Portland, OR is a great town for many reasons, but I think it is one of the best beer towns in the world. For many reasons, there is a great beer culture in the city, and the numerous local breweries take pride in brewing up many versions of fermented barley. On my recent trip, I was able to drink a lot of them - using their excellent public transportation of course!
Laurelwood Brewing Company is one of my personal favorites. This brewery has a pungent hop odor when you walk in the door and resembles a ski lodge on the inside. This is fitting since most Portlanders look like they are heading to the slopes - even at midnight. They make all the standard brews, but they do each one very well. It is refreshing (pun intended) to sample so many good beers in one place. Their Happy Hour is pretty good, and there is no sales tax in Oregon!
This is not a picture of beer, but it was just too funny. The streetcars and light rail tracks are a potential hazard to the many bicyclists in Portland, so the city has warning signs posted to remind riders what happens to bike wheels in the train tracks.
It is also worth noting that my hotel during the trip - Marriott Residence Inn Portland Lloyd Center - had a very nice evening reception with complimentary local microbrews and appetizers. They are on the Airport-Downtown light rail and also have a free hot breakfast. Don't forget the beer!
This place is just amazing. The Cascade Brewing Barrel House produces many solid beers, but they shine at making sour beers with complex ingredients and magnificent flavors. A sour beer is simply a standard beer that was aged and re-fermented, typically in wine barrels, that acquires a sour taste that compliments the overall flavor of the beer. Imagine mixing beer and wine in a good way. This is simply a style of beer that is very rare, but done very well by these guys. Their Bourbonic Plague and Sang Noir are just beers that you want to keep in your mouth as the complex flavors rush over your tongue wave after wave. Oh yeah, this place is great.
The Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) is another one of Portland's finest. I have been to most of the major places in Portland - many on a previous trip - but this is the first one to have bike frames hanging over the bar. This is another place that does beer right, but they also love to experiment with new ingredients. They use mainly organic ingredients, and have several unique brews including a 7-grain stout brewed with coffee and a white IPA made from wheat! They also sell their beer in cans, but it does not taste as good without bikes overhead.
The beer scene in Portland is very impressive, however Sacramento is quickly catching up. Our city reminds me a lot of Portland - we just have a little growing up to do. Fortunately, when beer cities compete, everyone wins! Enjoy the rest of my fermented pictures below:
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