Beer Me

Deschutes Brewery Rolling on L.A. Next Month

The craft beer invasion
The craft beer invasion Photo: Ethan Prater via Flickr

Deschutes doesn’t really need a gimmick. We prefer their porter and pale ale to most of the dreck on 7-11’s shelves and that should probably be enough. Still, the expanding Oregon-based brewer is launching a food truck-style marketing campaign on L.A. in early April and even has a few bad boner jokes to go along with it.

Oh well, we’re not really ones to hold it against a brewer for goofing about “pitching tents” and the emergence of its woody, the giant wooden beer barrel on wheels that will bring suds, tunes, and a traveling disco ball to various locations in the city from April 9-14 as part of its Base Camp marketing campaign.

The SoCal stretch kicks off at Far Bar on April 9 at six o’clock, with a Deschutes Scavenger Hunt, followed by a Base Camp debut party at Mohawk Bend. From there, assorted antics include a celebration of home-brewers at Steingarten, a burlesque (sorry, “beer-lesque”) night at Skinny’s Lounge, and a huge close-out party at House of Blues.

Check the full schedule below if you’re looking for some quality craft brew time, away from your couch, for a change.

Schedule of Deschutes Base Camp Events:

Mon, 4/9, 5:30 P.M. Deschutes Brewery Scavenger Hunt (Far Bar)
No one will deny it: scavenger hunts equal good times! Couple a scavenger hunt with some damn tasty beer from Deschutes Brewery and you have pure fabulousness. Join us and start the hunt at Far Bar - we’ll give you a list of several things you need to find and take a photo of with your smart phone. Send the photos to Deschutes Brewery as you take them - they’ll be judged on correct completion of all tasks, best photo and best team name. So gather your friends and take up the gauntlet to win prize packages from Deschutes Brewery for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place. You could even be strutting home with the coveted Golden Growler. See you here!

Mon, 4/9, 8:00-10:00 P.M. Base Camp Kick-Off Party (Mohawk Bend)
Join us as we kick off five whole days of celebratory beer drinking made possible by Deschutes Brewery’s Base Camp. Our featured brewery of the month for April, we’ll be whooping it up with the Deschutes Brewery team this evening as they share with us such brews as Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Black Butte Porter, Chainbreaker White IPA, Hop Henge Experimental IPA and even The Abyss. Pair some of this hand crafted goodness with our specially selected appetizers, and you’ll have a night to remember.

Tues, 4/10, 6:00-9:00 P.M. Hats Off to Homebrewers (Steingarten LA)
Attention homebrewers…come hone your craft with the gang from Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery. The Deschutes crew, including brewer Robin Johnson, are heading to Los Angeles for Base Camp Week and will be giving away clone recipe booklets and bags of whole flower hops to use in your next homebrew. Specialty beer tastings of rarities like Black Butte XXII, The Abyss and The Stoic paired with some tasty appetizers will whet your palate. And that’s not all…five more Deschutes beers will be on tap including Obsidian Stout on Nitro and Chainbreaker White IPA. Robin will also be leading a deconstruction of the never-released Black Butte XXII, providing tastings of some of the specialty ingredients. We’ll even have commemorative glasses to give away while supplies last. Hope to see you here!

Wed, 4/11, 6:00-8:00 P.M. Beauty, Bloggers & Beer Private Media Event (Makeup and GO!)
Los Angeles Magazine’s Best Beer Sommelier Christina Perozzi, aka ‘The Beer Chick,’ will be on hand to discuss Deschutes’ yummy Black Butte Porter, the popular Mirror Pond Pale Ale, the almost-impossible-to-find, never-formally-released Black Butte XXII, plus endless complexities of The Abyss. Of course, there will be a chance to get some beauty pampering like eyelash extension and custom makeup application too. And did we mention the delectable desserts? This is an intimate private media-only event, RSVP is required - please email christina@thebeerchicks.com to reserve your spot.

Thurs, 4/12, 3:00-5:00 P.M. Deschutes Brewery Two-Bit Tastings (Silverlake Liquor)
Clean out under the couch cushions, break open the piggy bank and dig around on those car floorboards - you’ll be surprised at how you can utilize a mere 25 cents tonight at Silverlake Liquor! Let us surprise you while you visit with Deschutes brewer Robin Johnson, and frolic around the brewery’s giant traveling beer barrel, Woody - all while drinking Deschutes Brewery’s damn tasty year-round line-up of beers.

Thurs, 4/12, 6:00-8:00 P.M. Deschutes Brewery Tasting (Whole Foods, Fairfax)
Deschutes Brewery will be visiting the Fairfax Whole Foods Thursday evening to talk with craft beer fans and provide samples of their award winning beers. A brewery representative will also guide you through a cheese pairing with The Stoic, a barrel-aged Belgian-styled ale. There will be special offers on beer in the store, plus you’ll get a free collectible pint glass when you buy a 6-pack to take home.

Thurs, 4/12, 6:00 P.M.-close Beer-lesque: Tastings & Tassels (Skinny’s Lounge) What’s better than an evening full of craft beer from Deschutes Brewery? An evening full of craft beer coupled with intriguing Burlesque dancers and Vaudeville variety acts. Each act will feature a different Deschutes Brewery beer equaling a night of excitement, laughter, and unforgettable fun. The evening is packed with excitement:

Fri, 4/13, 4:00-6:00 P.M. Deschutes Brewery Snacks & Sips (The Village Idiot)
Thank goodness it’s Friday, and it’s time to wind down after a long week with some damn tasty beers and snacks. That’s right, we’re welcoming the gang from Deschutes Brewery as part of their Base Camp for Beer Fanatics. What does that mean for you? You can spend Friday after work chatting about hand-crafted brews with the experts, while sipping on hard-to-find beers like Hop Henge Experimental IPA and Chainbreaker White IPA.

Fri, 4/13, 7:00 P.M.-close Grab Beer by the Horns (The Surly Goat)
Not only will the giant Deschutes Brewery barrel on wheels, Woody, be here, but you should be too! We’ll be pouring a limited amount of some Reserve Series brews like Black Butte XXIII, The Abyss and The Stoic along with the brand-new Chainbreaker White IPA. With live music on our back patio to help you get your groove on, and a Deschutes beer in your hand, you’ll kick off the weekend right and change your mind about the possible pitfalls of Friday the 13th.

Sat, 4/14, 7:00 P.M.-close Base Camp Finale (House of Blues) $15 advance/$20 at door
Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery’s been in LA all week celebrating a fanatical love for craft beer, and the celebration is wrapping up with a grand flair at House of Blues. Guests will have access to the members only Foundation Room, where Nitro Obsidian Stout will be on tap and sampling of all of their year-round beers such as the infamous Black Butte Porter will take place. Paired with the beer will be a special selection of scrumptious appetizers. Downstairs in the music hall Mirror Pond Pale Ale will be on tap, ready to rock it to the reggaeton sounds of Prince Royce. Contact Lisa Aranda at Lisaaranda@livenation.com or 323-848-5146 to buy your tickets in advance.

Deschutes Brewery Rolling on L.A. Next Month