July is Oregon Craft Beer Month 2013

As I have mentioned a few posts ago, July is Oregon Craft Beer month. Throughout this month, there are breweries and beer festivals celebrating the craft of beer all over Oregon. Here in Portland, there are some particular events that caught my eye.

• Belmont Station’s Puckerfest, which celebrates sour, wild and funky beers from July 12 to the end of this week. If you have not been to Belmont Station for a while, check out their new larger space that includes a patio and also a food cart, Italian Market for a taste of Philly.
• This Thursday (July 18), I will be attending a Smallwares and Breakside Brewing five course beer dinner pairing: I’ll be sure to report out, don’t worry!
• This weekend  July 19-21 is the International Beer festival located in the North Park blocks with 150 beers from around the world
• And then, the biggest of them all- the Oregon Brewer’s Festival, this time starting a day earlier than previously from Wednesday July 24 to Sunday July 28 offering the ability to taste 80 beers along the beautiful waterfront. This year, instead of the plastic glasses, they are going to actual glass glasses for your tasters.
  
• Fred Eckhart’s is hosting his 23rd Beer and Cheese tasting event at Rogue Public House in the Pearl that pairs 10 beers and 10 cheeses on July 22
  
• Another beer and food dinner event, Gigantic Brewing and Restaurant Beck which benefits Le Cordon Bleu’s Student ACF Hot Foods Team and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Oregon and SW Washington on July 25
• July 27 is apparently Oakshire day- there is an Oakshire Barrel Aging Seminar at The Upper Lip over Bailey’s Taproom at 1:30pm, and you can warm up to taste those 4 beers pouring with Raven and Rose’s Oakshire Brewer’s Brunch with 3 courses at 11am… my arteries made me pass on the full Irish Breakfast at Raven and Rose, but I’ll be at the Upper Lip
• The McMenamins at Cornelius Pass is releasing a special spicy beer trio for what they dub Pepperfest ’13 on July 31
• Also on July 31 is the 3rd Annual Brewer’s Burger Brawl at Hop & Vine boasting a battle of burger and beer!
• And ALSO on July 31 (you guys are killing me) is the 3rd Ben Fest, celebrating all the brewers named Ben that we have here, and they are all bringing a beer!

You don’t have to only drink your beer of course- check out recipes I have made in the past using beer, including beer cheese faceoff with two beer cheese recipes, beer ricotta, and my favorite beer recipe so far, beer soup of Butternut Squash and Ale Soup with Candied Almonds and homemade Mascarpone and with Cambozola. I’ll be sharing another beer food recipe in just a bit.

Or, perhaps you are just looking for something to pair with your beer. This recipe was shared by Cha Cha Cha and posted also at the Oregon Brewer’s Guild. This recipe from Cha Cha Cha was recommended to pair with a Full Sail Sessions Beer (Black Lager). The beers always stand out to me because of the unique bottle they come in, a stubby bottle. The bottle style is really called stubby, by the way.

When I saw this recipe, I thought of a friend I know who enjoys Full Sail as a regular beer to enjoy while watching TV, and who as of yesterday, just flew off to do a Bruseels to Amsterdam tour, 9 days of touring with cycling and drinking beer on a tour with Beercycling. We first found out about Beercycling a few years ago during Zwickelmania, and it has been on our wishlist- but our friends are actually doing it this year. Good for them, and Bon voyage, and bring back some beer (I will also accept gouda cheese)!

Mole Poblano from Cha Cha Cha (makes about 4 cups of mole)

• 3 Chiles Mulatos
• 2 Chiles Pasillas
• 2 Chiles Anchos
• 1/2 Chipotle peppers (optional if you want it a little spicy)
• 6 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1/4 cup peanuts
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 1 onion (chopped fine)
• 1/4 cup ground coriander
• 1/8 cup ground cloves
• 1/2 stick Mexican Cinnamon (ground)
• 1 ounce bittersweet Mexican Chocolate chopped coarsely
• 2 cups of chicken broth
• 1/4 cup raisins
• Brown sugar or salt to taste

1. Place oven rack in middle position and preheat to 350 degrees F. Then take all the chile peppers and garlic on an aluminum sheet and toast for 6 minutes until fragrant. Remove chiles and let them cool before then removing the seeds and stems and chopped them into 1/4 inch pieces. Make sure to wash your hands, and DO NOT TOUCH YOUR EYE. Ouch.
2. Meanwhile in the oven before turning it off, toast the almonds and peanuts by putting them on on ungreased sheet in a single flat layer for 10-15 minutes, and then ground them in a food processor.
3. In a large skillet, heat without any oil on the pan the sesame seeds at medium heat until they are toasted and fragrant. Remove.
4. Now add oil on medium heat, add garlic and onions until soft. Then add all the toasted pepper pieces, coriander, cloves, cinnamon and chocolate. (Make sure you stir constantly until chocolate melts).
5. Add to skillet chicken broth, raisins, and your toasted almonds, peanuts and sesame seeds. Stir for about 15 minutes until sauce is thick.
6. Place everything from skillet in a blender or food processor and blend well.
7. Place sauce back in the skillet and stir for another 8 minutes, season with brown sugar or salt.

Now, the question is as you open up that beer what to pour this mole on. Enchiladas? Burritos? Maybe. You can continue to poach a protein (chicken, pork, tofu) in the sauce in the skillet. Or take the easy way out instead if you want and pour this on some store bought rotisserie chicken and eat it on Mexican rice.

And maybe you’ll have some beer left after dinner, and you’ll decide to follow suit from the menu at the Full Sail Pub and Tasting Room at Hood River and throw some vanilla ice cream in it and call the beer float your dessert! Don’t forget to check into the beer on Untappd – if you check in 2 different Oregon beers and you’ll get a special badge for this month. So go out and get a sampler tray from your local Oregon brewery!

Can you identify my sampler trays?
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