Better Weather, Flying Machines Greet OBF

Opening day at this year's Oregon Brewers Festival was a whole lot less dramatic than 2014, when beer fans were treated to cold, wet weather. In July. This year was cloudy, but dry. And there were drones zipping around overhead recording the festivities. You can't make this shit up.

Wednesday has been my preferred day to attend since they added it several years ago. Lots of pretend media types show up and the crowd is probably a bit more beer-centric than will be the case on the weekend.

I was surprised to see drones flying around during Art Larrance's opening talk. But I get it. These things were carrying cameras and getting much better views of the stage than the peasants trying to see over hammerheads and cats in (large) hats. Good thinking...until one of these things loses power and slams into the crowd. 

Stalking the grounds, I noticed a significant change under the tents. In past years dating as far back as I can remember, there were long tables and chairs in that area. No more. High tables occupy that space this year. The result is more open space, which ought to help with congestion later in the week and on the weekend. Smart move. 

Something else you may notice is they've gone away from advertising glass and token packages. In fact, you've always been able to walk up and buy a glass and/or however many tokens you wanted. But organizers, by virtual of signage, encouraged patrons to buy packages. That's not the case this year, although token sellers do have pre-filled baggies in various denominations. 

The other thing I noticed is how dry and dusty it is this year. Looking north from the south end at one point, I could see a dust plume. There appears to be less grass than usual this year, likely the result of a dry winter and event overload in the park. Keep that in mind if you're sensitive to dust.

I had relatively short list of beers to track down. And tracking down beers is easier than ever, I think. First, there's a large board near the main gates that lists every beer and where it's pouring. Second, the event website lists beers and where they're located. The event program is printed in advance and doesn't have that info. Still, it's easy enough to find. 

Kudos to OBF organizers on pricing. In contrast to the bulk of local festivals that have no problem charging two or three tokens for good and bad beers, I saw only single token beers yesterday. You might think that means the beers aren't that special. In fact, I think most of these beers are as special as the beers you will find at any area event. 

I was lucky enough to meet up with friends and share tastes, which means I tasted many more beers than I would have on my own. Still, I sampled less than a third of the 105 beers they have on tap in the park. It was a mixed bag, for sure. Nothing new.

The Good

Among the beers that I will drink again on Friday or Saturday or whenever:

• Breakside: Rainbows and Unicorns. Light and nicely tropical. A mildly fruity session IPA.
• Boneyard: Bone Light. Nicely dry-hopped, full of flavor and only 4%.
• Cascade: Frite Gaulois. Blended Weizen, Saison and Blond aged in oak barrels. Lovely.
• Anderson Valley: The Kimmie, The Yink and the Holy Gose. Mildy tart and salty.
• Gigamesh: Radler. Bavarian-style lager blended with pink grapefruit juice. Tart, refreshing.
• Central City: Red Betty Imperial IPA. Hoppy, malty, huge. Watch it. 

The Rest

As always, there were beers that didn't meet my expectations or hopes or whatever. A shining example was Prodigal Son's Huckleberry Wheat. The beer had a great aroma, but collapsed into a pungent mess on tasting. I suspect some will be pleased with this beer. And good for them. I was disappointed.

Some of the beers here are simply irrelevant and out of place. Why would they offer Kona Big Wave here? What about Full Sail Session IPA and Bridgeport Conviction? These are mainstream beers widely available in packaged form. You aren't going to find them in any beer bars. So why here? That's a rhetorical question. I have no answer.

International Tent

I stopped by the International Tent several times, There are some interesting beers in there. Brewers from The Netherlands and New Zealand were hanging out jabbering with anyone who cared to talk. Outside, Jeff Alworth and Patrick Emerson interviewed a Dutch brewer for an upcoming podcast. Later on, they were talking to Ninkasi's Jamie Floyd. And others.

Final Thoughts

Go to the festival site here if you need more information or have questions about what you can and can't pack into the park. It's going to be another fun few days of tasting well-made beers in a great setting.

Gracefully Aging OBF Returns for 28th Year

Once upon a time, young Americans grew up dreaming they might be president someday. Later, those same kiddos dreamed of being rock stars. More recently, they dream of becoming a craft brewer. Or of organizing a beer festival. That's where we are, for better or worse.

As we prepare for the 28th rendition of the Oregon Brewers Festival next week, I can assure you that none of the event's founders had any deep, long-held fantasies about organizing such an event. The reality is, they needed a vehicle to promote their beers in 1988. The OBF provided it.

It's hard to fathom in our present circumstance, but Portland hasn't always been a craft beer-crazed town. There haven't always been daily beer events to distract us from the traditional duties of citizenship. Craft beer would come to rule the hearts of minds of Portlanders. But that didn't happen overnight.

For many years, the OBF was the only significant promotional event on the craft beer calendar. When it finished its annual run, I can remember commiserating with others over the wait to the following year. Today, we just pull out our phones and check social media for the next worthwhile thing.

The truth is, the OBF has aged gracefully. Organizers have faced a barrage of challenges over the years. Ever-increasing attendance is surely the biggest issue. They've addressed it by adding days and spreading things out in the park. Entry has been streamlined and finding the beers you want to try is easier due to improved signage and a better event program, which is free to everyone.

Thank the city for a major improvement this year, which involves closing the northbound lane of traffic on SW Naito Parkway next to Waterfront Park. The vacated lane will provide added space for the public to walk and bike safely for the duration of the event. The gate on that side is typically the busiest and providing additional space there is a positive thing.

There's also the festival's effort to develop a cultural exchange between Oregon and international brewers. This year, the OBF welcomes brewers from New Zealand and the return of some who came last year from The Netherlands. These folks will be hanging out in the International Tent talking beer and other things. They are guests of Art Larrance and the OBF, which paid to get them here so they can see what we have and share what they're up to. Good vibes.

Of course, there's the beer...lots of it. Volunteers will be pouring 90 beers in the main tents and another 15 in the International Tent. The press release says there are 47 styles represented. I'll have to take their word for it because I haven't yet gone over the beer list in detail. Here's a link to the list if you want to take a look.

Prices at the OBF have remained stable in recent years. Oh sure, they went to a 3 oz taste two years ago. Others quickly followed suit. You won't pay a cent to enter Waterfront Park. If you want to drink beer, a festival glass will run you $7 and tokens are $1. Most beers in the main tents will cost a token for a taste, four tokens for a full glass.

It may not be worth reporting here, but the glass glass used the past two years is history. There were some problems with people doing dumb things with the glasses in the downtown area after exiting the park. Portland Police asked organizers to switch to something less breakable. The new glass looks similar to the ones used the last two years, but it's made of polycarbonate plastic.

Expect excellent weather. Last year was the first year the OBF experienced dreadful weather. It was cold and wet the first day before gradually warming for the weekend. I had never seen anything like that in 25 years of attendance. It probably won't happen again for a long time, certainly not in the hot and dry conditions of this year.

Like a lot of people, I'll be posting some thoughts on beers after attending on opening day. Stop back by if you're looking for that information. Otherwise, there's a ton of info on the festival site here. Event dates are July 22-26.