Common Block May Be Oregon’s Only Brewery to Make All Its Beer in California

The Medford space is still worth visiting—not only is the building gorgeous, the early beers are very strong.

(Emily Joan Greene)

315 E. Fifth St., Medford, 541-326-2277, commonblockbrewing.com. 11 am-11 pm daily.

There's a conspicuously empty corner in the dining room at Common Block Brewing that garners plenty of attention from curious customers. The servers have heard it all when it comes to ideas for what might occupy that space. "Is there a fountain that's going to go there?" "Swimming pool?" "Jell-O fights?" Turns out, this is where the 15-barrel system will eventually be installed, so the company doesn't have to cross state lines to make beer. Common Block currently contracts brews at Wildcard Brewing in Redding. The Medford space is still worth visiting—not only is the building gorgeous, the early beers are very strong. This Streamline Moderne building was a midcentury auto showroom, and has been rehabbed with stylish stainless steel lettering and a row of glass blocks that bathe the inside with natural light. The owners are Alex and Danielle Amarotico, who left Ashland's Standing Stone Brewing after 18 years. They took former assistant brewer John Donehower with them, and he's since dabbled in everything from summery hazy IPAs to a Wonderbiere Belgian Amber that was spiked Christmas-cookie heavy on the almond extract.

Nearby: Downtown Medford has a second brewery within walking distance, BricktownE (44 S Central Ave., 541-973-2377, bricktownebeer.com). BricktownE is solid and a little more traditional, serving up eight different burgers with tater tots along with a beer list that features an amber, an ESB and a cream ale.

(Emily Joan Greene)
(Emily Joan Greene)
(Emily Joan Greene)

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