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909 SE Yamhill St., 517-0660, buckmanbrewery.com. 11 am-11 pm Sunday-Wednesday, 11 am-1 am Thursday-Saturday.
In the belly of the Green Dragon—one of Portland's most proudly geeky bars—stands a chalkboard listing brews that sound like they emerged from a science fair. Buckman's beers all feature fruits and flowers, mostly in place of hops. The latest rotation of five taps was led by a stout flavored to taste of fruitcake. A dry-hopped plum sour, served in a 10-ounce snifter, was one of the few sours I've had that tasted as fresh and sweet as tart—it could almost have been a light port. The color of a brand-new football, it nicely complemented the onion jam on Green Dragon's buffalo burger. This is sneakily alcoholic beer (watch out: Buckman doesn't list ABV) that reaches back to an era when the distinction between fermented beverages was largely irrelevant. More braggot, sire? Certainly, and pour a round for all my subjects at this picnic table!
Drink This: Pick the fruit most recently in season, and order its respective beer.
Willamette Week
