A Few Notes from Gary Fish

As I continue to work on my (probably doomed) book proposal, I'm starting to speak with some interesting people. Today I interviewed Deschutes' Gary Fish for about 45 minutes. I will see about transcribing it for a few nice excerpts, but a few tantalizing details about future releases.

The brewery plans to continue to do more special releases, but they may have to rotate their many special beers. On the other hand, some may get more regular distribution. So:

• Red Chair IPA will be released in sixers as a seasonal in 2010 (early, I think).
• Mirror Mirror may not be back next year. (Which means you should lay a few extra bottles away in the meantime.)
• A beer called Jubel 2010 is on the agenda--a nod back to Jubel 2000, for those who remember it.

Also, before I cause a panic, my sense is that Mirror Mirror is not being discontinued (and may even be produced), just that Deschutes now has so many specialty beers that they can't all be brewed every year.

Also, strange fact: after entering the Dallas and Arizona markets, Black Butte Porter is outselling Mirror Pond. Riddle me why that might be (which is more or less what Gary said, happy but mystified).