Standing Stone Brewing Company

News On Tap

By in 20th Anniversary, Events, Uncategorized 0

Standing Stone Brewing Turns 20! Come Celebrate!

1997.

Men In Black and The Titanic were filling movie theaters, while Third Eye Blind’s ”Semi-Charmed Kind Of Life” was playing from your car’s radio. Speaking of radios, it was the year Radiohead’s “OK Computer” was released, as we were first introduced to Buffy The Vampire Slayer and South Park, not to mention the publication of the first Harry Potter books.

Ah, 1997. And here, in Southern Oregon, two brothers with vision and a mission were opening what would come to be a mainstay of the Ashland brewpub and restaurant scene. Yes, in 1997, Emile & Alex Amarotico completed remodeling the historic Whittle Garage in downtown Ashland. Soon after, Standing Stone Brewing Co. opened its doors and began serving our signature hand crafted beers, with a menu that featured local organic ingredients and Pacific Northwest flavors.

Now, twenty years later, Standing Stone Brewing Co. proudly continues to serve the Rogue Valley, with a continuing focus on local sustainable ingredients, friendly service, and awesome beers!

And to celebrate, we’re throwing a party!

Please join us Saturday, August 5th from 4-10 PM, for a special event block party here on Oak Street in Ashland! We’re closing the street, firing up the grills, and opening our arms to all of you that have made Standing Stone Brewing the success that it’s been for TWO DECADES!  Featuring local live music by the Creekside String Fiddlers, Swift Pony, 33 String Drive and other entertainers, BBQ from our own One Mile Farm, and of course, beers brewed from regionally sourced hops and malts, hand crafted just for you!

Besides awesome music, great food and amazing ales, we will have face-painting and games for the kids, cornhole competition for bigger kids, with great prizes and giveaways, including a chance for one lucky person to win a Standing Stone Commuter Bike!

In the spirit of community that we support as it supports us, a portion of the sales for our 20th Anniversary Bash will be donated to local non-profit organizations.

We can’t wait to see you here!

By in Community, Employees & Partners, Pints for a Purpose, Uncategorized 0

Pints For A Purpose Returns!

Well, Summer is officially here!  Whether hitting the trails, lakes or rivers, we’re all excited for outdoor adventures and warm weather fun here in the Rogue Valley. At Standing Stone, it’s also a time we look forward to kick off our annual Pints for a Purpose application period, which runs from July 1st to October 1st, 2017.  

If you aren’t familiar with the program, through our Pints for a Purpose we donate $2 of every pint of beer sold to an employee-chosen nonprofit group, on their designated benefit evening. The top five voted recipients gather family, friends, and supporters from all over Southern Oregon on nights running November through March.

Our great staff votes for the top five favorite organizations, and we’re always amazed at all the wonderful work being done by the people in our communities. We award each nonprofit a special evening, during which all pints sold between 5pm – 10pm contribute to their cause. The organizations send representatives to answer questions, offer information, and participate in the fun! You just enjoy a beer, some excellent company, and have a great time knowing you’re helping a passionate local organization.

Last year’s Pints For a Purpose Events Supported:

White Oak Farm Education Center

The Maslow Project

Southern Oregon Alzheimer’s Association

Oregon Wild / Oregon Brewshed Alliance

Modern Roots Foundation

This year, to celebrate twenty great and exciting years of business at Standing Stone Brewing, we’re inviting all of our past Pints for a Purpose groups to apply, as well as looking for new groups to support.  If your nonprofit would like to apply for a Pints for a Purpose evening at Standing Stone, please visit our donations page. We look forward to hearing from you!

Standing Stone Brewing Company

By in Brewery & Beer, Events, The Little Woody, Uncategorized 0

“Go big or go gnome” at the Little Woody Festival

Join us this weekend for some Rogue Valley beer-drinking fun! We’ll be pouring alongside 20 other breweries and distilleries at the Harry & David Field in Medford this Friday and Saturday. The Little Woody Barrel Aged Beer and Whiskey Festival will celebrate craft wood-aged beers from across the Northwest, along with small-batch American rye whiskeys, bourbons and barrel-aged ciders, during the third annual festival May 12-13, 2017.

Seriously though, how could you get not excited about a festival chock-full of incredible brews, cider & whiskey? The line-up this year is absolutely killer (check it out here) and if beer isn’t enough to entice your taste buds, the food trucks should do the trick. We hear local favorites, Peruvian Point will be there slinging their tasty Peruvian fusion cuisine along with All Smoked Out BBQ and more.

If running is your thing, than you won’t want to miss the Beer Run happening Saturday, May 13th at noon. Grab your friends and lace up those running shoes– this 5k fun run around the Harry & David Field includes tastings from 10 Barrel and from yours truly, Standing Stone Brewing Co. We’ll be pouring tastes of our I ♥ Oregon Ale and Vienna Lager to quench your thirst while you and your beer-drinking compadres earn your brews for the day. After you finish, you’ll receive 6 tasting tokens, a Little Woody tasting glass and entry to the festival– all for $30 (sign up here).

Speaking of beer lovers, our friends The Brothers Reed will be playing both Friday and Saturday from 6-10pm. If you’ve yet to see these guys perform, you’re in for a treat! We’ve had the duo out at the brewpub several times and love their music.

Tickets can be purchased online for a discounted price ($30 for a VIP package say what?!) or at the gates. All ages are welcome Saturday until 6pm and designated drivers will receive entry for only $5. Check out the Little Woody Festival website for more information.

We hope to see you out at the Little Woody this weekend!

By in Brewery & Beer, Uncategorized, zwickelmania 0

Zwickelmania 2017- Saturday, Feb 25th 11am-4pm

 

Calling all craft beer fanatics! Zwickelmania 2017 is upon us!

This Saturday, come on down to the brewpub and join in on the action. The day dedicated to all things craft beer is being celebrated by breweries all over the state of Oregon. A tradition going on it’s 9th year, brewers open up their doors to give tours, tastings, lectures and more. If there ever was a day to bribe a friend to spend their day driving you from brewery to brewery, this would be it! (now think real hard, who owes you that huge favor?) Check out the list of breweries in Southern Oregon representing their craft brewing pride. Pretty impressive!

Our Brewer extraordinaire, Larry Chase will be offering free brewery tours every half hour. If you have ever wondered what goes in to brewing a batch of beer, what a brewing system looks like or how on earth someone gets lucky enough to brew beer for a living, this is your chance to get the down low. And for those of you who can’t resist a free sample or two, our brewing assistant, Cat will be giving away samples of our beer paired with small bites of delicious goodness. It will be a great opportunity to get a sneak peak behind the scenes and hang out with our Brewing masterminds and other craft beer lovin’ folks just like yourself.

Swing on by, grab a pint and celebrate some Zwickelmania madness with us!

 

Carharts and protective eyewear not required

 

 

 

By in Community, Pints for a Purpose 0

Pints for a Purpose benefits Oregon Brewshed Alliance

McKenzie River photo by Tim Giraudier

At SSBC we really love our brewshed! Every day of the year you may find Standing Stone guests and employees enjoying the majesty of our local brewshed. We love to ski down its slopes, hike up its ridges, kayak down its creeks and drink its delicious beers.

You might ask, what is a brewshed? According to the experts at Oregon Wild, the term “brewshed®” refers to the “watersheds where brewers and breweries source their water to brew craft beer.” That means the wild lands, forests, streams and rivers that surround our communities here in the Rogue Valley. Brewsheds are so important to brewers because beer is over 90% water. The quality of the water is paramount to the quality of the microbrew. Our purest, best-tasting water comes from rivers and streams flowing through unspoiled public forest lands.

Yes, we love our brewshed! That is why Standing Stone Brewing Company is a proud member of the Oregon Brewshed Alliance; a group of craft breweries from across the state that seeks to protect Oregon’s many amazing brewsheds by supporting the efforts of Oregon Wild. Founded in 1974, Oregon Wild has been instrumental in securing permanent legislative protection for some of Oregon’s most precious landscapes, including nearly 1.7 million acres of Wilderness, 95,000 acres of and almost 1,800 miles of Wild & Scenic Rivers. As a leader in the national grassroots campaign for conservation of roadless areas in our national forests, Oregon Wild helped secure administrative protections for more than 58 million acres of spectacular roadless areas across the country.  Oregon Wild’s wilderness, old-growth forest and clean rivers/watersheds programs protect pristine drinking water, unparalleled recreation opportunities and fish and wildlife habitat across Oregon.

Learning about the work or Oregon Wild makes me think of one of my favorite Dr. Seuess books, “I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues. And I’m asking you, sir, at the top of my lungs…”  The Lorax is a fable about the destruction of the environment at the hands of corporate greed.  Although things get pretty dreary, there is a message of hope in the end, and a stern warning, “UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” Advocating for healthy brewsheds means speaking up for the trees, and protecting the wild animals that live in them.

On Tuesday, February 7, from 5-10pm Standing Stone Brewing Co. will celebrate our love for our Oregon brewsheds at our Pints for a Purpose event. SSBC will donate $2 for each beer and $1 for each root beer sold during the event to Oregon Wild to support their ongoing work to protect our precious wild lands.

So come on by next Tuesday for a delicious meal and a pint – or just a pint (or two).  Bring friends. Come learn more about Oregon Brewshed Alliance and raise some funds to support the work of Oregon Wild. Come check out our newest brew “You Asked for it Amber” to go with our wood fired Steelhead. Or grab a pint of Fireside Porter to accompany a nice warm vegetable salad. Or try a pint of Citrine Pale with our yummy Fig and Bacon Pizza. Or choose a pint of Grizzly Peak Pilsner and a plate of Baja Tacos. Or just have your old favorite Twin Plunge Double IPA. Whatever you choose, make your pints count at Standing Stone Brewing Company’s Pints for a Purpose.

–Written by Joan Seybould

By in Community, Pints for a Purpose 0

Pints for a Purpose benefits Alzheimer’s Association– January 10th, 5-10pm

Happy New Year from Standing Stone Brewing Co. We have just come to the end of a very lively and enjoyable holiday season. It was very satisfying to be part of the holiday celebrations of so many families.

Here at SSBC we have a lot to look forward to in 2017, starting with a New Menu coming on January 4. When you have been in business for as long as SSBC has (it will be 20 years this Spring!) it is important to keep things fresh and creative.  Changing the menu from time to time also allows us to source the most seasonably sustainable food items that we possibly can. The new menu retains many long-standing favorites; and brings in some exciting new additions. I cannot wait to try the new Chicken Calzone with a pint of Citrine Pale.

On Tuesday, January 10 from 5-10pm, we will host our third Pints for a Purpose event of the 2016-2017 season. Each winter SSBC hosts five evenings from which we donate $2 from each Beer, and $1 from each Root Beer sold, to a local, charitable organization. In December we raised about $400 for the Maslow Project to help homeless youth. This month Pints for a Purpose will benefit the Southern Oregon Alzheimer’s Association.

In preparation for writing this I made an informal poll of my co-workers. Out of eight people that I asked, seven of them said that their lives had been touched by Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. They said it was a grandparent, a friend or a neighbor. Some mentioned how difficult it had been to witness the mental and physical decline of a loved one and how hard it had been on caregivers. According to the Alzheimer’s Association website over 5 million Americans are currently living with Alzheimer’s disease.

Since its foundation in 1980 the Alzheimer’s Association has grown into a national, non-profit organization with a mission to eliminate Alzheimer’s disease through the advancement of research; to provide and enhance care and support for all affected; and to reduce the risk of dementia through the promotion of brain health.

With a vision of a world without Alzheimer’s disease, The Alzheimer’s Association Oregon Chapter provides education and support for people diagnosed, their families, and caregivers by providing information and resources, 24/7 telephone help lines, local support groups and educational programs, an annual caregivers conference and a nationwide identification program, MedicAlert + Safe Return, for people with Alzheimer’s disease who may wander and get lost

The goal of Pints for a Purpose is to raise cash to help the Alzheimer’s Association carry on its local work and to raise awareness about its programs. If your life has been touched by Alzheimer’s disease or another dementia, SSBC’s Pints for a Purpose evening on January 10 is an opportunity to make a contribution to an organization that is invaluable in both fighting against and living with Alzheimer’s disease.

We hope to see you on January 10. Come check out our new menu and make your pints count at Pints for a Purpose.

-By Joan K. Seybold

By in Ashland Oregon, Events, Food, Uncategorized 0

2017 Winter Brewer’s Dinner- Wednesday, January 18th 6pm

2017 Winter Brewer's Dinner at Standing Stone

Our annual Winter Brewer’s Dinner is just around the corner- Wednesday, January 18th at 6pm. This has been a long time favorite event of ours and we are excited to be hosting yet another in our downtown Ashland brewpub. This five-course food and beer pairing, created by our Chef Javier and Brewer Larry Chase, will feature a seasonal menu sure to wow your taste buds. Seating is very limited and tickets must be purchased in advance.

Curious what we’ve got up our sleeves for the evening? Check out the menu for this year’s event:

1st Course: Citrine Pale with Shrimp Cake Micro Green Salad, Blood Orange Segments, Pickled Onions & Citrine Pale Vinaigrette

2nd Course: Twin Plunge IIPA with Red Lentil & Barley Curry Soup, Carrots, Potatoes, Yogurt and Cilantro Micro Greens

3rd Course: Milk & Honey Ale with 5 Spice Slow Roasted Pork Roast, Roasted Sweet Potato Purée & Beer Glaze

4th Course: Robust Porter with One Mile Farm Filet Mignon, Myriad Mycology Shiitake Mushroom Sauce, Creamy Polenta, Roasted Carrots and Sautéed Kale.

5th Course: Barley Wine with Valley View Orchard Peach Bread Pudding, Cardamom Spiced Whipped Cream & Peach Coulis

This night is a great way for us to showcase the talent in the kitchen and upstairs in the brewery and we are thrilled with the menu the guys put together. The event will start at 6pm with a short “beer+cheese hour” to get you in the festive spirit of eating and drinking– and dinner will be served at 6:30pm. Tickets are $75 per guest, including gratuity and can be purchased online or at our brewpub. This event sells out almost every year, so get those tickets fast– before someone else beats you to them!

Feel free to call us at 541-261-0021 or email samantha@standingstonebrewing.com with any questions.

Happy Holidays & we look forward to serving you at this year’s Winter Brewer’s Dinner!

By in Pints for a Purpose, Uncategorized 0

Pints for a Purpose benefits Maslow Project

At SSBC we like to create win-win-win situations. Pints for a Purpose is a win-win-win situation. It is another example of SSBC’s commitment to sustainability. Check out this neat set-up. SSBC guests get to enjoy our amazing beer while contributing to a valuable, local organization– win, win! Our organization of choice gets to celebrate their achievements, represent their work to the public and raise much needed funds, to help further their mission– win, win! The restaurant and brewery staff get to enjoy a lively evening of community involvement, which also increases our ability to continue to give back to the community – win, win, win!

Our second event of the 2016/2017 Pints for a Purpose season is coming up on Tuesday, December 13. That evening from 5 to 10pm we will host the Maslow Project and will donate $2 for every pint of beer and $1 from every pint of Root Beer sold to support their work with homeless youth in the Rogue Valley.

It is so appropriate that we chose to feature the Maslow Project in our December PFP.  In this holiday season, as the outside temperatures drop and we are safe and warm, celebrating friends and family, it is so important for us to turn our attention to the most vulnerable people in our community– the kids.

In Jackson County, one in ten school aged kids is homeless. That means that they are living on the streets, in shelters, in motels, in vehicles, in places not designed for people. They are couch-surfing or “doubling-up”. Most of these kids are not runaways, but living in homeless families. These are real kids in our local towns, going to our schools, who really need extra support and care.

The mission of the Maslow Project is to offer every homeless child and youth the probability of success and the opportunity for a better life. Their focus is on education completion. On average, only 25% of homeless youth in America ever graduate from high school. But 66% of Maslow Project seniors graduate on time. The Maslow Project creates their own benefit-loops by empowering kids to finish school and thus increasing their chances of breaking cycles of poverty and homelessness. 

Through street and school based outreach the Maslow Project hooks homeless kids up with basic needs byproviding access to clothing items, food boxes, hygiene supplies, hot meals, snacks and other services at their drop-in center in Medford. They also provide family advocacy, counseling and positive youth development programs.  You can go to the Maslow Project Website to learn more about their programs.

In addition to the traditional Pints for a Purpose donation, SSBC will also host a Donation Drive to collect gifts of food, new or gently-used clothing, hygiene supplies, diapers and school supplies. So, when you come visit us on December 13 to enjoy a pint or two, bring some friends along to celebrate the holidays and, please bring what you can to help fill our donation box.

 

By in Brewery & Beer 0

Fresh on Tap: Grizzly Peak Pils & Robust Porter

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With the 2016 Shakespeare season closing and Summer long behind us; things have been slowing down around this little town of ours. We always appreciate the time to catch our breath and relax just a little before the Holiday madness kicks in. Though some of us are enjoying the little extra down-time, our brewer Larry Chase has been working away like a mad man up in the Brewery.

We’ve tapped two new beers within the last 14 days– and we’ve got another specialty on deck for next week. We won’t divulge the beer that has yet to be tapped (rhymes with marley vine), but we figured we better share the news about our two latest specialty beers!

Grizzly Peak Pils- 5.4% ABV, 40 IBUSSBC

This German-style Pilsner has been welcomed by many happy guests since its tapping. It’s not often that we brew Lagers (not sure about the difference between Ales and Lagers? Check out this link) and we’re always excited when we have them available to enjoy in our brewpub. With its light body and crisp, tingling carbonation– it fits the bill for those looking for a beer on the “lighter” side, while remaining a balanced beer full of bready flavors, herbaceous aromas, and a pleasantly appropriate bitterness. This is a thirst-quenching Pilsner that will carry you to Beer-vana and back to your barstool.

 

Robust Porter- 5.8% ABV, 36 IBU

SSBCOver the past couple years, we’ve had a lot of you come into the brewpub and ask for a Porter. Though Steelcut Stout has been the beer that we’ve suggested for those in search of that particular style, we figured it’s time to give a go at it. I think we all agree, Larry really hit the nail on the head with this one. This opaquely, black as night Porter is everything you could want in a 16oz. glass. Its full body and velvety mouthfeel greets you at first sip, with a chewy richness and a grainy, dry finish. It has intense flavors of dark chocolate, notes of espresso and hints of dark fruits. This Porter is the perfect company for a dark, rainy day– but we would just as happily enjoy it on a sunny one too.

Next time you’re in the brewpub, give our brewer Larry a big bear hug. He’s 2-2 with some tasty brews that we think he hit straight out of the park. We love these new beers and while he’s slaving away up in the brewery, hauling grain and cleaning tanks– we promise to do our part and enjoy these new specialties with the utmost respect and admiration; sip by sip…it’s a tough job, but someones gotta do it.

Here’s to you, Larry!

 

By in Community, Pints for a Purpose, Uncategorized 0

Pints For A Purpose 2016/2017 – And The Winners Are…

Well, you’ve all been waiting patiently to see Standing Stone’s 2016/2017 Pints for a Purpose line up, and here it is! We’re pfap-image-265x300excited to announce our first evening of beer sales donations will benefit White Oak Farm Education Center. We’re looking forward to launching this season’s program with this Southern Oregon grass-roots organization on Tuesday, November 15th from 5pm-9pm. 

Nestled into a northern fold of the Siskiyou Mountains in Southern Oregon, White Oak Farm is dedicated to cultivating connections between people and their local ecosystems by pursuing community food security, fostering agricultural and ecological diversity, and teaching the arts of sustainable living.

If you aren’t familiar with the Pints for a Purpose program, we donate $2 of every pint of beer sold to an employee-chosen nonprofit on their designated benefit evening, November through March. Our annual application period runs June-October, and then our staff votes for their top five favorite organizations. We award each nonprofit a special evening, during which all pints sold contribute to their cause. The organizations send representatives to answer questions, offer information, and participate in the fun! You just enjoy a beer, some excellent company and have a great time knowing you’re helping a committed local organization.

Our other Pints for a Purpose winners and dates this year, as voted for by our very own Standing Stone Crew, are:

The Maslow Project – December 13th 2016

Southern Oregon Alzheimer’s Association – January 7th 2017

Oregon Wild / Oregon Brewshed Alliance – February 7th 2017

Modern Roots Foundation – March 7th 2017

Last year, we hosted five Pints for a Purpose benefit evenings totaling over $2,000 in donations for local nonprofits. Our recipients for the 2015/2016 Pints for a Purpose included Sanctuary One, Bee Girl, Children’s Advocacy Center, Rogue Valley Farm to School, and the No LNG Pipeline Campaign.

So mark your calendar for Tuesday, November 15th from 5pm-9pm and help us kick off this season of giving. We’ll use #pintsforapurpose to tag photos of the benefit evening on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and encourage you to do the same! Come say hi, mingle and have a pint with family and friends to help support White Oak Farm with Pints for a Purpose.

Pints for a Purpose

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