CBC 2015
It’s one of the jewels of the Pacific Northwest, and possibly the most scenic beer destinations that we have encountered to this point. For years now a visit Portland, Oregon has been on the radar. It’s a place that has long been the standard for what an American craft beer metropolis looks like. As of last year there were 83 breweries in the Portland Metro Area, not bad for a town that has about 500,000 people in city limits.
The Craft Brewers Conference is the annual beer expo / trade show hosted by the Brewers Association. This party invades a different city every year and provides seminars, events and networking opportunities. It also showcases the latest advances in services and products for the industry. This year 11,500 attended the week-long conference. To celebrate, the Oregon Craft Breweries Guild created 6 different Symposium Ales for attendees.
The Welcome Reception was held at Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It was the stadium used in the 70’s before the current home of the Portland Trailblazers, Moda Center was built. The ceremony was circus themed with performances being held on both the main event floor and the 100 level concourses.
Welcome Ceremony, Veterans Memorial Coliseum*
circus performance on 2 levels of the stadium*
keynote speeches included Gary Fish, Deschutes CEO and BA President Charlie Papazian*
With 81 seminars, 600 exhibitors and 15 sponsored demonstrations; there was quite a bit to take in at the Oregon Convention Center.
During the Art and Science of Dry Hopping seminar New Belgium estimated that they use about 15,000 lbs of hops…per week!!!
Some takeaways from this year for us included:
-Witnessing the power of the new 3 Floyds packaging machine in motion.
-Chatting up Amorium Cork America and discovering that Ommegang’s Game of Thrones is their top cork order annually.. Ommegang is also their number one account.
-The wide range of experimental hops on display at German Hop Growers Association
-In Los Angeles County you can have a brewpub and distribute your own beer.
-American craft breweries exported 383,422 bbls last year up 36%
-There are currently 3418 craft breweries with 46 closing and 615 openings as of last year.
-In Portland, Oregon craft beer represents a 46% market share. A-B and MillerCoors only represent 40% combined.
Portland is a magical place. Cities this small rarely have this much personality. I only had two regrets – 1. I had to come home. 2. That I would be missing the World Beer Cup. That event takes place every other year at CBC. In 2016 Philadelphia will be the host city.
–Nkosi
*denotes photo courtesy of Jason E. Kaplan
**Cheers to my pal Rob Sama from Baderbrau. I spent much of the week catching up, walking 10,000 steps a day with him and getting the scoop on the property in South Loop, Chicago that will soon be home to his new brewery.
For more about after parties, brewery events and the scene while were were in town be sure to subscribe to the Chicago Beer Pass podcast for Part 2 of our CBC 2015 coverage.
Here’s a look at all 6 of the Oregon Craft Brewers Guild 2015 CBC Symposium Ales
Chucklehead
5.2% Berliner Weisse
Central Oregon collaboration between Deschutes Brewery, Three Creeks Brewing, Worthy Brewing, and McMenamins Old St. Francis School Brewery.
The Spirit of the 90’s
Northwest Amber Ale – Portland Metro collaboration between Breakside Brewery, Gilgamesh Brewing, Hopworks Urban Brewery, Laurelwood Brewing, Portland Brewing and Sandstone Brewing.
(we had to do a) Northwest IPA
Northwest India Pale Ale 7.3%
a Willamette Valley collaboration between Caldera Brewing, Double Mountain Brewing, Falling Sky Brewing, Fort George Brewing, Mazama Brewing, Ninkasi Brewing and Oakshire Brewing.
Imperial Blitz
6.5% It tastes like the greatest cheap beer you’ve ever had in the 1980s. Brewed in honor of the men and women of Portland’s original brewery, Blitz Weinhard
A Portland Metro collaboration between Baerlic Brewing, Base Camp Brewing, Burnside Brewing, Ecliptic Brewing, Gigantic Brewing, Lompoc Brewing, Old Town Brewing and Widmer Brothers Brewing
Gose
4.5% This Gose was kettle soured with Lactobacillus brevis from Wyeast Laboratories and then fermented with Occidental’s house Kölsch yeast strain, and uses Oregon sea salt to mimic the water profile originally used to make this style of beer.
A Portland Metro collaboration between Ambacht Brewing, The Common Brewery, Occidental Brewery and Stickmen Brewing.
Cascadian Dark Lager
6.2% A robust, hoppy and highly drinkable dark lager.
An Oregon Coast collaboration between Buoy Brewing, Heater Allen Brewing, Two Kilts Brewing and Pelican Pub Brewery
