Posted March 3, 2020
When craft beer emerged in the late 80s, Ram locations got their hands on it and were soon surprised by how popular it was. Our President Jeff Iverson recounts a day in the late 90s when we first thought to throw our hat in the ring and brew our own beer. “Beer, since day one, had always been one of the backbones of The Ram. That’s why we thought that brewing our own beer could elevate and grow our brand.”
Getting in craft beer brewing early, of course, had plenty of upside, but it also presented a number of challenges to overcome. First and foremost, we found ourselves having to familiarize people with craft beer. “In the early days, regulars used to ask us ‘what is that stuff?’ says Colorado Regional Leader, Kevin Sheesley. “The Porter, being so dark in color, definitely took some convincing that it was actually a beer when we first started selling it. It sounds crazy today, but there was a time when craft beer was virtually unknown. “
We have 11 brewing sites, ranging from 7 BBL to 15 BBL in size. From these 11 brewing sites came 15,000 barrels of beer in 2019. In most cases, your beer is brewed in the same building in which you’re enjoying that delicious cheeseburger. Our founders, Jeff Iverson Sr. and Cal Chandler, thought that building the breweries in the restaurants would create a lasting impression on our guests. When you visit us for a meal or drinks, you can see where your beer is brewed, watch the process unfold, and even meet the brewer responsible for that beer you’re enjoying. Anyone and everyone can be a part of our beer family.
Posted March 2, 2020
St. Patrick’s Day is here and we’re celebrating all weekend! Join us 3/13-3/17 to enjoy our Special St. Patrick’s Day menu at The RAM. Bite into St. Patty’s specials like the Erin Go Bragh Burger featuring sliced corned beef, bacon’d red onion sauerkraut, thousand island, dressing, stone-ground mustard and horseradish cream. Irish Shepherd’s Pie featuring Rabbit Punch Irish Red demi-glace, topped with gratin mashed potatoes, finished in the oven, and the Grand Reuben sandwich. Looking for something to sip on? Check out our St. Patty’s drink features. Headlining our drink features for this weekend, the Rabbit Punch Hoppy Red Ale has made its return to our taps. This brew is equal parts easy-drinking and flavorful, with fruity hop notes and a malt profile that provides flavors of toasted bread, graham crackers, toffee, and raisins, this beer is sure to satisfy your taste buds sip after sip! In the mood for a cocktail? You’ll love the Lucky Leprechaun, Shamrock Sparkle, and many other St. Patty’s cocktail offerings!
Posted February 27, 2020
Rabbit Punch Irish Lager is back at The RAM Restaurant & Brewery. This easy drinking and flavorful seasonal release delivers a truly satisfying combination of flavors. Join us 2/27a as we $4 pints to celebrate its return! Hop into spring with this Irish-style lager that delivers a one-two combo of clean, bready malt notes and a snappy punch of noble hops. ABV: 5.3%, IBUs: 18.
“Our Rabbit Punch is a guest favorite that has evolved from a traditional Irish Red at its inception to a hoppy Red ale,” said Dave Leonard, Director of Brewery Operations. “Our brewers combine toasted and flaked barley with a bit of crystal and chocolate malts to create a layer malt profile with flavors of toasted bread, graham crackers, toffee, and raisins. Citra and Centennial hops combine to add contrasting hop notes of tangerine, pomelo, strawberries, and lime.” Leonard continued, “Rabbit Punch is all about combinations of flavors.”
Posted February 20, 2020
We’re celebrating the tapping of our 2,000th beer! Join us 3/9 from 4-6 PM for our tapping party and meet the brewer, Chris Wells. He’ll be challenging guests to pool and cornhole, and winners get prizes! We’ll be pouring free samples of beer No. 2,000, “2K Haze IPA” at Salem and $1 per pint sold at all Oregon RAM locations will benefit the SW Washington and Oregon Alzheimer’s Association Chapter.
Hazy IPA fans are sure to love this special brew. As we celebrate 25 years of brewing here at The RAM, we’re thrilled to tap this historic beer at our Salem location, the home of our very first brewery and the one that kicked off the concept of attaching a brewery to one of our restaurants! The one that started it all has reached a truly remarkable milestone.
2K Haze is a big, smooth, hazy IPA with layers of tropical fruit, citrus, and pine ( 7% ABV & 50 IBUs).
Posted February 17, 2020
2019 was another successful year for The RAM Restaurants & Breweries’ involvement in Ales for ALS, a charity started by Yakima, WA hop farmers Cheryl Hanses and Mike Smith. Ales for ALS was originally inspired by the ALS diagnosis of Cheryl’s older brother six years ago. Cheryl and Mike began by wanting to team up with their friends in the brewing business to raise money for ALS research and treatment efforts. Cheryl and her daughter came up with the phrase ‘Ales for ALS,’ got it trademarked, and what started as a small pilot project has now blossomed into a worldwide effort. With $1 per pint sold supporting Ales For ALS, The RAM raised over $23,000!
In addition to The RAM, the charity sees support from hundreds of US breweries, and even three international breweries in Japan, Germany, and the UK. Each year, Cheryl and Mike donate experimental hops to the breweries involved, and in return, a portion of the beer sales are donated to the Ales for ALS charity.
This year, RAM brewers teamed up to create a hop blend yielding the IPA dubbed ‘IPA 4 ALS,’ a hazy, golden-hued IPA that bursts with tropical hop flavors of mango, peach, and citrus. This year’s blend features Eukuanot, Loral, and Simcoe along with a quartet of experimental hops. For 2018, brewers increased production of the special beer in hopes of further benefiting the cause and raising awareness.
IPA 4 ALS will be back on tap summer 2020!