A Pair of Brewery Success Stories

Posted on August 20, 2023 by Thebeerchaser

(External photograhps (#) attributed at the end of the post)

In my last Beerchaser post, I mentioned an article that bemoaned the fate of seven Portland breweries which have recently closed or been put up for sale. This led to a perhaps overly ominous question in a headline entitled “7 Portland Breweries and Taprooms are Closing. Is Peak Craft Beer Over?

But there have been some real success stories including Crux Fermentation’s new SE Pub which I reviewed in that same post.

Now to focus on two “B’s” for they are among the “Best” breweries encountered on my twelve year Beerchasing journey. They’ve attracted many loyal patrons. Neither has a long history, but both have made their marks.

Beachcrest Brewing Company – Gleneden Beach

Beachcrest Brewing came to my attention in early 2019 – shortly after they opened. I wrote the following review:

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/04/23/ride-a-wave-to-beachcrest-brewing/

Take a look at this excerpt for some context:

“In seven years of Beerchasing, I’ve been impressed with the number of brewery owners who started homebrewing as a hobby and ultimately became micro-craft entrepreneurs after diverting from their original career paths. They have ranged from lawyers, teachers, accountants, contractors and public servants to former bartenders.”

Below is some information from their website:

“Beachcrest Brewing Co. started as the dream of lifelong musicians Matt and Amy White who spent many summers visiting the enchanting Oregon Coast. After years of dreaming of living on the coast the duo made the plunge and relocated to the central coast to follow their passion of combining beach life, craft beer and great music.”

They partnered with Megan Leesley – a CPA who does the Brewery’s accounting and Sean Sissel, a contractor, who spent five months in 2018 building out the brewery. Both still live in Colorado and will be working in the brewery periodically.” (#1)

I interviewed Matt and Amy (on the left of the photo above) to get info for my post and they were a wonderful couple – passionate and enthused about their dream. We have a vacation home in nearby Lincoln City and I was concerned, however, given the competition, how they would do.

The Brewery is across from Salishan Lodge in a small commercial development. Salishan, at one time one of Oregon’s premier destination resorts, was struggling and going through ownership changes. A number of other small businesses in the same mall had gone out of business or were struggling to get customers.

And, of course, one year later, the pandemic was upon us.

Four years later, I’m happy to report that they appear to be thriving?

Our deck in Lincoln City often sees Thebeerchaser down a Beachcrest brew….

So without reviewing their financials, how do I conclude that they are flourishing?

Well, every time we make a visit, the expansive taproom and patio are hopping. The setting for the patio on the back nine at Salishan is beautiful and they’ve transformed part of the patio into an all-weather tent which regularly features jazz and a variety of other musical offerings. (After all, Matt and Amy are professional musicians.)

“My absolute favorite thing about this place was the ambiance. We sat with a nice view of the golf course, kind of hidden away from other guests. It was convenient for our dog. They have a 70s and 80s soft rock hits playlist that creates the perfect vibe. I’ll definitely come back.” (Yelp 6/14/23) (#2)

350845837_1193390874676440_5015724397361535136_n

Although a number of new businesses have opened in the mall, there is still ample parking. Beachcrest has a robust tap list and the beers are varied and great quality (especially the Lincoln City Logger (Helles Lager) (5.5% ABV 16 IBU).

They’ve regularly offered new and creative beers such as their Strawberry Milkshake IPA released on June 7th. One can also order wine, cider, a margarita and the unforgettable Rogue Root Beer.

Beachcrest does some of the most creative and attractive labeling I’ve seen on the Coast. (#3 – #4)

243914982_1669201100092245_711953238679734814_n

While the menu is not expansive it has some delicious salads, a tasty jumbo beer pretzel with cheese sauce and mustard and nine pizza options – the reviews are very positive. And don’t forget the chocolate cake for dessert.

“Best wood fired Pizza on the Coast and their beer is outstanding! Friendly staff makes it a joy to eat and drink here. They have a very open air feel to the whole place. The price point makes it a great value. It’s our favorite brew pub in Oregon.” (Yelp 6/5/23) (#5 – #7)

Matt and Amy White have created a “community” in their four + years of operating with many loyal Central Coast fans. Their establishment is family and dog friendly.

Besides their live music every Saturday at 6 pm and Sunday at 4 pm from July through September they also have Trivia Night every Wednesday.

The staff is friendly and efficient and they seem to reflect the same values as the owners which is emphasized on their website. Even on very busy days, the wait-time is minimal.

And while not trying to demean another good Oregon Brewery (Pelican) which recently opened an expansive brew pub just south of Lincoln City (about three miles away) you will pay substantially more for beverages and food and usually face a wait-time.

(I just checked with Google Assistant and on this August Sunday afternoon, the wait-time for a party of four was 120 minutes!) It should be noted that Pelican does have a robust pub menu.

Besides the patio, you will also find that Beachcrest has a beautiful taproom.

Benedictine Brewery – St Benedict, Oregon

Dating back to 1887, the Mount Angel Abbey Hilltop is one of the most beautiful and peaceful locations in Oregon. It is home to the Benedictine monastery, the seminary and college, and also features a book shop, museum, a majestic chapel and beautiful guest house for retreats. People of all faiths or no faith are welcomed.

The Alvar Aalto Library designed in 1970 by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto – which garners international recognition – has manuscripts dating back to the twelfth century. (#8)

IMG_5158-web-crop-1550397671-1600x800

“Mount Angel Abbey strives to be a place where all can ‘seek things above’ in peace and solitude. The Abbey keeps vital the ancient traditions of Divine Office, love of learning, and hospitality.” (#9 – #13)

The Abbey’s rich history percolates throughout the Hilltop and in 2018 another ancient monk tradition dating back to the Middle Ages became a reality – the opening of the Benedictine Brewery and St. Michael Taproom.

“The beer brewed now at Mount Angel follows the early monastic tradition and is “crafted for a higher purpose.” It’s likely the only beer in the US that receives a priestly blessing at every stage, from raising the hops to pulling the tap. Mount Angel Abbey’s Benedictine Brewery and Taproom is one of a very few monastic breweries currently operating in the United States.”

Saturday, August 26, the Fifth Anniversary of the Brewery will be celebrated. It will be open for the regular Saturday hours (1 to 8 pm) but from 2 to 4 pm, five years of operations will be celebrated with monastic art displays, an ice cream cart, cornhole, live music, and of course, your favorite Benedictine Brewery beer. (#14 – #16)

#benedictinebrewery #mountangelabbey #oregonbeer #fifthanniversary #tasteandbelieve

And I have been blessed to be associated with the Brewery and its Head Brewer, Fr. Martin Grassel, since 2016.

I remember well the cloudy day in November 2017, when we started with a cement slab and through the efforts of about 125 monks, priests, seminarians and volunteers, ended with a framed structure.

It’s now become a gathering place of exceptional fellowship and cheer.

https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/11/21/the-benedictine-brewery-beam-me-up/

I’ve witnessed Fr. Martin – who as a monk prays five times each day and has primary financial duties at the Abbey as Procurator, become a skilled brewer and manager. (He gets by with minimal sleep!)

He’s expanded the variety of beers, recently added barrel aging to the repertoire, garnered a regional following of beer enthusiasts and run a profitable business that helps further the Benedictine mission and values in addition to drawing many people to explore the entire Abbey Hilltop and meet the monks and priests.

He efforts have made the Brewery’s motto “Taste and Believe” a reality.

Come out on Saturday and wish Fr. Martin and the Benedictine Brewery Happy Birthday. (And by the way, the Hair Shirt IPA (7% ABV – 56 IBU) is superb and will not make you feel guilty about ordering a second pint!) (#17 – #20)

Blessings and Cheers

External Photograph Attribution

#1 – #3. Beachcrest Brewery Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=711461560988659&set=pb.100063744632543.-2207520000.&type=3).

#4 – #7. Beachcrest Brewery Website (https://beachcrestbrewing.com)

#8 – #13. Mount Angel Abbey Website (https://www.mountangelabbey.org/)

#14 – #20. Benedictine Brewing Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BenedictineBrewery)

On Monks and Beer – a Long History

Posted on July 16, 2021 by Thebeerchaser

It Appears that People are Taking the Motto “Taste and Believe” Seriously

Followers of this blog know that I was involved in the latter stages of planning for the Benedictine Brewery and St. Michael Taproom on the beautiful grounds of the Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary near Salem, Oregon.

It opened in the fall of 2018 and Fr. Martin Grassel – a former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, as the Head Brewer, has built a strong reputation for his beers, which expanded from the original flagship, Black Habit, and now number nine on tap and have a loyal following.

Notwithstanding the lockdowns when the Taproom was closed for months in 2020, the Brewery has done extremely well and has become a popular regional destination brewery

Fr. Martin recently brewed his first IPA – “Hairshirt.” I had the pleasure of sharing a pint of this with him and Fr. Timothy Kalange at the Taproom. Fr. Timothy is enjoying a pint of Hairshirt IPA below. (7.1 ABV – 56 IBU). It has now become my favorite Benedictine beer – beautiful appearance, inviting aroma and a nice slightly bitter, fruity taste.

Fr. Timothy Kalange with a Hairshirt IPA

The Taproom is impressive and inviting and on some occasions, a chance to interact with seminarians and monks over a mug. The Brewery recently expanded its covered patio in the beautiful setting overlooking the Abbey’s hop fields. Plan a visit. This is the only location at which you can purchase Benedictine Beer, besides the Abbey Book Store.

Of course, the entire Abbey Hilltop is worth spending an afternoon visiting. Its Library – not only known for its distinctive design by noted Finnish architect Alvar Aalto, but as the repository for many original manuscripts from the Abbey’s collection of rare books and art, is fascinating.

The Romanesque-style Abbey Church is a thing of beauty and the renovated Guesthouse and Retreat Center welcomes people of all faiths to come and spend time in prayer and quiet reflection. For a better idea of what can be seen, check out this Hilltop Walking Tour link.

Speaking of Taste and Believe…..

I’ve recently read some of the works of St. Augustine and was fascinated by the story of this remarkable Catholic theologian who lived from 354 to 430 AD. He was brilliant even in his youth, although a wayward boy and young adult.

During this period he was enamored by the carnal and intoxicating pleasures in life including alcohol and mistresses. His conversion story is fascinating and he went on to become one of history’s great theologians.

“For thirty four years, he lived in this monastic community (one that he founded in Africa). He wrote a vast number of books and became known for his eloquence, logic and spirit. These three combined to make Augustine one of the most significant thinkers in the history of the Christian Church. (Page 52 –Devotional Classics)

Intrigued by the account of his doctrinal contributions and the manner in which his life changed, I did some supplemental research and found that he was also known as a Patron Saint of Brewers.

I mentioned this in an e-mail to Fr. Martin and that based on this information, wondered if would consider naming one of his new beers “St. Augustine.” (Since I’m Protestant, I didn’t think he would seriously consider my other suggestion of “Reformation Red Ale.”)

Fr. Martin, is an incredibly wise and learned man on everything from theology to brewing, to financial analysis (he is the Procurator (CFO) for the monastery and seminary, to engineering (a 1985 graduate in Computer Science from the University of North Dakota). He replied:

Fr. Martin lecturing on the Rule of St. Benedict

“Don, yes St. Augustine is a patron of brewers. There are lots of saints with that patronage. St. Luke, the evangelist is another one, rather surprisingly. Augustine is a patron because of his lifestyle in his youth….Others like the two St. Arnolds, actually had something to do with brewing.”

A tradition dating back to the fifth century *3

And Fr. Martin is correct based on the following article “Meet the Many Catholic Patron Saints of Beer.” But the saint he referenced who intrigued me the most and also demonstrated why Fr. Martin is loved for his great sense of humor, was his last tongue-in-cheek sentence:

“St. Brigid is said to have turned bathwater to beer for clergy. I guess that will get anyone canonized, whether they acted like a saint or not….!”

The article referenced above states the following about St. Brigid:

“There was a 5^th Century Saint Brigid of Ireland (apparently a good friend of Saint Patrick, about whom we still cherish many misconceptions every March 17^th.) Brigid is a patron saint of several things, including dairymaids, cattle, midwives, and newborns. But there’s also evidence of an equal passion for beer.

Brigid worked for a time in a leper colony, and when the lepers she nursed implored her for beer, and there was none to be had, she changed the water, which was used for the bath, into an excellent beer, by the sheer strength of her blessing and dealt it out to the thirsty in plenty.’

And there are also attributed to her these lines, which later inspired both poem and song: ‘I should like a great lake of beer for the King of Kings. I should like the angels of Heaven to be drinking it through time eternal.’

In heaven, bear in mind, there are no hangovers.”

St. Brigid of Ireland – A Passion for Beer *4

This brought back memories of an article I saw last year about a public entity with an innovative approach to making beer in the Willamette Week 2/12/20 article entitled, “Washington County is Recycling Wastewater and Using It to Make Beer”:

Waste water eventually converted to beer! *5

“The county’s Clean Water Services utility treats nearly 60 million gallons of wastewater at its facility in Tigard each day. But engaging the public on sustainable water practices can only go so far if you mostly use it to irrigate golf courses.

‘If you want people to talk about water,’ Art Larrance, owner of Cascade Brewing, told the committee in 2015, ‘you’ve got to make beer’……

Now the program is expanding – at this year’s Oregon Brewers Festival, it will provide the highly purified water to eight participating breweries. But while the process results in ‘the world’s most sustainable beer,’ the result flavor-wise is negligible to the untrained palate.”

Perhaps St. Brigid was just many years ahead of her time and didn’t have the benefit of modern brewing technology.

In conclusion, that’s something to make one flush with excitement…..!

Cheers

13690696_512254832318745_6854393067481716043_n

Photo Attribution

*1 Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo#/media/File:Sandro_Botticelli_-_St_Augustin_dans_son_cabinet_de_travail.jpg by Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510).

*2. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustine_of_Hippo#/media/File:Triunfo_.jpg “The triumph of Saint Augustine” by Claudio Coello (1642-1693).

*3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Olaf_Simony-Jensen_-_K%C3%A6lderinteri%C3%B8r_med_munke_i_festligt_lag_-_1904.png

*4. Wikimedia Commons – Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, 2.5 Generic, 2.0 Generic and 1.0 Generic. Author: Wolfgang Sauber – 21 July 2011. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brigid_of_Kildare#/media/File:Saint_Non’s_Chapel_-_Fenster_3_St.Bride.jpg

*5. Washinton County Clean Water Services https://cleanwaterservices.org/about-us/one-water/resource-recovery/water-reuse/

Thebeerchaser

Bars, Breweries and Watering Holes – An Exploration

Tag Archives: Alvar Aalto architect

A Pair of Brewery Success Stories

On Monks and Beer – a Long History