More taster trays - Last (real) project in the old shop

[Ryan Mooney]

Last week my friend at Solera Brewery messaged me to say that while the taster trays I made for them 13 years ago!!! were still working great (more a testament to how robust waterlox is than anything on my part..) they desperately needed more of them going into summer. I told him that I could squeeze it in but he was lucky he wasn't a week later cause it'd have been 2+ months before it would have been able to happen in that case.

While they're just simple boards with holes in them (how hard can THAT be.. hah), in keeping with the hyper local and chainsaw chic vibe of the area these were all hand (well.. bandsaw..) slabbed by yours truly from wood that was all harvested within about a 5 mile radius of my house. The Spalty bits are from a piece of ornamental cherry that came from the local country club, the maple in the middle was from a neighbors tree I salvaged some bits from (he got a few bowls back in return as well, and i made a piggy bank for a friends kid from some of the rest), and the walnut was from a tree taken down at another local homebrewers home. So between finding pieces "good" enough (size/etc..) bandsawing it, planing it, drilling holes, sanding, finishing... (more waterlox original.. the VOC - at least it's warm enough to do it outside!) it took the better part of a day (spread across a couple days but about a day total).

 

[Vaughn McMillan]

Those look great, Ryan.

 

[Mike Stafford]

This is a most interesting project. I have to admit I don't know exactly what they are for. I can guess that a small cup or bowl or mug goes in each recess and is filled with a different beer for the connoisseur to taste.

I haven't been in a brewery where tastings were occurring. I don't drink. I have been in dozens of small breweries and wineries to inspect them but never to taste.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

I can guess that a small cup or bowl or mug goes in each recess and is filled with a different beer for the connoisseur to taste.

Exactly right, they serve eight 2oz glasses (some places do six, rarely you might see more out liters less than that). The holes are sized to just barely over the size of the glass so they fit relatively securely but still lift out easily.

I put the taper of the live edge (or on a few of them a manufactured live edge made with a shinto rasp) down so the server can sneak their hand under it a bit.

I actually still had the two glasses I got from them over a decade ago in my sampler glass collection and they were even properly labeled for wonder of wonders so I was able to cross check the size and spacing again.

I’ll try to get an in use beauty shot when I deliver them.

 

[Darren Wright]

Looks as good as the one I got to use from the last batch.

 

[Brent Dowell]

Looks great! It would be nice to give them a spin, so to speak

 

[Ryan Mooney]

Looks as good as the one I got to use from the last batch

Those were pretty long in the tooth by the time you got there as well. I think I might give them a couple sheets of sandpaper and a small can of waterlox to refresh the old ones

Also in fairness.. almost any taster tray would look pretty good sitting in their beer garden...

 

[bill kaminski]

DAMN...Ryan, that is a place to have a cold one.
what peak?

 

[Ryan Mooney]

what peak?

North slope of Mt Hood, in Parkdale OR (which is all of about 6 buildings long).

 

[Darren Wright]

I will attest to the location and view, though was a bit windy the day we visited it. The few brews I sampled were quite good there too.

 

[Ryan Mooney]

proof of function upon delivery