Skip to main content

Breakside heralds in a barrel-aged collection with generous pours

Between barrel-aged tastings, a sprawling waterfront festival, and brewery takeovers, it was a busy weekend for beer drinkers in Portland, Oregon. But just a short light-rail ride south of downtown into the Milwaukie neighborhood, something special was afoot at Breakside Brewery. Over two years of work had finally paid off with the B-Sides series, eight delicious and wildly varied brews, and it was time to share them with the world.

Related: Festival Beer: Old Town Brewing’s Kentucky Refresh-Mint

Recommended Videos

Unlike your standard IPA or porter, which is just a single beer, fermented, carbonated, and bottled, this project was a bit different. “All of these are “blended” beers,” noted Brewmaster Ben Edmunds. “That is, we approached this series in the winemaking tradition of creating certain cuvees. Pairing and blending barrels that worked together to create harmonious and balanced different beers.”

That led to some wildly complex drinks, all eight of which appeared on tap in the crowded brewery, many of them poured by Edmunds himself.

I must admit, the pace and strength of the beers made it difficult to take detailed notes. Still, there were a few standouts from the night that didn’t go unnoticed in such good company. The Man Who Made Dessert, a blend of two biere de garde vintages, balanced a bold and lightly tart brettanomyces character with Turkish apricots. Portmanteau took tart to new places with a number of wood-aged sour ales, and an adjunct list that includes lychees, juniper, ginger, and Gewurztraminer grapes – complex and memorable.

If those eight weren’t enough to sate your thirst, Breakside reached into the library for classics like the 2014 Braggadocio, a bourbon barrel-aged London Porter brewed with Stone, or 2015’s Bon Vivant, a dry-hopped Belgian ale that spent time in Pinot Noir barrels.

While the release event was the only chance to try all eight on tap, the B-Sides collection is on its way to bottle shops in the form of 750Ml bottles for $15 each. We’ve included the full list of beers below, in case you weren’t thirsty yet.

BreaksideBSidesList
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Brad Bourque
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad Bourque is a beer and sneaker writer, retired fantasy football commissioner, and devout Portland Timbers. On the…
The new brew routine: Why gut health is the future of coffee
Is your coffee good for your gut?
coffee bean

According to a recent survey by Danone America, 84% of Americans have become more interested in "functional" foods and products that support gut health. These changing wellness trends are affecting nearly every type of food and beverage product, and they've now made their way into your morning coffee mug as well. Popular coffee brand Bulletproof Coffee believes gut health is the future of coffee, adapting its product line to include science-based ingredients that transform a delicious cup of coffee into a gut-supporting beverage. I chatted with Stephanie Hoffman, Director of R&D and Quality at Bulletproof Coffee, to learn more about gut health and coffee.
Gut health in the wellness world

According to Hoffman, "Gut health has become a major focus not just in the wellness world, but in general, as people are recognizing its deep connection to energy, immunity, mood, and mental clarity." With this in mind, Bulletproof has adopted a mindset that your morning coffee should do more than wake you up.

Read more
Surprising ways to use ground coffee beyond your morning brew
Everything you can use ground coffee for, beyond your morning cup of joe
Coffee grounds in a plant

Perfectly described by Chris Smith, co-owner and founder of Ground Ops Roastery + Bakehouse, "The day doesn't truly begin until that first sip of coffee." Yet, according to Smith, the story of coffee extends far beyond its role as just a drink. Coffee has so many uses both inside and outside of the kitchen -- that most of us coffee drinkers fail even to acknowledge. From cooking with coffee grounds, such as in tenderizing meat, to using them as fertilizer for plants, consider these surprising uses for ground coffee.

Ground coffee uses in cooking and baking

Read more
The new Ninja Creami Swirl is a game-changer for high-protein summer treats
CreamiFit is a game-changer for high-protein, low-sugar snacks
Ninja creami swirl

Counting and tracking your macros is hard; and that's one thing every fitness and health junkie can agree on. During the summer, sticking to your nutrition plan can be even more challenging. After all, stopping for ice cream is a summertime event that evokes a bit of nostalgia for all of us.

Luckily, Ninja has dropped its newest version of the Ninja Creami, just in time for the summer: The Ninja Creami Swirl. The Ninja Creami Swirl is a total game-changer for health-conscious foodies, featuring special settings designed to create healthier-style ice cream and frozen treats. The Ninja Creami Swirl's specific CreamiFit setting is the perfect tool to whip up your high-protein, low-calorie snack or protein treat. Here's how it's changing the game this summer.
Trying the Ninja Creami Swirl

Read more