The Champagne of Blogs

Perhaps it’s too early to be doing a “year in review” post, but if Fred Meyer can sell tinsel at Halloween, I can post whatever I like, when I like. I was going through photos tonight in hopes of entering Alan McLeod’s beery Christmas photo contest. It’s become an annual tradition at his blog, one that may sound familiar to longtime Champagne of Blogs readers: we won the contest a few years ago with a photo from taken at Thom and my “Metolius Brewing” experience. Here’s what I entered into the contest this year:

Amanda (Thom’s wife) drinking Camo-brand Malt Liquor, New Year’s Eve 2007

Sarah (Dave’s wife) Drinking Duvel on the Train to (where else?) Belgium

A Beer Blogger’s Life
(Taking Notes at a Beer Bar in Belgium)

Cars Waiting in Line for Beer at Westvleteren’s Sint-Sixtus Abbey

Obligatory Foreign-looking/Arty Beer Photos

The Greatest Bar on Earth
(t’Brugs Beertje, Bruges)

Waiting in Line for the Greatest Beer Festival on Earth
(FredFest 2008)

Backyard Hops

It Takes a Village
(Teaching Siobhan and Ben to Brew)

That’s what I sent in. Of course, the year’s not over yet …

I’ll try to keep the nerd talk to a minimum here, but suffice to say that we made some software upgrades to the blog last night, and everything appears to be functioning normally (let us know if you see anything wonky).

In fact, we added some new features to the site thanks to the upgrade, namely a glimpse into our brand spanking new Twitter feed! Check the sidebar out to see our three most recent tweets, or just follow us. You know you want to. You’re … twitter curioius.

Some other beer bloggers/organizations are also tweeting now:

1. Bailey’s Taproom
2. The Green Dragon (I guess that employee stayed for the Rogue era)
3. Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess
4. Brookston Beer Bulletin
5. Siobhan at Imbibe Magazine
6. Oregon Brewer’s Guild

Let us know if you know any other tweeters we should add … did I just say “tweeters?” Ouch.

Earlier this week Rogue printed out a FAQ regarding the purchase of the Green Dragon. This would’ve posted earlier but WordPress conspired against me to lose it all in the ether, so by the time I felt like writing it again, I found John Foyston’s excellent Beer Here blog already posted the same thing, so I’m copying and pasting from there. Thanks John!

Here’s the FAQ found at the bar:

Will there be changes? Yes! Someone defined stupidity as doing the same thing and expecting different results. We will make only those changes required to survive and serve the craft industry.

Can you be more specific? We will not change tap rotation as a theory and Rogue will have only one or two more taps than now. Brewers’ nights will continue under Jim Parker’s guidance; games and shuffleboard will stay for now.

What will you change?
Turn up the lights, turn down the music, as it was when the Dragon started.
Double the number of taps.
Finish the $50,000-$75,000 improvements required by the city.
Add video poker, and Lego tables for the kids.
Ban cell phones, as we have for 18 years.
Staff will wear identifiable gear and name tags to distinguish them from the customers. (My comments, not Foyston’s: Because in the past 15+ years of going to bars, I’ve always wondered if that guy standing behind the bar making drinks worked there. I wonder if there is also a requirement for 30 pieces of flair?)
We will deliver food and beer to your home or office.
Sell to go: bottles, cans, growlers and kegs.

Will beer prices go up? TBA — They need to be high enough for the Dragon to survive.

Will Hopoes and Rogue Nation Cards be honored? Yes.

Will Rogue Farms tours originate at the Dragon? Yes, and so will the OBF bus.

Will you continue live music? Yes, for a while. Not part of original concept. Not if the city requires handrails. Not if we need the space.

Will staff be retained? Yes, if they meet our standards of customer service and conduct.

Will you change the menu? Yes. How is TBA — Hope to add items made with beer and retain and expand use of the smoker.

So, there you have it. According to comments in an earlier post, only 3 of 30 staff elected to remain at the Dragon. The great staff will definitely be missed. Here’s to the future of the Green Dragon and hoping it will grow and be even better. Also, definitely want to extend best wishes to Lolo and look forward to being there when Civil Disobedience opens.

It looks like the Green Dragon sale went through yesterday. Here’s some info from a variety of sources:

Over at Brewpublic, Lolo declared war on the Rogue Nation. Lolo also shared with Angelo his perspective on how the sale went down. While there is a ton of “he said/she said” and rumors out there, it seems evident Ed, the former majority owner, kept Lolo in the dark on this potential sale for far too long. Lolo has every right to be pissed, dude helped build the bar and while he may not be the majority owner, he is still an owner and should’ve been given more time to line up new investors. And, any declaration of war that includes a quote from The Dude is awesome, so sign me up!

Ed reached out to Beervana to tell his side of the story. I understand Ed’s point of view here, he sunk a chunk of change into the Dragon and he’s facing another big expenditure if he wants to take the bar where everyone wants to go, or even remain open in the case of sprinklers. But I guess the question is, where was the due diligence when Ed bought the place? He wasn’t owner very long. I can only assume he looked at the books, researched pending fees and costs and talked to other bar and restaurant owners before laying down a significant amount of money to purchase his ownership stake. It seems like perhaps he jumped in without fully looking and is reaching for a lifeline.

Our Facebook group petitioning Rogue not to F up the Green Dragon is up to 117 members. Not bad for a little word of mouth and networking.

So the questions remain and perhaps it’s time for people in charge address some of them and end all the rumor and speculation:

1) What is the status of the staff at the Green Dragon? They’ve already had to re-interview for their jobs, will they be there or will there be new staff from the Rogue Pearl and other locations?

2) How does the sale affect the future of Integrity Spirits at that location? Integrity appears to be a significant competitor in craft distillation, so does Rogue now control the entire building and bounce Integrity out?

3) What is the future of brewing at the Green Dragon? And if brewing does start, is it just going to be the same ol’ Rogue beers or will the brewers have some independence to create their own ales?

4) What is the future of the rotating taps and what percentage of taps will now be Rogue beers? I’m assuming mug club is DOA.

And now an editorial comment: The people, beer geeks and general bar goers alike, are disappointed. Rogue is taking a lot of heat, but I believe it could’ve been any major brewer making the sale and people would feel the same way. This is Portland, we value and cherish our independent, locally-owned establishments and the Green Dragon has a loyal and passionate following. Great establishments have taken nosedives under new management (I’m looking at you Oaks Bottom), so when there is a change in ownership at a place people love, there’s going to be apprehension. I think what we’re waiting for is for some comment from Rogue telling us what they plan to do and help put the rumors to bed. Like any business, if this turns out to be a success or a failure, the people and their money will decide the outcome. We are lucky to live in a town with so many great taps at places such as Bailey’s, Concordia and Horse Brass. So if Rogue wants to make their investment pay off, I hope they listen to our voices and maintain the spirit of what makes the Green Dragon incredibly well liked.

The Green Dragon is Dead! Long Live the Green Dragon!