Merchant du Vin 12/4

 

Specialty beer importer Merchant du Vin was founded in 1978, a time when Americans could not buy the world's classic beer styles - in fact, unless they had travelled to Europe most Americans had never even heard of pale ale, hefeweizen, or Trappist ale. MdV founder Charles Finkel realized that the flavors found in the great beers of England, Germany and Belgium were a universal pleasure that should be available to all adults.

The goal of Merchant du Vin is to enhance people's lives via the unmatched aromas and flavors found in great beer. Merchant du Vin's selling proposition is to educate the consumer and arouse curiosity as to the differences among the classic beer styles, and to make these beers available for purchase at stores, restaurants, and bars. Merchant du Vin's portfolio of beers comes from the nations with deep, rich brewing traditions: England, Scotland, Germany, and Belgium.

Tasting at Uptown on Thursday, December 4th, from 5pm-7pm

Bourbon County Release Party! 12/6

 

Bottles go on sale promptly at 6pm, tasting goes from 8pm to close.  We will have a keg, and Goose Island will be here pouring!  It truly will be a night to remember.

Ballast Point Tasting 12/12

 

IT BEGINS WITH THE SEARCH FOR FLAVOR

The perfect balance of taste and aroma. An obsession with ingredients. An exploration of techniques. And while we savor the result, we’re just as fascinated by the process to get there. What started as a small group of home brewers, who simply wanted to make a better beer, evolved into the adventurers known today as Ballast Point.

After developing a taste for beer in college, founder Jack White decided to try making more interesting beer than he could find in the store or at a keg party. He developed a talent for home brewing in his back yard and soon realized it wasn’t easy to get access to the various supplies and ingredients he wanted—nor did he have anyone with whom to trade ideas about brewing.

In 1992, Jack opened Home Brew Mart, which he filled with the supplies, ingredients, and conversation every brewer needed to make better beer at home. Soon after, he found a collaborator in Yuseff Cherney, a fellow home brewer with a similar passion and a set of home brewing awards to boot. Together, they decided to open a “back room” brewery out of Home Brew Mart. In 1996, Ballast Point Brewing was born.

Tasting at Uptown on Friday, December 12th, from 5pm-8pm

Natian Brewery Tasting 11/21

We’re like the Millenium Falcon, we may not be much to look at but we got it where it counts, kid.

First brewery in Portland, Oregon to package beer in aluminum cans!  We are now operating on a 10bbl system after upgrading from our little 1bbl nano-brewery.  After 3 years of churning out tiny, little, mini “nano” batches on a non-stop basis, we actually get to have a little time left over for events and minor necessities like sleep.

Located near the NE Sandy Blvd/Burnside intersection we’re brewing away in the big bay windows you pass right when Sandy turns into Couch St.  We are monkeys on display through the brewery windows & are always willing to put on a show for anyone that stops by to peer/leer/stare in.

Tasting at Uptown Market this Friday, November 21st from 5pm-8pm

Golden Valley Tasting 12/18

 

Golden Valley is family owned and started in McMinnville, the heart of the Oregon Wine Country, in 1993. Golden Valley is the twelfth brewery to startup in Oregon since 1980.

Every day, we provide our guests with fine handcrafted beers from our brewery, all natural, dry aged Angus beef raised on our family ranch with spring fed pastures and Golden Valley Brewery grain, organically raised produce from our gardens, and excellent Oregon wines from the great Willamette Valley. Our diverse menu offers, exceptional burgers, dry aged had cut steaks, pastas, fresh NW seafood, entrée salads, designer sandwiches, and a full range of entrees. All of our food is made in house from scratch using fresh local ingredients whenever possible.

Tasting at Uptown from 5pm-8pm on December 18th.

Lagunitas Tasting Thurs. 11/6

 

From points distant and beyond we all converged on Petaluma in 1993 and ’94 with an unenunciated desire to be more than we were before. The core of Lagunitas came from Chicago, St Louis, Memphis, Walker Creek, and the highlands of Quincy.

The Chicago contingent initiated the brewing and the gravitational effect of its suchness did the rest. We all loved the beer but the mission was larger than the ordinary joy of a hoppy-sweet quaff. It was driven unseen by an urge to communicate with people, to find our diasporidic tribe, and to connect with other souls adrift on a culture that had lost its center and spun its inhabitants to the four winds to wander lost and bereft with a longing to re-enter the light. Beer, we have learned, has always been a good lubricant for social intercourse!

The Lagunitas Brewing Co. was not so much an act of ordinary ‘foundling’ as it was willed into being by the unspoken desire of supportive beer-lovers in Northern California after which they continued to nurture their creation and urged us forward to fulfill the unifying needs of that same beer-loving diaspora from coast to coast and beyond. It is good to have friends!

Tasting at Uptown from 5pm-8pm on Thursday, November 6th

2 Towns Cider & Flat Tail Tasting! 11/13

Three childhood friends—living in 2 different towns—banded together with meager savings and a love of craft brewing and cider to launch 2 Towns Ciderhouse in 2010. This trinity seeks to advance the craft cider industry through mixing both old and new cider techniques and experimentation.

2 Towns Ciderhouse started with the goal of bringing hard cider back to the people. With deep roots in American history, true craft cider deserves to be made with purpose and respect. Once the most popular drink in America, cider is making a comeback, and we are proud to be a part of this resurgence. We planted our own orchard in 2012, and continue to support other local apple growers by insisting on using only the finest fresh pressed-100% NW apples in our ciders. We never take shortcuts in the cider-making process, and never add any sugar or essence flavorings, but instead let the fresh, naturally fermented ingredients speak for themselves.

Joining Two Towns for our Thursday tasting will be Flat Tail Brewing, whose motto is "Work Hard, Eat, Drink & Enjoy Life"

Check it out! Try some beer, or some cider, or both!

Tasting starts at 5pm. Thursday, November 13th.

Firestone Walker Friday 11/14

 

It began innocently enough: a couple of brothers-in-law sitting around debating the subject of good and bad beer. Instead, their search for a decent ale led them to brew their own. Given Mr. Firestone’s winemaking bias and Mr. Walker’s complete lack of fermentation experience, they believed 60-gallon oak barrels were the appropriate vehicle in which to create their perfect elixir.

OK, so initial attempts were forgettable. But like so many great ideas, out of that disaster was born a handy invention – the Firestone Union. Based on classic brewing traditions from Burton-Upon Trent, this bizarre and unlikely system of linked barrels has the ability to produce rich and complex ales. In 1996 the accidental duo shelved their endless discussion on better beers and settled for building a world-class brewery that bore their names on California’s Central Coast……the debate was now over.

Tasting from 5pm-8pm at Uptown. Friday, November 14th.

Pyramid/Portland Brewing

 

Considered to be the epicenter of the American craft brewing resurgence, Portland, Oregon is home to more breweries than any other city in America. Portland Brewing was one of the first craft brewers in the city and created Portland’s original Amber Ale. A favorite throughout the years, when Portlander’s say “Gimme a Mac’s” it’s understood they want the crisp, distinct flavor that MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale is known for.

Tasting from 5pm-8pm

Uptown Halloween Party! 10/30

 

Costume contest with prizes!  Come dressed in costume for discounted pints!

This year's Halloween Party at Uptown will feature a tasting with 10 Barrel Brewing.  The tasting begins at 5pm!

Mazama Tasting Saturday 11/1

 

The Klamath tell many stories of the powerful gods Llao and Skell whose fights created the explosion of Mount Mazama. In 5700 BC this eruption created Oregon's famous Crater Lake. Llao's head is said to be the creaggy Wizard Island.

Mazama Brewing is a packaging brewery in Corvallis Oregon own and operated by Jeff and Kathy Tobin. They started home brewing in 1984 and knew they had found a passion in their new hobby. Their brewing pursuits included making beer styles that were once very difficult to find in the United States. This finally led to a long delay trip the Belgium in 2011, which provided the inspiration to start Mazama brewing.

This special tasting will feature a take home tulip style event featuring some powerful Belgian style beers (ABV 8% and up folks!)

Burnside Tasting Friday 11/28

 

When Burnside Brewing Co. opened its doors in 2010, the vision was concise. Focus on easy to drink beers that accompany and enhance the culinary experience. Brew master Jason McAdam is a creative trendsetter in brewing, bold enough to take risks and smart enough to leave a creative impression on your taste buds. He balances our desires for tradition such as the Oatmeal Pale, then throws in food inspired beers such as the Sweet Heat, an apricot wheat beer dry hopped with scotch bonnet peppers that is reminiscent of a Caribbean chutney.

Burnside has also extended this alchemist approach in their food using indigenous and handcrafted ingredients making anything possible. You will encounter tasty lineups such as the “Cohiba” duck confit cigar with a Stock Ale, homemade seasonal brewery sausages with our IPA, or a Brewery Burger with our signature Oatmeal Pale Ale.

Tasting at Uptown Market from 5pm-8pm on Friday, November 28th.

Pumpkin Carving Contest! 10/26

 

Sunday, October 26th at 2pm: Pumpkin carving contest at Uptown!

Beer!  Fun!  Prizes!

This weekend at Uptown:

Sunday October 26th we will be hosting a Pumpkin Carving Contest with a bonus BARREL AGED BEER TASTING.

That's right, we will be kicking off the rainy season right with a six-beer flight of barrel-aged goodness that will be sure top warm you up and brighten your spirits!

Carve a pumpkin, drink some beer, and be merry! Fall is here and we couldn't be more pleased!

Contest and tasting start at 2pm, prizes will be awarded!

We will provide the pumpkins and carving kits.

Ex Novo Tasting 10/17

Brewing great beer blends art and science. We exist to blend fine craft beer with positive social change. Ex Novo translates as "from scratch”, and we’ve been hard at work building a 10-barrel non-profit brewery from the ground up. That's right, we said non-profit. Don't get us wrong, we aren't opposed to making money. On the contrary, we want to make as much as we can, so we can give it away. We are committed to donating 100% of our net profits to organizations that are working to affect positive social change both in Portland and around the world.

Tasting at Uptown Market from 5pm-8pm

Sierra Nevada Tasting! 10/23

"Inspired by the nearby Sierra Nevada Mountains, our beers are designed to be as bold, wild and unwavering as those storied granite peaks. With respect to tradition and an unbridled passion for innovation, Sierra Nevada beers are inspired by the philosophy that anything is possible. We are committed to pushing the boundaries of craft beer and we look forward to the day that flavorful beers are the standard throughout the world."

-Sierra Nevada

Tasting at Uptown Market Thursday, October 23rd from 5pm-8pm.  See you then!

Oakshire Tasting this Thursday! 10/2

 

Begun in October 2006 by brothers Jeff and Chris Althouse, Oakshire Brewing is a 15-barrel production brewery in Eugene, Oregon dedicated to making fine craft beer.  What began as a home-brewing hobby and a love of beer has turned into award-winning beer on draft and in bottles throughout the Pacific Northwest.

The name Oakshire represents our core values: Strength, like the enduring Oak; Independence, which fuels our innovation; and Community, remembering our place within the whole.

-Oakshire Brewing

Tasting this Thursday at Uptown! 5pm-8pm

Woodchuck Cider Tasting! 10/3

 

We set out to create a truly American hard cider – a feat that hadn’t really been accomplished in the last 200+ years. (Sorry, but we just can’t count the stuff your grandpa made in “The Woodshed.”) The crafting process started with the Vermont Old-Fashioned Hard Cider we already had on hand. Countless changes were made, not the least of which was taking the alcohol content down from 12% to 5%. After three months of blood, sweat and tears, a new cider was born. (Don’t worry, we kept all the blood sweat and tears out of the cider.)

The Vermontiest of Vermonters are sometimes called “woodchucks” and this seemed like a pretty good name for our small-batch, Vermont-based cider.

-Woodchuck Cider

Tasting at Uptown from 5pm-8pm!

Pelican Tasting 10/9

In 1995, Jeff Schons and Mary Jones purchased an old brick building on the oceanfront in Pacific City.  Over Sunday morning coffee, Jeff and Mary came up with the idea of opening an oceanfront micro-brewery.  As they knew almost nothing about the brewing process, they decided to attend a Craft Brewers conference in Portland.

While at the conference it occurred to Mary that there might be a brewer there that might be interested in joining the Pelican Pub & Brewery.  On a hand-written 3 x 5 notecard tacked to a bulletin board, Mary scribbled the details of what they were looking for.

It was this notecard that caught Darron Welch's attention.  After several eager phone calls to Jeff and Mary, Darron and his fiance moved to Pacific City and Darron began brewing test batches of beer down the street in mini-storage units while the Pelican was under construction.  On May 4, 1996, the Pelican opened its doors and the rest is history.

Tasting at Uptown from 5pm-8pm

Friday Night Double-Whammy! 10/10

Classically refined, but not styled as a traditional "sweet beer" beer alternative, Crispin ciders are crisp and clean, not sweet and sticky and never sacrifice superior quality refreshment satisfaction for overbearing complexity.

Always true to the fruit, Crispin Hard Ciders are naturally fermented using fresh-pressed apple or pear juice, not from concentrate, from a premium blend of fruit from the west coast. Additionally, Crispin Ciders do not contain added malt, grape wine, or spirit alcohol. Crispin Ciders are all Gluten Free.

Crispin offers 7 different apple ciders: Original, Brut, The Saint, The Bohemian, Honey Crisp, and Cidre Blanc Boxed Still cider. In addition there is the fully imported Browns Lane, which is a classic English Dry Cider. Crispin now also offers 3 different pear ciders: Pacific Pear, Blackberry Pear, and Lion Belge.

Silver Moon Brewery has a profound history with Bend, Oregon. What started as Bend's first brew shop evolved into Bend's 3rd local brewery and tasting room, as well as the only brewery that doubled as a speakeasy.

As residents of Bend know, friendships are born at brew events. It was at a craft beer event in 2009 that former owner Tyler Reichart met Matt Barrett and James Watts. Over time, an idea was planted and formulated. Soon after, Matt and James turned a small dream to solid reality by becoming the new owners of Silver Moon Brewery.

Matt and James plan to honor the grounded roots of Silver Moon by continuing to brew extraordinary beer, hosting local music, and celebrating the people that made the pub what it is today.

The trio took over the brewery in July 2013, bringing with them a branding which signifies the new lunar phase in Silver Moon's journey. And while Matt and James are planning a modest remodel of the taproom, they will keep the music scene alive as well as continue to explore the art of craft brewing. They are also excited to give back to the community by being involved in local non-profits.

Friday Night Tasting Double-Whammy begins at 5pm and goes until 8pm.

21st Amendment! 10/24

 

In 2000, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan founded the 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. The popular brewpub is now at the heart of the new city center, just south of the financial district and only two blocks from the San Francisco Giants baseball park. In addition to eight rotating taps of multiple award-winning hand-crafted house beers, the pub has been voted “Best Brewpub”, “Best Burger” and “Best Happy Hour” by the San Francisco press.

Freccia and O’Sullivan met in early 1995 in San Francisco. Both had just moved from southern California to the Bay area when they heard the calling of beer. O’Sullivan, a former photographer and paralegal, “traded his suits for boots and was saved by beer”. He moved to Berkeley and took a job as assistant brewer at the Triple Rock Brewery there. Freccia, a writer, actor and, by extension, restaurant professional, was also an avid homebrewer. Frustrated with the lack of beer culture in the L.A. area, he moved to San Francisco and began writing for the Celebrator Beer News, the west’s largest beer publication. Freccia and O’Sullivan met, became friends and, while sitting together in a summer class on brewing science at UC Davis, hatched their plan for what would become the 21st Amendment.

Tasting at Uptown Market from 5pm-8pm