caught Chinook salmon, blackened in Cajun spices, coconut-basmati rice, napa cabbage, pickled red onion, toasted pumpkin seeds, spicy tomato ranch & green onion $16.99
Deep Seek Tasting & Pairing Events
🤿 11/18 at Chill N Fill - 5 - 9 pm (until sold out)
Deep Seek and Oyster Pop-Up Featuring Shigoku Oysters from Taylor Shellfish Farms
📍 5215 North Lombard Street. Portland OR
🤿 11/30 at Wildwood Taphouse Hillsboro - 3 - 7 pm
Deep Seek and Oyster Pop-Up from Oregon Fish Co.
Block 15 Beers accompanied by Oysters from Oregon Fish Co.
📍 9345 NE Windsor Street, Hillsboro, OR 97006
🤿 12/5 at Loyal Legion PDX - 5 - 8 pm
Deep Seek & Block 15 Favorites on draft with a pop-up from Câche Câche. Merch/Deep Seek pins will be raffled off/given to everyone drinking Deep Seek.
📍 Loyal Legion PDX 710 SE 6th Ave, Portland, OR 97214
🤿 12/6 at Loyal Legion Beaverton - 5 - 8 pm
Deep Seek & other Block 15 Favorites on draft. Merch/Deep Seek pins will be raffled off/given to everyone drinking Deep Seek.
📍 Loyal Legion Beaverton 4500 SW Watson Ave, Beaverton, OR 97005
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 11/17
Ridgeback Red // This Red Ale carefully balances a blend of craft malt with an exciting ridge of select NW hops. Enjoy notes of toasted nuts and caramel that transition into layers of pine and citrus hop flavor. // 5.50% ABV
Takeaways: Balancing rustic malt character and NW hops Ridgeback pleases both the hoppy and malty beer lovers.
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit Peel, toffied hazelnut, off-leash
Series: (Used to be) Perpetual, but is in a transition phase - we’ll update you when the series gets finalized for this special appearance of Ridgeback.
Alt 15 // This Northern German-style hybrid lager is cool fermented with an ale yeast, then given extended cold conditioning. It balances a beautiful caramel-rich malt profile with a crisp and refreshing finish. // 5.00% ABV
Takeaways: Our GABF gold Medal winning Recipe gets the "lagered by the sun" treatment and is now made with nearly 100% PNW ingredients. Classic to the style, this one delivers a rich, but drinkable balance of malty toffee and caramel, with toastier aromas and a light bitterness.
Tasting Notes: Toffee. Fresh Baked Bread. Comforting.
Series: Orbital
Fresh Pow // This wintry Hazy IPA is ready to shred all season long. Pillowy soft, featuring an avalanche of resinous, citrusy, and tropical hop varietals. Brewed often and canned fresh throughout the winter. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: Our Winter seasonal IPA, Fresh Pow will be around mid-November into January with multiple batches brewed and distributed.
Tasting Notes: Lime Zest. Mango. Powder Day.
Series: Perennial
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 11/17
Ridgeback Red // Red Ale
Alt 15 // Altbier
Fresh Pow // Hazy IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Joy
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Hair of the Peach // Barleywine Ale Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Hair of the Dog
Hop Shuffle: Alora // Hazy IPA
Super Fly Rye // India Pale Ale
Consortium: Strata X Luminosa // West Coast IPA
The DAB Lab: Mo$aic // Hazy IPA
Tangerines & Elephants // Fruited West Coast IPA
The Prophecies // Belgian Quad
Hoppy New Year // Imperial IPA
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Pub
First and third Tuesdays at 11 am
Second and Fourth Thursdays at 11 am
PUB UPDATES
Last big game this weekend against UW (the game is sold out and UW is undefeated). We will be rockin’ busy before the game and may see a bit of a pop after. Get ready for one more big one!
Starting this Friday 11/17 we will be running a friendly competition with the Tap Room to see who can sell the most 4pks/cans of Deep Seek! We will run this for 3 weekends (Fri-Sun) in a row and keep track every week so you know where each location stands. The winning location will get bragging rights and a prize that is TBD. Now let’s go sell all the Deep Seek and beat the Tap Room! You can follow along and keep track of how we are doing at this link!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Last home football game is on Saturday at 4:30 pm (it is sold out!) Be ready for it to be busy and to crush it!
Please talk up the themed nights! Craft night, student night, and game night - spread the word and work it into conversations when you can!
Starting this Friday 11/17 we will be running a friendly competition with the Pub to see who can sell the most 4pks/cans of Deep Seek! We will run this for 3 weekends (Fri-Sun) in a row and keep track every week so you know where each location stands. The winning location will get bragging rights and a prize that is TBD. Now let’s go sell all the Deep Seek and beat the Pub! You can follow along and keep track of how we are doing at this link! https://keepthescore.com/board/qnbvxqzkmbpdr/
If you ever have questions or need clarification on anything TR-related, please reach out to Madie to get answers/clarification.
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Laura Wilson - For rolling with everything and being a boss.
Brana Drummond - Brana helped us out big time on Saturday by jumping in and helping the taproom out when we were slammed, after working her own shift all day at the pub. Thank you for your hard work Brana! We appreciate you. :-)
The Entire Taproom Kitchen - Taproom kitchen crew absolutely CRUSHED it on Saturday. Kept their cool, kept ticket times low, and maintained awesome communication with front of house. Everyone did an amazing job, and we are lucky to have them all out here! Thanks guys!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
Keep emergency exits accessible, employees need to access exits quickly in the event of an emergency, it is imperative that these be kept clear. Nothing should be placed in front of the exits that would block them or impede them from opening.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
The People’s Pint Tap - November
For the whole month, we will be dedicating a tap handle to give back to our community. The organization we chose this month is Corvallis Mountain Rescue. A portion of the proceeds from each pint and packaged beer to-go will be donated to the organization from both Block 15 locations.
Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue (SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock.
More info here: https://www.corvallismountainrescue.org/index.html
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!
Internal Brewsletter - November 8th, 2023
General
November Food and Beer Pairing
This Friday, 11/10, we will be featuring a food and beer pairing for November at both of our locations. This special will run the entire time we have the beer available.
Curry Butternut Squash Pot Pie - Rich butternut squash and coconut curry stew with mixed peppers, zucchini, and potatoes. Topped with a flaky pastry crust $16.99 -
Pairs with Punch Out & Prost (Dortmunder Export Lager) - Punch Out & Prost’s crisp, dry & slightly bitter notes balance the rich and spicy pot pie, offering a delightful contrast and cleansing effect, while the sweeter notes in the beer compliment the sweetness of the squash. This pairing creates a harmonious and enjoyable combination.
Bottle Limits
Starting today (11/8) both locations are lifting the limit on Framboise Claret bottles (buy to your heart’s content!) but we will still have the same limits on the other 3 release bottles.
Imagine - 4 bottles
Figgy Pudding - 4 bottles
Imagine, Chocolate Hazelnut - 2 bottles
LET’S RIDE!
This Fall, we sponsored Cycle Lab’s Biktoberfest. In return, we all get 3 free passes to try out their studio! Each class is around $25 so this is an AWESOME opportunity! And free!
Head to this link HERE to sign up/create an account and use the code BEER23 to redeem your classes!
They expire on 12/31/23 so let’s get fit before the Holidays arrive!
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Alex Goodwin! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Pork Tonkatsu sandwich. The bakery has made us some Japanese Milk Bread, on which will go kewpie mayo, cabbage, cucumber-jalapeño relish, breaded thin pork cutlet, and tonkatsu sauce.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 11/10
Punch Out & Prost // Punch out with this beautiful golden, export lager. This brew blends a delicate malt base with floral and spicy noble hops from the PNW. Lingering bitterness balances honey notes and offers a crisp finish, Prost! // 6.25% ABV
Takeaways: Continuing to push for authenticity, stylistically, in our Continental lagers, but balanced with our desire for sustainability and our Lagered by the Sun program. We used over 90% PNW malt and 100% PNW hops to create something authentically German.
Tasting Notes: Biscuit. Herbal. Bottoms Up.
Series: Perennial
Hoppy Holidays // This yuletide IPA is brewed with a sleigh full of hops, orange zest, and foraged spruce tips. Our gift of pine and citrus is wrapped in a warm malt backbone that is sure to bring holiday cheer. // 9.20% ABV
Takeaways: 150 pounds of spruce tips went into the beer, which were hand-foraged by our staff at Starker Forests in the Coast Range.
Tasting Notes: Jolly Rancher. Sweet Orange. Festive.
Series: Orbital
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Bottles
RELEASING Friday 11/10
Willa // Blended each year in celebration of Willa's birth. A solera-style blending of barrel-matured farmhouse ales; each year contains a portion of all prior vintages. Lively, bright, and complex, this beer is almost as unique as Willa herself. // 8.00% ABV
Takeaways: A beer brewed annually to celebrate the birth of our founder’s youngest daughters. Willa is a complex dark sour that contains a portion of all prior vintages and is conditioned in Willamette Valley ex-pinot noir barrels and bottle-conditioned with honey from her Grandpa Gus’ hive at the Block 15 Brewery.
Tasting Notes: Mild Acidity, Orchard Fruit, Tart, Honey
Series: Cellars
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 11/10
Punch Out & Prost // Dortmunder Export Lager
Hoppy Holidays // Imperial IPA with Citrus and Spruce Tips
Willa 2023 // Red Farmhouse Ale Matured in Red Wine Barrels
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Tropicolor, Flicker (pub only)
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Fresh Pow // Hazy IPA
Alt 15 // Altbier
Ridgeback Red // Red Ale
Hair of the Peach // Barleywine Ale Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Hair of the Dog
Hop Shuffle: Alora // Hazy IPA
Super Fly Rye // India Pale Ale
Consortium: Strata X Luminosa // West Coast 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: Deep Seek Evolution
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Evolution is inevitable, the industry is ever-changing, consumer tastes and preferences are ever-changing, technology and ingredients are ever-changing. Adaptability is one of the most important characteristics of a successful brewery, you have to be able to maintain a high level of quality and consistency while constantly evolving your offerings, often in subtle ways that most consumers won’t notice. Other times, however, you have to make big leaps quickly. Deep Seek has been undergoing a rapid evolution that we are ready to unveil.
We’ve previously posted here about West Coast IPA and the changes it has undergone in recent years. You can read that here (Scroll down to post 8/16). We have been slowly evolving Deep Seek since our first batch, often pushing very experimental techniques to drive intense, punchy hop flavor and aroma. Ultimately we wanted to go beyond what changes we’ve already made and present a beer that represents the kind of West Coast IPA we really want to make and serve to our customers.
As discussed in the previous post, west-coast IPAs have been getting lighter and lighter from the days of big caramel notes that presented as almost amber in color. This has made them much more drinkable, and, frankly, approachable in a similar way that Hazy IPA really changed the palate of IPA’s and made them more accessible than the 200+ IBU palate wrecker IPA’s from a decade ago. Belgian brewer often use the term “digestibility” when describing how they make beer, they may have high ABV, but they are lighter and enjoyable because of their focus on fermentation and balance.
In our quest to promote a more drinkable, or “digestible” beer we lightened up the malt base of the beer considerably, focusing on building a crisp beer that has a light, snappy finish. We’ve accomplished this by including PNW-sourced pilsner malt from our new silo. We’ve also been refining the bitterness, not just the intensity of it, but the quality as well. The bitterness should be instantly perceivable and then quickly fade, contributing to a finish that leaves you wanting another sip.
Another aspect of Deep Seek we’ve been evolving is the hop profile, we’ve wanted to make this beer both intense and balanced, with a pleasant blend of hops that leans into the classic West Coast notes of Pine resin and juicy citrus. We’re still using Amarillo, Citra, CTZ, Simcoe, and El Dorado, but we’ve brought in Chinook and, more notably, Nectaron to really add punch to the Citrus aroma of the beer.
Nectaron is a newer variety, first introduced in 2020, and has quickly gained popularity among brewers for its intense citrus and tropical notes. Brewers are always looking for the next Citra or Mosaic, a hop that brings so much more flavor and aroma than other hops that it demands to be used. Nectaron is one of those hops and might be the next big thing. We’ve been fortunate to get a contract on it so early since its release and we’ve already sprinkled it into some favorites over the past year, including The Present (The Anniversary collab IPA with Coldfire) and Something Big & Resinous (collab with Behemthod Brewing from New Zealand).
These updates have improved upon Deep Seek’s drinkability and we’re excited to present this evolved vision of Deep Seek to you and our customers. The evolution of our beers is constant, and we’re excited to present this evolved iteration of Deep Seek to you, but we will continue to evolve it, as we do all of our beers, perpetually improving and refining our craft with a passion for creativity and quest for excellence.
PUB UPDATES
This week’s home game is at 2:30, meaning we will likely get a solid push before and after the game. Rock your Beavers gear and come ready to have a great time! Thank you all for your hard work, great service, and high energy during these busy but fun football games! Next Saturday, the 18th, will be our last home football game!
We have someone coming by this week to take a look at the ice machine and hopefully get us back up and running!
While we did mention it in our all-staff meetings, we wanted to reiterate and clarify what the “most desirable” tables are in the restaurant and that we should be seating those tables first. Our most desirable tables/sections are booths, 6-10, and most of the upstairs (especially 13-15). Areas that are not as desirable and therefore should be seated once the rest of the tables are full are Brewer’s Lounge and Time-Out upstairs. Of course, if folks request these areas since they are quieter, they are more than welcome to sit there. This may mean that one server is 1-4 and the other is 5-10 (or 1-5 and 6-10 if we need to accommodate larger parties in 6-10). Upstairs we can split the more desirable tables into more equal sections until we are full enough to the point where we need the Time-Out section. This can look something like 13-16 (or 17) and 17-22 (or 18-22) to balance tables for each server. When in doubt, check in with your floating manager or manager on duty!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Themed Nights at the Taproom start this week! 5-8pm
Tuesday is Craft/Hobby night in the barrel room. Some supplies are provided but folks are welcome to bring any projects or things they want to work on. 10% off appetizers for those participating!
Wednesday is student night! Show your student ID (any school/college is fine) and receive 15% off your tab.
Thursday is Game night! Bring any game to play while you hang out and get $1 off drinks. We have some games folks can borrow but are encouraged to bring their own!
Home game on Saturday at 2:30! Be prepared for a pre-game and potentially post-game push!
Saturday 11/11 is also 4Spirits Spirits Fest, street parking will be hard to come by so plan on leaving a few minutes earlier than normal for your shift to be able to find a spot. If folks come to the Taproom after being next door make sure to give a once over before serving to make sure folks aren’t being over-served and if they seem too intoxicated politely tell them you are not serving them alcohol but are happy to get them something N/A if they would like.
Caves UPDATES
We’re going to have a few new beers this week to replace the pFriem Hazy and our Fresh Hop that kicked over the weekend. Check out the newsletter for details!
Events
Check back next week
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Matt Williams - Matt really goes the extra mile to keep things running smoothly. You're appreciated!
Bailey Birch - For multitasking like a beast!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
A shoulder injury can occur as a result of a repetitive process. To reduce the risk of shoulder injuries, workers can:
Keep elbows and knees bent at a 90-degree angle when working.
Make sure feet are supported on the floor or use a footstool.
Take posture breaks and exercise for several minutes every hour.
Follow proper lifting techniques: Face the object to be lifted, and keep the back as straight as possible by bending and using legs for lifting power.
Avoid reaching to place or retrieve heavy objects stored up high. Use a stable platform or step stool.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
The People’s Pint Tap - November
For the whole month, we will be dedicating a tap handle to give back to our community. The organization we chose this month is Corvallis Mountain Rescue. A portion of the proceeds from each pint and packaged beer to-go will be donated to the organization from both Block 15 locations.
Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue (SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock.
More info here: https://www.corvallismountainrescue.org/index.html
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!
Internal Brewsletter - November 1st, 2023
General
Big News from Block 15 Distribution
Block 15 Family! I have big news from the Block 15 Distribution side of our team.
I am thrilled to announce that we have partnered with Wayfinder Beer as the newest supplier in our portfolio. We will be distributing them throughout Oregon in areas such as Corvallis, Eugene & Medford, as well as other regions around the state. They make some of the distro team's favorite beers including CZ AF Czech-style Pilsner, Cold IPA, and Hell Munich-style Helles.
About Wayfinder Beer: Located in Portland, Oregon, Wayfinder Beer’s portfolio consists of an array of brews that cater to a broad spectrum of tastes in styles. Since opening in 2016, Wayfinder has offered customers an extensive selection of bold hop-forward IPAs and timeless lagers, providing delightful and unexpected flavors. Awarded the 'Best Brewpub Experience in Oregon' four times at the Oregon Beer Awards, Wayfinder has become a cherished destination for many in Portland and beyond.
To find out more about them visit Wayfinder.beer or find them on social media @WayfinderBeer
– Erin Grey Kemplin, Sales & Distribution Director
Save the Date - Block 15 Holiday party
Save the Date! Sunday, December 10th will be our Block 15 Holiday party! This is an adult-only party that will be at the Marriott in the evening. More info to come next month.
New hours at the pub
Reminder: starting Monday, November 6th, the Pub’s hours will be Sunday-Thursday 11am - 10pm and Friday & Saturday 11am - 11pm.
LET’S RIDE!
This Fall, we sponsored Cycle Lab’s Biktoberfest. In return, we all get 3 free passes to try out their studio! Each class is around $25 so this is an AWESOME opportunity! And free!
Head to this link HERE to sign up/create an account and use the code BEER23 to redeem your classes!
They expire on 12/31/23 so let’s get fit before the Holidays arrive!
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Lily & Niko! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Philly Cheesesteak, made with grilled onions and peppers.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 11/3
Sticky Hands: Turkey’s Pick // Using hop blend "Turkey's Pick" from Hop Revolution in New Zealand and PNW Crosby Hops with our Sticky Hands base. Expect loads of resin-dipped citrus and tropical fruit notes to share for the start of turkey season. // 8.10% ABV
Takeaways: Susan Wheeler, the owner of Hop Revolution, is known for calling everyone Turkeys – (in your best Kiwi accent) “What’s crackin’ ya turkey!”. The selection building they have on the farm is also referred to as “The Turkey’s Nest”. This is where they host their most influential NZ brewers for selection season and each harvest they choose their favorite “4 blocks” AKA favorite 3 lots (across all varieties) on the entire property. This year, that included the best lot of Motuere, Motueka, and Riwaka. We don't normally use commercial hop blends, part of our jobs as brewers is picking our own hop lots to blend, but this one is so unique we wanted to highlight it.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Papaya, Buddha's Hand, Good as Gold.
Series: Orbital
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Bottles
RELEASING Saturday 11/4
Imagine // A blend of Belgian-inspired imperial stouts matured for one and two years in freshly-emptied bourbon barrels. Deep, dark, and decadent, our strongest offering blended once a year. // 14.50% ABV
Takeaways: Belgian-style stout that each year is matured in different bourbon distillery barrels. Made with a Trappist yeast that has high attenuating power, this allows us to really push that starting gravity and make this one big-big-big beer.
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Coffee, Roasty
Series: Perennial
Imagine “Chocolate Hazelnut” Edition // Are you a Filbert or a Hazelnut person? Anyone sitting on the fence can ponder this universal question while experiencing waves of sweet, earthy hazelnuts, rich chocolate, and decadent vanilla. This Belgian-inspired stout was matured in bourbon barrels for one to two years before being introduced to this delectable trio. // 14.50% ABV
Takeaways: Ten pounds per barrel of roasted Oregon Hazelnuts were steeped for an extended time on the base Imagine beer, after being racked out of barrels, along with whole cocoa nibs to impart a fresh and authentic hazelnut flavor and aroma.
Tasting Notes: Sweet Cocoa, Gentle Hazelnut, Coffee
Series: Cellar
Figgy Pudding // Our yearly holiday offering is brewed with specialty malts, blackstrap molasses, steeped with Ceylon cinnamon and nutmeg and matured in freshly emptied brandy barrels. The perfect beer to share with friends and family around a cozy fireplace or celebration. // 11.00% ABV
Takeaways: Each year Figgy Pudding is spiced according to its individual needs. There is no recipe or formula, we rely on taste and blending to make each year’s vintage taste just right.
Tasting Notes: Spice. Molasses. Warm.
Series: Cellar
Framboise Claret // This celebration of the locally grown black cap and red raspberries features a blend of spontaneously fermented wild ales matured over a year in oak barrels and conditioned on NW fruit. Striking berry character with a tart and fruity balance. // 7.80% ABV
Takeaways: Black-cap and red raspberries are harvested throughout the summer and added to blended barrels before bottling. The beer is not left on fruit for an extended amount of time.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Raspberry. Red Currant. Vibrant
Series: Cellar
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 11/3
Sticky Hands: Turkey’s Pick // Hop Experience Ale
Imagine // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels
Imagine “Chocolate Hazelnut” Edition // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Hazelnuts and Vanilla
Figgy Pudding // English-Style Barleywine Matured in Brandy Barrels with Spice
Framboise Claret // Wild Golden Ale Matured with Black and Red Raspberries
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Specular Reflections
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Hair of the Peach // Barleywine Ale Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Hair of the Dog
Punch Out & Prost // Dortmunder Export Lager
Hoppy Holidays // Imperial IPA with Spruce Tips
Willa 2023 // Red Farmhouse Ale
Fresh Pow! // Hazy IPA
Alt 15 // Altbier
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: Block 15 November Barrel Release
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Production Manager
Block 15 has been barreling beer for over a decade, and in that time our program has grown in size and influence. In February of 2010, we held the first bourbon month, and with it released Pappy’s Dark, a strong specialty ale brewed to compliment the use of freshly emptied Pappy Van Winkle barrels. The beer was aged for *gasp* three whole months in the sought-after barrels, but recreating it became impossible once the barrels became exorbitantly expensive. That fall, we released Figgy Pudding, a beer that has been in production ever since, and the November barrel-aged beer release was born.
While this was very early in the world of barrel-aged beer, it was not the first release in Oregon. Hair of the Dog in Portland filled their first barrel in 1994 and was even having small festivals based around their Barrel releases. However, what we were doing was incredibly rare for a brewery of our size. At that time, brewpubs simply didn’t have barrel programs.
We have continued the November Bottle Release since 2010, and it has grown and evolved. We added Imagine, our Belgian-style bourbon barrel-aged imperial stout, its variants that change every year, (this year chocolate hazelnut), and Framboise, which bounces between white, black, and claret vintages. We also traditionally accompanied the release with a brunch, but this year we are switching things up and instead doing smaller more intimate experiences like the brewer's dinner this Friday.
The November Bottle Release is one of Block 15’s biggest weekends of the year, and we are excited to share some bottles with those of you who have never experienced it before, as well as with those of you who have been with us for some time, cheers!
PUB UPDATES
Back when Toast launched the new POS version during Family Weekend, we hit pause to allow us to get through the busy weekend without a funky new layout to get used to. Now that we are a few weeks away from that weekend and starting some renewed focus on hospitality starting November 6th, we will also be implementing the improved Toast layout/system on the 6th. This will take some getting used to and some tweaking of muscle memory, but the new version does have some pretty nice features and time-saving pieces.
Now that we will be self-hosting more often Monday-Thursday in the afternoons, please be mindful of communicating when we seat groups of 5 or more people, or when we seat several tables in a row. As we all communicate with each other and are more confident and aware of the pace of the restaurant, we will be able to efficiently communicate the flow to the line lead. Check-in with your fellow servers and folks on the floor to ensure everyone is in the loop!
Revisit November's Specials with some added info here!!!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We will be switching from 2Towns Cherry Sublime to Two Berry Dream (Berry Limeade) once we run out of the cherry cans.
We will be switching out the White Peach Guava Marg for a Cranberry Orange Gin and Tonic with a Thyme sprig and Dehydrated orange wheel garnish this Friday!
Big Fall Release this weekend! Please make sure you know all the events that are happening and if you are scheduled on Saturday expect it to be pretty busy!
We will be starting to use the dehydrated lemon and lime wheels for cocktail garnishes like the pub does this week. Please use the lemon ones for FVL, HH Cocktails, Hot Toddy, and the lime ones for Margs. We will still have small containers of fresh ones to use for NA lemonade and whatnot. This will help us to drastically reduce citrus waste for the winter.
We added a new tea flavor to our mix, English Breakfast! (black tea and does have caffeine) We still have Jasmine Green and Evening in Missoula.
Just a reminder that we close at 8pm which means we should be graciously accepting customers until 8pm and full food and drinks can be ordered until then. (if someone comes in at 7:55 they should still get full-service options of food and drinks)
We are pushing back the start of Themed nights at the TR until next Tuesday 11/7!
Revisit November specials with some added info here!
Caves UPDATES
Events
Late Fall Bottle Release Events
Updates! It’s next week!
Brewers Dinner 11/3
At the Pub at 6pm in the Gameroom
Guided Pairings 11/4
At the Taproom from 11am - 2pm around the facility
Bottles Release 11/4 for public. Beers on tap at the Pub and TR on 11/3.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Gavin Thorud - Gavin has a willingness to take on difficult tasks and is plucky as hell. They are always someone we can rely on to see a job through and do it right. The whole brewery is really lucky to have them on our team.
Ted O’Hanlan - I really enjoy all the insight and education he provides between the Ted Talks and the articles in the brewsletter. Keep it coming Ted!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
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 on the sidewalk just to the south of the parking lot entrance.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
The People’s Pint Tap - November
People’s Pint Tap kicks off today! For the whole month, we will be dedicating a tap handle to give back to our community. The organization we chose this month is Corvallis Mountain Rescue. A portion of the proceeds from each pint and packaged beer to-go will be donated to the organization from both Block 15 locations.
Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue (SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock.
More info here: https://www.corvallismountainrescue.org/index.html
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!
Internal Brewsletter - October 25th, 2023
General
Hospitality Through Guiding - Required Reading
Please read the following document before our all-staff meetings this week.
LET’S RIDE!
This Fall, we sponsored Cycle Lab’s Biktoberfest. In return, we all get 3 free passes to try out their studio! Each class is around $25 so this is an AWESOME opportunity! And free!
Head to this link HERE to sign up/create an account and use the code BEER23 to redeem your classes!
They expire on 12/31/23 so let’s get fit before the Holidays arrive!
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Garrison! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Rosemary Lemon Veggie Pita, made with an assortment of fresh veggies tossed in a rosemary lemon vinaigrette, topped with feta and shatta.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 10/27
Tropicolor // Capturing the freshest, juiciest hop character from a trifecta of Idaho 7, Sabro and Bru-1 varietals. With a soft, lush body, Tropicolor is a highly drinkable IPA with a tropical twist. // 7.50% ABV
Takeaways: Pushing tropical mango, pineapple and coconut, this is a very Tiki-inspired Hazy (no fruit added, all hops). El Dorado hop oil is in the ferment for biotransformation. Really pushing big and juicy.
Tasting Notes: Pineapple. Coconut. Beach Day.
Series: Orbital
Ol’ Saint Nick // Ol' Saint Nick is a generously malt-forward winter ale - artfully constructed with a base of selected malts and hops, offering notes of toffee, cocoa, plum, and caramel with citrusy hops and a pleasant lingering finish. // 9.00% ABV
Takeaways: A turn of the season winter warmer. It's a delicate balancing act of sweet malt and hop bitterness that creates an incredibly drinkable seasonal taster.
Tasting Notes: Brown Sugar. Toffee. Fireside.
Series: Perennial
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 10/27
Tropicolor // Hazy IPA
Ol’ Saint Nick // Winter Ale
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Story of the Ghost
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Hair of the Peach // Barleywine Ale Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Hair of the Dog
Sticky Hands: Turkey’s Pick // Hop Experience Ale
Imagine // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels
Imagine “Chocolate Hazelnut” Edition // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Hazelnuts and Vanilla
Figgy Pudding // English-Style Barleywine Matured in Brandy Barrels with Spice
Framboise Claret // Wild Golden Ale Matured with Black and Red Raspberries
Punch Out & Prost // Dortmunder Export Lager
Hoppy Holidays // Imperial IPA with Spruce Tips
Willa 2023 // Red Farmhouse Ale
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: Beer Style Guidelines
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
The world of craft beer revolves around the continued ingenuity of small brewers whose passion and creativity constantly generate new and unique beers for consumers to enjoy. That said, the industry also embraces the idea of more or less fixed beer styles that have rigorous and specific guidelines for how to make them. The combination of these two things, somewhat opposing ideas, creates a unique atmosphere where brewers are always looking ahead but also fixated on the past. Breweries often build a reputation for quality regarding how authentically they make classic styles of beer, a whole sub-industry of professional competitions designed to assess these beers has established the need for well-written, and accurate guidelines that judges can use for reference. The World Beer Cup and The Great American Beer Festival attract thousands of breweries a year to enter and are just two of the dozens of professional competitions.
The idea of standardized beer styles is relatively new, more or less originating in 1977 with the publication of Michael Jackson’s (the beer writer, not the musician) The World Guide to Beer, which broke international beers down into styles and helped stoke a sudden world-wide interest in beer as something more than just a commodity product, but something that deserved consideration, akin to wine. Jackson came out of a time in the UK when traditional beers were disappearing and people began to organize to preserve historic styles and methods. CAMRA, the campaign for the revitalization of real ale formed in 1971, with their first guide for traditional British beers and pubs being published in 1974, they have continued to revise The Good Beer Guide regularly since.
In 1977 they held the first Great British Beer Festival, which became the model for similar festivals/competitions around the world, especially the Great American Beer Festival, first held in 1982. The rise of these competitions led to the establishment of more formalized guidelines than what Jackson had initially published. GABF, which was initially organized by the American Homebrewers Association, which eventually merged with the Brewers Association, publishes its own guidelines, which are also used for the World Beer Cup. Separate from that, the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP), which was founded in 1985 to provide an educational resource for beer judges, first published its guidelines in 1995. Both of these guides are the ones most used by American brewers and are continuously revised to embrace changes in the industry, but often not fast enough for Craft Brewers who are constantly developing new styles.
Many breweries live and die by these guidelines, brewing to a very rigid idea of what beer can or should be. Many other breweries prefer to mostly ignore them and instead focus on ingenuity and creativity to push the industry in new directions. Block 15 is a brewery built on both ingenuity and a respect for classic beer styles. The ability to push creatively, but also to execute accurately to classic concepts is, in my opinion, the sign of a great brewery. We all get into this industry because we love beer and the experiences we have with it. You have to hold a reverence for classics, but not be bound by them. This is, in essence, what craft beer is all about.
Additional Viewing:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJJsrNUKRZw&list=PLAvEKxWI-6vSYgondk4rTzeURcS4kgkzJ (Michael Jackson’s Beer Hunter is a time capsule of beer geekery.)
Further Reading:
https://www.greatamericanbeerfestival.com/brewers-information/2023-gabf-competition/beer-styles/
https://www.bjcp.org/bjcp-style-guidelines/
PUB UPDATES
Starting on Monday, November 6th, we are adjusting our hours slightly. New hours will be the following. We’ll touch on this in our all-staff meetings this week and next, so please feel free to ask any questions!
Sunday - Thursday, 11am to 10pm
Friday & Saturday, 11am to 11pm
New Menu Happenings Today! (10/25)
Jalapeno Jack Burger - NW beef patty, house pickled jalapenos, New Mexico green chiles, melted pepper jack cheese, lettuce, sweet onion, & cilantro-jalapeno mayo on a toasted brioche bun $18.99 (Replaces Kimchi Burger)
Forager Burger - NW beef patty, butter sauteed mixed mushrooms, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce, sweet onion, pickle, and garlic aioli on a toasted brioche bun $18.99 (Replaces HB,J Burger)
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich - Will NOT be coming on line today. We are going to wait until schnitzel is gone and our fryer station has lightened up a bit, so stand by on this one!
November Specials Coming out Wednesday, November 1st!
Since we have the November bottle release coming up next week, I have designed our monthly specials to pair with some of the awesome beers coming out!
Shrimp Arancini - Breaded and fried parmesan, aleppo pepper & gulf shrimp risotto. Served with Pumpkin Mole, parmesan and lemon. $14.99
Paired with Imagine
The Gobbler - Our juicy turkey burger topped with cornbread-sage stuffing & turkey gravy, with orange-cranberry relish on a toasted brioche bun. $17.99
Paired with Framboise Claret
Pear & Hazelnut Melt - Local pears, Gus’ Honey, Hazelnut butter and melted muenster cheese on house-baked artisan bread. $15.99
Paired with Altbier
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Pups on the Patio this Friday 10/27! Fall photo backdrop and goody bags available all day until 6:30. Heartland Humane Society will be onsite from 4:30-6:30 to chat about what they do, how to get involved, how to donate, etc. and they will also have adoptable pups to check out and love on!
$10 goody bags (proceeds donated to Heartland) include: Bandanna, koozie, homemade dog treats, and stickers/pin
Bandannas and dog treats are also sold separately
$1 off drinks for those who bring their furry friends to the Taproom
We will be switching our seasonal lemonade flavor to Cranberry Ginger this Friday! We will run through what we have left already made of white peach guava.
If it starts raining and the rockers are out in the grass, please make sure they get moved somewhere covered so they don’t just sit out in the rain!
Starting the first week of November we will be starting weekly nights at the Taproom!
Tuesdays: Game night! Bring a game to play and receive $1 off your drinks (we will also have a few games available to borrow)
Wednesdays: Student Night! Show your student ID to get 15% off your tab.
Thursdays: Craft/Hobby Night! Hang out in our barrel room and use our big tables to work on current projects, start new ones, or just hang out and doodle/paint/etc. with your friends. 10% off Appetizers and $1 off Pints for folks participating. Some supplies are provided, feel free to bring your own!
November Specials Coming out Wednesday, November 1st!
Since we have the November bottle release coming up next week, I have designed our monthly specials to pair with some of the awesome beers coming out!
Machaca Quesadilla - Braised and pulled beef, spiced pickled onions and melted queso quesadilla cheese in a grilled flour tortilla and served with house pumpkin mole and queso fresco $18.99
Pairs with Imagine
Smoked Beet Reuben - Pastrami style cured and lightly smoked beets, sauerkraut, melted Swiss cheese and house Reuben sauce on our house-baked toasted pumpernickel. $15.99
Pairs with Figgy
Caves UPDATES
Events
Late Fall Bottle Release - Launched to the public on Tuesday!
Updates! It’s next week!
Brewers Dinner 11/3
Sold Out!
Guided Pairings 11/4
11 am - 2 pm at the Taproom
Small bite pairings to go with each release in different stations in the production facility
4 bottle minimum to join in on the tasting event
Guaranteed Allotment for beer
Standing and mingling type of event
There will be a rotation of 12 people per half hour that will rotate through
Bottles Release 11/4 for public. Beers on tap at the Pub and TR on 11/3.
Imagine // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels
Imagine “Chocolate Hazelnut” Edition // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Hazelnuts and Vanilla
Figgy Pudding // English-Style Barleywine Matured in Brandy Barrels with Spice
Framboise Claret // Wild Golden Ale Matured with Black and Red Raspberries
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Bryce Benson - Bryce always has his head in the game and has really stepped up recently. Plus his hair is **goals**
Tyler Lenz - For having a good attitude, despite all the challenges you face at work!
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
Being aware of your surroundings is paramount to avoiding workplace injuries. Only use secure, steady ladders and never use boxes or anything else as an improvised ladder.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
The People’s Pint - November
Our Next People’s Pint begins next Wednesday! For the whole month, we will be dedicating a tap handle to give back to our community. The organization we chose this month is Corvallis Mountain Rescue. A portion of the proceeds from each pint and packaged beer to-go will be donated to the organization from both Block 15 locations.
Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue (SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock.
More info here: https://www.corvallismountainrescue.org/index.html
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!
Internal Brewsletter - October 18th, 2023
General
New Scheduling System
Over the next few weeks, we will be making a transition to a new scheduling system called Sling so keep an eye out for a message with more details from your schedulers!
The Cycle Lab Coupons
Starting this Friday, 10/20 and running through 12/31, we will have 10% Off coupon cards for The Cycle Lab Corvallis employees that can be used at either Block 15 location (Caves excluded). This coupon is good for 10% off of their tab or meal, and the cards should be collected and given to a manager (or put with your drop at the Tap Room) after they are used so that we can keep track of discounts used. The only current exception to what the cards can be used for is on our special Fall Release bottles that will be released early November (Imagine, Imagine Variation, Figgy Pudding, and Framboise Claret). If you have any questions, please see a manager!
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Holly! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for an Arugula Salad, made with goat cheese, walnuts, and cranberries. Tossed in honey mustard vinaigrette.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 10/20
Space Candy // Brewed with a galaxy full of delicious and unique hop products. Comet, Galaxy, and Apollo hops bring a tropical, dank, and piney flavor to orbit a silky and lush body. It will blast your palate into outer space. // 7.30% ABV
Takeaways: Pushing a balance between dank and juicy, Space Candy is an unmistakably Block 15-style IPA. Just graduated from draught-only to a packaged beer.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Mango. Apricot. Astronomical.
Series: Emerging
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 10/20
Space Candy // Hazy IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Flicker
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Hair of the Peach // Barleywine Ale Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Hair of the Dog
Ol’ St Nick // Winter Warmer
Tropicolor // Hazy IPA
Sticky Hands: Turkey’s Pick // Hop Experience Ale
Imagine // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels
Imagine “Chocolate Hazelnut” Edition // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Hazelnuts and Vanilla
Figgy Pudding // English-Style Barleywine Matured in Brandy Barrels with Spice
Framboise Claret // Wild Golden Ale Matured with Black and Red Raspberries
Punch Out & Prost // Dortmunder Export Lager
Hoppy Holidays // Imperial IPA with Spruce Tips
Willa 2023 // Red Farmhouse Ale
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: Conditioning
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Conditioning is a catch-all term that refers to the period, after primary fermentation when beer is aged, short-term to achieve maturation and carbonation. In this phase we let sediment settle to the bottom of the tank and, mostly, push CO2 into the tank to force carbonation of the beer. While many of our beers are carbonated this way, we also do a lot of “natural conditioning,” where we allow the CO2 which is produced by the yeast build pressure in the tank and bond with the beer, carbonating it naturally. Carbonation achieved in this way produces a finer bubble formation, and a refined mouthfeel compared to forced carbonation.
CO2, obviously a greenhouse gas, is both produced naturally by fermentation as well as purchased commercially and used widely in beer production for carbonation, and to pressurizing tanks to move beer around the cellar, or into package. Oxygen stales beer and CO2 is used for most beer processes because it does not degrade the product. CO2 bonds to beer more efficiently at lower temperatures, so there is a limit to the amount of natural carbonation we can achieve, with our equipment, when we are fermenting at warmer temperatures, such as when making ales. Lager ferment and condition at lower temperatures, so we have more opportunity to capture that CO2 and use it to carbonate our beer naturally.
For thousands of years, all beer was flat, it wasn’t until the middle ages that barrel-making techniques evolved for barrels to be able to hold beer under pressure and allow CO2 to bond and carbonate the beer. Glass bottle manufacturing didn’t really exist until the 1600s and it took time for bottle producers to make glass capable of holding pressurized product, but the technological advancement made it possible to package beer with carbonation. The technique for both of these products was to ferment the beer, then prime the beer with more yeast and sugar just before barreling or bottling, then let it referment in the sealed vessel.
Naturally conditioned beer like this was dominant in beer production until the 20th century when commercial CO2 and brewery equipment advancements allowed brewers to force CO2 into beer for carbonation, then beer was carbonated before packaging. Naturally conditioned beer has remained a culturally important aspect of beer production for a few cultures, namely British cask beer and the highly carbonated bottle-conditioned beers of Belgium.
German ingenuity led to the development of the “Spunding Valve” which I mentioned last week, this relatively new piece of equipment allows lager brewers to capture a portion of the CO2 produced in fermentation for natural carbonation. This is an important part of our Lagered by the Sun program, reducing our carbon footprint by capturing close to 100% of the CO2 needed to carbonate our lagers.
We use a similar process with our Abbey series. These beers used to be bottle conditioned, as is traditional, but a shifting market has seen the bottle format fall out of popularity. We still wanted to make these beers, so we had to change our process. Now we ferment the beers normally, separate yeast, then creates a secondary fermentation with the addition of sugar and a special yeast that can ferment in a beer that already has high levels of alcohol in it, we use the spunding valve in this process too.
We are continuing to refine and expand how we capture CO2 in the brewery, both of the quality of carbonation, which we feel is higher with natural carbonation, as well as to continue to reduce our carbon footprint and make Block 15 a more Sustainable business.
Further Reading:
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/iKSxvCoDdk/
PUB UPDATES
New Menu Happenings this week!
Friday 10/20 we are shifting 3 of our HH items!
Chips and Salsa will be replacing the pimento, wings (5) will replace kimchi fried rice and chips AND a ½ Mac and Cheese will replace the market vegetables! Procedures will be the same as they currently are, but I will still repost them tomorrow for clarity and consistency!
We are also replacing our salsa roja with Salsa Borrachas, which is a tomatillo salsa with beer and avocado. We will bring back the roja when tomatoes are sexy again in the warmer months!
New Menu Happenings Next Week (10/25)
Green Hot Chile Burger - NW beef patty, New Mexico Green Chiles, melted pepper jack cheese, lettuce, sweet onion, pickled jalapenos & cilantro-jalapeno mayo on a toasted brioche bun $17.99 (Replaces Kimchi Burger)
Forager Burger - NW beef patty, butter sauteed mixed mushrooms, melted Swiss cheese, lettuce, sweet onion, pickle, and garlic aioli on a toasted brioche bun $18.99 (Replaces HB,J Burger)
Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich - Crispy buttermilk fried chicken thigh with house pickles, finely shredded cabbage, and spicy mayo, served on a warm and toasty brioche bun. $15.99 (Replaces Porkstrami)
This Friday (10/20) we will be replacing our current pasta/salad bowls with a new style! It is a shallower bowl with straight sides and looks AMAZING! Our procedures will stay relatively the same, but there will be some new photos posted of our salads and the chipotle pasta for consistency and reference.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Thanks for crushing the busy weekend and all who were flexible and willing to cover shifts it went so smooth because you all are rockstars!
Please make sure we are properly rotating packaged beer when we are restocking the coolers and putting flats on the shelves. Make sure to look at the dates on the bottom of the cans and always put the older date in the front. Any questions ask a Manager!
During closing if either BOH or FOH finishes up before the other offer to help your closing buddy. Help sweep, mop, wipe things down, etc. Whatever you can help get out of there more efficiently.
We will be starting some weekly themed nights soon (ex: Student night, hobby night, game nights, etc.) to incentivize folks to come to the Taproom on weekdays throughout the Winter. If you have any ideas for themes or things to offer feel free to send Madie a message!
New Menu Stuff for this week Friday 10/20
The Curry Cauliflower Grilled Cheese sandwich will be replacing The ZAT on the main menu!
Roasted local cauliflower with lemon & yellow curry, Zante currants, crushed cashews, melted provolone, fresh cilantro, and citrus aioli on toasted house artisan bread. $14.99
We are also replacing our salsa roja with Salsa Borrachas, which is a tomatillo salsa with beer and avocado. We will bring back the roja when tomatoes are sexy again in the warmer months!
Caves UPDATES
It was a BIG weekend! Way to crush it and make such wonderful experiences for our guests who came through. With each big weekend, y’all are killing it even more. Well done!
Events
Late Fall Bottle Release - Launched to the public on Tuesday!
Late Fall Bottle Release is a yearly bottle release of some of our favorite bottle offerings. In celebration of these offerings, we like to make experiences that our fans can get involved in. In the past, we have done a Brunch. This year, we want to try something new and exciting and do dinner and tasting events alongside the regular release. These two events are a great way to chat with the brewers and get a guaranteed selection of bottles. See more about the events below!
Brewers Dinner 11/3
6 pm at the Pub in the Game Room
This is a chance to get the bottles before the release, guaranteed allotment & a chance to chat with our brewers!
Food - 4-course meal with pairings
Sit-down type of event
Tickets go on sale Thursday 10/19
Guided Pairings 11/4
11 am - 2 pm at the Taproom
Small bite pairings to go with each release in different stations in the production facility
4 bottle minimum to join in on the tasting event
Guaranteed Allotment for beer
Standing and mingling type of event
There will be a rotation of 12 people per half hour that will rotate through
Pre-orders start Thursday 10/19
Beers Release 11/4 for public. Although we will still have them on tap 11/3 for the Brewers Dinner, we just won’t tell customers.
Imagine // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels
Imagine “Chocolate Hazelnut” Edition // Belgian-Style Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Hazelnuts and Vanilla
Figgy Pudding // English-Style Barleywine Matured in Brandy Barrels with Spice
Framboise Claret // Wild Golden Ale Matured with Black and Red Raspberries
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Ted O'Hanlan - I'm glad you're a part of the team, Ted! Thanks for being nice.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
If you notice a potential safety hazard or risk, report it to your supervisor immediately so they can address the situation. Keep communication lines open and work as a team to create a safe working environment.
Please check Hotschedules messages for reminders on proper call out procedures.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
The People’s Pint - November
Our Next People’s Pint will be in November! For the whole month, we will be dedicating a tap handle to give back to our community. The organization we chose this month is Corvallis Mountain Rescue. A portion of the proceeds from each pint and packaged beer to-go will be donated to the organization from both Block 15 locations.
Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue (SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock.
More info here: https://www.corvallismountainrescue.org/index.html
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!
Internal Brewsletter - October 11th, 2023
General
Bloktoberfest Follow-Up
Bloktoberfest happened last weekend, and could not have happened without you! Thank you for your efforts, whether working in the tent or keeping the pub running smoothly. It takes everyone pitching in to make an event like this happen. THANK YOU!!
Since it has been 4 years, and in hopes of making the event better in the future, we would love to gather your input on how the event went. Please complete this survey to share your thoughts.
Figgy Pudding
This Friday we will add Figgy Pudding (the dessert) to our dessert menu! It will phase out the smores cheesecake, but we will keep that on the menu for another week to run out of our last few pieces!
Figgy Pudding
A classic British holiday dessert. Moist homemade cake baked with brandy-soaked figs & dates. Served Warm with brandy hard sauce and fresh cream. $9
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Garrison! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Porkstrami Hashwhich, potato latke and porkstrami on artisan bread with horsey sauce and tomato.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 10/13
College // Cream in name only, this bright, refreshing ale is the perfect crusher on gamedays or anytime in between. Crisp and malt-driven, with extended cold conditioning, provides a clean finish. // 4.50% ABV
Takeaways: Truly crushable, we spunded this batch to capture natural carbonation for a finer mouthfeel, but you can still drink it from the can if you want.
Tasting Notes: Wildflower Honey. Shredded Wheat. Alma Mater.
Series: Perennial
Specular Reflections // Our meditation on the Trappist-style dubbel, this robust dark ale balances rich notes of dried plums, dark malts, fruit preserves, and clove spice—a complex profile elevated by natural carbonation. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: A part of our Abbey series, canned, but still naturally conditioned in secondary for the authentic mouthfeel. Specular undergoes three fermentations.
Tasting Notes: Red Velvet. Baking Spice. Hygge.
Series: Orbital
Something Big & Resinous // Brewed with our friends at Behemoth Brewing in New Zealand, this trans-Pacific Collab features an even blend of NZ and PNW hops. Dank, Piney, herbaceous and juicy, it thoroughly lives up to its name. // 8.80% ABV
Takeaways: As the name suggests, it a big west-coast IPA that features both PNW and New Zealand hops. Dry, resinous and explosively hoppy, we even added some special Riwaka hop oil at conditioning to make it really pop.
Tasting Notes: Tangerine. Pine Resin. Colossal.
Series: Synergy, collaboration with Behemoth Brewing in New Zealand
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 10/13
College // Cream Ale
Specular Reflections // Belgian Dubbel
Something Big and Resinous // Imperial West Coast IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Paddle Season & Topwire 3
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Space Candy // Hazy IPA
Hair of the Peach // Barleywine Ale Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Hair of the Dog
Ol’ St Nick // Winter Warmer
Tropicolor // 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: Cream Ale
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
A true American classic, cream ale was once one of the most popular styles of beer made in the United States. Originating in the mid-19th Century, Cream ale rose to prominence in the early 20th century as a direct competitor with the mass-produced lagers that were already coming to define what beer was in America. Initially stronger, hoppier, and more bitter than other lagers, they eventually evolved to resemble German Kolsch, with a lower abv and gentle hop character balanced by a light bitterness. One point of distinction between Kolsch and Cream ale is the inclusion of rice or corn in making cream ales, a staple adjunct for most American beers that came out of this period.
Historical production methods vary from brewery to brewery, sometimes made exclusively with ale yeast, sometimes exclusively with a lager strain, and some other times primary fermentation is done with an ale strain, and then conditioned with a lager strain. So is Cream ale an ale or a lager? Cream ale is often described as a hybrid beer, much like Kolsch or Altbier. These beers are often brewed with an ale strain that ferments at a cooler temperature and still undergoes a lagering, or conditioning period that helps clean up off-flavors. College Cream Ale, which comes out this week, was fermented with an English ale strain, and conditioned and spunded for an extended period of time, the result is an exceptionally clean beer with most of the carbonation being imparted naturally by the off-gassing yeast.
Spunding is a process where a pressure relief valve, with a water lock to prevent oxygen from getting into the tank, is placed on the fermenter late in primary fermentation or during lagering, the CO2 yeast produced is captured and bonds with the beer due to the low temperature the beer is in at this stage. This provides natural carbonation, lowering our need to purchase CO2 and reducing our carbon footprint. It is a German process that we employ with all of our lagers and hybrid beers.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
We are on our last legs of the Passionfruit Lemonade! Once that runs out, we will switch to Marionberry for the Fall season. If folks are sad, let them know that Passionfruit will be back this Spring/Summer.
We are switching up our Seek Out and Seasonal Cider! Once we are out of Pacific Pineapple we will have Prickly Pearadise and once we are out of Raspberry Lemonade Seekout we will be switching to Kiwi Blackberry Seekout.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We will be switching up our seasonal lemonade flavor in a couple of weeks! If you have any flavor suggestions let Madie know!
Be prepared for a busier weekend with OSU Homecoming/Family Weekend, 2Towns Harvest Party, and decent weather.
Once we run out of what we have of the Airlie Rose it will be gone until next summer.
Please keep the walk-in organized and like with like! Take out any extra empty flats and break them down into cardboard recycle. We should only have 4-5 at a time.
Caves UPDATES
Lillet Blanc is back, so we can make the Corpse Reviver again. Hooray!
More tea lights have arrived, so please make sure to put these along with the votives out on each table for dinner now that the weather is turning more consistently cozy.
Events
Bloktoberfest has come to a close… and as the rain and leaves keep falling we’ll be gearing up for the late Autumn festivities. Stay tuned for what’s next!
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Blake Myers - He always has an encouraging comment on deck and is such a great communicator!
Holly Amlin - Holly always crushes it and with a positive attitude. We're lucky to have her on the team.
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
Rainy weather tip: walking on wet surfaces can be slippery, so it’s important to take small steps and keep your head up to watch for hazards, and always wear your non-slip shoes to work to prevent unnecessary falls.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
People’s Pint - November
Our Next People’s Pint will be in November! For the whole month, we will be dedicating a tap handle to give back to our community. The organization we chose this month is Corvallis Mountain Rescue. A portion of the proceeds from each pint and packaged beer to-go will be donated to the organization from both Block 15 locations.
Corvallis Mountain Rescue Unit offers assistance, without charge, for search and rescue (SAR) in difficult areas and high-angle terrain. Skilled CMRU volunteers with mountaineering experience, trained in the many facets of technical alpine search and rescue, are available around the clock.
More info here: https://www.corvallismountainrescue.org/index.html
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!
Internal Brewsletter - October 4th, 2023
General
Employee Provision
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by the Block 15 Vaults! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for the Hawaiian Burger, which is made with a house burger patty on a Hawaiian bun, topped with spam and pineapple grilled in Korean BBQ sauce, and a slice of white American cheese.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 10/6
SunSchein // Helles is a study in precision, subtlety, and balance. Built around NW craft malts and hops, SunSchein is our expression of this style in the PNW - a crispy, delicately malty, and floral hopped pint of liquid gold. // 5.00% ABV
Takeaways: Spunding is the process of using a water-lock pressure relief valve to capture natural CO2 from fermentation and allow it to carbonate the beer, while still off-gassing. It is a traditional German lager-making practice that we have replicated, the result is a finer mouthfeel on the carbonation.
Tasting Notes: Fresh Sourdough. Wildflower Honey. Quaffable.
Series: Emerging
Animal Cookies // Brewed for the hop-loving animal inside of you, this can is packed with sticky, pungent hops. Unleash a swirling circus of pineapple, tangerine, mango, pine, and dank herb hop characters. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: The return of a classic Block 15 IPA. Hazy IPA done the Block 15 way.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Papaya. Navel Orange. Equitorial.
Series: Perennial
RELEASING Tuesday 10/10
Cheers to the Land. // A contemporary West Coast take on the classic American Pale Ale. This beer features Oregon Promise malt, a Salmon-Safe variety from the OSU barley breeding program that was malted by Mainstem Malt, and Cascade hops from B&D Farms in St. Paul, Oregon. // 5.40% ABV
Takeaways: The second-annual ‘Cheers to the Land’ campaign is a collaborative effort between Oregon’s great breweries, cideries, farmers, and Oregon Agricultural Trust (OAT) to help OAT permanently protect Oregon farmland from development and transition it to future generations. This year’s campaign features 17 breweries and cideries across Oregon, in partnership with Goschie Farms of Silverton and Gold Rush Malt of Baker City. Check out cheerstotheland.com for more information and events.
Tasting Notes: Jasmine. Lemon Zest. Terroir
Series: Synergy - Collaboration with Oregon Agricultural Trust
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 10/6
SunSchein // Helles Lager
Animal Cookies // Hazy IPA
RELEASING Tuesday 10/10
Cheers to the Land // Pale Ale made in collaboration with Oregon Agricultural Trust
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Nebula and Paddle Season
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Specular Reflections // Belgian Dubbel
College // Cream Ale
Something Big and Resinous // Imperial IPA
Ol’ St Nick // Winter Warmer
Space Candy // Hazy IPA
Hair of the Peach // Barleywine Ale Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Hair of the Dog
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics is continuing:
Tuesdays at 2pm at the Taproom
Thursdays at 11am at the Pub
PUB UPDATES
The Harvest Spritz will be replacing Call Me Maybe on Friday. It features Aperol, Pear Brandy, Lemon, a Clove Simple Syrup, and Prosecco
New Menu Item! Wednesday 10/11 we will be bringing back meatloaf! It will replace the pimento BLT! We will also be running the porkstrami out and it will likely run out around the same time.
Scratch-made pork & beef meatloaf, served with bread and butter pickles, melted Tillamook Swiss cheese, sweet glazed onions, and brown mustard aioli on toasted house-baked ciabatta bread. $17.99
This Friday-Sunday we will run a slightly limited food menu in the pub for Bloktoberfest business! We will remove chicken wings, hummus, and the chickpea shawarma salad.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We are switching to our Winter hours next Monday 10/9! We will be open Mon-Thurs 3-8pm and Fri-Sun 11:30am-8pm.
Please be aware of how many napkins you are taking with meals! We should only be grabbing 1 per entree, it is a big waste we can help minimize!
Continue being flexible with guests and not getting caught up in “rules”. Go above and beyond with the hospitality and make a customer's day if you can!
Make sure you know what our hours are for this weekend with Bloktoberfest happening and talk it up with customers! It is going to be a blast!
Menu Changes! Wednesday 10/11 we will be replacing the piquillo chicken sandwich with the Alabama Slammer!
Smoked & pulled chicken, house dill pickles, banana peppers and our Alabama White BBQ sauce on a toasted Bread Stop brioche pub bun. $17.99
Happy Hour Changes! Wednesday 10/11 the spicy cucumbers on the HH menu will be replaced with chips and salsa AND the clam dip will be replaced with a mini pretzel!
Caves UPDATES
Congratulations to Aidan for stepping into a management position at Caves! We are excited to see him in this role and look forward to his leadership within the team!
This Saturday we are replacing the Dress to Impress with a new brunch spritz cocktail: Sweater Weather which will feature Apple Cider, Allspice Dram, Lemon, and Cava for a nice fall-forward brunch offering.
Once we run through the Watermelon + Lime Culture Pop, we will switch to Wild Berries + Lime for the season.
Events
Bloktoberfest 2023
Employees working the event, please check out this packet: Bloktoberfest 2023 Event Information.pdf
If you are not working the event, but at the pub, here are a couple of specifics you will want to be aware of:
Entrance wristband is $5 and is good for both days, 12 and under are free (minors welcome until 8pm)
Those wearing Lederhosen or Dirndl costumes receive free entrance.
The main entrance is on the South (Block 15) side of the street, towards the east end of the tent (near the pub entrance).
All Caves & Block 15 employees will receive entrance for free. When you show your ID at the entrance to get your wristband, you will have your name marked off the list.
Lost & Found – There will be a tub at the entrance area. Please direct customers there to try to find their lost items. If the item is not present, please direct them to email Bloktoberfest@block15.com
No outside food will be allowed in the tent. This includes take-out food from the Pub or Caves.
Guests CAN bring mugs from previous years into the event.
Mugs are intended to be used in the tent only, and therefore if customers come into the restaurant and wish to use their mug please offer them a pint instead. If someone pours their beer from a pint into their mug, that is okay; this rule is about tracking mugs at the bar and logistics of getting the right mug to the right person.
Visit the Bloktoberfest Hub for all the deets on the event.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Makayla Karnowski - For being so amazing! I super appreciate your willingness to take new things on and be eager to grow and learn! You are kick ass!
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!
Max Spears (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Back, neck and shoulder sprains are common occurrences in the food service industry, don’t attempt to carry too much at once or bend at odd angles to place trays on stands or tables.
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!
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!
Internal Brewsletter - September 20th, 2023
General
Congrats!
Congratulations to James B. for accepting the position of Taproom Kitchen Manager!
Monthly Specials are coming back!
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!”
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 Tiva! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a French Dip, featuring Swiss cheese and grilled onions, with a side of au jus.
If that inspires you, we’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 9/22
Juice Joint // Juice Joint pairs dank, citrusy, and tropical hops to create a heady concoction. Supported by a smooth body and balanced bitterness, it's sure to satisfy your cravings. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: Hop dipping is a process where hops are added directly to the tank before knockout, and then wort is pumped onto them, before cooling and pitching yeast. You are able to get biotransformation by fermenting directly on the hops that have minimal isomerization of bitterness. We applied this process to the Incognito liquid hop extract. We did this once before in Guy Incognito and it turned out great. Made in the spirit of the Dab Lab program, Juice Joint is now a stand-alone beer.
Tasting Notes: Blueberry. Mango. Peak Ripeness.
Series: Emerging
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 9/22
Juice Joint // Hazy IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: TopWire No. 03
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Squirrel Stash // Brown Ale
Story of the Ghost // Hauntingly Hazy IPA
SunShein // Helles Lager
Cheers to the Land // Pale Ale made in collaboration with Oregon Agricultural Trust
Specular Reflections // Belgian Dubbel
College // Cream Ale
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics is continuing:
Tuesdays at 2pm at the Taproom
Thursdays at 11am at the Pub
PUB UPDATES
We are going to run a slightly limited menu for the OSU move-in weekend madness! The menu will remove the asparagus salad, chicken wings and the Alabama slammer Friday-Sunday. This will help the prep kitchen keep up with the high volume, and also help the line as well!
Since we are removing the asparagus salad for the weekend, on Monday we will be replacing it with our Chickpea Shawarma Salad for the fall/winter menu!
Chickpea Shawarma Salad - Romaine tossed in dill-tahini vinaigrette & topped with the spiced & roasted chickpeas, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, shatta chili sauce, green onion and a Sunnyside up egg. Served with warm pita bread
For the busy Family Weekend, we will be turning off the ability for folks to add themselves to the waitlist from Friday evening to (or through, if necessary) Sunday evening to help ensure that we are able to keep a good flow of guests coming through the door and not waiting on people to respond. We may also turn off the ability to place to-go orders online depending on the needs of the kitchen, so please be extra diligent about confirming that a to-go order has been paid for, or still needs to be paid for.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Get ready for OSU Move-in weekend! Expect lots of families and show them a good time, turn up the hospitality and push desserts and packaged beer!
Anytime you perform any steps of damage control please make sure everyone on the floor is aware of the situation, especially managers. With that, if you feel that you need a manager to help out and step into a situation do not hesitate to ask one!
Make sure we are keeping a positive attitude with customers and providing excellent service that makes them feel comfortable and want to come back!
Food feedback! It is crucial we get feedback from customers to make sure we always are serving the best versions of our menu. Check in with guests about their meals, ask specific questions, or offer your thoughts to open up dialogue, etc. to get good quality feedback and write it down in the kitchen or shoot Sarah or Madie a message!
Caves UPDATES
Reminder! Lots of new wines this week (link to the info doc is posted below) and the Vol-au-Vent replaces the Ling Cod Piccata this Thursday as well.
pFriem Hazy IPA replaced the Juice Jr as taps were cleaned yesterday, all other beers are still in slight limbo, but will likely tap with the busy weekend coming up. As new beers go on, we will reprint menus and send out a HotSchedules message with the updates, so be sure to stay on top of checking those messages before each shift.
Events
Bloktoberfest 2023
We launched table reservations earlier this week.
A portion of the tables that we’ll have at the festival have been set aside for 1 hour 45-minute reservations.
People are still welcome to walk in and sit at any table that isn’t marked with a reserved sign.
The reservations can be made online and require a fee which is given back in the form of tokens when they arrive at the event.
Reservations can be canceled, which needs to be done by 8 pm on October 4th.
The food menu, beverage menu, and entertainment schedule are very close to final - check out the Blocktoberfest HUB to see what’s going on!
Tap Room Events
Back to School Kick Off - September 27th
Time: All day 11:30-9
$9 Burger Special- 1/4 LB burger with white and yellow American cheese, shredded lettuce, sweet onion, dill pickle and our house burger sauce and side of fries. Make it a double for $4 extra
Blue truck pints for $4 all day
Celebrate going back to school to kick off the new school year. Come hang out, play yard games (like corn hole), and enjoy a tasty beverage and delicious meal (for a steal!)
Bring your OSU faculty/student ID for 15% off your tab.
Camp 15 Flicker Event - September 28th
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Tyler Lenz - Shout out to Tyler for always sticking around to help out when we are understaffed at the taproom!
Whit Lakin - Shout out to Whit for playing the best hide-and-seek this brewery has ever seen; I’ve been looking for weeks and I still haven’t found him!
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!
Myles VanWeerd (Warehouse)
Max Spears (BOH)
Spencer Rees (BOH)
Emma Bartlett (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
If you see something, say something: Spills, damage to workplace materials, unsafe walking conditions… These are all important situations to bring to the attention of your lead or manager. Never assume that someone else will notice an unsafe situation and take care of it… the next person who encounters the condition may slip, trip, fall or otherwise injure themselves. It’s always better to take care of an unsafe condition as soon as it happens.
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!
Internal Brewsletter - September 13th, 2023
General
Employee Provision:
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Kelsea! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Chicken and Broccoli Casserole.
We’re looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 9/15
Fresh Catch // This unimaginably Fresh-Hopped IPA was brewed with newly harvested Centennial, picked up from Crosby Hop Farm. The result is a bold, resinous trophy catch bursting with ripe orange and pine resin flavors. // 6.50% ABV
Takeaways: Fresh Centennial is a historically finicky hop, but these were beautiful, bounding with intense fragrance of Thai lime leaves and lemongrass. It's still Centennial, but different than we're used to.
Tasting Notes: Jasmine. Lime Leaf. Field to Pint.
Series: Fresh Hop / Artist
A Fresh Nugg Hugg // A sticky squeeze of hop nugs embraces you with this aromatic, juicy IPA. This heady charge of fresh Simcoe hops delivers intense waves of spruce, citrus, and stone fruit. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: For our first IPA dry hopping with fresh hops, we loaded over 6 pounds per barrel of fresh Simcoe into the fermenter for a two-stage dry hop. We froze the hops with liquid nitrogen and shattered them to expose the lupulin gland before moving the fermenter.
Tasting Notes: Pine Resin. Candied Pineapple. Fresh Hop Embrace.
Series: Fresh Hop
UPCOMING PACKAged wine release
Releasing Friday 9/15
Lupine 2023 // A unique blend of extended maceration pinot gris and brief maceration pinot noir, open fermented in oak vessels, and aged in stainless steel. // 13.00% ABV
Takeaways: A truly unique blend of Oregon Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. This combination was chosen not due to tradition or precedent, but due to the complementary nature of the specific vintage of varietal. One of a kind, this blend may or may not ever be available again.
Tasting Notes: Black Cherry, Stone Fruit, Star Anise
Series: Cellars
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 9/15
Fresh Catch // Fresh Hop IPA
A Fresh Nugg Hugg // Fresh Hop Hazy IPA
Lupine 2023 // Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris Blend
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Deep Seek
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Juice Joint // Hazy IPA
Squirrel Stash // Brown Ale
Story of the Ghost // Hauntingly Hazy IPA
SunShein // Helles Lager
Cheers to the Land // Pale Ale made in collaboration with Oregon Agricultural Trust
Specular Reflections // Belgian Dubbel
College // Cream Ale
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: Lupine release & the history of wine in the Willamette Valley
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Production Manager
Oregon has always attracted adventurers and pioneers. Many industries that have helped our region develop and thrive have been founded by individuals who dared to take risks and refused to give up. One such character was “Papa Pinot,” David Lett.
Lett graduated from UC Davis with a degree in winemaking and viticulture in 1964. Against his professor's advice, he moved to the Willamette Valley and planted the first Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, and Chardonnay in the region. He was convinced that the 45th parallel, which ran through famous wine-growing regions such as the Côtes du Rhône in France and Piedmont in Italy, was the ticket to growing world-class wine grapes. He was right.
In 1966 he founded Eyrie Vineyards outside of Dundee, and in 1970 he bottled his first Pinot Noir. In 1979 he took bottles of his 1975 vintage to the Wine Olympiad in Paris and placed third in the world. The medal (hilariously) enraged old-world winemakers, one of whom challenged him to return the following year to prove that his success was a fluke. Lett did return and placed second. Oregon winemaking was officially on the map.
In the years and decades since Lett’s success, Oregon’s wine industry has flourished, and today over 702 wineries and 1052 vineyards spread over 19 unique viticultural AVAs.
This month, Block 15 Cellars will release our second Lupine, a blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris. While these two varieties aren’t traditionally blended, we look to continue our region's tradition of bucking the rules to create something new. Bolder than a white, but lighter than a red, and entirely different from a rose, Lupine is a Block 15 original. Made using minimal intervention and some of the valley’s best biodynamic fruit, we hope that you enjoy the result.
PUB UPDATES
The football game is at 12:30 this Saturday (16th) so while we may not see a pre-game push, we will most definitely see a solid pop starting around 3:30-4pm. Y’all crushed the first one, so get ready for the next one!
We have a new vacuum! Please be gentle when using it to keep it around a little longer. The filter on the vacuum needs to be rinsed out and left to dry overnight once a month (we may increase the frequency on this depending on the state of the filter each month). Instructions are on the vacuum itself and this task will be added to the closing tasks for servers.
Sweet Cheeks Chardonnay got a label facelift and with it comes a new vintage! Once we run through the current 2018 Chardonnay, we will have their 2020 available. This one boasts notes of vanilla, meyer lemon, and apricot.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Thanks to everyone for crushing the first game day of the season!
With the weather starting to shift, be mindful of putting the umbrellas out, make sure to take them down if the wind picks up.
Please make sure to fully finish bussing a table that you start (or make sure to communicate if you can’t) which includes wiping it down (the chairs too!) after it is bussed.
Caves UPDATES
Events
Bloktoberfest 2023
Stein Pre-orders began on Monday! Here’s the direct link to the order page, but you can also find it on the Bloktoberfest HUB.
Table tents are now out at the Pub with QR codes which lead to the Bloktoberfest HUB.
A lot of folks will be coming into the the PUB/TR for the game this weekend. Remind them about our stein purchase and soon-to-be table reservations so you can bring your family!
Visit the Bloktoberfest HUB for more information (for yourself & customers)
HIGH FIVE SECTION
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week.
SAFETY TIPS
Move your feet, not your back, when you want to travel or turn while carrying a heavy load.
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!
Internal Brewsletter - September 6th, 2023
General
New Dessert!
We are switching our lemon ricotta cheesecake to the s’mores cheesecake this Friday!
School is back in session!
Watch out for school zones!
Employee Provision:
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Mars! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Spicy Carolina Pork Sandwich, which is made with chopped pork and green chilies tossed in Carolina sauce, with onions and white American cheese on a brioche bun.
We’re looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 9/8
Fresh Hop Gloria! // Inspired by classic European pilsners, Gloria! is brewed with choice malt and hops grown in the Pacific Northwest. This edition is fresh-hopped with Lorien hops, bred in partnership with Oregon State University. // 5.00% ABV
Takeaways: We added Oregon-bred and grown Lorien hops into the kettle, then we dry hopped with fresh Lorien from Coleman Ag. We used liquid nitrogen to freeze and shatter the whole cone fresh hops, then we shattered them to access every bit of the delicious lupulin goodness inside.
Tasting Notes: Lemon peel. Cracker. Freshly Harvested.
Series: Fresh Hop
Blue Truck // A beer for those after work hours and the workers who make them happen. Brewed only in the Pacific Northwest with the finest Oregon water, premium malted barley, and choice hops.// 4.70% ABV
Takeaways: Our take on the classic American Premium Lager, with Block 15 quality. Easy drinker
Tasting Notes: Crisp. Spicy. Heartland.
Series: Emerging
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 9/8
Fresh Hop Gloria! // Fresh Hop Pilsner
Blue Truck // American Premium Lager
C-Hops // Combining Crystal, Cascade, Chinook, Centennial and CTZ, this classic IPA nods at tradition but carves a unique path. It features a gentle, malt-forward body that doesn't overpower the delicate hops. // 6.80% ABV
Takeaways: A classic-looking IPA with a classic hop bill of all C-Hops (Cascade, Crystal, Centennial, CTZ, and Chinook). It's a contemporary take on the classic American-style IPA. A touch of malt doesn't overpower the delicate hop notes, mostly because we made an American IPA without any Crystal malt.
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit peel. Wildflowers. Throwback.
Series: Emerging
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Fluffhead
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Fresh Catch // Fresh Hop IPA
Fresh Hop Nugg Hugg // Fresh Hop Hazy IPA
Lupine 2023 // Pinot Noir & Pinot Gris Blend
Juice Joint // Hazy IPA
Squirrel Stash // Brown Ale
Story of the Ghost // Hauntingly 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: Fresh Hops
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
It’s September in the PNW, which means it's officially fresh hop season. Hops are primarily harvested in August and September. Each variety has an ideal harvest window based on its maturation, but harvest times often change year to year based on climate changes. Centennial is a consistent early harvested hop, often late August, whereas Mosaic is later, closer to October. Harvest dates become very important for brewers making fresh hop beers because hops are extremely perishable when fresh.
Hops are typically kilned between 130F and 150F immediately after harvest to dry them out and preserve them. The overwhelming majority of the hops we use are processed in this way. The dried hops are shredded and run through a die that forms them into pellets, then they are packed into mylar bags with an inert gas to preserve them. Hops are cold stored, usually below freezing, at distribution centers before being shipped to brewers throughout the year.
Fresh hops, on the other hand, are usually only good for a few days. It’s important for brewers to keep up on harvest date changes to manage the logistics of when to make their fresh hop beers. Brewers in the PNW are at an advantage over other brewers because we can pick up hops on harvest day and brew with them immediately, at peak freshness. This is one of the reasons that these beers are so prevalent here compared to the rest of the U.S. While packaged hops are typically shipped to the brewery, fresh hops are almost always picked up by the brewer at the farm, or processing facility. They are immediately transported to the brewery, where they are used, same day if possible.
Whole cone fresh hops are much larger than kilned hops due to moisture content, and modern brewing equipment is not designed to use them. The most common method for using them is to load your mash tun, which has a false bottom for extracting sugar from the grain, and run the hot wort (unfermented beer) onto them at the end of the boil, this process is usually is called hop backing. This is the method we used in Fresh Catch, this year made exclusively with Centennial hops and expressing rich flavors on Thai lime leaf and lemongrass.
Always looking to push aromatics, contemporary brewers have been experimenting with ways to dry hop with fresh hops. One method gaining in popularity is to use liquid nitrogen to rapidly freeze the hops, then shatter them with a blunt object, exposing the flavor and aroma-rich lupulin glands. Those shattered hops are loaded into mesh bags and suspended in tanks of finished beer to steep for several days.
We used this method on our Fresh Hop Gloria! That releases this week. For that beer, we opted for fresh Lorien hops, which came from the OSU breeding program. Being a pilsner, we opted for the lighter side of the dry hop to preserve the delicate balance that makes this style so drinkable. We also used this method on our Fresh Hop Nugg Hugg that releases next week, in that instance we pushed the hopping rate much higher to draw the most out of the Simcoe hops we used in that beer.
Whether you’re a fan of fresh hop beers or not, there is something about the botanical, chlorophyll-rich flavor of fresh hop beers that drives an insatiable demand for them in this brief window.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
OSU Game Day this Saturday at 6pm! Let’s make sure we are keeping up the positive communication and are ready for a solid pop from likely 2/3pm to about 5pm (with a pop after the game as well). This is likely the first home game for many of you, so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, or ask for help if you need it. We are all here to support you!
In the coming weeks we are going to phase out the Painkiller, Call Me Maybe, and the Texas Sun to focus on more fall-forward cocktails. Stay tuned!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Be ready for the first OSU Football home game this Saturday!
New cocktail launching this Friday. Keep your eyes peeled.
Pre-bus as much as possible to help keep flies, yellow jackets, etc. at bay!
Let’s get back into the routine of writing food/drink feedback on the sheet in the kitchen, it can be good or bad and can be employees or customers.
Caves UPDATES
First home OSU Football game this Saturday at 6pm! There is a high likelihood that we will see a bump in business for Brunch and potentially Gather Hour as folks are heading out to the game. I (Goody) will be floating on Saturday morning to help with Brunch as well. The game will end between 9 & 10pm, so we may not see a huge push, but still be ready for one!
Check out more detail in this week’s Newsletter!
Events
Bloktoberfest 2023
Stein Pre-Order Begins 9/11
Half and Full Liter Stein packages will be available for pre-order starting September 11th.
Visit the Bloktoberfest HUB for more information (for yourself & customers)
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Brewery Cellar Team - Our brewery cellar crew has been kicking ass lately. Bryce, Danny, Gavin, Jerika, J, and Paul, you have gotten up early, stayed late, and have had a great attitude about doing it. Every curveball has been handled really well, and we appreciate the hell out of you.
—
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!
Kaidyn Milani (FOH)
Adam Sparks (Caves BOH)
Grace Pierce (Caves FOH)
Paige Schwandt (FOH)
Barb Rogers (FOH)
Conner Crites (BOH)
Maya Greydanus (BOH)
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
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!
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’!
—
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!
Internal Brewsletter - August 23rd, 2023
General
Employee Provision:
We’re looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 8/25
Bloktoberfest // Celebrate Oktoberfest Block 15-style with this amber-hued Marzen lager. Noble hops impart subtle floral and spicy aromas, while PNW-sourced Pilsner and Munich-style malts build a delicate base. // 5.50% ABV
Takeaways: We continue to move our lager program to regionally sourced malt, this Bloktoberfest is almost exclusively form the PNW, but still has that authentic flavor.
Tasting Notes: Wildflower Honey.Toasted Biscuit. Prost!
Series: Perennial
Billy Breathes // This Imperial IPA is a dreamy, hazy exploration of soft grains and vibrant hops. Double dry-hopped with several tropical and citrusy varietals, floating on a soft and sweet grist. // 8.00% ABV
Takeaways: The return of a fan favorite IPA, juice to the max. Citra and Mosaic star with Cashmere and El Dorado providing some pleasant citrus and tropical support.
Tasting Notes: Sweet Melon. Ripe Mango. Above the Trees.
Series: Orbital
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 8/25
Bloktoberfest // Märzen Lager
Billy Breathes // Imperial Hazy IPA
Block 15 Hard Cider // Packed with a custom blend of apples, this is an unfiltered, zippy dry cider with soft apple notes and a white wine finish. Fermenting with select Norwegian Kveik yeast gives this cider a smooth, cloudy appearance. It’s delightfully complex, yet perfect as an everyday refreshment. // 6.00% ABV
Takeaways: We're excited to bring cider back! Using PNW apples, this is a brewer's take on cider. Using Kveik Yeast from Norway, we stabilized the fermentation using hop extract without bringing hop character into the taste.
Tasting Notes: Bright Lemon. Bartlet Pear. Refreshing Dryness.
Series: Emerging
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Stoke Coast
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Sticky Hands: High 5 // Imperial IPA
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 Beers
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, the first Oktoberfest offered free food and beer at four different locations around Munich. For roughly 60 years Bavarian Dunkel was the beer of choice at the festivities, this was a dark lager, not to be confused with Dunkel Weisse. It was around 5% and was a very popular style in Munich at that time.
Marzen was introduced sometime in the mid-19th century, certainly between 1841 and 1872, but sources disagree on which year specifically. Marzen is an amber lager, currently made between 5.8% and 6.3% ABV. Marzen is believed to have been developed to compete with Vienna lager, a similar style, that was gaining popularity in Europe at that time, but the name, which literally translates to “March Beer,” originates from a 1553 decree in Bavaria that forbade brewing beer between April 23 and September 29. This, like the more famous Reinheitsgebot of 1516, was one of the first food safety laws passed in the world. Beer brewed in the warmer months was known to spoil faster, so limiting the time of the year when it could be brewed was meant to prevent spoilage. The result was brewers making stronger beer and cold storing it, mostly in cellars, using a process called lagering, so the beer would last through the summer. The 1870s also saw the introduction of Bock strength beers at Oktoberfest, up to 8%, this included the Marzen beers made for the festival. This remained the case until World War I. After that ABVs came down to the range they are today, 5.8-6.3%.
The late 20th century saw participating breweries moving away from amber beers that dominated for so long, and making lighter beers that were closer to the pale lagers that became so dominant throughout the 20th century. These “Festbiers” are usually a golden color, in the same abv range, with a sweet finish and a noticeable hop bitterness. They are lighter to drink, and thus easier to drink more of.
All of these beers are Oktoberfest beers, but according to the EU only versions brewed in Munich are allowed to be labeled as “Oktoberfest”. American breweries typically ignore this, and Boston Beer Company likes to boast that they are the world’s largest producer of Oktoberfest beer, which is technically true.
Bloktoberfest is our take on the Oktoberfest beer, and is modeled on the Marzen-style, but is a bit lighter in color and lower in ABV. At 5.5% it is exceptionally drinkable with notes of honey, toasted bread, and caramel. A gentle bitterness balances the malt sweetness and contributes to its drinkability. Brewed in the spirit of these beers, we contribute our own methods and influence to create something that is unique.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
On Friday we will be re-launching Block 15 cider (draft only)! This will replace 2 Towns OutCider, but we will still have Blueberry Cosmic Crisp and Pacific Pineapple. Just a reminder: we cannot Crowler any cider per labeling requirements for wines and ciders. We can fill a Growler if someone has the glassware.
We are officially onto the 2021 vintage of our Lumos Pinot Noir. Below are some tasting notes and relevant information. If you have ever received any feedback that the 2020 vintage had some smoke characteristics, this new vintage will not exhibit those as the vineyards were not subjected to the effects of the wildfires like they were in 2020.
Continue to plug Happy Hour to your tables and squeeze in that last pint or snack before the time ends. For years we put a pause on Happy Hour, so it may take some time to get folks used to it again. Letting them know what rad options we have will encourage them to come back!
In the same vein, please make sure you are offering packaged beer to go, and/or dropping a to-go beer menu to every table that is enjoying a pint or two. This is a very easy sell that will equal more money in your pocket.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We are switching out the passionfruit marg on Friday with a white peach guava version with a sugar rim.
Keep pushing Happy Hour and offering another round of drinks, snacks, etc. and give menus to every table! Pay attention to when it hits 2pm on HH days!
Take note of the music throughout the day and see if it matches the pace and vibe of the restaurant at that time and adjust the station if needed.
We are not taking any reservations for the Barrel Room between Sept 10th and Oct 20th. The barrel room will be out of commision for us as they need the space for more barrels! We can still do outside ones during Mon-Thurs but NO reservations on the weekends during that time.
Caves UPDATES
We have a couple of new beers coming out this week! Bajaveza will be replaced by an Export Stout from Grand Fir out of Portland (hooray for those that are looking for something darker) and the Vapor Machine will be replaced by The White Lodge by Holy Mountain which is a Witbier (Belgian-Style White Ale). More information on these rad selections can be found inside the Caves Newsletter!
Pre-March Kickoff Gather Hour is happening this Friday! Menu can be found in the Newsletter.
Events
Corvallis Beer Week
We have joined the fun as Corvallis Beer Week has returned. Block 15 and Caves will be involved in 3 different events… See below!
Pre-March Gather Hour at Caves - August 25th at 4 pm
About: The Kick-off for Corvallis Beer Week at Caves with 3 unique small bites paired with 3 beers chosen from our cellar. This will be followed by the traditional Beer Week march around Downtown Corvallis
Taste and Tour at Block 15 Taproom (Southtown) - August 28th at 6pm
About: Guided tour of the Southtown Brewery, complete with a walkthrough of the brewing process and examples of the grains and hops used to make our beers!
Folks will stick around after the tour for a $10 tasting flight special (4, 4oz beers). We'll also have a food special that day, more details to come… Sign-ups are online (now full!)
Caves Beer Dinner - August 29th at 6 pm **Ticketed***
Favorites from the past are making a resurgence alongside fresh new dishes at our next Caves Beer Dinner. We'll have six courses of unique offerings paired with hard-to-find cellared bottles and curated draught beer selections.
Link for tickets: CAVES BEER DINNER
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
James Watts - He saved our butts this week! BOH would have been down 3 people on a 100 degree day but he picked up the shift and came in with that classic positive energy
Jerika Mutschler - Jerika has been a real trooper grinding through consecutive weeks of canning shifts. Thanks, Jerika.
Kolleen Peters - Way to step up and help everyone out by washing dishes when the kitchen was short staffed. You are appreciated!!
Monday TR Crew! (Kailey Brana and Bailey) - kicked butt on a very busy Monday evening! Your hard work and calmness under pressure is very greatly appreciated and you all are rock stars!!!
—
If you have kudos or kind words you want to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week.
SAFETY TIPS
Remember to test the weight of something before you lift it up completely; it might be too late if you realize a few seconds later that it’s too heavy or cumbersome for you. If the load is too heavy for you to handle alone, don’t hesitate to ask for help.
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!
Internal Brewsletter - August 16th, 2023
General
Employee Provision:
We’re looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 8/18
Flicker // Inspired by Autumn's warm days and crisp nights, Flicker was designed to spark conversation and community while delivering an engaging hop profile with notes of Lychee, Stonefruit, and Pine. // 6.80% ABV
Takeaways: Autumnal in theme, this perennial IPA will be around for the fall as we transition between Fresh Flow and Fresh Pow. A touch more malt and a hop profile that balances classic west-coast with a contemporary kick.
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit Peel. Blueberry. Autumnal.
Series: Perennial
TopWire IPA Block No. 03 // The third incarnation of our Crosby TopWire series features Idaho 7 CGX, Azacca CGX, and, as always, estate-grown Comet. Pine and tropical; we just want to keep chasing that New-Age West Coast vibe. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: A rotating west-coast IPA brewed for Crosby's Topwire hop project, and featuring select Crosby CGX hops. Only available here and there.
Tasting Notes: Sitka Spruce. Mango. Patio Season.
Series: Emerging
Upcoming PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Bottles
Turbulent Consequences Peche // Turbulent Consequence is our turbid mashed, extended boiled, lambic-style ale spontaneously fermented and matured in our underground wild cellars. Peche is made up of select 18-month-old barrels that are blended onto 1000 pounds of Elberta peaches and aged an additional 8 months. // 6.00% ABV
Takeaways: Lambic-style ale aged on one of the traditional five belgian brewing fruits, peaches. This years 1000 pounds of golden fleshed, free stone Elberta peaches came from Detering Orchards in Harrisburg, Oregon. Picked and added to barrels at the peak of ripeness, this beer showcases delicious local fruit, premium Oregon wine barrels, and the native house yeast culture living on the walls of our cellar's coolship.
Tasting Notes: Firm peach, oaky vanilla, midsummer
Series: Cellar
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 8/18
TopWire IPA Block No. 03 // India Pale Ale
TC Peche // Lambic-style ale aged on Elberta peaches
Flicker // West Coast IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Consortium
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Bloktoberfest // Märzen Lager
Bill Breathes // Imperial Hazy IPA
Sticky Hands: High 5 // Imperial IPA
Fresh Hop Gloria! // Pilsner
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: West-Coast IPA
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
The craft beer explosion of the 1990s into the 2000s saw a dramatic transformation of what an IPA was as the style rapidly adopted sub-style monikers such as American IPA, West-Coast IPA, Northwest IPA, and New England IPA IPA. Northwest and West-Coast IPAs share a similar emphasis on traditional bitterness and big aromatics, and can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between, especially when you consider how these sub-styles continue to change and evolve with time; constantly being driven by the innovation of brewers.
West Coast IPA came out of the mid-90s with the creation of the double IPA. Breweries like Russian River and Stone Brewing pushed dry hopping rates up and made bigger and bigger IPAs with lots of bitterness, but often still had relatively large amounts of crystal malt in their grain bills that made these beers dark and malty compared to what they look like today. A big shift happened in and around San Diego in the first decade of the 2000s, breweries like Pizza Port, Ballast Point, and Green Flash continued to push dry hopping rates. It’s not clear exactly when the term West Coast IPA came to exist, but Green Flash filed a trademark on it in 2011.
It was largely the influence of hazy IPA and the surge of its popularity nationwide that reset some of the features of west coast IPA. Hazy IPA reset palates with its emphasis on juicy, fruit-forward hop profiles, and restrained, or even non-existent bitterness, which made them exceptionally easy to drink. The West Coast IPAs that emerged after the big hazy wave had a fraction of the bitterness of earlier beers, mostly dropped crystal malts and lightened the malt bill, while blending increasingly juicy new hop varieties with many of the tried and true varieties that defined the style previously. The style was already moving in this direction before Hazy stormed the industry, but after it’s actually hard to find those old-school big malt IPAs anymore, at least as a West Coast IPA.
Block 15 makes a wide range of IPAs, and being innovative within this style is one of our most endearing qualities as a brewery. Many of those IPAs we describe as West Coast, which, as we make them, can have a large range of malt and hop profiles, even featuring hops from outside the Pacific Northwest, as far away as Australia or New Zealand. This week we are releasing Flicker, one of our Perennial IPAs, Flicker always releases in the fall and caries through that season before we transition to Fresh Pow! Flicker features a lighter, but still noticeable malt profile that finishes dry with a touch of malt sweetness, the hop profile is juicy, piney, and slightly dank. It really exemplifies what this sub-style has come to be known for.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
There will be table tents going into rotation at the Pub that will have information on the Caves Beer Dinner and Bloktoberfest
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Levi is now a part-time manager at the Taproom! Give him a big high five next time you see him.
Gabi is now a Lead Server at the Taproom! Give her a big high five next time you see her!
Nick and I (mostly Nick) added some misters outside by the bus station to help cool folks off outside. Please make sure those are getting turned off every night! There is a little turn valve by the side kitchen door/bbq area where the hose is attached that just needs to be turned off.
We are out of labeled crowlers and now have labeled stickers that you fill out and put on the blank ones. Fill it out before you put it on (much easier to write on) and include the date filled, beer name, and ABV!
We tweaked a couple of the happy hour menu items.
Spring onion dip got replaced by a smaller clam dip still with chips and veggies
Block Tart got replaced by Chicken Wings with carrots and celery (each order has 5 wings)
When we run out of what is already batched of Wishful Thinking it will be 86ed and replaced with something else
We are switching up our seasonal lemonade flavor to white peach guava this Friday! We will run through what we have of passionfruit and passionfruit Marg alongside if needed.
Make sure we are rinsing out the smix pitchers before washing them as the seeds like to stick around.
With warm weather on the horizon for a while make sure we are watering the plants twice a day! Don’t forget about the little table succulents too (water them twice a week)
If you see anything break, need fixing, seems off, etc. write it in the maintenance log and let Madie know so it gets addressed ASAP!
Caves UPDATES
Lots of new items coming out of the kitchen in the weeks to come!
Events
Corvallis Beer Week
We have joined the fun as Corvallis Beer Week has returned. Block 15 and Caves will be involved in 3 different events… See below!
Pre-March Gather Hour at Caves - August 24th at 4 pm
About: The Kick-off for Corvallis Beer Week at Caves with 3 unique small bites paired with 3 beers chosen from our cellar. This will be followed by the traditional Beer Week march around Downtown Corvallis
Taste and Tour at Block 15 Taproom (Southtown) - August 28th at 6pm
About: Guided tour of the Southtown Brewery, complete with a walkthrough of the brewing process and examples of the grains and hops used to make our beers!
Folks will stick around after the tour for a $10 tasting flight special (4, 4oz beers). We'll also have a food special that day, more details to come… Sign-ups are online (now full!)
Caves Beer Dinner - August 29th at 6 pm **Ticketed***
Favorites from the past are making a resurgence alongside fresh new dishes at our next Caves Beer Dinner. We'll have six courses of unique offerings paired with hard-to-find cellared bottles and curated draught beer selections.
Link for tickets: CAVES BEER DINNER
Bloktoberfest!
Oct 6th and 7th! More details to come…
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Zach Griffiths - Zach was super helpful to everybody on a busy Friday night and was a great total team player!
—
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!
Trent Gasparitsch (BOH)
Congrats to Gabi for becoming a Lead Server at the Taproom!
SAFETY TIPS
Oregon’s heat waves have been getting worse in recent years. It's important that regardless of your level of activity, drink plenty of fluids, even if you are not thirsty, but especially when working outside.
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!
Internal Brewsletter - August 9th, 2023
General
See you this Sunday at the company BBQ!
Both Block 15 locations will be closed. Caves will be open for Brunch but closed for Dinner.
Employee Provision:
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Brandyn! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Caribbean Pork sandwich. This is a take on an old monthly special sandwich we used to run! Citrus marinated and smoked pork loin, jerk grilled onions, citrus aioli, cilantro, and jalapenos on a toasted bun!
We’re looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 8/11
Stoke Coast // Get stoked on the West Coast as we cram in as many summer trips as possible. This West Coast Pilsner is crisp, bright, and hop forward like the pines that grow along the salty cliffs of HWY 101. // 5.00% ABV
Takeaways: Small additions of pale and Munich malts add gentleness to an otherwise crisp malt base. Complimented by citrusy, floral, and gently tropical hops. Utilizing our combined experience in brewing to create a more balanced and drinkable hop-forward lager.
Tasting Notes: Lime. Papaya. On Board.
Series: Emerging
Peach Punch! (You in the Eye) // Great Notion and Block 15 have teamed up again, blending techniques and ideas from both breweries to brew this luscious, fruit-forward IPA. Fermented with peaches and apricots, before being heavily dry-hopped. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: MANY PEACHES AND APRICOTS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS BEER.
Tasting Notes: Peachieos. Pineapple. Juiced up.
Series: Synergy
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 8/11
Low Voltage // We packed all the flavor of a witbier into a lighter package, designed to be low-abv this beer is a great option for those looking for a more conscientious decision on what to drink. // 3.25% ABV
Takeaways: A classic Wit with a modern-Low abv twist. We pooled our collective experiences and brewing knowledge to experiment with this light and refreshing wit. Low ABV and Low calorie, it delivers a normal beer drinking experience with less guilt.
Tasting Notes: Lemon peel. Baking spice. Low-Hazard.
Series: Emerging
Standing Sun: Tangerine & Pink Guava // Celebrate the sun-drenched days of summer with the next variation in our series of fruited sour ales. Light and juicy, this beer is designed for maximum refreshment and features Tangerine and Pink Guava. // 5.20% ABV
Takeaways: Our next trial of a new series of heavily fruited, but low abv beers for the Summer. Tart, light and refreshing these beers are designed to accompany adventures all Summer-long.
Tasting Notes: Creamsicle. Orange Rind. Cool Down.
Series: Emerging
Stoke Coast // West Coast Pilsner
Peach Punch! (You in the Eye) // Hazy IPA with Peaches and Apricots, collaboration with Great Notion Brewing
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Topwire No. 2
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
TopWire IPA No. 03 // India Pale Ale
Peche 2023 // Lambic-style ale aged on Elberta peaches
Flicker // West Coast IPA
Bloktoberfest // Märzen Lager
Bill Breathes // Imperial 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: Low ABV
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Light beer has existed for at least a century, the definition of which changes from place to place. In the United States, light beer is a style that “has a significantly lower amount of calories than a comparable full-calorie version.” Alcohol and residual sugar are the primary influences of calories and carbohydrates in beer, so these beers are usually lower in abv, but also finish dryer in order to keep the carbohydrates in check. The result is, more often than not, a very thin and watery product without as much flavor as a normal beer.
The world of light beer has almost exclusively been a marketplace for macro breweries, but some craft breweries have jumped in with health-conscious products, both low abv and non-alcoholic. This market segment is growing as more and more consumers make health considerations around their relationship with alcohol. A recent study has predicted an annual growth rate of 4.1% in this sector through 2027. There is certainly room for more competition, but there is also a lot of room for experimentation.
When you think of light beers you think of thin, watery, and lacking flavor, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Craft breweries have an advantage over macro producers because we already strive to create premium products with everything we make, and don’t need to be as concerned about making beer as cheaply as possible. That said, we can experiment in the low abv/low-calorie beer market with products that still have full flavor and body while maintaining a product for health-conscious consumers.
Low Voltage is our first attempt at an ultra-low abv beer, clocking just over 3% we are working toward creating even lower beers that still maintain all the flavor and body of a normal beer. Using techniques that lock a higher percentage of unfermentable sugars in the beer, we create balance by bending longstanding rules and assumptions about how to compose the grain bill of a beer. Also, combining our collective experience with using hops we are working to create a balance in flavor and bitterness that is rare in these types of beers. Low Voltage is the first of what may become a series of low-abv beers and we continue to push our understanding of brewing to create something unique.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
The 2020 Lumos Pinot Noir will soon be replaced by their 2021 vintage (which is all downstairs in the server restock area). Please do not pull the new vintage until a manager tells you, so that we know when we are on the newest one.
We may temporarily run out of Mutantis Helles as they are between batches, but it will be back sometime next week if we do run out.
Spiders are busy little buddies this time of year, and are making webs quickly. Please make sure we are mindful of the special cleaning projects at close and are very detailed in hitting these webs all along the outside of the building.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We are switching up our seasonal lemonade flavor to white peach guava this Friday! We will run through what we have of passionfruit and passionfruit Marg alongside if needed.
Make sure we are rinsing out the smix pitchers before washing them as the seeds like to stick around.
With warm weather on the horizon for a while make sure we are watering the plants twice a day! Don’t forget about the little table succulents too (water them twice a week)
If you see anything break, need fixing, seems off, etc. write it in the maintenance log and let Madie know so it gets addressed ASAP!
Caves UPDATES
James Rahn Pinot Gris and the Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc will be back this week!
Two beers on the horizon! Check the Newsletter below for details.
More info on the Corvallis Beer Week Caves events will also be in this week’s newsletter. Be sure to thoroughly read it!
Lagered by the Sun updates!
Both displays are now up at the Tap Room and Pub. Take a second to check them out!
For a quick hit list to remember what Lagered by the Sun means, just remember:
Solar Powered
Local and Regional ingredients
Sustainable Brewing
Community Focused
MARKETING
Check back next week!
EVENTS
Bloktoberfest - October 6th-7th
Save the date!
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Garrison Schmidt - Day in, day out he comes in and crushes it. He brings a lot of positive vibes day to day and a certain Je ne sais quoi to the company that keeps things rolling along.
—
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!
Sam Hickok (BOH)
Adrianna Gabaldon (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Flu season typically starts in September and goes all the way through March. If you’re interested in Flu vaccine information and recommendations, Regence sent out some information in the link!
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine Out! for Hunters of Color - August 15th
On August 15th, a portion of sales from both Block 15 locations will be donated to help support equitable access to outdoor recreation, hunting, fishing, and conservation for the Hunters of Color community in Oregon. This financial support helps us further our mission of making 'The Outdoors for Everyone' by engaging and empowering community members in outdoor recreation and conservation work.
Representatives from Hunters of Color - 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!