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Ecliptic
825 N Cook St., 265-8002, eclipticbrewing.com. 11 am-10 pm Sunday-Thursday, 11 am-11 pm Friday-Saturday.
[STARS ALIGNED] Founded by John Harris, formerly of
McMenamins, Full Sail and Deschutes (where he famously created the
recipes for Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond and Jubelale), Ecliptic has a
pedigree that belies its industrial location off a decidedly unbustling
stretch of Mississippi Avenue. The competent, wide-ranging roster of
beers features an oft-distracting astronomy theme ("as the winter sun
hangs low in our sky, some 93 million miles away, solar filaments, giant
arcs of cool, dense plasma explode from its surface," begins a typical
description), but the quality doesn't disappoint, and the food alone is
worth a visit. Executed by Michael Molitor, formerly of Pazzo
Ristorante, the seasonal menu features everything from steamed mussels
and goat mole to a classic ploughman's lunch with housemade vegetable
escabeche. Pair a meal with a handful of 4-ounce pours of your choice
($1.50 each) for an authentically out-of-this-world experience.
DRINK THIS: The citrusy Stellanova, created in collaboration with homebrewers Jenn McPoland and Jeremie Landers, packs a surprising amount of sparkling hop flavor in only 4.2 percent ABV.
WWeek 2015