They don’t call Oregon Beervana for nothing!  Last week thirteen Oregon breweries claimed a total of 24 medals at the 2009 Great American Beer Festival (GABF) in Denver, Colorado.   Stephanie and Lisa were on site with the flip camera in hand, ready to capture the excitement from some of our hometown winners.

Here’s the first of five videos from GABF.  This one features the fellas from Cascade Brewing Co., who took home the gold medal for the Bourbonic Plague and silver for the Vlad the Imp Aler.  Only beer could get away with these names, right?

Check out Stephanie’s interview with Cascade here:

For more information on Oregon beer, visit the Oregon Brewers Guild website here.

When we started with the Oregon Brewers Guild two years ago, one of our main priorities was to raise awareness about the amazing culinary possibilities of beer and food pairings.  The Guild even went so far as to work with 6 renowned Oregon chefs to create a press release highlighting their favorite recipes and beer recommendations.  We’re glad to see national magazines picking up on this delicious trend!

Check out the April issue of Sunset Magazine, which includes a feature story on food and beer pairings with mentions of Oregon’s own Higgin’s Restaurant and Pelican Pub and Brewery, and start planning your own spring food and beer menu.

… and I like it!

This Saturday, breweries around the state will be opening their doors as part of the Oregon Brewers Guild’s first annual Zwickelmania.   Zwickelmania offers visitors a chance to tour Oregon breweries, meet the brewers and sample their favorite beers, all during Oregon’s Sesquicentennial weekend.

It all takes place at breweries and brewpubs across the state on February 14th, from 1:00 p.m. – 4:00p.m.  The best part – all Zwickelmania events are FREE!

You can find more details and plan your own Zwickelmania itinerary at the Oregon Brewers Guild website.

Click here to see Deschutes Brewery’s Cam O’Connor on KPTV’s “Good Day Oregon” where he gets in the spirit and shows off his zwickel.

Get them while they last!

Sara Perry of the Oregonian interviewed Oregon Brewers Guild President Van Havig for a Q & A column on fresh hop beers. Get your lesson on fresh hops by reading the full article below.

I love this time of year… Halloween and Fresh Hop Beers! It’s times like this that I count my blessings for living in the Northwest. While people everywhere will celebrate Halloween this week, there isn’t another region of the country where you can get the fresh hop experience, and even if you live here you’d better move fast – they only last a few weeks. In order to seize the moment, we did a LAD taste-test of two Oregon fresh hop brews: Deschutes Hop Trip and Rogue Independence. Both were delicious but very different in style. Here’s a recap of our tasting notes, and since we’re so close to Halloween we’ve given the beers their own costume equivalents.

Festive Fresh Hop Beer

Deschutes Hop Trip / Jack Skellington: Sophisticated, fresh, fruity and smells like a hop farm. This beer was layered with a bright nose and dry palate that evaporates off the tongue leaving you curious for more. Herbal without the intense bitterness, it would be the hit of Halloween Town.

Rogue Independence / A Pirate : Dominant, intense, bitter and might knock you over the head. Simple, but tried and true and always fun. This beer had more hop intensity, with rich malt and caramel flavors. The quintessential hop lover’s beer with a big pop. Get ready to walk the plank, matey…. arrggh.