***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***
GIGANTIC BREWING & WEIRD PORTLAND UNITED TO RELEASE BLONDE IPA BREWED IN COLLABORATION WITH DARCELLE XV, PORTLAND’S AWARD WINNING, WORLD RECORD HOLDING DRAG QUEEN
‘‘The Bold, Blonde, & Beautiful IPA’ will be officially unveiled by Darcelle at a ticketed launch party on March 15, 2023 at The Darcelle XV Showplace
Portland, Ore, Feb 28th, 2023 — Gigantic Brewing Company’s ongoing collaboration with 501(c)(3) nonprofit Weird Portland United (WPU) returns with a Blonde IPA celebrating the work and influence of Darcelle XV, Portland’s original drag queen. Darcelle has been entertaining audiences and supporting the drag and LGBTQ+ community for over 55 years, and holds the Guinness record for being ‘The World’s Oldest Performing Drag Queen’.
“Darcelle is frequently introduced on stage as ‘The Bold, The Blonde, and The Beautiful,’ so when it came to developing the flavor profile for our collaboration beer, we knew exactly where to go,” says Gigantic co-owner Ben Love. “We used locally grown Cashmere and Luminosa hops to be apropos as well as to create a bright and tropical IPA with mango, candied orange peel, and peach notes.”
For the label design, it was Darcelle’s suggestion to bring on board local artist and broadcaster Helen Raptis, whose work perfectly captures Darcelle’s signature energetic and joyful expression, perfectly matching the style and tone of the beer.
Darcelle Blonde IPA Release
Darcelle’s Blonde IPA will be officially unveiled by Darcelle at a launch event and drag performance on March 15 at Darcelle XV Showplace at 6pm. Tickets are $20 at www.weirdportlandunited.org. Darcelle will be on hand to sign bottles and take photos. Due to the venue’s capacity, it is strongly recommended to buy tickets early. For those who can’t make it to Darcelle’s Showplace, there will also be a preview of the beer exclusively at all 3 Gigantic Brewing locations (SE 26th, NE Glisan, and the newest SE Hawthorne pub) starting Sunday March 12. Following release, ‘Darcelle’s Blonde IPA’’ will be available on draft and on store shelves everywhere Gigantic is sold. Home delivery is also available within 18 miles of Portland through the Gigantic website.
Darcelle Blone IPA Release Party
March 15th, 6-9pm | Darcelle XV Showplace, 208 NW 3rd Ave | Portland | Tickets by eventbrite | Join the Facebook Event
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About Gigantic Brewing Company
Gigantic Brewing Company is an independent, artisanal brewery located in the Southeast quadrant of Portland. We hold ourselves to a simple principle – Never Give an Inch. We vow to start small and (stubbornly) stay small, focusing our efforts on making exceptional beer, rather than a lot of beer. When you drink Gigantic, know that we didn’t just put our names on the label – our effort, imagination, and dry wit are in every bottle. Enjoy Gigantic at the Gigantic Brewery (5224 SE 26th Ave), Gigantic Robot Room (6935 NE Glisan), on tap or in bottle at your favorite grocer, bottle shop, bar or restaurant in Oregon. As always, Gigantic beer is packaged in BottleDrop Refillable bottles. BottleDrop Refillables are sorted, washed, inspected, and delivered back to Oregon’s craft beverage producers to be refilled. By choosing beverages in refillable bottles, you help keep our air clean, our beaches, parks and roadsides litter-free, promote a circular economy, and set a model for future generations.
About Darcelle XV
Darcelle XV: An absolute legend of Portland’s entertainment landscape, Walter Cole is an author, playwright, actor, costume designer, owner and headliner of the Darcelle XV Showplace; the oldest continuously running cabaret in the United States, celebrating its 54th year. In 2018, Darcelle was named the Guinness World Record’s “Oldest working drag queen”. His autobiography “Just Call Me Darcelle” is available on Amazon.com. In November 2020, Darcelle celebrated his 90th birthday and still performs six shows a week at the club that bears his name and is in high demand for public appearances on television, parades, fundraisers, and special engagements.
About Weird Portland United
Founded in 2019 by Portland’s Unipiper in an effort to curb the growing homogenization and sanitization of the city’s image, Weird Portland United exists to discover, promote, and nurture the dreamers, creators, and risk-takers that keep Portland weird. Current and past initiatives include the establishment of the Weird Portland Hall of Fame, organization of Portland Weird Week, and hosting of many events such as Weird Portland Creatives, the Weird Portland Gala, and the Portlandia Mermaid Parade. In 2020, WPU awarded over $5000 in grants to Portland creatives through the #KeepWeirdAlive campaign.
Press Contact:
Brian Kidd / 804.943.1569 / unipiper@gmail.com
Ben Love / 503.805.3487 / ben@giganticbrewing.com
