Pints and Steins

The weekend is upon us and it’s time to consider what we’ll be drinking on this hot summer weekend.

It seems like the entire nation is gripped by a heat wave, so what this weekend calls for is a cool, crisp ale that goes down easy and leaves you feeling refreshed.

Cascade Lakes Brewing of Bend and Redmond, Oregon has just the brew. Roster Tail Ale was the breweries first beer ever made and sold and continues to be a regional favorite.

Rooster Tail Ale is a golden-colored ale that has 5.2% alcohol and only 30 I.B.U.s that makes for a very easy-drinking beer.

In opinion, Roster Tail is *too* easy-drinking.  I’m a fan of crisp summer beers, especially those of the Kolsh variety, but Rooster Tail left me wanting more.  It has a decent taste, but doesn’t have enough flavor or effect to leave me wanting a second sip after the first.

For those wanting a more memorable easy-drinking ale for a summer day, I’d skip Rooster Tale and pickup a Mirror Pond Pale Ale from Deschutes.  Cascade Lakes makes many great beers, but Rooster Tail simply isn’t one of them.

On a recent visit to the Deschutes Brewery Portland location, I had the sheer pleasure of partaking in their Autumn seasonal – Hop Trip Ale.

Hop Trip Ale from Deschutes Brewing

This ale has a fun story behind it. You see, there are some great hops grown in the Willamette Valley area of Oregon (where I live). Bend, home to Deschutes Brewery, is a short 3 hour drive from the Valley.

Once a year, the brewers from Bend come over to the Valley to hand-pick their hops. Then, the harvested hops are taken over to Bend and boiled/brewed fresh. Hence the name: Hop Trip Ale

Hop Trip is available from October through December. So, how is this years batch?

In one word: phenomenal! I trialed a pint straight from the keg and enjoyed every sip of it. The hops flavor the beer in a smooth and savory way. This beer isn’t ‘hoppy’ the same way an IPA is – in the sense that IPA is bitter and shocking.

Hop Trip Ale is a bit stronger in flavor than an average pale ale.

So, get a bottle or pint the next time you’re out and about – you won’t regret it!

Hop Trip Ale is a seasonal from Deschutes Brewery in Bend, Oregon. It’s a great beer that is rich in hoppy flavor. I had no idea how much effort it takes to make this great beer.

Apparently the Bend crew drives over to Salem to get the hops themselves, right off the vine. This all happens in September each year.

Here’s a short film about the process. So cool!