Winter is here!

Winter is in full swing here at Old Schoolhouse Brewery, and I love it.  After a very busy summer, it is so nice to cozy up to everyone here in the brewery.  It’s a tight spot and you get to know everyone really well when you’re shoulder to shoulder.  This winter I have booked the biggest variety of bands and solo musicians ever, I am so excited; I can’t believe all the musicians are willing to drive so far to play here!  We have a couple new and exciting things going on here at OSB this winter, one: we have daily dinner specials that are dynamite; so far I can’t decide which special is my favorite.  Laura says the specials are comfort food and if that is the case, I am very comfortable this winter.  Two: is music on Saturday nights!  As long as I find someone to play them, I’m booking them.  Whenever I blog I have to shout out to my main squeeze Blaze for making incredible beer!  Imperial stout is back and very yummy.  Getting back to music, we have a lot of new faces making an appearance here.  Yesterday we had Paul Benoit, his sound was very bluesy, his guitar skills were fantastic and his songwriting was top notch (http://www.myspace.com/paulbenoitmusic).  Tonight we have a new group called The Wicks (http://www.reverbnation.com/TheWicksMusic), their music sounds good, and I am looking forward to hearing them.  I am also excited that The Wicks duo turned into a four piece and I didn’t have to pay more, yay!  We also have Spoonshine coming in February, I’ve been trying to book these guys to play here for a while now, mission accomplished (www.spoonshine.com).  Everything is coming along, I’ll keep in touch with you guys here on our blog, hope to see you at the brewery!

-Stephanie

October news at the pub

Off to Washington DC: Casey and I are flying out to Washington DC to pour beer for our members of congress at the 10th Annual Congressional Beer Tasting at the Rayburn Building in Washington DC.  There will be about 30 breweries from around the country at this event.  We'll have a chance to chat it up with the decision makers ... maybe they will be interested in the story of our small business successes and challenges in Winthrop, WA.  We'll take lots of pictures and give an update on how it goes.

New School ESB Beer:  We brewed a new summer seasonal this year, New School ESB.  This extra-special bitter ale was a huge summer hit and we were so pleased with how it turned out that we decided to add it to our regular lineup.  We will brew it in place of Blazing Amber, at least for now.  Labels are in the process of being made, then you'll see it in the stores (at least locally).  

Brewery Expansion Project:  We have been dealing with the wonderful problem of not being able to produce enough beer to meet demand.  “Success to the point of failure” as a friend said the other day.  But that’s all about to change with the three new shiny fermentation tanks that have been installed in our new addition at the pub.  Our goal is to have them up and running by year’s end, then we can expand our distribution and meet summer’s demand next year as well. 

New Fall Menu:  Comfort food is the focus of our fall menu.  We’ve brought back some of the original favorites—Sweet Potato Fries, Beer Belly Chili, Halibut Fish Tacos.  New this season are daily soup specials featuring Black Bean Soup, Clam Chowder, Smoked Salmon Chowder, Turkey Noodle Soup, and Fiesta Chicken Soup.  Daily dinner entrees are being offered and include Lasagna, Chicken Curry Stir-Fry, Turkey Dinner, Beef Stroganoff, and Taco Night.  We have a new salad too, the Windorf (Winthrop’s version of the Waldorf Salad), so there is something for everyone on the menu.

WWW.OLDSCHOOLHOUSEBREWERY.COM:  Check out our new updated website.  There are descriptions of each beer, more info about the food and menu, our music schedule, community links, videos, and lots more.

Stephanie's Post-Summer Blog

Summer is officially over but it hasn’t really slowed down here at Old Schoolhouse.  This year in my opinion, has been the best ever, in every department.  First and foremost our staff has been outstanding, they work hard (really hard), they are dependable and passionate about our beer, our music and in general Old Schoolhouse Brewery.   Besides the fact that I work side by side with everyone and know how great everyone is, this has been our busiest summer yet and it didn’t feel like we had to work as hard as we have in the past.  This is because we have our act together a little more each year but mostly we have a stellar staff.  Me, Blaze, Evan, Casey and Laura have all been able to count on our staff more than ever and we’ve all been able to have a really fun filled summer.  In the years past, taking even one day off was really hard to do.  I can speak for everyone and say that we are all grateful for that!  Second, our beer is off the charts incredible; that’s all I have to say about that.  And last, was our epic summer of music!  I worked really hard this year to get the biggest variety of talent here.  And thanks to all of our beer loving, dance crazy Old Schoolhouse fans, it was a success.  Thank you so much to all our fans, without your support nothing we are working towards would be possible.  I also want to let everyone know how much I appreciate the musicians that come through here.  They come here and play here butts off for “tens of dollars” and rock the house (Schoolhouse) week after week and I love them all!  So, let’s gear up for an awesome fall and winter.  This year we are doing something brand new.  We will be open 7 days a week at least through hunting season and after hunting season we will be open Thursday’s and Monday’s.   Please check our website for winter hours.

Jeff Knoch plays folk music at the pub on Saturday night, 9/24.

I have to tell the story about this event.  Years ago, probably 1994 or so, Casey and I attended a small music event at the grange in Kennewick, WA.  There was a folk guitarist there, Jeff Knoch, who we had never heard of before.  It was one of those times where we were in the right place at the right time, the stars aligned, and we had one of our top music experiences ever.  We bought his CD, "Fast Delivery," and played it for many years.  We felt connected to his songs about raising kids, moving, struggling to make ends meet, etc.  Our kids remember the music too as it became part of their childhood experience.

I found that old CD a couple months ago and played it for the first time in a long time.  Casey and I spent another evening enjoying Jeff's songs and reminiscing about our lives back in the 90's.  Much has changed since then.  For one, we have this pub now and have an awesome music venue, so..... we got the idea to find Jeff and ask him to play at the pub.  Turns out he lives in the Pacific Northwest, always wanted to come to Winthrop, and so will be here this Saturday to play for us again after all these years.  Our daughter, Shannon, is making a special trip from Shoreline to hear the songs from her childhood.   Pretty cool, huh??!!

September news at the pub

Lots going on at OSB.

• Our expansion project is well underway.  We've done the excavation, poured the concrete slab, and the guys are out there right now framing the walls.  This will give us enough increased space at the pub to install our three new 15 BBL fermenters.  We also have a new storage unit being built for us at Horizon Flats that will be our shipping/receiving area.  Move in date at that unit is October 1.  Our goal is to have beer in our new 15 BBL fermentation tanks by the end of the year and start cranking up our distribution again.  On schedule so far!
• We'll be attending three brew fests in the next couple of weeks.  First is the Leavenworth Oktoberfest on 9/30-10/2.  Also that weekend is the Fresh Hop Ale Fest in Yakima Valley.  The following weekend, 10/7-10/8, is the Anacortes Oktoberfest where we won the People's Choice Award for our Ruud Awakening IPA last year.  Hoping for a repeat this year!
• The music scene has been so fun this summer.  Casey and Evan completed a new music shelter/stage for our riverside patio.  A contest was soon held to come up with a name for the stage.  Our friend Sarah came up with the winning name:  The Log Jam.  We now have a new logo designed and will be ready for the new 2012 summer season of outdoor music at The Log Jam.
• Friday, 9/23, is Beer with the Brewer night.  Blaze will release our first ever Fresh Hop IPA.  He and Evan, our bottle/keg manager, drove to Yakima Valley several weeks ago to obtain fresh hops, i.e., harvested right from the vine when they were there, then drove immediately to the pub and brewed with these fresh hops.  Blaze is really pleased with how the beer is turning out and will be around at 7 pm on Friday, 9/23, to talk about the process.  
• I'm starting to draft our winter food menu ... lots of good soups and comfort food!  We'll likely start with the fall/winter/spring menu around the first of November so look forward to that.  We're also going to switch our new winter hours:  Thursday 4pm-9pm, Friday 4pm-10pm, Saturday 12pm-10pm, Sunday, 12pm-9pm, and Monday 4pm-9pm.  We'll have live music every Friday night, sometimes Saturday night too, and we'll be able to watch lots of football games throughout the season.  

So, thanks to everyone who has helped make this a very exciting year for us.  More great beer, music, food, and fun to come.

Name the Music Shelter

We are launching a contest to name our new music shelter on the riverside patio.  Winning name will receive a free shirt and $25 gift certificate.  Post suggestions on this blog, on our FB page, or send an email to oldschoolhousebrewery@centurylink.net.

Brewers Blog 7/13/2011

Brewing up yet another batch of Ruud Awakening IPA today.  I am doing my best to keep the beer in stock during the busy summer season.  I am continually amazed at how quickly a tank can empty over a busy weekend.  It will be a while before I get a chance to brew anything but our staple beers(blond, pale, brown, IPA, and Stout).  I really want to brew a Barley Wine soon so it will be drnkable come winter. 
I just got word yesterday that Old Schoolhouse Brewery may be getting into the 2011 Yakima Fresh Hop Ale Festival scheduled for September 30th.  I haven't brewed a fresh hop beer before but am excited and optimistic about giving it a try.  We have some good friends in the hop business and they will be setting us up with the best possible fresh hops available.  Thinkin about brewing an IPA style fresh hop with Amarillo, Simcoe, and Citra for the aroma additions. 
Overall the summer is treating us very very well this year.  Sales as a whole are up and beer sales are way up.  The river is just becoming fishable so if you are out there you will probably see me.  Gotta go start lautering my mash.  Cheers-

Blaze the Brewer

Craft Beer of the Pacific Northwest

OSB is featured in Lisa Morrison's new book, Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest.  Check it out!!!

http://www.amazon.com/Craft-Beers-Pacific-Northwest-Washington/dp/1604690895

OSB Earns Two Gold Medals at NABA Beer Awards

Old Schoolhouse Brewery won two gold medals at the 17th Annual Mountain Brewer’s Beer Fest held in Idaho Falls on Saturday, June 4th.


This prestigious brewing competition provides an opportunity for commercially produced beers to be judged against the best beers in the country. Judges include brew masters from major national breweries, experts from small independent breweries, beer journalists, and certified judges. The event is conducted in a blind format competition with judges ranking the order of the top three beers within a category.
Old Schoolhouse Brewery won a gold medal for the Hooligan Stout in the American Stout category and a gold medal for Uncle Big’s Brown in the Brown Porter category.

Old Schoolhouse Brewery won a gold medal last year for the Hooligan Stout at the same competition. Uncle Big’s Brown received international recognition at the Denver International Beer Competition held last month in Colorado.

Old Schoolhouse Brewery opened in Winthrop in 2008. Their brewer is Blaze Ruud, is a graduate from Central Washington University and also a professional fly fisherman. He joined the family business and began brewing in 2008.

Brewers Blog 6/3/2011

Lots of cool stuff going on the past couple of months.  We are ramping up for a busy summer and I have been brewing beer like crazy.  Our spring seasonal on tap is our ESB, which is my interpretation of the  English style Extra Special Bitter.  I really tried to stay true to the style by using all UK origin malted barley and UK hop varieties.  Of course I added a couple of my own signature twists to make the beer my own.  Overall I am very pleased with how the inaugural ESB batch turned out.  I characterize the ESB with mellow bitterness(30-35 IBU), smooth and creamy, with a complex malt profile, nice soft hop finish, and a beautiful mahogany color.  The ESB is a change from most of our hoppy offerings.  Feedback from the customers has been very positive. 

Brewing a batch of Ruud Awakening IPA this morning.  Special thanks to my dad for making some much needed Amarillo hop pellets appear out of thin air.  Looking forward to using some of those bad boys in this batch.  Wish I could keep rambling on but it is time to go and clean a fermenter.  Thanks again to all the beer lovers that make it possible for me to keep on brewing.

Blaze The Brewer

Music

We're getting ready to rock n' roll, quite literally.  April was great, but it felt like the calm before the storm because we have so much in store for you this summer.  We have a lot of new bands coming to the Old Schoolhouse and many bands that we've had before.  Blackberry Bushes will kick it off this weekend, bringing their American/bluegrass sound to the brewery.  I have never seen this band, I have heard them online and they sound great.  One of our bartenders (Steve) has been sparking my interest in bluegrass so I'm pretty excited to catch this show, even though I'll be behind the bar.  We'll end may with Eternal Fair featuring our friend Andrew Vait.  They'll bring a super high energy rock/pop show, this band is up and coming in the Pacific Northwest and they're definitely a band to watch out for.  I've seen Andrew play solo many times but him with a full band is awesome and I am really looking forward to this show.  Our summer line up is booked and I am already booking into the fall.  I highly recommend everyone check out Old Schoolhouse Brewery on www.reverbnation.com.  It's a great place to see who is playing at Old Schoolhouse and hear their music.  I look forward to seeing you at our shows with a beer in hand.

Cheers,
Stephanie

Awards, awards, awards!!! Yippee!

Well, our little microbrewery is doing big things!  Last weekend was a winning weekend for us - first, we took home a People's Choice Award from the Bellingham Brew Fest.  This festival was held at the the Depot across from Boundary Bay last Saturday night.  The weather held out for us and the crowd was fun.  We served up our Ruud Awakening IPA and Uncle Big's Brown.  Very fun event.  You can expect us back again next year!

Then on Sunday, May 1st, we got word that Old Schoolhouse Brewery was honored at the Denver International Beer Competition held last weekend in Colorado.  More than 18 professional beer judges conducted blind taste tests on beers received from around the world.  More than 180 entries came from across the United States and six foreign countries. 

The judges awarded medals in sixteen categories and bestowed Honorable Mentions in seven categories.  We won two Honorable Mentions - one for the Ruud Awakening IPA and the other for Uncle Big's Brown ... the same two beers we were serving at the Bellingham Beer Festival! 

So, we're pretty stoked about all this acclaim.  We're such a little brewery (only 7 barrel system) tucked up in the middle of the North Cascade mountains ... but that's exactly what makes us special.  We put our heart into every drop.  Plus we have the cleanest water ever to make beer with.  Plus our brewer is amazing.  And our team is too.  So, there you have it!  OSB wins again !!!

Another awesome review from a beer-drinking fan!

Wow,


I just slugged down a bottle of your amber ale, and when I say slugged, I mean quaffed hastily, not because I was thirsty, but simply it was awesome and I could not help myself.

I had been eating a very garlicky meal and poured this fine beer expecting it to just slake my thirst. Wrong.

I am not sure that complex words can describe the simple pleasure of drinking this.

Well done!!!!

Best regards,
Jacob

April 2011 Brewers Blog

Welcome to my long awaited blog for April of 2011.  The month of April is upon us and I couldn't be happier.  I recently sent some samples of our beers to the lab and the results were quite interesting.  The Ruud Awakening IPA clocked in at 8% Alcohol By Volume.  I had it estimated around 7.5% ABV using my measuring equipment.  I made some changes in recent months to my milling procedure and my mash efficiency went up, my yeast remained efficient(like usual) and in turn the ABV went up a little bit.  I will have to make a minor adjustment to the amount of malted barley in the recipe in order to keep the Ruud Awakening where it should be(between 6.8% and 7.2%), otherwise it is a Double/Imperial IPA.  Since I already have a 9.5+% Imperial IPA I will be getting the Ruud Awakening back where it needs to be.  Don't worry, I will not reduce the hops.
Stephanie and I will be taking off saturday morning to begin our 2011 Brew tour.  We are planning on hitting up the Firkin Fest @Rogues Green Dragon Bistro on saturday then probably heading over to the coast for a couple days.  I will be bringing my steelhead rod along just in case they are running down there.
Enjoy the spring..Cheers-
Blaze The Brewer
 

March Madness

Typically, in March Old Schoolhouse Brewery is closed for three weeks.  March is infamously known as one of the slowest months of the year here in the Methow Valley. This year we opted not to close, business has been good but this year our pub has grown into quite the local gathering place.  We look forward to seeing our regular customers and new customers every weekend, and in March so many businesses in the valley do close, so where would everyone go...here of course.  Well, it was worth it.  Friday nights continue to be busy with lots of locals coming in to support our pub and their musician friends.  We booked a lot of local acts this month, RT Jr. Band, Rivertown Ramblers, Ben Gilmore and we had our friends Ravinwolf from Ellensburg come and play two nights.  I am really looking forward to April lots of things are starting to bloom.  We've started to clean our outdoor patio and have begun to hire new employees.  Music is looking good for April too, we have a lot of local musicians sprinkled into our line-up.  We have newcomer Ben Bruce here on the 8th, he is well known for producing Summer Meltdown music festival in Darrington.  Olivia De La Cruz is back from Mexico and will be here on the 22nd, and Vicci Marinez is here on the 30th, if you have to miss a show this month, don't miss these three.  You can hear all of these artists if you log on and become a fan of ours on www.reverbnation.com.

See ya in April!
-Stephanie

Craft Brewer's Conference in SF

Here's a big update on our trip to the National Craft Brewer's Conference (CBC) and our epiphany on the plans for Old Schoolhouse Brewery's future.

Last month, Laura and I road-tripped down to SF to enjoy the northern California coast and reconnect with lots of friends along the way.  Our other goal was to attend the CBC with its many seminars about the business of making craft beer and to leave there with a solid plan for our future. 

Weather-wise, timing was not good.  Monsoon rains and winds ravaged the coast and SF most of the time, except in the small town of Mendocino where we stayed three nights in a nice (but haunted) B&B.  Several of our friends met us there, stayed in town, and hiked with us.  It was great to connect with the close friendships that have gone un-nurtured during the past three years since buying the pub.  We also stopped along the way at many established breweries and gawked in awe at their enormous, efficient brew houses.  We are so small and hand-crafted compared to these big, automated places.  I pulled up my big-boy pants, drank their beers, left them a few of our own, and wondered if any of our beers would actually make it into the mouths of the actual brewer's of these big breweries.

In SF, Laura and I attended at least 15 seminars, some technical and some business-related and took lots of notes.  I must say, my energy was off in SF.  The city was crazy with people and noise.  One night at midnight while reading info from the conference in our 7th floor hotel room in Union Square, I head a loud whack and screaming.  I jumped to look out my balcony door to see a woman lying motionless in the road as the car that hit her sped away.  With the heavy rains, I couldn't get outside for my usual daily runs which added to my dis-ease with the city.

Up until our trip, I had my mind set that the only cure for the growth issue with our pub was to build a new production brewery about a mile from the pub.  At the conference, I never did met any of the 3900 attendees from 1600 breweries across the US that were similar to Old Schoolhouse Brewery.  Everyone we talked with had a brewery or brewpub in a largely populated area.  Winthrop is so small (about 600-800 people year-round) yet so busy with tourism in the summer, our dilemma is we either don't have enough beer or we have too much (depending on the season).

For many good reasons, I was having to let go of my belief that only a new brewery could solve our dilemma.  In SF, I could feel my grip slipping away from my strong-held position to build a production brewery, yet I didn't have an answer to put in its place.  Nothing made sense which left me in a pool of frustration.  In downtown SF, I felt alone and isolated.  After 4 days and nights of listening and trying to hold on to ourselves amidst all the chaos, we left SF.

As we crossed the Bay Bridge, we could both feel a calmness settle back into us.  Before we got to Sacramento to meet some close friends, our epiphany landed in our lap.  No new production brewery, at least at this time.  Instead we will add on to our existing building and add two 15-barrel fermenters that will more than double our current beer capacity.  We'll also acquire a space from which we can store, bottle, and ship our beer while also ensuring we have plenty of beer for our ever-growing pub.

When Laura and I listen to the Universe and get clear with what we hear, it seems like everything starts fitting together like a perfect jigsaw puzzle.  On the way home, we stopped and met with our banker, explained our new plan, and she loved it.  When I talked to the builder that was setting up to build our proposed new brewery, he was cool with our revised plan and will be building a new building and leasing us the space we need to store, bottle, and ship our beer.

The Universe is embracing our new path.  Laura and I and the OSB team are excited to be moving forward in a way that will allow us each to enjoy our friendships more and live in this incredible peaceful valley that is home to our spirits.  If we wanted to be millionaires, we would sell everything, move to the big city, build a huge brewery, and sell millions of barrels of beer.  That is not us.  Our main goal is simple:  Work hard and celebrate our lives with family, friends, and like-minded souls who share this sacred space and time that we are gifted with.

Any comments or ideas about our plans are welcome!

- Casey, 4/2/11

PS:  After drinking dozens of beers on our journey, I am more convinced than ever that Blaze's beer can hold its own with the best in this country.

Brewers Blog March 2011

Temperatures are on the rise and it looks like spring may be on the way.  The brew is going quite well, the 2011 Barleywine is taking form and a new batch of Imperial Stout is coming along nicely.  A new batch of Ruud Awakening is a-brewin and I am looking forward to trying some of the new Falconers Flight Hop Blend, which is a special blend of choice IPA hops(simcoe, amarillo, citra, sorachi ace, and more).  Been out on the river steelheading with my younger brother Evan, with the warmer temps we have been doing quite well.  I am very excited to hit up some of my favorite breweries during the upcoming brewery circuit me and steph are doing in April.  Last year we had a blast and drank tons of quality beer.  Our top beers last year came from Rogue, Deschutes, Ninkasi, and Pelican.  We will definetely be hitting all these breweries again and hoping to find some good ones we missed on our last trip.  Had a couple of stand out brews this month, Deschutes Jubel 2010 and Full Sail Black Gold.  Cheers-
Blaze the Brewer

Stephanie's Blog

February was a short month, but we were able to squeeze in a lot in a short amount of time.  Locals lit up our small stage this month and open mic's were successful once again.  This isn't hard for me to believe since our small valley is filled with so many talented musicians.  I am really grateful to our local musicians, they are easy to work with and they definitely know how to rock a party.  Drothers Band has local musicians Greg Hardy, Nick Boscoe and Jason Hickman.  Greg is the lead guy in this band and he is about to release his first solo album.  Rivertown Ramblers are Chris Garner and Randy, sometimes Randy's brother and sister-in-law join the band.  Chris and Randy are two very talented musicians who have been playing in bands for over thirty years.  Presidents Day weekend was an incredible weekend of music, especially Saturday night when the RT Jr. Band played.  RT Jr. Band is RT Jr. of course, Phil Woras on bass and vocals, Peter Larson on drums and Terry Hardesty on vocals and lead guitar.  Terry has played and toured with Merle Haggard and Johnny Paycheck http://www.terryhardesty.com/.  Needless to say, I have music fever going on.  I am so lucky to do the job that I do and do it in the Methow Valley.  On a bigger scale, I am very lucky to live in the Pacific Northwest where it seems that the musical talent is endless.  Over Valentine's Day weekend I treated myself to a short vacation west, over the mountains to the big city...Seattle.  I went to listen to some good music and support some very talented Seattle musicians.  Saturday night I went to see Cody Beebe and the Crooks at the Hard Rock Cafe, excellent show.  Sunday night I went to the Seamonster to watch Vintage Pink.  Vintage Pink features a couple of musicians that I've seen many times; RL Heyer from Flowmotion and Andrew Vait (who was not present).  These guys rocked, it was probably some of the best music I have ever seen and it seemed effortless for them.  Their only downfall was they were hammering the PBR, haha.  Seamonster is a really cool place, it reminds me a lot of our place.  It's a tiny venue, there is no cover charge and their is a whole lot of talent that comes through their doors.  If you're ever not at the Old Schoolhouse Brewery you should definitely check this place out http://www.seamonsterlounge.com/.

Another happy customer!

I just wanted to take some time to thank you for the excellent service that we saw and received while at your establishment. Your staff was more than amazing, they were attentive and friendly even during a very busy time. The food was also amazing ...
I look forward to our return trip in the next few months.

Fondly,  Jill.

President's Week Festivities

Old Schoolhouse Brewery will be open EVERY DAY during President's Week (Friday, Feb 18th thru Sunday, Feb 27).  It's our last big winter weekend and we don't want to miss the fun.  We have live music at the pub with RT Jr. on the 18th and 19th.  If you haven't heard his music before, you're in for a treat.  He has quite a following here in the valley and also nationwide.  Brody Blackburn will play his music also on Friday, Feb 25th.  Brody is a folk/rock musician from Pateros and a pub favorite.

The Methow Valley's Winter Festival is also happening that week. 

The Methow Valley Winter Festival is a ten-day festival celebrating the Methow Valley’s favorite winter activities and vibrant arts and cultural community. Winter activities include: Nordic skiing, biathlon, alpine skiing, snowshoeing, and ice skating. There are events and activities for every age and skill level. After a full day of playing outdoors, enjoy the many arts and cultural events being held during the Festival. Come see why winter is the Methow Valley’s favorite season!

Event Highlights:

• Methow Arts kicks off the festival Friday, February 18 with an evening of fun and laughter as Jet City Improv brings their live comedy experience to the Winthrop Barn at 7:00 pm.

• Methow Valley Nordic Club hosts the Tour of the Methow, Saturday, February 19. Skiers may choose to ski 20 to 80 kilometers of the Methow Valley’s incredible ski trails in this non-competitive, food and transportation supplied event.

• Sunday, February 20, don’t miss one of the craziest events: the annual Doggy Dash, a 6-legged costumed ski race for dogs and humans. Who will win the coveted “best in show”?

• Author Erik Brooks leads young skiers on a Storyski reading of his book Polar Opposites, Sunday, February 20. Skiers ski a 1km loop while reading large story book pages along the ski trail.

• Former Olympic cross-country skiers, Leslie Hall and Laura McCabe host a two-day Nordic ski camp, February 21-22 offering skiers an incredible opportunity to learn both skate and classic ski technique from two of the most acclaimed cross-country skiers in the nation. Leslie Thompson Hall is a three-time Olympian. Laura McCabe is a two-time Olympian, both women live and ski in the Methow Valley. Registration information can be found at http://www.mvsta.com/winter/documents/SkiFestivalNordicSkiCamp.pdf

• Methow Valley Nordic Team hosts a Cross-Country Ski Camp for youth ages 6-12 years old, February 22-24.

• The Methow Valley Biathlon Team hosts two opportunities for cross-country skiers to “Try Biathlon”. Wednesday, February 23 and Saturday, February 26. This event was the hit of last year’s festival. Don’t miss this great opportunity to test your skill at two different disciplines, skiing and shooting!

• Winthrop Physical Therapy hosts a three-day Women’s Ski and Yoga Retreat February 25-27.

• Torchlight Ski, Friday February 25. Ski from dusk to 8pm on the ski the trails of Mazama by torchlight, presented by the Methow Conservancy

• Cowboy Races, Saturday February 26. Try your hand at roping cattle while on skis! Learn from some of the Methow Valley’s finest ranchers and ropers. This is another very unique Methow Valley event, perfect for the whole family.

• Guided Snowshoe Hikes, February 19, 20 and 26. Free, Naturalist-led snowshoe tours held at Sun Mountain and Mazama.

• Alpine ski or snowboard daily at Loup Loup .

• Ice skating and hockey daily at the Winthrop Ice Rink.

The entire schedule of events for the Winter Festival can be found at http://www.mvsta.com/winter/winterfestival.html

The Methow Valley Winter Festival is presented in part by the Methow Valley Sport Trails Association and the Methow Valley Community.

The Methow Valley Sport Trails Association (MVSTA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and promoting environmentally sound recreation on or near the trail system in the Methow Valley. The trail system includes over 200 kilometers of groomed trails and is recognized as one of the finest trail systems in North America for cross-country skiing, mountain biking and hiking.

Hope to see you here!

Brew Blog - January 2011

2011 started with a bang here for us at Old Schoolhouse Brewery.  We are experiencing our busiest January on record - both beer production and foot traffic.

We have lots of fun and interesting brew stuff going on so far this year.  I brewed my first Barleywine in over a year and it's looking awesome ... thus far.  My first batch of Barleywine in 2009 started its life as an Imperial IPA, very hop-forward with an underlying caramel malt finish.  After a couple months the hops faded and the underlying caramel malts became a very prominent caramel, toffee-like flavor in the beer, thus making it a very suitable Barleywine.  We are still hanging on to our last keg of the 2009 Barleywine - not sure when it will be tapped.  The 2011 Barleywine I just brewed has been tweeked a bit from the 2009 version.  The 2011 Barleywine has a higher caramel malt content, more complex malt bill, and more mellow hopping scheme.  I am having a hard time waiting to drink this bad boy.  Usually a beer is drinkable 3 weeks after the brew date; this Barleyine will take at least 6 weeks.  Special thanks on this brew go out to  my dad, Casey, and my younger brother, Evan.  My dad helped me during the brew day and Evan helped look after my yeast while I was having fun at the Ellensburg Winterhop Fest.

Speaking of Winterhop 2011 - what a blast!  The Winterhop Brewfest in Ellensburg is one of my favorites year after year.  It is always sold out and offers a very diverse crowd.  In addition to my dad and me, my older brother Jason and older sister Kelly represented OSB at the brewfest.  We served Hooligan Stout, Uncle Big's Brown, and the Ruud Awakening IPA.  The feedback we received was good with  many repeat customers.

My friend, Chris, from Snipes Mountain Brewery told me about the 2011 hop shortage.  Unfortunately, we have been using the highest demand hops in both the Ruud Awakening IPA and our Imperial IPA -- in mass quantities.  We are unable to get some of these varieties and are in the process of making careful substitutions knowing the hop flavors will be a little different but still very tasty.  The first batch with the new hop scheme will be drinkable late February.  We had to get a little scrappy and stock up on some of the key hops we needed so we will be good for quite awhile.

For those of you who don't know me well, I am a die-hard steelhead flyfisherman.  Not that fishing conditions were great, but let's just say my brother Evan and I hammered our fair share of big meats so far in 2011. 

I am looking forward to some fun brewing in February 2011.  Imperial Stout will be brewed once again, so get it while you can!

- Blaze Ruud, Lead Brewer

Old Schoolhouse Music

January was a blast!  We kicked off the New Year with one of our favorite local artists RT Jr.  MLK Jr. weekend brought RL Heyer to our pub to perform solo for the first time www.myspace.com/rlheyer.  I first met RL when he came to play at OSB with his band Flowmotion.  Flowmotion is the band that introduced me (Stephanie) to the Northwest music scene and they are still one of my favorite bands http://www.flowmotion.net/music-and-video/.  Cody Beebe and the Crooks graced us with their music on the 28th http://www.codybeebeandthecrooks.com/ .  This night was so special and I'm glad I got to see everyone having a great time.  They had a very good turn out and had the entire crowd dancing, I thought the floor would cave in.  If these guys are in your area they are a must see, I truly believe this band is on the brink of greatness and I'm glad to have them as friends http://codybeebeandthecrooks.wordpress.com/.  January ended on a serious high note and I hope it sets the standard for 2011.  Please check us out on facebook and on youtube.

-Stephanie

Another happy customer!

I moved to Seattle about 4 months ago and have been on a mission to try every single IPA available.  I visited the brewery about 2 months ago and fell head over heals in love with the Ruud IPA.  Best IPA ever.  --Eben