Portland & Seattle

[Cass]

Back from Oregon, a great trip all around. Final visit list:

Breweries/Brewpubs
- Hair of the Dog
- Burnside
- Cascade
- Green Dragon / Buckman
- "Full Sail" - McCormick
- Tug Boat
- Deschutes (Portland)
- Rogue (Newport)
- McMenamin's Kennedy
- McMenamin's Crystal Hotel (Al's Den)
- McMenamin's Hight Street (Eugene)

Beer Bars
- Concordia Ale House
- Henry's 12th Street Tavern
- Bailey's Tap Room

Brewery highlights were Cascade and Burnside. Cascade beers were awesome - I love how the brewmaster went the way of sour as he was "sick of the IPA wars" (quote I'm relaying through a friend). Tough to find their stuff around town so the brewery is a must-visit. And as I mentioned earlier, I love that many of the breweries in Portland are also small restaurants, making visiting (and brewery marathoning) much more pleasurable.

Rogue was a bit of a letdown - I suspected more from what's one of the biggest craft breweries in the States. Felt like they could do a lot more with themselves (a la Stone, New Glarus). But they've also got a seaside rustic charm so perhaps that's what they're going for.

Bailey's is the real deal, great spot for taps. Probably the first time I've seen a beer bar with a digital menu (big 'ol LCD above the bar) - no chalkboards there! And I was quite happy with Henry's - definitely trendy but a good spot in the downtown core and 100 beers on tap which can't be overlooked.

If anyone's into the taco scene in Toronto then you have to go to Por Que No (2 locations in Portland). Smokes the current offerings in Toronto and on par with Big Star in Chicago. Go to the one on Mississippi which is a cool, eclectic neighbourhood. Mississippi Pizza on the same strip (just north of PQN) is very good too. Great locals diner breakfast at Fuller's downtown as well. And if anyone ever used the "free fare" rail zone downtown that's being eliminated on Sept 1st.

Jer - to answer your question I liked GD but was only there for a single beer on the brewery walkabout. I really liked the back patio which was shady and relaxing. Wanted to try their Buckman beers but a few were out so I think I went for a black saison or something like that. But Cascade is literally across the street so they've got serious competition in the neighbourhood now!

[atomeyes]

a list of places in Portland to get Russian River. sigh!

http://russianriverbrewing.com/oregon-distributor/

[Kekumba]

I struck out trying to find RR in bottle shops. Every shop I went to orders it in, none can keep it more than a day. Half the time I never even had to ask, someone was already asking and getting turned down. That said, some of the bars with bottles to go seem to keep it fairly well stocked. Apex had all the sours, some vintages of a few, at okay prices. I bought Supplication for like $16 there. They also seemingly have Pliny on tap all the time (very sneakily marked up to $8, more expensive than everything else). Even if it's not on the menu, ask for it. I don't know, maybe I went to the wrong places (unlikely considering I hit basically every big name bar/brewery/bottle shop in the area). I'm thinking you need to be in the right place at the right time to come across RR in Portland, particularly bottles. I'd watch fridges closely, though, I hear some shops sometimes quietly put bottles in amongst everything else with no notice.

[Torontoblue]

Guess I was lucky when I visited Portland, as Pliny was everywhere. Even had a liquor store worker ask if I wanted to buy some bottles; they were all behind the checkout, and had arrived about an hour earlier. There was a 3 bottle limit. I went back an hour later and got served by a different worker, and got 3 more.

It was also fresh on tap at bars we visited and wasn't advertised as a mystery beer.

[atomeyes]

Guess I was lucky when I visited Portland, as Pliny was everywhere. Even had a liquor store worker ask if I wanted to buy some bottles; they were all behind the checkout, and had arrived about an hour earlier. There was a 3 bottle limit. I went back an hour later and got served by a different worker, and got 3 more.

It was also fresh on tap at bars we visited and wasn't advertised as a mystery beer.

i've kind of learned that's how US bottle shops work. lots of under-the-counter or in-the-back bottles they stash so brosephs can't get it. they basically share what they like.

any suggestions of bottle shops?

[Torontoblue]

I only did one bottle shop when I was in Portland, as I'd already stocked up when I was in Couer D'Alene.

The shop in Portland was Belmont Station. Good selection, good pricing, and a discount if paying in cash . Friends also recommend The Beer Mongers. It`s a bottle shop but with a tap selection too, so you can sup whilst you shop; kinda like Bottleworks in Seattle.

[screw2000]

Some notes on places I hit on a recent Portland trip:

Old Town Pizza & Brewing (226 NW Davis)
6-8 of their own beers on tap.
Cool old building with an upstairs loft space.
Pizzas were outstanding.

Bailey's Taproom (213 SW Broadway)
Awesome selection of 25 taps. Some great bottles too.
The tap list TV also has a keg status indicator and a live feed of Untappd checkins.

Tugboat Brewing (711 SW Ankeny), across the street from Bailey's
Dark and cozy feel, books on the wall.
Was described to us as a "great place to take a first date" by a Portlander.
3 of their own beers (all 10+% abv) as well as 6-7 guest taps.

APEX (1216 SE Division), short walk from the MAX light rail station.
Fun place with a huge front patio.
50 taps all listed on a TV. And yes, Pliny the Elder was on tap when I was there.
Large selection of bottles too.
Cash-only.

Baerlic Brewing (2235 SE 11th Ave), short walk
Laid-back feel, it's on a tree-lined residential street.
12 of their own beers on tap.

Cascade Brewing (939 SE Belmont)
In an industrialish/warehouse building. Large front patio.
As others have mentioned, all their flagship beers are sours (there's a couple of standard options too).
Had a couple great ones from the barrel.
Small food menu

Hair of the Dog (61 SE Yamhill)
By the train tracks.
Pretty standard tasting room setup.
Daily barrel-aged and concrete-aged feature.

Rogue Distillery and Public House (1339 NW Flanders)
Large space -- 2 rooms and a main bar
About 20 of their beers on tap. Solid.

Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House (210 NW 11th Ave)
Big elaborately decorated space. Was a very busy dinner crowd.
About 20 of their beers on tap.

Random notes:

1. In PDX airport, the Made in Oregon store post-security has a selection of beers (mostly in bombers). Obviously only works if your trip home doesn't involve re-clearing security. The Rogue Pub is in concourse D. Not sure what time they start serving, but I did see someone having a pint at 9:00am.

2. Definitely worth planning your day around: open hours (lots of places close at 10pm/11pm/midnight), which places have food (many only have snacks), which places are cash-only, and access to the MAX light rail and/or Portland Streetcar.

3. Enjoyed the fact that a large number of places we visited had self-serve water stations.