The Top Five Places to Order Beer From This Week

Your weekly Socially Distanced Buzz List.

(Christine Dong)
By WW Staff

1. Migration Brewing

2828 NE Glisan St., 503-206-5221, migrationbrewing.com.

In the Before Times, Migration Brewing's converted radiator garage pub was a reliable place to find neighbors congregating after work, watching basketball games or reminiscing about family vacations. But at least we've still got the beer. Hoppy offerings, like the West Coast-style Straight Outta Portland and juicy Mo-Haze-Ic, are where Migration truly shines. But no matter your tolerance for IPAs, you're likely to find a complex beer to quench your thirst.

(Occidental Brewing, Emily Joan Greene)

2. Occidental Brewing

6635 N Baltimore Ave., No. 102, 503-719-7102, occidentalbrewing.com.

Occidental founders Ben and Dan Engler never bothered to wait for drinkers' tastes to learn to embrace lighter craft beer. They just started making impressive lagers from the get go, and are now perfectly positioned to attract the wave of customers moving away from hoppier beverages. Occidental's most popular flagships, like the hefeweizen or altbier, hover around the 5 percent ABV mark.

3. Von Ebert Brewing

131 NW 13th Ave., 503-820-7721; 14021 NE Glisan St., 503-878-8708; vonebertbrewing.com.

Ordering from Von Ebert is always a difficult decision: Do you get one of the tongue-stunning IPAs brewed by Sam Pecoraro's team, or a beautifully intricate lager or wild ale made in Sean Burke's facility? The easiest solution is to just say screw it and get a bunch. The Volatile Substance IPA has heady pine notes—what drops of dew in a nearby forest would taste like just before evaporating.

(Carleigh Oeth)

4. Level Beer

5211 NE 148th Ave., 503-714-1222, 7840 SW Capitol Highway, levelbeer.com.

Level's founders have children, which pushed them to produce beers with an alcohol content that won't leave your head spinning, like the crisp, 4.5 percent ABV Grisetta Stone, whose flavors bob between citrus and black pepper. Two IPAs—the West Coast-style Game On! and the hazy Stable Genius—continue to be the brewery's top performers, both in execution and popularity.

(Henry Cromett)

5. West Coast Grocery

1403 SE Stark St., 503-477-6011, westcoastgrocerycompany.com.

The fifth generation's West Coast Grocery sells no produce, but owner Charlie Hyde's ancestors would be proud of the current agricultural products. The cozy corner bar across from Revolution Hall makes one of the finest cream ales in town, and its hoppy beers are quietly rising in the ranks as well. Pay a visit to the beer window, open 2-7 pm daily.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.