Photos from visits to Cascade, and loving the Glueh Kriek

Sometimes, on a rainy cold day, I just really want a warm, comforting drink. Hot chocolate is too rich. Mulled wine takes too long. Oh, I’ll go to Cascade Brewing Barrel House and get their Glueh Kriek. Cascade Brewing’s Glueh Kriek (spice mulled Kriek) 7%ABV is an oak aged blend of Bing and Sour pie cherry sour red ales steeped on spices fresh from Grenada and wild flower honey, served with a slice of orange at 160 degrees. Mmmm, hugs from my lips and tastebuds to a loved and cozy feeling in my chest. I feel loved, and I love this beer right back.

And maybe I’ll taste some of their new NW style sour beers while I’m there. I can’t believe that within the past 4 years, I went to not even knowing sour beers existed to sometimes having a craving for one. Thanks Portland for the education. That said, I am not an extreme sour fan- I won’t be drinking pickling brine or eating sour patch kids- but I don’t mind a little bit,  just like a nice puckering from a good squeeze of lemon or lime. So thank you Cascade for standing strong and proud in specializing in producing sour beers and changing all of our minds on what is possible with beer. Just look at all the flavors combinations there- and those change out! Tuesday is “Tap it Tuesday” where at Cascade Brewing Barrel House they will tap a new keg every week.

So, I was sad that the Honey Ginger Lime (7.5%ABV NW style sour honey rye ale barrel aged for 8 months and then ginger and lime zest was added) was gone by my next visit… but among their 16 taps and then 2 casks and the Blenders Reserve taps there we also a few new beers… You are only allowed to have two tasters at a time, so come with friends to share… or stay for a couple hours.

They change out the specials weekly, but somehow I have fallen into a routine where I always order the Duet, a combination platter of charcuterie and cheese. F usually ends up with soup and hummus: but even the hummus is special here!

Signature

Raven and Rose’s Beer with the Bird

Ever since I walked past the 1883 William Ladd Carriage House, I have been wondering what it would become. It was a beautiful house that is definitely beautiful enough for people and not just horses and carriages and the people who tend to them. But, when I moved here, it lay empty after its apparent move to construct an underground garage on the property for the condominium building across the street. Finally, the official news was released last year that the plans were to make it some sort of gastropub, and a few months ago the restaurant opened, named Raven & Rose.

William Ladd Carriage House William Ladd Carriage House

I had it on my list to try. I wanted to check out the Victorian inspired restaurant helmed by Park Kitchen alum David Padburg that is putting out rustic farm to table cuisine inspired from history- early American farmhouse and Irish and English traditional fare. Meanwhile, besides the bar area in the downtstairs restaurant area, there is also an upstairs bar area named the Rookery. Here, bar director David Shenaut is using the former vaulted hayloft space to showcase historical cocktails.

However, its opening during the holidays made it difficult to fit into my schedule. Sundays and Mondays which are more free, they are closed (too bad, because it is the perfect environment to watch that new show The Following. They just changed their hours though, so maybe…). Last month, when as part of my Portland Food Adventures trip to Tasty n Alder, John Gorham’s list of restaurants he recommended resulted in several gift certificates as an introduction, and Raven and Rose was one of those gift cards.

And then… I saw David is continuing his reputation of community builder (he helped cofound Portland Cocktail Week) in that the Rookery would be hosting several events to bring producers and imbibers together, including a bimonthly brewer’s social called “Beer with the Bird”. This inaugural event debuted this past Thursday February 28 with Charlie Devereux from Double Mountain Brewery and John Plutshack from Logsdon Organic Farmhouse Ales, along with cheese pairings available from Steve Jones of Cheese Bar. SOLD!

Since it was a Thursday evening I had limited time as I had an evening work conference call. So this first visit, I was only able to glance at the dining space as I made my way past the hostess desk and the booths with gas lamps up the stairs to the Rookery. I look forward to returning and seeing more- and I am wondering what it would take to sit at those kitchen seats by the wood-fired oven pictured here in the Eaters Coverage with photos. For a little context, the first photos in the slideshow are the main restaurant, and the last 3 from the Rookery. I know because I saw them myself:

Isn’t that bar amazing? There’s a cabinet just full of aged scotch over there. The next event they have is an event Raven & Rye with James C. Russell, master distiller at the Wild Turkey Distillery where he served more than 50 year, carrying on the tradition from his grandfather, father, and his son has also worked there more than 20 years now. Jimmy is so beloved at Wild Turkey, they named one of their finest products after him in 2000–the 10-year-old Russell’s Reserve. The Raven and Rye event is an opportunity to meet Jimmy and explore Russell’s Reserve rye cocktails. Sounds dangerous- and it’s on a Tuesday night- March 12 4-6pm. Will I see you there?

Now let’s focus on Beer with the Bird. I got there right at 5pm so my friend and I were able to snag a table in the library nook side that you see above to the right. This wound up giving us more space from the buzz of people by the bar area, where an hour later there was standing room only in the Rookery. You could buy any glass of  beer from the breweries you wanted, or opt for a flight from a brewery. Also optionally you could add the flight of cheese that Steve paired with that flight of beer. They thoughtfully provided lots of information about the beer and cheeses.

Raven and Rose: Beer with the Bird with Logsdon, Double Mountain, and Steve's Cheese Raven and Rose: Beer with the Bird with Logsdon Farmhouse Ales and Steve's Cheese Raven and Rose: Beer with the Bird with Double Mountain and Steve's Cheese

I started out with the flight of beer and cheese from Logsdon Farmhouse Ales because I thought these would be most appealing to my palate, and I was right. I loved every single one. I admit the Peche ‘n Brett was my favorite, and I would have another of any of these Logsdon beers again.

Raven and Rose: Beer with the Bird, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales beer flight

These were paired with Samith Bay Ladysmith and Ancient Heritage Hannah cheeses, with the Ladysmith going well with the Seizoen (who am I kidding, I could eat a whole tub of Ladysmith alone) as its lighter flavor lets you still taste the freshness of the cheese, and the Hannah I paired with the other two beers.

Raven and Rose: Beer with the Bird with Logsdon Farmhouse Ales and Steve's Cheese selections of Samith Bay Ladysmith and Ancient Heritage Hannah cheeses

  • Logsdon Farmhouse Cerasus 8.5%ABV Oak-aged Flanders Red with tart organic Oregon cherries. We add 2 pounds of cherries per 1 gallon of unfinished beer. Crystal malts, oak tannins and fruit develop into a soft well rounded beer. The complex esters and yeast-derived flavors come from the bottle conditioning. 2012 Portland Cheers to Belgian Beers Peoples Choice award winner.
  • Pech ‘n Brett 10.0%ABV Created with organic peaches added to our Seizoen Bretta from a nearby farm. This beer displays crisp peach flavor with the added acidity produced by our special Brett yeast and light oak aging. 2012 World Beer Cup gold medal winner American Brett Style.
  • Seizoen 7.5% ABV Unfiltered Seizoen is naturally fermented and carbonated with pear juice and select yeast strains, producing complex, fruity and spicy flavors balanced with whole organic hops and soft malt character.

Raven and Rose: Beer with the Bird, Logsdon Farmhouse ales pairing

I totally got greedy and decided to get the second flight of beer and cheese all by myself so I didn’t share with my friends at all. For Double Mountain the Red War, a strong Belgian Style Red Ale, surprised me as the favorite of the flight for its smoky yeasty tones over my usual leaning towards porters and stouts. The Carrie Ladd was a very light in terms of porter style flavor but I liked the roasty yeastiness. And, the Kolsch was wonderfully refreshing- only the Cask IRA I shared away to a tablemate because it was too hoppy for me, but remember I am not an IPA fan.

The Double Mountain beers were paired with Fern’s Edge Mt Zion and Vintage Cheese Co. Mountina. I liked the earthyness of the Mountina a lot with the Red War and saved those for my last bites.

Raven and Rose: Beer with the Bird with Double Mountain and Steve's Cheese selections of Fern's Edge Mt Zion and Vintage Cheese Co. Mountina

  • Kolsch [German Style Ale] 5.2%ABV 40BU In Cologne, many a brewery produces a light-bodied ale with a delicate fruitiness and rounded maltiness, courtesy of a unique yeast strain. Our Kolsch is unfiltered and more generously hopped than its German cousin
  • Cask IRA [India Red Ale] 6.5%ABV 60BU This IRA marries an enticing red color and rich body with the hop flavors of an IPA. The darker malts we use provide a nice balance to the depth of hoppy flavor, while our unique ale yeast strain adds a delicious complexity. The softer carbonation of the cask conditioning process makes for a gentler and more delicate-tasting brew
  • Carrie Ladd [Steam Porter] 6.6%ABV 45BU Named one of the early steamships on the Columbia, this chocolatey/roasty steam porter uses a Czech lager yeast fermented at ale temperatures to provide a light cherry fruit overtone to the lovely Sterling hops.
  • Red War [Strong Belgian-Style Red Ale] 8.5%ABV 30BU A big yet approachable abbey-style beer. Lots of fruity complexity (banana, cherry, apricot) without a lot of the smoky phenols and higher alcohol notes of many Belgian ale strains. The fermentation finished dry, but with residual sweetness from a blend of light and dark crystal malts.

Raven and Rose: Beer with the Bird, Double Mountain pairing

Signature

Saraveza and Block 15 Winter Dinner

Sunday, Feb 24th at 6pm Saraveza and Block 15 hosted a special Pre-Fixe Winter Vintage Draught Dinner at Saraveza’s Bad Habit Room, highlighting pairings of Block 15 beers with food courses, and including verticals of the beers. We started out with a glass of Golden Canary 2011 and getting to know the other guests at the table (if you weren’t in one of the 5 2-tops along the wall where presumably the 2 people already knew each other) that you would be spending your evening enjoying food and drink. The Bad Habit Room has been remodeled since I saw it last, and now has a beautiful curved bar that takes up a corner space, and lovely chandeliers provide sparkling lighting ambiance that can class up any event.

The Golden Canary is a barrel matured golden wild ale blend, and was Block 15’s first journey into their wild yeast program. Since they were aging these wild cultures in the same cellar with their normal beers, others expressed doubt and concern that there would be cross-contamination and it would all explode. They called Block 15 a canary in a coal mine… and thus came the inspiration for the name for this beer.

This is one of my favorite things about the entire night- Nick Arzner (head brewer and co founder of Block 15) telling us the story for each beer like they are each his children. Since he and his wife are expecting their first child (congratulations!), I wonder if he will continue to be the one at Portland events telling these stories or if other brewers will take up that role.

Saraveza and Block 15 Prixe Fixe Winter Dinner menu with Golden Canary from Block 15 Saraveza and Block 15 Prix Fixe Winter Dinner at Bad Habit Room

First Course:
Crab Stuffed Profiteroles on a bed of frisee and Pineapple Aioli
Paired with 2011/2012 Wonka’s Wit, Belgian style white ale spiced with orange peel and coriander. Matured in French Oak Pinot Noir barrels for nine months with wild yeast. 5% ABV

The 2011 offered more pleasure for me on its own so I could enjoy its more yeasty flavor, while the citrus was more apparent in the 2012 so complimented the dish to bring out the hint of pineapple while cleaning up the creaminess.

Beer always tastes different from year to year- not only because of the ingredients (be it directly such as hops and wild crazy who knows what it is doing yeast, or environment such as the barrels), but because Block 15 uses a Solera process. I covered this previously when at the Breakside Brewery dinner, but this means there is always a small portion of the product that is left in the barrel, and then the new product is added, so history lives on and contributes to the next generation.

It is one of the constant tensions I have with Block 15 and Firestone Walker and Russian River and Mikkeller… I want to drink their barrel aged, high alcohol beer and enjoy it, but I also know that if I give their barrel aged beers a little time, it will change the characteristics and I can see how it grows up (but not too much where it mellows out to lose flavor). And yes, Block 15 are one of the 5 breweries (“of the Wood” from Hair of the Dog being the other local brewer) that we like to buy multiple of and have some in the cellar.
Block 15 Vintage Draught Dinner and Pairing Saraveza Crab Stuffed Profiteroles on a bed of frisee and Pineapple Aioli

Second Course:
Beef Tartar with Shallot Dijon & Oregon Tart Cherries
Paired with 2010/2011 Demon’s Farm, Ruby Black Farmhouse Aged in Pinot Noir Oak and Bourbon Oak with Brettanomyces and Oregon Tart Cherries 8.75% ABV

The 2010 had a darker dryer feel which was interesting to counterpoint the beef tartar if the spoonful also included one of the cherries. Meanwhile, the 2011 seemed to have a rounder sweetness to it.

Nick explained that in the 2010 he had used an Oregon oak barrel but thought it was adding too much tannin to the flavor so removed it in the 2011 production. He also told the story about how this beer was born from the dart toss at Cheers to Belgian Beer… and he suddenly found himself having to contend with making a dark strong beer with a Belgian Saison yeast strain… and, it’s was all Brewer’s Iron Chef from there to here!
Block 15 Vintage Draught Dinner and Pairing Beef Tartar with Shallot Dijon Oregon Tart Cherries

Third Course:
Seared Foie Gras on Brioche w/Coffee Dusted Roasted Figs, Chocolate Almond Sauce
Paired with 2011/2012 Super Nebula, Bourbon Barrel Matured Imperial Stout 11% ABV

Not surprisingly my favorite dish and beer and pairing, because I already love the dark chocolate coffee chewy flavors of Super Nebula, and add in the buttery softness of that seared foie gras and I was in heaven. I believe I was cutting the slivers of foie gras as thing as possible so I can savor each bit individually and close/roll my eyes.

As for Super Nebula, it is my favorite. At Hop & Vine’s first bottle release part with Block 15, I went alone because I really wanted some bottles of Pappy’s Dark, which I had a major crush on from Bailey’s Cellarfest. I had no idea about Super Nebula until I got into the bar and saw that was available to taste. Yeah, I also remember that was the first time I met Nick and he seemed sort of shy and not sure what to say as he was meeting those in line to buy the bottles of Pappy’s Dark.

Clearly in the past couple years he has reach a super high comfort level. Last year he was very easy going and beer geek proud giving us the brewery tour when I decided (I remember booking my ticket at Bailey’s as soon as I saw it on my phone, got F’s permission, and then bought it immediately as I knew they would- and they did- sell out) on the Brewvana + New School: Corvallis VIP Tour with Block 15 to get bottles last year. This time, throughout the entire night he had to keep reminding himself to impose a 2 minute limit, but the storytelling just is so hard to hold back…

Block 15 Saraveza Dinner Pairing Seared Foie Gras on Brioche Coffee Dusted Roasted Figs, Chocolate Almond Sauce

Next, we had a “break and discussion” where everyone enjoyed a cool palate cleanser of Block 15’s Wandelpad Belgian Pale Ale 6.4% ABV. This was one I had not had before, and it was endearing as he told the story of travelling to Belgium and staying at the B&B while visiting St. Bernardus (and yeah, if I ever go I will definitely stay at their B&B right on the estate!- I believe it is Brouwershuis B&B Although wtf you mention the beer fridge didn’t mention they also have fresh baked bread and their own cheese…?!) and sampling a few too many so needing to take a walk along the path to sober up with his wife- and thus the story behind the name of this beer.

Fourth Course:
Bourbon Pork Belly and Kale Stew with Winter Vegetables
Paired with 2010/2011 Pappy’s Dark, Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon Barrel Matured Strong Ale 10% ABV

This stew was amazing in terms of complexity of flavors and textures. I wanted to have the brioche I had not eaten from the third course back to sop every dop up. It was a little difficult for me to drink the Pappy’s Dark with this though as this stew really comforted but also heated me up in terms of body temperature.

Block 15 Saraveza Pairing Dinner Bourbon Pork Belly Stew with Winter Vegetables

Fifth Course :
SugarPimp’s Dessert of Figgy Pudding (made with Block 15 Figgy Pudding)
Paired with 2011/2012 Figgy Pudding Brandy Barrel Matured Holiday Ale conditioned with Mission Figs, Ceylon Cinnamon & Nutmeg 11% ABV

Figgy Pudding is a English malt London yeasted beer inspired by the English cake of the Christmas song… and I was thrilled to after all those times I’ve heard those lyrics for my first experience with the actual figgy pudding cake. At this point I was so seriously full I tried to take bites of the Figgy Pudding x3 but was struggling in this final, third hour. The Figgy Pudding dessert was a date and fig based cake that was moist and melt in your mouth that was then served with toffee sauce and brittle and mascarpone-stuffed dried figs. I was so sad that I didn’t have more room for this big piece of dessert, but what a sweet ending to a fantastic night.
Block 15 Saraveza Dinner Pairing Figgy Pudding

Signature

Beers of the Weekend: Zwickelmania 2013 and Pappy’s Dark PDX Release at Hop & Vine

Saturday, February 16 was Zwickelmania. Every year, breweries in Oregon open their doors for visitors to sample one (or possibly more) of their beers and often offer tours of their breweries and have brewers on hand to answer question about their process- all for free! There are even shuttles that you can take to brewpub crawl to visit multiple breweries. This year, we stuck to the Portland Streetcar (utilizing the now open CL Line) and walking, reminding us how lucky we are in Portland metro area to have so many options, often many not very far from each other!

We started out at Upright Brewing, which specializes in a farmhouse style beer. Visiting Upright was one of the opportunities Zwickelmania offers, as usually Upright has much more limited openings to their tasting room. There, I caught up with my other drinking companions who had a 45 minute head start on me and tried out their recommendations, the Captain Beefheart and also enjoyed a free sample of their Chocolate Stout. Yes, Captain Beefheart actually has beef hearts as one of the ingredients of the brew.

A view of two sampler tastes at upright brewing

Our next stop was Hair of the Dog Brewing, where they were pouring samples of Adam. While there, I also was able to enjoy a taster of Greg (made with Organic Pilsner and Winter Squash, no hops, so was a nice palate cleanser after Adam), and shared a glass of Otto while we had lunch. The Otto is amazing also, a beer composed of Bourbon Peach Fred from the wood mixed with Cherry Fred from the wood- from the wood notating that they have been barrel aged.

Visiting Hair of the Dog Brewing and tasting their beers, this is Adam Visiting Hair of the Dog Brewing and tasting their beers, this is Adam Visiting Hair of the Dog Brewing and tasting their beers, this is Greg Visiting Hair of the Dog Brewing and tasting their beers, this is Otto

Next we went to Cascade Brewing Brewing House, where they were offering samples of four of their beers: Blueberry Triple, a Rum Tangerine Spiced Quad, Blond Bing Blond Ale with Cherries, and Bourbonic Plague Spiced Double Porter. Unfortunately they were pretty crowded or I would have stopped for a glass of their hot Glueh Kriek, so we pressed on to Harvester Brewing.

Free sample #1 at Cascade Brewing, the Blueberry Triple Admiring the wall of barrels at Cascade Brewing Sampling #2, a Rum Tangerine Spiced Quad at Cascade Brewing Barrels at Cascade Brewing, waiting to share their deliciousness Enjoying sample #3 of Blond Bing Blond Ale with Cherries at Cascade Brewing a look in the brewing area of Cascade Brewing Bourbonic Plague Spiced Double Porter sample #4 at Cascade Brewing

We were happy to visit little Harvester Brewing, a tiny little brewery that can- they have no tasting room and are just two rooms big, but are producing amazing gluten free beers you can enjoy and not care its gluten free. Kindly, they were slicing up and warming up Jensen’s bread for us too as we entered, and then were treated to compare how the Pale Ale tasted from the fermenter versus the bottle, as well as trying their Red Ale, IPA, and test batches.

Jensen's Bread, warmed up for us at Harvester Brewing Pouring comparison tastes from the fermenter vs bottle of Pale Ale at Harvester Brewing Tasting away at Harvester Brewing of test batches

Our final Zwickelmania stop was The Commons, where they specialize in a beer viewpoint of Belgian and Flemish/French style beers. Here, we could taste the Urban Farmhouse Ale and the Holden Dark Farmhouse Rye. We also bought glasses of the Walnut Belgian Porter (pictured) and Avant Flandre Belgian pale ale.

the Urban Farmhouse Ale, at The Commons Brewery Walnut at the Commons Brewery

Since we weren’t too far away, even though Zwickelmania was over we stopped at Base Camp Brewing just to check it out, where we tried the Ripstop Rye Pils, Belgian Session Ale, and Out of Bounds Brown. I had already had the S’mores Stout beer before, and though I like the concept of the toasted marshmallow being served with the beers, overall we found the beers more weak on flavor than what we had been enjoying all day. If they want to do this lighter lager style (which to me says mass market appeal) I suppose this is fine, it’s their vision to go with. But we had higher hopes of them pushing the boundaries, given the ambition and adventure that seems implied by the brewery name and theme. It’s still in its first few months though, so let’s see where they go- I am glad they are giving such attention to the S’mores Stout as a flavor possibility. I’d like to see more of that and less oyster stouts, let’s branch out, thanks!

Ripstop Rye Pils, Belgian Session Ale, and Out of bounds brown at Base Camp Brewing

The Beer Weekend ended on a high note, as on Sunday February 17 we attended the Pappy’s Dark bottle release from Block 15 (specializing in barrel aged beers) at Hop and Vine. There we were able to procure 2 bottles of Pappy’s Dark and 3 of Super Nebula (thanks to other beer friends who let us use one of their 2 bottle allotment- the Super Nebula sold out within the few hours at Block 15 brewing, and within 20 minutes at Hop and Vine! ) to add to our beer cellar. The event also offered tastings of many Block 15 beers:

    • Super Nebula
    • Pappy’s Dark
    • Golden Canary
    • Wonka’s Wit
    • The Demon’s Farm
    • Ferme de la’ Ville Provision
    • Wandelpad
    • Alpha IPA

Pappy's Dark PDX Release at The Hop & Vine, with tastings of many Block 15 beers Block 15's Super Nebula 4oz tasting at Hop and Vine Block 15's Wonka's Wit 4oz tasting at Hope and Vine All the colors of beer by Block 15

And that’s how I had the Brunch of champions at Hop and Vine: Block 15 Brewing Co. barrel aged beer goodness with Gorgonzola Biscuits w/ Sausage-Black Pepper Gravy and a side of crispy bacon!

Brunch of champions at Hop and Vine: Block 15 Brewing Co. barrel aged beer goodness with  Gorgonzola Biscuits w/ Sausage-Black Pepper Gravy and a side of crispy bacon

Now I need to rest my liver for next weekend, when I attend the Showcase of Wine and Cheese event for the Boys & Girls Club of Portland which  features hundreds of wines, dozens of gourmet cheeses, hors d’oeuvres, and other specialty foods, and then on Sunday the Block 15/Saraveza Prix Fixe dinner, a beer and food pairing dinner.

Signature

Review of Pike’s Chocofest 2013

Pike Brewing, located in Seattle naturally not far away from Pike Place market, hosted their 5th annual Chocofest on Sunday Feb 10 from 5-8 pm. They closed down the brewery for the ticket holders (this year targeting 400 guests, and I believe they did sell out) and so that the 69 participating vendors could spread out to offer their samples ranging from wine, spirit, cider, mead, chocolate, baked goods, and food pairings that you can pair with chocolate and/or incorporated chocolate.

Pike Chocofest proceeds every year benefits a chairty, and for 2013 this was the Puget Sound Keepers Alliance, a grassroots citizens organization whose goal is to protect the waters of Puget Sound.

Very helpfully, the event included a map and booklet with a listing of the vendors, their locations, and a sampling of what they would be offering. How organized and thoughtful! On the Pike Brewing Facebook and also their Events page online, a QR code let us preview via PDF on our phones what we might choose to spend our 15 scrips (used for alcohol, and poured into our little snifters that we could take home) on. All the food samples were complimentary.

I know I and many other people, despite all the plentiful choices, had a hard time spending all our beverage scrips. Thankfully, everyone attending seemed focused on discovering new vendors and trying new things, not on maximizing food and drink intake. Still, it was an embarrassment of riches with the generosity of the vendors who participated. I warn you now that balancing my purse, drink, food, and camera along with the people was not an easy feat, and then I was also grabbing example menus an brochures and business cards too, though thankfully everyone is listed in the booklet- I only need the photos, even if a bit blurry, to jog my memory a little more.

Beverage-wise, on my list that F and I tried included

  • Lazy Boy Brewing’s Belgian Nutella hazelnut oatmeal stout (better than liquid nutella in its sweet but not overly sweet nuttiness) and orange chocolate hefeweizen that had a strong orange nose but balanced its citrus tone with a bit of bitter orange peel zest. That nutella beer was the best beer in my opinion of the evening.
  • Silver City Brewery’s Strange Love, a rye barrel aged Imperial Mocha Porter was F’s choice of best beer of Chocofest.
  • Samuel Smiths Organic Chocolate Stout was rich and delicious and also got a second visit. They had both this chocolate stout and Lindemans Framboise and missed an opportunity to offer pourings that had both in it though for a chocolate strawberry delight!
  • Triple Horn Brewing’s Oi-Du-Vin Saison is a beer that is blended with a late harvest Roussanne wine and aged with Hungarian oak
  • Airway Brewing’s Airways Chocolate Stout was another chocolate stout that made me wish I had a scoop of vanilla ice cream
  • Naked City’s Mint Chocolate Porter was the best chocolate mint beer of the night. Meanwhile their “Charlie’s Golden Ticket” chocolate golden ale was light tasting, offering a subtle addition of flavor that is barely perceptible
  • American Brewing’s “Peppermint Paddy” Chocolate mint stout was the second best mint chocolate beer in my opinion
  • Pike Brewing Company’s Pike Elixer of Love- Choco Cherry Stout and Pike Brewing Company’s Pike EmbarassMINT of Richness – Chocomint Porter were disappointments in terms of flavor for me because they weren’t as pronounced. However, we did like that they had a special Octopus Ink Black IPA in honor of Puget Sound
  • FinnRiver Cidery’s Spirited Apple Wine was dangerous, tasting light with a bit of apple spice but kicking in at 18.5%
  • Woodinville Whiskey’s Mash Bill No 9 and 100% Rye Whiskey were smooth, though F and I agreed we liked the Rye better
  • Sky River Meadery’s Solas Wa Honeywine aged in Dry Fly distilling whiskey barrels, and a Blackberry Honeywine were sweet and of the two the tartness from the fruit of the blackberry edged it over the honeywine
  • 5 o’clock Distillery’s Pear Brandy and Cherry Brandy  (also they offered Rhubarb Liqueur, Moonshine Whiskey, and Northwest Dry Gin) were the last tastes we had before it was time to return to our hotel to rest and digest.

Tastes included

  • Seastar’s Porcini mushroom soup with black truffle cream was delicious and you could imagine it was like in the cartoons, when an aroma has the shape of smoke with a hand and finger that beckoned to me as soon as I entered the Museum room
  • Taylor Shellfish was shucking to a line of people until the end its Shigoku and Kumamoto oysters
  • Honest Biscuit’s mini-cheese biscuit made with Beechers scheese was buttery flakey and still moist
  • Trace (restaurant from the W hotel) tasting of duck confit with Kurtwood Farms camembert on semolina crackers
     
  • Mt Townsend had a beautiful display with their Red Alder cheese dusted with chocolate, and they also had their Seastack on Raincoast Crisp crackers with Theo’s spicy chili chocolate
    Mt Townsend cheese display at Pike Chocofest 2013 Mt Townsend cheese display at Pike Chocofest 2013 Mt Townsend cheese display at Pike Chocofest 2013
  • Pike Kilt Lifter Baby Back ribs with Kilt Lifter BBQ sauce was messy but thankfully since the meat was falling off the bone, guests were saved from having to gnaw to get all that delicious sauce and tender meat
    Pike Kilt Lifter Baby Back Ribs
  • RN74’s crunchy chocolate profiteroles with homemade rocky road ice cream was refreshing coolness as the people packed in close in the narrow aisles between the two sides of the Upper Museum
    RN74's crunchy chocolate profiteroles with homemade rocky road ice cream
  • Gelatiamo gave big two scoop cups of Pike/Gelatiamo beer gelato using 5x stout chocolate along with a tart Raspberry Nelly sorbetto, another great way to cleanse the palate after so much richness at many of the other tables
    Gelatiamo sorbetto cup at Pike Chocofest
  • Confectional’s Salted Caramel Uber Dips, a miniature salted caramel cheesecake dipped in deep chocolate on a salted crust
    Confectional's Salted Caramel Uber Dips
  • I loved watching the Pane e Olio Focaccia booth as he made it rain cheese on his cut tasting portions of Focaccia Basilico and Focaccia Dolce
    Pane e Olio Focaccia
  • Surprise Savory from Boka were gougeres in the flavors of blue cheese, cheddar, or gruyere- and you didn’t have to choose, you could collect them all! Maybe I even put a few in my purse and had them the next morning…
  • Steelhead Diner’s seafood mole was messy but a burst of palate cleansing flavor when we finally arrived to the 1st floor, though I give points for them using egg cartons to help prop them up for service
    Steelhead Diner's seafood mole
  • Macrina Bakery’s brioche cocoa puff with a ganache chocolate center within a sweet brioche was a generous portion size, and she had a lovely display set up as well
    Macrina Bakery's brioche cocoa puffMacrina Bakery's display at Pike Chocofest 2013
  • Art (restaurant from the Four Seasons Seattle) offered northwest salmon profiterole, and made these strange little profiterole trees as part of their display…
    northwest salmon profiterole northwest salmon profiterole
  • Similarly, I’m not sure why Beecher’s, who was offering their Flagship and Marco Polo Reserve, had a turtle of cheese, but it did look earnest
    Beecher's Cheese display with Flagship and Marco Polo
  • I was sad that I was too full to have room for Lauren Kohn’s offerings- next time! Her table looked delectable.

There was more available than I listed, these were just my top memories of the evening. Even with the supposed huge crowd that was present, I never had more than a few people in front of me waiting for a taste (well, except for the oysters, but that was understandable) and only the Museum Room of all the spaces that were used got elbow to elbow crowded and a bit warm. It seemed very well organized, and the fact that the event was 3 hours at first seemed short given how many people were attending and the number of vendors, but actually turned out just right, again because you never really had to wait long. There were areas of water pitchers and cups to keep hydrated, and plenty of little buckets by every table to throw away toothpicks or sample plates or napkins as needed, again showing how organized and thoughtful this event was.

Thank you to everyone who participated, it was a worthwhile little getaway to Seattle for an evening to experience this, and I enjoyed becoming acquainted with more incredible producers of deliciousness just over the state border. It had it all- no discrimination in alcohol at all so you could love coffee, distilleries, breweries, wineries, you could love all sorts of sweets and savories. And, I am in love with my new little snifters!


Pike Chocofest 2013 vendors Pike Chocofest 2013 vendors Pike Chocofest 2013 vendors

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