PORTLAND, Oregon— StormBreaker Brewing, the award-winning Portland, OR brewpub, will celebrate Zwickelmania, the annual celebration of Oregon craft beer organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild, on Saturday, February 17, with a brand new beer and the return of an award winning favorite.
Zwickelmania was started in 2008 with the premise of bringing customers behind the scenes to offer a sneak peek at the elements of brewing that typically aren’t accessible to the general public.
StormBreaker is leaning into the traditional spirit of Zwickelmania with its celebration this year, offering visitors the opportunity to experience a tour of its production space, complete with a detailed discussion of the processes, equipment, and ingredients it uses to produce its beers. During the tour, visitors will also get to meet members of StormBreaker’s brewing and production team, who will be available to answer questions and provide further insights into the company’s brewing operations.
“Zwickelmania is a fun day for us because we’re able to give visitors access to our production space and team that we unfortunately aren’t able to do on a regular basis,” explained Rob Lutz, StormBreaker Brewing’s brewmaster and co-owner. “Our staff really enjoys the day and the opportunity it provides to interact more closely with the community. We regularly hear the feedback that when we do give tours, visitors thoroughly enjoy themselves and get a lot out of the experience.”
Visitors who participate in a tour with StormBreaker as part of Zwickelmania will receive a complimentary tasting flight at its conclusion, an opportunity to taste the output from the process, equipment, and ingredients they just learned more about.
As part of its Zwickelmania celebration, StormBreaker will also release two special beers:
Oregon IPA is a 6.4% ABV American IPA containing Citra, Mosaic, and Simcoe hops that provide tropical aromas and flavors, with notes of pine.
“StormBreaker is proud to call Oregon home, so we made this beer to celebrate this lovely state and its many trails, rambling rivers, and unique adventures,” added Lutz. “We feel like it’s the perfect companion to the outdoor activities we have available to us throughout the state.”
Oregon IPA will be available on draft and in cans for to-go purchases on Saturday at both StormBreaker locations, Mississippi Ave. and St. John’s. Following Zwickelmania, It will be also available throughout Oregon and Washington.
Buffalo Smile is an 8% ABV Imperial IPA that is overflowing with a blend of hops that includes Cascade, Columbus, Ella, and Strata. It was double-dry hopped at the end of the brew cycle with four pounds per barrel of Mosaic and Amarillo. Buffalo Smile brings all the hop flavors for the hopheads, yet is smooth enough for fans of any beer style to enjoy.
Buffalo Smile medaled in the 2021 Oregon Beer Awards, earning bronze in the Imperial IPA category. This is one of the few occasions that the brewery has since released the beer, providing consumers with a rare chance to taste the award-winning recipe.
Buffalo Smile will be available on draft and in cans to-go in Oregon and Washington, as well as at all StormBreaker locations: Mississippi Ave. and St. John’s.
About StormBreaker Brewing
StormBreaker Brewing is an award-winning craft brewpub co-founded in Portland, Oregon by Dan Malech and Rob Lutz in 2014. The brewery focuses on a wide range of craft beer and specialty craft cocktails and mocktails in two distinct locations, StormBreaker Mississippi Ave. and StormBreaker St. John’s, and strives to constantly produce innovative and high quality offerings. And don’t forget about the StormerBreaker Beer Cart located inside The Yard at Montavilla at NE 82nd and Davis, serving up beer, wine, cider and cocktails available onsite or to go.
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