The daytime tasting fest celebrates local craft beers and the musicians who brewed them. by Ben Salmon Jeff Cooley is a brewer of beers and a district brewery manager for McMenamins. He’s also the drummer for Cede the Clouds, a buzzy, Portland-based punk band. It’s hard to tell exactly which of those roles he’s talking about when he describes the process of brewing a beer. Or writing a tune. Or both. “It starts with an idea, a collaboration between the band or the brewing staff,” Cooley said. “Over time, the idea is fleshed out and fine-tuned to become a tasty song or delicious beverage. Then ..read more

Barrel-aged beers are the bear hugs of the beer world.  Between Alan Sprints' retirement collaborations, Breakside and Baerlic trying out new blends, and Fort George and Ferment brewing ahead, things are looking promising for Pacific Northwest barrel-aged beers. by Brian Yaeger If a classic American pale is like a high five, a hazy IPA a fist bump, and a Belgian lambic a peck on both cheeks, barrel-aged beers are the bear hugs of the beer world. Typically, the barrels that age them are former bourbon homes, since those casks can only be used once by distillers—and they make beer taste so ..read more