Internal Brewsletter - May 8th, 2024
General
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 Lindsey! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for White Chicken Chili.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Cans
Releasing Friday 5/10
The Beer Walker //
Description: Brewed for our longtime friend and first customer, Gary, "The Beer Walker." We loaded this West Coast IPA with vibrant Simcoe, Strata, and Centennial hops, paired with a lush malt base that balances with a pleasant dryness. // 7.30%
Key Takeaway: An old school west coast beer for an old school west coast guy. Pushing big flavor with advanced hop products. We pulled the Simcoe CO2 extract that used to be in this beer in favor of CTZ Salvo that we have been loving, we also blended in some Strata CGX with the regular Strata to really push that character.
Tasting Notes: Kumquat • Pine Resin • Straight-laced
Format: Draft & Cans
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.
Nebula //
Description: This ruby black Oatmeal Stout is brewed with pale malt and specialty dark malt with rich notes of roast, chocolate ganache, cold brew, and caramel softened by a smooth oat body. // 6.00%
Key Takeaway: Silky and full-bodied, Nebula is always there to satisfy your malt-forward needs.
Tasting Notes: Chocolate Ganache • Cold Brew • Space Walk
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Perpetual
Beer Style: Oat Stout
COMING UP ON DRAFT
Releasing Friday 5/10
The Beer Walker // West Coast IPA
Future Focus: Hygher //
Description: Future Focus is an experimental IPA brewed with an eye on tomorrow, allowing us to trial new products and brewing methods. This batch features a hybrid I22 Capri yeast from Imperial with Citra, Citra Incognito, Nectaron, Talus, and El Dorado hops to amplify juicy and tropical fruit-forward notes. // 6.43%
Key Takeaway: Brewed with a hybrid yeast from Imperial, this Hazy IPA focuses on amplifying juicy and tropical fruit forward notes. Note: Hygher is pronounced "higher" as in Creed’s song of the same name.
Tasting Notes: Star Fruit • Papaya • Can You Take Me...
Format: Draft Only
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beers are:
Fluffhead
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Vital Vibe // West Coast IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: May 17th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: 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.
Sticky Vortex // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: May 24th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Part two of our collaboration with Fort George Brewing, this brew pulls you into a pine, citrus, and diesel vortex crafted with the best parts of two iconic IPAs: Vortex and Sticky Hands.
Caves Saison No. 003 // Farmhouse Ale
Series: Cellars
Releases: May 24th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Created for our sister restaurant, Caves Saison uses a solera method starting in our oak foeder. A fraction of volume is removed when peak character is reached, then new beer is added and allowed to mature, repeating again, gradually increasing complexity with age. Batch 003 spent eleven months in the foeder molding it into a lovely, fruit-forward young mixed-culture saison.
Oregona // IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: May 24th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Named for a historic sternwheeler, and made to benefit the Friends of Historic Butteville. We collaborated with The Oregon Hophouse to feature 2b, McKenzie, and Anchor hops; all varieties from their breeding program.
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: Future Focus, Trickster Gods, and the Domestication of Wild Yeast
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
This week, we’re releasing Future Focus: Hygher. Each time we brew a new Future Focus, we use it as an opportunity to hone in on one brand new product, be it a new hop, a new malt, or a new yeast strain. This round, we focused (see what I did there) on a hybrid yeast strain called Capri. Fun fact: Hygher is a play on the words hybrid and higher, brought to us by our own Matt W.
Capris is a really exciting yeast strain composed of two parent strains that we are very familiar with. The first is Juice. Juice yeast is used for all of our hazies. It is great for bringing out the aromas and flavors in new school hops. It provides a round mouthfeel but retains the ability to produce a citrus edge. It’s used by breweries all over the world to make juicy beers juicy. Cool Beans.
The second, and in my opinion, far more interesting parent strain in Capris is Loki. Loki is Imperial Yeast’s Kveik strain, named after the famed Norse trickster god. If you didn’t understand a single word in that last sentence, don’t feel bad, you’re probably not alone. I was so excited when I found out that we’ve never touched on Kveik yeasts in Beer Ed, because it’s a topic rich in history, and I can talk about it for hours. I’ll make an attempt to be brief. No promises.
When folks first started brewing beer, they had no idea about yeast. In those times, magic was a very real presence in people's lives that was used to explain things that could otherwise not be understood. The women who brewed beer in Scandinavia found that success could be ensured in future batches if they stirred the batches with the same stick or spoon as they had stirred a previously successful batch. These magic sticks would be passed down from mother to daughter and were prized family heirlooms. The white, flaky crust that formed on the stick was referred to as Kveik, and the staff itself was referred to as a kveikstokk, or yeast stick. Kveik is a term older than the word or even the idea of yeast itself. This is believed to be one of the origins of the image of a witch stirring a cauldron. The Kveik was a very real magic that was close to home and observed by almost everyone.
Through generations of people passing down kveikstokks within their communities, folks began to put it together that it was the residue, not the stick, that contained the magic. This led them to design intricate kveikstokks that had maximum surface area to collect the most yeast from each batch. Below are two examples of Kveikstokks, the first is much older, and the second is what traditional brewers in the region use today.
Once microbiology came into the picture, and people could isolate individual yeast strains, the regional treasure of Kveik became something that could be harnessed and harvested in the same way that we work with all modern yeasts. Here’s the catch with Kveik: It is a yeast cultured by the wives of Vikings, and it acts like it.
Kveik is the single most hearty, durable, and endlessly promising yeast that I’ve ever come across. Most yeasts have a relatively small window of temperature that they’re comfortable fermenting in. Kveik will ferment happily anywhere between 65-100 F. The range allows them to ferment a host of different styles at different temperatures. If we ferment cool, it produces a clean beer with little to no esters, but if we allow it to ferment warmer, it throws a lot of big fruity tropical and citrus characters. It can ferment anything from pseudo lagers to Belgian-style ales to big IPAs, and it even ferments our Block 15 Cider! It’s also famously strong. Brewers have been storied to pitch Kveik yeast in the afternoon after a brew and come in the next day to what they think is a stalled ferment with no activity in the blowoff. In reality what happened was that the Kveik fermented the entire batch overnight.
Kveik is, to say the least, a beast of a yeast. We are super excited to see what its progeny Capri is capable of. We brewed Hygher to amplify the yeast's ability to produce the juiciest of juice, with a plethora of hot new school hops from our neck of the woods as well as the South Pacific, including Nectaron, Citra (T90, Cryo, and Incognito), Talus, and El Dorado. Offered only on draught, please be sure to try it out and let me know what you think. Make sure to cheers with a Skol! Loki is watching…
From the Executive Chef
TAPROOM MENU UPDATES!
Wednesday May 15th we will be beginning our staggered summer menu launch! See the linked doc to be armed with all the knowledge on these new items and what they are replacing.
PUB MENU UPDATES!
Wednesday May 15th we will also be beginning our staggered summer menu launch for the pub! See the linked doc to be armed with all the knowledge on these new items and what they are replacing.
Please reach out if you have any questions regarding menu changes! XOXO
PUB UPDATES
We now have some menu QR codes at the host stand, Brewer’s Bar, Rail, GR, and the B-Zero area of the bar. This is to help our guests access our menu when a physical copy is not available. Please feel free to point these out to guests as well.
With the nicer weather upon us, please make sure we are watering outdoor plants. We are going to be updating the planters soon and want to keep them looking nice.
Now that outdoor tables are going to be sat more often, please keep an eye out for debris under picnic tables and leftover dog bowls that need to be bussed.
Pub Focus Points
ALL: High Fives All Around— A huge shout out to the whole team for their flexibility, attitude, and teamwork over the weekend. Everyone was super helpful to one another, crushing the rush, and being flexible about moving around when needed. Kitchen killed it, Prep rocked, and FOH had great service! Nice job everyone!!!
FOH: Floor Cleanliness Awareness– Let's make the effort to keep the floors free of debris. If you see a napkin, a fry, or anything that doesn't belong on the floor please take the time to pick it up or sweep it up. Also, when resetting a table let's be sure to look under the tables for chalk pieces or other random pieces of garbage.
LINE: Busy Weekend Props—Huge thank you and high fives!! Everyone worked their butts off this weekend! We worked as a team & we were helping each other out...GREAT JOB!! Blockstars!!
PREP: Hot Item Awareness! Be sure to tackle cook & cool projects first and get them to the walk-in within thirty minutes. If they are items that are slow to cool, put them in a spot where they get a lot of airflow. Ideally, we want to have everything cool enough to back out at the end of the shift.
Pub Company Direction Objectives
Consistently promote and encourage teamwork and strengthen the ties within our team–we are our most successful when we work together and support/understand each other.
Promote ongoing education on all things Block 15 through monthly "Deep Dives" on items from the kitchen, and from the brewery/bar. Each month (roughly) Sarah and myself will send out our information on respective Deep Dives on menu items.
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Thanks to everyone for crushing family weekend and rolling with the punches. You all are soo appreciated and are wonderful humans!
We will now be keeping chalk tins on all chalk tables inside with a few extra by the menus for the chalk boards and outside high tables. Please make sure these are staying filled and kept clean and tidy. More chalk is on the way!
Make sure this weekend we check on the outside potted plants for watering with the warmer weather and make sure we have the corn hole and ring toss game out for folks to play!
There’s a little menu holder by the bar register now to keep a few menus easily accessible for customers. Please make sure there’s always a few available in the holder!
Flautas have been taken off the menu and we are bringing back Jerk Candied Hazelnuts to the appetizers!
Tap Room Focus Points
FOH: Floors! Let’s make sure we’re spot sweeping throughout the day, checking under tables, looking for debris outside, and being thorough during closing with sweeping and mopping!
ALL: Warm Weather! Make sure to stay hydrated and be prepared for it to be busier this weekend. Keep up the communication with each other!
2024 Objectives
Elevate engagement through impactful community-centered opportunities and events
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Upcoming Events
TBD in May - Summer Gardening Q&A! Learn how to start a summer garden or ask questions about your current garden! Family-friendly, free seeds or starter plant with a drink purchase!
TBD End of May Trivia!
Bakery Highlight
Ciabatta/Tuscan Chicken Sandwich! Read more about the Tuscan here
Try to highlight and/or suggest this item to 3 different customers per shift you work!
Caves Updates
While it was also thrown out in the High Five section, we wanted to thank each and every one of you for the hard work you all put in this weekend! You helped to keep the team going and provide a wonderful experience for our guests and we could not be more thankful for each and every one of you!
Brunch Bar Happy Hour starts this weekend, May 11th & 12th! From 9am-11am every Saturday and Sunday at the Caves bar, we will be offering $5 Mimosas and Bloody Marys! Again, this is only available for those sitting at the bar between 9am and 11am. If you have any questions, feel free to check in with Goody!
2024 Caves Direction Objectives:
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Keep eyes up and out and move through the restaurant rather than just behind the bar when making loops. Offer to grab another beverage, refill waters, or pre-bus tables, even if they aren’t yours.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
Caves Direction Objectives
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Keep eyes up and out and move through the restaurant rather than just behind the bar when making loops. Offer to grab another beverage, refill waters, or pre-bus tables, even if they aren’t yours.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Parents Weekend Crew @ The Pub - Everyone who worked this last weekend CRUSHED IT! There was great service, an emphasis on teamwork, lots of flexibility, and positive energy. BOH and prep kept things rolling smoothly and I was really impressed with their ability to keep up with the volume of tickets and large parties. Servers were SERVING with awesome hospitality and teamwork. The hosts handled a huge waitlist efficiently with great communication and helped everyone out. Food runners... mad respect for y'all getting things out accurately and quickly to the guests. Bartenders were slingin' beer and cocktails while juggling a full bar. And shout out to the float managers for rockin' the floor. THANK YOU ALL! Great introduction to the busier months ahead. <3
Everyone who has picked up, covered, or switched a shift in the last week or so - This is such a helpful thing to do, both for your coworker who needs coverage and for the rest of the team. Thanks for having each other's backs!
The Bakers - TR friends, thank you for sending us delicious cake!
Caves Crew - Thank you for such a stellar weekend! With being fully booked most of the weekend and some crazy pops, you all maintained stellar attitudes and teamwork and helped to make some great experiences for our guests. Many people left super happy and ready to come visit us again. Y’all are the best!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Check back next week!
SAFETY TIPS
The weather is getting warmer this weekend, make sure to stay hydrated and take water breaks when you need them.
Office Hours
Monday: Tap Room 10 am - 1 pm, Pub 2 - 5 pm
Thursday: Tap Room 1-4 pm
Friday: Pub 1-4 pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine Out! for adams elementary - May 14th
This month, we’re partnering with Adams Elementary to donate a portion of food sales from both Block 15 locations on May 14th.
The purpose of the Adams Parent Association (APA) is to support the education of students at Adams Elementary School by creating an inclusive community through fun events and raising funds that will benefit the education of all students.
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 - May 1st, 2024
General
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 Tyler! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Halifax Donair. The Halifax Donair is an eastern canadian classic, featuring thinly sliced meatloaf, chopped onions and tomatoes, and a sweet garlicky sauce, all wrapped in a pita (kinda like a gyro).
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Cans
Check back next week
COMING UP ON DRAFT
Releasing Friday 5/3
Tequila Gose // Inspired by classic margarita flavors, this unique spin on a tart German-style gose ale was brewed with fresh zest and juice from limes and oranges and then gently seasoned with hand-harvested sea salt from Jacobsen Salt Co. Fermented with German kölsch yeast and lactobacillus, this gose then matured in freshly emptied tequila barrels for 2 years in our wild cellar. // 5.00%
Key Takeaway: Our take on a classic margarita using a German sour gose, aged in Tequila barrels for two years.
Tasting Notes: Blue Agave • Saltwater • Siesta
Format: Draft Only
Series: Cellar
Beer Style: Gose aged in Tequila Barrels
Gose is a historic beer style invented in Goslar, Germany, in the 13th century. It is an outlier among German beers, as it defies der Reinheitsgebot by containing more than just hops, water, yeast, and malted barley. It is allowed an exemption due to its status as a historic regional specialty. They typically contain coriander and salt, are fermented with brewers yeast and Lactobacillus, and must contain at least 50% malted wheat in their grain bill. A gose is generally lemon sour, salty, and herbal in nature.
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beers are: C.B.C. IPA and Noyster
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Future Focus: Hygher // Hazy IPA
Series: Emerging
Releases: May 10th
Format: Draft Only
Description: Future Focus is an experimental IPA brewed with an eye on tomorrow, allowing us to trial new products and brewing methods. This batch features a hybrid I22 Capri yeast from Imperial with Citra, Citra Incognito, Nectaron, Talus, and El Dorado hops to amplify juicy and tropical fruit-forward notes.
The Beer Walker // IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: May 10th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Brewed for our longtime friend and first customer, Gary, "The Beer Walker." We loaded this West-Coast IPA with vibrant Simcoe, Strata, and Centennial hops, paired with a lush malt base that balances with a pleasant dryness.
Vital Vibe // West Coast IPA
Series: Orbital
Releases: May 17th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: 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.
Oregona // IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: May 24th
Format: Draft & Cans
Description: Named for a historic sternwheeler, and made to benefit the Friends of Historic Butteville. We collaborated with The Oregon Hophouse to feature 2b, McKenzie, and Anchor hops; all varieties from their breeding program.
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: Gose
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Gose (goes-uh) is an interesting style historically because it flies in the face of one of the most famous laws of all time and does it with pride.
Most of us are familiar, at least to some degree, with the Reinheitsgebot, the German beer purity law adopted in 1516. This law states that the only ingredients allowed in German beer are water, barley, and hops. This law is so old that it was written before the discovery of yeast.
Touted as the first food safety law, the Reinheitsgebot today is basically just a tool for marketing teams, and it basically was that way in 1516 as well. The law was more about branding German beer superior to foreign beer than keeping folks safe. It also outlawed the use of wheat in beer. Pale malts had not yet been invented, and all beer was pretty dark by today's standards. The only thing that lightened the color, body, and flavor of beer was the use of wheat. The aristocracy told the public that the ban was to ensure that there would be enough wheat to make bread to feed the people. The truth was that they never stopped making wheat beer for themselves; it was just reserved for an elite few. The uber-rich only drank “white beer,” which is why the name has stuck to this day. Weissbier means white beer, and it was a symbol of elitist gatekeeping for centuries.
In the dead center of Germany, in the Harz Mountains, lies a village called Goslar. It is smaller than Corvallis. Through Goslar runs the River Gose. The brewers in the city got water from this river, and it is slightly saltier, with 28 ppm sodium and 45 ppm chloride. That’ll come into play later.
Since the 13th century, the brewers of Gose have spontaneously fermented their beer, brewed with always over 50% malted wheat, and added coriander to the boil. It created a very light, salty, herbal, sour beer famous for its refreshing character. It became super popular in the nearby large city of Leipzig, and brewers there tried to replicate it. Finding something missing from their attempts, Leipzig brewers traveled to Goslar, tasted the brewing water, and discerned that salt should be added to get the correct effect.
Voila, 800 years later, salted Gose from Leipzig is still the gold standard for the style. It was so successful culturally and economically to the region that when Wilhelm IV banned the use of anything other than water, barley, and hops to be allowed in beer, the people of central Germany demanded an amendment to the Reinheitsgebot supplying space for exemptions for regional specialties such as Gose. Wheat beer was a product reserved for the elite upper crust, except, notably, for Gose.
The thought of salty, sour beer has inspired us to once again release our Tequila Gose this week as a draught-only offering. Inspired by the spirit of Central German brewers sticking it to the man as much as it’s inspired by a classic Cadillac Margarita, try this one when it hits our taps this Friday. Look for hearty Tequila notes from the barrels it was aged in and a sturdy salinity, a hint of lime, and very subtle coriander.
From the Executive Chef
New Dessert today: Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake
Silky lemon cheesecake swirled with zippy house-made lemon curd, topped with fresh whipped cream and market berries.
May Food Specials start today
Pub Specials
Loco Moco - Coconut rice with rich mushroom gravy, a quarter-pound seasoned beef patty, and a sunny side up egg. Topped with house truffle hot sauce and green onion. $15.99 PROCEDURE
Smoked Salmon Spread - House-smoked salmon with cream cheese, red onion & capers, served with fresh cucumbers, lemon-black pepper marmalade, fried capers, and house-baked sea salt crackers. $14.99 PROCEDURE
Chickpea Salad Sandwich - Mashed & spiced chickpeas, dulse seaweed, celery, onion & pickles in a creamy vegan dressing, romaine lettuce & fresh tomato and sunflower seeds on lightly toasted artisan bread. $13.99 PROCEDURE
Tap Room Specials
Shrimp Hushpuppies - Oregon bay shrimp hushpuppies, habanero-dill remoulade. $12.99 PROCEDURE
Huli Huli Chicken Sandwich - Huli Huli marinated and grilled chicken breast, creamy jalapeno-mango slaw & sriracha mayo on a toasted brioche bun. $16.99 PROCEDURE
PUB UPDATES
We are running an EMPLOYEE ONLY Group Ride 4 pack sale! $8.40 (with deposit) for a 4 pack. Single cans cannot be purchased with this same discount.
Just a reminder: during Family Weekend we will run a modified menu to help streamline the kitchen–be sure to review this menu before your next shift. We will also turn off the ability for guests to add themselves to the waitlist online to ensure that we are able to keep tables full and keep the flow moving.
For the next few weeks we will be featuring 2 Towns OutCider which is an unfiltered cider with a sweeter finish and fuller body. This is just a plain apple cider, no additional fruits or flavors. Once Mill A restocks their keg supply, we will switch back. The keg is currently on tap and menus will be updated on Friday, so please verbalize this change to guests in the meantime.
The host iPad has been fixed to properly show the server rotation up on the top of the screen. When we are not on a wait, we should utilize this rotation to ensure we are seating sections evenly. The server who needs to be sat next will be at the front, and the server who was most recently sat will move to the back.
With the nicer weather on the horizon, we are bringing back the Anne Amie Rosé of Pinot Noir. This is a small run production, so we will only have 6 total cases which means we may swap out for another rosé mid-summer.
Anne Amie is a winery located in Carlton, OR that focuses on sustainable wine production and is LIVE Certified (LIVE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that supports environmentally and socially responsible winegrowing through third-party certification and educational programming) and Salmon Safe (the Salmon-Safe farm certification program is focused on management practices in six primary areas: riparian area management, water use management, erosion and sediment control, integrated pest management and water quality protection, animal management, and biodiversity conservation).
Tasting and aroma notes can be found below–for those looking for a more traditional and crisp rosé with balanced acidity, this will be their best friend.
Aroma
rose petals, citrus, white strawberry, lavender, slate, floral
Flavor
strawberry, citrus, ripe cantaloupe, kiwi, savory
Finish
dry, mineral, focused and long
Pub Focus Points
ALL: Communication Awareness— Whether it’s tables that we’ve sat, breaks that we are running, items that are 86'd, or soup changes, let’s make sure we are on top of our communication game this weekend! Also, remember to slow down around corners, call your safety calls (corner, behind, hot, sharp), and be aware of your surroundings to avoid accidents or injuries.
FOH: Pre-bussing, Emptying Silverware Trays, & Clearing Bus Tubs Often– With it being a busy weekend, we are more likely to run out & get low on dishes. Please make it a priority to pre-bus tables and clear the server stations for the dishwasher.
LINE: Busy Weekend Preparedness- Eat your Wheaties, take your vitamins. It's gonna be BUSY BUSY this weekend!! Also make sure you are up to date with menu changes and procedures so we are prepared to kick butt this weekend!!
PREP: Label Awareness Continued! Complete labels every time--taster circled, add your initials if you back something out and taste if needed, pull old labels, etc.
Pub Company Direction Objectives
Consistently promote and encourage teamwork and strengthen the ties within our team–we are our most successful when we work together and support/understand each other.
Promote ongoing education on all things Block 15 through monthly "Deep Dives" on items from the kitchen, and from the brewery/bar. Each month (roughly) Sarah and myself will send out our information on respective Deep Dives on menu items.
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We are running an EMPLOYEE ONLY Group Ride 4 pack sale! $8.40 (with deposit) for a 4 pack. Single cans cannot be purchased with this same discount and the 25% off employee discount also cannot apply. There is a separate button under packaged beer for the employee 4pks.
If glass breaks into the dishwasher, the dishwasher must be fully drained, inspected for broken glass pieces, and then refilled before washing anything else.
Please keep shared working spaces organized and tidy! This helps from misplacing things, breaking things, and being able to maximize the space.
We are still experiencing issues with online togo orders not printing or firing in Toast. For now, online togo orders will be turned off. We may see an increase in phone togo orders for the time being!
Tap Room Focus Points
FOH: Be ready for the busy weekend! Have a positive attitude, communicate, and be flexible! Please keep on top of checking sling for any updates that may come up!
ALL: Menu Changes and Specials! Make sure you are aware of the new monthly specials, dessert, and menu changes. We have swapped out the spinach dip for the tuscan white bean dip.
BOH: Read up on the new menu item recipes and procedures. This includes the huli huli chicken sandwich, shrimp hushpuppies, and lemon ricotta cheesecake.
2024 Objectives
Elevate engagement through impactful community-centered opportunities and events
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Upcoming Events
TBD in May - Summer Gardening Q&A! Learn how to start a summer garden or ask questions about your current garden! Family-friendly, free seeds or starter plant with a drink purchase!
TBD End of May Trivia!
Bakery Highlight
Ciabatta/Tuscan Chicken Sandwich! Read more about the Tuscan here
Try to highlight and/or suggest this item to 3 different customers per shift you work!
Caves Updates
Caves Direction Objectives
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Keep eyes up and out and move through the restaurant rather than just behind the bar when making loops. Offer to grab another beverage, refill waters, or pre-bus tables, even if they aren’t yours.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Cody Oakland - He's always interested in learning something new, and willing to help out a coworker.
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Quinn Roth (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Avoid shortcuts - While it may be tempting to save yourself five minutes to finish faster, each step in a process exists for a reason. Although that reason may not be apparent, many safety precautions exist because not following them can and probably has led to a serious injury or worse. Cutting corners because it's more convenient creates dangerous working conditions for yourself and those around you.
Office Hours
Monday: Tap Room 10 am - 1 pm, Pub 2 - 5 pm
Thursday: Tap Room 1-4 pm
Friday: Pub 1-4 pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine Out! for adams elementary - May 14th
This month, we’re partnering with Adams Elementary to donate a portion of food sales from both Block 15 locations on May 14th.
The purpose of the Adams Parent Association (APA) is to support the education of students at Adams Elementary School by creating an inclusive community through fun events and raising funds that will benefit the education of all students.
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 - April 24th, 2024
General
New Dessert
On Wednesday, May 1st, we are replacing Peanut Butter Pie with Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake, served with whipped cream and fresh berries.
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 J! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Croque Madam to pair with Boots First.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Cans
Releasing Friday 4/26
Board Shorts: Next Set // Brewed in memory of our dear friend and original bar manager, Seth. Notes of tropical and citrus fruits represent his bright and easy-going spirit, like rocking a pair of colorful board shorts. A portion of beer sales will be donated to the OHSU Brain Institute. // 6.50%
Key Takeaway: Brewed every year in honor of Seth, this one really pushes into that new-age West Coast direction with a balance of bright fruit and sharp resin.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Papaya • Pineapple • Sunshine
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Perennial
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.
Fluffhead // A tour across the nation inspired this NE-style IPA. Designed with a cornucopia of pungent hops with a fluffy oat body. Jam out with juicy hop notes of tropical and freshly squeezed citrus fruits. // 6.80%
Key Takeaway: Softer and juicier than most Block 15 IPAs, this one fits the mold of a quintessential New England-style IPA. It has a fluffier mouthfeel with lower bitterness.
Tasting Notes: Sunrise Papaya • Capri Sun • Jam Session
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Perpetual
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.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
Releasing Friday 4/26
Board Shorts: Next Set // West Coast IPA
Fluffhead // Hazy IPA
Noyster // All the aspects you love of an oyster stout without the Oysters! Brewed to emulate an oyster stout utilizing Dulse seaweed instead of traditional oysters, a portion of beer sales will be donated to the Elakah Alliance at the Otter Beer Fest hosted in OMSI! Using a base Oatmeal stout, we steeped a portion of the beer on dried Dulse seaweed from Oregon Seaweed before blending it back into the beer. The results? A nicely balanced Oatmeal stout, melding the roast, silky, sweet notes of an Oatmeal stout with the decadent, briny, earthy, umami character of the seaweed. No oysters needed here! // 5.12%
Key Takeaway: This oatmeal stout has Dulse seaweed layered in during secondary conditioning in order to bring an earthy, briny character to the beer with a touch of umami.
Tasting Notes: Roasty • Umami • Decadent
Format: Draft Only
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: Oatmeal Stout with Dulse
See style information within this week’s Beer 101
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beer is: Deep Seek
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Tequila Gose // Gose aged in Tequila Barrels
Series: Cellar
Releases: May 3rd
Format: Draft Only
Description: Inspired by classic margarita flavors, this unique spin on a tart German-style gose ale was brewed with fresh zest and juice from limes and oranges and then gently seasoned with hand-harvested sea salt from Jacobsen Salt Co. Fermented with German kölsch yeast and lactobacillus, this gose then matured in freshly emptied tequila barrels for 2 years in our wild cellar.
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session, where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: OYSTER STOUT AND (NO)YSTER STOUT
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
This week, we’re going to release Noyster Stout as a draught-only offering. A lot of folks have asked me recently about Oyster Stouts and what this beer is all about, so I’ll explain here in Beer 101!
Oyster Stout as a style was likely invented during the industrial revolution in England. Oysters and beer were a common dinner pairing for the working class in England, as both were notoriously cheap. The briney qualities of the oysters paired beautifully with the bittersweet, dark, roasty beer, and it was only a matter of time before someone would try adding them to their beer. Oyster shells act as a clarifying agent in beer, using the same mechanism as isinglass (powdered fish swim bladders). Note that Block 15 does not use Isinglass in any of its brews. These agents work by forming an electrostatic bond between yeast, proteins, and the agent itself, forming larger conglomerate molecules that precipitate out of the beer to the bottom of the tank and can be separated with careful racking. In layman's terms, ingredients in the oyster shells bond to ingredients in the beer that cause cloudiness, making them heavy, and they fall out of solution. The shells also contribute a distinctive mineral profile to the wort that creates a different mouthfeel than brewers at the time were likely achieving with other brews. Oyster stout likely rose from this use as a fining agent to its final place in the recipe for flavor as a happy accident.
Brewers today use many different techniques to achieve Oyster Stout's characteristic flavor. They are almost always added to the boil stage of the brew, but some brewers shuck them first and only use the shells, while some throw them in meat and all. Some brewers add the salty brine that the oysters are floating in and contain within their shells, and some even buy extra brine and add it at rates up to 5% of the boil volume. Sometimes salt water or sea salt is added; it’s a cool area of recipe formulation where brewers decide their own style.
This time around, we designed an oyster stout sans oysters! We added dulse seaweed after fermentation, like we would a dry hop, and achieved a very similar result without the mollusk. The seaweed added a nice briny, umami flavor and a gentle ocean/iodine character that doesn’t overpower the craft of the stout itself.
We created this beer because we were tasked with creating an entry for the Oregon Otter Brewing Festival at OMSI. The event was put on by Elakha Alliance, the Oregon Zoo, and the DLX Family Foundation and focused on building community awareness regarding the significance of revitalizing our valuable nearshore marine ecosystems. The parameters for the beer entry included being sea otter-inspired and utilizing Maris Otter malt. We were honored to be recognized as a participant chosen for our commitment to environmental stewardship alongside 7 Devils, Breakside, Crux, Deschutes, Fort George, Great Notion, Leikam, and Sunriver Brewing. Danny and Kelsea poured at the festival, and we won an award for Judges Overall Favorite Choice! We are proud to have been a part of such a cool program.
I’m really happy with how Noyster Stout turned out. We went into it with little to no information available on how to execute it, and I feel like it was a big success. It is a delicious example of the style, with an interesting and novel approach, for a really good cause.
From the Executive Chef
Noyster Beer & Food Pairing - April 26th-28th
For the release of the Noyster stout, we will run a vegan chickpea salad sandwich with dulse! The addition of reconstituted dulse gives a slight hint of sea flavor, making it the perfect vegan tuna salad sandwich mock-up!
Smashed chickpeas, red onion, celery, dulse seaweed & house dill pickles in a creamy mustard dressing. Served on toasted artisan bread with crisp romaine, fresh tomato and sunflower seeds. $13.99
This will run at both locations, but will be just a Friday-Sunday, or until we run out special.
May Food Specials start Wednesday, May 1st.
Pub Specials
Loco Moco - Coconut rice with rich mushroom gravy, a quarter-pound seasoned beef patty, and a sunny side up egg. Topped with house truffle hot sauce and green onion. $15.99 PROCEDURE
Smoked Salmon Spread - House-smoked salmon with cream cheese, red onion & capers, served with fresh cucumbers, lemon-black pepper marmalade, fried capers, and house-baked sea salt crackers. $14.99 PROCEDURE
Chickpea Salad Sandwich - Mashed & spiced chickpeas, dulse seaweed, celery, onion & pickles in a creamy vegan dressing, romaine lettuce & fresh tomato and sunflower seeds on lightly toasted artisan bread. $13.99 PROCEDURE
Tap Room Specials
Shrimp Hushpuppies - Oregon bay shrimp hushpuppies, habanero-dill remoulade. $12.99 PROCEDURE
Huli Huli Chicken Sandwich - Huli Huli marinated and grilled chicken breast, creamy jalapeno-mango slaw & sriracha mayo on a toasted brioche bun. $16.99 PROCEDURE
PUB UPDATES
The downtown Saturday market has started back up again. This means that parking downtown will be significantly harder to find if you are working during the day on Saturdays. Please make sure to leave for work with adequate time to find parking!
Pub Focus Points
ALL: Positive Communication Between All Staff—BOH and FOH, we are all a team and we are all working hard, but more importantly we are working together. We are a team with different roles on a daily basis, but each role supports the other roles in order to create a welcoming atmosphere for our guests & coworkers. We individually take pride in our jobs, so please be aware of how poor communication can disrupt your coworker’s shift. Also, please don’t hesitate to reach out to a manager if you are feeling overwhelmed and we can assist in those moments.
FOH: Weekly Check-ins–With the new weekly check-in system being online, be sure that you also check-in with the Bar Manager letting them know that you have completed the quiz prior to starting your shift after your scheduled "project" shift. Managers still need to check you off for accomplishing the task–High fives!!.
BOH: Station Flex Awareness! We have all become very good at jumping between stations to assist those in stations who get hit all at once. Let's keep it up and remember to communicate what item has been fired or made for which ticket!
Prep:Label Awareness! Complete labels every time--taster circled, add your initials if you back something out and taste if needed, pull old labels, etc.
Pub Company Direction Objectives
Consistently promote and encourage teamwork and strengthen the ties within our team–we are our most successful when we work together and support/understand each other.
Promote ongoing education on all things Block 15 through monthly "Deep Dives" on items from the kitchen, and from the brewery/bar. Each month (roughly) Sarah and myself will send out our information on respective Deep Dives on menu items.
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We are testing out a new service style! Please make sure you have read this document to make sure you are aware and prepared to give amazing hospitality on your shifts. It will take a bit of time for everyone to get used to it so please be flexible, positive, and proactive! Please reach out to a manager if you have any questions or feedback.
We have switched out our Jasmine Green Tea for Sencha Green Tea. Sencha is a Japanese green tea that is pretty pale in color and mild in flavor.
Reminder: When cashing someone out, make sure to double check if they want to pay with the card on file or a different one. Even if it is super busy, it is important to take a moment and verify before taking payment!
Make sure we are looking at the monthly cleaning list as well as the weekly lists for projects to do during shift change or slow periods, sign off on items you complete!
Please make sure we are accurately and consistently ringing in items and waste logging when needed. It is important everything we pour or make is getting accounted for!
Tap Room Focus Points
ALL: Be Flexible! With our extended hours and new service style implemented please be flexible as we may need to make tweaks and changes to procedures and whatnot. Offer feedback or suggestions if you feel something could be improved or done differently. We appreciate everyone going with the flow and taking all these changes on with a great attitude!
FOH: New Service Style! Make sure we are in the know on our new service style, non negotiables, and continue to meet our hospitality standards. It will take some time for everyone to get used to so please be flexible, positive, and proactive!
BOH: Label transferring! When food is being backed out, cooled, or saved for the next day, please be sure to transfer the label info as well. This includes the hot hold items at the end of the night. All food should be labeled so we know how old it is and who to seek out if there is feedback.
2024 Objectives
Elevate engagement through impactful community-centered opportunities and events
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Upcoming Events
April 25th - 6:30 - 8 pm. Free bike adjustments event with Bike n Hike! $5 C.B.C. IPA pints and 10% off 4pks of Group Ride during the event!
TBD in May - Summer Gardening Q&A! Learn how to start a summer garden or ask questions about your current garden! Family-friendly, free seeds or starter plant with a drink purchase!
TBD End of May Trivia!
Bakery Highlight
Ciabatta/Tuscan Chicken Sandwich! Read more about the Tuscan here
Try to highlight and/or suggest this item to 3 different customers per shift you work!
Caves Updates
Caves Direction Objectives
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Keep eyes up and out and move through the restaurant rather than just behind the bar when making loops. Offer to grab another beverage, refill waters, or pre-bus tables, even if they aren’t yours.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
James Watts - He does it all! Thanks for your hard work!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Fiona Pendergraft (BOH)
Tyler Brill (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Always make sure that you know how to use tools or machinery correctly. If you are not comfortable with any equipment do not operate it until you have further training! Accidents can quickly happen when something is not a familiar item. Common issues include using the wrong tool for a task or creating an unsafe environment while not correctly using heavy equipment.
Office Hours
Monday: Tap Room 10 am - 1 pm, Pub 2 - 5 pm
Thursday: Canceled at TR, moved to Pub, 1-4
Friday: Canceled this week at Pub, moved to TR, 1-4 (4/26)
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 - April 17th, 2024
General
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 Scott & Rachel! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Loco Moco, a Hawaiian classic featuring a burger patty, fried egg, and gravy on rice!.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Cans
Releasing Friday 4/19
Sol Fresco // Brewed for warm days in the sun and packaged fresh for your enjoyment. This golden-hued lager balances gentle corn sweetness, light hop bitterness, and aroma with a crisp, clean finish. // 4.70%
Takeaways: Shifting seasons brings on our Mexican lager, light and refreshing with a gentle bitterness. Brewed with 100% domestic malt and 100% PNW hops.
Tasting Notes: Crisp • Add a Lime • Crusher
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Mexican Lager
Established by Austrian and German immigrants to Texas and Mexico, these beers were originally Vienna-style lagers brewed with Maize. The style is controversial, though, as it can refer to a lot of different beers. Generally, the name is given to a low IBU lager with a clean fermentation profile and extremely high clarity. Macro breweries use corn in their mash to achieve a highly crisp drinking experience at low cost, but craft brewers sometimes prefer to use flaked maize in its place as it has had proteins, oils, and other components removed and is generally a higher quality ingredient.
Boots First // In collaboration with the Willamette Valley chapter of the Pink Boots Society, this bright West Coast IPA combines a balance of Nelson and Chinook hops. Brewed to support women and non-binary people working in the fermented beverage industry! // 6.50%
Takeaways: Leaning on a novel blend of Belma, chinook, and Nelson hops, this crisp West Coast IPA features a broad spectrum of our IPA Production techniques.
Tasting Notes: Orange Marmalade • Grapefruit • Empowerment
Format: Draft & Cans
Series: Synergy, collaboration with the Willamette Valley chapter of the Pink Boots Society
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 4/19
Sol Fresco // Mexican Lager
Boots First // West Coast IPA
C.B.C. IPA // This crisp West Coast IPA was brewed in collaboration with our friends at Crosby Hop Farms. Brewed to highlight our respective operations, we utilized a litany of Crosby Products to create this beer. B&D Farms Cascade, Estate Grown Comet CGX, and New Zealand Grown Pacific Sunrise hops combine to create an IPA popping with Tropical Fruit character, pine, grapefruit, and orange zest. C.B.C stands for Crosby Block 15 Collab. // 6.80%
Tasting Notes: Orange Peel • Pineapple • Zesty
Format: Draft Only
Series: Synergy, collaboration with Crosby Hops
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.
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beer is: Group Ride
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Board Shorts: Next Set // West Coast IPA
Series: Perennial
Releases: April 26th
Format: Draft & Cans
Highlight: Brewed every year in honor of Seth, our original bar manager, this one really pushes into that new-age West Coast direction with a balance of bright fruit and sharp resin. A portion of beer sales will be donated to the OHSU Brain Institute.
Noyster // Oatmeal Stout with Dulse
Series: Emerging
Releases: April 26th
Format: Draft Only
Highlight: All the aspects you love of an oyster stout without the Oysters! Brewed to emulate an oyster stout utilizing Dulse seaweed instead of traditional oysters, a portion of beer sales will be donated to the Elakah Alliance at the Otter Beer Fest hosted in OMSI (on April 13th)! Using a base Oatmeal stout, we steeped a portion of the beer on dried Dulse seaweed from Oregon Seaweed before blending it back into the beer. The results? A nicely balanced Oatmeal stout, melding the roast, silky, sweet notes of an Oatmeal stout with the decadent, briny, earthy, umami character of the seaweed. No oysters needed here!”
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session, where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: Mexican Lager
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Mexicans have been making alcoholic beverages since 900 B.C. The Mayans and their descendants made drinks from fermented chocolate, agave, honey, and corn for thousands of years before white settlers arrived. Many historic brewers in Mexico continue to brew these today.
When we refer to Mexican Lager today, we are talking about a beer brought to Mexico and Texas by German and Austrian immigrants in the 19th century. The original Mexican Lagers were Vienna-style lagers brewed with maize, creating a crisp, refreshing beer that was copper to deep amber brown.
In 1890, Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc became the first Mexican brewery to take advantage of the railways, allowing them to access American ingredients and equipment. They brewed a famous Czech-style Pilsner and a Vienna-style lager and named the beers Siglo XX. These beers helped morph the style into what it is today and were eventually renamed Dos Equis (meaning two Xs) Lager and Amber.
American prohibition helped fuel the fire of Mexican breweries, with Americans flooding over the border to drink. Over the last 100 years, they have continued to grow. Today, Mexico is the world's largest beer exporter.
Mexican Lager is now a bit controversial as a style. The beers have an enormous range, especially concerning color, ranging from bright yellow to dark amber brown. These opposite ends of the spectrum are known as clara and obscura. Almost all Mexican lager is brewed with corn or maize. Large macro breweries generally use corn, while craft brewers prefer flaked maize, as it’s been pressed on hot rollers and modified to remove oils, proteins, and other components and is generally a higher quality ingredient.
Flaked Maize is an amazing ingredient. It dries out the beer a little and ferments completely, leaving no residual sweetness. Maize is the reason that Mexican lagers are thought of as crisp and never cloyingly sweet. It also has almost no protein, especially compared to barley, so clarity is boosted, and body is thinned out some. Last, it’s crazy cheap—always a plus.
Aside from the yellow and amber varieties, there is a third possibility when referencing Mexican Lager. This is when American breweries brew a lager and add salt and/or lime to it and call it a Mexican Lager. I won’t go too deep into this substyle, as it really shouldn’t be in the same category, in my opinion. Just be aware that they’re out there, and they’re nothing like what I’ve described above. Most of them are garbage fires.
This is all to say we’re releasing Sol Fresco this week, and it’s a beer that we’re really proud of. Our take on Mexican-style Lager falls pretty close to the middle of the range described above. Medium-gold in color with a very subtle hop character, it’s made with 100% US-grown malt, 100% PNW hops, and torrefied flaked maize. Cans will be available, and the artwork is by Chris Herbst, the same artist who designed our Fresh Flow, Fresh Pow, and Fresh Catch labels. Give it a try, and as always, let me know what you think at garrison@block15.com.
A note about Pink Boots
Written by J Pascoe, Brewer
Hi Ya'll!
With our Pink Boots Collab beer, Boots First, releasing this Friday, I wanted to share some information with you about the Pink Boots Society.
Pink Boots Society was founded in 2007 after founder Teri Fahrendorf took a cross-country road trip. I don't want to take up too much space here on that, but it is a fantastic story. Fun fact: Teri was based in Eugene at that time, is now located in Portland, and is often seen at industry events. She's a real firecracker.
My elevator pitch to people asking about Pink Boots is simple: Pink Boots supports women and non-binary individuals in the fermented/alcoholic beverage industry through equity, education, and experience. This means Pink Boots is for bartenders, bookkeepers, managers, brewers, owners, designers, salespeople, hop growers, and others who work with beer, cider, distilling, wine, kombucha, and more.
What this can look like varies from chapter to chapter across the country and world (currently around 80 chapters in the US, 8 internationally).
Some things I've found particularly useful over the years are as follows.
The networking: online and in person, I have found (and been given) a lot of information I've needed ranging from job opportunities to part replacement information for broken equipment to contact information for people I need to meet while working on various projects.
The education: there are always on-demand webinars and roundtables online covering a variety of topics (from Alternative Funding Sources for Small Businesses to Carbon Capture in Fermentation to Demystifying Whiskey) and quarterly scholarships for personal advancement. I've personally received two scholarships over the years from Pink Boots. The first was to help offset tuition for my classes while attending the Fermentation Sciences Certification Program at the University of Sciences in Philadelphia, and the second was more recently to aid in my studying for a future Cicerone test. The scholarships are particularly robust as they can cover everything from testing prep for Sommelier qualifications to yeast propagation in the brew house to merchandising 101. Occasionally, they even offer opportunities to travel internationally!
Finally, and most visibly, we try to do a lot of in-person experiential events. The most obvious is our collaboration brew days sprinkled throughout the year -- this is always a great opportunity to see what other businesses are doing with their finished products and how they make them. I always learn something. Some other examples of events the Willamette Valley chapter has organized include an educational tour of 2 Towns barrel aging program, an intro and guided tasting of NA products at a local NA bottle shop in Eugene, an entry-level seminar on Oregon Beer taxes, and more! I'm particularly excited about some of our upcoming events, especially a Sensory 101 course taught by chapter member Dana Garves of Oregon Brew Lab.
I've said it before -- Pink Boots has been a major lifeline for me in the beer industry. I've experienced a wide range of sexism and homophobia over the years (not at Block!) in various work spaces or classrooms, and finding my peers has gone far in showing me that I do have a place in the industry and the work I do is valued. On a more positive note, I have met some absolutely fantastic people through Pink Boots who are doing truly amazing work -- to be able to watch, support, or be part of their stories and professional advancements is truly an honor.
Thinking about joining? It's a pretty simple process. Make sure to check membership in the Willamette Valley chapter if you do join!
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions you might have about the industry, the chapter, and what membership could do for your career.
Cheers!
J
From the Executive Chef
Sol Fresco Beer & Food Pairing - Starts Friday!
April 19th, with the release of Sol Fresco, we will be running a paired special for the tap life of the beer! Both locations!
Potato & Green Chile Flautas
Creamy, spicy potato and green chili fried flautas, served with salsa borracha, sour cream, queso fresco & radishes $12.99
Noyster Beer & Food Pairing - April 26th-28th
For the release of the Noyster stout, we will run a vegan chickpea salad sandwich with dulse! Full write-up will be in next week's brewsletter!
This will run at both locations, but will be just a Friday-Sunday, or until we run out special.
PUB UPDATES
There will be a button to add a lime wedge for Sol Fresco as that is popular for mexican lagers! When a customer orders one please offer it to them!
As you all should have seen on the Read & Sign, we are moving to mopping upstairs nightly. This is how it was structured pre-pandemic and we moved to intermittent mopping because we weren’t as full or seating upstairs as often. Now that that section is often full and busy, we need to be sweeping and mopping the full upstairs nightly.
We are gearing up to replace some of the not-so-happy plants in the outside planters. Once those have been spruced up, we will need to start our summer watering plan and have those watered daily with at least 5 pitchers of water each (grabbing a 5gal bucket makes this faster to pull from). Once we hit peak summer weather, this will need to happen 2x a day.
Feedback is always welcome and encouraged, but keeping in mind a couple of pieces will help your Lead and Management teams process this feedback and address any concerns. When you are bringing feedback to a Manager or Lead, please keep in mind doing so with positivity. We all get frustrated from time to time, but coming with a positive mindset will help to keep any feedback from feeling personal. Also, while not every situation can be simple, coming with a suggestion for a plan or solution helps to move the wheels along. If you have ideas and thoughts, we love to hear them and want to do what we can to support you all!
Pub Company Direction Objectives
Consistently promote and encourage teamwork and strengthen the ties within our team–we are our most successful when we work together and support/understand each other.
Promote ongoing education on all things Block 15 through monthly "Deep Dives" on items from the kitchen, and from the brewery/bar. Each month (roughly) Sarah and myself will send out our information on respective Deep Dives on menu items.
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
There will be a button to add a lime wedge for Sol Fresco as that is popular for mexican lagers! When a customer orders one please offer it to them!
Reminder: We open for full summer hours next Monday, April 22nd! Our summer hours are Sun-Thurs 11:30-9pm and Fri-Sat 11:30-10pm! With that being said, please make sure you are double-checking your schedules going into summer hours, as normal shifts may have been changed.
With the weather getting nicer, please make sure the lawn games (ring toss and corn hole) are getting put outside in the grassy area for people to play! At the end of the night, please also make sure they are also getting put away; there is now a black crate by the umbrellas for everything to go in.
2024 Objectives
Elevate engagement through impactful community-centered opportunities and events
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Upcoming Events
April 22nd - Opening full summer hours and Earth Day
April 25th - Free bike adjustments event with Bike n Hike!
Bakery Highlight
Ciabatta/Tuscan Chicken Sandwich! Read more about the Tuscan here
Try to highlight and/or suggest this item to 3 different customers per shift you work!
Caves Updates
Caves Direction Objectives
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Keep eyes up and out and move through the restaurant rather than just behind the bar when making loops. Offer to grab another beverage, refill waters, or pre-bus tables, even if they aren’t yours.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Katie Davis - For crushing your first couple TR training shifts, already giving great suggestions, and having a great attitude. We are stoked to have you out here!
Jack Kellems - For also crushing it at the TR so far! Your great energy and attitude is infectious and you really nail the genuine hospitality we aim to have, keep it up!
Gabi Gonzalez - Gabi always works so hard and I always look forward to working with her and seeing her wonderful smile!
Alex Salazar - He gives 100% even though he's only here a couple days a week. Great energy and great music too.
Paul Van Handel - He's always doing a little something extra to support the restaurant and help things run smoothly. We appreciate you!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Olivia Potter (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Please remember to keep areas clear that have been taped off. If an area is taped off it is for either a safety or hazardous reason (or both). If you have any questions about that space and where you should set or store something, reach out to the person who manages that space.
Office Hours
Monday: Tap Room 10 am - 1 pm, Pub 2 - 5 pm
Thursday: Tap Room 1 - 4 pm
Friday: Pub 1 - 4 pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
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 - April 10th, 2024
General
Service and Emotional Support Animals
A note about Service and Emotional Support Animals in dining spaces:
A service animal means any dog that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability. Tasks performed can include, among other things, pulling a wheelchair, retrieving dropped items, alerting a person to a sound, reminding a person to take medication, or pressing an elevator button.
Emotional support animals, comfort animals, and therapy dogs are not service animals under Title II and Title III of the ADA. The work or tasks performed by a service animal must be directly related to the individual’s disability.
Examples of animals that fit the ADA’s definition of “service animal” because they have been specifically trained to perform a task for the person with a disability:
Guide Dog or Seeing Eye® Dog is a carefully trained dog that serves as a travel tool for persons who have severe visual impairments or are blind.
Hearing or Signal Dog is a dog that has been trained to alert a person who has a significant hearing loss or is deaf when a sound occurs, such as a knock on the door.
Psychiatric Service Dog is a dog that has been trained to perform tasks that assist individuals with disabilities to detect the onset of psychiatric episodes and lessen their effects..
SSigDOG (sensory signal dogs or social signal dog) is a dog trained to assist a person with autism. The dog alerts the handler to distracting repetitive movements common among those with autism, allowing the person to stop the movement (e.g., hand flapping).
Seizure Response Dog is a dog trained to assist a person with a seizure disorder. How the dog serves the person depends on the person’s needs.
However, entities must make reasonable modifications in policies to allow individuals with disabilities to use miniature horses if they have been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for individuals with disabilities.
Other Support or Therapy Animals
While Emotional Support Animals or Comfort Animals are often used as part of a medical treatment plan as therapy animals, they are not considered service animals under the ADA. These support animals provide companionship, relieve loneliness, and sometimes help with depression, anxiety, and certain phobias, but do not have special training to perform tasks that assist people with disabilities.
Handler’s Responsibilities:
The handler is responsible for the care and supervision of his or her service animal. If a service animal behaves in an unacceptable way and the person with a disability does not control the animal, a business or other entity does not have to allow the animal onto its premises. Uncontrolled barking, jumping on other people, or running away from the handler are examples of unacceptable behavior for a service animal. A business has the right to deny access to a dog that disrupts their business.
The ADA requires the animal to be under the control of the handler. This can occur using a harness, leash, or other tether. However, in cases where either the handler is unable to hold a tether because of a disability or its use would interfere with the service animal’s safe, effective performance of work or tasks, the service animal must be under the handler’s control by some other means, such as voice control
The animal must be housebroken.
The ADA does not require covered entities to provide for the care or supervision of a service animal, including cleaning up after the animal.
The animal should be vaccinated in accordance with state and local laws.
An entity may also assess the type, size, and weight of a miniature horse in determining whether or not the horse will be allowed access to the facility.
Handler’s Rights
Public Facilities and Accommodations
Titles II and III of the ADA makes it clear that service animals are allowed in public facilities and accommodations.
When a person with a service animal enters a public facility or place of public accommodation, the person cannot be asked about the nature or extent of their disability.
Only two questions may be asked:
1. Is the animal required because of a disability?
2. What work or task has the animal been trained to perform?
These questions should not be asked, however, if the animal’s service tasks are obvious. For example, the questions may not be asked if the dog is observed guiding an individual who is blind or has low vision, pulling a person’s wheelchair, or providing assistance with stability or balance to an individual with an observable mobility disability.
A public accommodation or facility is not allowed to ask for documentation or proof that the animal has been certified, trained, or licensed as a service animal. Local laws that prohibit specific breeds of dogs do not apply to service animals.
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 Whitney! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Poutine.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Cans
Releasing Friday 4/12
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // The DAB Lab series focuses on vibrant, experimental IPAs featuring cutting-edge hop products. Using newly developed CO2 product "702," from Yakima Chief Hops, this IPA is an explosion of citrus and pine notes. // 6.75%
Takeaways: YCH 702 comes in as a new product designed for use hotside to amplify survivable compounds and aromatics into the final product
Tasting Notes: Tangerine • Pine • Saucy
Series: DAB Lab
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 4/12
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beer is: Joy
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
C.B.C. IPA // West Coast IPA (Draft Only)
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 19th in-house and at the Craft Brewers Conference in Las Vegas, NV, April 21st-24th, at Crosby’s booth
Highlight: This crisp West Coast IPA was brewed in collaboration with our friends at Crosby Hop Farms. Brewed to highlight our respective operations, we utilized a litany of Crosby Products to create this beer. B&D Farms Cascade, Estate Grown Comet CGX, and New Zealand Grown Pacific Sunrise hops combine to create an IPA popping with Tropical Fruit character, pine, grapefruit, and orange zest.
Boots First // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy, collaboration with the Willamette Valley chapter of the Pink Boots Society
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: We’ll be brewing this beer on March 29th at the Tap Room with the Willamette Valley Pink Boots chapter, which J Pascoe, one of our Brewers, is co-leader of. This year’s collaboration will focus on a bright West Coast-style IPA made with Chinook, Nelson, and potentially El Dorado hops.
Sol Fresco // Mexican Lager
Series: Perennial
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: Sol Fresco is one of our seasonal lagers, which balances gentle corn sweetness, light hop bitterness, and aroma with a crisp, clean finish. And it’s Lagered by the Sun.
Board Shorts: Next Set // IPA
Series: Perennial
Releases: April 26th
Highlight: Brewed every year in honor of Seth, our original bar manager, this one really pushes into that new-age West Coast direction with a balance of bright fruit and sharp resin. A portion of beer sales will be donated to the OHSU Brain Institute.
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session, where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: DAB Lab: Hop Sauce and YCH 702
Written by Matt Williams, Head of Brewery Operations
This week marks our latest beer being released as part of the DAB Lab program, Hop Sauce. This iteration is a West Coast IPA base featuring Yakima Chief Hop's new product, currently called YCH 702.
YCH 702 is a trial hop product, meaning it is not fully finalized or named, but they are allowing breweries to bring it in and try it out in their processes. YCH 702 Trial is a flowable hop extract at room temperature produced through supercritical extraction of hop pellets with CO2, utilizing a novel extraction technique. YCH 702 is designed to amplify hop aromatics and increase hotside yield. In simpler terms, it's a product that is stable at room temperature and designed for use in our hot-side brewing process, but ideally not at full boil. Available in variety-specific options, this is a very appealing product for how we like to make our beers.
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce was built around two specific varieties available in this new product, Citra and Mosaic. Since we are intimately familiar with these varieties, it was felt we would really be able to hone in on what the YCH 702 is contributing to the final product. We focused on using it as suggested, so both varieties were added post-boil in the whirlpool at about 170 degrees. This has the advantage of being hot enough to help dissolve the oils and get everything into suspension in the wort but not so hot that we are degrading and driving off those important aromatic and flavor compounds. We utilized a total of 3kg combined of these new products to help amplify the flavor and aroma components of this beer.
The results on the beer are quite promising. Hop Sauce has a vibrant, clean, aromatic profile of citrus, pine, and tropical fruits. A nicely balanced bitterness complements the flavors of pine, grapefruit, and tangerine that dominate the palate with a smooth, clean finish. It will be exciting to see how this beer settles in as it ages.
Further Reading:
From the Executive Chef
Food Feedback
Let’s kick up our food feedback! Last week I think we had a total of 3 things written down on the sheet. If everyone makes an effort to pass along at least one item per week on the sheet posted in the kitchen, we will end up with pages! Your and our guests well thought out feedback is vital to ensure we are consistently meeting all of our food and beverage standards! XOXO
Sol Fresco Beer & Food Pairing
April 19th, with the release of Sol Fresco, we will be running a paired special for the tap life of the beer!
Potato & Green Chile Flautas
Creamy, spicy potato and green chili fried flautas, served with salsa borracha, sour cream, queso fresco, radishes and smoked chili oil. $12.99
PUB UPDATES
As a reminder–any break needs to be run by a manager (or Lead in the kitchen/prep kitchen) before you step off of the floor or out of the kitchen. Even if it’s a quick smoke/vape or fresh air break, we need to know where to find you and who is covering you while you are out. You all are absolutely entitled to these rest breaks, but timing and ensuring coverage is essential for proper flow of the restaurant.
We are launching a new cocktail this Friday! The Chili Mango Pop (Think those Vero Mango Tajin Lollipops) that will have Tequila, Mango Puree, a Tres Chili Shrub, Lime Juice, Chocolate Bitters, and Topo Chico.
The “Don’t Panic” cocktail will be coming back this Friday! This includes: Crater Lake Gin, Blueberry Lavender, Lemon, Prosecco, and a spritz of Absinthe.
We will also bring back the Michelada when we have Sol Fresco on tap on 4/19. A michelada is a beer based drink that often has tomato, chiles, lime juice, and other spices. This is a savory beer cocktail–think of a “red beer” or “bloody beer” that are often served with bloody mary mix, but ours is a special mix that the prep kitchen makes that is smoky, spicy and slightly tangy. Guests can also choose to add a half shot of tequila or mezcal if they want to kick it up a little!
Pub Company Direction Objectives
Consistently promote and encourage teamwork and strengthen the ties within our team–we are our most successful when we work together and support/understand each other.
Promote ongoing education on all things Block 15 through monthly "Deep Dives" on items from the kitchen, and from the brewery/bar. Each month (roughly) Sarah and myself will send out our information on respective Deep Dives on menu items.
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Please make sure we are checking dates on packaged beer when restocking and always put the older date in the front. (Think FIFO!!) If you have any questions on whether something is in code or not please reach out to a manager!
As we start ramping up for summer, please keep 4 people on Friday and Saturday evenings until at least 6:30pm, dinner pops will start getting later as the sun starts to set later and it is always better to be prepared!
Reminder: we will stop taking reservations for the barrel room starting May 1st, reservations after that are for the outside grassy area only.
We got new blankets for folks to use out in the grassy area or for if they are cold, we are installing hooks outside that they will live on during open hours. The opener will put them out and the closer or pre-closer will need to bring them inside at night.
Please make sure that we are double-checking glassware before pouring beverages or putting them away. Please try to not pour beverages before the glassware has cooled down (at least rinse them for a longer period of time in either the sink or the physical glass rinsers) to prevent the glassware from cracking.
2024 Objectives
Elevate engagement through impactful community-centered opportunities and events
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Upcoming Events
April 22nd - Opening full summer hours and Earth Day
April 25th - Free bike adjustments event with Bike n Hike!
Bakery Highlight
Ciabatta/Tuscan Chicken Sandwich! Read more about the Tuscan here
Try to highlight and/or suggest this item to 3 different customers per shift you work!
Caves Updates
Fort George - Matryoshka w/ Vanilla Bean will be on tap this Thursday replacing the Kentucky Kilt! Also, don’t forget that we tapped the Wayfinder “Batch 666” Sparkling Lager last week and this will be reflected officially on the menus this Thursday.
Caves Direction Objectives
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Keep eyes up and out and move through the restaurant rather than just behind the bar when making loops. Offer to grab another beverage, refill waters, or pre-bus tables, even if they aren’t yours.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Helen ONeill - Spent free time helping in the dish pit when the restaurant was packed.
Leighton Godwin - You're doing great. Keep it up!
Connor - He always makes a point to say hi, and brings a friendly energy into the kitchen.
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Check back next week!
SAFETY TIPS
Check back next week!
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10am - 1pm
Tuesday: Tap Room 1- 4pm
Thursday: Pub 1 - 4pm
Friday: Tap Room 10am - 1pm
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 - April 3rd, 2024
General
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 Tivey! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Fried oyster po'boy.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Marketing
Corvallis Half Marathon
For those of you who want to run, we have our registration codes now! Please send me an email (kelsea@block15.com) with the title “Sign me up!” and I’ll shoot the code to you.
Again, this will be held on April 6th on OSU’s campus. For those of you who want to test out your legs for the big day, Bryce, Danny, Matt B., and I threw together a running group called “Next Wednesday Running Club”. Some Wednesdays are hit or miss, but we are MAKING CLUB T-SHIRTS on 4/3 (today) at the Southtown Taproom at 5ish. See you there!
-Kelsea
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES
No new releases this week, but some of our perpetuals are back!
COMING UP ON DRAFT
No new releases this week, but some of our perpetuals are back!
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beer is: Alpine Ibex
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
Series: DAB Lab
Release Date: April 12th
Highlight: The next beer in our returning DAB Lab program uses a new hop product from Yakima Chief Hops. Called YCH 702, it’s designed for use on the hot side of brewing to amplify survivable compounds and aromatics in the finished beer. If you were wondering, DAB stands for “Dank A$$ Beer.” This series has historically been used to experiment with new and cutting-edge hop products, which tend to find their way into our other beers if we like how they operate.
CBC IPA // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 19th in-house and at the Craft Brewers Conference in Las Vegas, NV, April 21st-24th, at Crosby’s booth
Highlight: This draft-only beer was made to showcase Crosby’s CGX product line, a cryogenic technology that separates lupulin from whole-hop cones to deliver concentrated lupulin pellets jam-packed with resins and oils. CBC IPA (or “Crosby Block 15 Collab” IPA) uses Estate Grown Comet CGX, which carries aromas of tropical/fruit, citrus, and floral.
Pink Boots Collab // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: We’ll be brewing this beer on March 29th at the Tap Room with the Willamette Valley Pink Boots chapter, which J Pascoe, one of our Brewers, is co-leader of. This year’s collaboration will focus on a bright West Coast-style IPA made with Chinook, Nelson, and potentially El Dorado hops.
Sol Fresco // Mexican Lager
Series: Perennial
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: Sol Fresco is one of our seasonal lagers, which balances gentle corn sweetness, light hop bitterness, and aroma with a crisp, clean finish. And it’s Lagered by the Sun.
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session, where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: Oregon Beer Awards
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Every year, we submit beer to a competition held in Portland called the Oregon Beer Awards. It’s held at Revolution Hall, and is a fun gathering of industry folks. Representatives from every arm of our industry, from floor sealers to hop farms to beer festivals, act as sponsors and presenters. Drinks are had, tuxedo t-shirts are donned, and everybody has a pretty good time.
In 2019, we were informed that we had won a medal for being the best medium-sized brewery of the year. We had not entered and were as surprised as anyone.
In the years since we have entered every year and won a handful of times.
Silver medals:
Stout and Porter Category - Favorable Fortune, 2022
Red Beer Category - Charmed Life, 2023
Gold Medals:
Medium Sized Brewery of the Year, 2019
Excellence in Brewery Operations, 2020
Imperial IPA Category - Sticky Hands, 2020
Fruited Mixed Culture Beer Category - Framboise White, 2020
Excellence in Brewery Operations, 2021
Regional Brewing Company of the Year, 2023
Best Labels and Branding, 2023
These awards mean a lot to us for a few reasons. First, many breweries only win medals in one category. This list tells me that we make really good hop-forward, malt-forward, fruit-forward, and wild beers. The ability to do a lot of different styles at the gold medal level is an accomplishment I’m really proud of. We have also received recognition for our organization as a whole, which gives me a lot of confidence in our operation and our future in the industry.
The second reason we like the OBAs is that they’re judged by our peers. Our own Ian Hutchings and Matt Williams went to Portland last month to sit on some judging panels, and we’ve also sent folks to judge in the past.
The last reason that I love these awards is that they really bring our community of brewers in the region together. It’s awesome to see breweries that brew into 5-barrel systems beat much much larger breweries, and it’s great networking. Many great collaborations have been set up over a beer at the OBAs.
Winning a medal is great for our company. It offers exposure and drives sales of that product. It’s also just a really great feeling to be recognized for hard work.
This year we have submitted the following beers:
Sticky Hands
Deep Seek
Nebula
Illuminated
Group Ride
Super Nebula
Super Nebula, Breakfast with Willett
Kriek
So wish us luck, and if you’d like, watch the live stream. It’ll be on air at the link below on Thursday, April 4, from 6 to 8 p.m.
From the Executive Chef
April’s Monthly Specials!
Specials go live TODAY at both locations! Read up on the deets so you are prepared to sling some awesome new food!
Sol Fresco Beer & Food Pairing
April 19th, with the release of Sol Fresco, we will be running a paired special for the tap life of the beer!
Potato & Green Chile Flautas
Creamy, spicy potato and green chili fried flautas, served with salsa borracha, sour cream, queso fresco, radishes and smoked chili oil. $12.99
PUB UPDATES
We have some brand new carpet tiles in the front dining area! In order to keep these in good condition, please make sure that we have a small rug at the top of the employees stairs that lead to the breakroom, a long mat through the 6-10 area, and that the long mat along the front set of stairs comes past the entrance to the bar/kitchen area so that greasy shoes don’t eat up the carpet immediately.
This is the last week of Blood Orange lemonade (this will 86 the Sparkle Motion once we run out)! Next week we will be switching to Blueberry Lavender and will bring back the Don’t Panic which featured Gin, Blueberry Lavender, Lemon, Prosecco, and a spritz of Absinthe.
Pub Company Direction Objectives
Consistently promote and encourage teamwork and strengthen the ties within our team–we are our most successful when we work together and support/understand each other.
Promote ongoing education on all things Block 15 through monthly "Deep Dives" on items from the kitchen, and from the brewery/bar. Each month (roughly) Sarah and myself will send out our information on respective Deep Dives on menu items. Deep Dive 3/13/24
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We will have Gloria, Deep Seek, and Joy all back on draft this week!
New cocktail launching this Friday! This will replace the Paloma. "Horizon Sun": Buffalo Trace, vermouth, blood orange mix, cherry liqueur, bitters!
Please make sure we are checking in with every table throughout their visit and engaging with them and pass along any feedback you may receive.
When 86ing an item, make sure you take it out in the system in all the spots it could live and write it on the whiteboard! For example: If you 86 a soup, make sure it is out under soups in appetizers and as the side option for sandwiches/burgers too!
2024 Objectives
Elevate engagement through impactful community-centered opportunities and events
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Upcoming Events
April 9th CEC tabling 5-7 for the Dine Out
April 22nd - Opening full summer hours and Earth Day
Bike tune-up event with Bike n Hike! Date TBD
Bakery Highlight
Ciabatta/Tuscan Chicken Sandwich! Read more about the Tuscan here
Try to highlight and/or suggest this item to 3 different customers per shift you work!
Caves Updates
Caves Direction Objectives
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Mallory Brown - for being the Queen of the West Side
Danny Perston - for being on top of his game at all times.
Elise Pietromonaco - for being a wealth of knowledge behind the bar
Travis Smith - Travis has been working so hard during his prep shifts and always finds a solution to our kitchen/food problems. You rock !
Rachel Zmolek - I love having her energy around the pub!
Cody Byers - He has the most interesting doughnut ideas. I love that he's experimenting with fun flavors and open to crowdsourcing ideas.
Kailey Flather - Thanks for being the bakery's number one fan and hyping up our products! You are helping the taproom sell so much dessert!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Check back next week!
SAFETY TIPS
It's going to start getting warmer out, remember to stay hydrated while working and if you’re working any shifts outside, make sure to apply sunscreen on a regular basis.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10am - 1pm
Tuesday: Tap Room 1- 4pm
Thursday: Pub 1 - 4pm
Friday: Tap Room 10am - 1pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine out for Corvallis Environmental Center - April 9th
Our next Dine-out will be on April 9th with the Corvallis Environmental Center (CEC)! They will also be tabling at our Taproom from 5-7 p.m., so come by and say hi! A portion of our food sales will go directly to CEC to help fund their efforts in our community. Let our customers know that they are playing a part in helping the community on April 9th!
About CEC:
Corvallis Environmental Center (CEC) is a community-based educational nonprofit that has prioritized partnerships to implement programs to address community needs since 1994. CEC's mission is to create a healthy, sustainable community. We do this through pre-K through 8th environmental education, Farm to School programs, youth leadership development, teacher training, and food security.
CEC’s programs include after-school programs, summer camps, NaturePlay preschool in Avery Park, and classroom education and field trips in partnership with school districts in Benton and Linn Counties. We offer family programs and events, including summer concerts and a fall film festival, and operate a 1-acre demonstration and education garden in Starker Arts Park known as SAGE. The food grown at SAGE is donated to those in need through our social service partner agencies.
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 - March 27th, 2024
General
Employee Food Discounts
While we are evaluating more long-term employee discount updates, we are effective immediately removing the 20% discount, so the percent discount will be as follows:
If you work 0-8 hours, you will receive a 50% discount (so even if you get sent home 30 minutes after clocking in, you will still get 50% off of your food).
If you work 8+ hours, you will receive a 70% discount
Employee Breaks
As we head into a busy season with spring, Family Weekends, Graduation, and many OSU sports, we wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of the breaks that they are entitled to when a break is needed and the lengths of those breaks. If you are working a shift but not immediately offered a break based on length, please always feel free to check in and ask and we will get you all taken care of when it works with the flow. Below is the Block 15 Handbook policy on breaks and the link to the BOLI Meals and Breaks for Workers link. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to check in with HR or your supervisor!
Employees working a shift of 6 or more hours are entitled to one 30-minute meal break. Employees are additionally entitled to one 10-minute break for every 4 hours, or major part thereof, worked in one work period. These breaks should be taken as close as possible to the middle of each 4-hour work segment. All breaks are paid. Meal and rest breaks may not be taken in conjunction with one another or combined with/attached to the beginning or end of the work day so as to shorten the work day. Employees who fail to comply with these meal and rest break policies may be subject to discipline. If you believe you are unable to meet your obligations under this policy for any reason, you must bring it up to your supervisor or any person in management.
Always check with a manager/person in charge to make sure it is an appropriate time to take a break.
Meal credits may be used during your break or meal period and must be entered in on the POS system.
Employees are not allowed to leave the property during their break period.
Employees may only smoke cigarettes while on designated breaks in designated smoking areas.
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 Griffin! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Ceviche.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Marketing
Corvallis Knights
We are sponsoring the Corvallis Knights this year! We haven’t made an external announcement yet, but we are excited to be the exclusive beer of the game this year.
For those of you who have attended many baseball games, please share your ideas as we prepare for the season under the stadium lights! This could be anything from on-field games between innings to posters or fun contests run in the stadium.
https://forms.gle/fUCWy5XJPzA9Gn7k8
Corvallis Half Marathon
For those of you who want to run, we have our registration codes now! Please send me an email (kelsea@block15.com) with the title “Sign me up!” and I’ll shoot the code to you.
Again, this will be held on April 6th on OSU’s campus. For those of you who want to test out your legs for the big day, Byce, Danny, and I threw together a running group called “Next Wednesday Running Club”. Some Wednesdays are hit or miss, but we are running 3/27 (today) from the Southtown Taproom at 5ish. See you there!
-Kelsea
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
Releasing Friday 3/29
Rocky Shores IPA // As rugged and unique as the rocky shorelands of the Oregon Coast, this bright and flavorful IPA showcases both southern hemisphere and PNW hops with a blend of citrus, stonefruit, and herbaceous notes. // 6.80% ABV
Takeaways: We used biscuit malt in this brew, creating a dynamic combination of malts and hops. Enigma, Simcoe, Chinook, and Nelson Sauvin showcase the very best of both the Pacific Northwest and the Southern Hemisphere, making this IPA a focus on balanced hop and malt aromas.
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit Peel • Spring Pine • Squall
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: American IPA
The classic IPA style originating in America has evolved less than other substyles. Moderate to heavy malt presence with a balance of citrus, herbal, pine, and floral hop flavors and aromas most commonly. It is fuller-bodied than West Coast IPAs and has an assertive bitterness that balances malt sweetness. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 3/29
Rocky Shores IPA // American IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beer is: Sticky Hands Beer Pageant
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
Series: DAB Lab
Release Date: April 12th
Highlight: The next beer in our returning DAB Lab program uses a new hop product from Yakima Chief Hops. Called YCH 702, it’s designed for use on the hot side of brewing to amplify survivable compounds and aromatics in the finished beer. If you were wondering, DAB stands for “Dank A$$ Beer.” This series has historically been used to experiment with new and cutting-edge hop products, which tend to find their way into our other beers if we like how they operate.
CBC IPA // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 19th in-house and at the Craft Brewers Conference in Las Vegas, NV, April 21st-24th, at Crosby’s booth
Highlight: This draft-only beer was made to showcase Crosby’s CGX product line, a cryogenic technology that separates lupulin from whole-hop cones to deliver concentrated lupulin pellets jam-packed with resins and oils. CBC IPA (or “Crosby Block 15 Collab” IPA) uses Estate Grown Comet CGX, which carries aromas of tropical/fruit, citrus, and floral.
Pink Boots Collab // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: We’ll be brewing this beer on March 29th at the Tap Room with the Willamette Valley Pink Boots chapter, which J Pascoe, one of our Brewers, is co-leader of. This year’s collaboration will focus on a bright West Coast-style IPA made with Chinook, Nelson, and potentially El Dorado hops.
Sol Fresco // Mexican Lager
Series: Perennial
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: Sol Fresco is one of our seasonal lagers, which balances gentle corn sweetness, light hop bitterness, and aroma with a crisp, clean finish. And it’s Lagered by the Sun.
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us at the Tap Room every week for an educational session, where you can taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: Rocky Shores and the Potential of IPA
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
The Pacific Northwest, in the grand scheme of things, is a really young region regarding food and beverage production. Many places in the world where culture has been established for far longer have their own regional identity surrounding what and how they eat and drink. Think about places like Champagne and Burgundy in France, Basque in Spain, Bavaria, the Mediterranean, Latin America, India, etc. They are all known for their foods and beverages. Here, we have incredible ingredients at our disposal and really passionate, talented people making amazing food and drink, but if I asked you what food the Northwest is famous for, how would you answer? We know that we make great beer here, and I don’t think that is going to change, so my question is: what beer will the Willamette Valley and the Pacific Northwest be famous for in 100 years?
My guess is something like Rocky Shores. This beer doesn’t subscribe to nomenclature like East Coast or West Coast. It isn’t a hazy, it isn’t a brut, and it doesn’t follow the guidelines to be lumped in with any kind of fad. We’re labeling it as an American IPA simply because it is the style that has the widest open guardrails and affords us the most creative room to work. This is a really good beer, just for the sake of really good beer.
We used Biscuit Rye Malt in the mash on this to lend depth and spice, creating a balanced IPA that has more going for it than just hop character. The malt here is more than just a backbone to support hops. Not to say that the hops aren’t going to be a huge player in this, too. Chinook, Simcoe, Enigma, and Nelson Sauvin hops used in the dry hop and boil lend a stirring aroma to this beer that has a ton of personality and complexity. I think it’s especially cool because using old favorites and Southern Hemisphere hops creates a feeling of familiarity with a touch of mystery and wonder. I am really excited about this beer, but I’m also excited about what this beer represents. I think a balanced IPA that defies the boundaries set up by hype-ey style guidelines is what we will be famous for here in the future. Once we have perfected IPA and built a regional identity around it, Rocky Shores is close to what I imagine it will look like. Drinkable, digestible, complex, balanced, and defiant, this beer is one to get excited about.
From the Executive Chef
April’s Monthly Specials!
The pub will launch our April specials on Wednesday, April 3rd, and the taproom will launch theirs the next day due to being closed Wednesday to refinish the floors!
PUB UPDATES
Pub Company Direction Objectives
Consistently promote and encourage teamwork and strengthen the ties within our team–we are our most successful when we work together and support/understand each other.
Promote ongoing education on all things Block 15 through monthly "Deep Dives" on items from the kitchen, and from the brewery/bar. Each month (roughly) Sarah and myself will send out our information on respective Deep Dives on menu items. Deep Dive 3/13/24
Demonstrate to every guest that we are happy they have joined us. Make connections and show genuine interest and excitement!
Reminder that Happy Hour food is for in-house only, not to-go.
The Corral is coming back! We will have more details in the weeks to come to share with you all and our guests, so stay tuned! For now, if you have any questions, please feel free to check in with me (Goody).
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Please check-in with a server before taking over a large table for just yourself during open hours!
Happy hour beers: when ringing in 2+, you still only get $1 off that entire order. Send the first one, repeat, then discount again to make sure the customer gets the discount they deserve. Also, keep in mind that the happy hour button disappears when happy hour ends (there is a 5 min buffer) so make sure to ring in happy hour beers when you pour them.
Please refrain from placing dirty glassware or dishes on the bar counter regardless if customers are sitting there or not. Take dishes directly to the kitchen, set them on the dirty glassware racks, bus tubs, etc. The bar top needs to remain a clean space that is welcoming for customers.
Please make sure to check in with the kitchen staff before clocking out. Offer to run some dishes through, take out recycling, and ensure that everything is up to date menu-wise (it’s always good to check in regarding numbers and whether 86ed items are back)
2024 Objectives
Elevate engagement through impactful community-centered opportunities and events
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Upcoming Events
March 27th - Piroshky Piroshky Pick up 4-6 pm
April 22nd - Opening full summer hours and Earth Day
Bakery Highlight
Ciabatta/Tuscan Chicken Sandwich! There is some fun history for this one, please see this doc for more information!
Caves Updates
Caves Direction Objectives
Deliver elevated consistency through the Caves experience
Hit our service and food standards every single time! Show our guests why we should be their regular spot and what sets us apart with our elevated experience.
Amplify education and enthusiasm within our food and beverage programs
Through elevated and thorough education on new menu items and revisiting tried and true classics, or beverages with more history and information.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Griffin Dorris - Griffin is always positive and a joy to work with! He is always willing to help out wherever needed and makes the work day so enjoyable!
Josh S.G. - Josh has been absolutely killing his prep shifts lately and stepping up to help anyone who needs it if a lead isn't present. You're doing amazing Josh!!!
Barb Haberkern - She does a great job, and I enjoy working with her!
Wyatt Dabbs - Just a nice person who works hard--we appreciate you :)
Wyatt Dabbs - What a ray of sunshine. He's got a great attitude regardless of how busy we are and is the first to offer to help out. Thanks for being a joy to work with!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Connor Meissner (Caves BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Corner awareness: don’t just say “corner” use the mirrors and spatial awareness to see if a fellow coworker or a customer is going around the corner too.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10am - 1pm
Tuesday: Tap Room 1- 4pm
Thursday: Pub 1 - 4pm
Friday: Tap Room 10am - 1pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine out for Corvallis Environmental Center - April 9th
Our next Dine-out will be on April 9th with the Corvallis Environmental Center (CEC)! They will also be tabling at our Taproom from 5-7 p.m., so come by and say hi! A portion of our food sales will go directly to CEC to help fund their efforts in our community. Let our customers know that they are playing a part in helping the community on April 9th!
About CEC:
Corvallis Environmental Center (CEC) is a community-based educational nonprofit that has prioritized partnerships to implement programs to address community needs since 1994. CEC's mission is to create a healthy, sustainable community. We do this through pre-K through 8th environmental education, Farm to School programs, youth leadership development, teacher training, and food security.
CEC’s programs include after-school programs, summer camps, NaturePlay preschool in Avery Park, and classroom education and field trips in partnership with school districts in Benton and Linn Counties. We offer family programs and events, including summer concerts and a fall film festival, and operate a 1-acre demonstration and education garden in Starker Arts Park known as SAGE. The food grown at SAGE is donated to those in need through our social service partner agencies.
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 - March 20th, 2024
General
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 Ian Hutchings! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Double Taleggio Burger featuring two thinly spanked burger patties, taleggio cheese, grilled onions, and house B&B pickles.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Marketing
Corvallis Knights
We are sponsoring the Corvallis Knights this year! We haven’t made an external announcement yet, but we are excited to be the exclusive beer of the game this year.
For those of you who have attended many baseball games, please share your ideas as we prepare for the season under the stadium lights! This could be anything from on-field games between innings to posters or fun contests run in the stadium.
https://forms.gle/fUCWy5XJPzA9Gn7k8
Corvallis Half Marathon
For those of you who want to run, we have our registration codes now! Please send me an email (kelsea@block15.com) with the title “Sign me up!” and I’ll shoot the code to you.
Again, this will be held on April 6th on OSU’s campus. For those of you who want to test out your legs for the big day, Bryce, Danny, and I threw together a running group called “Next Wednesday Running Club”. Some Wednesdays are hit or miss, but we are running 3/20 and next week from the Sowthtown Taproom at 5ish. See you there!
-Kelsea
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
Releasing Friday 3/22
Alpine Ibex // Pairing delicate regional pilsner and robust Munich malts with floral and spicy hops from the PNW, this gold hued lager features notes of honey with a balanced bitterness. // 6.90% ABV
Takeaways: Built on base of PNW grown Pure Idaho Pils, this Maibock is brewed with intention to respect the tradition and classic attributes of this historic style, but with a move to more sustainable sourcing of our ingredients.
Tasting Notes: Honey • Bread Crust • Equinox
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Maibock
A Maibock is a transitional beer, which carries German lager lovers from Winter to Spring (in German, “Mai” means “May”). They’re traditionally a strong, malty Bavarian-style lager. Alpine Ibex is brewed with respect to tradition and classic attributes while using a base of PNW-grown Pure Idaho Pils malt.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 3/22
Alpine Ibex // Maibock
Sticky Hands: Beer Pageant // Sticky Hands all dressed up for the big show. This version of Sticky Hands had it's dry hop cranked up to 11. With copious additions of Citra and Strata added on top of our standard dry hopping regime, this version of Sticky Hands is sure to be a crowd pleaser. // 8.10% ABV
Tasting Notes: Grapefruit • Dank • Mischievous Grin
Series: Sticky Hands
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.
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beer is: Group Ride
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Rocky Shores IPA // American IPA
Series: Emerging
Release Date: March 29th
Highlight: This beer was made with Biscuit malt to make the malt experience as enjoyable as the hops. Like Eminent Point, our other recent American IPA, this beer is fuller-bodied than West Coast IPAs and has an assertive bitterness that balances malt sweetness.
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
Series: DAB Lab
Release Date: April 12th
Highlight: The next beer in our returning DAB Lab program uses a new hop product from Yakima Chief Hops. Called YCH 702, it’s designed for use on the hot side of brewing to amplify survivable compounds and aromatics in the finished beer. If you were wondering, DAB stands for “Dank A$$ Beer.” This series has historically been used to experiment with new and cutting-edge hop products, which tend to find their way into our other beers if we like how they operate.
Anniversary IPA (name TBD) // IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 12th (tentatively)
Highlight: A draft-only collaboration with On Tap in Bend to celebrate their 6th Anniversary.
Pink Boots Collab // West Coast IPA
Series: Synergy
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: We’ll be brewing this beer on March 29th at the Tap Room with the Willamette Valley Pink Boots chapter, which J Pascoe, one of our Brewers, is co-leader of. This year’s collaboration will focus on a bright West Coast-style IPA made with Chinook, Nelson, and potentially El Dorado hops.
Sol Fresco // Mexican Lager
Series: Perennial
Releases: April 19th
Highlight: Sol Fresco is one of our seasonal lagers, which balances gentle corn sweetness, light hop bitterness, and aroma with a crisp, clean finish. And it’s Lagered by the Sun.
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us for an educational session at the Tap Room every week to taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: Quality of Bitterness
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
The face we’re trying to avoid.
This year, a point of focus in the brewery is the quality of bitterness in our beers. If you haven’t heard of ‘quality of bitterness’ before today, it’s understandable. Bitter is bitter, right? Brewers disagree, and I’ll spend today’s beer education segment explaining why.
Quality of bitterness is a hard thing to define, but like everything in our beer, we want the bitterness to be the most pleasurable experience possible. Many of us remember the old-school IPAs of the 2000s; a lot were overly bitter and focused on getting as many IBUs packed into the glass as possible. Luckily, that fell out of fashion, and now we focus on hop character, not just bitterness. We add hops late in the boil and supplement with generous dry hops so as not to add a ton of bitterness on the palate but a ton of aroma, which has a huge influence on perceived flavor.
What we are trying to avoid in our beer is a lingering bitterness that “stains” the palate. We want our hoppy beers to have an explosive hop aroma and a very enjoyable, assertive, but gentle bitterness that washes away clean.
Think about beers you’ve tried that have left a long-lasting, acrid, bitter taste in the mouth. For me, it’s especially noticeable on the sides of my tongue and the roof of my mouth, way in the back. That is what we are trying to avoid. Obviously, hoppy beers will have some bitterness (they’re designed that way!), but we don’t ever want our beer to present an unpleasant sensation in any way. We are constantly evolving our beer recipes to ensure they are the best they can be.
Keep in mind that the bitter components of a beer like IPA are an important part of creating a balanced product. On the flip side of the 2000s bitter bombers, we also experienced the hazy boom recently that led to many IPAs being brewed with remarkably low bitterness. A lot of those had no backbone for the sweetness of the malt to rely on, creating a ton of body with no structure. This is where we get the term “flabby” to describe a beer (to which I take personal offense). We borrowed this term from winemakers, who use it to describe a wine with a lot of fruity body but no tannic structure. This is also not what we are looking for in our beer.
We always want our beer to be structured, well-rounded, and clean. As you try our beers going forward, try to appreciate the quality of bitterness exactly as you would the aroma, flavor, and appearance of the beer. Bitterness is a big part of beer, and I want us to evaluate it as such.
Speaking of evaluations, if you feel like you’re having a lot of our beer and would like to have a voice in how it’s turning out, we have a cool way for you to be involved! We use a program called Draughtlab to evaluate our beers, and if you’d like to earn some free samples and have your voice heard, reach out to me, and I’ll get you set up with an account. A free app on your phone, it’s really easy to use, and honestly, it’s kind of fun. The other perk is that it’s the best way to develop your palate. Drinking beer, thinking critically about it, and writing down your thoughts are the best ways to grow your taster’s vocabulary and improve its use. It also shows me that you have a real interest in the product and might be someone who would be a good choice to send to an event or be a representative for the brewery when the need arises.
As always, if you have thoughts or concerns about our beer or want to get yourself signed up for Draughtlab, please reach out to me at garrison@block15.com
PUB UPDATES
When we have signs for Game Room reservations, please do not tape them to the front of the host stand. We have two sign holders in the Game Room that we can put these in that look more polished (plus we are sprucing up that host stand so we want it to keep looking sharp)!
Sprig & Seed is gone for the season, but we will add the Paper Plane to the menu temporarily to sell through some of that product while we dream up a new cocktail.
In early April we will be switching from Blood Orange lemonade to Blueberry Lavendar, so if you have folks that like the Sparkle Motion, make sure you push that before it’s gone!
We officially moved from Blueberry Cosmic Crisp to Raspberry!
We’ve seen some truly exceptional teamwork and communication from you all lately! From jumping in as often as possible to help crank out dishes in the kitchen, to prebussing each other’s sections and helping the hosts to flip tables, you all have been really impressive! One of our objectives for our company direction this year was to foster and encourage this super supportive and positive environment, and you all have done a fantastic job–thank you!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
When starting tabs, please double-check that the tab is pre-authorized with a card before the customer walks away, as it sometimes takes a second swipe to have the card properly on file. Or make sure they are fully cashed out.
Please do not put a random letter on a tab name unless you are able to fully cash it out then and there. There have been multiple tabs left at the end of the night with random letters for beer togo and merch. This is unacceptable.
Discounts: Please make sure we are using the correct discounts when cashing out employee food, comping something, waste logging an item, etc. There is a reference sheet in the bar binder if you need a refresher. Please be honest when discounting employee food, if you worked less than 7-8 hours there should not be a 70% credit on your food unless approved by a manager. Food discounts are an employee perk that can be taken away if they are abused and misused and we really don’t want to have to do that so please use the proper discounts!
With the nice weather making us busier, let's try to keep dirty pints separate from water/kids cups. The top dirty rack should be all pints/10oz glasses and the bottom red rack should be water cups/kids cups. This will make dishes and restocking clean glassware easier during rushes!
We will be closed Wednesday, April 3rd to refinish the dining room floors, just a heads up! We may have a few project shifts available to help out, if you are interested let Madie know! (Will be happening in the morning)
Caves Updates
HIGH FIVE SECTION
ALL Taproom Staff! - Thanks for absolutely crushing the busy weekend we had! Customers were happy, everyone had great attitudes, and extra shoutout to BOH for never having high ticket times and giving wonderful communication. Thank you all for working so hard!
Jack Kellems - Jack is always on top of it and has amazing customer service. His positivity is contagious and it’s impossible to be in a bad mood when he’s on shift. I love hearing him talk to guests and connect with every table on something personal. Great job Jack! You’re awesome.
Cedar Nelson - Cedar rocks! She is so efficient but keeps up a great attitude and even better hospitality. Customers are always laughing and having a good time when she’s their server. She’s awesome on bar too and I love working with her!
Mars Gunn - for always bringing tasty treats! they’re so good
Molly Branstetter - Molly is always working hard and wants to learn new things. She's doing a great job!
Mars Gunn - Your tarantula is cutie
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
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.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10am - 1pm
Tuesday: Tap Room 1- 4pm
Thursday: Pub 1 - 4pm
Friday: Tap Room 10am - 1pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Dine out for Corvallis Environmental Center - April 9th
Our next Dine-out will be on April 9th with the Corvallis Environmental Center (CEC)! They will also be tabling at our Taproom from 5-7 p.m., so come by and say hi! A portion of our food sales will go directly to CEC to help fund their efforts in our community. Let our customers know that they are playing a part in helping the community on April 9th!
About CEC:
Corvallis Environmental Center (CEC) is a community-based educational nonprofit that has prioritized partnerships to implement programs to address community needs since 1994. CEC's mission is to create a healthy, sustainable community. We do this through pre-K through 8th environmental education, Farm to School programs, youth leadership development, teacher training, and food security.
CEC’s programs include after-school programs, summer camps, NaturePlay preschool in Avery Park, and classroom education and field trips in partnership with school districts in Benton and Linn Counties. We offer family programs and events, including summer concerts and a fall film festival, and operate a 1-acre demonstration and education garden in Starker Arts Park known as SAGE. The food grown at SAGE is donated to those in need through our social service partner agencies.
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 - March 13th, 2024
General
Weekend Food Special for the Selection Series Release
March 15th - 17th at both locations
Caribbean Pork Sandwich
Citrus-garlic marinated & smoked Carlton Farms pork loin, jerk grilled onions, pickled jalapenos, fresh shredded lettuce & cilantro, and citrus aioli on a house-baked baguette.
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 Brandyn! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for the return of the classic HB&J Burger, featuring hazelnut butter, marionberry jam, and pork belly!
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 3/15
Each fall during the hop harvest, we travel to Yakima in search of the finest hops. Through a blind process, we evaluate hops from multiple farms and regions, selecting the perfect representation of each variety for our programs, often bending what is commonly assumed about the varieties.
Selection Series IPAs
Takeaways: These beers showcase their specific varietal throughout the brewing process, allowing an intense perspective on how the hop interacts with different processes—a thorough look at this particular lot and varietal and what it contributes during the brewing process.
Beer Style: Single Hop West Coast IPAs
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.
Series: Orbital
Mosaic // This IPA was brewed exclusively with Mosaic hops from Van Horn Farms in Moxee, WA. A simple grain profile showcases Mosaic's vibrant Berries, mango, and a touch of dankness notes. // 7.00% ABV
Tasting Notes: Tangelo • Lemon Verbena • G.O.A.T.
Amarillo // This IPA was brewed exclusively with Amarillo hops from Virgil Gamache Farms in Toppenish, WA. A simple grain profile showcases Amarillo's vibrant grapefruit, orange, and herbal notes. // 7.00% ABV
Tasting Notes: Orange Sherbet • Blue Spruce • The OG
Simcoe // This IPA was brewed exclusively with Simcoe hops from Wyckoff Farms in Grandview, WA. A simple grain profile showcases Simcoe's vibrant tangelo, pine, and apricot notes. // 7.00% ABV
Tasting Notes: Dank • Orange Marmalade • Cornerstone
El Dorado // This IPA was brewed exclusively with El Dorado hops from CLS Farms in Moxee, WA. A simple grain profile showcases El Dorado's vibrant pineapple and sweet citrus notes.// 7.00% ABV
Tasting Notes: Candied Strawberries • Papaya • Decadant
Releasing Friday 3/15
Illuminated // Brewed with respect for tradition, a dynamic array of imported grains, select hops, and classic Belgian yeast illuminates this crisp abbey ale with notes of pear, baking spice, and a rich, honey-like finish. // 8.90% ABV
Takeaways: Extreme care and attention to detail are necessary to represent the Belgian Tripel style authentically. We have spent years honing this process, culminating in a deeply complex but approachable Belgian ale, tank-conditioned to give it the appropriate carbonation style and mouthfeel.
Tasting Notes: Bartlett Pear • Nutmeg • Enlightened
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Belgian Tripel
Pale with medium bitterness and a higher ABV between 7% and 10%, Belgian Tripel follows the naming convention of Dubbel and Quad and lies between the two in order of strength. Spicy, complex, and with noticeable yeast-driven characteristics. Highly carbonated with a long-lasting, meringue-like head, this beer should be conditioned naturally in the bottle and finish dry and clean on the palate. Noticeable malt sweetness, Belgian yeast phenolics, and old-world hop character is common.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 3/15
Selection Series // Four Single Hop West Coast IPAs:
Amarillo
El Dorado
Mosaic
Simcoe
Illuminated // Belgian Tripel
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beers are: Charmed Life at the Tap Room, Ridgeback Red at the Pub, and Favorable Fortune at both locations!
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Sticky Hands: Beer Pageant // Imperial IPA
Series: Sticky Hands
Release Date: March 22nd
Highlight: We portioned off a special batch of Sticky Hands, which will be available on draft and in-house only. This version of Sticky Hands had its dry hop cranked up to 11. With copious additions of Citra and Strata on top of our standard dry hopping regime, this version of Sticky Hands is sure to be a crowd pleaser.
Alpine Ibex // Maibock
Series: Perennial
Release Date: March 22nd
Highlight: A Maibock is a transitional beer, which carries German lager lovers from Winter to Spring (in German, “Mai” means “May”). They’re traditionally a strong, malty Bavarian-style lager. Alpine Ibex is brewed with respect to tradition and classic attributes while using a base of PNW-grown Pure Idaho Pils malt.
Rocky Shores IPA // American IPA
Series: Emerging
Release Date: April 5th
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
Series: DAB Lab
Release Date: April 12th
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us for an educational session at the Tap Room every week to taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: Single hop IPAs and Hop Selection
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
Traditionally, beer has few ingredients. To make the multitude of different products we release in the brewery every year, we have only four ingredients to play with. While many things can be added to beer, from seaweed or oysters to juniper boughs or spruce tips, most of the time, we add hops, malt, yeast, and water to help us control and direct the final product.
This means that we must be creative and attentive to how those different ingredients influence the beer. How does one ingredient present itself in the final beer as compared to a raw material? How does it present in combination with another ingredient vs on its own?
The best way for us to really understand our ingredients is to work with them on their own and also in combination with others. This is why the Selection Series beers are so cool to me. They allow our staff and customers to experience what we’re tasting when trialing these hops.
Hops are a truly agricultural product, meaning they change from year to year, farm to farm, and lot to lot. So many things affect the final product, from changes in weather to changes in soil chemistry, that it’s really important for us to choose hops from select lots each year that meet our needs. As a side note, hop selection is also really important to us because it allows us to visit the farms and learn more about how hops are cultivated to help direct our decision-making concerning sustainability and environmental impact.
Single hop IPAs give us a really amazing opportunity to see just how the new lots are going to behave in a real world application. The Selection Series was developed to showcase our new lots chosen at hop selection, hence the name. They’re also really fun for folks who are big fans of certain hops. For example, we always get a really big response from fans when we release a Citra single-hop beer because that beer has a lot of die-hard fans.
Most brewers would agree that we prefer beers with a few different varieties, just like a chef would prefer to use more than one spice. However, it’s still incredibly useful and interesting to brew these beers and learn about the characteristics of our new lots. I encourage you to try each of the Selection Series, and please let me know which was your favorite. I’d love as much feedback on these as I can get, and the most constructive feedback I get comes from the staff here. Always feel free to reach out to garrison@block15.com, or just grab me when you see me.
PUB UPDATES
From 3/10 - 3/17 we will have some 15% off coupons out in the wild for a conference with OSU. If you are given one of these, apply the discount to the overall check and place the coupon card in the cash drawer where the big bills live so that bartenders can drop them at the end of the night. These are good through the 17th, so they will not be redeemable after that time. There will be another round of cards going out in April that will be valid from April 15-19th with the expiration noted on them as well. The discount button is called “15% Off Coupon (OSU per Marketing)”.
With the 4 selection series beers coming out this Friday, make sure you know what all 4 are, the main differences, and serving options. We will have laminated taster cards for flights for customers, extra info on the beer menu, one sheets behind the bar for reference and the 4pks come premixed with 1 can of each selection *No breaking up of the 4pk to mix and match*
We have a specific number of mats set to go in specific areas of the restaurant for traction and safety. Please make sure that they go down where they are supposed to and that if we are missing any mats, we communicate with a manager. Here’s a little cheat sheet that will also be laminated on and put on the server clipboard. Where Do Mats Live
We still have some plant watering getting missed, so here is a document on which plants to water and the best way to do so. Please, please make sure that we are properly watering all plants as part of our weekly tasks. These add a lot of ambiance to our space and they are not the cheapest to replace if they die. Plant Watering Guide 2024
TAP ROOM UPDATES
With the 4 selection series beers coming out, make sure you know what all 4 are, the main differences, and serving options. We will have laminated taster cards for flights for customers, extra info on the beer menu, one sheets behind the bar for reference and the 4pks come premixed with 1 can of each *No breaking up of the 4pk to mix and match*
From 3/10 - 3/17 we will have some 15% off coupons out in the wild for a conference with OSU. If you are given one of these, apply the discount to the overall check and place the coupon card in the cash drawer where the big bills live so that bartenders can drop them at the end of the night. These are good through the 17th, so they will not be redeemable after that time. There will be another round of cards going out in April that will be valid from April 15-19th with the expiration noted on them as well. The discount button is called “15% Off OSU Discount Card”. *If folks are splitting a check they can each use one but cannot have more than 1 used on 1 check.
We now have a separate notebook for communication/questions/etc. You are welcome to put your name/initials or leave it anonymous. Any type of question, comment, idea, thing to note, etc. can go in there. Please use the maintenance log solely for things that broke, need to be looked at, could use something else, seems off or funky, things like that.
We will be diving in deeper on the TR objectives for the year soon with everyone. Make sure you know what they are and be thinking about them when on shift!
Elevate engagement through impactful community centered opportunities and events
We will be rolling out some community focused events as well as a calendar of things happening at the Taproom throughout the year!
Enhance the visibility of the Block 15 Bakery and unique Taproom menu items
We will be having a bakery item of focus routinely that should be getting mentioned or suggested to at least 3 customers a shift.
Amplify the customer convenience factor
Consistent table check-ins (offer another round, to-go boxes, package beer, dessert, etc. if a customer needs something we should be happy to do it within reason), increased engagement with customers, go above and beyond while maintaining our core of offering exceptional counter service.
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Sarah Gruber - Thanks for always showing up to the TR with a great attitude, ready to go, up to date on all happenings and always kicks butt! You rock!
Katie Davis - Thank you for always having such a wonderful outlook when coming onto shift, and for your constant hustling to help make the restaurant run smoothly. Your willingness and thought to jump in and help other departments is so appreciated!
Danny Perston - Builder of Orcas pallets, first of his name. Truly the hero we need.
Garrison Schmidt - Thanks for taking over beer 101! It's my favorite part of the brews letters and keeps me learning new things!
Our Brew Crew - for continuing to just knock multiple beers out of the park. You make it easy to find each and every customer a beer that suits them. And grant us some super tasty treats for after a long shift.
Lily Smalling - Thanks for looking out for our newer line people. We appreciate your help.
Siarra Edwards - She's willing to help with whatever needs to be done. Thank you!
Ian Farrell - He's got the best deadpan humor and it's always a fun day when he's around.
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Check back next week!
SAFETY TIPS
In case of power outages, remain calm, retrieve and distribute flashlights from behind bar, keep refrigeration closed as much as possible, have someone call Pacific Power’s power outage line, allow customers to close out and determine whether or not to stay open
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 3/20 at 12:30 pm at the Tap Room and 3/21 at 10 am at the Pub.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10am - 1pm
Tuesday: Tap Room 1- 4pm
Thursday: Pub 1 - 4pm
Friday: Tap Room 10am - 1pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Our next Dine Out will be April 9th with the Corvallis Environmental Center! Stay tuned for more details.
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 - March 6th, 2024
General
Tap Room Bar Etiquette
Reminder: Please refrain from coming behind the bar during open hours at the Tap Room unless you are a scheduled on the clock FOH server, BOH, or ask permission. If you do come behind the bar, please make sure to use your “corners” and “behind” to make sure there are no collisions or accidents. If you need to chat with an employee or someone sitting at the bar, please do so from the customer side of the bar. There can be a lot of moving parts and people behind the bar and to maintain the flow and safety of everyone please kindly go around.
When Off the clock…
When off the clock and sitting at the bar at any of our locations, please remember to leave work related conversations and customer service interactions to the bartenders and servers that are currently on the clock. While we appreciate folks wanting to jump in to help answer questions, this can lead to the wrong information being given to the guest and cause some confusion. If a staff member approaches you asking a question, it is more than okay to answer it, but speaking over the staff currently working leads to confusion for our guests.
March Monthly Food Specials
March monthly specials are live!! Please read through this info sheet before you come to your next shift for ultra readiness to sling some new grub! Reach out to me (Sarah) with any questions!
New Desserts
Dessert updates on the menu as of 3/6. Creme Brulee and LP9 Coco Bells are out, and Carrot Cake Bells and PB Pie are in! Our carrot cake is a sweet and simple, lightly spiced cake topped with cream cheese frosting and candied walnuts.
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 Zach G.! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Zach’s Deluxe Salad, featuring mixed greens tossed in a raspberry vinaigrette, pomegranate, and candied walnuts.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 3/8
Headhaze // Reduxed, hazed up, and fully loaded with sticky, dank, lupulin goodness. We invited our friends from Moonraker Brewing up to Oregon to reimagine the wondrous beer that was Headway.// 8.20% ABV
Takeaways: Back by popular demand. We are re-presenting this collab imperial Hazy with our friends at Moonraker. Enigma and Strata dominate the aromatics of this fun and resinous Hazy.
Tasting Notes: Ripe Mango • Pomelo • Reinvention
Series: Synergy, collaboration with Moonraker Brewing in Auburn, California
Beer Style: Imperial 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.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 3/8
Headhaze // Imperial Hazy IPA - Collab with Moonraker Brewing
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beer is: Deep Seek
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Selection Series // Four Single Hop IPAs
Illuminated // Belgian Tripel
Sticky Hands: Beer Pageant // Imperial IPA
Alpine Ibex // Maibock
Rocky Shores IPA // American IPA
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us for an educational session at the Tap Room every week to taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: East vs West, From Biggie and Pac to IPA
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Head Brewer
We’ve previously talked in-depth about the differences between American, Northwest, East Coast, and West Coast IPAs. Two that are pertinent this month are Hazy (East Coast) and West Coast IPA. For a refresher, please see the brewsletters attached below in ‘further reading.’
Recently, we released Demo Tape, Sides A and B, which showcased nearly identical IPA recipes, but Side A was written as a West Coast and Side B as a Hazy. I hope that everyone got a chance to try them both and used it as an opportunity to formulate their own opinion on which style they might prefer. While I like both styles, I tend to lean heavily West. Talking to some of our staff and customers, I’ve heard a similar sentiment.
For a couple of years, Hazy IPA has really dominated the market, and that drove us to brew a lot of them. No matter what, we have to brew what people want to buy. Thankfully, we are starting to see a swing back to West Coast and American IPA. Both are bright, less sweet, and heavy on the palate, with more bitterness. These styles are balanced with a hop backbone that provides structure and is usually a cleaner drinking experience all around.
It has recently been a favorite exercise of brewers to do similar brews, with the distinction being haze vs bright. In the Summer of 2022, we sent brewers to Auburn, California, to brew a kickass West Coast called Headway IPA. This West Coast was a success, showcasing Strata, Nectaron, Apollo, and Lotus hops, and we brewed our version, Headhaze, in the winter of 2023.
We loved it so much that we decided to bring it back around for another run! Give it a try to experience a double dry hopped, resinous Hazy made the Block 15 way. While we’ve made a lot of Hazys, we have always strived for balance and structure in all of our beers, and I think this is a really good example of how good a hazy really can be. If you are into it, think about picking up one of the label art t-shirts we have at both locations; they are sick.
Further Reading:
For Hazy IPA https://block15.com/internal-brewsletter?month=07-2023
And for West Coast IPA https://block15.com/internal-brewsletter?month=08-2023
PUB UPDATES
Keep your eyes peeled for a Sling message from Goody detailing our Pub specific objectives that were originally shared by Kristen company wide. In this message, we will dive more into what each objective means and how we will get there as a team and with support from your managers (FOH and BOH)! If you have any questions or feedback on these objectives, please feel free to check in with Sarah or myself (Goody).
We will be making a switch to our 2towns line up! Once we are out of our Blueberry Cosmic Crisp (likely in the next week or two) we will be switching to Raspberry Cosmic Crisp.
There is now a binder that lives in the kitchen containing our monthly special & dessert procedures and recipes for allergen/ingredient checking on the fly! As soon as it is finalized, I will also add allergen information for the rest of our menu items and baked goods.
We will be running out of Block 15 Cider this week and will switch to Mill A Cider’s “Sunsetter”. Mill A Cider is based out of Skamania County in Washington. We have this cider in cans over at Caves and it’s a pleasant semi-sweet, semi-dry cider that is super drinkable and very fruit-forward. We can still receive employee beverage off discounts and 5 year discounts on this if folks ask. Same as any other cider, we are not able to Crowler fill this one, but we can Growler fill it.
About Sunsetter:
“Mill A’s flagship release, this modern West Coast-style cider is fruit-forward and effortlessly crushable. A pure expression of place made from nothing but PNW apples, Sunsetter’s balanced complexity and refreshing, dry finish keeps us coming back sip after sip.”
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We are switching to Blood Orange lemonade this Friday!
We will continue to offer the leftover bourbons we have from February, we can keep the laminated bourbon menu behind the bar (in the binder) if folks want tasting notes but we will not give out menus to tables anymore.
We have officially switched back to 2Towns Outcider on draft!
The upstairs safe has been fixed, please go back to placing the money bags, drop, and tips in that safe at night.
Please make sure we are also looking at the monthly cleaning list when looking for projects or things to do!
Keep offering up desserts and beer to-go! When pre-bussing tables that is a great time to offer or check-in!
Caves UPDATES
We will likely have a few beers joining the line-up this week! More details to come no later than Thursday morning!
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Gabi Gonzalez! - Thank you for always asking great questions, providing great hospitality to customers, and being a gem of a person. I always look forward to working with you!
Autumn Bolton - Excited to have you on the TR team! Your willingness to learn and dive right in is very appreciated and you are doing a great job so far.
Holly Amlin - The work on our social media channels and beyond is TOP NOTCH. Great Bourbon Month, Holly. You worked so hard; we all appreciate your efforts, dedication to this industry, and talent!
Mars and the whole pub prep crew! - Mars absolutely crushed it keeping the prep kitchen moving along while our fearless leader, Tivey was on vacation! As well as Simon, Travis and the whole dang team!
Annalee Anglin and Barb Haberkern - For covering David while he was sick. They are local heroes and all around gentleman.
Wyatt Laramee - Shoutout two weeks in a row, but he really deserves it. He's always on top of everything, working hard, and helping out.
Emma Bartlett - She stays focused, keeps an eye out for what needs to be done, and helps everything run smoothly in prep. Thank you!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Leighton Godwin (BOH)
Please congratulate Garrison Schmidt for moving into the Head Brewer role and Danny Perston for becoming our Production Manager! With Ted moving on, we took the opportunity to restructure our brewery management and reallocate job responsibilities. With these role changes, certain things may have changed. If you were used to working with one or other of them for something specific, please check in to make sure you’re now contacting the right person.
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 3/2 at 12:30 pm at the Tap Room and 3/21 at 10 am at the Pub.
Clean up spills immediately — don’t assume a coworker is handling it. While the floor is drying, use a “Caution – Wet Floor” sign or a barricade to warn other workers that a slip hazard exists.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10am - 1pm
Tuesday: Tap Room 1- 4pm
Thursday: Pub 1 - 4pm
Friday: Tap Room 10am - 1pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Our next Dine Out will be April 9th with the Corvallis Environmental Center! Stay tuned for more details.
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 - February 28th, 2024
General
March Monthly Food Specials Preview
March monthly specials come out next Wednesday, 3/6! Please read through this info sheet so you are in the know before the day of! Reach out to me (Sarah) with any questions!
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 Nick Arzner! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Crispy Seafood Burger featuring a panko-breaded patty of rockfish and shrimp, uni (sea urchin roe) tartar, and bullwhip kelp pickles. Recommended beer pairing is Demo Tape (Side A), a nice West Coast IPA to pair with all those local pacific ingredients.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
Bourbon Month ends tomorrow (2/29)! Thank you for all the hard work and dedication to making this month extra special. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Marketing
With Bourbon Month closing, we will move into our next marketing efforts. With spring around the corner and brighter days ahead, we have a few exciting things in the works as we invite hop-forward beers into our taps, fresh-grown ingredients into our kitchen, and hone in on our presentation to our customers digitally and in person. Here are a few things marketing is working on!
Website updates - We are about to publish the new Caves Corvallis website! Up next will be our Distribution and Block 15 websites.
Selection Series tasting experience
Marketing Lounge - dedicated bi-weekly meeting with FOH Managers to go over menus and other customer-facing items.
-Kelsea & Holly
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 3/1
Group Ride // Dust off your bike and grab your group of friends to celebrate the start of spring riding season with this crisp, refreshing IPA. Bursting with citrus, mango, and floral hop notes to fill your tires all season long. // 6.75% ABV
Takeaways: A light and refreshing spring-inspired IPA, Group Ride is an approachable lower-strength IPA designed for your post-ride gatherings.
Tasting Notes: Ruby Grapefruit. Pine Resin. Hit the Trail.
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: IPA
The classic IPA style originating in America has evolved less than other substyles. Moderate to heavy malt presence with a balance of citrus, herbal, pine, and floral hop flavors and aromas most commonly. It is fuller-bodied than West Coast IPAs and has an assertive bitterness that balances malt sweetness. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
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: Perpetual
Beer Style: American Red Ale
A cousin of the Irish Red Ale, this beer is similar in color, amber to ruby, but with a pronounced hop backbone. While both styles are more popular in the USA than in Ireland, the American style Red is more bitter with citrus or fruity and pine hop character, with most or all of its bitterness coming from hops. Irish Red is mostly bitter from dark roast malts.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 3/1
Group Ride // IPA
Ridgeback Red // Red Ale
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE for Sippin’ Sunday
20% off all packaged beer to-go, $5 Crowlers and $10 Growler fills all-day Sunday
This week’s beers are: Ocean Man and Nebula
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Headhaze // Imperial Hazy IPA - Collab with Moonraker Brewing
Selection Series // Four Single Hop IPAs
Illuminated // Belgian Tripel
Alpine Ibex // Maibock
Rocky Shores IPA // American IPA
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
BEER EDUCATION
2:30 pm Tuesdays @ the Tap Room
Join us for an educational session at the Tap Room every week to taste and learn about the week’s releases. All are welcome!
Beer 101: Red Ales and Caspian the dog, a history
Written by Garrison Schmidt, Production Manager
One of the things I love most about American brewing is our ability to take something old and make it into something new and fresh. Red ale is a good example.
Red Ales are a bit of a mystery regarding their true beginnings. Irish poets speak of red ales drank by Pictish people as far back as the 8th and 9th centuries, but the beer mentioned is likely nothing close to what we associate with the term. Beers brewed then were spiced with heather, sweet gale, bog myrtle, and buck-bean. The hop wouldn’t be the most common brewing additive for several hundred more years. Most brewing historians agree that the Irish Red we know today was likely an evolution of English Bitters and Pale Ales.
In the early eighteenth century, John Smithwick moved to Kilkenny, Ireland. At this time, Ireland was under a strict penal code that prohibited Catholics from owning land, so Smithwick opened his brewery under the name of his business partner Richard Cole, a protestant.
In 1710, he released Smithwicks Draught Ale, a beer focused less on hop bitterness and more on a strong malty backbone. This was the first example of a commercially available Red Ale.
Irish Reds are known for their caramel, toffee, and toasted bread notes, with the majority of their bitterness coming from dark roasted malts and very little hop character. American Reds are pretty drastically different from their Irish counterparts.
Block 15’s Ridgeback Red is a really nice example of an American Red Ale. While there is still a noticeable malt presence, our version of red is balanced with a healthy lineup of hops and finished with a dry hop, which is very rare for the style. I think that this beer is an awesome expression of Northwest style on a beer that’s been around for hundreds of years. It’s named for Nick and Kristen’s late Rhodesian Ridgeback, Caspian, who is featured on the beer’s label. This is also why our imperial version of this beer is called King Caspian.
I love Ridgeback because I’m a person who appreciates balance in beer. Ridgeback showcases bright PNW hops and some malts from abroad that we don't often use, which creates a best-of-both-worlds feeling. I also love Ridgeback because it reminds me of closing the dish pit and having a beer with Paul a long time ago. Ridgeback is a great beer to suggest to friends or customers who like beer but aren’t super fond or familiar with the hoppier side, as its hop bitterness is pronounced but very approachable. It was my wife Sasha’s first-ever favorite beer. I love it when we brew this beer, as it's a staff favorite of many of our friends in the kitchen (looking at you, James). If you haven’t tried it, I hope you do, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Look for toasted nuts, caramel, brown sugar, and molasses from the malt, supported by spicey orange peel and pine from the hops.
PUB UPDATES
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We will be switching to Blood Orange lemonade next Friday, the 8th!
Please make sure we are accurately and quickly updating 86 items as they are told to you. Make sure to check all spots that item could be, update the whiteboard, and update the specials board if necessary.
Great communication and teamwork this weekend! You all crushed it.
Please make sure we are fully authorizing or cashing out tabs before folks walk away from the counter to ease confusion and walkouts.
Keep up the food feedback! When doing shift change or checking out for the day that is a great time to write down any feedback you heard.
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Wyatt Laramee - crushed working in the TR kitchen over the weekend! Kept everyone informed on things, took charge on the line calling tickets, and worked very hard! Great work!
All TR BOH staff! - Really killed it over the weekend, kept ticket times down, communicated well, and had great attitudes through the chaos.
Annalee - Thanks for working so hard at the TR on Saturday! Your willingness to stay longer and help out while it was crazy busy was very much appreciated and you did a fantastic job, thanks for being such a team player!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
Human resources
STAFF SECTION
Check back next week.
SAFETY TIPS
With the sick season upon us please make sure you are washing your hands. When at work you should be washing your hands BEFORE you handle food or begin any food-related task, but it's also very important that you wash your hands AFTER these activities: Handling raw meat, poultry and seafood. Using the restroom. Touching your hair, face, body, clothes or apron, or petting a dog.
Office Hours
Monday: Pub 10am - 1pm
Tuesday: Tap Room 1- 4pm
Thursday: Pub 1 - 4pm
Friday: Tap Room 10am - 1pm
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Our next Dine Out will be April 9th with the Corvallis Environmental Center! Stay tuned for more details.
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 - February 21st, 2024
General
Clothing Donations for Vina Moses Center
Winter clothing donation for the Vina Moses Center has begun at the Taproom. Bring new or gently used clothing to the Taproom now until Sun Feb. 25th. Spread the word to customers! Help cap off the donation period at the Winter Warmup Fri 2/23- Sat 2/24!
Employee Provision
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Ranessa! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Thai Coconut Steamed Mussels, with Block 15 Cider as the recommended pairing.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
Last Bourbon Month Event This weekend
Winter Warmup - February 23rd-24th @ the Southtown Tap Room
Activities
Join us for Trivia on Saturday, 2/24, at 5 pm. Block 15's own Ian will be hosting Bourbon History-themed trivia.
Food Specials
Hearty soups with bread bowls and Bourbon s'mores cheesecake are available on both days.
Drink Specials
Stick Season: Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey, Harlequin Orange Liqueur, Cinnamon infused maple syrup, Thai chili tincture, and hot apple cider garnished with a cinnamon stick.
Fireside Cocoa: Buffalo Trace, Chila Cinnamon Cream, Spiced cocoa blend, topped with mini marshmallows.
Clothing Donation
As part of the event, we’re partnering with Vina Moses Center. Drop off gently used or new winter clothing from now until February 25th to donate to those going through hardship in our community.
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 2/23
Flannel Fakeout // Made exclusively with PNW malt and hops, this crisp and balanced dry-hopped pilsner features notes of lemon peel, stonefruit, and pine, with a dry and refreshing finish. Is flannel season over? // 5.20% ABV
Takeaways: Hoppy enough for hopheads, malty enough for the season. This is a new dry-hopped pilsner that represents the classic flavors of the PNW.
Tasting Notes: Honeysuckle. Lemon Zest. Coniferous.
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: Northwest Pilsner
These are emerging styles, still in active development across the craft brewing world, and certain to change dramatically over the next few years. While the malt and fermentation profiles resemble classic continental pilsners, these beers feature aggressive hop aromatics and flavor from newer North American and Southern Hemisphere hop varieties typically used in IPAs. Light, sessionable, snappy, and dry, these beers offer a lighter alternative to the heavier or stronger IPAs that usually feature these flavors.
Charmed Life // Low on bitterness, but big on flavor, this medium-bodied red ale offers a pleasant, malty nose with a subtle caramel flavor that balances with a clean finish. What a charmed life, indeed! // 5.00% ABV
Takeaways: Part of our annual St. Patrick's Day releases, Charmed Life is a classic Irish Red Ale with gentle bitterness and a rich malty backbone.
Tasting Notes: Bread Crust. Burnt Sugar. Jig Inducing.
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Irish Red Ale
This classic style of amber ale has its roots in Ireland, though not under the name Irish Red Ale. That name originates from Coors and their iconic brand, Killian’s Irish Red, which is, in fact, a lager, not an ale. The tradition of making amber ales in Ireland goes back many centuries, always featuring a caramel and toffee-like malt flavor with a mild bitterness and very little hop flavor.
Favorable Fortune // Fortune favors this bold, yet balanced dry Irish stout. Notes of espresso and hop bitterness enhance the dryness, while flaked barley adds a smooth creaminess. Light, yet rich at the same time. // 4.60% ABV
Takeaways: Part of our annual St. Patrick's Day releases, Favorable Fortune is a classic Dry Irish stout. Light and sessionable, it's great for festive gatherings.
Tasting Notes: Espresso. Dark Chocolate. Oh, Danny Boy...
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Dry Irish Stout
This style references a low ABV stout made famous by Irish breweries, especially Guinness. The name stout comes from “stout porter,” a stronger porter. The style changed drastically in Dublin in the mid-19th century with the development of black patent malt. This new dark malt allowed brewers to make stout cheaper by using only pale malt and a small percentage of black patent. The results, which removed the dextrinous brown, amber, and Munich malts needed to make dark beer previously, were drier on the palate. The style continued to develop with several sub-styles such as export-stout and foreign export-stout. These beers are typically between 4% and 5% abv with low bitterness and a light body despite a roasty, coffee-like malt profile.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 2/23
Flannel Fakeout // Northwest Pilsner
Charmed Life // Irish Red Ale
Favorable Fortune // Dry Irish Stout
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Deep Seek
Love Potion (Depends on inventory available at each location)
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Group Ride // IPA
Ridgeback Red // Red Ale
Headhaze // Imperial Hazy IPA - Collab with Moonraker Brewing
Selection Series // Four Single Hop IPAs
Alpine Ibex // Maibock
Illuminated // Belgian Tripel
Rocky Shores IPA // American IPA
DAB Lab: Hop Sauce // West Coast IPA
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Beer 101: Northwest Pilsner
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
This is a special Beer 101, as it will be my last and on a subject I am particularly passionate about. Pilsner, especially Bohemian Pilsner, is my favorite style of beer, and I love the unique directions that American craft brewers have taken this style in recent years. If asked, I would always answer that Pilsner Urquell is my all-time desert island favorite beer.
Pilsner beer originated in Pilsen, Bohemia, in the mid 19th Century. After a series of sub-standard batches were destroyed in the city, the citizens of Pilsen pooled their resources and built a new state-of-the-art brewery, the Bürger Brauerei (Citizens’ Brewery), and sought a brewmaster to come make beer there. Josef Groll, a brewer from Bavaria, moved to Pilsen to recreate Bavrian-style lager but ended up making something entirely new. That product, golden with a thick white head and strong hop aroma, was named Pilsner and, within years, was one of the most requested beers in Europe. That brewery failed to file a trademark for several years; by then, there were several other breweries making Pilsner-style beer. They settled with trademarking “the original pilsner” and renamed their brewery to Pilsner Urquell, where they still make that beer and ship it worldwide.
Pilsner-style beer swept over Europe and eventually the world. The style became very popular in the United States, with several breweries opening in the late 19th century to make it. Most famously was Budweiser, which eventually turned to litigation about the trademark for their name since there was already a Budweiser in Bohemia. That brewery, known as Budweiser Budvar, still operates and is another famous institution for the style in Czechia.
Like all other styles, Pilsner saw many adaptations by craft brewers over the years. The palate for craft beer has consistently leaned toward heavier and heavier hopping, and Pilsner has been no exception. Brewers have been making hybrid Pilsner and IPA beers under various names for years. The name changes are mostly the result of consumers losing interest in them as innovations in brewing and marketing have constantly created new variations on the same concept. Most recently, we’ve seen IPL decline and be replaced by Cold IPA, a nearly identical product. West Coast Pilsner has grown in popularity in recent years, embracing the dry, snappy finish of a sessionable drinking pilsner paired with the juicy but resinous hop character of modern West Coast IPAs. Block 15 released Stoke Coast last year as an introduction to this emerging style with some fanfare.
In discussing the future of this program and what makes sense for us in establishing our own voice and direction with these beers, we decided to use the term “Northwest Pilsner” for our next hoppy pilsner. We’ve been honing our techniques for making these beers for several years and want to use this style to express our own regional take on a hop-forward pilsner. We crafted this new beer, Flannel Fakeout, to have a more perceivable malt flavor and body, focusing on clean but sharp bitterness and expressing a balance of pine resin and bright citrus that pops with every sip.
As I stated above, this is the last time I’ll be writing the Beer 101 topic, as this is my last week at Block 15. It has been a pleasure to draft these silly little documents for you; it is truly one of my favorite weekly tasks. Sometimes, I’ve tried to be clinical and dry, and other times, I’ve wanted to express some of my genuine passion for these products and this industry. We are, after all, collectively working in a fun and unique industry. There is a deep and rich history to beer making that goes back at least 10,000 years, but there is also the modern craft era providing a dynamic and shifting market that deserves or even requires our attention to successfully navigate. While I am moving on, Garrison Schmidt will continue these Beer 101’s. He has a deep knowledge of beer and its cultural significance and has already provided many wonderful entries to this section. I hope you continue to enjoy these write-ups as he takes over and provides his own unique voice in crafting your shared education in this industry.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
As you saw with the recent Sling announcement, we are focusing on a few key objectives to really elevate our guests' experience here at the Pub. These objectives will be posted for all to see, and we are convening as a management team to determine how to best support each other in meeting these goals! If you have questions or feedback, please feel free to direct those points to Goody or Sarah!
There will be a cheat sheet of where mats should live on the server clipboard later this week. If you lay out all mats and realize we have an extra, or are missing one, please let a manager know so we can connect with Alsco.
We are nearing the end of Bourbon Month! A HUGE THANK YOU to every single one of you for working hard, getting excited, and helping to create a wonderful month for our Bourbon loving guests! This is around the time that we slowly start to run out of bourbon, so if you have folks looking for a specific selection, please give the Tap Room a quick call to see if they still have it, and direct the guest to get some stamps out there. Once someone completes their stamp book, please snag it and store it behind the bar in the black plastic holder. All cards need to be in by February 29th at the end of the day to be counted. Folks will be notified within a week of the end of the month that we have received their card and marked them as completed.
As noted on our Focus Points for the week–strive to get food feedback this week and write down at least 1-2 pieces per shift. If something is wrong with the item (i.e seasoning is off or it was prepared incorrectly) please let a Lead in the kitchen know ASAP so that we can make adjustments if needed.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Winter Warm-Up this weekend! Please make sure we are spreading the word, hyping it up, and telling folks about the clothing drive for The Vina Moses Center!
We will be featuring bread bowls with 2 different soup options - Stout Seafood Chowder and Spicy Sesame Carrot & Red Lentil (vegan), as well as Bourbon S’mores Cheesecake! Since this is a torched option, we will 86’ creme brulee for the weekend, until the cheesecake runs out!
As you saw from Kristen’s sling announcement, there are 3 main objectives the Taproom will be working on and executing throughout the year. Keep these on the forefront of your mind and keep your eyes open for information and feedback we will be asking! They are posted by the R&S in the kitchen if you ever need a refresher!
We really need to step up our food/drink feedback game! Please try to write down 2 different feedback items this week. Feedback really helps us to improve and gauge item performance so it is really important to provide both good and bad feedback!
As we near the end of Bourbon Month, really push those beers and bourbons with guests and with the pub running out of bourbons we may see an increase in folks coming out here to get their passports full! If someone finishes theirs, they can turn it in to any location (please make sure it has their information filled out on the front). We will be keeping them in the passport/stamp box.
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Rachel Zmolek - She is a ray of sunshine, and we're lucky to have her around.
Sarah Farey - Sarah has crushed the menus for our special events this month. Plus, she's the primary person working the events. She's an absolute rock star; we're lucky to have her!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Please welcome the following folks to the team:
Autumn Bolton (BOH)
SAFETY TIPS
Safety Log: When should you be writing in it?
Any time there is an incident or injury it is important to record it in the Safety Log at the location the incident happened. If professional medical attention is required it is also mandatory to fill out the SAIF 801 form, any manager can get you this form or you can request it from HR. The form needs to be filled out and sent to HR within 24 hrs of the incident.
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 - February 14th, 2024
General
Valentine’s Day Specials
Valentine’s Day Love Potion #9 Crowler Sale! Both locations will be featuring $5 Crowlers of Love Potion #9 all day Wednesday, 2/14!
We also have a dessert special at the taproom today! $5 Love Potion #9 Coco Bells while supplies last (taproom only).
2024 Block 15 Vision & Aim
We are excited to share our overall 2024 vision for the company to create a united, impactful point of focus. Clarifying this aim allows us to communicate more specifically what we will achieve this year and how each of you is integral to that accomplishment.
Each of you is an essential and unique part of the Block 15 experience. We can share the vision, but it’s your individual and team contributions that really make the vision a reality.
Please review and genuinely consider your location’s objectives. I also ask that you review the other department’s objectives to understand what the rest of your team is working on. It’s pretty easy to see how we will move the needle on the Block 15 experience with our focused energies working on these objectives towards our 2024 aim.
Guided by the same company mission and vision for this year, we look forward to working together to move the needle on the Block 15 experience to exceptional!
- Kristen & Nick
Sling etiquette guide
Please limit social chat within Sling
While Sling is a great messaging service, we want to remember that it is for work communication only. Please keep all non-work-related communication to texting or other social media platforms.
Less is more
We want to limit communication to only conversations that are applicable to the people involved to cut down on communication overload. Keep in mind that everyone receives alerts over Sling and we don’t want to lose the efficiency of Sling by creating too many unnecessary notifications for people.
Keep messages and your profile professional
With any work-related communications, it’s important to remember that there is a certain etiquette to follow when creating messages. The tone doesn’t have to be formal, but remember that this is still a professional environment so all communication needs to be work-appropriate.
Your profile pic, should you add one, should also be appropriate for a work setting, meaning it should be family-friendly with no inappropriate language – written as text or as physical body language.
Failure to uphold these standards of conduct can lead to verbal or written warning and/or termination.
Clothing Donations for Vina Moses Center
Winter clothing donation for the Vina Moses Center has begun at the Taproom. Bring new or gently used clothing to the Taproom now until Sun Feb. 25th. Spread the word to customers! Help cap off the donation period at the Winter Warmup Fri 2/23- Sat 2/24!
Employee Provision
A weekly special served at the Pub, the idea of which comes primarily from Block 15 employees.
This week’s Employee Provision will be brought to you by Nicole! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Dill Pickle Chicken Salad Sandwich.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
Bourbon Month Events - Last but not least
Winter Warmup - February 23rd-24th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Taproom
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 2/16
Demo Tape - Side A // Side A of this demo tape features a dynamic duo of Talus, and HBC-586 presented as a refreshing West Coast IPA with a balance expressive of pungent citrus, tropical, resin, and dank herb hop notes. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: Side A is the same hop duo as Side B but balanced to present as a resinous west-coast IPA with a dry, snappy finish. HBC-586 is the star of this one, showing off the piney, dank herb and spice notes that balance with tropical fruit and citrus. Talus is there in support.
Tasting Notes: Peachie O's. Lychee. Recorded in Stereo.
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: West Coast IPA
An IPA Sub-style that originated in California. It has evolved over the years to showcase a balance of bright fruit, resinous pine, and dank (cannabis-forward) hop flavors and aromas, with a moderate to light malt presence and a dry finish with an assertive bitterness. West Coast is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
Demo Tape - Side B // Side B of this demo tape features a dynamic duo of Talus and HBC-586 but is presented as a juicy Hazy IPA with a balance expressive of bright tropical, citrus, dank herb, and sweet candy hop notes. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: Side B is the same hop duo as Side A but balanced to present as a juicy, Hazy IPA with a rich, creamy finish. Talus is the star of this one with the huge coconut and pineapple tropical notes this hop is known for, backed with citrus, floral, herbal, and sweet candy notes. HBC-586 is there in support.
Tasting Notes: Ruby Grapefruit. Blue Spruce. Recorded in Stereo.
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
An IPA sub-style originating in New England, it originally evolved from American IPA to have a lighter malt bill, that had a soft finish from adjuncts containing higher protein levels and water naturally high in Chloride. Early versions retained an assertive bitterness, but that mostly softened over time giving way to a soft, juicy beer with a big, sweet body that mostly featured fruit notes (citrus, tropical, stonefruit, red fruit, etc..). Some versions can contain pine or dank notes as well. Bitterness ranges from light to moderate, and body ranges from moderate to heavy. Hazy is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
The Incredible // This preposterously smooth Triple IPA is brewed with a duo of PNW-grown pale and pilsner malts and balanced by a bounty of our favorite hop varietals. Approachable but incredible. // 10.60% ABV
Takeaways: Revamped, reimagined and fully loaded. We took our classic Triple IPA and gave it the attention it deserves, focusing on a crisp, dry finish with intense hop aroma and dangerously smooth.
Tasting Notes: Resinous. Pineapple. Heavy Hitter
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Triple IPA
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 2/16
Demo Tape Side A // West Coast IPA
Demo Tape Side B // Hazy IPA
The Incredible // Triple IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Love Potion #9
UPCOMING Releases
*This list is subject to change based on the production schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Charmed Life // Irish Red
Favorable Fortune // Irish Dry Stout
Flannel Fakeout // Northwest Pilsner
Group Ride // IPA
HEADHAZE // Imperial Hazy IPA (Collab with Moonraker Brewing)
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Beer 101: Demo Tape
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Once upon a time, before the pandemic, Block 15 made a collaboration beer with Yakima Chief Hops (YCH) for the KLCC Brewfest. That beer, which featured two experimental hops that were still just emerging from the Hop Breeding Company, was named Demo Tape in reference to the only two hops in it being still unnamed and in the R&D phase. Those two hops, HBC-692 and HBC-586, made a delightful IPA that was made to be draught-only at a time when draught-only beers were still very popular. We brought it back for another glance, but this time as a more detailed study of these two hops.
The HBC designation is given to hops from the Hop Breeding Company program before they are named. HBC was founded in 2003 as a collaborative effort between Yakima Chief Ranches (the hop breeding arm of YCH operations) and John I. Haas, Inc., a powerhouse in hop breeding, production, and processing for over a century. These hops undergo years of breeding and experimentation before they are released to the public and then years of scaling production before they are given more conventional names. Since January 2020, when Demo Tape was originally released, HBC-692 was named Talus and has been brought in to feature heavily in our recipe for Joy, our year-round Hazy Pale Ale. HBC-586 remains unnamed, but it’s been building notoriety among brewers this whole time and is a pretty widely loved product. These two hops are complementary but still maintain unique characteristics that made us reconsider what Demo Tape would look like when we brought it back.
We talk a lot about the creative side of recipe design with IPA substyles, what they mean, and how our perception of them changes. I know I’ve written about the shifting idea of what a West Coast or American IPA is. The hops you use in these styles are also constantly changing. We thought it would be fun to make two Demo Tapes, a ‘Side A’ and a ‘Side B,’ that feature only these two hop varieties but in different ratios, using different techniques, base styles, and malt compositions to create unique products. It’s very easy to bring in something new and make something exciting, but the real work in brewing is the minute details, the slow dialing in of products, and the steady experimentation that enlightens us on the obscure reactions between products that create completely unique drinking experiences.
Demo Tape ‘Side A’ is a west-coast IPA that features HBC-586 over Talus in a ratio of about 2:1. We have a crisp, unobtrusive malt profile that allows the hops to shine and give a dry, snappy finish. Demo Tape ‘Side B’ is a Hazy IPA and features Talus over HBC-586, also in a 2:1 ratio. It is rich and viscous, with a different hop profile, despite being made with the same two hops. Our hope is that these two products will be clearly distinguishable while carrying common notes that make them a fun pairing. We are always trying to create a fun experience. It’s beer, after all, our job is to help curate our customers' enjoyment.
PUB UPDATES
Make sure that you are taking every Creme Brulee out with a biscotti garnish!
All of the broken readers for the handhelds are officially fixed. Hopefully these are the last ones to be on the fritz for awhile, but if you come across more that are acting up, let a manager know so we can do some test fixes and see if they need to be replaced. Again, let’s treat these gently as they are not cheap to replace or fix if it happens often.
Special Weekly Release (LAST ONE) Monday, February 19th:
Barrel “Seagrass” Rye, 120.4 proof $18
Nose: Honeydew Melon, Rye Spice, Balanced
Palate: Apricot Brandy, Molasses, Cohesive
Finish: Clean, Warming, Persistent Tannin** Seagrass is a blend of American and Canadian rye whiskeys, with each ingredient meticulously sourced and finished separately in Martinique Rhum, Madeira & apricot brandy barrels. It highlights the grassy oceanside notes we love in rye and the opulence and spice of finishing barrels. Barrell Seagrass is an ode to coastal memories, blended to evoke the joy of a day on the beach and an evening listening to the soothing rhythm of waves. Hot sun, brisk air, dry sand, and oceanside vegetation are brought to mind. A ripe and inviting tropical nose and grassy, bright body evolve to a finish as long as the view down the shore on a clear day.
Barrell Craft Spirits is proud to announce a collaboration with The Ocean Foundation. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of Barrell Seagrass will be donated to The Ocean Foundation to contribute to the conservation and restoration of seagrass. https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210921005811/en/Barrell-Craft-Spirits%C2%AE-Proudly-Supports-The-Ocean-Foundation
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Reminder to please make sure the Glencairn bourbon glasses get covered with a big plastic cup before going into the dishwasher as they are super fragile and expensive!
We have a new dishwasher! This should help with keeping our glasses clean and watermark/smudge free. Take note of how glasses look coming out of the dishwasher this week and if there is any feedback or concerns let a manager know!
Let’s make sure the specials board is staying up to date and accurate throughout the day, if we 86 something that is up there please make sure it gets taken down or changed quickly.
When restocking the beer coolers make sure all options are accounted for in the fridge, if there is an empty row, double check the walk-in to make sure we aren’t missing any beers and if we are, please restock them!
The happy hour $1 off discount button will now just be applied to the regular draft beer list, wine, kombucha, and rootbeer buttons. We no longer have all the beers, wine, kombucha and rootbeer buttons also in the happy hour menu. The only items in the Happy Hour menu page are the special cocktails and the food. You will still discount all the drinks the same way, it is just less screens to have to go into (and is the same way the pub does it). Let a manager know if there are any questions or glitches!
Make sure we continue to check in with tables periodically, pre-bus, offer another round, get food feedback, etc. We want folks to feel taken care of!
Special Weekly Release (LAST ONE) Monday, February 19th
Jefferson Reserve “Twin Oak”, 90.2 proof $18
Nose: Oaky, Vanilla, Cinnamon-Apple
Palate: Baking Spice, Almond, Orchard Fruit
Finish: Medium Length, Lingering Spice** The Jefferson’s barrel is made from grooved staves increasing the surface area of the barrel allowing more bourbon to come in contact with the oak at the peak of flavor. The barrel is toasted to a specific time and temperature recipe and then flash charred. The result is a tremendously full-flavored, complex, balanced bourbon from a seasoned, double-barreled whiskey.
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Laura Wilson - For approving my time off
Paige Schwandt - Paige is great! She is always helping other people and we really appreciate her hard work. Keep slaying!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
Remember to follow safe lifting guidelines such as keeping a wide base of support (feet shoulder-width apart), bending at the hips and knees only, keeping good posture with your back straight and lifting slowly while holding the load as close to your body as possible
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Check back next week
WHAT’S UP ON INSTA??
FEEDBACK
Hey friends! If you find yourself sitting at home, or out and about and something pops into your mind that you would like to pass along to the team, feel free to use this form! Please be mindful of keeping feedback or suggestions constructive and positively worded!
Internal Brewsletter - February 7th, 2024
General
Block 15 Dress Code
Here’s a quick refresh on Block 15’s Dress Code. The goal of Block 15’s dress code is to promote a professional appearance that represents the Block 15 brand and standard of excellence. Individualism is an important aspect of the Block 15 culture, and we encourage stylistic expression within a set of guidelines designed to present a polished, professional team, with each member remaining easily identifiable as employees of the company.
Employee attire must be properly well-fitting, presentable, professional, family-friendly, and clean. Also, clothing must be free of prominent logos from other brands. Any questions of following the above are reviewed by the FOH manager on duty.
A Block 15 logo or graphic must be prominently displayed on top/outer layers of clothing. Those items can include buttons, apron, shirt, sweatshirt, hat or other Block 15 branded items.
Some positions may have more specific restrictions intended to protect the employee from potential job-related hazards.
Vina Moses Center Donation Partnership
We are partnering with the Vina Moses Center again this year for the Winter Warmup to donate new/used winter clothing to those in need! The donation bin will start Monday 2/12 at the Taproom and will end Sunday 2/25. Please spread the word and if you are able please donate what you can. If you can't make it to the Taproom to donate please reach out to Madie (text, email, sling, slack, etc.) and she will coordinate a pickup.
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 Laura Wilson! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Crab Rangoon Grilled Cheese, made with cream cheese, imitation crab, and soy sauce with chili crisp toasted bread.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
Bourbon Month Events List at a glance
Uncle Nearest Education Event - February 8th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Brewer’s Tasting for Bourbon Month Portland - February 9th
@ Bad Habit Room in Portland
Reservations/Tickets required to attend
Bourbon Month Portland - February 10-11th
@ Saraveza in Portland
Caves Bourbon Dinner - February 14th
@ Caves Corvallis
Tickets required to attend
Winter Warmup - February 23rd-24th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Taproom
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 2/9
Liquid Opulence // Highlighting El Dorado hops grown at Oasis farms in Washington, this juicy concoction features bright tropical, citrus, and pine notes with a lush and inviting finish. Call it liquid gold. // 6.60% ABV
Takeaways: A tribute to El Dorado, one of the most underrated hops out there. Balanced with a blend of hops to create a Hazy IPA the Block 15 way.
Tasting Notes: Pineapple. Orange zest. Indulgent.
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: Hazy IPA
An IPA sub-style originating in New England, it originally evolved from American IPA to have a lighter malt bill, that had a soft finish from adjuncts containing higher protein levels and water naturally high in Chloride. Early versions retained an assertive bitterness, but that mostly softened over time giving way to a soft, juicy beer with a big, sweet body that mostly featured fruit notes (citrus, tropical, stonefruit, red fruit, etc..). Some versions can contain pine or dank notes as well. Bitterness ranges from light to moderate, and body ranges from moderate to heavy. Hazy is still a rapidly evolving style. The Variations of IPAs have become America’s primary contribution to the pantheon of world beer styles.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 2/9
Liquid Opulence // Hazy IPA
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Fresh Pow! (And Eminent Point at the Taproom)
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Demo Tape Side A // West Coast IPA
Demo Tape Side B // Hazy IPA
The Incredible // Triple IPA
Charmed Life // Irish Red
Favorable Fortune // Irish Dry Stout
Flannel Fakeout // Northwest Pilsner
Marketing
Corvallis Half Marathon
Hey team! We are sponsoring the Corvallis Half Marathon again this year! It will be hosted on Saturday, April 6th in front of Reser Stadium.
Here’s how you can get involved!
We will be looking for a few volunteers to set up (on April 5th) and some volunteers to hand out beer to runners on April 6th and then break down the tent.
Want to run?
With 2 months away, you still have time to train! For those who want to run the 5K or Half Marathon, let me know! We get free admission for supporting the event.
Interested in running but don’t know where to start?
Heart of the Valley Runners host social running events every day of the week. Bryce and I have checked out the Monday (6 pm at the Fairgrounds) and Thursday (6 pm in front of 5 Star Sports) running groups a few times. They’re fun and a great way to make suffering a little more enjoyable.
– Kelsea, Marketing & Creative Director
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Beer 101: A brief history of barrel aging
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
The first barrels, being wooden staves bound together with hoops, appear in ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics from at least 2600 BCE. Pliny the Elder, the historian, not the beer, who lived in the first century CE, noted Europeans using barrels to store beverages and the various classes of coopers, including a cooper who only made barrels for wine. Barrel aging beer in Britain dates back to to anglo-saxon times and continued on into the present.
Most of the traditions of barrel-aging beer that influenced craft beer come from Belgium and Great Britain. Much of the Belgian tradition comes from the history of Lambic beers that originated in the 13th century; Block 15 uses a process similar to this in making Turbulent Consequence and many of our other wild beers. In this process, barrels are used to mature beer over a prolonged period where various microorganisms continue to ferment and slowly create unique characteristics.
The history of cask, or barrel-aging beer in Great Britain, is a long and complex topic, far too great to cover in this post, but we can scratch the surface. One important note on historic British barrel-aged beers is that the aging was meant to mature the beers, not to impart wood flavors in the beer or to prolong fermentation. Brewers went to great lengths to ensure the barrels were flavor-neutral. Aged beers were usually stronger styles that needed time to soften flavors before they could be sold. Two very famous styles of beer that were often barrel-aged were Imperial Stout and India Pale Ale. Both were matured in barrels and shipped in barrels since they were both largely exported.
The barrel aging India Pale Ale tradition followed to the United States, where P. Ballantine and Sons Brewing Company continued the tradition of aging their IPA in barrels from the brewery's founding in 1840 until it closed in the early 1990s. This tradition did not continue heavily after the popularity rebound in the style from the 1980s through today.
The idea of aging beer in barrels specifically to impart flavor from the barrels is quite a new concept, with the advent of Bourbon barrel-aged beer beginning in the early 1990s. As far as we know, Goose Island was the first brewery to age beer in Bourbon barrels. Sometime between 1992 and 1994, they laid down the first batches of Bourbon County Brand Stout in ex-bourbon barrels to impart the specific flavor of the spirit and charred oak barrels into a beer, which happened to be an Imperial Stout. The results were transcendent and created a new process that was quickly copied by brewers across the country.
There are two schools of thought on how to barrel age beer in spirits barrels. In one process, the beer is gently aged at a consistent temperature, usually near cellar temperature. The other process is where the beer is aged in a non-climate controlled space, similar to the rooms bourbon itself is aged, where the temperature swings greatly and constantly forces beer in and out of the wood.
Block 15 has been releasing Bourbon barrel-aged stouts since 2009, when the first Super Nebula release kicked off, a tradition that continues today. The barrels change every year, but the idea is to gently age the beer in quality bourbon barrels for a year in a climate-controlled space, first in the cellar at the pub, then in the barrel room at the taproom, where the characteristics of the spirits and the gentle microoxidation from the aging process matures the beer into a robust yet balanced product. Using ex-spirits barrels to age beer and impart unique flavors has proven to be one of the greatest innovations of the American Craft beer era.
Further Reading:
https://www.beervanablog.com/beervana/2021/9/30/the-original-bourbon-barrel-aged-beer
PUB UPDATES
Next up in our Weekly Bourbon Releases – Monday, February 12th:
I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask, 90 proof $13
Nose: Dark Cherry, Creme Brulee, Raisin
Palate: Chocolate Cherry, Graham Cracker, DessertFinish: Sweet, Light Spice, Robust
**I.W. Harper has existed in some form since 1872. Originally launched by Isaac Wolfe (I.W.) Bernheim. Cask Finish is I.W. Harper’s first line extension since the brand’s return to the United States. According to the company’s press release, “Cabernet Cask Reserve is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey aged for four years in new charred American oak barrels, then perfected in luxury California Cabernet Sauvignon casks and bottled at Stitzel-Weller Distillery, one of the true cathedrals of the American Whisky industry.”
Quick reminder–any employee beverages need to be covered with a lid and should have a straw (or a place to drink from that your hand doesn’t touch). We are ordering more of the silicone lids for soda cups to help meet these health code requirements. Also, please remember to tuck employee beverages behind the bottle cooler or under the counter of the back server station (where the merch is) to keep customer facing areas neat and tidy.
When watering indoor plants, let’s be cautious to not overwater them. If they are sitting in a pot, please tilt the pot to see if there is any standing water in the bottom and empty that out. Overwatering will often kill a plant way faster than underwatering it. Root rot is real!
All Super Nebula and Kriek bottles are now added to the Sunday discount for the public.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Next up in our Weekly Bourbon Releases–Monday, February 12th:
George Dickel Bottled in Bond, 100 proof $13
Nose: Apple, Cherry, Custard
Palate: Pecan, Maple, Dried Apples
Finish: Spice, Dry Oak, Moderate**This Bottled in Bond whiskey was produced in Tennessee and uses charcoal filtering which has been said helps to mellow whiskey and creates a smoother mouthfeel. As a reminder: To be labeled Bottled-in-Bond, the whiskey must be the product of one distillation season and one distiller at a single distillery, aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years, and it must be bottled at exactly 100 proof. Additionally, the Bottled-in-Bond label must clearly identify the distillery where it was distilled and where it was bottled, if different.
For the Uncle Nearest Event on Thursday we will be running an old school Smoked Bourbon Wings special at the Taproom! This will run all day and into the weekend depending how much we go through and will replace the normal Happy Hour wings for Thursday so there is no confusion. They will be sold in the same increments of 3s. Please push this special with customers!
There is now a small oxo measuring cup behind the bar to use for 1oz bourbon pours as well as .25oz and .5oz ingredient pours that will make it much easier to measure with accuracy!
Sarah added in buttons for a single scoop of Rice and singled out Festival Sausages to the single items screen!
Friendly reminder about starting your shift. We are expected to be in uniform (nonslips, apron, B15 logo, etc.) and ready to work at the time which we are scheduled. This includes reading up on any special events, menu changes, new info, etc. If you are running late at all please call the Taproom to let someone know!
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Makayla Karnowski - For amazing dedication to employee well being and general compassion for others. She is a delight to work with and makes sure everyone feels heard from BOH to FOH she is a rockstar and a kind soul. Thanks Mak, you are a wonderful person and manager, a rockstar of the Taproom!
Mike Galusha - Stepped up and made it happen! Thanks Mike!
Paul Van Handel! - Paul is the best at everything!! I appreciate his attitude and how he makes work fun.
Niko Belesiotis - I think that Niko is crushing it at life.
Matt Baccary - Matt is a bloodhound for Block 15's finances. If you got a problem, yo he'll solve it. We are lucky to have somebody with his eye for detail and dedication. Thanks for all you do Baccary!
Holly and Kelsea - For getting the word out on Bourbon Month and all of our amazing events, and for documenting them in such a fantastic way!
Elise and Madie - For crushing a big beer release and getting everything on tap and in the coolers ready to sell. Big releases like this are a beast and you both crushed it!
Laura Wilson - For being a great Guided Pairing hostess and helping to maintain the flow of a decent Tap Room pop on top of getting all of our fans into the tasting.
Every single one of you that worked this weekend! - It was big and busy and full of a lot of moving pieces and you all did an amazing job! Thank you for jumping into Bourbon Month with so much excitement and enthusiasm.
Sarah Farey - For making a killer Brewer’s Dinner menu all by her kickass self, then turning around the next day to provide small pairings to about 70 people–you’re amazing!
If you have kudos or kind words to share anonymously in the Brewsletter, use the button below!
STAFF SECTION!
Check back next week
SAFETY TIPS
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 2/21 at 12:30 pm at the Tap Room and 2/22 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 - January 31st, 2024
General
February Monthly food Specials
Monthly Specials for February are coming out today, 1/31, in time for the bourbon beer release! Like we did in November, each special is created to pair with a beer from the release. I appreciate lots of feedback from you all when these come online!
Here is the link to the procedures and extra information to know before the release!
Bourbon Month Desserts
For bourbon month, we’re keeping PB pie with the addition of Love Potion Coco Bells and Vanilla Bourbon Creme Brûlée with Hazelnut Biscotti. One biscotti per brûlée, served on the side.
Let’s try to order with the goal of selling out; we have lots of options (bee sting bars at the pub, too), so if you run out of a dessert for a day or two, the customers will still have lots of choices.
It’s possible we may run out of love potion stout before the month is over; we’ll try to keep you informed.
Sippin’ Sunday Exceptions
Both locations: All Bourbon Month bottle releases and Sticky Hands Marmalade will be exempt from the 20% off Sippin’ Sunday sale this week on 2/4!
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 Tyler Lenz! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Chorizo 'Torta' Grinder made with refried black beans, chorizo, queso fresco, and pickled jalapeños on our house baguette bun.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
Woohoo! We made it to Bourbon Month! With our big bottle release and events happening this week and weekend, I don’t want us to lose sight of our event next Tuesday.
We will be hosting 4 Spirits Foundation in a Cheers for Charity event at our downtown location. This means a portion of proceeds from all beverages purchased at the Pub that day (to-go and in-house) will be donated to their organization!
Make sure to tell your guests that they are contributing to a great cause… and they’ll get to sample some of the bourbons from 4 Spirits Distillery if they choose to do so! 4 Spirits will be tabling!
-Kelsea
Bourbon Month Events List at a glance
Bourbon Month Kick Off - February 1st
@ Both Block 15 locations
Brewers Dinner - February 2nd
@ Block 15’s Downtown Pub
Tickets required to attend
Curated Pairing & Open House - February 3rd
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Tickets required to participate
Bottle Release - February 3rd
@ Both Block 15 locations
Cheers for Charity with 4 Spirits Distillery & Foundation - February 6th
@ Block 15’s Downtown Pub
Tasting from 5-7pm
Uncle Nearest Education Event - February 8th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Bourbon Month Portland - February 9th
@ Bad Habit Room in Portland
Tickets required to attend
Bourbon Month Portland - February 10th
@ Saraveza in Portland
Caves Bourbon Dinner - February 14th
@ Caves Corvallis
Tickets required to attend
Winter Warmup - February 23rd-24th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Taproom
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 2/2
Sticky Hands: Marmalade // This hop experience ale features the same innovative brewing techniques as the original but is jammed with Belma, Chinook, and Amarillo varietals to provide ample notes of citrus peel and pine resin. // 8.10% ABV
Takeaways: We're bringing back a classic Sticky Hands Variant with some new touches. We're loading up with Crosby CGX, their cryogenic hop product, to boost that flavor and aroma with some new tech.
Tasting Notes: Orange Rind. Honeysuckle. Sumptuous.
Series: Sticky Hands
We’ve decided to make a special category for our Sticky Hands variants. This series helps keep all the limited edition Sticky Hands releases under one UPC and price point.
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.
Upcoming Packaged Beer Releases - Bottles
RELEASING Saturday 2/3
Super Nebula // This year's annual imperial stout release was matured in George Dickel and Willett bourbon barrels and then conditioned on wild harvest, fair trade Bolivian cocoa nibs, specially selected to complement its decadent character.// 12.30%
Takeaways: A force of nature. Certainly not subtle, but not heavy-handed either, this balanced imperial stout is deceivingly smooth.
Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Espresso, Decadent
Series: Cellars
Beer Style: Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs
Super Nebula Breakfast with Willett // Our yearly Super Nebula breakfast edition features Willett bourbon barrel matured imperial stout conditioned with fresh roasted Flame On coffee beans from our friends at Bespoken Coffee Roasters, maple, wild harvest, and fair trade Bolivian cocoa nibs. // 12.30%
Takeaways: In addition to one-year-old Super Nebula barrels, our breakfast blend features maple syrup, Flame-On coffee from Bespoken Coffee Roasters, and wild-harvest cocoa nibs. It's a flavorful favorite with an added coffee kick and nostalgic maple character.
Tasting Notes: Familiar, Complex, Rousing
Series: Cellars
Beer Style: Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Coffee Beans, and Maple
Super Nebula Cherry Dog // A collaborative blend series from Block 15 and Hair of the Dog encompassing the spirit and creativity of both breweries - 2018 Bourbon Barrel Cherry Chocolate Stout and our Super Nebula base, then steeped with wild harvest, fair trade cocoa nibs, and cherries. This year's annual imperial stout release was matured in George Dickel and Willett bourbon barrels and conditioned on wild harvest, fair trade Bolivian cocoa nibs specially selected to complement its decadent character. // 12.30% ABV
Takeaways: A blend of one-year-old Super Nebula and Chocolate Cherry Stout aged in bourbon barrels for four years from our friends at Hair of the Dog Brewing. Cherry concentrate from real fruit was added alongside wild-harvest cocoa nibs. The blend of acidity from new cherries, almond extract from old cherries, and a melange of different beer ages creates a deep, complex, and exciting blend unlike any other.
Tasting Notes: Bakers Chocolate, Cherry pit, motley
Series: Cellars
Beer Style: Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs and Cherry
Kriek // Spontaneously fermented in our wild cellar, Kriek is our Oud bruin matured over two winters on locally farmed tart Montmorency cherries in second-run bourbon barrels, first used to mature Super Nebula, our imperial stout. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: This beer spends two winters on the cherries themselves. It is exceptionally tart for a Block 15 wild ale and shows plenty of character from the fruit, the spontaneous fermentation, and the used Super Nebula barrels.
Tasting Notes: Cherry, Oak, Vinous
Series: Cellars
Beer Style: Oud Bruin Matured in Second-use Bourbon Barrels with Cherries
Traditionally, Kriek is a fruited lambic from Belgium. That is to say, a spontaneously fermented wild beer, the same style the Turbulent Consequence program is designed after, which is aged for 3-12 months on tart cherries before packaging. The fruiting rate is very high and lends to intense cherry flavors. American interpretations range greatly in the production of the base beer, mostly from a golden sour to a red or brown sour similar to the beers of Flanders, but the fruiting remains the same. Block 15’s Kriek is one of these styles, Oud Bruin, but the fruiting rate is high, always utilizing whole, local cherries of exceptional quality.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Thursday 2/1
Super Nebual 2024 // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs
Kriek 2024 // Oud Bruin Matured in Second-use Bourbon Barrels with Cherries
Releasing Friday 2/2
Sticky Hands Marmalade // Hop Experience Ale
Super Nebula Breakfast with Willett // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Coffee Beans, and Maple
Super Nebula Cherry Dog // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs and Cherry
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Nugg Hugg at Both locations (Scientifical as well at the Pub)
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Liquid Opulence // Hazy IPA
Demo Tape Side A // West Coast IPA
Demo Tape Side B // Hazy IPA
Charmed Life // Irish Red
Favorable Fortune // Irish Dry Stout
Flannel Fakeout // Northwest Pilsner
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Beer 101: Pick of the Litter Pt. 2: Cherry Dog
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Garrison wrote a wonderful Beer 101 back in November about Alan Sprints and the history of Hair of the Dog; I highly encourage you all to look back at that write-up to refamiliarize yourself with the story of HOTD and why we felt a need to pursue this partnership. That said, we are getting to release our second entry in the Pick of the Litter series, Super Nebula Cherry Dog, and I wanted to take a moment to discuss what makes this particular Super Nebula so special.
Much of the Pick of the Litter series is and will be designed around the blending of vintage Hair of the Dog barrels with younger Block 15 beer, created with the purpose of melding with the complexity and nuance of the stock we received from them. Cherry Dog is unique compared to the other releases since it uses an existing Block 15 product to blend.
Super Nebula was first released in 2009 and has been a part of Block 15’s annual barrel-aged bottle releases ever since. Always made as an imperial stout, aged in bourbon barrels and steeped on cocoa nibs, Super Nebula was the perfect beer to pair with Hair of the Dog’s Cherry Chocolate Stout.
This blend utilizes the same one-year aged stock of Super Nebula with a 2018 vintage of Cherry Chocolate stout. We doubled the cocoa nibs and refermented the Super Nebula on cherries before blending it. It was a fascinating experience seeing the change in Super Nebula as the tart HOTD stock blended in and softened the product in a way that really accentuated the cherry notes. I think this is a very unique entry in the Super Nebula series, one you will certainly never see again. And this is still just the beginning of the Pick of the Litter program, with each new blend and product offering us a chance to craft something truly unique and unforgettable.
Further Reading:
Pick of the LItter Series Press Release: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ec1xR164S8outVk-aDgPgz_Fh323DWPiEqO_7xynahY/edit?pli=1
Previous Pick of the LItter Beer 101: https://block15.com/internal-brewsletter?month=11-2023
PUB UPDATES
Bourbon Month starts tomorrow (2/1)! Get ready for a busy and fun-filled month by revisiting the materials and asking questions on anything you still might be unsure about. This is one of our favorite months of the year and we are so excited to work alongside all of you this month.
We now have a Draft menu and a separate beverages menu to allow for more space and descriptions of things as well as a separate bourbon month menu that has all bourbon offerings and cocktails for the month! Make sure we give every table all of these.
When bussing and resetting tables, let’s be sure to do a very thorough check of the floor underneath for debris or napkins and take a moment to push all chairs in. When we reset a table, it should look as if it’s the first time someone is sitting there for that day (aka very clean, tidy, and all chairs/benches are wiped and pushed in).
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Get excited for Bourbon Month! Please make sure you have read all materials and feel ready to roll into this fun but busy month! There will be instructions for our special cocktails (and Manhattans and Old Fashions), a cheat sheet with all our bourbon offerings, and the stamp books/stamps will live next to the ipad behind the bar.
It is very important we ring in everything accurately and right away to make sure we are staying up to date and properly accounting for everything we are selling, especially if we are busy!
We now have a Draft menu and a separate beverages menu to allow for more space and descriptions of things as well as a separate bourbon month menu that has all bourbon offerings and cocktails for the month! Make sure we give every table all of these.
If a customer wants to order a beer and a bourbon or a beer for now and one to warm up (usually one of the super nebs) that is totally ok, use your best judgment though, be conscious of how many/how fast folks are drinking these high ABV beers. If you don’t feel comfortable cutting someone off you can always get a manager or coworker.
Toast officially switched us over to the new POS layout. It may look a bit weird and take some getting used to but all the same functions are still there. Take a few minutes at the start of your next shift to get acquainted if you haven’t already and look around through all the buttons and features. It is a learning curve for all of us!
Reminder: if you see any payouts or receipts in the till at the end of the night, please make sure they get put into the drop with the cash as accounting must get them the next day.
Caves UPDATES
New Recess flavor this week since Pomegranate Hibiscus is all out– we will be switching to Peach Ginger for the next handful of weeks.
We have three new beers this week–keep your eyes peeled for the Newsletter to be updated later tonight (Wenesday).
Bourbon Month is almost upon us! Read your info and be ready to talk Bourbon Month with those that are coming over for our special selection. Also, we have sold 27/33 tickets for the Bourbon Dinner! Woohoo!!! If you have any folks looking for special Valentine’s Day plans, point them towards our website.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Brewer Kelsey - for his excitement and positive attitude he has brought to the brewery team! Your positive light shines brightly and it is awesome seeing your initiative to learn and kick butt over there.
Marketing Kelsea and Holly - for your great communication and really making sure everyone is ready for Bourbon Month and helping get all the info out to the world and making it look dope as heck! Your skills are extremely appreciated!
Goody - for taking so much time out of your already insanely busy schedule to help get everything ready for Bourbon Month at all locations and just being an absolute gem of a person, we would not be able to do it without you!
Ian - for absolutely destroying that shoulder press at Planet Fitness
Note from Holly: It’s unknown which Ian this refers to, so my assumption is all three. :)
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
Check back next week
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Cheers for Charity with 4 Spirits Distillery & 4 Spirits Foundation - 2/6 at the pub
A portion of beverage sales from our downtown location will be donated to the 4 Spirits Foundation this coming Tuesday (2/6)!
Mission: 4 Spirits Foundation is dedicated to raising funds and supporting causes that provide education and mental and social health support to veterans and their families, with a priority to veterans who have operated in hostile areas or engaged in combat, for the benefit of rehabilitation and quality of life after service.
Learn more here: https://4spiritsfoundation.com/
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 - January 24th, 2024
General
Employee Etiquette at our locations
This week we wanted to take a moment to touch on etiquette when it comes to employees enjoying a beverage after a shift at the bar (or a table) at any of our locations. We love the camaraderie and great times that everyone has together and just want to clarify a few expectations.
Please remember that whether or not you are wearing a logo, you represent the company at all times and your behavior should always reflect that responsibility. (This means no shop talk or inappropriate language). If you have questions about work related topics, this is okay, we want to ensure that we are keeping topics positive.
This is a great place to relax with a beer or two after your shift or on your day off and we love having you here! However, we wouldn’t allow any guest to become intoxicated in our bar, and the same goes for employees.
Please be mindful of guests and on-the-clock staff. Please be super aware of your physical position within the restaurant (for example – if there are four or more employees at the bar rail, end of the bar (B-Zero), or brewer’s bar, grab a table in the game room or have the host put you on the list). We always want to ensure that guests aren’t leaving because the bar is filled with employees. If we are during our busiest hours (4-8pm) please check in with the bartender before sitting to make sure that we have space for guests as well.
While not required, please keep in mind that when you are enjoying food or beverages at the bar or at a table post-shift for an extended period of time, it is appreciated when you tip your server or bartender. We all depend on the income from our tables or barstools and these are seats that could be occupied by guests, so we want to ensure that all staff are being taken care of.
Bakery Update
The ciabatta bread has a new and improved format! Loaves are longer, each one yields 3 sandwiches instead of 2, no need to trim the ends off. You'll also notice the crust is darker and the texture inside is lighter. Sarah updated the procedures for our new ciabatta and the banh mi sliders, so make sure to look those over and keep our bread game on point!
Here is the link to the new ciabatta procedure! The posted version in the kitchens will have a size guide as well.
February Monthly Specials
Monthly Specials for February are coming out next Wednesday, 1/31, in time for the bourbon beer release! Like we did in November, each special is created to pair with a beer from the release. I appreciate lot’s of feedback from you all when these come online!
Here is the link to all of the procedures and extra information to know before the release!
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 Ian Hutchings! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Chicken Cacciatore Pasta, made with radiatore noodles tossed in a flavorful tomato and chicken sauce, topped with lemon pepper ricotta and crispy chicken skins.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
Hello team! Next week is the start of Bourbon Month! Here’s where we’re at with ticketed dinners… We’re pretty much sold out with our two events happening next week. HOWEVER, we have a few tickets left for our Bourbon Dinner at Caves on 2/14 (Valentine's Day!) Have them scan the QR code at their table or on a poster in the building to find the tickets. Outside of that, pick an event below to focus on when connecting with your guests this week!
Bourbon Month Events List at a glance
Bourbon Month Kick Off - February 1st
@ Both Block 15 locations
Brewers Dinner - February 2nd
@ Block 15’s Downtown Pub
Tickets required to attend
Curated Pairing & Open House - February 3rd
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Tickets required to participate
Bottle Release - February 3rd
@ Both Block 15 locations
Cheers for Charity with 4 Spirits Distillery & Foundation - February 6th
@ Block 15’s Downtown Pub
Tasting from 5-7pm
Uncle Nearest Education Event - February 8th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Bourbon Month Portland - February 9th
@ Bad Habit Room in Portland
Tickets likely required to attend, TBD
Bourbon Month Portland - February 10th
@ Saraveza in Portland
Caves Bourbon Dinner - February 14th
@ Caves Corvallis
Tickets required to attend
Winter Warmup - February 23rd-24th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Taproom
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 1/26
Ocean Man // Originating from the lands surrounding the Baltic Sea. This bold, rich, and highly drinkable lager pairs notes of coffee, dried plums, and dark chocolate with a clean, but decadent finish. // 8.00% ABV
Takeaways: Our rich and delicious Baltic Porter gets the Lagered by the Sun treatment, 90% PNW sourced Malt and 100% PNW sourced Hops. Still built for authenticity, with the increases in quality from domestic malt producers, we can build true-to-style lagers with our own domestic ingredients.
Tasting Notes: Toffee. Bakers Chocolate. From the Depths.
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Baltic Porter
Originally inspired by strong English stout porters that Russia imported in the 18th century, breweries in the nations around the Baltic Sea began producing their own versions of these beers early in the 19th century. Very dark to black in color, it is hard to judge the clarity of these beers. They typically range from 6% to 9% abv with flavor coming mostly from the malt, which expresses a slight roasted character, reminiscent of black coffee, also usually expressing dark fruit, toffee, molasses, and nutty notes. They have a medium bitterness that balances their sweetness and gives them a slightly dry finish on the palate. They are exceedingly smooth for their abv.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 1/26
Ocean Man // Baltic Porter
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: All Draft! (Excluding Perpetuals, Hypnosis, Imagine, Framboise)
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Sticky Hands Marmalade // Hop Experience Ale
Super Nebual 2024 // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs
Super Nebula Breakfast with Willett // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Coffee Beans, and Maple
Super Nebula Cherry Dog // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs and Cherry
Kriek 2024 // Oud Bruin Matured in Second-use Bourbon Barrels with Cherries
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Beer 101: Baltic Porter
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
The history of Baltic Porter starts with the same Russian court I wrote about in the history of Imperial Stout. Catherine the Great was a lover of imported British Stout Porter, Stout at that point referring to a stronger version of any beer. Eventually the stronger Stout Porter just became known as Stout as Porter beer fell out of popularity.
Supply chain disruptions throughout the region as a result of the Napoleonic wars gave brewers of the region a reason to make their own versions of these beers. Initially making Ales just as the British Stout Porters were, they slowly shifted to using lager yeast and cold fermentation throughout the 19th century as lager beer rapidly became the world's most popular beer production method. Originally over 10%, these beers eventually came down to the 6%-9% range we see today. These beers are largely produced in Sweden, Finland, Russia, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia.
This week, we are re-releasing Ocean Man, our take on this classic style. This time, we reworked the recipe to align with our Lagered by the Sun program. Pure Idaho Pilsner malt, Munich, and Vienna from Great Western are all grown and malted in the North West. There are, inevitably, some specialty malts that cannot be substituted with regional sources. In some cases there are domestic malts that can fill in from other parts of the US, but in some cases we bring in very small amounts of specialty malts from Europe, we always keep these products under 10% of the beer. Hops are always from the PNW.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
Starting this week, we are going to use peppermint oil in the bathrooms (if you work at the Tap Room, you will be aware of this procedure). When you are cleaning the bathrooms, please use the dropper bottle to put a few drops of oil in each of the following locations: both toilets in both bathrooms, both urinals, both sinks, and a drop or two on the floor in front of all toilets and urinals. After putting drops on the floors, you can swiffer the oil to spread it around. This will help our bathrooms smell super fresh!
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Please make sure we are keeping up to date on all Block locations happenings, updates, etc. and cross promote when possible!
With all the leaves and debris that get tracked in from outside, make sure we are spot sweeping throughout the day, getting under the bar stools, tables, chairs, etc. Also, please put out a wet floor sign if it is wet/slippery!
If the soda water tap seems not carbonated or is too aggressive, go in the walk-in and unplug the compressor and plug it back in (above the packaged beer shelves by the smix), then pull a few pitchers of water through. You can also flip the little black valve on top of the compressor to let some gas out which will help it be less aggressive coming out. If it hasn’t been pulled through in awhile, pull a pitcher through and give a taste test before serving!
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
All of the Brewers! - HUGE shoutout to every single one of the brewers who came in during the snowpocalypse to tend to the tanks and make sure everything was running smoothly. We wouldn’t be running without you guys & gals, and you’re so appreciated for the time and energy you put into this place. Thank you!
Gavin - For coming in and keeping the brewery on track when nobody else dared! You are our hero, Gav.
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 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
Our next Cheers for Charity will be in February during Bourbon Month! Check back for more details.
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 - January 17th, 2024
General
Bread Change for Banh Mi Sliders
We are changing the bread we use for the Banh Mi Sliders, effective next Wednesday, January 24th, instead of today, the 17th due to the winter weather closures.
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 Cedar! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Buffalo Chicken Wraps.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
With Bourbon Month around the corner, please be sure to review the info documents and be ready to come to a bourbon education and optional beer tasting the last couple weeks of this month. This is one of our favorite events that we do, and the team puts a lot of time and effort into pulling it all together, so let’s be ready to have a big and busy February! If you have any questions on Bourbon Month specific things, please feel free to reach out to Goody or Laura! Here is the link to the staff info document that was sent via Sling last week:
Bourbon Month Events List at a glance
Bourbon Month Kick Off - February 1st
@ Both Block 15 locations
Brewers Dinner - February 2nd
@ Block 15’s Downtown Pub
Tickets required to attend
Curated Pairing & Open House - February 3rd
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Tickets required to participate
Bottle Release - February 3rd
@ Both Block 15 locations
Cheers for Charity with 4 Spirits Distillery & Foundation - February 6th
@ Block 15’s Downtown Pub
Tasting from 5-7pm
Uncle Nearest Education Event - February 8th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Bourbon Month Portland - February 9th
@ Bad Habit Room in Portland
Tickets likely required to attend, TBD
Bourbon Month Portland - February 10th
@ Saraveza in Portland
Caves Bourbon Dinner - February 14th
@ Caves Corvallis
Tickets required to attend
Winter Warmup - February 23rd-24th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Taproom
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 1/19
Eminent Point // We're reaching for new heights with this luxurious take on an American classic. Featuring notes of pine resin, dank herb and sweet citrus, it all balances with a soft and enticing malt backbone. // 6.80% ABV
Takeaways: The evolution of IPA styles in craft beer continues to reinvent what was just recently out of date. This American IPA features zero caramel malt but still balances a pleasant malt base with an assertive mix of Simcoe, Waimea, and Cashmere hops.
Tasting Notes: Pine Resin. Blue Raspberry. Elevated Perspective.
Series: Emerging
Beer Style: American IPA
See the Beer 101 section for a download on this style
Love Potion #9 // Brewed with a tantalizing blend of dark malts and conditioned with chocolate and red and black raspberries. This concoction balances notes of chocolate ganache and bountiful berries. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: We're always looking to improve even our most classic beers; this year, we replaced the raspberry puree with a 100% fruit concentrate and added cacao husks to the mash to add a unique chocolate flavor. Cacao husks are a waste product from chocolate production, but they still have flavor and aroma (but you can't eat them); used in the mash tun, we can extract their natural flavors and utilize what would otherwise go to waste.
Tasting Notes: Dark Chocolate. Dried Raspberry. Entrancing.
Series: Perennial
Beer Style: Chocolate Stout with Raspberries
There are many different substyles of Stouts, but we don’t always design beers with a specific sub-style in mind. Adjunct beers often fall under this category, as we are trying to design a beer that, first and foremost, integrates with the adjuncts we intend to use. If it doesn't go well with the beer, there’s no point in making a beer with a specialty ingredient, almost certainly the most expensive thing in the recipe. Style-wise, these beers usually fall under extra sout, foreign export stout, imperial stout, or tropical stout as far as guidelines go. They are dark with an intense malt flavor that leans to chocolate, coffee, nutty, caramel, dark fruit, and other roasted malt notes with a sweetness and bitterness that balance to produce a drinkable beer that highlights the extra ingredients we add.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 1/19
Eminent Point // American IPA
Love Potion #9 // Chocolate Stout with Raspberries
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: All Draft (except perpetuals, Hypnosis, Framboise, Imagine)
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Ocean Man // Baltic Porter
Sticky Hands Marmalade // Hop Experience Ale
Super Nebual 2024 // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs
Super Nebula Breakfast with Willett // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs, Coffee Beans, and Maple
Super Nebula Cherry Dog // Imperial Stout Matured in Bourbon Barrels with Cocoa Nibs and Cherry
Kriek 2024 // Oud Bruin Matured in Second-use Bourbon Barrels with Cherries
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Beer 101: American IPA
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
While India Pale Ale originated in England, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the American IPA was born in the Pacific Northwest. In 1968, hop breeder John Segal began cultivating an experimental hop with the code 56013; in 1972, it was named Cascade and marked a drastic turn in hop breeding and production in the United States. It was adopted early on by Fritz Maytag of Anchor Brewing and used in their Liberty Ale, then in 1981 by Ken Grossman at Sierra Nevada for their new pale ale, which would become one of the most iconic beers in America.
As hop-forward as these beers were, they were not called India Pale Ale. At this point, the only beer made in America that was called IPA was Ballantine IPA, which was made between the 1890s and 1990s. It was malty and reminiscent of English IPAs, including the process of production where it was aged for a year in barrels before being packaged and sold. It was Bert Grant who made the first modern IPA in America and essentially invented this new Style.
Grant was a lifelong industry veteran when he founded Yakima Malting and Brewing Co. in 1982, which became the first “brewpub” in America. He had previously worked for Guinness and had moved to Washington to work for SS Steiner, where he created the first American hop pelletizer. He brewed the first modern IPA there in 1983, featuring big flavor and aroma from Cascade hops. It was strong with a sharp bitterness and aggressive resinous and dry finish that distinguished it from English IPAs. Famous beer writer Michael Jackson wrote warmly of it: “I was just stunned by the bitterness of it.” A bitterness of just 50 ibu, a far cry from the 100+ibu IPAs of recent years.
Other breweries adopted this approach to making IPAs, often embracing the rich maltiness of English IPAs with the palate-shattering resin of new and emerging American hop varieties. By the second big wave of craft breweries in the 1990s, American IPA had emerged as a distinct style and was climbing tap lists as one of the most important styles in the craft beer movement. Around this time, the first Double IPAs were born, and those distinctive beers created the boom of West Coast IPAs that went lighter and drier than American IPAs.
Despite these advancements, American IPA remained the most popular sub-style of IPA in craft beer well into the third boom in the late 2000s to 2010s. It was only dislodged by Hazy IPA, which has proven to be a regionally fickle style regarding staying power. Much of the middle US has remained loyal to the maltier American IPA, and recent years have shown a huge comeback for clear-ish IPAs up and down the West Coast.
As with anything in craft beer, the American IPA style constantly transitions. Before the Hazy boom took hold, some brewers were already unloading sweet caramel malts from these recipes because they are linked with premature staling due to the production of trans-2-Nonenal, the compound responsible for papery or cardboard flavor in old, oxidized beer. Many malts can add color and malt flavor that aren’t processed to create that compound. Block 15 has been using this technique increasingly for many years now.
This week, we are releasing Eminent Point, a new American IPA that we’ve developed specifically to highlight this style and its evolution from the birth of craft beer to something very contemporary. We’re always evaluating the beers we are releasing and planning to release to ensure we have diverse offerings. We never want someone to walk into Block 15 and say all our beers taste the same. Even within a single style, like IPA, we can create unique flavors that appeal to different tastes.
Further Reading:
https://beerandbrewing.com/dictionary/MPYebz08UV/
https://www.beervanablog.com/beervana/2020/6/3/Bert-Grant-American-IPA
PUB UPDATES
With the crazy weather we’ve had and a funky schedule, we are skipping the Read and Sign for this week and will resume next week when we have a normal set of days. We could have a busy set of days coming up once folks are ready to be out and about again, so be prepared to rock it! OSU Basketball games are all away this week, but we do have OSU Wrestling on 1/19 at 6pm!
We have leftover arugula pesto in the freezer, and we will start using that in the Tuscan soup instead of our regular pesto. The arugula pesto contains hazelnuts, so we've made a note on the recipe, and we would like to note it on soup boards as well–"Tuscan soup with hazelnut pesto" or something along those lines. This will be the case for most future batches and we will update you all when it’s back to normal pesto.
This Friday we will have another house soda flavor joining the line-up with Cherry-Almond! We will run this side by side with Raspberry-Vanilla.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
This Sunday, all draft beer (excluding perpetuals, hypnosis and imagine) will be on the $5 crowler special. There is a separate menu that is titled “Sunday $5 Crowler Draft Togo'' where all crowlers will ring in as $5. No need to apply a discount or anything. Please use that menu when ringing in a crowler that applies to the deal.
Make sure in slow times we are staying busy, using labor effectively, and giving exceptional service.
Stay safe in this crazy winter weather! Review callout procedures if needed if you can’t make it in.
Caves UPDATES
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Alex Goodwin - for making sure everyone is in the loop with this crazy storm and shoveling the sidewalks like a boss!
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 the floor is wet due to water or ice please make sure to use the wet floor sign and get the spill cleaned up as quickly as possible.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Our next Cheers for Charity will be in February during Bourbon Month! Check back for more details.
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 - January 10th, 2024
General
Bread Change for Banh Mi Sliders
We are changing the bread we use for the Banh Mi Sliders, effective next Wednesday, January 17th!
Until now, we've been making slider buns out of our ciabatta dough, but we've decided it's time to give them their own bun that is more in line with a traditional banh mi. The new bun is crisp on the outside with a soft, tender crumb inside that is less airy than ciabatta but still feels lightweight. They will generally be the same size and shape, and easier for us to keep them consistent. If you've tried the Banh Mi or Lamb Roll at Caves or the Chicago Beef Sandwich at the pub, then you've had this bread before!
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 Tivey! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Shrimp Skewers served on a bed of coconut rice with some ginger and cabbage slaw, the skewers will feature citrus-marinated shrimp, zucchini, red bell peppers, and onion.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Bourbon Month 2024
From Alex, Downtown Director
Bourbon Month is just around the corner! We’re buttoning up the last pieces of some of our exciting events, and getting our master info doc ready for you all to review. Over the next few weeks you’ll be scheduled for a bourbon education class to teach you all about the wonderful world of bourbon. Also, as many of you have likely seen from Laura’s Sling message, we are holding some education classes for the special Bourbon Month beers that we are releasing. This will be required for Leads and Managers, and highly recommended/encouraged for the rest of the staff (FOH & BOH, but space is limited) so mark your calendars when those dates are released. This is a big and exciting month for us, and we’re so excited to jump into it with all of you!
From Kelsea, Marketing Director
Marketing is going to put out more information to the public about Bourbon Month, but we want your eyes on it first!
If you don’t know what Bourbon Month is, it’s a full month celebrating all things bourbon and it’s our 16th year hosting it! Launching February 1st and running throughout the entire month, Bourbon Month celebrations will take place at our Downtown Pub and Taproom location, along with a special Portland-based event at Saraveza and Bad Habit Room, and unique offerings at Caves Corvallis.
It’s also our 16th release of Super Nebula bourbon barrel-aged beer series along with it’s exciting variants. With the release of four bourbon barrel-aged beers and a specialty collaboration beer with Hair of the Dog Brewing, our locations will also offer food pairings crafted Sarah Farey, specialty bourbon cocktails by Alex Goodwin and Laura Wilson, and a chance to try 18 select bourbon offerings to complete a Bourbon Month 2024 stamp book. Bourbon Month also includes a more exclusive series of ticketed events, such as the Curated Pairing & Open House Event at the Taproom, Brewers Dinner at the Pub, Bourbon Dinner hosted by Caves Corvallis, and Bourbon Month PDX hosted by Saraveza and Bad Habit Room.
Please get our customers excited about this! Tell them to “join us for our Bourbon Month starting February 1st!” as you’re closing out a table. We will have printed materials coming out this week!
Head here to find more information:
Bourbon Month Events List at a glance
Bourbon Month Kick Off - February 1st
@ Both Block 15 locations
Brewers Dinner - February 2nd
@ Block 15’s Downtown Pub
Tickets required to attend
Curated Pairing & Open House - February 3rd
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Tickets required to participate
Bottle Release - February 3rd
@ Both Block 15 locations
Cheers for Charity with 4 Spirits Distillery & Foundation - February 6th
@ Block 15’s Downtown Pub
Tasting from 5-7pm
Uncle Nearest Education Event - February 8th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Tap Room
Bourbon Month Portland - February 9th
@ Bad Habit Room in Portland
Tickets likely required to attend, TBD
Bourbon Month Portland - February 10th
@ Saraveza in Portland
Caves Bourbon Dinner - February 14th
@ Caves Corvallis
Tickets required to attend
Winter Warmup - February 23rd-24th
@ Block 15’s Brewery & Taproom
Marketing - Deep Seek
Hey Crew! As part of our Deep Seek campaign, we’re going to be diving into the story of the beer a bit more. Deep Seek was built around brewing a solid beer with thoughtfully sourced ingredients and fine tuning it making it an ever evolving product. In other terms, an artist doesn’t stop their work once they are satisfied with the work, they keep building on their skills and perfecting their technique and craft.
With that, the marketing would like to hear from YOU! We know we have some talented folks here at Block 15 and we’re curious what your passions are. This could be your passion project, side hustle, something you dive into on your weekends or time off and we will feature you in our next brewsletter and social media post!
So, what is our staff diving into?
Fill out this form and let us know!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 1/12
A Nugg Hugg // A sticky squeeze of hop nugs embraces you with this aromatic, juicy IPA. This heady charge of hops delivers luscious waves of candied peaches, pineapple, mango, and spruce. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: Juicy, but dank, hazy, but refreshing, A Nugg Hugg defies expectations. A true Block 15 style hazy IPA.
Tasting Notes: Candied Orange. Dank Herbs. Crowd Pleaser.
Series: Perennial
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.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 1/12
A Nugg Hugg // Hazy IPA
Paradise Inferno // We brewed this new West Coast IPA to try the experimental hop, HS16660. Sweet citrus, bright tropical, and an herbaceous kick from a dry and crisp base. // 6.90% ABV
Takeaways: HS16660 is an exciting new hop variety for us to try. We were blown away by the balance of fruit and dankness when we rubbed some pellets we were given to sample. Almost all new hop varieties are juice bombs; it's nice to see something extra punchy come along.
Tasting Notes: Jasmine. Passion Fruit. Balmy.
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.
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: All Draft minus Perpetuals, Hypnosis, and Framboise (and Imagine at the TR)!
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Eminent Point // American IPA
Love Potion #9 // Chocolate Stout with Raspberries
Headhaze // Imperial Hazy IPA, collab with Moonraker Brewing in California
Ocean Man // Baltic Porter
BEER EDUCATION
Weekly Tastings of new releases and some classics:
Tap Room
Tuesdays at 2 pm
Beer 101: Barrel Aging - Making Super Nebula
Written by Ted O’Hanlan, Head Brewer
Bourbon Month is approaching, and the brewery staff is working hard to get all the specialty beers ready to release. This week, we’re finalizing the adjuncting of the Super Nebula variants and bottling them. We also recently got next year’s Super Nebula into barrels and loaded into the barrel room, where they will rest until next winter.
We use a lot of different barrels in our brewery, like the high-quality bourbon barrels for Super Nebula from producers like Willet and Geroge Dickel. Spirit barrels are often sanitary from the strength of the alcohol they hold, but we still steam them after they arrive to ensure we don’t pick up any microorganisms.
After being sterilized by the steam, we fill the barrels with Super Nebula that has already been fermented and given the time for the yeast to settle out naturally. Barrels are loaded into the barrel room, where they remain for a year at a consistent temperature of 65 degrees.
Microoxydation from aging in the porous wooden barrels slowly impacts the flavor of the beer as the character of the bourbon, which is still soaked into the wooden staves, leaches into the beer as well. With time, this deepens the flavor of Super Nebula and impresses new, unique characteristics to it.
Eventually, we pull the beer back out of the barrels and steep it on Cocoa Nibs to add rich, chocolate flavor to the beer. Then it is crashed to 30 F, carbonated, and packaged.
Further Reading:
PUB UPDATES
Officially onto Steelhead Root Beer as of Monday 1/8 – if you receive feedback on the new product, please pass it along to a manager.
Block Water should be served with a small amount of Ice and a Lemon Wheel on the side of the glass as a garnish (gently cut slit through half lemon wheel rest on edge). No crowlers available of Block Water at this time.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
We will be switching to Steelhead root beer from McKenzie Brewing on draft hopefully by this Friday or next week. If you hear of people really missing our root beer please tell a manager or write it on the feedback sheet.
Block Water should be served with a small amount of Ice. At the moment, we are unable to do crowlers or growler fills of the Block Water. The carbonation doesn't hold up, unfortunately.
Please try to be as accurate as you can with entering how many people are in the party in toast when starting a table order! We look at that data weekly to help with scheduling, hours, etc.
This Sunday, all draft beer (excluding perpetuals, hypnosis and imagine) will be on the $5 crowler special. There is a separate menu that is titled “Sunday $5 Crowler Draft Togo” where all crowlers will ring in as $5. No need to apply a discount or anything. Please use that menu when ringing in a crowler that applies to the deal.
Make sure we are keeping busy during slow times! Find a cleaning project, shift change, run a break, etc. utilize that time!
We no longer have hot dogs for the time being so the kids hot dog is off the menu!
Caves UPDATES
Big, exciting news! We will be adding bottles of Cantillon Rosé de Gambrinus (Raspberry Lambic) to our bottle list next Thursday. Beers from this Belgian brewery are incredibly hard to find in the states and we are excited to have our hands on some. There will be more info on the brewery and this selection in this week’s newsletter to get everyone educated and excited.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Ian Harrington - Ian absolutely crushed the rush at the pub over the weekend while holding down the upstairs! He was a huge help that day and was willing to take on a bigger section when we got busy. His beer knowledge is awesome and I love hearing him talk to guests about our product. Great job!
Bailey Birch - For checking up on and making sure everyone is happy, healthy, and content! And for helping out around the tappy when we’ve been short… has an absolute heart of gold, we appreciate your kindness and consideration tenfold!
Levi Stalder - Levi has been insanely helpful around the taproom and deserves major kudos! And, for keeping the ice machine looking as good as it does… thank you!
David Mellison - he’s my boy fr 🤞
Wyatt Dabbs - Wyatt just keeps a great energy with him and has been absolutely killing his prep shifts. You're great dawg!
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
What to do if there is a fire: Sound verbal alarm and guide patrons calmly to the exits, call 9-1-1, if the fire is small and you are able to contain it safely, attempt to extinguish it, if the fire is large evacuate the building and close the doors behind you and go to the assigned meeting place.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Our next Cheers for Charity will be in February during Bourbon Month! Check back for more details.
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 - January 3rd, 2024
General
New Dessert this Friday
We’re switching out Creme Brûlée for Peanut Butter Pie this Friday.
Peanut Butter Pie
Indulgent no-bake peanut butter mousse made with cream cheese and heavy cream on a graham cracker crust and topped with dark chocolate ganache.
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 Simon! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for Hogmanay Pot Pies, which are beef and vegetable pies that are traditional to Scottish New Year celebrations.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
Headhaze t-shirt order
We’re bringing back Headhaze Hazy IPA at the end of this month! Because everyone loved the artwork so much, we will put in a shirt order. Depending on the size run, T-shirts will be around $22-$25 for employees. If you’re interested, please fill out this form so I can ensure your shirt size is ordered! Please fill it out by 10 am Friday morning (1/5). - Kelsea
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 1/5
Highland Hymn // Inspired by the majestic sights and sounds of Scotland, Highland Hymn is a malt-forward crescendo of caramelized sugar and toffee notes accompanied by a robust, and complex finish. // 5.80% ABV
Takeaways: Comforting, cozy, and drinkable; true to style.
Tasting Notes: Fresh Biscuit. Rich Toffee. Spontaneous Ballads
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: Scottish Ale
Scotch ale can refer to a spectrum of beers that are almost all amber to dark with prominent malt flavor and have a light hop flavor and bitterness that leads to a smooth, sometimes decadent drinking experience. Scottish ale usually refers to a beer of moderate strength, between 5% and 6%.
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - Bottles
Releasing Friday 1/5
Hypnosis // Brewed with English malts and matured a year in freshly emptied cognac barrels. Hypnosis is rich, warm, and velvety with innuendos of red flame raisins and marzipan. // 12.50% ABV
Takeaways: Barleywine aged in French cognac barrels, perfect for cold weather, this will warm you from the inside out. Hypnosis is velvety and smooth, with just enough character from the huge barrels from which it is harvested.
Tasting Notes: Red Flame Raisins, Marzipan, Cozy
Series: Cellar
Beer Style: Barleywine Matured in French Cognac Barrels
A historic strong British beer that originated as a farmhouse beer, made from the first runnings of wort in a process called parti-gyle, where multiple beers are made from the same mash, each beer being lower in strength as the sugar is depleted. Modern Barleywines are made as a single product. They are usually at least 10% ABV with a rich malt sweetness and flavor that often expresses as toffee, prune or raisin, and can also be very nutty. They have an aggressive bitterness that balances the sweetness. There are classic British Barleywines and modern American Barleywines, the difference being if the hops are British or American.
COMING UP ON DRAFT
RELEASING Friday 1/5
Highland Hymn // Scottish Ale
Hypnosis // Barleywine Ale matured in French Cognac Barrels
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: All draft minus Perpetuals, Hypnosis, and Framboise.
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
A Nugg Hugg // Hazy IPA
Paradise Inferno // West Coast IPA
Eminent Point // American IPA
Love Potion #9 // Chocolate Stout with Raspberries
Headhaze // Imperial Hazy IPA, collab with Moonraker Brewing in California
Ocean Man // Baltic Porter
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
Sparkle Motion (Bubbles, Aperol, blood orange, lemon, simple and soda water) will be returning this Friday! Currant Mood is also slowly being phased out and will be replaced in the coming weeks once we run through ingredients.
While we will be transitioning to Blood Orange Lemonade this Friday, we will also have Marionberry for a little bit while we run through supplies.
Hosts–as you are putting away menus, please check for stains, extra wrinkly menus, chalk marks, etc, and recycle them. If we are getting low on menus that are in good condition, please ask a manager to print more. We want to ensure that these look good for our customers.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
Happy New Year! Let’s make 2024 an awesome year for all of us!
When restocking beer make sure all options are out in at least 1 of the coolers and double check to not put the same beer in 2 different places in the same cooler. Please keep it tidy and organized!
Please make sure we are consistently spot sweeping throughout the day and fully sweeping everywhere at night. Pay extra attention to under the bar stools and under tables/chairs.
Make sure we are updating tabs in the moment and doing so accurately. If you grab a table another round while taking a lap, ring it in right away before you forget or move on to other things.
Really push packaged beer, draft beer, and merch during January as sales tend to slow down during the beginning of the year with folks doing dry January.
Caves UPDATES
Events
Bourbon Month
Keep an eye out for more details as we get closer to the kick-off in the beginning of February.
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Kailey, Makayla and Levi for being awesome TR managers and taking on extra duties while Madie was gone and keeping things running smoothly. You are so appreciated!
Jack Kellems - he’s a dawg
Gavin Thorud - In Gavin’s first week solo-operating the Wild Goose, they handled all of the Goose’s zigs and zags like a champion! It’s not easy to keep a calm head when operating, but Gav makes it look as easy as breathing.
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
Safety signs have been shown to reduce accidents by up to 80% so make sure to both use and keep an eye out for safety signs in the workplace.
THE PEOPLE’S PINT / CHEERS FOR CHARITY / DINE OUT
Our next Cheers for Charity will be in February during Bourbon Month! Check back for more details.
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 27th, 2023
General
January Monthly Food Specials
Pub January 2024 Monthly Specials Launch Wed 1/3/24
Eggplant Parmesan Sandwich
Breaded & fried eggplant with creamy marinara, melted provolone & fresh basil on house-toasted ciabatta. $14.99
Spaghetti Parma Rosa
Spaghetti, house-made creamy tomato sauce, parmesan, basil, and a jumbo meatball. $16.99
Chicago Braised Beef Sandwich
Spicy pepperoncini, Italian giardiniera, black pepper aioli and melted provolone on a crisp hoagie roll. $16.99
Tap Room January 2024 Monthly Specials Launch Wed 1/3/24
Porkstrami Egg Rolls
House-brined and smoked “porkstrami”, sauerkraut, swiss cheese & stone ground mustard egg roll served with our spicy reuben sauce. $10.99
Mash Paddle Melt
Seasoned NW beef patty, garlic sauteed mushrooms, melted Swiss cheese & house dressing on toasted artisan bread. $16.99
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 Laura! Swing by the Pub this Thursday for a Spam Musubi Bowl, made with spam, nori strips, and an egg, topped with furikake.
We’re always looking for more submissions, so send in those ideas!
UPCOMING PACKAGED BEER RELEASES - cans
RELEASING Friday 12/29
Scientifical // Don your lab coat and enjoy this supercritical display of dankness. We layered waves of sweet citrus, pine resin, and dank herb to scientifically flavorize this beer with an ever-evolving hop blend. // 7.00% ABV
Takeaways: New-Age IPA with old school hops. Nugget has been around a while, but using it as Salvo (a new hop extract) has allowed us to access all its best characteristics.
Tasting Notes: Lime zest, Tangerine, Working hypothesis
Series: Orbital
Beer Style: IPA
Frequency Illusion // Bringing together the holy trifecta of hop blends, we're swapping our selected hop lots of Citra, Simcoe, and Mosaic with Baerlic Beer Co., and vice versa. You might have seen this brew before... or is it an illusion? // 6.30% ABV
Takeaways: Our version features an identical recipe, but made using Baerlic's hops. Citra, Simcoe and Mosaic, the golden trio or IPA hops might bring something unexpected to this beer.
Tasting Notes: Pine, Grapefruit, Vivid
Series: Synergy - collaboration with Baerlic Brewing in Portland, Oregon
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 12/29
Scientifical // IPA
Frequency Illusion // West Coast IPA (collab with Baerlic Brewing)
CROWLER/PACKAGE SALE
Crowler Sale: Hoppy New Year (will run Saturday and Sunday)
UPCOMING / IN PROCESS BEERS
*This list is subject to change based on the brewing schedule, so please keep that in mind!
Hypnosis // Barleywine Ale matured in French Cognac Barrels
Highland Hymn // Scottish Ale
A Nugg Hugg // Hazy IPA
HS16660 Draft Only // West Coast IPA
Eminent Point // American 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: Behind the 2-part Baerlic Collaboration
We participated in a two-part collaboration with Baerlic Brewing out of Portland, Oregon, for Frequency Illusion. You may remember seeing Part 1 of the collab at our locations earlier this month, which was brewed at Baerlic on their direct-fire brewhouse, similar to ours.
Both breweries made the same base malt recipe and used the same varieties of hops. The twist: we swapped! Baerlic used our Simcoe, Mosaic, and Citra hops, and we used theirs in our part of the collab.
Each year during hop selection, we pick a specific lot of hops from a specific field from a specific grower with the attributes we’re looking for. We pick from these “hop lots” to have consistency with our recipes throughout the year. Baerlic does the same.
This collaboration showed how the same variety of hops can express differently based on where they’re grown and the system they’re made on.
PUB UPDATES
We are open until 8pm on New Year’s Eve and regular hours on New Year’s Day. We should be seating up until 8pm, but if folks come in after we are closed, kindly let them know that we are done seating for the evening but that Caves is open until 9pm.
We have a Coravin wine preserving system coming in the next few days that will help keep our wine fresh for up to 4 weeks. Once we have all the pieces, please make sure you use the system every time, rather than taking the cap off of the bottle to pour a glass. A manager will show you how to use it your first time if you pop behind the bar to pour a glass.
TAP ROOM UPDATES
It is extremely important that we make sure we preserve our wine the best we can to ensure customers are getting the quality product we want. Please be sure to date it the day you open it, use the wine preserver spray nightly, and anything still open after 3 days needs to be dumped out and wasted.
We will be open our regular hours on both NYE and New Year’s Day!
As we have new things on the menus whether it be food, cocktails, beers, etc. make sure we are letting customers know, offering samples if we can, and hype them up!
Caves UPDATES
The newsletter for this week will be updated fully on Thursday afternoon, but here is the link in the meantime! Caves Weekly Newsletter 12/27/23 Newsletter will contain info on the specials we are running for New Year’s weekend (Friday-Sunday).
Two new wines this week!
A French Orange wine made from Sémillon grapes: Caves - Bel A Ciao Orange Wine
A new red from Day Wines (a Syrah and Viognier blend) Caves - A Peridot Afternoon (Day Wines)
Events
Check back next week
HIGH FIVE SECTION
Makayla Karnowski - For creating some really tasty cocktails and doing a great job!
Tiva Ward - For always willing to help out when she can and baking delicious treats
Matt Williams - Doing a great job of leading by example with the pub brewery clean-up! We really appreciate you taking that by the horns
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
Be aware of the people working around you and follow one of the Golden Rules of safety, "work as safely with others as you would have them work with you."
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!