Photo: Brewers Association

We’re proud to announce that for the second year in a row, we’ve been chosen to showcase our beer at SAVOR: An American Craft Beer and Food Experience. Organized by the Brewers Association, which describes the gathering as “the nation’s premier beer and food pairing event,” SAVOR will be held June 8-9 at the National Building Museum in Washington D.C.

A total of 160 craft brewers entered a lottery to participate in this year’s coveted affair, and Standing Stone is one of just 74 breweries chosen! Last year, we were joined by Caldera Brewery in representing Oregon on the national stage. This year, we’ll be joined by Oakshire Brewing and Ninkasi Brewing Company of Eugene, and Deschutes Brewery of Bend to showcase our state’s contribution to the craft beer world.

At SAVOR, guests will sample breweries’ prized ales and lagers paired with sweet and savory fare. Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend educational classes and private tasting salons, enhancing an in-depth learning and tasting experience.

Our own brewmaster, Larry Chase, will be pouring and speaking for the occasion. Here’s what he’ll be serving up:

Double IPA: This customer favorite boasts light copper color and a medium body. Unfiltered and dry hopped twice, this ale has an intense floral and fruity aroma, spicy flavor and bitterness. 7.7% abv. The hoppy and dry characteristics make this ale perfect for pairing with Asparagus and Mushroom Tart with Fontina.

Noble Stout: Brewed with 100 pounds of oats to provide a silky smooth mouthfeel, then hit with a healthy dose of Noble Coffee Roaster’s Mokha Java Blend, this is a rich, black beer with great local flavor. Its espresso and chocolate nuances complement the Butterscotch Cheesecake matched for its pairing.

We’re also sending our Beer and Food Pairing Team, Danielle Amarotico, Ashley Nunes, Melza Quinn and Meg Dias. They plan to bring back new and exciting pairing ideas to try here at the restaurant, so be on the lookout on our specials board for upcoming perfect matches.

Photo: Eddie Arrossi

This year, we have the additional honor of being hand-picked to serve brews for one of the event’s private tasting salons, where select ticket holders get the opportunity to meet and interact with brewmasters in a more intimate setting. Just for the occasion, we brewed a new specialty beer made entirely with ingredients from Oregon – Backyard Brew. Come in and check it out at the restaurant while it lasts, and see what folks across the country will be savoring! We’ll present at the salon along with Matt Van Wyk of Oakshire Brewing, and talk about beer flavor, ingredients, and how to create perfect pairings with cheeses from Rogue Creamery of Central Point, OR.

If you’re one of the lucky ticket holders to this sold-out event, we toast your good fortune and we hope to see you there! If you’re in Ashland, come in a savor a pairing of your own. We have all the brews we’re featuring across the country on tap here at the brewpub, and we recommend trying them with Rogue Creamery Blue Cheese and Stout Cheddar for a true SAVOR experience. Or ask your server or bartender for pairing suggestions with other menu items. We’ll make a call to the capital for guidance if we need to.

Our brewmaster Larry Chase is getting ready to chase a few kegs of our beer across the country and he’s pretty excited. They’re waiting for him in Washington, DC, where we’ll be one of 72 craft breweries participating in SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, held June 3-4.

We’re honored to have been selected from 140 breweries vying for a spot in this prestigious 2-day fete pairing America’s best microbrews with fine food. Eight craft brewers will be representing Oregon, including our neighbors at Caldera Brewing Company.

(Photo: SAVOR)

Organized by the Brewers Association, SAVOR offers craft beer and fine food pairings, educational sessions and private tasting salons. It’s become a must-attend for lovers of fine food and quality microbrews, and a standard-setting affair. The event has sold out quickly each year, despite an extra day being added to sastisfy America’s rapidly growing love for homegrown craft beer.

Larry will sample out two beers, paired with foods chosen by top chefs Adam Dulye of Monk’s Kettle, San Francisco and Teddy Folkman of Granville Moore’s, D.C.

Milk & Honey Ale: A favorite limited edition microbrew, this polished copper color ale offers a silky, smooth, medium body and nuances of honey. As fans of this creation know, the milk part of the name comes from the addition of lactose, an unfermentable milk sugar that provides smoothness and an enhanced mouthfeel. The honey moniker refers to honey malt, which imparts a honey flavor with residual sweetness. 5.5% ABV.

Larry and Ashland's Mayor. We hope he'll be shaking hands with President Obama at SAVOR!

Milk and Honey will be paired with goat-cheese potato croquettes. Its sweetness complements the goat cheese’s tanginess, dancing back and forth on the palate to a light honey finish. Yum!

Pilot Rock Pale Ale: This well-received selection from our classic lineup offers a delicate fruit-like aroma and a spicy flavor reminiscent of cinnamon. It’s refreshingly crisp and easy drinking yet complex and satisfying. This beer is dry hopped with organic, local Cascade hops from Alpha Beta Hop Farm in Ashland OR. 5.5% abv.

It will be paired with crispy tuna rolls with cabbage and chipotle pumpkin seed butter. Its spicy finish lends a new flavor to the crisp and zingy cabbage, enhancing the tasting experience.

If you were lucky enough to get a ticket to SAVOR, please stop by and sample our hand crafted ales, along with other Oregon microbrews and artisan cheese from our friends at Rogue Creamery. We’re at table group 2, for those who are mapping their course of action.

If you’re homebound in the Rogue Valley, stop by our restaurant and brewery in Ashland for a fresh pint or a flight of samplers. Our servers and bartenders will be happy to suggest scrumptious parings from our own kitchen to top off your experience.