Friday, January 9, 2009
Last night, Steve of Steve’s Cheese and I gave our first beer and cheese class. We had done our homework and came up with some slam dunks on combos. Even for a girl who’s eaten her fair share of cheese (Wisco Yo!) and drank more than her fair share of beer (snooze ya loose!!) I had some new flavors in these matches. Here’s the menu that made fireworks in my mouth:
Kickin’ it off right: Pholia Farm’s ELK MOUNTAIN (Raw Nigerian Dwarf Goat) - Rogue River, Oregon w/ HUB’s DIABOLITO (Small Belgian Strong) - Portland, Oregon
Separated at birth: ROS OMBRA (Sheeps Milk) - Catalonia, Spain w/ Moylan’s SCOTCH ALE - Novato, California
Super smooth: Guifante’s 3 MILK ROBIOLA - Piedmont, Italy w/ Eel River’s CLIMAX NOEL (Imperial Red Holiday Ale) - Fortuna, California
A group favorite: Herve Mons’s GRUYERE (Raw Cow) - Bern, Switzerland w/ Brouwerij Verhaeghe’s DUCHESSE DE BOURGOGNE (Flemish Red Ale) - Vichte, Belgium
Our most punk rock combo: Neal’s Yard Dairy - Colston Basset’s SHROPSHIRE (Cow’s Milk) - UK w/ Ommegang’s GRAND CRU ROUGE (Flemish Red Ale) - Copperstown, New York
We’re set to do this again. If you’re into it, just sign up for Saraveza’s mailing list and you’ll be of the first to know.
Monday, December 8, 2008
Don’t know what to get your Secret Santa, your Dad, your new best friend you just met at the Holiday Ale Festival? Picking out X-mas gifts for the beer-at-heart is SO much fun! We’ve got some great gift beers such as Goose Island’s Bourbon County Stout, Fred from the Wood or BrewDog’s Scotch Stouts (Paradox Islay and Macallan) available at the shop. In addition we’ve picked out some of our favorite gift ideas and even created some packages that are available now….(make note that some items can only be ordered via email due to limited availability.)
Big Honkin’ Doggie Claws 2008 - Bring this puppy to Christmas dinner or put it under the tree for some lucky son-of-a-gun. This 3 liter of Hair of the Dog’s Doggie Claws ages wonderfully and the bottle is sure to be a Christmas centerpiece long after the bottle is emptied. Supply is limited, first come first serve! Email to place an order: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
—$95.00 or gift wrapped in a basket for $105.00
8 Bottle Doggie Claws Vertical - 8 years of Portland’s beloved X-mas aging beer!!! Not only is this an amazing gift for the beer/wine lover, it is a guaranteed party! Enjoy the beauty of bottle fermentation as one compares and contrasts 2001-08 bottles of Hair of the Dog’s Doggie Claws!
Supply is limited, first come first serve! Email to place an order: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
—$95.00 or gift wrapped in a basket for $105.00
PDX Bomber Bucket - A bucket of 4 22oz Portland beers, a subscription to Beer Northwest, PDX beer stickers and good old Chex Mix wrapped up in a handy bucket. Beers include a mix of Alameda Stout, Lompoc LSD, Roots Organic IPA, Laurelwood Freerange Red, Hair of the Dog Blue Dot IPA, Widmer Snow Plow Milk Stout or Rogue Younger’s Special Bitter.
Stop on by or email to place an order: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
—$55.00
Sweet & Simple - This cute little package let’s you choose from two of our favorite Christmas beers: Mikkeller’s To/From - a world renowned chocolate roasted malt porter or Dupont Saison’s Avec Les Bon Voeux - a super saison that is simply delightful (and one of Sarah’s all time favorite beers).
The chosen 750ml beer will be coupled with a vintage goblet (circa mid 70’s) that is embossed in gold with nostalgic American micros including Ballantine, Schlitz, Miller High Life and more. This delicate vessel is a true treasure for any serious beer drinker!
Glassware supply is limited, first come first serve! Email to place an order: (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Please specify choice of Porter or Saison.—$40.00
Bottle Sock - Come pick out your favorite bomber or 750ml on your way to the party. Festive bottle socks available at the shop for $4!!!
Merry Christmas everyone!!
Prost, Saraveza…
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
On Tuesday, Nov 11th, class was in session. Tyler (head server), Spence (madman in the kitchen), Dave (bottle shop lead) and I (the short one) headed down 84 towards a distant view of Mt. Hood and Mt. Adams. We were on our way to Hood River to one of our favorite Oregon breweries which captures the scenic drive in its name…Double Mountain. We also were yearning for some tasty pizza.
Matt, the brewer, and his sidekick Charlie, couldn’t have been more hosipitable.
We received a very engaging tour of the brewery and then feasted on pizza. And don’t forget the beer….
Interesting facts about Double Mountain:
- Many of Double Mtn’s ales are made with a Rochefort yeast!
- Most of their equipment came from fellow breweriers (Full Sail and Bridgeport to name a few).
- Matt and Charlie deck out the brewery with a pretty rockin’ breweriana collection.
- They use 90% organic grain. How many breweries go organic and don’t tell anyone?? The beer sells itself, no marketing hype here…
- These guys are genuinly nice people that are obviously passionate about their beer.
If you’re in the mood for a great view - check out an imperial pint at Double Moutain’s Tap Room. Its super cozy and inviting (LOVE the amber lighting..)
Thanks to Charlie, Matt and the staff for such a nice trip!
Look for Double Mountains Fa La La La Winter Seasonal on draft at Saraveza in early December!
Friday, November 7, 2008
Good beer tastes better with good food. That’s a fact.
Finding good beer in a town like Portland aint no thing. But finding someone to make a mean pasty dough and turn humble beer-drinking food into a savory, loving yet economical menu for the food and beer savvy alike is no easy task. My dream with Saraveza was to have good fresh beer coupled with simple fresh beer-drinking food in a comfy setting.
I told my dad last summer that in order to make Saraveza work like I need it to - I need a gift. Well, you’ll find my pretty little package in the kitchen (sans bows and ribbons). His name is Spence Lack. Spence has a love for classic humble foods, like the way a seasoned grandmother cooks. Its Spence’s goal to emulate that grandmotherly love into every plate he makes. Spence cuts to the chase when cooking and believes fine food doesn’t always need fine dining.
Spence comes to Saraveza straight off the farm. After years in the world of fine food, he went to the root of cooking (pun totally intended) and built Meriweather’s farm from the ground up. With his bare hands Spence built the fence, the greenhouses, tilled the soil and turned a five acre vacant lot into a plethora of sprouting edibles that were passed onto then Meriweather Chef/ brother-in-law/cooking partner, Tommy Habetz. (Look for Tommy’s new sandwich shop Bunk Sandwiches coming soon on SE Morrison!!!)
Prior to the farm, Spence’s time in the kitchen spans over a decade and a half working in restaurants. Out of college, he worked in a North Virginian B&B that was run by a horticulturalist. It was there he excitedly witnessed a restaurant that grew, picked, cooked and served seasonal foods. Thus started an intimate relationship with food as well as a passionate career. With many experiences to note, Spence reflects on those that allowed him to depart from fine dining, yet smothered every dish with that grandmotherly love. He reminisces at his time at a teahouse in Boulder, CO where he was able to focus on wholesome world foods as well as his work during the inception of Portland’s Ripe Supper Club, where family dining was king and Naomi (Hebberoy) was really good at pulling from farms.
Spence has also spent time teaching at Caprial and John’s Kitchen here in Portland. There he was able to not only teach but surround himself with chefs that inspired and influenced his current day cooking style. Amelia Hard, Kathy Whims, Pascal Suton, Cory Schriber - to name a few.
With these experiences in his backpocket, a non-stop upbeat personality, a desire to work in a nice root cellar and a love for beer (yes, he IS that guy you recognize from the Green Dragon), Spence is such a gift for Saraveza. My dad and my stomach approve!
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