During its nearly 10 years of existence, Tillamook’s de Garde Brewing has always let the beer speak for itself.
The business never threw big festivals or turned to marketing activities to attract drinkers to its corner of the Oregon Coast—a place where wild yeast thrives and gathers character from flowing estuaries and Pacific brine, which then ferments. spontaneously de Garde’s world-class beer.
However, that large party is about to change. Today, brewery founders Trevor and Linsey Rogers announced they will mark 10 years in business this spring with a festival-style celebration.
The event is scheduled to run from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 6 at the Port of Garibaldi Event Space overlooking Tillamook Bay. From a picturesque, outdoor shelter, you’ll be able to sample a wide range of de Garde beers that are cooled and fermented in a cooling vessel – imagine an open-topped vessel like a shallow bathtub if you’ve never seen one before . — then aged not just for months, but usually years, in oak. You can expect a great selection of new releases, a curated collection of beers from the brewery’s extensive archive, as well as bottles.
And if only it asked, “When and where can I get my ticket?” Just wait. There’s more.
De Garde has invited nearly two dozen other factories to pour special versions in celebration. Names include Belgium’s famous Brasserie Cantillon, Seattle’s Holy Mountain, Vermont’s Hill Farmstead, and Oregon’s Block 15, just to name a few. Each brewery is a friend de Garde has made over her 10 years in business.
The event will be a celebration of country as much as beer, as views overlook the bay and food vendors including Sea Baron Fish & Chips, Nestucca Bay Creamery, Jandy Oyster Co. and Garibaldi Portside Bistro, represent the diverse culinary offerings of the area. Live music is also on the schedule.
De Garde may be best known for its fantastic wines, but in recent years, the Rogers have entered the wine business under the de Garde Cellars label. As with beer, their goal is to make wine that speaks to a particular time and place, and they practice low-intervention production, using grapes from premium vineyards in the region and native yeasts.
If you last visited when de Garde was still located in an industrial space next to the massive Tillamook Air Museum, you’re well overdue for a visit. Grab a ticket to the anniversary and then head to the beautiful tasting room, which opened in 2017, in downtown Tillamook.
Admission goes on sale online starting at 9am on February 6.
