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The Beer Here
Oregon is a utopia for beer, contributing more than $2.3 billion to the economy and employing more than 4700 employees. 74 brewing companies (32 in Portland alone), operate 102 brewing facilities in 45 cities in Oregon (source: Oregon Brewers Guild).
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In Oregon, It's a Brew Pub World


By JESSICA MERRILL
From: The New York Times, 1/13/2006

THERE'S a saying here that you can't drink all day - unless you start drinking in the early morning," said Jim Parker, a bartender at a venerable neighborhood pub in Portland, Ore., as he served up two beers. It was actually early afternoon, though well ahead of a respectable happy hour. But the chill rain splashing the sidewalks outside felt like a handwritten permission slip from Mother Nature herself to enjoy Portland from the comfort of a bar stool. Call it hoppy hour instead.

For people partial to fine craft brews and plenty of local color, Portland's rainy winter season is a great time to visit the city that is king of beers. Indeed, Portland has more breweries - 28 - than any other city in the nation if not the world, and it has arguably become one of the best destinations anywhere for beer-tasting.

On a visit to Portland in November, raindrops collected in puddles on the city streets, umbrellas were unfurled under gray skies and the light of day began dimming by mid afternoon. A big disappointment for viewing the city's famous rose garden or day-tripping to the Columbia River Gorge - but perfect for visiting one of Portland's many brew pubs, cozy places with low lights or crackling fires, good food, good beer and good cheer.

"What we have here is this fun culture," said Fred Eckhardt, a local beer writer who happens to have a Portland beer named after him (Hair of the Dog's Fred). "Nowhere else in the world are you going to find such a variety of pubs that offer such a wide variety of beer than in Portland, Oregon. We are making just about every world style of beer."

Portland's reputation for producing quality craft beers developed in the 1980's, when Oregon repealed Prohibition-era laws banning brew pubs (restaurants with on-site breweries), helping to pave the way for the opening of several microbreweries. Today, Portland's brewers range from large operations with nationally distributed brands like Widmer to very small producers.

The Oregon Brewers Guild offers a map of local breweries for visitors, but a good place to kick off a tasting tour of Portland beers is at one of the city's oldest and largest breweries, Widmer Brothers Brewing Company, located in an industrial center on the east bank of the Willamette River.

Two Portland natives, Kurt and Rob Widmer, started home brewing as a hobby before starting Widmer Brothers in 1984 and producing 400 barrels of beer in 1985. They produce roughly 200,000 a year, most of which is their German-style Hefeweizen, an unfiltered wheat beer that accounts for 85 percent of the brewery's sales.

You can practically sniff out Widmer by its smell alone; the sweet aroma of brewing barley hits before you arrive. Widmer conducts free tours and tastings on weekends, providing insight into how beer is made, a process in which malted barley is crushed, blended with water and heated to release its sugars. The resulting liquid, called the wort, is strained off, heated and boiled with hops, which lend aromatic properties and bitterness to the blend. Then it is mixed with yeast and fermented until it is converted into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

Widmer also runs the Gasthaus, a bright, airy pub across the street from the brewery, where you can sample one of the dozen or so beers on tap along with German specialties like sauerbraten or house-baked pretzels for dipping in cheese fondue. It is tempting to order a Hefeweizen here in the place where it is brewed, but the Gasthaus is also the spot to try Widmer beers that may be harder to find outside Oregon - Cherry Bomb, Widberry or Snowplow Stout.

Across the river in the Pearl, as Portland's trendy warehouse district is known, is BridgePort Brewing Company, which bills itself as Oregon's oldest craft brewery. Started in 1984 and housed in a former rope factory, BridgePort is perhaps best known for its India pale ale, made with five different hop varieties. The brewery's onsite pub makes a good stop to refuel after shopping the Pearl's swank boutiques, featuring a bakery, a two-level bar and a full restaurant.

Mike and Brian McMenamin are two other brew-pub pioneers in Portland. They are brothers who have created a regional empire that would make Willy Wonka proud if he brewed beer. Walking around the city without coming across one of their 15 properties is about as hard as finding a Portland bar without Oregon beer on tap.

Their range of quirky properties include everything from the Blue Moon Tavern, a cozy pub smelling of wood smoke, to the Mission Theater, which shows recent movies and Monday night football games, to the Kennedy School, a restored 1915 elementary school that has been converted into a hotel, a brew pub, a theater and a concert space.

"Traveling in Europe, I saw pubs were more community-based," Mike McMenamin said. "Thirty years ago that wasn't happening here, and certainly not in Portland."

The brothers have recreated that community spirit in their McMenamins pubs and properties. Take the Kennedy School on a rainy night. The spacious halls were teeming with children and parents as well as hip 20-somethings, and a band was playing under a basketball hoop in the gymnasium.

It could have been a high school dance, except that the local bluegrass band actually played well, and the punch bowl was a keg instead. People were walking through the hallways sipping pints of Hammerhead ale and Terminator stout, or sitting at tables chatting with friends, teenagers and adults alike. Children rushed to the front, dancing in time to the music. Here, the beer blended into the background, and the music, the people and the fun took center stage.

It happened again two days later at an event based entirely on beer, Hair of the Dog Brewing Company's dock sale. Grateful Dead songs blared from a radio inside the warehouse, and the line of people dressed in beer gear ("Brew Free or Die" T-shirts, for example) waiting to buy cases and magnums at 10:30 a.m. extended back behind the beer tanks, nearly a 30-minute wait.

DESPITE the long line, the chill air and the morning hour, the party vibe was in full swing. Neighbors talked, swigging samples of the founder Alan Sprints's inventive beers, like Fred, named after Mr. Eckhardt, a hearty brew made with 10 hop varieties resulting in a whopping 65 I.B.U.'s (the international standard for measuring bitterness); Rose Cassis, a deep-pink-hued beer made with locally grown black currants; or Greg, inspired by the local chef Greg Higgins, an organic beer made with squash.

The crowd had certainly come to take advantage of the sale prices on cases of Mr. Sprints's premium bottles, but in the end, it seemed to be as much about having a good time as having a good beer.

It's easy, too, to sample beers from breweries like Hair of the Dog that don't have their own bars. Those beers can be found at local houses, places like the Horse Brass Pub, a British-style neighborhood spot in Southeast Portland that is a local favorite for its more than 50 beers on tap and its 29 years in business.

The Horse Brass is a cozy find on a rainy afternoon. Stepping inside is warming even before a pint is poured, with its deep golden walls, dim lights and a wooden bar lined with vintage beer coasters. The bartender, Mr. Parker, a brewer himself, was quick to recommend Oregon beers.

"We've always supported local products," Mr. Parker said of Oregon's beer culture. "People are used to the idea if you are going to drink a beer, drink what is brewed in your own backyard."

About 11 percent of the beer consumed in Oregon comes from local craft brewers, representing the highest percentage of local craft beer consumption in the country, according to the Oregon Brewers Guild. The national average is only 3.4 percent.

A snug little place called Tugboat, tucked away on a downtown side street, is also worth a stop. Lamplight casts long shadows across the pub, its walls lined with books and haphazard oil paintings. On a Friday evening, Terry Nelson and Megan McEnroe-Nelson, the couple who own the pub, worked the bar as their dog, Tucker, dashed about.

With every seat taken, Ms. McEnroe-Nelson greeted two guests who walked through the door. "Care for a picnic?" she said, waving a hand toward the floor. Tugboat is a place where groups of friends sit at tables catching up or playing Scrabble, then stretch their legs mingling at the bar. Here, beer takes a back seat to conversation, and decidedly so.

"It's beer; it's not a Michelangelo," Mr. Nelson quipped about his brews.

And perhaps that sums up Portland's beer culture at the moment. Good beer has become so commonplace that it has blended comfortably into the fabric of social life. Instead of fancy distractions, a big scene or a big screen, there is simply craft beer and a craft of another sort - the art of talking.


Portland's Breweries

WIDMER BROTHERS BREWING COMPANY 929 North Russell Street, 503-281-2437; www.widmer.com .

The scene: A bright brewery and Gasthaus pub in an industrial neighborhood. The brewery offers free tours and tastings on Friday and Saturday afternoons. The Gasthaus has a wide-ranging menu that features German specialties.

The beer: Widmer is best known for its unfiltered wheat beer, Hefeweizen, but it has roughly a dozen beers on tap, including Drop Top Amber, Widberry and seasonal and limited-edition selections.

BRIDGEPORT BREWING COMPANY 1313 Northwest Marshall Street, 503-241-7179; www.bridgeportbrew.com .

The scene: Housed in a converted rope factory in Portland's trendy Pearl district, BridgePort's brew pub is undergoing a complete renovation and is scheduled to reopen in February with an artisanal bakery, a restaurant and two-level bar.

The beer: BridgePort beers often draw on the hop fields of Oregon's Willamette Valley. India Pale Ale is BridgePort's flagship beer, but the brewery also produces beers like Blue Heron Pale Ale, Ropewalk Amber Ale and the seasonal Ebenezer Ale.

CONCORDIA BREWERY 5736 Northeast 33rd Avenue, 503-249-3983; www.kennedyschool.com.

The scene: One of the McMenamins breweries, it is in the Kennedy School, a restored elementary school. Classrooms serve as hotel rooms, and beer is brewed in a former girls' locker room. There are wood-burning stoves and nice scholastic touches like the Honors Bar (nonsmoking) and Detention Bar (smoking).

The beer: McMenamins brewpubs produce standard beers like Hammerhead ale, Ruby raspberry ale and Terminator Stout, along with many seasonal offerings.

HAIR OF THE DOG BREWING COMPANY 4509 Southeast 23rd Avenue, 503-232-6585; www.hairofthedog.com .

The scene: In an off-the-beaten-track location in a Southeast Portland warehouse, Hair of the Dog is a brewery, not a brew pub, so it's best to call ahead. Try to visit when the brewery is staging one of its periodic sales.

The beer: Alan Sprints founded Hair of the Dog in 1993 with the aim of developing unusual beer styles. His first beer, Adam, is based on a German beer recipe that had fallen into disuse. Other beers are inspired by local personalities.

TUGBOAT BREWING COMPANY 711 Southwest Ankeny Street; 503-226-2508, www.d2m.com/Tugwebsite .

The scene: An antique watch repair shop turned espresso bar and art gallery turned atmospheric downtown pub. The owner, Terry Nelson, brews beer in a small back room but still keeps up his watch repair business.

The beer: A rotating variety of beers on tap, including Extra Special Bitter, an India pale ale, Cask Stout and Hop Red.

HORSE BRASS PUB 4534 Southeast Belmont Street, 503-232-2202; www.horsebrass.com .

The scene: Classic English-style neighborhood pub (not a brewery) where regulars meet to shoot darts or the breeze.

The beer: With more than 50 beers on tap, Horse Brass is a good place to sample beers from Oregon breweries that don't have brew pubs in Portland.
    = Link to Another Website.
= Link to a Related Document on Wikipedia.
= Link to a Google Map.

Notable Portland Area Brew-Pubs

Printable Version of This List

McMenamin Brothers's Dozens of Brew Pubs, Dance Halls, B&B's, Wineries, Distilleries and Theater Pubs.
Rock Bottom Downtown. "Serious about food, crazy about beer." A chain with outlets in several dozen cities.
Bridgeport Brewing Available in bottles, but try it on tap at the source.
Full Sail Brewing Available in bottles, but try it on tap at the source.
Kennedy School McMenamin Brothers converted an old public grade school and made it a destination restaurant, B & B and Brew Pub.
Widmer Brothers Their Heffeweissen is the #1 Micro Brew in the West.
A Google Map to help you find a Brew Pub near you.
OregonBeer.org Presents:

Portland Metro Brew Pubs

4th Street Brewing Co.
77 NE 4th St
Gresham, OR 97030
503-669-0569

Alameda Brewhouse
4765 NE Fremont
Portland, OR 97213
503-460-9025

Ambacht Brewing Co.
1055 NE 25th Ave Suite N
Hillsboro OR 97124
503-828-1400

Amnesia Brewing Company
832 N Beech
Portland, OR 97227
503-281-7708

BriddgePort Ale House
3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-233-6540

Bridgeport Brewpub + Bakery
1313 NW Marshall
Portland, OR 97209
503-241-3612

Deschutes Brewery & Public House
210 NW 11th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
503-296-4906

Fanno Creek Brewpub
12562 SW Main St.
Tigard, OR 97223
503-624-9400

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company
4509 SE 23rd
Portland, OR 97202
503-232-6585

Hopworks Urban Brewery
2944 SE Powell
Portland, OR 97202
503-232-HOPS

Laurelwood Brewing Co.
Portland International Airport: Concourse A
7000 NE Airport Way
Portland, OR 97218
503-493-9427

Laurelwood Pizza Company
1728 NE 40th
Portland, OR 97212
503-943-6157

Laurelwood Public House
Portland International Airport: Concourse E
7000 Airport Way
Portland, OR 97218
503-493-4204

Laurelwood Public House and Brewery
5115 NE Sandy
Portland, OR 97213
503-282-0622

Laurelwood Public House NW
2327 NW Kearney
Portland, OR 97210
503-228-5553

Lucky Labrador Beer Hall
1945 NW Quimby
Portland, OR 97209
503-517-4352

Lucky Labrador Brewing
915 SE Hawthorne
Portland, OR 97214
503-236-3555

Lucky Labrador Public House
7675 SW Capitol Hwy
Portland, OR 97219
503-244-2537

MacTarnahan’s Taproom
Pyramid Breweries
2730 NW 31st Ave.
Portland, OR 97210
503-226-7623

The Mash Tun
2204 NE Alberta St
Portland, OR 97211
503-548-4491

McCormick & Schmicks’s
Harborside Restaurant and Pilsener Room
Full Sail Brewery at Riverplace
0307 SW Montgomery
Portland, OR 97201

McMenamins / Bagdad Theater
3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-236-9234

McMenamins / Barley Mill Pub
1629 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-231-1492

McMenamins / Blue Moon Tavern & Grill
432 NW 21st Ave.
Portland, OR 97209
503-223-3184

McMenamins / Cornelius Pass Roadhouse & Imbrie Hall
4045 NW Cornelius Pass Rd.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-640-6174

McMenamins / Crystal Ballroom & Lola’s Room
1332 W Burnside
Portland, OR 97209
503-225-0047

McMenamins / Edgefield
2126 SW Halsey St.
Troutdale, OR 97060
503-669-8610

McMenamins / Fulton Pub & Brewery
0618 SW Nebraska St.
Portland, OR 97201
503-246-9530

McMenamins / Grand Lodge
3505 Pacific Ave.
Forest Grove, OR 97116
503-992-9533

McMenamins / Greater Trumps
1520 SE 37th Ave.
Portland, OR 97214
503-235-4530

McMenamins / Highland Pub & Brewery
4225 SE 182nd Ave.
Gresham, OR 97030
503-665-3015

McMenamins / Hillsdale Brewery & Public House
1505 SW Sunset Blvd.
Portland, OR 97201
503-246-3938

McMenamins / John Barleycorns
14610 SW Sequoia Pkwy.
Tigard, OR 97223
503-684-2688

McMenamins / Market Street Pub
1526 SW 10th Ave.
Portland, OR 97201
503-497-0160

McMenamins / Mission Theater
1624 NW Glisan St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-223-4527

McMenamins / Oak Hills Brewpub
14740 NW Cornell Rd. Suite 80
Portland, OR 97229
503-645-0286

McMenamins / Raleigh Hills Pub
4495 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.
Portland, OR 97225
503-292-1723

McMenamins / Ringlers Annex
1223 SW Stark St.
Portland, OR 97205
503-525-0520

McMenamins / Ringlers Pub
1332 W Burnside St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-225-0627

McMenamins / Riverwood Pub
8136 SW Hall Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97008
503-643-7189

McMenamins / Rock Creek Tavern
10000 NW Old Cornelius Pass Rd.
Hillsboro, OR 97124
503-645-3822

McMenamins / St. Johns Theater & Pub
8203 N Ivanhoe St.
Portland, OR 97203
503-283-8520

McMenamins / The Rams Head
2282 NW Hoyt St.
Portland, OR 97210
503-221-0098

McMenamins / White Eagle Café, Saloon & Rock ‘n’ Roll Hotel
836 N Russell St.
Portland, OR 97227
503-282-6810

McMenamins Back Stage Bar
3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-236-9234

McMenamins Cedar Hills
2927 SW Cedar Hills Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
503-641-0151

McMenamins Chapel Pub
430 N Killingsworth St.
Portland, OR 97217
503-286-0372

McMenamins Greenway Pub
12272 SW Scholls Ferry Rd.
Tigard, OR 97223
503-590-1865

McMenamins Kennedy School
5736 NE 33rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97211
503-249-3983

McMenamins Mall 205
9710 SE Washington St., Suite A
Portland, OR 97216
503-254-5411

McMenamins Murray & Allen
6179 SW Murray Blvd.
Beaverton, OR 97005
503-644-4562

McMenamins on Broadway
1504 NE Broadway St., Suite 900
Portland, OR 97232
503-288-9498

McMenamins Oregon City
102 9th St.
Oregon City, OR 97045
503-655-8032

McMenamins Sherwood
15976 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd.
Sherwood, OR 97140
503-625-3547

McMenamins Sunnyside
9757 SE Sunnyside Rd., Suite K
Clackamas, OR 97015
503-653-8011

McMenamins Tavern & Pool
1716 NW 23rd Ave.
Portland, OR 97210
503-227-0929

McMenamins West Linn
2090 SW 8th Ave.
West linn, OR 97068
503-656-2970

New Old Lompoc / 5th Quadrant
3901 N Williams Ave.
Portland, OR 97217
503-288-3996

New Old Lompoc / Hedge House
3412 SE Division St.
Portland, OR 97202
503-235-2215

New Old Lompoc / Oaks Bottom Public House
1621 SE Bybee Blvd.
Portland, OR 97202
503-232-1728

New Old Lompoc Brewery
1616 NW 23rd
Portland, OR 97210
503-225-1855

Old Market Pub & Brewery
6959 SW Multnomah Blvd.
Portland, OR 97223
503-244-0450

Philadelphia’s Steaks & Hoagies
6410 SE Milwaukee Ave.
Portland, OR 97202
503-239-8544

Philadelphia’s Steaks & Hoagies
18625 Willamette Dr.
West Linn, OR 97068
503-699-4130

Raccoon Lodge and Brewpub
7424 SW Beaverton-Hillsdale
Portland, OR 97225
503-296-0110

Rock Bottom Brewery
206 SW Morrison
Portland, OR 97204
503-796-2739

Rogue Ales Distillery and Public House
1339 NW Flanders
Portland, OR 97215
503-222-5910

Rogue Ales Public House
Portland International Airport: Concourse D
7000 NE Airport Way
Portland, OR 97218
503-460-4040

Roots Organic Brewing
1520 SE 7th
Portland, OR 97214
503-235-7668

The Broadway Grill & Brewery
1700 NE Broadway
Portland
503-284-4460

The Ram Restaurant & Brewery
Clackamas Town Center
11860 SE 82nd Ave. #3050
Happy Valley, OR 97086
503-659-1282

Upright Brewing
240 N Broadway
Portland OR 97227

Vertigo Brewing
21420 NW Nicholas Ct
Suite D-7
Hillsboro OR 97124
503-645-6644

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
929 N Russell
Portland, OR 97227
503-281-2437



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