de Garde Quarterly Release

Howd it taste? I think beer is more than bubbles ...

 

I'd agree but there's a large thread that disagrees.....

 

Just to break up this conversation about uncarbonated beer, I think all who went owe de grade a huge thank you. Awesomely run event, extremely delicious de grade beers being poured and of course the guest bottles being shared were bordering on the side of ridiculous.

Oh and it seems like most people cleaned up their neck beards. Solid outing all around - can't wait for the next one.

 

Big Thanks to the folks at De Garde and everyone else who helped make the afternoon another terrific event out in Tillamook. We got there right at 2:00 and decided against waiting in the big line for bottles. An hour later, the line was a sliver of its previous length, and everything was still available. A very well run system indeed. Inside there were plenty of De Garde's finest offerings in bottles and on tap. Trevor was pouring some amazing things at the bottle table.

(A small No Thanks to the people toting their whalez around with the labels pressed against their chests so that no one could see what they weren't sharing. Is this a new thing at bottle shares? Not cool.)

 

I didn't see anyone not willing to share bottles. Many people were walking around with bottles but I think it was due to the huge amount of people near the table. I couldn't even get to it a few times and anything that was opened usually went fast. So those who where walking around or at barrels I think it worked better. Also I saw some big pours from left bottles and that isn't right. I think there was just too many people.

 

I think that is a gross exaggeration. Maple Sampson was tapped, I was by the bottles and walked back to the back taps and got served within 3 minutes. They ran people through efficiently.

I find it extremely generous that I am not a member of de grade, yet i somehow received pours of Side Project, Jacki O's, and Jester King (plus de grade obvs). Breweries don't owe anyone anything, and the since of entitlement that I keep hearing on these threads (and at the party) has become increasingly annoying.

just my two cents.

 

I don't think anyone feels entitled, but I get what John is saying. I didn't even get to try Earl because I didn't even know it was tapped. They should have either announced tappings or tap all the new stuff in the tap station not the front tap room as most people were not in there. It was a great event but was way too crowded. It got better 2 hours in and even better around 6. I love that so many people came but it was very crowded and felt like a mosh pit without crowd surfing and topless chicks with a thick layer of weed smoke.

 

I miss the old tasting room, were one could simply cozy up to the bar and have a casual glass or two while complaining about being packed into a space meant for 15.

 

I understand what your saying. But I really think the way to go is not wait in line for bottles at the beginning. I was one of the first in the tap room - it was a handful of people waiting to get in at 2. A buddy of mine and I split pours so I was able to try stone, berry, dark harvest and beacoup desay and there were still only about 15 people in the barrel room.
The bottle pouring was a bit crowded *understatement* (but you can't expect differently when they are personally pouring the quality of bottles that they were).

I went outside a little before 4 to go to the bottle line and had my pick of every bottle besides Cafe Sampson.

I guess I just have a bit different perspective and don't suffer from "fear of missing out" disease. I didn't have one beer that wasn't great or at least interesting and I enjoyed myself.

And if you don't think there was/is a sense of entitlement at these things, then you need to look harder. From the moderate pushing at the bottle table to the over-seriousness by patrons - it was almost comical.

All in all @John_M, I can't discount your experience. I'm not you. I just had a different perspective.

 

I loved watching a group of people with their hands wrapped around their glasses frantically trying to warm their collective pours all the while scoffing at any of the other patrons that were embarrassing themselves by drinking cold beer.

 

It was pretty awesome being at DeGarde exactly one week prior to this event. There were 2 other people there during the 90ish minutes i was there.

 

My only complaint would be the way the lines were organized. Lines shouldn't flow into other lines and there should be a natural 'recovery' area where one enjoys the pours. I didn't even attempt to go to the bottle pour area simply because I couldn't see any pattern in that madness. It would be tough to do any better in the two rooms they used. From the looks of things though, it seemed like they are also renting the warehouse right next door (since there were barrels in there), which to me would be the natural location to do this event. In there, looked like 2000 sq ft of unobstructed floor space rather than the 2000 sq ft of clutter in the current setup. I don't mean to sound like a negative nancy, but bar flow is one of the things that really gets to me and I tend to follow Occam's Razor in most instances: the simplest solution is the correct one.

 

I see they still have Bu Stone, Bu Berry, Hose, and Nelson Hose for sale at the brewery. Does anyone know if they have limits and how much longer they may last?

 

I guarantee you they aren't expanding so they can have a 2000 sq ft banquet space. As for why it wasn't used this weekend, I'm guessing it's not fully built-out / permitted for uses other than storage at this point.

I certainly do understand the frustration about flow and choke-points in the space, but I think people really need to keep in mind that it's a working brewery every day, and a party space 4 times a year. I vote for using the space efficiently to keep making beer at great prices.

 

Limits were lifted once everyone had a chance to get through the line on Saturday. I believe that will still be the case when the tasting room next opens (Friday, I guess?)

 

Definitely agree. The brewery is designed for efficiency in brewing, not efficiency in personal movement.

 

A big big thank you to @deGardebrewing for what I think may have been the best beer event of my life.

With the help of some friends I was able to try Bu Stone, Bu Berry, Cherry Raz Bu, Cafe Samson, Maple Samson, Abraxas, Abricot du Fermier, 4 Happiness, Colour Five, Omniscience and Proscelytism, Kollaborationsbier and 2012 Super Nebula to cap things off. Berry, Stone and Cherry Raz were among the best sours I've ever had (not just from de Garde).

Quick note on Abricot du Fermier... besides thinking I would never get to try this 250 (?) bottle release, I was able to for $3. Assuming a modest 4 oz pour (surely I got more), that comes to $18 a bottle when they retailed at $30. Just ridiculous.

Another quick note on Abricot du Fermier... Bu Stone blew it out of the water!