The Angry Jew

The rantings of an Angry Jew in The Pacific Northwest

Riddle me this good reader.

What kind of crazy person would stand in line at 10:45 in the morning on a 45 degree day to drink beer?

Coolest Hat Of The Day

Why me of course.

This weekend was Portland’s Holiday Ale Festival, a 4 day long celebration of beers dark and creamy.  As none of my readers were hardy enough to join me on this expedition into “The Dark Side” of Portland’s world of micro brews, Little One and myself headed out on our own to sample some of these fine concoctions.

We arrived at Portland’s living room, Pioneer Courthouse Square, at 10:30.  I was not at all surprised to see we were not the first people there.  At least 40 people were more excited then I was about the days festivities, and we quickly settled into line and began chatting with our fellow beer aficionados.

The first two friends we made were Larry and Mark, friends of long acquaintance and more then willing to share their knowledge of dark beers and the different offerings that would be available for us to sample.  By the time the gates opened, the four of us were already promising to compare notes and share any unique beers we came across.

It’s the great thing about Portland’s beer drinking community.  You make instant friends at these events.  You can be standing alone. completely wrapped up in your own thoughts and before you know it, someone is asking you “Hey, What you got there” or “have you tried anything good?”.  Portland’s beer festivals are definitely not the kind of place to go if you are shy and introverted, you are going to make friends whether you like it or not

The gates opened just a hair after 11:00 and a raucous cheer went up from the assembled crowd, now numbering well over a hundred strong.  We filed past security to get our ID’s checked and our wristbands and then on to the ticket booth were we purchased the required tasting mug and tickets.  One ticket equaled one 4 oz taste, full glasses of a favorite brew could be had for 4 or 5 tickets.

My first stop was at the Widmer tap, for their Collaborator Hallucinator Ale, a strong malty ale with a hint of hops that perfectly balanced the sweetness of the malt.

...and Little One was the designated driver

Little One was swiping brewery coasters off the tables and generally getting the lay out of the large heated tent while I dove back in for my next beer, a creamy porter from Stone Brewing called Stone Smoked Porter with Vanilla Beans.  The description in the festival catalogue was dead on, “Think of it as a root beer float for beer drinkers.”

It was while I was sipping on this that I met my next new friend of the day. A gentleman,  who was also sampling the Stone Porter, clued me into a beer that he swore was a sip of Heaven, Jim 2008.  He said he had sampled the 2006 and 2007 and it was not to be missed.  He directed me to the newest addition to the festival, a 2nd level tasting room with 8 additional taps.  As soon as Little One finished her sample of Imperial Pepper Stout from Lagunitas Brewing, we headed up stairs that I did not think we would try later in the day, if you catch my meaning.

Once there we settled in at a table and I began to sample the wares.  The Jim 2008  was a masterful blend of 4 ales from from 3 different brewers.  While I was away sampling, Little One enjoyed (?) the company of her new best friend Maggie, a more then slightly inebriated woman whose was lamenting the fact that her husband was in Florida.  I offered to buy her a beer when she said “If I have one more of these, I am going to strip naked and dance around the tent.”, but all i got was a kick in the shin from Little One for my trouble.

We headed back downstairs and ran into Larry and Mark.  We joined them in sampling my only disappointment of the day, Drie Zwarte Piten-Sang noir or Three Black Peters-Black Blood.  This was a barrel aged double flanders style sour red.  The idea of blend of beers, some aged in Whiskey barrels, some in Pinot noir and infused with sour Bing Blood Cherries may sound good on paper, but the sour cherry taste of the beer overpowered the flavor.

I got caught up in a conversation with another group who were awsome however, sadly, I must have killed the brain cell that I had stored their names in, occupational hazard.

These two lovely ladies, one of whom coincidentally lives just a few short blocks away from your hero, and a gentleman who I believe was one of their husbands, fell into an instant friend conversation about beers and the great folks you tend to meet at the festivals.  I recommended the Jim 2008 to them and staggered off to rejoin Little One who was enjoying a craft brewed root beer.

Im About Half Toasted At This Point

After a step outside for a smoke, we headed, somewhat, OK, pretty damn unsteadily back upstairs to finish sampling the offerings up there.  I ran back into my “neighbor” who did not at all enjoy the Jim 2008, so as a mea culpa I bought us both an Abbey Grand Cru from New Belguim Brewing Co. that we both thouroughly enjoyed.

After a few more samples and a nibble on some great cheese from Willamette Valley Cheese Company, Little one led me back downstairs for a few more tastes with Larry and Mark.  It was getting on about 2PM and I was well in my cups after 3 hours of almost non stop tasting.  That’s the sneaky part about Beer Festivals, your only drinking 4 oz at a time, but it adds up quick.  I tasted well over twenty beers in three hours…do the math.

There were many more great beers that I tasted, and many more characters who I was privileged to meet that fine day under the tents.  I may not remember the names, but the fellowship and brief friendship’s I shared at this years Holiday Ale Festival will keep me warm all winter long.

Portlands Other Beer Drinking Jew...and HER Husband