Back Pedal

By John Locanthi

1425 NW Flanders St., 971-400-5950, facebook.com/BackPedalPDX. 3-10 pm Monday-Friday, 10 am-10 pm Saturday, 11 am-8 pm Sunday.

We've all seen beer enthusiasts pedaling away on those trolley-style vehicles that roam from brewery to brewery. Well, just over six months ago, Portland's premier bike-based beer tourism company decided to get in the brewing game itself with the opening of BackPedal Brewing. Walk past three parked BrewCycles into a cozy garage that houses what now claims to be the smallest microbrewery in Portland. (There are plans to expand beyond the 3.5-barrel system in the Pearl to a 15-barrel system at the old Full Sail pub along the waterfront in the near future.) BackPedal allows outside food, but it's truly a stripped-down place to have a few pints and watch some sports. It's a throwback to the days when a taproom was just a room with some taps, and a counterpoint to the large gastropubs that have taken over the Pearl.

Drink This: A tribute to Portland's late favorite pseudo-son "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, Piper's Pit is an unconventional spiced Scottish ale. The nutmeg and cinnamon give it that comforting flavor of something made before this soggy winter began.

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