The last weekend in April was a big one for Southern Oregon events. Friday through Sunday boasted the first annual Rogue Valley Fermentation Celebration in Medford, Rogue Valley Earth Day, and the Ashland Art Gallery Association’s A Taste of Ashland. Do you think we could possibly choose just one to participate? Absolutely not, we did them all.

Here’s a photo recap of the weekend, which proved to be cloudy, rainy, sunny, cool, warm, and everything in between. It didn’t seem to deter fans, as we saw lots of happy beer drinkers and food lovers all around the valley.

Rogue Valley Fermentation Celebration at Harry & David Field, 4/24-4/25

Rogue Valley Earth Day Celebration at ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum, 4/25

A Taste of Ashland, 4/25-4/26

The sun is shining (mostly), the weather is warming (some days), and we feel inspired (or is it hopeful?) to bring a new seasonal specialty beer on tap. Our brewer just finished Commuter Gold, the fourth ever batch of this Standing Stone beer, and we’ve tapped it for those wanting a lighter bodied ale to help bring along spring.

About the Beer

This bright golden ale gets its spicy, herbal aroma from Sterling hops. The crisp, medium bitterness & lightly toasted finish are balanced with a refreshing mouthfeel. 4.6% abv, 20 IBU

Malt

• Organic Pilsner
• Briess Ashburne Mild
• Briess Victory
• Acidulated

Hops

• Bittering: Sterling
• Flavor/Aroma: Sterling

Food Pairing Suggestions

The mild bitter finish of Commuter Gold makes it a great partner for light-bodied food with a bit of oil and richness – think flash fried veggies and seafood, or tossed salad with a hearty dressing. Here are our suggestions from the brewpub menu:

Calamari with Fried Lemon Wheels and Jalapeños

Fish & Chips

Cobb Salad

Fish Tacos

Margherita Pizza

Join us soon for a pint of Commuter Gold, and get into the commuting spirit with bike travel this spring. Help us fill our fourteen-bike yellow rack in front of the brewpub when you visit! Check out our previous post about bike tips and safety in cold weather for when you get caught in those sporadic rain storms, and feel good about biking toward a Commuter Gold in all weather conditions.

You came, you drank craft beer, and you gave to local organizations. We want to thank everyone who joined us during our 2014/2015 Pints for a Purpose season! We gave even more money this year to southern Oregon nonprofits, and we have you all to thank for supporting the program and loving beer.

Through our Pints for a Purpose donation program, we pledged $2 for every pint of beer sold to local nonprofits on their designated benefit evening. Beer-lovers and supporters came to enjoy craft brews and give to their favorite organizations in the area. By raising your pints with friends, you all helped give hundreds of dollars to each of this year’s beneficiaries.

Here’s a recap of our 2014/2015 Pints for a Purpose nonprofits:

Rogue Climate

WaterWatch

Friends of the Ashland Public Library

Rogue Farm Corps

Rogue Valley Earth Day

All together, we raised just over $2,300 for these local groups. We couldn’t have done it without community support (well, actually, we could have tried but it wouldn’t have been pretty to watch us drink 1,150 pints alone).

If you know a nonprofit in southern Oregon that would like to be in next year’s line-up, encourage them to apply for our 2015/2016 Pints for a Purpose season. The program guidelines and online application are on our website, and we’ll accept submissions from June through October 1st. Once all the applications are in, we’ll get all our coworkers to vote on top five, and do it all again next year.

Thanks again to everyone who joined us on any of our Pints for a Purpose benefit evenings, and we’re excited to see new and returning faces next year. Let’s get together, drink some local beer, and give to great causes!

Whoa there, Oregon. Valentine’s Day, Oregon’s 156th birthday, Presidents’ Day Weekend and a state-wide craft beer celebration all at once? Okay, we’ll play. Zwickelmania, the annual one-day event in Oregon when breweries open their doors to any and all beer fans, lands on Saturday, February 14th this year. More than 100 breweries are participating with meet-the-brewer events, beer samples, tours and more, 11am-4pm.

At Standing Stone, we’ll host a meet-and-greet with our brewer, Larry Chase, on the brew deck. While learning about the inner-workings of Standing Stone’s brewery, guests will taste free samples of beer and pair alongside bites of cheese and chocolate (it is Valentine’s Day after all).

For those planning a long-weekend getaway in Oregon, visitors are invited to click on one of the seven regions of the state on the Zwickelmania event page to see which breweries are participating. Itineraries and maps are available for the Bend, Eugene, Portland, Salem and Southern Oregon areas.

Last year, more than 36,750 people toured 105 participating breweries statewide, and the Oregon Brewers Guild is expecting that number to increase in 2015. Let’s help make that happen! In Ashland, you can make a day of visiting Standing Stone, Caldera Taphouse, and Swing Tree Brewing, all within a half-mile radius.

For more information, head to Oregoncraftbeer.org/zwickelmania.

Next week we welcome the third recipients for our 2014/2015 Pints for a Purpose program: Friends of the Ashland Public Library. Through our beer-sales donation program we’ll give $2 for every pint of beer sold at Standing Stone from 5-10pm on Tuesday, January 13^th. Come in for a brew and support this great Ashland nonprofit!

In November and December we welcomed Rogue Climate and WaterWatch of Oregon as donation beneficiaries. Together, they raised nearly $1,000 total by bringing in friends and fans to enjoy craft beer and support their causes. Raise a glass of your favorite brew next Tuesday to join in the fun.

We’ll give $2 for every pint, 1/13, 5-10pm

Friends of the Ashland Public Library is an active organization that works to ensure that free access to information remains a part of Ashland’s community.  They sponsor children’s events, summer reading programs, Ashland Mystery Readers, Author Night at the Library, and more. You can become a member by filling out a form online, and support their cause through Pints for a Purpose – go big!

If you’re planning on enjoying a local craft beer next Tuesday anyway, why not make it a pint for a purpose? Any beer sold between 5-10pm goes to the nonprofit. Call up your beer-loving friends and join the community as we drink a beer (responsibly) for Friends of the Ashland Public library.

It’s time again to celebrate the flavors of the season with the long-anticipated release of our barley wine! Locals know its huge maltiness and big fruit flavors make it a seasonal favorite. It’s served in a special glass, since this unique ale is higher in alcohol content and is the perfect beer to sip on a chilly winter night.

About the Beer:

Style:  Barley Wine

Color: Reddish Brown
Aroma:  Red berry, dried fruit, caramel
Mouthfeel:  Full and Warming
Flavor:  Intense sweet maltiness, resinous wood , toffee
Alcohol:  10.2% abv
IBU:   48 (estimate)

Original Extract:   23.4 Plato (% sugar in the wort)

Malt

• Organic 2-row
• Briess Aromatic
• Briess Extra Special
• Acidulated

Hops

• Bittering:  Organic Magnum
• Flavor/Aroma: Organic Ahtanum, Willamette

Aging Barrels

• Used French Oak from Wooldridge Creek Winery – barrels previously contained Malbec

Come in to the brewpub and enjoy this limited release ale, or take a liter home to share with your friends and family. Enjoy this ale in moderation and have a safe and happy holiday season.

(*photo by Marina Pecoraro)