Saturday, February 26, 2011

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/.

Monday, February 21, 2011

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.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

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!

Thursday, February 3, 2011

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

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

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