News on Tap

We invite craft cheese and craft beer fans alike to check out the 8th Annual Oregon Cheese Festival this Saturday, March 17th from 10am-5pm at Rogue Creamery in Central Point, OR. Put on by the Oregon Cheese Guild, this delicious event will highlight cheese makers from across the state, and present classic wine and beer pairings to complete the tasting experience.

Like independently brewed craft beer, craft cheese is worth seeking out, and Oregon has some of the best. The multiple-award-winning Rogue Creamery has long been known for their Rogue River Blue, which has won national awards and international recognition. They’re also committed to sustainable farming and business to the core, which makes their products even better, we think.

We like to feature Goat Cheese from Mama Terra Micro Creamery and Pholia Farms, both from Southern Oregon, on our restaurant’s specials board in pizzas and grilled sandwiches. Our chef has even decided to join the fun, bringing cheese making in our own kitchen with crafting Queso Fresco.

Standing Stone is sending along a few ales to the festival to savor through a free class, “Tasty Beers and Fabulous Cheeses: Classic Flavor Partners,” lead by Ginger Johnson of Women Enjoying Beer. Regional wineries and other Southern Oregon breweries are lined up to participate, too, so you won’t want to miss out on this opportunity to try local, artisanal fare from some the best our state has to offer.

A BIT ABOUT BEER AND CHEESE PAIRING

Several of beer’s key characteristics make it an excellent choice to pair with tasty, crafted cheeses. Hop bitterness, roasted flavors, and carbonation are all characteristics that can enhance a pairing experience. Bitterness and carbonation are helpful to cleanse and refresh the palate between savory bites of rich cheese. Toastiness that comes from roasted malt is also a classic beer attribute that complements cheese’s velvety mouthfeel (think grilled cheese sandwiches on toasted bread…mmm). As with other food and beer pairings, intensities are important to match, too. Heavier, stronger cheeses pair best with full-bodied, robust beers, and lighter flavors and mouthfeel should be matched up as well.

Inspired by the Cheese Festival’s pairing suggestions, we came up with a few yummy cheese and beer coupling ideas of our own, featuring our own Standing Stone brews and cheese varieties we typically feature on our menu and specials board.

Double IPA – Blue Cheese

Hefewiezen – Fresh Mozzarella

Oatmeal Stout – Sharp Cheddar

I Love Oregon Ale – Queso Fresco

Amber Ale – Chevre (Goat Cheese)

Dive in to these tasty partnerships at our restaurant or at home, with beer to go. And you’re sure to get more ideas at the Cheese Festival this Saturday. Savor the great craft beer and craft cheeses of our region, and invite others to do the same! Getting friends together over cheese and beer is our idea of a great weekend.

Posted in Brewery & Beer, Events, Food
Tags: beer & food pairings, Oregon Cheese Festival

As farmers and advocates for sustainable agriculture, we’re excited to help welcome Joel Salatin to the Rogue Valley on March 15-16, and encourage you to take part.

Joel Salatin operates Polyface Farm in Virginia, where he raises livestock using a free-range, rotational grazing system – a model we use on our own farm. He’s an outspoken champion for agriculture that truly sustains the environment, the economy and society. A well-respected, informed and engaging presenter, Salatin is featured in the film Food Inc. and the book Omnivore’s Dilemma (Michael Pollan), and has authored several books.

The Jackson County Local Action Committee (JCLAC) is hosting Salatin for a smorgasbord of events focused on how we can create food systems that are better for all, including a tour of our farm.

“So You Want to do an Abattoir!” Dinner with Joel Salatin ** Sold out **

• March 15, 5 pm, Deja’ Vu Bistro & Wine Bar at the McCully House Gardens, 240 E. California St, Jacksonville
• Food has a story to tell and so does Joel Salatin. Enjoy a lively evening featuring delicious cuisine, locally produced steaks, and Joel’s wisdom and inspiration. Proceeds support the establishment of a local local slaughterhouse.

Rogue Valley Farm Tour (Valley View Beef and Standing Stone Farm) ** Sold Out **

• Friday, March 16, 8 am-4 pm, 816 East Valley View Road (starting location)
• Salatin will captivate, educate and challenge with his holistic vision of animal husbandry, including mob-grazing techniques, multi-speciation and biodiversity. The day includes morning coffee & pastries, Salatin’s “Ballet in the Pasture” power point, educational tours of Valley View Beef and Standing Stone Farm, and lunch from Standing Stone. Hosted by Dave Westerberg/Valley View Beef and Standing Stone Brewing Company.

Food & Farm Faire

• March 16, 4:30-6:30pm, Medford Armory, 1701 South Pacific Highway
• Sample the local bounty of Rogue Valley farms, ranches, restaurants, caterers and food artisans, and meet the producers behind your next meal. Tickets available online.

 Joel Salatin Presentation: “Folks, This Ain’t Normal”

• March 16, 7-9 pm, Medford Armory, 1701 South Pacific Highway
• In a challenging and entertaining fashion, Salatin will discuss how far removed we are from the simple, sustainable joy that comes from living close to the land and the people we love. He’ll share his thoughts on what normal is, along with practical ideas for making small changes in our lives that have big impacts. Tickets available online.

For more details, see the event website. We hope you’ll come out to learn about the possibilities for truly sustainable agriculture in the Rogue Valley, and the steps we can all take to support and expand a better local food supply. For an inspiring sneak preview, check out this video of Joel Salatin (and a clip of our farm, too). See you there!

PS: Don’t forget – the Rogue Valley Growers and Crafters Market opens this Tuesday in Ashland and this Thursday Medford with lots of early season goodies. Come and get delicious, healthful food that supports a sustainable local food system and family farmers.

Posted in Events, Standing Stone Farm, Sustainability
Tags: Joel Salatin, local food & farms

Back by popular demand (and the fervent requests of Standing Stone employees), Hop Night makes its return to our specialty beer menu! This Pacific Northwest style creation has been a staff favorite since its birth last year, and its big, rich flavor and body make it a great brew to bring back during the chilly winter months.

Also called Black IPA or India Black Ale, early pioneers of this beer style prefer the name Cascadian Dark Ale, as it features our region’s signature Cascade hop varietal. Characteristics typical of this brew include a piney, citrusy aroma from Cascadian hops, toasted malt flavors and a semi-dry finish. In recent years, the beer’s national popularity has grown, and The Brewers Association recognized it as a style for the first time at the 2010 Great American Beer Festival.

About Hop Night

This microbrew is as dark as night with a light tan head of foam. Before you imbibe, take in its savory aroma to prime your palate. You’ll enjoy a big, full mouthfeel, roasted malt flavor, and a strong finish of hop bitterness to top off the experience. 7.3% abv

Malt

• Organic Two-Row

• Organic Crystal 60

• Organic Carapils

• Blackprinz

• Midnight Wheat

Hops

• Bittering = Apollo

• Aroma/Flavor = Cascade, Goldings, Liberty

• Dry Hop = Centennial, from the Applegate Valley, OR

Food Pairings

Hop Night has a big, robust, strong character. Naturally, this beer pairs best with foods that can stand up to its hearty nature. During the winter months, we think rich, comfort food is the best pick for the job. Here are some menu items that can complement its qualities and leave your taste buds perfectly pleased:

• Spicy Barbequed Chick Pizza
• Black Bean Chilli
• Standing Stone Cheese Burger
• Charbroiled 5-Spiced Teriyaki Ribs
• Italian Sausage Linguini

Stop by to enjoy a pint of Hop Night while it lasts! It’s a great way to savor and celebrate the Northwest’s passion around brewing, and our region’s contribution to the greater craft beer world.

Posted in Brewery & Beer
Tags: beer & food pairings, specialty beer & seasonal beer

We look forward to the first weekend in March since it brings the Oregon Chocolate Festival to Ashland, OR. This annual celebration of all things chocolate unites chocolatiers from across the state with bakers, brewers, wine makers and coffee roasters.

This year’s fiesta takes place on March 2-4, and includes two days of sampling, vendors and workshops, a Chocolate Makers Dinner and Art Walk, menu specials at local restaurants and more. You can get full details on the event website.

At Standing Stone Brewing Co, we’re offering a Chocolate Stout (brewed with cacao nibs, or cacao bean pieces), menu specials and cocktails. Our bartenders will satisfy your sweet tooth with some of our favorite Oregon distilleries’ chocolate-inspired creations, such as New Deal Distillery Mud Puddle Chocolate Vodka and our house-made steamed hot chocolate infused with Bendistillery’s Cofia Hazelnut Espresso Vodka. We’ll announce menu specials and Chocolate Stout tapping on Facebook and Twitter so connect with us there. The Chocolate Makers Dinner will feature our Chocolate Stout, too.

Beer lovers can also enjoy a chocolate and beer pairing workshop with Ginger Johnson of Women Enjoying Beer, featuring our Chocolate Stout, and a “Bean to Brew” event at Lillie Belle Farms in Central Point. If you’re attending the festival, visit Southern Oregon Brewing for a taste of their excellent craft beers, too.

Chocolate, like beer, is the result of an alchemical transformation. Here’s a peek into the magic to whet your palate for the Festival. Chocolate starts with cacao beans, the seeds of the Theobroma Cacao tree. It grows within 20 degrees of the equator and loves lush rainforest environments that provide moisture and shelter its delicate flowers. Cacao pods grow all over the tree and hold about 40-50 beans. It takes about 200 beans to make a pound of chocolate.

First, cacao farmers harvest ripe pods and scoop out the pulp covered beans, which are fermented for about 3-7 days to develop the beans’ chocolatey flavor. Then, beans are dried in the sun (or energy-powered driers if it’s rainy).

Chocolate makers roast the beans, shell them with a winnower, then grind them into a thick paste (cacao liquor). This liquor can be pressed with a hydraulic press to make cocoa butter and powder, or refined into a smooth consistency then blended with sugar (and milk, if used) in a melangeur to make fine chocolate for bars, truffles, drops and other delectables. Lillie Belle Chocolates makes chocolate starting from the bean, and is a must-try at the festival!

Of course, there’s variation in chocolate, just like craft beer. Not all chocolate is refined or made from roasted beans. In cacao producing countries, roasted beans are ground by hand and rolled into balls for rich hot chocolate. Raw chocolate, made with ingredients that haven’t been heated above 118 degrees, is growing. Don’t miss Ashland’s Zorba’s Chocolates, which makes incredible raw chocolate, at the festival.

Our mouths are watering just thinking about the Oregon Chocolate Festival. Indulge, and stop by Standing Stone for some Chocolate Stout and menu specials to top it off.

Cacao photos: M. A Schweisguth

Posted in Ashland Oregon, Events
Tags: Oregon Chocolate Festival, specialty beer & seasonal beer

This year at Standing Stone Brewing Co, we’ve got lots on our plate with great local and national festivals. We want to offer a sneak peak into what’s happening this Spring and Summer, so you can get as excited for these celebrations as we are!

March 2-4 ~ 8th Annual Oregon Chocolate Festival: This weekend –long celebration of chocolate features chocolatiers and food vendors from across Oregon. Enjoy Standing Stone’s special Chocolate Stout at the Chocolate Maker’s Dinner reception, Friday at the Ashland Springs Hotel. Or, stop by the restaurant for a chocolaty pint to satisfy your craving.

March 16th ~ Joel Salatin’s “Rogue Valley Farm Tour 2012”: We’ll be joining Valley View Beef in welcoming this influential farmer and author to Ashland, OR for a day of touring and education on our neighboring farms. Tickets for the day can be purchased through the Jackson County Local Action Coalition.

April 28-29 ~ A Taste of Ashland: We’ll serve a select menu favorite to pair with one local winery in this annual extravaganza of art, music, food and beverages that benefits the Ashland Gallery Association. This year, you’ll find us right next door with our new neighbors, Hanson Howard Gallery.

May 14-20 ~ American Craft Beer Week: also known as the “Mother of All Beer Weeks.” To celebrate, we’ll offer specialty beers, food & beer pairings, menu specials, tours and more all week long. Watch our blog for details.

June 4-8 ~ Go By Bike Week: The Rogue Valley’s official get-out-and-ride week! From Central Point to Ashland, supporting businesses will host breakfast, coffee and happy hours for bike riders. You’re sure to see Standing Stone bike commuters out on the road! We’ll have prime bicycle parking for downtown Ashland right outside our front door.

June 8-9 ~ SAVOR: An American Craft Beer & Food Experience, Washington DC: This event is a national celebration of craft beer featuring tastings, pairings, education and more. For the second year in a row, we’re among the 60 breweries in the U.S. that were hand selected to pour craft beer and represent our region with pride.

June 16 ~ Southern Oregon Craft Brew Festival: This “beer-centric” festival highlights the booming craft beer industry in the Pacific Northwest. Staged in “Old Town” Medford, this gathering offers a full day of tastings and food for enthusiasts. We’ll share details as the event approaches.

July ~ Oregon Craft Beer Month: Enjoy local craft beer with us to celebrate the state that represents the hub of American craft beer! Oregon is among the top 5 in the U.S. for number of breweries, breweries per capita, craft beer production and craft beer consumption…woohoo!

Of course, we’ll brew up more great reasons to celebrate as the year continues on, so keep an eye out on Twitter, Facebook, and our Website Calendar for up-to-date info on Standing Stone events.  Cheers, to celebrating great community, food and, or course, beer!

Posted in Ashland Oregon, Community, Events

Join us this weekend for Zwickelmania, a statewide event uniting 67 craft beer establishments to offer tours, tastings and more.

This annual fiesta takes its name from the zwickel sample valve on beer conditioning tanks, which allows brewers to take quality control samples during fermentation. Now in its fourth year, Zwickelmania takes place on Presidents’ Day Weekend – an apt occasion to celebrate independent American brewpubs and American-made craft beer.

Along with Caldera Brewing and Southern Oregon Brewing Company, we’ve brewed up activities to represent Southern Oregon’s craft beer excellence with pride. We’ll offer tours and a class with Brewmaster, Larry Chase, all free of charge and open to those age 21 and over.

Event details:

• February 18
• Tours and tasting: 12-1 pm and 2-3 pm
• Class: 3:30-4:30 pm, “Beer Ingredients and their Flavor Contribution”

If you’re in Southern Oregon, make a day of it and visit our friends at Caldera and Southern Oregon Brewing, too. As always, please celebrate responsibly and have a designated driver if needed.

We’re excited to be a part of this fantastic event, and the growing craft beer industry in Oregon and the US. This movement is indeed brewing quickly. According to the Oregon Brewers Guild, 19 new Oregon breweries and brewpubs opened in 2011, and participation in Zwickelmania has grown from 15 to 67 establishments since the first event in 2009.

Here’s the full list of Oregon craft beer makers that are taking part, so you can celebrate anywhere in Oregon:

Southern Oregon

• Caldera Brewing
• Southern Oregon Brewing Co.
• Standing Stone Brewing Co.

Central Oregon

• 10 Barrel Brewing Co.
• Bend Brewing Co.
• Boneyard Beer
• Cascade Lakes Lodge
• Cascade Lakes 7th Street Brewhouse
• Deschutes Brewery
• GoodLife Brewing Company
• McMenamins Old St. Francis School Brewery
• Silver Moon Brewing Co.
• Three Creeks Brewing
• Yet To Be Named Brewery

Hood River

• Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom
• Full Sail Brewing Co.
• Logsdon Farmhouse Ales

Portland Metro

• Alameda Brewing
• Ambacht
• Amnesia Brewing Co.
• Breakside Brewery
• BridgePort Brewing
• Burnside Brewing Co.
• Cascade Brewing Barrel House
• Coalition Brewing
• Columbia River Brewing Co.
• Deschutes Brewery-Portland Pub
• Full Sail at Riverplace
• Gigantic Brewing
• Green Dragon
• Hair of the Dog Brewing Co.
• Hopworks Urban Brewery
• Laurelwood Public House and Brewery
• Lompoc Brewing Co. – 5th Quadrant
• Lompoc Brewing Co. – New Old Lompoc Brewery
• Lucky Labrador Beer Hall
• Lucky Labrador Brewpub
• McMenamins Crystal Brewery
• MacTarnahan’s Brewing Co.
• Migration Brewing
• Occidental Brewing Company
• Philadelphia’s Steaks & Hoagies
• Portland U-Brew & Pub
• Rock Bottom Brewery
• Rogue Distillery+Public House
• Rogue Hall
• Sasquatch Brewing Co.
• The Commons Brewery
• Vertigo Brewing
• Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.

The Coast

• Fort George Brewery + Public House
• Pelican Pub and Brewery
• Rogue Ales Public House
• Rogue Brewer’s on the Bay
• Rusty Truck Brewing Co.

Willamette Valley

• Falling Sky Brew House
• Flat Tail Brewing
• Fire Mountain Brewery
• Heater|Allen Brewing
• Hop Valley Brewing
• McMenamins High Street Brewery
• McMenamins on Monroe
• Ninkasi Brewing Co.
• Oakshire Brewing
• Oregon Trail Brewery
• Rogue Ales Public House and Brewery
• Two Kilts Brewing

For a detailed list of events each brewery will be offering visit the event web site.

See you this weekend!

Posted in Brewery & Beer, Events
Tags: Zwickelmania

The Boomer 30 Tractor from New Holland

This month, we’re rolling out a big welcome to the newest addition to our Standing Stone farm family – a Boomer 30 tractor from New Holland. We won a 5-year lease on this beautiful new piece of equipment through an online contest put on by the agriculture and construction gear supplier. Our very own Melza Quinn submitted a video on Standing Stone’s behalf illustrating how we would use the tractor on our farm, and we won!

With our new tractor en route, we’re busy making plans for new and continuing projects on our 265 acre plot of land , including building fences, turning compost, moving chicken housing and building trails. So far, all of the ventures on our new farmland on Eagle Mill Rd. have been accomplished through remarkable human-power from Standing Stone employees. This tractor will enable us to save human time and energy, and permit us to carry out even more visions and plans for our farm, including starting garden beds and irrigating the land.

The winning video highlighted several of our sustainability practices, including energy conservation, livestock farming, and composting, as well as lots of fun footage from the farm, brewery and restaurant. We couldn’t be more proud of the efforts shown by Melza and our crew in creating and submitting this video!

And, of course, we’d like to send a big thank you to New Holland for awarding us this great piece of machinery! We can’t wait to put it to good use.

Keep an eye out for more farming news coming soon – we’ll have animal babies on the way in no time, along with our first rounds of rich compost soil. Plus, who knows what kinds of great projects we’ll find we can achieve with our new tractor in tow.

Posted in Standing Stone Farm
Tags: compost recycling & reuse