During Open House, our Hiring Team will lead a tour for interested community members and prospective employees through our building – from the restaurant, to the brewery, through the kitchen and outside to our waste management area. Our team will cover a range of topics, including our farm project, zero waste initiatives, job descriptions, bike program, employee benefits, the remodel of the historic building next door, our mission and more. The goal is to offer as much information about Standing Stone as we can, so attendees can get a bigger picture of our overall operations, and interested job applicants can determine if our brewpub is the perfect match with what they’re looking for.

For the last two years our hiring team has hosted an orientation for inquiring Standing Stone applicants on Saturday mornings. Through this face-to-face process, we’ve welcomed a number of great people to our staff who share our same passions. In fact, we’ve brought on several people who’ve created their own positions at Standing Stone because they have an area of expertise to offer and a desire to contribute new ideas. With the new Open House, we hope to continue to meet these fabulous additions to our team, while opening our doors to other folks interested in learning more about our operations at the same time.

If you’d simply enjoy taking a guided walk around the building and learning more about what we do and what drives us, please just stop on in! If you’re interested in applying for a position at Standing Stone, please bring a resume and fill out an application, available on-site or online.

We’re excited to meet new people, see long-standing friends and continue building our team at our weekly Open House. Come stop by and we’ll show you around!

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.

We’re tapping this specialty ale on Wednesday, May 16th at 6 PM in honor of American Craft Beer Week. This nationwide celebration shines the spotlight on the entire craft brewing community, and we’re joining the fun with events all week long. We’ve invited Ashland Mayor John Stromberg to read the Proclamation of Beer Independence and be our guest to tap this new specialty beer. Check out our event calendar for more info about happenings throughout the week.

We’re also thrilled to bring this ale with us across the country to Washington D.C. for SAVOR: A Craft Beer and Food Pairing Experience. This weekend-long, sold-out event features a handful of breweries from across the U.S. to pour craft brews that perfectly pair with select culinary creations. We’ve been chosen to feature the Backyard Brew at one of the private tasting salons, where our brewmaster, Larry Chase, will speak about beer ingredients and flavors, and pair our ales with cheeses from award-winning Rogue Creamery of Central Point, OR.

About Backyard Brew

This Oregon-bred beer is modeled after farmhouse ales of Belgium, where historically farms brewed beer with the ingredients that were readily available. Gold with a white haze, bubblegum aroma provided by a Belgian wheat yeast, and lots of spiciness in the flavor with some hints of anise and a tinge of smokiness.  Dry finish with a lingering bitterness.  5.7% abv

Ingredients

• Oregon Select Malt (Klamath Basin)
• Yamhill Variety White Wheat-unmalted (Dunbar Farms, Medford)
• Maple Blackberry Honey (Wild Bee Honey Farm, Eagle Point)
• Nugget Hops (Willamette Valley)
• Organic Liberty Hops (Willamette Valley)
• Corriander (Dunbar Farms, Medford)
• Belgian Wheat Yeast (Wyeast, Odell)

Pairing Suggestions

The spicy and fruity qualities in this beer pair well with like flavors in food, and the seasonality of its ingredients make this a fun beer to match with other seasonal produce.  We recommend visiting your local farmers market and browsing fresh, wheaty breads and creamy cheeses, too. For added fun, try tasting an apple or plum and see if you can pull those same flavors from the beer, or bubblegum to match the hoppy aroma. Here are our pairing suggestions from our menu:

• Pretzel with Marionberry Mustard
• Calamari
• Black Bean Hummus Plate
• Spicy Thai Curry
• Artichokes – from our Specials Board

We think the best way to enjoy the Backyard Brew is, of course, outside! Come order a pint to enjoy with the view of the hills from our back patio.  Or, take some to-go and relax in your own backyard. The Growers and Crafters Market is in full swing outside our front doors on Saturday mornings, so stop by to stock up on fresh finds from your favorite local producers before or after coming in, and raise a glass in honor of their efforts.

Breweries across the nation take part in the festivities, and we’re doing our part to ensure Southern Oregon’s Rogue Valley isn’t left out. To us, American Craft Beer Week is really about the community surrounding our brewers and brewpubs. We appreciate everyone in this community, and relish the chance to offer a little fun and special flavor as a way of saying thanks.

Here’s what’s on tap. Among the highlights: Mayor John Stromberg will read a Proclamation in support of the event, and we’ll tap a new specialty beer made entirely with ingredients from Oregon.

Every Day

• Enjoy our new specialty beer made with 100% Oregon-grown ingredients (on tap from 5/16)
• Chef Eric Bell is designing menu specials to pair with various beers
• We’ll offer a special beer & cheese sampler plate

Daily Special Happenings

• Monday, May 14th, 6 PM:  Brewery tour for women with Women Enjoying Beer. Sign up online
• Wednesday, May 16, 6 PM: Specialty beer tapping (100% Oregon-grown ingredients) and reading of Mayoral Proclamation by Ashland mayor, John Stromberg
• Thursday, May 17th, 6:30 PM: Guest beer tapping with Southern Oregon Brewing
• Friday, May 18^th: Brewery tours at 4 PM, 5 PM and 6 PM

As we know, beer is much more than a simple libation. It’s the hub of conversation and community, and an economic engine that creates jobs, boosts allied supply and distribution industries, and supports communities. We’re proud to offer good jobs to more than 50 employees in our extended family, support local food producers and suppliers, and give back to our community, thanks to customer support. We also love how each day gives us the the opportunity to engage with friends and neighbors, while getting to know new folks and providing hospitality to travelers.

Craft beer contributes a lot to our state as well. According to the Oregon Brewers Guild, Oregon is the nation’s number two craft beer producer, with 139 breweries employing over 7,900 staff. It’s also the number two hop-growing state, with a crop value estimated at over $31 million in 2010. Southern Oregon’s brewing scene is quickly growing, and features several commercial brewers along with myriad brewpubs and taprooms.

We’re grateful and proud to be a part of this growing movement, and appreciate all those, near and far, who have helped it grow. Join us for American Craft Beer Week – it’s your party, too!

For more information on Standing Stone’s events visit our event calendar. If you’re not in the Rogue Valley and want to find events elsewhere, or if you’re looking for more information on American Craft Beer Week, see the ACBW website and calendar.

Rogue Valley residents who want to participate in Go by Bike Week can get tips and pledge to ride on the event website. If you’re out of the area, check out the Bike Month site to find events near you.

To help folks get started rolling or kick your biking commitment into a higher gear, we asked Nathan Broom, Transportation Options Planner at Rogue Valley Transportation District (part of Go Rogue Valley) to for motivation and biking tips.

What’s “Go By Bike Week” about?

Research indicates that the majority of people – about 60% – are interested in bicycling, but for various reasons, ride rarely or not at all. Well-designed roads and paths help, but so does encouragement – and that’s what Go By Bike Week is about. It’s an invitation to plan ahead, get prepared and go on two wheels for a week – for work, school, errands, fun and more. It just might stick.

What are the benefits of bike transportation?

The first benefit is the reason every kid gets on a bike in the first place: it’s fun! That’s true for adults, too. Money is another compelling reason for most of us. AAA says it costs 59.6 cents per mile to drive an average sedan. That’s nearly $16 for a round trip between Ashland OR and Medford, OR. Health is another strong reason. We can combat the destruction of sitting diseases just by changing the way we make some of our trips. I could go on about emissions, mental wellbeing, parking impacts, etc. but after a while, it all starts sounding too good to be true. It’s not!

What’s a good way to find bike routes? 

Just paying attention is probably the best way, but there are some great tools, too. Google Maps has a button for directions specific to bicycling (as well as walking and public transit), and a layer showing bicycle facilities. Combining bike and bus is a great way to make longer commutes feasible. Drive Less Connect is a statewide tool that helps people connect with bike commute and carpool partners.

What tips do you have for getting started or increasing your commitment to biking?

Just pick a day and make it happen. Maybe it’s during Go By Bike Week. Maybe it’s the summer solstice. To increase your commitment, explore what you value about biking. If it’s financial savings, figure out how much you save per mile. Track your saving and promise yourself a reward at a certain point.

What are your top safety tips and how can people learn more about safe biking?

The best advice I’ve gotten comes from bicyclesafe.com. It focuses on the most common kinds of collisions between bikes and autos, and gives practical advice on avoiding those. In summary, it’s a good idea to wear a helmet, but it’s a great idea to take steps to avoid a collision in the first place.

Thanks, Nate! We hope this leaves our readers as inspired and ready as we are to pump up the pedal power. Happy biking!

Last year, we launched our first-ever breakfast service to coincide with the Growers and Crafters Market’s new weekend location – downtown on Oak St, right in front of Standing Stone. With fresh produce right outside our front door, we couldn’t possibly miss out on the opportunity to whip up locally inspired breakfast meals and beverages to match.

This year, we’re expanding this well-received offering by serving breakfast starting at 8am on both Saturdays and Sundays, celebrating morning meals all weekend long. Breakfast will be available until 2pm, with our lunch and dinner menu items available from 11:30am. Even better, breakfast will continue after the Saturday market season ends. We’ll be serving breakfast year-round!

With the Standing Stone Farm Project well under way and our chickens happily laying, we’ll feature pasture-raised eggs from our farm on Eagle Mill Rd. As the planting and growing season continues in Southern Oregon, we’ll also use a variety of herbs and veggies from our rooftop garden and the market in quiches, omelets, scrambles, scones and more.

Of course, we won’t forget the breakfast beverages, too. We have our Noble Coffee Stout on tap, which combines our Oatmeal Stout with a generous kick of Noble Coffee Roaster’s Mokha Java blend. Or, try a lighter beer to perfectly pair with your morning pastry. We also have an espresso bar featuring Noble Coffee’s World Tour roast. For breakfast-lovers of all ages, fresh-squeezed Orange Juice is always available, as is organic Apple Cider and Cherry or Ginger Lemonade.

Here’s a sneak peek at our breakfast menu, with lots of weekly specials to come, too. We also have kids’ options available and lots of great sides to make a perfect breakfast plate.:

Two Pasture-Raised Eggs with Toast and Marionberry Jam
Chilaquiles with Blue Corn Chips
Quiche of the Day
Oregon Coast Shrimp and Crab Cake Benedict
Salmon Omelette

*All above served with Homefries

Buckwheat Pancakes
Oatmeal Molasses French Toast
Breakfast Burrito

Be sure to stop by for breakfast and the Growers and Crafters Market on Saturday, and check us out on Sundays, too. Just like our craft beer and terrific lunch and dinner offerings, breakfast is here to enjoy year-round.

They’ve been growing organic Cascade hops for several years (now joined by sons, Spencer and Morgan), with plans to expand acreage and varietals to meet growing demand for this essential ingredient in beer. (Photos by Rebecca Pierce)

 What’s the winter like at the hop yard?

With the hops cut and put to bed with a covering of straw, the hop yard is pretty quiet in the winter. It’s a great time for marketing our fresh hops to local breweries and home brewers. Winter is also the time we “retired” folks travel. Once we get the pasture grass clumps and weeds eradicated, we plan to plant a clover cover crop over the winter. For now, sheep, chicken and duck grazing supply nitrogen.

What does spring bring your way?

We start reviving the hop yard in February when we stretch wire trellis and repair anchors and irrigation hoses. In March, we put up 5,000-6,000 organic paper strings and anchor them near the budding hop plants. Hop bines wind around these as they reach for the sun.  We’ve been very lucky to be helped by WWOOFer (Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms) volunteers, who work hard in exchange for hands-on experience on an organic farm. By May, the bines grab the strings and turn the fields into leafy green forests of hop bines.

What’s your favorite aspect of spring?

After a cold, windy winter it’s exciting to walk out into the field, which had snow on it a week before, and see our hops starting to push up through the straw (photo on right). We seem to be in a microclimate that’s protected by nearby foothills. So far, the hops seem to be able to survive anything Mother Nature sends our way. Spring in the Rogue Valley is a wonderful time of year, with everything turning lush and green. Although our winters are usually mild, it’s nice to have the rains stop, the mud dry up and hearty sprouts popping up everywhere.

What else do you grow at your farm?

Like so many others, we’re striving to become more self sufficient and make a smaller footprint on this earth. We have a quarter acre organic vegetable garden, egg-producing chickens, turkeys, sheep and two miniature donkeys.

Our son, Morgan, and his fiancé, Jessica, design and coordinate our vegetable and flower garden. Jessica designs the most beautiful beds, incorporating flowers with vegetables, rotating the crops annually, and using marigolds and other natural methods to control any unwanted pests. After each year’s crop, they collect seeds to make their own starts in the greenhouse. This year we harvested our first batch of asparagus, enjoyed fresh organic produce all winter and just finished off the bit of over-wintered broccoli. Jessica and Morgan like to introduce us to many heirloom vegetables so we never know what wonderful treats are in store.

What a hoppening place – we can’t wait for the harvest! (Volunteers welcome and it’s FUN – contact the Pierces.) Until then, we’ll enjoy one our the craft beers we make with their wonderful hops. As Steve and Rebecca would say, “Prosit!”

About the trail

The 2,650 mile path runs from the Mexican to the Canadian border, traversing California, Oregon and Washington. Locally, the trail passes right by Pilot Rock, the natural landmark Standing Stone is named for. Hikers who complete the trail brave 60 major mountain passes, visit seven national parks and pass by more than 1,000 lakes along the way. Some choose to complete the entire trail in one long season, while others chip away at hiking portions of the trail over the course of a life-time. To find out more about the route, plan a hike, or learn about donating time or funds for trail upkeep, you can visit the Pacific Crest Trail Association website.

About the ale

The Pacific Crest Ale is perfect for those coming off the PCT or any of our fabulous local trails. This is our lightest beer on tap, in many respects, and just right for cooling down on a warm, sunny day. With a light golden color and medium-light body, this ale gives a biscuit aroma and bready taste with a clean, crisp finish. The hops are very light in this beer, which lets the malt shine through. 4.6% abv

Malt

• Organic Pilsner
• Briess Bonlander (a Munich-style malt)
• Acidulated

Hops

• Nugget = Bittering
• Willamette = Aroma

Pairing suggestions

Because of this beer’s light body and flavor characteristics, we suggest pairing it with equally mild and refreshing foods, such as the Sea Scallop and Spinach Salad from our menu. The maltiness also complements bready foods, like grilled cheese sandwiches or crackers – a pairing that you can take with you on the trail. We like matching it with our house Pretzel with Marionberry Mustard at the restaurant. Finally, the lack of hop bitterness and presence of malt accents will help tame spicy dishes, if that’s what you’re looking for. Try an order of our Buffalo Wings, and sip this beer in between bites to cool the heat.

With all this sunny, spring weather we’re enjoying, we can’t think of a better brew to savor outside. Grab a pint and relax on our back patio, or take a liter or half-gallon to-go and reward yourself after long day of hiking.

Pilot Rock photo: M.A. Schweisguth

Rachel Koning, Events Manager & Social Media

• Bring silverware and plates from home for food on-the-go. I use them for lunch to get my favorite tamales at the Ashland Growers and Crafters Market.
• Reuse bags for bulk foods at the grocery store. I use the same animal cracker bag each time for my son’s favorite snack from the Ashland Co-Op.
• Walk! Ashland is a beautiful walking town with lots to do and see, all within a few miles.

 Larry Chase, Brewmaster

• When running water and waiting for it to turn hot, we collect shower water in a pitcher to fill our dog bowls and 5 gal buckets to flush the toilet, and put kitchen water into pitchers for drinking. About 1 gal flows at most faucets in our house before hot water arrives. So, we save at least 800 gal of potable water per year.  Because municipal water is ridiculously inexpensive, our conservation saves only $1.81 per year. Nonetheless, 800 gallons is a sizable amount of water not wasted, and that’s the important thing.

Ginger Johnson, Women Enjoying Beer (and Jackson County Master Recycler)

• When we give a beer tasting session, we bring small glasses that we buy from thrift stores and put our logo sticker on, eliminating one-use plastic cups. Glass is also best for beer that has been carefully and lovingly made, and guests get a keepsake to use again. Sending the sustainability message reverberates successfully and makes everyone happy.
• I’ve made small washable cloth napkins for our events, using fabric from thrift stores. Cutting and sewing the edges myself reuses already available goods. It’s also economical and is met with positive response.
• If you sell retail goods, research and procure them wisely. I try to buy only sustainable choices – organic fabrics, low impact ink, minimal waste and sustainably-minded companies. While these may have a higher price, it invites a great conversation with consumers. You may not always make a sale, yet you can always make a difference.

Annie Hoy, Outreach Manager, Ashland Food Co-op (AFC)

• Find out what you can recycle locally and look beyond curbside programs to maximize landfill diversion. AFC reduced landfill waste by more than 20% in 2011 by finding a local company to accept more of the plastic we generate.
• Conserve and green your energy, then offset what you need to use. AFC is offsetting 100% of our electricity usage through RECs from Bonneville Environmental Foundation. Some may say that’s just buying our way out, but it’s better than nothing. (Note: AFC also has photovoltaic solar panels.)
• Encourage and learn from others. One AFC’s sustainability goals is to “take sustainability out to the community.” To enact that goal, I’m chairing a Chamber of Commerce Green Committee make Greeters events, the 4th of July and Food and Wine event more sustainable, and recognize “Green” greeters.

Risa Buck, Waste Zero Specialist, Recology Ashland Sanitary Service

• It’s only trash if that’s how you treat it!

And, with that succinct no-words-wasted mantra, we have the perfect ending. Thanks for the ideas and motivation! What do you do? How will you up the ante on sustainability in life and work this year? Let us know!

The Jackson County Local Action Coalition (JCLAC) organized the multi-day affair, and we were thrilled to be a part of Saturday’s Rogue Valley Farm Tour 2012, with our friends at Valley View Beef.

After a fresh, local lunch in Valley View’s barn, we spent the afternoon with Joel and 60 other guests strolling the acres of our farmland on Eagle Mill Rd. in Ashland, OR. Our farm manager, Brandon Schilling, led the tour of our multi-species intensive grazing operation, where our cows, goats and chickens rotate across different sections of pasture. Joel joined in with guidance and input for sustainable agriculture strategies. We also visited our compost site on the farm, where we’re turning pre- and post-consumer food waste from our restaurant kitchen into nutrient rich soil.

The Mail Tribune/Daily Tidings joined us and took video of the Standing Stone portion of the tour, which you can view here for a recap and to learn more about our farm project. 

We want to thank everyone who joined us for the full day of learning and touring, even with cold rain and wind leading us to thoughts of warm indoors.

If you’re interested in learning more about local food and farms and earth-friendly living, be sure to stop by Rogue Valley Earth Day at the ScienceWorks museum this Saturday, April 21st in Ashland, OR. There will be informational and educational talks, exhibits and entertainment for the whole family, 11-4pm. Stay tuned for more info coming soon!