McMenamins

Our beloved red table wine is celebrating its 16th birthday this Wednesday, May 18 – and we're throwing a company-wide party, to which you're cordially invited!

But first, a little background.

Once a year, in honor of ye auld St. Pat, our distillers handcraft a special whiskey, available exclusively at Edgefield and Old St. Francis School and on just one day a year - that's right, on St. Patrick's Day.

A Little History...

So why "the Devils Bit"? It was named after a mountain in North Tipperary, Ireland. Legend has it that a small gap in the mountain is where the devil took a bite and spit out the rock.  That spit-out piece became the Rock of Cashel, which was the traditional seat of the kings of Munster in Ireland for several hundred years; most of the buildings that remain on the site date from the 1100s and 1200s. According to legend, Cashel is also the site of the conversion of the King of Munster by St. Patrick in the 5th century.

Tucked away in a corner of SW Portland, the Hillsdale Brewery & Public House is the birthplace of a VIP - er, make that a VIB. A Very Important Beer that goes by the name... HAMMERHEAD. Join us on Tuesday, January 25, at the Hillsdale and McMenamins' pubs across the land to celebrate this stalwart ale and the folks who love it. We'll have birthday pricing, food specials, Facebook giveaways and more.

OK...as a professional, I know am supposed to maintain a cool, detached demeanor. I mean, yeah we have fun here at McMenamins Music and all, but still, there's a certain comportment one is supposed to bear while at work. You know, no tank tops at your desk. No throwing flip-flops at the brewers as they pass by. No excited "Woo hoo"'s should be emanating from behind my cubicle wall.

OK, who wants a big ol' beer? Like, big. A show of hands?...

Yep, just as we thought. Big beer = happy people.

It hasn't taken long for one of McMenamins' newest acts to start making a splash in the Northwest blues scene...

It's no big secret that some of our joints are thought to be haunted. The White Eagle Saloon & Rock ‘n' Roll Hotel, for example, has long been included on lists of Portland's most haunted spots, while Edgefield in Troutdale, Ore., even made it onto a national list of "Top Ten Most Haunted Hotels"!

Any Port In A Storm
A Port-Style Wine Tasting at Edgefield
Thursday, November 11, 2010

What does "any port in a storm" mean, exactly?

It was a phrase used by the Portuguese men and women who brought us the fortified style of wine called port. Traditionally, the Portuguese made their living from fishing the tumultuous Atlantic seas. When the weather made it difficult to continue, they would search for the nearest port in which to take refuge, where they would be welcomed with a glass of warming port and a hearty bite to eat.

Those crafty distillers at Edgefield have stirred up something new: White Dog Whiskey, an un-aged version of our famous Hogshead Whiskey !

One of Edgefield's most popular annual events is the Cracked Pots Garden Art Show, and this year's event is coming up soon! Scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, July 20 and 21st, Cracked Pots is free and open to all ages, featuring more than 75 artists selling their wares created from at least 75% reused and recycled materials. Event is 10 a.m. 'til 8 p.m.

Last week, I worked with two other artists in Room 219 at Edgefield. I painted a border in the bathroom of that room, because it had been painted over due to water damage.

Join the Edgefield Gardeners this, Sunday, May 9, for our annual Mother's Day Plant Sale.

Throughout the year, the gardeners prepare for our plant sales -- collecting seeds, dividing perennials, rescuing tree and shrub seedlings from being discarded to the compost pile.

It seems like over the past few years, when spring rolls in, I find myself back out atEdgefield. It is a good time of year to work on odds and ends of art projects to help get the property spruced up for the summer, the busiest time of year.

Room 301 honors Joseph E. Penney, an iconic figure of early-day Portland, whose lifetime of peaks and valleys was the stuff of legend – so much so, Edgefield Distillery named a fine American Dry Gin after him.....

Are you a fan of our Coffee Liqueur, that silky, creamy delicious spirit that is a handcrafted collaboration between McMenamins Coffee Roasters and the Edgefield Distillery? It is wonderful on the rocks or mixed with vodka or added to coffee, to name a few ideas.