Pelican Pub & Brewery releases Silverspot IPA
This beer may have wings
By Niki Price • Oregon Coast TODAY
There are a number of variables that are key to the survival of the endangered Oregon silverspot butterfly.
First, there must be undisturbed habitat, with the right kind of plants in the right concentrations, to support the species from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly. Second, according to a passionate group of silverspot fans in Pacific City, is the right blend of Sterling, Fuggle and Meridian hops.
The caterpillars won’t be eating the hops, but the Pelican Pub & Brewery hopes you’ll be drinking them. Those hops varieties are what Brew Master Darron Welch has used in his latest creation, Silverspot IPA. This English style IPA (India Pale Ale) will debut at the oceanfront pub on Aug. 21, and in stores on Sept. 6, with a portion of every sale donated to local conservation efforts.
A century ago, the Oregon silverspot butterfly was abundant, feeding on wild violets and drinking the nectar of flowering plants, in coastal grasslands from Washington to California. As those habitats disappeared, so did the silverspot. Today, this winged creature can be found only in a handful of protected areas. One of them, Cascade Head, can be seen from the patio of the Pelican Pub & Brewery.
That same patio was the birthplace of Silverspot IPA, said Ken Henson, the Pelican’s general manager. Entomologist Erin Sullivan, who works in the butterfly recovery program at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, dined there several summers ago. Sullivan’s server, Henson said, struck up a conversation.
“It was a beautiful August afternoon, and the server asked Erin what brought her here. She told her about the Oregon silverspot, and the zoo’s efforts to collect larvae, raise the butterflies, and release them to repopulate the areas around the coast,” Henson said. “The server said, ‘Why do these butterflies matter?’ Her response was, ‘Well, why do you matter?’”
“It got her thinking that more people need to be aware of what (the zoo) was doing, and why. She sent me an email, and that’s how the project got started.”
Sullivan works in a cooperative conservation program, along with colleagues at the Oregon Zoo, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy. Together, they work to implement the Revised Recovery Plan for the Oregon silverspot butterfly, which was finalized in 2001. These agencies and non-profits work to protect and enhance the remaining pockets of silverspot habitat, in cooperation with private landowners. The zoos assist these efforts with captive breeding programs, in which larvae are collected and reared, then reintroduced to the wild.
“To us, this seemed like a natural partnership,” Henson said. “We have been waiting for an opportunity to produce an English style IPA, which will be a little more accessible to the average beer drinker. We’re excited about the cross-promotional opportunity, and for the public awareness of the Oregon silverspot.”
There are a number of variables that are key to the survival of the endangered Oregon silverspot butterfly.
First, there must be undisturbed habitat, with the right kind of plants in the right concentrations, to support the species from caterpillar to cocoon to butterfly. Second, according to a passionate group of silverspot fans in Pacific City, is the right blend of Sterling, Fuggle and Meridian hops.
The caterpillars won’t be eating the hops, but the Pelican Pub & Brewery hopes you’ll be drinking them. Those hops varieties are what Brew Master Darron Welch has used in his latest creation, Silverspot IPA. This English style IPA (India Pale Ale) will debut at the oceanfront pub on Aug. 21, and in stores on Sept. 6, with a portion of every sale donated to local conservation efforts.
A century ago, the Oregon silverspot butterfly was abundant, feeding on wild violets and drinking the nectar of flowering plants, in coastal grasslands from Washington to California. As those habitats disappeared, so did the silverspot. Today, this winged creature can be found only in a handful of protected areas. One of them, Cascade Head, can be seen from the patio of the Pelican Pub & Brewery.
That same patio was the birthplace of Silverspot IPA, said Ken Henson, the Pelican’s general manager. Entomologist Erin Sullivan, who works in the butterfly recovery program at Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, dined there several summers ago. Sullivan’s server, Henson said, struck up a conversation.
“It was a beautiful August afternoon, and the server asked Erin what brought her here. She told her about the Oregon silverspot, and the zoo’s efforts to collect larvae, raise the butterflies, and release them to repopulate the areas around the coast,” Henson said. “The server said, ‘Why do these butterflies matter?’ Her response was, ‘Well, why do you matter?’”
“It got her thinking that more people need to be aware of what (the zoo) was doing, and why. She sent me an email, and that’s how the project got started.”
Sullivan works in a cooperative conservation program, along with colleagues at the Oregon Zoo, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and The Nature Conservancy. Together, they work to implement the Revised Recovery Plan for the Oregon silverspot butterfly, which was finalized in 2001. These agencies and non-profits work to protect and enhance the remaining pockets of silverspot habitat, in cooperation with private landowners. The zoos assist these efforts with captive breeding programs, in which larvae are collected and reared, then reintroduced to the wild.
“To us, this seemed like a natural partnership,” Henson said. “We have been waiting for an opportunity to produce an English style IPA, which will be a little more accessible to the average beer drinker. We’re excited about the cross-promotional opportunity, and for the public awareness of the Oregon silverspot.”
This new beer should not be confused with the brewery’s popular India Pelican Ale, which is hoppy and bitter in the Northwest style. Silverspot IPA will be lighter and smoother, with a lower alcohol content (around 6 percent), and “herbal, floral, spicy and tangerine-like characteristics,” according to Welch’s tasting notes. Silverspot scores a 60 on the International Bitterness Units Scale (or IBUS), while the India Pelican Ale is an assertive 85.
“The English style IPA is the most commonly consumed beer in the world, although you might not know it here in the Northwest, or in California, or in beer geek towns across the country,” Henson said. “We’re branching out into the marketplace, and we’re more widely distributed than we’ve ever been before, and we think this beer will have a broad appeal.”
Nor should the Silverspot IPA be confused with a seasonal ale, which Welch and his crew produce for limited times, and in smaller quantities. If all goes as planned, Silverspot IPA will be the sixth addition to the “flagship” lineup: India Pelican Ale, Kiwanda Cream Ale, MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale, Doryman’s Dark Ale and Tsunami Stout. These are the signature beers that are available year-round, and distributed by the bottle throughout the Northwest.
“We’re adding the beer to our core lineup, and that’s a big deal to us. It’s a big commitment for the brewing team and the whole operation,” Henson said. “But we’ve built a great relationship with the Woodland Park Zoo, and now everyone is working diligently on producing Silverspot IPA.”
The Pelican Pub & Brewery has committed to a monetary donation for every barrel of Silverspot IPA produced. The exact amount, Henson said, will be determined after production gets under way, and the costs level out. The company hopes to make around 800 barrels in 2013. Henson, and the rest of the crew at the Pelican Pub & Brewery are excited by the prospects.
“Everything we do in marketing this beer, we’re doing in cooperation with the Woodland Park Zoo and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Label approval, marketing language, everything,” Henson said. “We’ve been asked to participate in the Brews at the Zoo in Seattle on Oct. 4. We’ll be up there, pouring Silverspot IPA and talking about Pacific City.”
The debut party for the Silverspot IPA is set for Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Pelican Pub & Brewery, 33180 Cape Kiwanda Drive, on the beach in Pacific City. It’s open to Pelican staff, members of the press, scientists from the butterfly recovery program and members of the Mug Club. To become a member, head to www.yourlittlebeachtown.com/pelican and click on the “Beer” tab. For more details, call the pub at 503-965-7007, or become a friend on Facebook.
“The English style IPA is the most commonly consumed beer in the world, although you might not know it here in the Northwest, or in California, or in beer geek towns across the country,” Henson said. “We’re branching out into the marketplace, and we’re more widely distributed than we’ve ever been before, and we think this beer will have a broad appeal.”
Nor should the Silverspot IPA be confused with a seasonal ale, which Welch and his crew produce for limited times, and in smaller quantities. If all goes as planned, Silverspot IPA will be the sixth addition to the “flagship” lineup: India Pelican Ale, Kiwanda Cream Ale, MacPelican’s Scottish Style Ale, Doryman’s Dark Ale and Tsunami Stout. These are the signature beers that are available year-round, and distributed by the bottle throughout the Northwest.
“We’re adding the beer to our core lineup, and that’s a big deal to us. It’s a big commitment for the brewing team and the whole operation,” Henson said. “But we’ve built a great relationship with the Woodland Park Zoo, and now everyone is working diligently on producing Silverspot IPA.”
The Pelican Pub & Brewery has committed to a monetary donation for every barrel of Silverspot IPA produced. The exact amount, Henson said, will be determined after production gets under way, and the costs level out. The company hopes to make around 800 barrels in 2013. Henson, and the rest of the crew at the Pelican Pub & Brewery are excited by the prospects.
“Everything we do in marketing this beer, we’re doing in cooperation with the Woodland Park Zoo and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Label approval, marketing language, everything,” Henson said. “We’ve been asked to participate in the Brews at the Zoo in Seattle on Oct. 4. We’ll be up there, pouring Silverspot IPA and talking about Pacific City.”
The debut party for the Silverspot IPA is set for Tuesday, Aug. 21, at the Pelican Pub & Brewery, 33180 Cape Kiwanda Drive, on the beach in Pacific City. It’s open to Pelican staff, members of the press, scientists from the butterfly recovery program and members of the Mug Club. To become a member, head to www.yourlittlebeachtown.com/pelican and click on the “Beer” tab. For more details, call the pub at 503-965-7007, or become a friend on Facebook.
