Annie Henderson and Austin Jevne first founded Forager Brewery — a brewpub in Rochester, Minnesota, serving wood-fired and pouring a range of beers designed by Jevne — in 2015. Soon the pair realized there was demand for Forager’s beer beyond their walls. Just one problem: Minnesota’s antiquated beer laws don’t allow brewpubs to sell their beers through distribution. October 2019, Henderson and Jevne announced plans to begin beer production out of Wisconsin — Jevne’s home state — under the name Humble Forager Brewery. The new brand will allow Forager to sidestep a Minnesota law by contract brewing at Octopi Brewing
Peaks and Pints New Beer in Stock 5.2.24 Some fresh new arrivals in the Peaks & Pints cooler to take home and plenty of delicious options on draft to enjoy while shopping. Cheers! AURA, Great Notion Brewing: Bright, juicy hazy IPA brewed with experimental hop oil along with a large dry hop of Citra and Citra Cryo for citrus tang, 7.2%, 16oz BICYCLE DAY, Great Notion Brewing: Fruited sour with mixed berry aromas, fresh stone fruit and citrus flavor plus a colorful surprise, 7.5%, 16oz BOARD SHORTS, Block 15 Brewing: Brewed in memory of original Block 15 bar manager, Seth,
Tacoma Arts Live offers a unique immersive experience on the art of the French painter Claude Monet at the Tacoma Armory through May 12, 2024. “Imagine Monet” is the exhibition created by the French directors Annabelle Mauger and Julien Baron, the world’s first directors of a digital immersive exhibition. Imagine Monet starts with the famous painting Impression, Sunrise (1872) and closes with the renowned Water Lilies series (1914-1926). This experience features more than 200 well-known masterpieces by the French impressionist with 360° projections on walls and floor plunging visitors into a waking dream, thanks to state-of-the-art Image Totale© technology. Monet
Englishman Adam Robbings’ beer recipes killed at homebrew competitions, including winning the silver medal at the National Homebrewing Competition in 2012, and his talent, along with a Kickstarter campaign that raised close to $11,000, eventually earned him, and his wife, Grace, their own brewery — Reuben’s Brews officially opened in Seattle’s Ballard district in August 2012, which they named after their son, Reuben. Since then, the team has accrued an astounding number of accolades, including many World Beer Cup medals including a gold this year for their Three Ryes Men barleywine. Reuben’s has released several beers in the last two
Peaks & Pints has Avery Brewing’s Barrel-Aged Series bottles in our cooler. Peaks and Pints raided Avery Brewing’s Cellar In 1993, Adam Avery launches his Avery Brewing Company in a garage off an alley in Boulder, making him one of the pioneers of Colorado’s craft beer scene. At first, consumers were apprehensive when it came to the new tastes Avery introduced to the market place. In 1996, Avery was among the first breweries in Colorado to offer an IPA. Many of the deliveries were returned because the beer tasted too bitter. Pushing the limits in the
In late 2010, Corvallis homebrewers Aaron Sarnoff-Wood and Lee Larsen filled a gap in the college town’s drinking scene — cider. The duo opened 2 Towns Ciderhouse crafting unique ciders brewed with the traditional English and French-style’s tannic apples, Oregon grown, of course. Named after the cities of Corvallis and Eugene (Larsen’s a Beaver; Sarnoff-Wood a Duck), their childhood friend, Dave Takush, joined the company and his master’s degree in fermentation science at Oregon State University helped him eventually become 2 Towns head cidermaker. Now the number one independent cidery in the country, 2 Towns has more than 100 employees
Triplehorn Brewing’s Amber Clowes raises her Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Champion, Folkvang Red. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers winner and recap Amber ale in 2024 might seem a little passé in a world dominated by hazies, adjunct-laden stouts and barrel-aged beasts. But not that long ago, amber was the ale that practically built the craft beer house, as you have witness during the Peaks & Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers. Immensely sessionable and immediately recognizable, amber ales were easy to drink — making it an enticing prospect to macro drinkers looking
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Lovettorenan and Monicadriel call the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Championship Game with the rest of Fellowship. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Championship and Party Peaks barkeep Mathrandir helped keep the Fellowship together. PAPPI THE GREY: The titanic amber throwdown finale is on! Voting for the Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Championship Game is live. After three weeks of voting, you have picked the most popular amber and red ales brewed in Washington and Oregon. What began as 64 malt-slinging ambers and
For the past three weeks, Peaks & Pints pitted Middle-Northwest’s best ambers and red ales in a head-to-head battle of malts. We speak, of course, of the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers. Sixty-four amber and red ales brewed in the lands of Oregon and Washington were selected and seeded by the public throughout February, separated into four geographical regions: Northern Washington, Southern Washington, Northern Oregon, and Southern Oregon with only one amber or red per brewery. Through voting on Peaks’ Instagram Stories, amber and red ale drinkers have been picking winners until the best amber and red ale in Middle-Northwest is
Welcome to the Peaks & Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Final Four! Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Final Four PAPPI THE GREY: Welcome to the Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Final Four everyone! I’m Peaks & Pints co-owner Pappi the Grey and believe it or not there have been days during this amber and red ale tournament when, by noon or so, it was already obvious which beer would be moving on and which would be going home. There were blowouts … oh were there ever. Oh, but yesterday
It’s been a whirlwind 17 years for Fort George Brewery. The Astoria, Oregon, started with an actual whirlwind and this month, created a whirlwind with their flagship Vortex IPA. This April 2024 they are celebrating Vortex Month, a great time to revisit or try an all-new version of the now classic Oregon IPA. You can try them all tonight at Peaks & Pints in Tacoma’s Proctor District. We’ll be tapping Vortex IPA, Double Dry Hopped Vortex, Cryotex, and Vortex Hands, a collaboration with their friends at Block 15 Brewing, plus other draft beers from the Fort George and Block 15.
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Bilbo Brandon and Mathrandir break down the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Ethanol 8. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 25 BILBO BRANDON: The Ethanol 8 is fully fleshed out: Stemma First Amber, Triplehorn Folkvang Red, Top Rung Box Alarm Amber, Triceratops Collin James Irish Red, Pelican Sea’N Red, Double Mountain I.R.A., Boneyard Diablo Rojo, and Block 15 Ridgeback Red. It’s interesting to note that number 16th seed First Amber made it to the final eight, Boneyard Diablo Rojo is the only number one seed remaining, and Thurston County
Pappi The Grey discusses the Top Rung Brewing versus 7 Seas Brewing match-up. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 24 PAPPI THE GREY: The best amber and red ales in Middle-Northwest? You think you know where to find it. We all do. After weeks of feverish voting using algorithms, classifiers, and processes, we at Peaks & Pints have watched you, beloved voters, narrow down 64 ambers and red brewed in Oregon and Washington to the very best 16, the maltiest of the crop. Yesterday, the first eight ambers and reds in the Saccharification
Peaks & Pints barkeep Amber Baggins and co-owner Pappi the Grey call the opening day of the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Saccharification 16. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 23 AMBER BAGGINS: Amber ale in 2024 might seem a little passé in a world dominated by hazies, adjunct-laden stouts and barrel-aged beasts. But not that long ago, amber was the ale that practically built the craft beer house. Immensely sessionable and immediately recognizable, amber ales were easy to drink — making it an enticing prospect to macro drinkers looking for something different
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Lovettorenan and Monicadriel preview the last four games of the Second Round of the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 22 MONICADRIEL: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, wizards, Elves, and Dwarves, to the 2024 Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Pale Ales from the historic Proctor District in beautiful Tacoma, Washington. I’m Peaks & Pints barkeep Monicadriel and welcome to day 12 of the Tournament. The last eight amber and red ales in the Second Round are rested from the weekend off and
Peaks & Pints co-owner Pappi the Grey announces yesterday’s Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Second Round winners. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 20 PAPPI THE GREY: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, Wizards, Elves, and Dwarves, to the 2024 Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers from the historic Proctor District in beautiful Tacoma, Washington. I’m Peaks & Pints co-owner Pappi the Grey and I’m here to guide your though yesterday’s Second Round action, then take the rest of the weekend off — if you call drinking 20 barleywines at the Parkway
In 2019, Brody Day and Dustin Harder converted a 1909 church on the corner of Northwest Broadway and 24th Street in Portland into Steeplejack Beer, a brewery, taproom, and restaurant that still looks like a church — a very cool church. The building’s stained-glass windows loom above the brewery’s tanks and bar, and pews serve as banquettes for the wooden tables at the center of the space. The women-led brewing team mainly brews at 30-barrel production brewery in Hillsboro. In celebration of today’s Record Store Day, Steeplejack Beer Sales Director Tim Ensign will be in the house with his beer
6-Pack of Things To Do: April 19-22, 2024 Tournament of Beer, 420 Beer Flight, Junior Daffodil Parade, Double Shot Theater Festival, and other events in Tacoma and beyond. … TOURNAMENT OF BEER: For two weeks now, Peaks & Pints has hosted the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers. Sixty-four amber and red ales brewed in the lands of Oregon and Washington were selected and seeded by the public throughout February, separated into four geographical regions: Northern Washington, Southern Washington, Northern Oregon, and Southern Oregon with only one amber or red per brewery. The top 64 vote getters — the cream of
There’s no shortage of things you can do to prepare for 4/20, like, say, visiting numerous dispensaries and buying copious amounts of deeply discounted cannabis and cannabis products, and then, you know, consuming them Saturday, perhaps in a Mrs. Butterworth’s bong or Cheech & Chong joint. Hey, so long as you consume responsibly and don’t drive afterward, of course. Or you could lounge around on the couch or in the backyard and enjoy drinking beers that are “dank,” a term that means pungent, funky, and odoriferous, to both good weed and very hoppy IPAs. Dank means an extremely overpowering odor
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Phaedra of Rohan and Bilbo Brandon discuss Thursday’s games, including the close “Haus” game. Phaedra of Rohan and Bilbo Brandon note Kulshan Brewing always has an impressive amount of wins in our Tournaments due to their large fanbase. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 19 BILBO BRANDON: Peaks & Pints honestly had no idea how well the Tournament of Beers: Northwest Ambers would be received. First, ambers and reds might seem a little passé in a world dominated by hazies, adjunct-laden stouts, and barrel-aged beasts.
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Bilbo Brandon and Mathrandir recap yesterday’s Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Second Round. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 18 BILBO BRANDON: Beginning April 23, we’ll have cut the field of 64 Middle-Northwest ambers and reds to the Saccharification 16. April 25, it’ll drop to the Ethanol 8. April 27, we’ll announce the winner of the Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers — picked by you, of course — at our little lodge in Tacoma’s Proctor District. On that Saturday, we’ll cut the online voting at 5
Peaks & Pints co-owner Pappi the Grey is thrilled the Second Round has arrive. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 17 PAPPI THE GREY: Now it’s getting exciting. The grain bags are really starting to fly, and the mouthfeels are getting so thick you could cut them with a knife. OK, so that’s a horrible analogy. Point is: This is serious. Hello, everyone! I’m Pappi the Grey flying solo in the broadcast booth. Today, the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers officially kicks off its Second Round, meaning 32 Oregon and Washington brewed amber
Today’s Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers is being called by Peaks & Pints barkeeps Mathrandir and Phaedra of Rohan (she can’t watch the Backwoods versus Grains of Wrath game because it’s so close). Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 16 MATHRANDIR: Low and behold, today marks the closing of the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers First Round. After today’s battles the bracket will officially be down to 32 Oregon and Washington brewed amber and red ales, and breweries start hiring cheerleaders. Honestly, if it gets any more exciting, we’ll start to understand why
Peaks & Pints barkeep Lovettorenan and Monicadriel call Day 7 of the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 15 MONICADRIEL: More than a week ago we pitted 64 of the Northwest’s best — voted in by the public — in a head-to-head battle of amber and red ales. Today marks the second to last day of First Round action. Tuesday, the last eight Washington and Oregon brewed ambers and red ales will enter the arena bright eyed and fresh. At the end of that day, four ambers and
In 2009, Neil Fisher began home brewing with friends in his garage. Fisher’s driveway held a lot of friends’ cars during those homebrewing days, and they all drank a lot of those homebrewed beers. Then Fisher threw down the gauntlet. He announced to his buds that if he medaled at the homebrew competition attached to the 2014 Big Beers, Belgians and Barleywines festival, which was held at the time in Vail, Colorado, then he would consider opening a brewery. He won two medals. Eleven months later he poured his first beer at his WeldWerks Brewing in Greeley, Colorado. His hefeweizen
Peaks & Pints barkeep Mathrandir recaps yesterday’s action, which included a couple upsets. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 13 MATHRANDIR: Well, by the beard of Gimli! It’s mid-April, and confusticate if all that “madness” isn’t still in the air! What’s one to do with all that pent up “madness?” It can make for quite a dilemma. … Unless, of course, you’ve found something like Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers to help get you through. Hello Middle-Northwest! I’m Peaks barkeep Mathrandir and beer enthusiasts are voting on the best amber
You respected him when he brewed at Full Sail Brewing. You worshipped him when he was head brewer at pFriem Family Brewers. You cheered him when he help build Living Haus Beer Co. And now you applaud him at one-half of his dream brewery, Hetty Alice Beers. Gavin Lord is respected and beloved in the Oregon beer community. His latest venture, Hetty Alice with marketing manager, communications expert, gastronomy graduate, and wife, Giselle Kennedy Lord, and named after his maternal grandmother, Hetty Alice, showcases his love and passion for beer. He’s brewing inside Living Haus, which was agreed upon by
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Phaedra of Rohan and Bilbo Brandon run down today’s amber and red ales match-ups. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 12 BILBO BRANDON: The subject of malty ambers and red ales is, like the subject of barbecue, vexed and fraught with controversy. What constitutes a great amber or red? Who makes the best in the Middle-Northwest? Everyone seems to have his or her own favorite, and everyone’s an expert. Hello, folks, I’m Peaks & Pints barkeep Bilbo Brandon, and in late February and early March we polled the public
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Bilbo Brandon, left, and Mathrandir break down today’s Tournament of Amber games. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 11 MATHRANDIR: Over a three-week period, Peaks & Pints pits 64 of Middle-Northwest’s best in a malt-to-malt battle of amber and red ales. This is a tournament, folks, not a playoff. Each match is do or die — one misstep and they’re out of the dance. Not willing to put in the time, effort, and money to pull a water report and consult the available resources on brewing water chemistry, and
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Phaedra of Rohan and Bilbo Brandon call the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Day 4 action. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 10 BILBO BRANDON: Amber brewing isn’t rocket science. Take some malt, add hot water, drain water, bring it to boil, add hops, cool it, add yeast, wait, serve, and enjoy. But hidden within those folds is a complexity that defines the short steps list. Brewing an amber is easy; making a great amber is another thing entirely. Opening a discussion on which Middle-Northwest breweries brew the best
Consider the lager. Lagers are typically brewed at a low temperature to allow the yeast to reach its maximum flavor potential. The lower temperatures cause the lager to ferment at a much slower rate than ales. However, the results are a brew that is clearer than ales, which are brewed at higher temperatures. Lagers are brewed using the yeast called Saccharomyces uvarum. It does not rise to the top like the yeast used in ale but does end up at the bottom once fermentation is reached. This particular yeast does not sporulate as a result of being a more fragile yeast.
Peaks & Pints Chef Aarongorn and barmaid Rish Tolkien are calling today’s Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers action. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 9 AARONGORN: Favorites or underdogs, American or Irish, amber or red ale — it’s all the same in the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers. In the end, brewers from Washington and Oregon states in Middle-Northwest have one chance to soak malted barley in hot water to release the malt sugars, then boil the malt sugar solution with hops for seasoning, cool the solution, add yeast to begin fermentation to
Peaks & Pints barkeeps Monicadriel and Bilbo Brandon call today’s Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers action. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers April 8 BILBO BRANDON: Welcome back, ladies and gentlemen, Wizards, Elves, and Dwarves, to the 2024 Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers from the historic Proctor District in beautiful Tacoma, Washington. I’m Peaks & Pints barkeep Bilbo Brandon and seven years ago we challenged the public to vote for their favorite Washington brewed IPAs. We tallied the nominations and seeded 64 top vote getters in a tournament-style beer combat, IBUs
National Beer Day is today, April 7. The day is historically relevant because it commemorates the date in 1933, when the Cullen-Harrison Act, signed into law by President Franklin Roosevelt, went into effect. That allowed beer to once again be legally manufactured and sold in this country. The law allowed for the legal sale of low-alcohol beer in the United States, several months before Prohibition was completely repealed. Enough states then approved the 21st Amendment later that year to formally bring an end to Prohibition, which started in 1919. So, while National Beer Day isn’t a national holiday, it doesn’t mean
Today, April 6, is the day we all celebrate New Beers Eve. This is a real thing. New Beer’s Eve was the night before the first alcoholic beer became legally available after 13 years of Prohibition. From 1920 to 1933, no alcoholic beverages were legal in the United States. Franklin Delano Roosevelt had barely been president for a month when he and a new anti-prohibition majority in Congress known as “The Wets” brought back beer. The Cullen-Harrison Act increased allowable alcohol in beer from 0.5% to 3.2%. Prohibition would be completely reversed later that year with ratification of the 21st
Peaks & Pints bartender Mathrandir announces the winners of day one of the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers. Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Day Two MATHRANDIR: Welcome to Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers Day Two from the historic Proctor District in beautiful Tacoma, Washington. I’m Peaks & Pints bartender Mathrandir. You might recognize me donning this year’s Tournament of Beer brackets and posters, or as a grey wanderer in the hinter lands of Eriador. I have the sole honor or announcing yesterday’s Tournament of Beer action. To recap yesterday’s J.R.R.
California is the birthplace of the American craft brewing movement. In 1965, recent Stanford graduate Fritz Maytag bought a controlling interest in the ailing Anchor Brewery and soon was brewing authentic, artful beers and reintroducing lost styles. He proved that Americans were ready for a different kind of beer, beer with flavor, diversity, and history. Anchor Brewery became the first “craft” brewery since prohibition and was the inspiration that sparked a revolution in brewing. As of January 2023, more than 1,100 craft breweries are in operation across the state, more than any other state in the nation. Peaks and Pints
Peaks & Pints bartenders Bilbo Brandon and Phaedra of Rohan launch the Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers! Peaks and Pints Tournament of Beer: Northwest Ambers begins There are many paths on the journey to amber and red ale greatness, but they all start with the Prancing Pony in the town of Bree in Middle-Northwest. Master Brewer Barliman Butterbur, proprietor of the Prancing Pony, poured his hallowed ambers and red ales enticing Hobbits to travel the 120 miles between the Shire and Bree to sip on the malty and caramel driven deliciousness. Wizard Gandalf the Grey even
In September 2014, after seven years of homebrewing, writing business plans, watching Viking movies, and dialing in their branding, scientist Mark Bjornstad, builder Darin Montplaisir, businessperson Jesse Feigum, and engineer Mason Montplaisir opened Drekker Brewing in downtown Fargo, North Dakota. The brewery name is a nod to the region’s Nordic heritage comprised of the words “drekka,” which means “to drink,” and “drykkr” which means “draft drink,” and “drakkar,” the name for the feared dragon-headed longships that ruled the rivers and seas of Europe during the Viking Age. Their epic adventure began with a 10-barrel system in a 5,200 sq. ft.
In 2015, Doctor of Physical Therapy Sean Buchan, microbiologist Chris Washenberger and financier Dan McGuire — all homebrewers — opened Cerebral Brewing in Denver’s Congress Park neighborhood along the city’s famed Colfax Avenue. The three met at Washenberger’s Denver homebrew club where the idea “to combine scientific methodology with an artistic viewpoint to create extremely drinkable beers spanning a broad spectrum of styles” became a reality. With their scientific background, Buchan and Washenberger want to make quality one of their hallmarks — and idea that carries through in their name. From its hop-bombs to its luscious stouts and sophisticated saisons,
Drawing inspiration from some of the best and most memorable movies and film characters in history, movie-themed beers exist to quench your thirst and complement your screen time. Movie-themed beers can make enjoying your favorite flicks just a tad more fun. Manny Chao and Roger Bialous, co-owners of Georgetown Brewing, are big movie fans and have named several beers after Patrick Swayze movies — specifically Point Break and Road House. The classic 1991 action film by Kathryn Bigelow, Point Break, stars Keanu Reeves as Johnny Utah, a new FBI agent on his first assignment going up against a gang of
6-Pack of Things To Do: March 22-24 2024 The weather may be gray as we head into this first weekend of spring, but the entertainment calendar is definitely heating up. You can chill out at Melissa Etheridge at the Pantages Theater, Tartan Ball at Washington State Fairgrounds, VIVID Gala at Foss Waterway Seaport Museum, and more. GRIT & GRAIN PODCAST — FRIDAY, MARCH 22: The Grit & Grain Podcast does its best to be window into the beer world keeping an ear to the ground on local and national happenings … turns out Phantasm powder isn’t the only thing bringing
Today is National Bock Day. In celebration, Peaks & Pints offers an in-house, bock-style, flight of five beers that’s we’re calling Peaks and Pints Beer Flight: National Bock Day. Bock beer is a strong beer style generally 6.3 percent alcohol by volume and higher. It is believed to have originated in Einbeck — a town famous for brewing in the Middle Ages. Einbeck was one of the first cities to ban the use of gruit in beer in favor of hops to circumvent the Catholic Church’s high prices on gruit. The oldest written record of beer from Einbeck is from
Named for the dragon that guards the apples of immortality in the Garden of Hesperides, Dragon’s Head Cider was founded in 2010 on Vashon Island. Ignoring their last name, owners Laura and Wes Cherry planted a beautiful orchard of apples and pears with production held on site. The Cherry’s don’t believe in cold storing their apples; they press during harvest season at its peak ripeness. Once pressed, the fruit ferments in winter, is blended in spring, and ready to be bottled by early summer. Today, Peaks and Pints presents a to-go flight of Dragon’s Head Cider that we call Peaks
