Restaurants and bars across the metro area have been finding creative ways to serve customers outdoors during the pandemic, but anyone who requires a little more distance from other people can soon sip beer far from the city, in the middle of a Willamette Valley hop yard.
Crosby Hop Farm, located about 30 miles south of Portland in Woodburn, has carved out space among its towering rows of hop bines for a picturesque beer garden that places drinkers right at the source of one of the key ingredients.
TopWire Hop Project features a bar constructed out of a shipping container serving a rotating tap list of eight beers and one cider produced by brewers from across the country that use Crosby's aromatic green cones. There will also be a booze-free option in the form of a seltzer water.
Although launching a new establishment where people will want to congregate during a public health crisis might sound risky, Crosby's acreage has allowed it to set up tables for customers at least 8 feet apart. Visitors can expect other safety measures to be in place as well, like 6-foot markers for anyone waiting in line at the bar, hand sanitizer stations, and free disposable masks.
The fifth-generation hop grower will start welcoming patrons to TopWire on Friday, July 24. From there, it will be open Thursday through Sunday. Kids and leashed dogs are welcome.
Grand opening beverages include a double IPA created by Dallas' Celestial Beerworks, a cider with Cascade hops from Reverend Nat's in Portland, and Bubble Party Hops seltzer water by Modern Times' outpost in Portland.