Brewmasterpiece Theater On Tap Friday

There is a somewhat under-appreciated link between rock and roll and craft beer. Once upon a time, folks of many ages flocked to record stores to get their fix of what was newest and coolest. Today, folks of drinking age flock to breweries and pubs on a similar mission.

Record stores, of course, have mostly vanished. There was a time when they dotted the map in this city and others. It isn't just digital music that did them in. The importance of music in our culture has declined as the number of entertainment choices has risen.

It occurs to me that breweries and pubs are what record stores were 30-40 years ago, which is to say they are everywhere. Just as people once had to physically shop for their music, modern beer fans frequent pubs and breweries to keep up with what's happening on the beer front.

And don't forget the link between brewers and rock music. At it's most basic level, brewing is a blue collar occupation. Walk into a lot of breweries during production hours and you're going to get an earful of classic rock music. Many pubs spin vinyl or play from rock-oriented playlists. Though they occupy different slots in time and form, craft beer and classic rock seem to have a symbiotic connection.

Given all that, it makes perfect sense that the Hollywood Theater and Lompoc Brewing have put together an event that pairs maybe the best rock concert film of all time with suitably named beers. They're calling it Brewmasterpiece Theater. Clever.

The movie is The Last Waltz. The beers include several IPAs inspired by the film, which I'll get to. It's happening this Friday, January 17, beginning at 7 p.m. The Hollywood Theater is located at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd. Advance tickets cost $8 and can be had here. Beer is obviously separate.

If you are unaware, the The Last Waltz documents the farewell live performance of The Band at San Francisco's Winterland Ballroom on Thanksgiving 1976.  An audience of some 5,000 was reportedly served turkey dinners prior to the show. Stick that in your trivia folder for future reference.

The Band had been playing together since the 1950s, notably as Bob Dylan's backup band in the sixties. They had grudgingly decided to quit touring and this was to be their final show. Director Martin Scorsese was hired to film the evening's proceedings. The initial idea of just having The Band perform morphed after original leader Ronnie Hawkins and Dylan agreed to play. Soon the guest list expanded to include some of the greatest rock names of the day.

Lompoc's brewery on North Williams is one of those places where the classics always seem to be playing. You'll hear CCR, Zeppelin, Grateful Dead, Tom Petty, Queen, Nirvana, Beatles, Cars, Pearl Jam, ZZ Top, U2, etc. The music evidently affects the brewing, as Lompoc has prior experience creating beers with connections to bands and music.

Beers for Friday evening's event will include:

Satisfaction IPA, a collaboration with Jack Harris of Fort George Brewing, is brewed with Centennial, Simcoe, Meridian and Newport hops. It reportedly has a piney, resinous profile.

Saaz, Nuggs & Rock 'n Roll IPA, a collaboration with local beer writer John Foyston. This bright orange-amber brew leans on 40 pounds of Saaz, Nuggets, Simcoe and Centennial hops in a 15-barrel batch. The flavor is said to offer hints of pine and apricot.

White Album IPA, a collaboration with Portland Brewing co-founder Fred Bowman, features half wheat and half pale malt. Meridian and Chinook hops in the boil and fermenter provide a hefty citrus aroma.

Every Rose Has its Thorn IPA is a collaboration with Hilda Stevens of Bazi Bierbrasserie. Ten pounds of rose hips were added at the end of the boil and another 10 pounds were added to the brite tank. Sounds interesting.

Ramble On IPA completes the list, but there are no stats available at the moment.

The folks who thought up the idea of presenting this movie alongside themed beers deserve a lot of credit. It sounds like a great evening of fun.

Pdxbeergeeks Celebration will Benefit Local Social Agency

Portland's summer beer calendar is literally packed with events. There's something to do, somewhere to go every day. But not all events are created equal. Many are nothing more than moneymaking ventures, which is fine. Once in a while you can attend something that is more or less altruistic. Look it up.

This Sunday, July 14th, the pdxbeergeeks celebrate two years with a showing of Star Wars Uncut at the Hollywood Theater. Prior to the 3:30 showing of the film, Star Wars characters in authentic garb will mingle with the crowd.

Following the movie, the party moves next door to Atomic Pizza, where beer and food will be available. I'm told kegs from Natian Brewery, Lompoc Brewing, Fort George Brewing, 10 Barrel Brewing and Sasquatch Brewing were handpicked by pdxbeergeeks founder Mike Umphress for the occasion.

I can't really comment the film. The original Star Wars movies were great and Star Wars Uncut is apparently a mash-up of those films. Developer Casey Pugh put a lot of effort into creating this and it sounds a little goofy...but fun. Seeing Chewbacca, Hans Solo, R2D2, Luke Skywalker, etc., in action and out of order has some appeal. Admit it.

The geeks have partnered with the Hollywood Theater, Atomic Pizza and the breweries so that a portion of the event proceeds with be donated to the local social service agency, Outside In. The agency's mission is to help homeless youth and other disaffected folks move toward improved health and self-sufficiency. That's a worthwhile program.

In fact, all of the beer for this event was donated by the sponsor breweries, so a special thanks to them for supporting this event. This means ALL proceeds from beer sales will benefit Outside In. Mike says there will be some great beers available, so get down there and support a good cause.

Atomic Pizza and Hollywood Theater Team Up

The recently opened Atomic Pizza in the Hollywood District is a nice addition to an area that is bustling with growth and activity. They've got great pizza and a rotating selection a craft beers pouring from five taps. They made add more.

Welcome

I stopped in not long after they opened a while back. This was based mostly on info from social media. They were pouring beers by Occidental, Breakside, Burnside, Ninkasi and Oakshire. They also have a small selection of bottles. Good stuff.

What goes good with great beer? Great pizza, of course. For me, great crust is the most important element of good pizza. Atomic has it. They make their own dough and the sauces are handmade, as well. When baked, the crust is crisp and crunchy without being too hard. I think it could use a bit more salt, but that's a personal preference easily addressed with a salt shaker after the fact.

Main ingredients

Another cool aspect of this place is its connection to the nearby Hollywood Theater. Folks who attend movies and other events at the theater can purchase Atomic Pizza via a pie hole in the main lobby. If you look at the sidewalk space between the two entities, you wouldn't think a connection possible. But this is an old building with catacomb-like passages. 

Atomic can't serve you a beer from the pie hole. No worries, though, because Hollywood Theater has a decent tap selection of its own. When I stopped in to watch The Wrath of Khan for the millionth time back in mid-April, the theater was pouring Occidental Kolsch and beers from Deschutes, Laurelwood, Ninkasi and Lagunitas. And Miller High Life by the (16 oz) can. It doesn't get much better.

The pie hole defined

This area is undergoing a rejuvenation process. A long-empty space next to the theater is now filled with a new building. I believe these are apartments or condos with shops below. New businesses have opened along this strip and the amount of foot and bike traffic is amazing. I live close-by as the crow flies, so I'm happy to see this happening.

By the way, Atomic Pizza has another shop in the Overlook neighborhood on North Killingsworth St. That's actually their original store. I haven't been there, but I understand they offer the same selection of great pies and beers there. No theater, though, unfortunately.

A view from Atomic Pizza to the Theater

Speaking of the theater, this place has some history. It opened in 1926, smack dab in the middle of Prohibition and silent films. No beer or wine served then, folks. It was an odd setting for a theater, remote from downtown. In those days, Sandy Blvd. had streetcar and automobile access. It was considered a luxury theater.

After difficult times in the 1970s, the theater was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The non-profit group, Film Action Oregon, bought the place in 1997 and has worked to refurbish it ever since. Today, they screen films from all over the world and support Oregon-based independent film projects. Cool stuff.

New marquee coming soon

Part of the renewal project involved a fundraising campaign to purchase a new marquee for the old girl. That campaign exceeded its goal in late 2011 and the new marquee has been under construction. They hope to get it on the building by summer. More improvements are also planned and you can donate to the cause on their website here if you wish.

Good times in the Hollywood District.