Archive for April, 2017

For something different, today we’re going to take a look at two ciders from 2 Towns Ciderhouse in Corvallis, Oregon. Following in the footsteps of Oregon brewing, ciders have now taken off and are becoming more prevalent at bars, taphouses and the like. 2 Towns is one of the most prevalent here in the Willamette Valley, thanks to their production capacity and well-earned poplarity

Serious Scrump

Serious Scrump is a strong cider that happens to be an imperial as well, coming in at 11% ABV

Serious Scrump is a dry cider made in traditional scrumpy fashion with a Northwest twist! An eclectic blend of Hood River apples, local Oregon blackberry honey, and a slow fermentation process create a tart, floral, celebratory cider.

I found this cider to be overly-sweet. Like, almost mouth puckering sweet like a barley wine. It pours white with a mild head – you’re hit immediately with the taste of chardonnay and sweet, sweet apples. It’s super dry with almost a farmhouse like yeasty taste…like a saison with a twist

Flight of the Kiwi

Named after the flightless bird from New Zealand, Flight of the Kiwi pours clear with hardly any head.

Electrifying & tropical, kiwis can’t fly, and that’s A-OK, because all the ingredients for this cider were grown right here in the Northwest; Fresh-pressed apples, hardy kiwi berries, and gooseberries.

When you pour this cider, there’s nearly zero foam. and is a rich clear yellow – looking like white wine. I sensed a fresh apple nose with a robust body – almost tropical and dry on the finish. This is a satisfying cider that is enjoyable from beginning to end.

What ciders have you been enjoying lately?

Victory Club and Santiam Brewing Now Open for Lunch

Author: Jason Harris
April 5, 2017

Listen up, Salem area residents (and those visiting the capital city!), there are some great new lunch options ready for you and your beer-loving taste buds.

Victory Club Now Opens at 11:00 AM

In a surprise announcement Monday, April 2nd, Vagabond Brewing announced that Victory Club is now open for lunch. Since the taproom opened last June, as you may remember, opening hours started at 5pm. Now, armed with local Salem beer and ciders, a new chef and an expanded menu, Victory Club is now open for lunch in downtown Salem.

My favorite day to go to Victory Club, besides the ones that end in ‘Y’, will be on Tuesdays because on Taco Tuesday, you get tacos and a Salem-brewed cider or beer for $8.

Santiam Brewing Also Open For Lunch

I’m not sure if the timing is coincidence or not, but also on Monday, Santiam Brewing announced that their taphouse over on the 19th Street SE would be open for lunch. Now, Santiam is blessed to have a catering company located next door that produces amazing food to accompany your favorite Santiam beer.

Santiam Lunch

So, whether you’re downtown or out in SE Salem, stop by either Victory Club or Santiam (or both!) for an exquisite lunch and top quality Salem-brewed ale/cider.

Cheers!

In addition to great breweries popping up all over the state of Oregon, another phenomenon has been the addition of taphouses. These are bars and growler fill stations that have in upwards of 40-50 taps, featuring craft beer from Oregon and the West coast.

Vagabond Brewing, the Salem-based maker of fine ales, has decided to add taphouses as a cornerstone of their business – with Victory Club opening last June and now Vagabond Outpost in Albany, Oregon.

Vagabond Outpost

Vagabond Brewing just celebrated its 3rd birthday and thee trio of co-owners show no sign of slowing down.

Vagabond Outpost is located near Heritage Mall in Albany and features 40-ish taps that pour ales from Salem, Corvallis, Eugene and more. There are also wines and ciders on tap and kombacha as well.  The taphouse is located right next to Love Love Teriyaki and near Red Robin, so if you’re hungry, grab food to go and eat it in the taphouse with a delicious beverage.

You can find Vagabond Outpost at 2195 14th Ave S Albany, Oregon.