Craft Brew Cast Blog

This press release just recieve: 

TO FEATURE BEER TASTINGS, HOMEBREW CONTEST, SILENT AUCTION, LIVE MUSIC

Eugene, Ore. - The Sasquatch Brew Fest, scheduled for June 7, 2008 at Broadway Plaza, started as a tribute to the passing of a friend, active community member, and professional brewer and evolved into one of the premier beer festivals in the Pacific Northwest.

This year’s Sasquatch Brew Fest will feature another range of beer-soaked activities, including a silent auction, a beer dinner, a homebrew contest and a golf Brew Am.  Located outdoors on the Broadway Plaza in Eugene from noon to 11 p.m.,  the beer festival will showcase the vibrant Pacific Northwest brewing industry by offering an opportunity to taste unique craft beers.

Tickets will be available when the festival gates open at 12 p.m. for $10. Entrance includes a commemorative glass and two taste tickets.  Additional taste tickets will be available for purchase throughout the festival grounds.

The Sasquatch Brew Fest is dedicated to the memory of Glen Hay Falconer, a well known and leading Pacific Northwest professional brewer.  Falconer was the skilled and popular head brewer at the Wild Duck Brewery in Eugene until his untimely passing in 2002.

To honor his memory, his friends and family created the Sasquatch Brew Fest, a unique beer tasting opportunity because the beers are selected by the head brewer of each participating brewery, with some brewers crafting a distinctive recipe just for the festival.

Each year, the festival evolves.

This year, the festival will be organized by the Northwest Legends Foundation, formed at the request of the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, an organization that used to run the festival but now will manage the distribution of the brewing scholarships funded by the event.

Through local management, Northwest Legends will continue the Sasquatch Brew Fest, striving to ensure through active funding and support the overarching enjoyment of craft beers, educational and community spirit envisioned by all who knew Falconer, according to board member Jamie Floyd.

“The Northwest Legends Foundation will invoke the spirit of the legendary Sasquatch and the memory of Glen Falconer, known as one of the most talented and popular brewers in Eugene,” said board member John Burgess.

“By furthering the art of home brewing through the support of the people who brew craft-brewed beer in their home, and by continuing the financial support of the brewing scholarships and the good works of the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, the Sasquatch Brew Fest will be locally managed but will remain true to the original mission,” Burgess said.

Sasquatch was Falconer’s nickname.

A large portion of the  proceeds will benefit the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation, a non-profit agency dedicated to furthering professional brewing education. Additional proceeds will be donated to local non-profit agencies.

The Third Annual Sasquatch Homebrew Contest will be administered by the Cascade Brewers Society, a local homebrew club.  Sanctioned by the American Homebrewers Association and the Beer Judge Certification Program, the contest is open to homebrewers currently residing in Washington, Oregon, and Northern California.

Prizes will be awarded at the Sasquatch Brew Fest to the top three finishers in the following BJCP style categories: English Pale Ale / Best Bitter / ESB; American Ale / American Pale Ale / American Amber; India Pale Ale / American IPA / Imperial IPA; and Strong Ale / Old Ale / American Barleywine.

The Bier Stein Bottleshop and Pub will cold store all entries. Rogue Ales Eugene City Brewery will host the judging.  For more information about style guidelines and admission procedures, please visit http://www.sasquatchbrewfest.org/ .

The Glen Hay Falconer Foundation Brewing awards a full tuition scholarship each year to apprentice brewers to attend the celebrated Siebel Institute Chicago Campus Concise Course in Brewing Technology.

The course features a two week intensive program that covers every topic critical to successful brewery operations. Designed for brewing professionals, the program is designed to provide a wider knowledge of professional brewing standards and procedures in order to advance each applicant’s continuing brewing career. The program is also designed for individuals planning to enter the brewing industry.

The Scholarship is open to professional brewers and home brewers from the Pacific Northwest and Northern California regions.  The selection committee includes brewers and professionals related to the brewing industry. 

Portland, Oregon-The world’s largest gathering of organic brewers, the North American Organic Brewers Festival will be June 27-29^th at Overlook Park in Portland, Oregon. In response to the success of last year’s festival, with more than 50 organic microbrews, which drew over 7000 attendees, event organizers have added a Sunday tasting session.

The NAOBF, presented by Roots Organic Brewing Company is in its fourth incarnation, and promotes organic beer and sustainable living. The non-profit event benefits the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, and the Oregon Food Bank. In addition to brewers, local organic and sustainable restaurants, and sustainability oriented vendors will be on site. A diverse program of music runs throughout the event, and a new children’s area will provide activities for youngsters. Compostable corn-starch cups are a new addition to the festival this year, replacing the plastic mugs commonly used at beer festivals.

Last year the North American Organic Brewers Festival featured beerstyles from pilsner to porter, amber ale to Belgian wit, and plenty of Northwest India Pale Ales. With over 30 breweries from across North America, England, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands, the festival showcased some of the finest organic beers on the planet. Over the last decade organic brewers have carved out a solid niche within the craft brewing movement, with organic beer sales growing from $9 million in 2003 to $19 million in 2005.

“I see organic as the next step in the craft brewing revolution’s return to traditional beer ingredients and brewing methods,” says festival organizer Abram Goldman-Armstrong, of the growing popularity of organic beer. 

The festival includes an Organic Brewers Symposium, allowing brewers to share information about ingredients and techniques.

The NAOBF will be open from the public 3-9pm Friday June 27, 12-9pm Saturday June 28, and 12-5pm on Sunday June 29. A tasting glass is $5, and 4 oz. tastes of beer are $1 each.

The NAOBF was first held in 2003 at Port Halling Brewing Company, and since 2006 has been an annual event in Portland, Oregon, one of the greenest cities in North America. Portland is home to two all-organic breweries, NAOBF presenter Roots Organic Brewing Company, and Hopworks Urban Brewery, which debuted its beer at last year’s NAOBF. A number of other brewpubs in Portland produce significant amounts of organic beer, including Laurelwood, Lucky Lab, and Alameda Brewhouse. Portland also tops the list of bicycle-friendly cities, and is a leader in green building. It is also home to more breweries than any city in the world.

Overlook Park, between Fremont and Overlook Streets on North Interstate Avenue is located on the Yellow Line MAX, Portland’s award winning light-rail system, two stops from downtown Portland. Festival attendees are encouraged to use the MAX, walk, or bike to the event to reduce the carbon-impact of the event. There is no on-street parking at the site, making responsible transportation choices the easiest way to reach the event.

The event’s website may be found at www.naobf.org

–Abram Goldman-Armstrong

Root’s Jason McAdam on the Craft Brew Cast