The Bowl Game: Seven Brides and a Case of Duck Fever

At least one local brewery and taproom is crazy with Duck fever.

Seven Brides is not only hosting a bowl game watching party, but they are also temporarily rebranding. You need to visit the website for the full gang-green glory. You might find it infectious!

Any bar or restaurant with a TV is certain to have the game - and most of the usual suspects have TVs - so it's not like you need help deciding where to go. Just pick your favorite watering hole!

Alternately, if football or spectacle is not your thing, places without TVs like Boon's, Thompsons, Venti's might be exceptionally pleasant for a beer and a book or knitting.

Medium Toast and the Kenny G of Beers

At Boon's earlier this month they were pouring Firestone DBA. I'm not a big fan of the McMenamin's beers, and after taster sips of the Jalapeno Wheat (see Jared's notes on the Jalapeno Wheat), Copper Moon, and Luna Red on nitro, none of which I liked, I went for the guest tap. I didn't know anything about Firestone - other than as the name of a winery. For some reason I thought a DBA would be a double IPA of some kind. I craved a jolt, even though normally IPAs and double IPAs are too hoppy for my taste.

The beer surprised me. It was smooth, too smooth. Like "smooth jazz" smooth. It wasn't the King of Beers, it was the Kenny G of beers!

Of course my expectations set things up for failure. I don't actually know if I dislike the beer. It was really drinkable and pleasant. Maybe more Mel Torme, the Velvet Fog, than Kenny G. At the very least, it was Kenny G on tenor sax rather than soprano. It just wasn't what I wanted.

Later I looked it up:

A British Pale Ale never tasted so fresh. We challenge our good friends across the pond to match this one. Can’t be done. We’ve honored the traditions of the great British Pale brewers of Burton-on-Trent using our patented Firestone Union oak barrels. You’re left with a mild blend of vanilla and toasted oak flavor touched with an elegant hint of English noble hops. DBA is the flagship of our company and wildly popular.

What was I thinking? The brewery is affiliated with a winery and features burgundy barriques!

After brewing for five years at a small, private facility on a corner of the Firestone Vineyard estate in Santa Barbara County, Firestone Walker recently transitioned to a new brewery in Paso Robles, San Luis Obispo County.

Firestone Walker’s ales are also selectively fermented in the patented Firestone Union oak barrel brewing system. The Firestone Union incorporates 60-gallon, medium-toast American oak barrels.

That's winechat, my beery friends!

And so we continue the beer-is-like-wine thread...

This is the first I've heard of a "union" brewing system. The Master, Michael Jackson, discusses a Burton Union System, with reference to Marston's, a British ale. The significant detail here is that the Marston's casks sound like hogsheads twice the size of barriques. Moreover, it's almost certain they have been used many times, and are old oak. Using vessels for fermentation that have been through multiple fermentations, and are therefore "neutral oak," is a centuries-old tradition in Europe for wine and beer. These vessels impart no "new oak" flavors. The Firestone method is designed to impart - or at least to market the idea of - hints of vanilla and other flavors deriving from new oak. The Firestone beers are marketed in some of the same gimmicky ways wines are.

The Firestone website, too, is larded with video and precious animation. It tries to hard, and tarts things up with fake antiquing - like farmhouse furniture, with milk paint, and factory distressing from being walloped with chains. It could be charming, but it's not.

I need to go back and retaste the beer. I'll be looking for different details and a different harmony.

I'm not at all sure what I'll conclude about the beer. I'm pretty sure I'll like it more, and I hope it's more Mel Torme than Kenny G. But I'm also pretty sure that when beer and beer marketing starts getting spoofalated, beer geekery becomes beer snobbery.

Cherry City Music Stimulus Package

Stimulate the local economy this weekend! The Cherry City Music Festival will bring an unprecedented number of bands to local venues. Well over 100! They still need volunteers, too. Catch a show, drink some beer, have fun.

For best beer stimulus, check out shows at:
The Beanery
Boon's
The Space
Venti's

And there are at least 10 other venues without beer! For the full schedule see here (roll over venue name to see band line-up). K-Records and Kill Rock Stars will have special feature stages, and there are a bunch of other great bands. You'll also likely make some new discoveries with bands new to you!

Boon's Treasury

There might be no more historic place to tip a pint than Boon's Treasury. John D. Boon (1817-1864) had been a Methodist Minister, and was involved with the Willamette Mission. He built the store in 1860, after he'd been in Oregon for 15 years. One of his obituaries notes:

For the last twelve or thirteen years of his life he lived in North Salem, on what is known as Boon's Island, where he kept a country store. This was the favorite trading place of many an old fashoned dame, who could never be induced to leave his unpretending shop, for that of any of his more spruce and modern neighbors. From 1851 to September 1862, he was the Territorial and State Treasurer of Oregon, and kept the keys of her strong box with faithfulness and fidelity. During those long eleven years, no man ever whispered a doubt of his integrity, and at the expiration of the term he gave up the office with clear hands, and without an ill gotten penny. Peace to his ashes!

More soberly, the the Salem Public Library Historic Photograph Collections says

The owner, Judge John D. Boon, came to Oregon in 1845. He was also involved with the founding of Willamette University, the Pacific Telegraph Company and the Oregon-California Railroad. He was elected Territorial Treasurer in 1853 and was the first State Treasurer; it is possible that this store was used as the Treasury office.

Other uses have been as a dry goods store run by William Lincoln Wade from circa 1870 to the early 1900's, a part of the Larmer warehouse after 1910, and Karr's Tavern after 1935. Mr. Karr used marble from the Oregon State Capitol which burned in 1935 for part of his bar….The building occupies a historically important site near the junction of Broadway & High Streets. A historic marker across the street from the back of the building marks the location of where the first saw and grist mills were built on Mill Creek in 1841 and the settlement which became Salem began. The Boon Brick Store was placed on the Historic Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Boon's obituary and burial record at the Pioneer Cemetery. His gravestone.

Panoramic shot of Mill Creek area with Boon's building circa 1880s. Be sure to zoom in!

Boon's building about the same time or a little later.

The building in 1940.

And in 1992.

But you really wanted to know about the beers! They just refreshed the tap list today:

Standards:
IPA
Hammerhead
Ruby
Terminator

Seasonals:
Irish Stout on Nitro
Nut Brown

Specials:
Dr. Who
Magnuson - A strong ale, malty & rich, specially brewed at Thompson's as a tribute to a special customer & friend.
Ninkasi Total Domination IPA