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Drink Local

Walkabout Succeeds By Staying Put: An Interview With Cameron Litton
Walkabout Brewing Company is a legacy. A second-generation brewery (which, let’s recognize, is rare), Cameron Litton adopted the space and place from his father, an Australian transplant (and, hence, the name, walkabout). Like many sons taking over their father’s business, the younger Litton has preserved some of the traditions, but

Working For the Weekend: During quarantine, Weekend Beer Company Has Grown!
Less than two years ago, two married couples in Grants Pass teamed up to start Weekend Beer Company. It was a modest proposition, but grew quickly—and after only four months of operation and pouring beers, Weekend Beer Co. already had picked up enough fans and community support to grab several

Q&A: Carla David, Wild Wines
Not all wine comes from grapes. Let that sink in: Wine can be made from flowers and berries—and an outstanding example of that diversity comes from southern Oregon’s own Wild Wines, a decade-plus old established winery near Jacksonville. Dreamt up by Carla David, the winery has grown steadily, picking up

Weekend Beer Company Flows Again in Grants Pass
Our continuing series profiling local breweries, and how they are managing COVID-19 shutdowns. In this year’s Besties, the Messenger’s readers’ choices for their favorites, Weekend Beer Company in Grants Pass traded wins with Medford-based Walkabout Brewing Company. Less than two years old, but already an institution in Grants Pass, they

Let The Barrels Rolls! Caldera Re-Opening
On Thursday, June 4 at 4 pm, Caldera Brewing Company, southern Oregon’s largest brewery, reopens to the public. Over the next few days, Jim Mills is leading a number of meetings to talk with serving staff, kitchen staff and brewers about the new protocols. It will be a different world

Sipping from an optimistic cup: Q&A with DANCIN Vineyard’s Dan Marca
Indeed, the tourism industry in southern Oregon has soured. Britt Fest and OSF both have shut down for the summer, and restaurants are closed indefinitely. But social distancing does not mean you cannot still drink local wines! And DANCIN Vineyard co-owner Dan Marca remains optimistic and upbeat. The Messenger caught up

Setting Back with a Beer and a Book – Southern Oregon Beer: A Pioneering History by Phil Busse
I spent a lot of time engrossing myself in history books. I went to school at OSU for history, meaning I spent most of my time reading dusty old tomes written about dead white guys, talking about government and liberties and pursuit of property and stuff. I’ll be honest, most

Mixed Up: The Ashland Culinary Festival Mixology Competition
Life didn’t really turn out how I thought it would. Namely when asked what I wanted I wanted to be when I grew up, bartending wasn’t really given as an option. I imagine it’s generally frowned upon for a seven-year-old to say, “I want to be around as much

DRINK LOCAL: But First, Coffee – Forage in Medford
I’m not really a connoisseur of many things. In my obituary, the best thing they could probably come up with would be “his favorite ice cream flavor was Americone Dream and he enjoyed the little things in life like dressing his cat up for Christmas cards.” I’m not exactly what

DRINK LOCAL: The Beer I Know – Southern Oregon BrewFest Expands Horizons
I’ve never been very good at food pairings. I think this has less to do with an unrefined pallet (even though that is also the case) and more because I hate change. I’m someone that could be perfectly content drinking the same dark beer twelve months a year, with my