For the past couple years, I've awarded the "Satori Award" for the best debut beer. It must (generally) have been released in the calendar year, and (generally) be brewed in Oregon, and (generally) should be a regular or recurring beer. But I'm never slavish about details, so if a beer's been around a couple years but I only discoverd it this year, who knows? I wouldn't eliminate Walking Man for being on the wrong side of the river (a Seattle brewery ... well, probably not, but you never know). And who's to say a beer won't recur? John Harris made another batch of last year's winner, Lupulin, this year, but didn't have access to the Amarillo hops that made it so transcendent last year. Recurring? Sort of.

But you have a vote, too. Below is a list of beers I considered for the award (plus one comedy choice), and three have made my final cut. The Satori Award isn't a popularity contest (more of you will have had Full Sail Prodigal Sun than Double Mountain Kriek, so it won't be fair in any case), but being popular isn't a bad thing, either. So have at it. What was the best debut beer in 2009?

I suspect the votes will continue to come trickling in, but the results of the poll are pretty obvious. Your favorite winter ale is ... all of them. Actually, we have to give a special shout-out to Jubel, which got almost 30% of the vote. Compared to other single beers, that's a fine showing. Still, as a plurality, it's pretty small. Evidence of how widely spread out your preferences were? "Other" tied Jubel. In the write-in category, Brrr scored well (better than Snow Plow, one of my favorites), garnering 6 votes (7%). Also listed:

• Stille Nacht
• Lompoc Old Tavern Rat
• Big Sky Powder Hound
• Sam Adams Winter Ale
• Hair of the Dog Doggie Claws
• Gouden Carolus Noel
• Highland Brewing Cold Mountain Winter Ale
• Great Lakes Christmas Ale
• Thomas Hooker Nor'Easter Winter Lager
• Rock Bottom Blitzen
• St. Bernardus Christmas
• New Belgium 2 Below
• Flying Dog K9 Cruiser
• Full Sail Wreck the Halls
• Silver Moon Sled Wreck
• Anderson Valley Winter Solstice
• Double Mountain Fa La La La La
• Walking Man Ho Ho Homo Erectus
• New Belgium Frambozen
• all of the above

Moral: you must love the Holiday Ale Fest, where you don't have to drink just one.

"Stevenson (Washington): a quaint riverside drinking town with a windsurfing problem."

Or so says a sign in the "Readers" bathroom (you have a choice between that and "Dreamers") at Walking Man Brewing where we went for lunch after our spa experience.

...

This Friday, November 7th, Ten 01 will celebrate its two-year anniversary with a benefit for the ¡Salud! Wine Auction, sponsored by Argyle Winery, Walking Man Brewery and House Spirits. When: Friday, November 7th from 6:30 p.m. to midnight. Where: Ten 01 Mezzanine 1001 NW Couch Street Portland, OR 97209 How: $20 donation. Argyle VIP [...]

Just a quick reminder about our "Puckerfest Flashback" this evening. We'll be tapping kegs of Russian River Supplication and Walking Man Blootvoeste Bruin, both of which arrived too late to be included in the regular Puckerfest line up. With any luck we'll also have a couple other treats like Cantillon St. Lamvinus and New Belgium Lip's of Faith Sour Peach still on tap.

See you at 5!

cjdc posted a photo:

MON JULY 7th 6 - 9PM @ Belmont Station. WALKING MAN MEET THE BREWER & BIG BLACK HOMO Release Party! Meet Walking Man Brewers "Walking" Bob and Jacob Leonard as they unleash their latest perambulatory project: A dark malt version of one of our all-time favorites: Homo Erectus. Also on tap from the talented duo: IPA, Old Stumblefoot, & Sasquatch Legacy (yes, all the proceeds from the Legacy go to the Glenn Hay Falconer Foundation).


Belmont Station
4500 SE Stark St.
Portland, OR 97215
503-232-8538

July may be Craft Beer Month, time of 47 fests and great pandemonium, but December is craft brewer's month. 'Tis the season when brewers' sugar plum dreams are made manifest in the most extravagant beers. (Hey, sugar plums, that gives me an idea....) In this omnibus post, I hope to catch everthing I find especially noteworthy. Please revise if I missed something.


Releases
It's not enough for breweries to release one winter ale; two is now de rigeuer. Old Lompoc is the outlier with six (!). These are in addition to the beers released in past weeks or those already discussed here.

• Alameda Papa Noel - English-style winter warmer hopped with Fuggles (7.7% abv).
• Amnesia Sleighjacker, Frosty's Revenge - No info.
• Amnesia Kuykendall - A strong, hoppy pilsner aged 6 months.
• Caldera Cauldron Brew (Dec 15) - No info on this year's version.
• Caldera Old Growth Imperial Stout ...