After emerging victorious from our inaugural Startup Brewery Challenge last July, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales is finally set to rollout its collaborative brew with Widmer Brothers Brewing.
As part of last year’s Brew Talks West Coast Tour, Brewbound invited four breweries to compete for the chance to create a new beer with the brewers at Widmer Brothers.
Developed in partnership with Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), the Startup Brewery Challenge gives brewery owners the opportunity to test their business propositions, sample their products and receive immediate feedback from an expert judging panel.
In front of a packed house, four breweries — Mazama Brewing, Solera Brewery, Sasquatch Brewing Company and Logsdon Farmhouse Ales — each made an elevator pitch to a panel of judges that included Andy Thomas, the CEO of CBA; Doug Rehberg, the director of brewery operations for CBA; and Chris Furnari, the editor of Brewbound.com.
While each company offered up their own unique business plans and beer styles, ultimately it was Logsdon Farmhouse Ales founder, Dave Logsdon, who earned the opportunity to brew a special beer with CBA.
So, this Friday, the two breweries will release the appropriately named Ensemble Pale Ale at Tin Bucket in Portland, Ore. Ensemble, a Belgian-style pale ale, checks in at 5.8 percent ABV and 25 IBUs. More information about the release is included in the press release below.
Stay tuned for more information about our upcoming Brew Talks tours and future Startup Brewery Challenge competitions.
PORTLAND, OR. — Widmer Brothers Brewing and Logsdon Farmhouse Ales recently teamed up to brew a collaboration beer, Ensemble Pale Ale, which will be released on draught in Portland on Friday, January 31. The collaboration is the result of Logsdon Farmhouse Ales winning Brewbound’s Startup Brewery Challenge held in Portland in August 2013.
Ensemble Pale Ale is a Belgian-style pale ale that brings together two pioneers of the craft brewing industry in Oregon. Dave Logsdon, founder of Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, also founded the critically important Wyeast Laboratories in his Northeast Portland basement in 1984; Kurt and Rob Widmer were Wyeast’s first customer when they opened their brewery later that year. Wyeast Laboratories is one of the country’s leading suppliers of yeasts for brewing and winemaking, and Logsdon Farmhouse Ales is on the leading edge of fermentation science. The Ensemble recipe was designed to highlight Logsdon’s expertise with yeasts and Belgian styles, along with Widmer Brothers’ extensive experience with hops.
As part of the July 2013 Brewbound Startup Brewery Challenge, four Oregon-based breweries presented their brewery plans and beers to a panel of industry experts. Logsdon Farmhouse Ales won the challenge, which resulted in its collaborating with Widmer Brothers to brew Ensemble. This special release was brewed with organic ingredients, has a floral, fruity nose and a complex ester profile from multiple Belgian yeast strains.
The breweries are holding a launch party for Ensemble Pale Ale at the Tin Bucket in Portland on Friday, January 31, 2014, at 5:00 p.m. Brewers from both breweries will be on hand to talk about the beer and the Startup Brewery Challenge.
For more information on Widmer Brothers visit www.widmerbrothers.com, and for more information on LogsdonFarmhouse Ales, visit www.farmhousebeer.com.
About Ensemble Pale Ale:
Ensemble Pale Ale is a collaboration beer between Logsdon Farmhouse Ales and Widmer Brothers Brewing. This complex Belgian-style Pale Ale is brewed with organic ingredients and fermented with several different Belgian yeast strains that offer a unique tropical fruit and slightly phenolic ester profile. Pilsner and caramel malts, along with whole raw oats from Bob’s Red Mill lend a slightly malty character, and a layered hopping schedule that includes Hallertau, Sterling, and Cascade hops creates a floral, citrusy nose that really complements the Belgian yeast.
- MALTS: Pilsner, C-40, Oats
- HOPS: Bittering — Hallertau; Flavor — Hallertau, Sterling; Aroma — Hallertau, Sterling, Cascade
- ABV: 5.8%
- IBU: 25
- OG: 13.6 P
- AE: 2.8 P
About Widmer Brothers Brewing:
What started as a dream for two ordinary brothers who just loved beer has now become a reality for two ordinary brothers who still just love beer. Kurt and Rob Widmer helped lead the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement in 1984 when, in their 20s, they dreamed of brewing unique interpretations of traditional beer styles. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the first American-style Hefeweizen; today, the unfiltered cloudy beer is the company’s signature brew and one of the best-selling wheat beers in the country. Based in Portland, Ore., the brewery currently brews a variety of beers including Alchemy Pale Ale, the Rotator IPA series, Pitch Black IPA, Nelson Imperial IPA, a limited edition Brothers’ Reserve Series and a full seasonal lineup. For more information about Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit www.widmerbrothers.com.