If you're going to give your bar a theme, you may as well go extreme. Base Camp Brewing (930 SE Oak St., 764-9152, basecampbrewingco.com) embraces this ethos in both concept and execution. The new inner-Southeast brewpub is basically REI in bar form: a cavernous, urban ski lodge decked out with tables made with rocks and timber from Klamath Falls, bungee cords, carabiners, camping lanterns and a huge upturned canoe on the ceiling, with a front patio sporting fire pits and log benches that would make Walt Disney proud. Perhaps strategically, Base Camp forms the apex of a neighborhood triangle between an indoor rock-climbing gym and Southeast Grand Avenue's outdoor stores. My S'more Stout ($4.50) came served with a toasted marshmallow on the rim—a little over-the-top for me, but maybe not for the kind of people who think camping in the rain and dabbling in frostbite are enjoyable pastimes.
WWeek 2015