The best beer places in PORTLAND Oregon Brewtopia Events LLC www.ClassicCityBrew.com Posted - February 2004

Jerry Garcia statue at McMenamins Edgefield

Portland, OR is one of the great beer destinations in the United States -- it has so many brewpubs and microbreweries that it has been called "Munich on the Willamette."  The American beer renaissance began in the Northwest and is still in full swing in Portland.  Held on the last full weekend of July each year, the Oregon Brewers Festival draws attendees from all over the world to sample some of the best beers of the Pacific Northwest.  Because the city covers such a wide area, you will really need to have a designated driver or spend some money on taxis to see all of the best beer spots in Portland -- but rest assured that it will be worth it!  In January of 2004 Owen, Kerri, Thel, and Lari flew to Portland for a long weekend filled with superb beer.  Read on about our adventure.

  Photos and text by Owen Ogletree
Owen always welcomes your e-mail and input.

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ALAMEDA BREWING COMPANY 4765 NE Fremont ph: (503) 460-9025 Alameda is an attractive brewpub located in what looks like a remodeled warehouse.  It is a bit stark and industrial looking on the inside, but very clean and friendly.  Head brewer John Eaton got his start at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Petaluma, CA and is a graduate of the UC Davis Master Brewer's program.  His well-crafted and flavorful beers include: Siskiyou Golden Ale, Wilshire Wheat Ale, Klickitat Pale Ale, Wasco Indian Summer Ale, Turk's Head ESB, Irvington Juniper Porter, and Black Bear XX Stout.  Sandwiches and interesting seafood dishes highlight the menu.          BRIDGEPORT BREWING COMPANY 1313 NW Marshall Street ph: (503) 241-7179 Bridgeport is one of my favorite brewpubs in the world -- the cask ale and pizza are outstanding.  The brewpub is located in an old warehouse district of Portland (the Pearl District), and it seems as if the building was always meant to house a brewery.  As you walk into the front door, there is a bar section to the right and the pizza kitchen to the left.  Order your pizza and beer at the counters, find a table, and relax.  The lineup of Bridgeport ales looks like this: India Pale Ale, Porter, Stout, Old Knucklehead Barleywine, Blue Heron Pale Ale, and ESB.  Be sure to sample all of the cask ales (unfiltered beers matured and naturally carbonated in small kegs).  Bridgeport was started in 1984 and is one of Oregon's oldest craft breweries.         FULL SAIL BREWERY / PILSNER ROOM 307 SW Montgomery Street ph: (503) 220-1865 Full Sail has a small brewery in Portland's Riverside Mall area.  To taste the excellent Full Sail beers you will have to visit the Harborside Restaurant / Pilsner Room bar (next door to the brewery) which stocks the full line of Full Sail products -- including some selections on cask.  Thel, Lari, and I made it to the Pilsner Room around midnight after our plane landed in Portland, and even though our bodies were still on east coast time, we still managed to close the bar.  Try the happy hour appetizer plates at the bar for some nice accompaniments to the beer.     HORSE BRASS PUB 4534 SE Belmont Street ph: (503) 223-2202 Horse Brass is a beer bar that is loaded with personality -- not polished glitz.  It looks like a standard English pub from the outside, but be sure to venture inside for a great selection of fine imports and regional microbrews (try the cask ales).  Play a game of darts, enjoy a delightful pint, and then head next door to Belmont Station retail beer store for an amazing selection of beers to take home.        LAURELWOOD PUBLIC HOUSE & BREWERY 1728 NE 40th Ave. ph: (503) 335-9084 This brewpub is located in a quiet, suburban area of Portland and seems to be very popular with families (there is even a kid's play area tucked away in a corner).  The food at Laurelwood is tasty, substantial pub fare; and the beers are all clean, flavorful, and pleasant.  When we visited, the beer menu included: Belgian Specialty Ale (malty and spicy), Imperial Stout (rich, full-bodied and roasty), Barleywine (intense with good malt/hop balance), ESB, Winter Warmer, Alt (true to style), Red Ale, IPA, Porter, and Stout.         NEW OLD LOMPOC 1616 NW 23rd Ave. ph: (503) 225-1855 Housed in what looks like an old house on NW 23rd Avenue, New Old Lompoc brewpub has tons of personality and character.  There is a very casual, relaxed atmosphere here at this very small establishment.  The menu has a plethora of interesting food items, and the beer list shines with nice brews such as C-Note Imperial Pale (full of NW hops), John Outhouse Special Bitter (named after Portland's first school teacher), Bald Guy Brown (with spicy American hops), Centennial India Pale Ale, Lompoc Strong Draft (also known as LSD), Sockeye Cream Stout, and Old Tavern Rat Barleywine.         LUCKY LABRADOR BREWING COMPANY 915 SE Hawthorne Blvd. ph: (503) 236-3555 This friendly brewpub is adorned with dog paraphernalia and photos of patrons from all over the world wearing their Lucky Lab garb.  This brewpub is located near the Horse Brass Pub (see review above) a bit outside of downtown a features an open beer garden feel with an inviting deck out back.  Beers included a Best Bitter (our favorite of the litter), Extra Pale Ale, Porter, IPA, Organic Golden Ale, and Stout.  Lucky Lab usually has one beer on cask most days and one guest tap.  Head over and fetch a pint.  There is also a Lucky Lab location at 7675 SW Capitol Hwy.        PORTLAND BREWING COMPANY 2730 NW 31st Avenue ph: (503) 226-7623 This beautiful brewpub features two shiny copper vessels shipped to Portland from Bavaria where they were originally used at the Sixenbrau brewery.  It would be hard to imagine a more charming and pleasant brewpub than this one -- Portland Brewing is known for their delicious menu and line of MacTarnahan's ales.  In January of 2004, their house beers included: Highlander Pale Ale (with a touch of heather), Mac's Amber Ale, Blackwatch Cream Porter, ZigZag River Lager, Woodstock India Pale Ale, Oregon Honey Beer, Mac Frost Winter Ale, Uncle Otto's Weiss Beer (a true Bavarian wheat beer with complex yeast character), Nor'Wester Hefeweizen (American style wheat), and Saxer Bock (in bottles).  Highlights of the outstanding food menu were garlic rosemary fries, dungeness crab dip, Scotch eggs, rotisserie smoked pot roast and pork loin, Scottish pie, schnitzel, salmon, and fish tacos.  Plan to spend a few hours here enjoying the fine beers and food.         ROGUE ALES PUBLIC HOUSE 1339 NW Flanders ph: (503) 222-5910 The Rogue brewery is located in Newport, OR, but you can still enjoy a little piece of Rogue in Portland at their beer bar and pubic house.  This place features a gift shop, bar area, distillery (yeah, that's right), and dining area.  Many of the hard-to-find new Rogue beers and experimentals are here along with some very tasty pub grub and cool conversation with the locals.          WIDMER BREWING COMPANY & GASTHAUS 929 N. Russell Street ph: (503) 281-2437 Widmer makes one of the most popular American wheat beers produced today.  The microbrewery was started by two homebrewing brothers who decided to take their love of beer to the next level.  The guest house restaurant is located next door to the microbrewery just across the river in the northside of downtown.  The picture to the right shows Kerri and Thel enjoying the Widmer sampler tray that boasted 12 fine house brews:  Blonde Ale, Hefeweizen, Altbier, Amber Ale, IPA, Widberry (with black raspberries), Doppelbock, Milk Stout, KGB (roasty Russian Imperial Stout), nitro tap selection, seasonal, and a brewer's special.  If you are a fan of well-prepared German food, you will absolutely love the menu at the Gasthaus.  Brewery tours are offered on Fridays at 3 pm and Saturdays at 1 and 2 pm.         McMENAMINS EDGEFIELD 2126 SW Halsey Street Troutdale, OR ph: (503) 669-8610 You'll find it hard to walk a couple of blocks in Portland without running across one of the brewpubs in the McMenamins chain.  McMenamins is known for purchasing old buildings that are close to being condemned and transforming them into outstanding pubs and restaurants.  McMenamins Edgefield can be found in Troutdale (about a 20 minute drive from downtown Portland) and is very much worth the trip.  Edgefield is housed on a 38 acre facility that used to be the Multnomah County Poor Farm in 1911, but now houses a brewpub, winery, distillery, golf course, gardens, and a gorgeous European-style hotel.  Every shed and old building has been converted into a bar or gift shop, and the old Power Station is now home to an inviting brewpub and theater.  When you are done with your meal of sandwiches, burgers, pasta, or fish and chips at the Power Station Pub, grab an IPA, Hammerhead Ale, or Terminator Stout in a plastic cup and stroll the grounds of Edgefield.  The McMenamins chain is a big part of the beer scene in the Northwest, and any McMenamins pub will have pamphlets with information about all their locations. Other beer spots to try... BJ's Pizza, Grill & Brewery, 12105 N. Center Ave. and 825 NE Weidler (in Lloyd Center). Old Market Pub, 6959 SW Multnomah Blvd. Philadelphia's Steaks and Hoagies, 6410 SE Milwaukie Ave.  This is a brewpub and sandwich restaurant that opens at 9 am daily! Higgins Restaurant, 1239 SW Broadway.  This restaurant is open for dinner and does a fantastic job of pairing fine food with beer. Raccoon Lodge and Brewpub, 7424 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy.  Unique brewpub that is a bit of a drive from downtown. Tugboat Brewing Company, 711 SW Ankeny Street.  This brewpub made it clear to us that they welcome their regular, local crowd only.  Not very friendly. Dublin Pub, 6821 Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy.  Popular beer bar. Jake's Grill, 611 SW 10th Ave.  Popular beer bar. Produce Row Cafe, 204 SE Oak Street.  Nice bar with good food. Rose and Raindrop, 532 SE Grand Ave.  Pleasant bar.