Pipeline had a chance to talk to Portland Fruit Beer Festival organizer Ezra Johnson-Greenough about his upcoming event, improving fruit beer’s reputation and why you should have some bacon and whiskey flavored ice cream (as if you needed a reason).
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By Nathalie Weinstein
PDX Pipeline: It seems like fruit beers have gotten a bad reputation over the years. Why do you think that is and how are you trying to change that with the festival?
Ezra Johnson-Greenough: Fruit beers have gotten a bad rep because commercial breweries have used fruit flavoring and extracts instead of real fruit. That’s done to save costs; brewing with fruit is expensive. You need fresh ingredients and its time consuming. But in countries like Belgium, they have gone a long way using real fruit in their beers.
It’s a requirement of our festival that you can use no flavors or extracts. You can use whole fruit, purees… some people are using peels from oranges and tangelos. There will be people at the festival who love the extract beers, like (McMenamins) Ruby. This is the perfect time for people who do like that to discover something better. And if you hate the fruit extract beers, you are going to have your mind blown. Every fruit beer isn’t a light wheat ale. There will be stouts, brown ales and even fruit IPAs. It’s an astounding variety and everyone can find something they will love.
Pipeline: I saw you guys just added 15 new fruit beers to the festival lineup. Is there one in particular you are really excited about?
Ezra: I can’t say there is just one because there are a ton I am excited and geeking out about. I work for Upright Brewing so I have sampled their Gin Barrel-Aged Strawberry Four and it is very awesome tasting. The one beer I have had which is the rarest at the festival is the New Belgium Peach Love. It’s never been released, only tapped at private events. It’s sour and incredibly peachy. I can’t wait to try the Block 15 Brewing Psidium Guava Beer and the Hopworks Belgian Apple and Chili Infused Stout.
Pipeline: Fifty Licks Ice Cream signed on as a festival sponsor yesterday. Since you live over by their cart at the Belmont Pod, can you recommend some flavors for folks to try at the festival?
Ezra: The Maple Bacon ice cream is awesome; it’s a time proven combo. I am also excited for the caramelized apple which is going to pair really well with the beers. And I haven’t tried the Slabtown Whiskey flavor yet but it sounds great.
Pipeline: Brewvana is going to be offering discounted trips on its brew bus during the festival. How will that work?
Ezra: It’s $30 for a ride and you get a package of one tasting glass and 10 drink tickets. You’ll get both a ride to the festival and back. You contact them to see where they are stopping, but they will be running between Burnside Brewing all the way out to St. Johns. If there is more interest from other areas, it will expand for the event. And you can bring your beer on the bus!
For more festival information, including a full list of beers and info on Live DJs performing during the festival, visit their website.
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Nathalie Weinstein, editor
Nathalie Weinstein is PDX Pipeline’s editor. She previously worked as a reporter at The Daily Journal of Commerce. Her favorite Portland activities include hiking at Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, buying books she doesn’t need at Powell’s and petting stray cats in her Northeast Portland neighborhood. Contact Nathalie at editor@pdxpipeline.com.
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