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412 NW 5th Ave., 503-564-2739, pintsbrewing.com. 11:30 am -11 pm Monday-Friday. 11 am-11 pm Saturday, 11 am – 9 pm Sunday.
When it opened in 2012, Pints showcased the beers of brewmaster Alan Taylor, a classically trained brewer. As such, the beers generally focused on classic styles, particularly German ales made on a system tucked into a tight corner in the basement. Taylor now splits his Portland time (he also has a gig in Albuquerque) between Pints and the much larger Zoiglhaus, which won a gold medal for its Pilsner at the 2017 Great American Beer Festival. The pub maintains a tap list of 10 or so beers, about half of which are seasonals. These are all nicely made beers. Pints is also a lunch spot in a neighborhood defined by its dance clubs and social services for the homeless, and while the food menu here isn't expansive, it gets that job done at reasonable prices. The front of the house is smallish and quaint. Wander to the rear seating area for a view of the tiny 3.5-barrel brewery where they make beers like Elan's Imperial Amber, a boozy collab between Alan and the pub's manager, and Awesome Sauce, a New England-style IPA made with lactose and oats that will soon go from seasonal to year-round.
Nearby: It's Chinatown, but there's not much Chinese food to speak of these days. Rather, you want the burrito-beer-shot deal from Mi Mero Mole (32 NW 5th Ave., 971-266-8575, mmmtacospdx.com) which serves Nixtamal tortillas, slow-cooked meats and the stewy guisados of central Mexico, including a beautifully deep lamb mole negro. They've recently added breakfast, including chilaquiles.
