Ruse Brewing 6th Anniversary celebration for a brewery older than it seems
Ruse Brewing celebrates their 6th anniversary on Saturday, July 13th at their southeast Portland taproom and brewery. This year there will be 4 different anniversary beers, a special pizza from Ruse Crust Collective, live music, plus a DJ, a vinyl record marketplace, and even a sushi pop-up.
This Saturday may be the 6th anniversary, but Ruse actually got started 2 years before that. Before finding their homebase in the Iron Fireman Collective building in SE Portland, the Ruse beers were made out of an alternating proprietorship arrangement at Culmination Brewing. Back then prior to 2018 the Ruse beers were primarily mixed culture barrel aged/fruited beers as well as heavy dry-hop driven hazys and West Coasts. “At that point we were making about 10% of what we currently produce,” says Ruse co-founder Devin Benware. “All of this beer was sold around Portland and a few other accounts outside the metro. Building those relationships around Oregon in the first couple years was instrumental to our success when we opened our spot in 2018. We are super proud to still supply fresh beer to those original accounts because without them, we wouldn’t be where we are now. “
Today Ruse Brewing is expecting to produce between 1,800 to 2,000 barrels of beer per year, which is just about maxed out for the fairly small brewery and is a happy and safe spot for founders Shaun Kalis and Benware. Their full shift into both modern American IPA, Hazy IPA, and West Coast IPA has done wonders for the business, most of their fans today don’t even know of their past as more of a contemporary farmhouse brewery. In the past year they’ve doubled down on their use of hop products to try intensify their hoppy beers, especially WCIPAS, even further. They have also doubled their lager production and are consistently tweaking them to make them stylistically appropriate.
Kalis and Benware were both professional brewers coming from restaurant brewpubs before becoming first time business owners opening Ruse Brewing. These days their focus is pulled in numerous directions running the business and two locations. In _____ Ruse opened the ‘Crust Collective’ on the Vancouver Waterfront, specializing in Detroit-style pizza. The concept has now made its way to the SE Portland location where the pies are available on weekends only. The aspect of running a kitchen has definitely changed their perspective on the business and what kind of beers they make. “Before we opened Crust we didn’t realized how fun it would be to get creative on something other than beer. Chef Dino and his team have been doing an amazing job nailing the classic Detroit style pies as well as avant-garde creations with thoughtful, seasonal ingredients. It’s a similar approach that we apply to our brews,” says Benware.
Much of the current Ruse Brewing beer output is credited to brewers Luc and Cody, who Benware says are continuing to advance the brewing by honing in on the classics and pushing the boundaries on the hoppy stuff. “Recipe creation percolates through the 4 of us but these guys keep the beer flowing and the tanks filled, we help out where we can but they are the glue of the brewery,” he says.
RUSE BREWING 6TH ANNIVERSARY PARTY
Ruse Crust Collective Special Pizza: "Maized and Confused"
This is the Summertime pie we have been have been waiting for. Corn, straight off the cob, rainbow chard, mozzarella, brick cheddar, fire roasted red pepper sauce, tomatillo infused avocado salsa, cotija cheese, cilantro and lime.
Sooshi Closet-Sushi Pop-Up
Chef Devin Jacobson has an aim to demystify sushi, making it accessible to all. Sushi Closet is both a pop-up series as well as a home chef and educational series offering classes on sushi making. At the Ruse Brewing anniversary she will be managing a pop-up restaurant with exquisite rolls an sharing the joy of sushi-making.
The Record Pub pop-up
Sellwood shop The Record Pub will be selling vinyl records in the Ruse Brewing lobby all day.
Live Music:
2-4pm Always A Hoot (Americana)
All day - DJ Pablo Ricard spinning vinyl fat jams
Collaboration Beers:
Primordial Arcana:
DDH Hazy India Pale Ale
7.5% ABV
Luscious, Sticky, Intrinsic
This DDH IPA is bound by sticky adjuncts and enough hops to silence the deepest howl. Step inside our minds as we explore the intricacies of Mosaic Cryo, Simcoe Dynaboost, Citra, Simcoe, Nelson, Nectaron and Kohia Nelson Hop Kief. Concocted in collaboration with the conical conjurers at Brujos Brewing.
Other Travelers
American Pale Ale
5.5% ABV
Harmonious, Fragrant, Lucid
We are going to need a bigger boat for this summertime hopbuster. Open your jaws and sip on waves of a splendid citrusy combo of Chinook, Amarillo and New Zealand Cascade. Brewed in collaboration with the dynamic duo at Nebuleus Beer.
Take A Little Trip
Mexican Inspired Lager with Sea Salt and Lime
4.9% ABV
Zippy, Bright, Vibrant
Get out of your Häus and step into the sun to celebrate this buoyant beverage. A gentle blend of corn, Vienna malt and extra pale Pilsner lay the perfect base for a hefty splash of zesty lime and a subtle pinch of sea salt. Dreamt up with our dear friends at Living Häus Beer Co.
Corner Slice:
Gin Barrel-Aged Blend of Ruse Dead Magic Wit And nebuleus Saison. Refermented on necatrines, dry-hopped with Citra and Mosaic. Gold Medal Winner at the 2024 Oregon Beer Awards. *POURING A SPECIAL 9L BOTTLE AT 2PM*
RUSE BREWING 6th Anniversary
Saturday, July 13th 12 - 8pm
4784 SE 17th Ave, Portland, OR 97202