When Google invited America to get inspired by gigabit fiber technology, Portland’s innovative geek and brewer communities responded by creating a fresh and edgy organic beer to answer Google’s call. Portland Gigabit IPA offers a massive NW hop aroma, rich citrus and pine accents aggressively balanced with clear malt caramel flavor, and a deep, clean, satisfying finish.
We believe in the opportunity offered by gigabit fiber networks for Portland and for communities everywhere. We’re “opening the source code” so you can home brew a Gigabit IPA all your own. (It’s fiber-to-the-home, right?) Sam Adams • Mayor, City of Portland, Oregon
This morning, Mayor Sam Adams, Cable and Franchise Management Director David Olson, Hopworks brewer Christian Ettinger and members of the beer, and tech communities met at the Portland International Airport to send a very special package to Lafayette, LA.
Teresa Boze and Kerry Finsand model the Gigabit IPA poster.
Lafayette, which built the first municipal Fiber to the Home network in the US, is hosting FiberFête, a conference celebrating and discussing high-bandwidth, municipal networks. Portland will have an extra special presence at FiberFête, because along with representatives from the City of Portland, there will be about 15 gallons of Hopworks Brewing’s Gigabit IPA. The beer, a gift from Portland to Lafayette, is slated to be tapped on Tuesday evening and shared with FiberFête attendees, including members of Google’s Fiber for Communities team.
Sending the beer to Lafayette was no small feat. Given the tight timeframe, the kegs needed to be escorted on a commercial flight as checked luggage. Volunteers were able to organize and fund a seat on United Airlines, and David Olson signed up to fly with the beer.
David Olson, Mayor Adams and Christian Ettinger Checking Kegs
The arrival of two kegs at the ticket counter aroused some curiosity, even among normally unflappable baggage handlers.
This baggage handler was intrigued and offered to take a few off our hands.
Like any luggage, the kegs had proper baggage tags placed on them. Once they were weighed and checked in, they had to go through the X-Ray machines, at which point a small problem arose.
Without going into too much detail, it turns out that the TSA can’t allow kegs to fly as checked baggage. Their X-Ray equipment cannot determine that fresh, tasty beer is the only thing inside the keg, and if they can’t confirm that, they won’t let them on the plane. Fortunately, Christian from Hopworks had some smaller, plastic kegs that could clear TSA screening. The two metal kegs were rushed back to the brewery for transfer and made it back just in time for the flight.
Much like Portland’s bid for fiber, the keg shipping was a serious team effort. From City staff, the brewers and members of the tech community, to helpful United Airlines, Made in Oregon and Powell’s Books employees, many hands made light work, and Gigabit IPA was finally airborne to Louisiana.
You may have you wait til May for the 1 Gigabit Fat Pipe, but Gigabit IPA is bottled and ready to enjoy. Here’s your proof: Christian Ettinger of Hopworks Urban Brewery Pouring Gigabit IPA
Hot on the heels of Hopworks’ Gigabit IPA, a few enthusiastic Portland glassblowers have announced the Google 1 Gbit Fat Pipe:
In honor of Portland’s bid for Google’s historic 1 Gbit Fiber project, local glassblowers Andrew Clifton and Anthony Kaufman have created the Google 1 Gbit Fat Pipe. The 1 Gbit Fat Pipe promises an unparalleled and future-ready smoking experience, beyond anything previously offered in the United States. Though it is designed for tobacco use, the open design of the 1 Gbit Fat Pipe is compatible with local laws both current, and those that may be changed through pending referendums.
According to Clifton, “Portland is clearly the best city for Google’s 1 Gbit Fiber, and we believe the city and community response speak to that. We’re just trying to do our part to generate some buzz.”
The 1 Gbit Fat Pipe will be available for purchase through your local glass art dealer in early May.
Please read on for complete details on the release of Hopworks’ Gigabit IPA.
Portland Brews Up “Gigabit IPA” To Attract Google’s Fast Gigabit Fiber Network To Portland
Google-inspired IPA will be introduced to the public from 4pm to 6pm, Friday, April 2, 2010, at Portland’s Green Dragon, where the city’s geeks and creatives meet for “Beer and Blog’’ every week Portland’s geek, creative and beer communities have joined forces to brew up Gigabit IPA, special microbrew to help the City of Portland convince Internet giant Google to build an innovative gigabit fiber network here. Friday afternoon from 4 to 6pm, the new “broadband beer” will be introduced to beer enthusiasts at “Beer and Blog” at the Green Dragon brewpub (928 SE 9th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 503-517-0660) where techies and creatives gather to blog every week.
Justin Kistner, host of Friday’s event, says, “You don’t have to be a blogger to come. Everyone’s welcome to come and ‘embrace the bandwidth’ with a growler of Portland’s newest microbrew.” A senior executive at Webtrends, Kistner founded Beer and Blog in Portland two years ago. Today Beer and Blog chapters meet every Friday afternoon in 18 cities as far away as Tokyo, and Kistner is inviting all of them to join in serving Portland’s Gigabit IPA.
The idea of brewing a special beer in honor of Google’s superfast broadband began at a potluck with local geeks and creatives meeting with the City of Portland team to come up with a strategy to get Google’s attention. Over 1,100 U.S. cities have applied to be testbeds for Google’s innovative network, but Portland offers something extra that geeks at Google are reputed to love: awesome craftbeers.
Portland beer maven Kerry Finsand (whose title at start-up Taplister.com is “Chief Beer Officer”) was enlisted to find a local brewmaster who could produce a world class beer for the Google initiative and do it at Internet speed. He suggested Christian Ettinger of Hopworks, whose organic IPA won gold at the World Beer Cup. Ettinger spent years designing and building the world’s first carbon-neutral brewery in Portland, a city where green and sustainable living is the goal. (Google is also known for its many green initiatives. Google’s innovative gigabit network will utilize fiber-to-the-home to save many millions of dollars in energy costs.)
The new Google-inspired beer is, of course, organic. The best description of Hopworks Organic Gigabit IPA is the words on every bottle:
“This fresh & edgy IPA honors Portland’s new gigabit network project to pioneer a connected future with Google fiber-to-the-home. Embrace the bandwidth with a massive NW hop aroma, with rich citrus and pine accents aggressively balanced with clear malt caramel flavor, and a deep, clean, satisfying finish. From Hopworks, the world’s first carbon-neutral artisanal brewery.”
The cheerful logo for Gigabit IPA, with colors that evoke the Google brand, was designed by Bram Pitoyo, a typographer popular with the PDX geek community. The Gigabit IPA story and logo are featured on www.portlandheartsgoogle.com, the City of Portland’s new website, where visitors will find links to many communities and organizations supporting the new network initiative.
Portland has worked for 15 years to bring fast broadband and rich connectivity to this international hub for open source technology. And by coincidence, 15 years is exactly how long Christian Ettinger has been brewing innovative craftbrews. Plans are to make Gigabit IPA, his newest, available on tap, in kegs and in 22 ounce bottles in Portland.
The logo was created by Portland’s own Bram Pitoyo, and we certainly hope that the folks in Mountain View will see it as an homage and invitation to come enjoy a pint or two of one of Portland’s finest productions.
