Wolves & People

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by JordanBrewer, Oct 23, 2014.

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  1. JordanBrewer

    JordanBrewer Initiate (0) Mar 4, 2014 Oregon

    So this just happened: https://crowdbrewed.com/rewards/wolves


    Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery
    • [​IMG]What is Wolves & People?
      Wolves & People is a new farmhouse brewery under construction in the heart of Oregon’s wine country, just 21 miles outside of Portland. Dubbed by beer industry watchdogs as “the most anticipated brewery opening of 2015”, it’s an exciting project for beer lovers in Oregon and beyond. First things first. What’s with the name? It comes from of a nighttime game of tag my brothers and cousins played at night as kids growing up here on Springbrook Farm. (Start with a lone “wolf”. The “people” have to get across the yard and back without getting tagged by the wolf. Last person to get tagged is the winner. But it’s really fun to be a wolf, too.) OK, we get nerdier! Ancient Romans called hops the “little wolf among weeds” (because they’re so fast-growing). We’re going to focus on saisons, wild ales, and other experimental styles using indigenous yeasts already harvested here on the farm that make for tart, complex, delicious beers. I also love the fact that Oregon’s earliest pioneers gathered for the “wolf meetings” just a couple of miles from this farm and soon founded the state. It wasn’t long after that when a Bavarian named Sebastian Brutscher settled on this land and grew wheat, oats, and hops. Hmm, what’s in that kettle Sebastian?

      Brewing & Operations
      [​IMG]Wolves & People was founded by me, Portland, Oregon native Christian DeBenedetti. As a professional beer and travel writer since 1998, my background includes years of homebrewing, a year of brewing research in Europe on a postgraduate grant, stints working in production in breweries, wineries, and a cooperage, over 200 national magazine articles and two books (The Great American Ale Trail, and a new cookbook to be released in 2015), a 55,000-person strong email list (WeeklyPint.com), and a role in successful product design (as co-founder of The Bräuler – Zythos Project). I live, love, and breathe craft beer! Especially sour beer.

      Consulting Head Brewer
      I’m pumped to report that brewer Jordan Keeper, formerly of Jester King outside of Austin, Texas has joined the effort, and has just moved to Oregon. We’ve spent the last two weeks wresting with wastewater pumps, cutting the concrete slab apart for our new floor drains, and daydreaming about all the beer to come. I am thrilled to be working with Jordan, whose talents are renowned. We can’t wait to get started working and already have some 20 recipes in development. Your generosity ensures we can get him rolling as soon as possible realizing all our wild ideas.[​IMG]

      Distribution
      [​IMG]

      Shelton Bros., of Belchertown, Massachusetts, will be helping distribute our out-of-state beers. So if you don’t live in Oregon, but you do live close to a good beer bar or bottle shop, you’ll have a chance to drink our beer. Led by my old friend Dan Shelton, who I met at Belgium’s Cantillon brewery back in 1997, Shelton Bros. is known for being the home of the best small and artisanal breweries around the world. We will become one of fewer than 10 American breweries in their ranks, joining Upright, Jolly Pumpkin, Anchorage Brewing Co., and Prairie Artisan Ales, among others. While most Wolves & People beers will be sold from our tasting room for the local Oregon market, being invited into Shelton Bros. distribution family means our beer will be available around the world.

      Design
      [​IMG]I bought a used commercial sink from a contractor who said to me “hmm, Wolves & People… interesting name for a brewery—most of us will fit right in!” We think there’s a lot of potential for all the brewery’s artwork to be fun, and original, and to evolve over time as we collaborate with artists and creative minds. I’m working with way-hipper-than-me designers in PDX to create the brand’s identity. One standout talent already on board is Jason Sturgill, who designed our logo (above) using an old Belgian typeface. He’s also worked with the likes of Widmer Bros. and rock bands like Modest Mouse and Portugal The Man (see his awesome T-shirt work below).

      Collaborations
      [​IMG]
      Collab with The Commons

      The award-winning Commons Brewery in Portland, Oregon has been a huge supporter, including working with us on collaboration beers using their beer and our farm fruit from plums to apples (we also grow figs, pears, and too many other things to list). We recently tasted three such brews that have been aging for a year in oak (sour green apples and plums from our farm; pinot noir from our friends at J.K. Carriere winery). The results: funky miracle! Expect to taste a blend of that beer at our Portland launch party, date TBD in November. Many friends have expressed their excitement to come brew on the farm, including brewers from Boulevard, Evil Twin, Social Kitchen, Roadhouse, The Bruery, and others. We truly envision Wolves & People as a meeting place for beer brains like us, and plan to help nurture the local beer and home brewing scenes however we can. We especially look forward to welcoming visitors during the Craft Brewers Conference in Portland, OR in April 2015.

      Beers in Planning
      Our Wolves & People beers will focus on an ever-evolving, seasonally-driven cast of farmhouse styles for one main reason: they are quite literally brewed on a farm! We don’t know exactly what we will brew first! Or when the blackberries will peak! But some of our beers in planning include:

      Coup de Foudre: Meaning “lightning bolt,” or “love at first sight”, a wild golden ale fermented in foudres in the barn and seductively dry-hopped.

      Sebastian: Dry-hopped saison made with estate yeast “Sebastian”, harvested from our oldest plum tree and aged in pinot barrels for at least 4 months. Later versions will transform with farm fruit additions.

      Lupercal: Meaning “she-wolf”, this is a refreshing, complex, spruce-tip infused wild ale with fresh lemon peel, subject to a mixed fermentation with Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, and our house wild yeast, Sebastian.

      Brutaal: Brutaal, meaning “bold” or “audacious” in Dutch is our homage to De Ranke’s XX Bitter, which is itself a tribute to the original character of Orval, the Belgian pale ale that first captured our founder’s imagination and inspired his love for Brettanomycesbeers.

      Corylus: Imperial hazelnut stout with Magnum, Columbus, and Mosaic hops aged on estate hazelnuts in a mix of bourbon, port, and sherry barrels; approx 11-12%abv.

      Landbouw: Meaning “farming” or “agriculture”, this is a dry-hopped, harvest beer based on grisette with a sociably low ABV of around 2.8% ABV.

      [​IMG]

     
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  2. Phobicsquirrel

    Phobicsquirrel Initiate (0) Oct 1, 2013 Oregon

  3. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    Withholding excitement - still trying to figure out how I feel. Will report said feelings back later.
     
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  4. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,282) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    My emotions:

    Brewery opening and making interesting beers:slight_smile:

    Brewery being distributed by Sheltons:slight_frown:
     
  5. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    I had a similar feeling, but I am trying to decipher why being distributed by Sheltons turns me off (maybe it makes me thing they aren't committed to the local market... i don't know, thats a a stupid thought). I am coming to the conclusion my feelings toward that aspect are unfounded and I need to just be happy that this brewery exists in Oregon.

    So good for them. I wish I could afford the $350 price tag of a 12 bottle (6 variant) membership. But I have no doubt that there are easily 75 people that are going to happily pay that and feel like they received a ton of value for it. So thats more on my wallet than on the brewery.

    Cheers to new beer.
     
  6. Kurmaraja

    Kurmaraja Initiate (0) May 21, 2013 California
    Trader

    I'm mostly wildly enthusiastic ... as much as you can be for a place that hasn't brewed a beer I can taste yet.

    But I have to agree that bottle prices seem high. Collaborating with Commons and their Trillium sour was $15? Let's say the glasses are $10 each we're looking at $27.50 a bottle ... with some of those bottles being a grisette? Granted, some of that is "getting in on the ground floor" since it looks like the membership price drops next year to $315. We're in Ale Apothecary territory on price ... I guess if we're there on quality too, I'll keep my mouth shut.

    I do find it interesting that there's an imperial stout listed. Wondering if that will be "wild" / mixed fermentation as well?
     
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  7. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,282) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    "why being distributed by Sheltons turns me off"

    Because they don't give a crap about Washington? They'll send their scraps out, if they can find the time, but I think they get the rights to a lot of brands, just to keep another distributor from grabbing them, and then not sending any out.
     
  8. Strangestbrewer

    Strangestbrewer Crusader (453) Oct 17, 2014 Oregon

    Is it just me or does 60k seem a little steep, even for a hyped brewery?

    Also Sheltons: Why... Well I know why but still... why?

    Edit: Though I guess they got five grand in one day, so what do I know.
     
    #8 Strangestbrewer, Oct 23, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2014
  9. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Upright is distributed by Shelton? Huh. They must self-distribute here in WA cause we actually get their stuff consistently...
     
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  10. anteater

    anteater Pooh-Bah (1,852) Sep 10, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    So the membership is about $27.50 a bottle... I find it interesting then that the $75 pledge includes "one 750ml bottle under $20 to go". I wish there was a little more transparency about bottle price/availability, i.e. will those beers just end up being available to go anyway at a later date and at what price? Or will it be more along the lines of a de Garde keeper's membership where signing up is the only way you can get those beers?
     
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  11. kscaldef

    kscaldef Initiate (0) Jun 11, 2010 Oregon

    Stop asking questions and give them your money. The are “the most anticipated brewery opening of 2015”. The next Hill Farmstead. Walez bro!
     
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  12. distantmantra

    distantmantra Pooh-Bah (2,954) May 23, 2011 Washington
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Some of their PR/website came as off as really pretentious, but I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt.

    If I'm at the brewery.

    Or if their stuff actually makes it to Washington. Seems like Shelton is cutting us off again. Haven't seen anything from Prairie, 3F or Cantillon in ages.
     
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  13. Kurmaraja

    Kurmaraja Initiate (0) May 21, 2013 California
    Trader

    Agree on transparency. Given the folks involved I made the decision to be generous and hope that decisions will be made that guarantee those that lend support early feel there's value in it. If it turns out that I'm paying retail price for standard release beers available to the public and all I'm getting on top of that is a 15% discount and a couple glasses, I'd be disappointed. Not angry; but disappointed. Now, if the beers are amazing I'll drown that disappointment in funky farmhouse beer.

    Perhaps there will be events with exclusive beers, perhaps the beers will be exclusive to club members, perhaps you'll get first crack at buying more, etc. There are a lot of ways to make supporters feel appreciated and part of a community.

    And as for the comment that the press comes off as pretentious, I can see that. But I'm frequently accused of pretension and it's really just my passion, enthusiasm, and unrepentent geekery coming through. I think you can also just read it as folks that are incredibly excited about their project and want to share a lot of info. Personally, the more info they share, the better I feel about giving them my money.
     
  14. grrrah

    grrrah Initiate (0) Sep 21, 2009 California

    Take my money!

    Yeah the initial marketing seemed pretentious, but did nail all the cliche'd things we snobs often look for. The crowd brewed page seems earnest that they are trying to raise money for some stuff a business would typically get a business loan for, but nice way to stay away from that approach. If it were $250 we'd probably say it's a good deal. So I look at it as kicking $100 toward helping them start.

    Only thing that bothers me is the Shelton Bros. Being down in CA, I'll probably benefit from this, but I tend to like the DeGarde/SARA mode of serving locals first if they can keep up with the supply. Them potentially shipping (though I plan to make 1-2 road trips) is what pushed me over the top.

    From the pricing and descriptions, it seems like they are going a common route with $30 special/member bottles, and will also have some <$20 base beer bottles (hopefully the Shelton bottles).
     
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  15. Kurmaraja

    Kurmaraja Initiate (0) May 21, 2013 California
    Trader

    And did anyone notice that they said they got their brewhouse from Heater Allen. Wonder what this means for Heater Allen ... expansion?
     
  16. dirtylou

    dirtylou Grand Pooh-Bah (3,266) May 12, 2005 Oklahoma
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Shelton is a definite turnoff, but the project sounds interesting enough. Any company that can raise capital like this with such minimal cost might as well. I'm sure they'll be fully funded rather quickly given the way this scene operates these days.
     
  17. kscaldef

    kscaldef Initiate (0) Jun 11, 2010 Oregon

    To be honest, I view this as something of a red flag. A bank or a true investor in the business expects to do a certain amount of due diligence before handing over their money. They expect to see a full business plan. They will require collateral and may specify recourse clauses or a liquidation preference. If the business does not deliver on its promises, they have legal rights in the matter. But, in the crowdfunding approach, if something goes pear-shaped, the supporters are SOL.
     
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  18. Gobigvt7

    Gobigvt7 Initiate (0) Mar 15, 2008 Oregon

    HA already expanded, this was their previous brewhouse.

    Yeah, the perceived Shelton negatives depend on the level of the Bros' involvement. Upright has no issues being found in the region, yet you can also find it in Boston, NYC, and DC, thanks to Shelton Bros. Being part of a portfolio like that can absolutely grow your brand, "put you on the map", which in turn leads to more beer tourism and money back to the brewery, not to mention the obvious of selling all of your beer in a timely manner.

    Crowdfunding site is specifically mentioning foudres of varying sizes, which means their goals for production amounts are already at or above where de garde is currently trying to go (and way, way, way more than Ale Apoth), which means there is going to be a lot of beer to have to move, via the taproom, members, and distribution. With the number of memberships open and the amount of time it'll take to get any measure of a real barrel/foudre program going, i'm guessing there will be very little beer for at least the first year and Shelton Bros won't even come into play until later, aside from providing an "in" for collaborating with a lot of breweries under their umbrella, which I count as a win for all of us.
     
  19. grrrah

    grrrah Initiate (0) Sep 21, 2009 California

    I don't disagree. I wouldn't call it a red flag though, but instead an individual risk that could cost us $350 each. It's definately an alternative to the typical business loan. Having reputable people and decent marketing material helps their cause. Look at the other breweries on the crowdbrewed page and none of them are close to raising the same amount of funds.

    Don't get me wrong, I usually roll my eyes at most crowd funding ideas, but this one seems worth the risk. But if it's a red flag to you, no problem and I bet you aren't the only one.
     
  20. vurt

    vurt Grand Pooh-Bah (3,578) Apr 11, 2004 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I am looking forward to trying their beers. I will not be kicking in $350 for an "Inaugural Cellar Society Membership" because that, to me, is too damn much money to throw blindly at a brewery whose beers I've never tried. Also, phrases designed to induce FOMO (like "Due to the extreme scarcity of our beers...") tend to turn me off.
     
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