"rogue ales" news and stories

Several years ago, with brewers nationwide caught in an unprecedented hops shortage, the team at Oregon's lauded Rogue Ales faced a horrifying prospect: telling head brewer John Maier to cut back his hops usage.

"That would've broken our hearts," says Rogue president Brett Joyce. To help alleviate shortfalls, the brewery partnered with farmers to plant fields of hops. The program was so successful, Rogue decided to get into growing barley, too. The yields were bountiful, allowing Rogue to create the fruits of its labor: Chatoe Rogue, a brand built on the concept of GYO -- grow your own.

The first release of Chatoe (an intentional misspelling of wine term chateau) was the fresh and pungent Wet Hop Ale, which highlighted Rogue's proprietary blend of hops. It was a tasty treat, and release No. 2 -- the Dirtoir Black Lager -- really rocked my pint glass.

The Green Dragon in Portland, Oregon. Photo: mrzarquon/Flickr

A weekly look at the draft selection in beer-friendly bars across the country.

According to the past two weeks' worth of WOT, Portland, Ore., might be the most neglected What's On Tap city. And what neglect! Portland has regularly been regarded as one of America's top beer towns, snagging top honors in a recent online poll that beer legend Charlie Papazian put together.

This week, Portland's Green Dragon gets some much deserved attention. It was named after Boston's original Green Dragon Tavern, which was dubbed "the headquarters of the Revolution" due to the proclivity of many rabble-rousing Colonial American groups to congregate there. Proprietors of this modern Oregonian iteration promote relaxation, not rebellion, with a great draft selection that includes a number of hard to find brews, a chill atmosphere and a large selection of bar games.

Last year, the Green Dragon was purchased by Rogue Ales, but that hasn't changed its commitment to offering a unique range of beers. Assistant Manager Samantha Sugar (who calls herself the "Beer Gazelle") tells us the Dragon still aims for that "neighborhood bar appeal" with an always rotating selection of beers.