contents
PUB
CRAWLS
BREW
CLUB PROFILE
BRITISH,
IRISH
CHI-CHI
COCKTAILS
THE
SCIENCE OF DRINKING
FUN
AND GAMES
GAY
BARS
KARAOKE
OLD
MEN
OUTDOORS
SPORTS
BARS
THE
YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS
WINE
WINE
WORDS
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If you want to point to something symbolic in this city's
maturing taste for microbrew, just look to the birthdays
of Portland's two elder breweries, Widmer and BridgePort--both
turn 15 this year. Since those two mainstays were founded,
brewpubs have joined rose bushes, coffee shops, and bookstores
as emblems of Portland. They have become ingrained in our
lives, with one on nearly every corner of the city.
We sometimes forget how much brewpubs have changed the
way we view not only beer but food and dining, as well.
Before the arrival of brewpubs, restaurants did not serve
beer with meals, an honor reserved solely for wine; if you
wanted a beer, your choices were restricted mainly to smoky,
windowless taverns.
Fast forward to the end of the millennium. Who could have
guessed that not only would pubs be serving beer with good
food, they would be brewing it in the same building? The
change in drinking habits is no less remarkable, as brewpubs
have helped bars shed their tawdry image. No longer a place
to get drunk, pubs are now community centers, where business
meetings are held during the day and families come to eat
and have a pint in the evening.
But most impressively, brewpubs and small breweries have
changed the way we think about beer. Twenty years ago, Americans
had access to the fewest styles of beer in the world. Now
we may have the most. Portland, in particular, has more
breweries, more styles of beer and better beer than any
other city in the country. Brewpubs have been on the leading
edge of this change, helping to establish a culture of drinking
that fosters interest and experimentation in exotic beers.
The brewers around town have responded, inventing their
own styles, some very much in keeping with traditional beers,
some fanciful, some challenging. In 15 short years, they've
managed to learn centuries of brewing techniques and now
produce world-class ales and lagers. Though there's much
talk of the end of the "micro revolution," it is clear that
in Portland, at least, our pubs and good beer are here to
stay. Here are some of Portland's brightest stars on the
brewpub scene.
ALAMEDA BREWHOUSE
Inside Alameda--part of a growing presence of brewpubs
in Northeast Portland--clean lines and spare décor
evoke a Scandinavian austerity. The menu is comfortable
but upscale. Looking around, you might get the impression
that the beer will be an afterthought, but nothing could
be further from the truth. In addition to a line of excellent
standards--pale ales, wheat ales, porters and stouts--brewer
Craig Nicholls is the author of the most innovative beers
in Portland. Included in his specialties are Spring Rose
Doppelbock (using fresh rose petals), Zeppelin Sage Fest
Bier (with Oregon prairie sage), and his newest effort,
Burghead Pict, a recipe based on pre-hop ales that incorporates
heather.
4765 NE FREMONT ST., 460-9025. OPEN DAILY. BEER, WINE AND
LIQUOR.
BJ'S PIZZA GRILL AND BREWERY
California-based BJ's couldn't do much with the outside
of the buildings it inhabits, which are clearly the hulks
of old Pietro's pizza parlors. But inside, the chain has
transformed the buildings into airy, homey restaurants.
BJ's has also worked to shed its links-in-a-chain image,
appealing to Oregonians with assertive, flavorful beers.
In addition to the standard line (including the tasty, hoppy
Piranha Pale Ale), brewer Dan Pederson creates some of his
own specialties. Characteristic examples include an impressive
aged barleywine and Juniper Rye--an intense, piney ale made
with juniper berries. Pederson is also an aficionado of
Belgian ales; in addition to his selection of bottled Belgian
beers, he conducts periodic tastings, which highlight a
particular style or region of Belgium.
JANTZEN BEACH, 12105 N CENTER ST., 289-5566. OPEN DAILY.
LLOYD CENTER, 825 NE WEIDLER ST., 288-0111. OPEN DAILY.
BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR.
BRIDGEPORT BREWPUB
With the loss last year of the Flanders Street Pub and
the imminent demise of the Henry's plant, BridgePort finds
itself the last brewing holdout in inner Northwest. Located
in a 113-year-old warehouse, the brewery and pub appropriately
evoke a sense of history--this is the spot where microbrewing
first took hold in Oregon in 1984. Inside, exposed-brick
walls and heavy wood tables form the perfect environment
for sipping one of Karl Ockert's cask-conditioned, English-style
ales. Of all the brewers in Portland, Ockert cleaves closest
to the British mold, making classic, balanced ales. Pizza,
made with beer-wort crust, is the food of choice and accompanies
the beer nicely. The pub also hosts monthly performances
of the Oregon Symphony in its Chamber Music on Tap series.
Across the river, the BridgePort Ale House has a slightly
different feel. With blond wood and lots of natural light,
it feels more like a restaurant than a pub. A menu of Italian-influenced
California cuisine reflects this, with salads, sandwiches,
pasta, and seafood augmenting wood-fired pizzas.
1313 NW MARSHALL ST., 241-3612. OPEN DAILY. BEER AND WINE.
BRIDGEPORT ALE HOUSE, 3632 SE HAWTHORNE BLVD., 233-6540.
OPEN DAILY. BEER AND WINE.
LUCKY LAB BREW PUB
Located in a former roofing and sheet-metal warehouse
at the edge of the fruit district, the Lucky Lab exudes
a blue-collar work ethic. The building, a cavernous shell
with exposed wood joists and skylights high overhead and
the original wood floor underfoot, seems to say, "Honest
beer served here." Co-owners Gary Geist and Alex Stiles
don't disappoint, producing a range of classically aggressive,
Northwest-accented ales. Each one seems to have a partisan
fan base, from the milder, dry-hopped Hawthorne's Best Bitter
to the dense, sweet Black Lab Stout to Dog Day IPA, perhaps
the finest example in Oregon of this popular style. A covered
patio in the back is a nice place to enjoy warm weather;
it's usual to find at least one regular there with his own
lucky lab panting happily.
915 SE HAWTHORNE BLVD., 236-3555.
OPEN DAILY. BEER AND WINE.
MCMENAMINS ST. JOHNS PUB
Rare is the neighborhood absent a McMenamins pub, and
if you go out for a beer with any regularity, you probably
know the shortest distance to a pint of Terminator. Not
all McPubs are created equal, however. One of the most unusual
is a relative newcomer to the chain, the St. Johns Pub.
Built for the Lewis and Clark Exposition in 1905, the building
sports a cupola that arches up over an auditorium where
eyes once watched motion pictures shown for the first time.
The main pub area looks like a cross between Willy Wonka's
chocolate factory and a traditional Irish pub: Dozens of
spidery chandeliers hang down from the soaring ceiling,
eye level with the easy-chair-and-couch-furnished upper
balcony. As with all McMenaminses, the decorative odds and
ends are a feast for the eyes. The auditorium has been converted
to a music venue, where blues and folk acts play three or
four times a week.
8203 N IVANHOE ST., 283-8520.
OPEN DAILY. BEER AND WINE.
OLD LOMPOC
For years, the north end of 23rd Avenue belonged to McMenamins
Tavern and Pool. After a while, the pool was dropped from
the name as billiard tables gave way to dining tables. Gentrification,
it seemed, had crept all the way to the freeway entrance.
But in late 1996, Jerry Fechter began brewing beer at the
nearby Old Lompoc, and the spirit of the pool-table tavern--replete
with good beer--was reborn. Each brewer makes his mark on
the beer, and Fechter's comes through in the malt. Though
not afraid to add hop zest to beers, the sweet, nutty flavor
of the malt finds a way to come forward in each one, appropriate
for his well-balanced, English-style ales. In contrast to
the darkish interior, there's a very pleasant, shaded beer
garden behind the building.
1616 NW 23RD AVE., 225-1855.
OPEN DAILY. BEER AND WINE.
OLD MARKET PUB AND BREWERY
A massive building, once a produce market, is home to
one of the most prolific Portland brewpubs, the Old Market
Pub and Brewery, located near Multnomah Village in Southwest
Portland. Inside, the space is broken up by rows of wooden
booths that flank a big-screen TV in the center of the room.
The selection of beers is one of the largest in town; Old
Market features 12 of its own on tap, with something for
just about any taste. Flavors range from the mild, like
pale and wheat ales, to the extreme, like a beer called
Hop On!, the hoppiest I've ever tasted. Especially good
are the pale beers--Pilsener, Pinochle Pale, Rat Dog ESB
and Bombay IPA--which make good use of hops and finish sharply
and cleanly.
6959 SW GARDEN HOME ROAD, 244-0450.
OPEN DAILY. BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR.
PHILADELPHIA'S STEAKS AND HOAGIES
In the center of the Westmoreland neighborhood in Southeast
Portland is a bit of Pennsylvania--Philadelphia's Steaks
and Hoagies. The walls of this proudly downscale brewpub
are covered with images and memorabilia from Philadelphia.
Philadelphia's is the smallest brewery in Portland--a mere
three-barrel system--but the range of beers is fairly broad.
One in particular that's worth stopping in for is the Ginger
Wheat Ale, made peppery by the ginger but soft and creamy
by the wheat.
6410 SE MILWAUKIE AVE., 239-8544.
OPEN DAILY. BEER AND WINE.
PORTLAND TAP ROOM AND GRILL
Despite making mostly English-style ales, Portland Brewing's
Tap Room and Grill looks to Germany for culinary and stylistic
inspiration. From the copper German brew kettles near the
entrance to the steins perched throughout, there's a rathskeller-like
feel about the Tap Room. Similarly, the menu features German-influenced
schnitzel and sausage and spit-roasted and grilled meats
prepared on an applewood rotisserie and grill. During the
winter, a cozy fire burns in the back room, and in the summer,
drinkers can sit at tables outside. The pub serves Portland's
usual range of beers as well as some you won't find in the
bottle. Ask about seasonals or special "in development"
beers that brewer Brett Porter may have on tap.
2730 NW 31ST AVE., 228-5269. OPEN DAILY. BEER AND WINE.
RACCOON LODGE
From the outside, Portland's newest brewpub doesn't look
particularly lodgelike, blending in with neighboring buildings
and announced only by the tower of kegs that form the support
for the carved wooden sign outside. Inside, however, the
enormous main dining room, with its high vaulted ceiling,
exposed wood support beams and fireplace (crowned by the
requisite mounted elk head), definitely feels like a lodge.
The food runs the gamut from burgers and meatloaf to ale-marinated
rotisserie chicken and cedar-planked steelhead. The inaugural
beer efforts are solid but seem designed more to complement
the food than to make a statement. The exception is the
stout--a thick, chewy, slightly sweet example of the style,
sure to please the most ardent of stout fans.
7424 SW BEAVERTON-HILLSDALE HWY., 296-0110.
OPEN DAILY. BEER, WINE AND LIQUOR.
TUG BOAT BREWING CO.
When Philadelphia's lays claim to the title of Portland's
smallest brewpub, it's referring to its three-barrel brewery,
not its pub. The latter honor goes to the Tug Boat, where
the entire pub is about the size of a large living room
(with a stage squeezed in!). The owners have turned a drawback
into a virtue, lining the walls with books and giving the
place a subversive, coffeehouse feel. The beers change often,
but there's always a range from light to dark, with a porter
or stout typically on cask. The Tug Boat seems to be putting
a reputation for funky beers behind them; now its ales are
robust and crisp, assertive and tasty. A recent IPA was
bracingly bitter, with a complexity of citrus and sharp
hops; a doppelbock sweet and richly alcoholic; and a porter
dry and creamy.
711 SW ANKENY ST., 226-2508. CLOSED SUNDAYS.
BEER AND WINE.
WIDMER GASTHAUS
The German heritage of Rob and Kurt Widmer is everywhere
present at their showcase Gasthaus under the Fremont Bridge
on North Russell Street. With subdued colors, polished brass
and dark wood, the ambience suggests Teutonic reserve. The
menu, with entrées like sauerbraten, sausage, goulash
and schnitzel, is likewise straight out of Düsseldorf,
and highlights the strength of the Widmers' beers, German-inspired
malty lagers and ales. One of the most celebrated but overlooked
of the Widmers' line is their Altbier, which is an especially
nice match with most food. Test batches of beer are occasionally
available at the Gasthaus and marked by a tap handle bearing
a question mark.
929 N RUSSELL ST., 281-3333. OPEN DAILY. BEER AND WINE.
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