Dave Knows Portland

Archives for December 2010

Amnesia Winter Beer Festival (11-December-2010)

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Amnesia Winter Beer Festival 2010The 3rd Annual Amnesia Winter Ale Festival takes place this Saturday, December 11 at the brewery (832 N Beech).

For $15 festival goers get a glass mug (which you get to keep) plus five drink tickets, each good for a 6 ounce sample, or two for a full pour. Details from The Beer Here:

Amnesia’s winter beer festival is a great way to keep up with what the pub’s talented brewers are up to, as well as a chance to revisit old favorites such as Sleighjerker and Frosty’s Revenge. They’ll also be pouring, for the first time in five years, The Precious Pilsner, plus a new ale from brewer Sean Thommen. “It doesn’t have a name yet,” says Amnesia boss Kevin King, “but it has completely different malts from the original Amnesia malt lineup and it’s infused with sweet Belgian orange peel. It’s golden in color and about 6.3 percent alcohol.”
Amnesia has also invited Walking Man, Double Mountain, Everybody’s Brewing, Upright, Caldera and Fort George to bring special beers to the fest.

The festival runs from noon until 10pm, and the tent is heated!

Video Interlude: Stompin’ Round Bridgetown

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Stompin’ Round Bridgetown from josh mchale on Vimeo.

Stompin’ Round Bridgetown by Josh McHale takes the viewer on an entertaining tour, with original music by Chris Riedl, of Portland’s bridges, starting with the 100 year old Hawthorne Bridge – and yes, there is some time lapse!

This film expresses the wonder and beauty surrounding some of Portland’s most popular river crossings. It was produced with some 2,500 images, a stop motion animation, and a time lapse of the city. Did I mention that it has an original score? In honor of the Hawthorne’s 100th, and the inspirational motivation of the PDX Bridge festival, please enjoy taking a stomp around Bridgetown.

Holiday Booze Bazaar (11-December-2010)

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Whiskey!House Spirits Distillery‘s 5th Annual Holiday Booze Bazaar takes place Saturday, December 11 at the distillery (2025 SE 7th).

We’re back at it this year with holiday cheer, kittens and mistletoe, and a ton of decorations! We have a bunch of wonderful vendors and will be releasing a special House Spirits White Dog, our 100% malted barley un-aged whiskey, in a convenient 750ml sized bottle.

Vendors this year include Imbibe Magazine, Jacob’s Creamery, Joyas de Panama Cigars, Olympic Provisions, Sassafras, Theo Chocolate, and more!

Heather and I attended this, and the similar Season’s Eatings event at New Deal Distillery, last year and can attest that this is a holiday bazaar you’ll actually enjoy!

Mini cocktails and snacks will be available, as well as booze gift boxes, barware, bitters, mixers and cocktail books. This event is free, but you must be over 21 to attend. It runs from 11am until 5pm.

Season’s Eatings at New Deal Distillery (11-December-2010)

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Season's Eatings 2010The 2nd Annual Season’s Eatings at New Deal Distillery (1311 SE 9th) takes place Saturday, December 11 2010 from noon until 6pm.

Some of the region’s best chocolates, cheeses, wines, spirits, charcuterie, baked goods, and pasta will be available to sample and to purchase, and it’s all a benefit for the Oregon Food Bank. Admission is free with one non-perishable food item or cash donation.

The Little Red Bike Cafe may be defunct, but Ali and Evan certainly aren’t. Ali will be at Season’s Eatings offering artisan jams and handmade granola under the moniker ‘Little Branch‘. Outside Evan will be manning Lucy’s Original, offering hamburgers and milkshakes!

Also in attendance will be Dessert Labs, Tails and Trotters, Gales Meadow Farm, Confectionary, Xocolatl de David, Clive Coffee, Random Order Coffeehouse and Bakery, Briar Rose Creamery, The Hop and Vine, Riverwave Foods, Unbound Pickling, and People’s Sandwich of Portland – whew!

Zoolights 2010

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ZooLights 2011 – Click Here!

Zoo Lights

The 2010 Zoolights display stays lit at the Oregon Zoo through January 2 2011. The official website describes Zoolights thusly:

See the zoo transformed into a winter wonderland, aglow with a million lights.*

More than 200 animated animals swing through trees, jump across lawns, hide in bushes and appear in places where they’re least expected.

Displays include swinging monkeys, leaping frogs, flying bats, diving penguins and a perfect-for-photos light sculpture featuring a dozen animals.

And I can think of no more apt description.

It’s not cheap, but the experience is memorable. Having grown up in Portland I visited the daytime Oregon Zoo (née Washington Park Zoo) numerous times in my childhood, but to see the place at night, with literal sheets of lights, lit up trees, and illuminated facsimiles of animals is quite the experience.

Washington Park and Zoo RailwaySplurge and go for a ride on the Washington Park and Zoo Railway, trains run every few minutes during Zoolights. The line may be long, but it moves swiftly, and there’s a hot cocoa purveyor serving the chilled (for $2.50 a pop, but it’s got whipped cream on it!). And really, who doesn’t like a train ride?

Heather and I visited the Zoolights display for our first time this past weekend, and we have come up with some tips for getting the most out of the experience.

Zoolights Tips

  • Dress extra warm (and dry if it’s a wet evening)
  • Arrive early (Zoolights starts at 5pm, but come early to enjoy the zoo. As it approaches darkness head to the train depot to be first in line!)
  • Take the MAX (It’ll save you $1.50 on admission with proof of fare, and finding a parking spot can be a pain in the ass)

Visit the Zoolights website for details on pricing, entertainment, hours, specials, etc. Have fun!