| CARVIEW |
The Brew Site
2025 marked the 50th anniversary of Zupan’s Markets of Portland, and to commemorate the occasion the company partnered with Ferment Brewing to release its latest Farm to Market series collaboration beer at the end of the year—Blend No. 34, a barrel-aged imperial stout. It’s “No. 34” because it’s the 34th … Continue reading
2 Towns Ciderhouse has a line of non-alcoholic ciders, and recently added a new flavor: NA Guava Get Down. I haven’t had the chance to try these yet, so the company sent me samples of the new Guava plus its NA Cosmic Crisp to review—and as a bonus, the newest … Continue reading
Seattle’s Elysian Brewing is dipping its toe into the non-alcoholic beer pool with the release of its first NA beer, Easy Dust IPA, a non-alcoholic addition to its Space Dust lineup—just in time for Dry January. It’s listed with less than 0.5% (of course) and 25 IBUs, brewed with Citra, … Continue reading
Let’s get into some Dry January reviews! I’m considering the new non-alcoholic (“never” alcoholic) ciders from Stem Ciders of Colorado, under the company’s new Stem Zero line. Currently there are two flavors: Blueberry Lime and Apricot Haze. The company sent me samples of both its new flavors to review; in … Continue reading
Mark your calendars for a couple of upcoming events from McMenamins this month (aside from my History Pub on Bend Beer, of course). These are the first two big fests of the year for the company, taking place in Hillsboro and Bend. Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Wassail Cider Fest, Saturday, January … Continue reading
Taking a break from beer for a moment, I recently received a selection of premium ready-to-drink cocktails from Knox & Dobson, a California company that specializes in the bottled RTD experience. The company offers six cocktails in its lineup, and I have all six. Details from the email: Crafted with … Continue reading
In a couple of weeks, on Tuesday, January 27, I’ll be presenting at McMenamins’ History Pub at the Old St. Francis School, talking about my book Bend Beer and local beer history. Doors open at 6pm with the talk starting at 7pm, and McMenamins charges $5 to attend (you can … Continue reading
Vermont’s Switchback Brewing has been offering its Switchback N.A. for nearly a year, having launched it in early spring 2025, crafted with the BrewVo® system from Sustainable Beverage Technologies. (The same company behind Deschutes Brewery’s NA brews, as well as RationAle and others.) The non-alcoholic beer has been successful enough … Continue reading
Flannel is iconic here in the Pacific Northwest, particularly in winter and among beer brewers, so naturally there’s a beer fest that celebrates it. The 4th annual Flannel Fest returns to Bend this month, celebrating winter warmer style beers with an overall theme embracing the popular fabric. Flannel Fest takes … Continue reading
I’m not participating in Dry January, at least not exclusively, but I do have a lineup of non-alcoholic beverages I’ve received that I’ll be reviewing this month. That includes the full lineup of non-alcoholic beers from Deschutes Brewery (in the picture there) that the brewery sent me recently. In addition … Continue reading
