Three days and 85 #oregonbeers later
Portland fulfilled all expectations of beer heaven. From the Fresh Hop Festival to the many artisanal breweries, we tried as many as our livers would allow.
Hood River Fresh Hop Fest
Over 50 fresh hopped beers from all over Oregon, served with the beautiful Hood River as a backdrop. A unique beer gold mine. And any fear of repetition proved unfounded: Pilsners, Belgians, Sours, Farmhouse Saisons, Ambers, Reds. Many styles were represented and kicked up with fresh locally produced hops. There was also a brewing demonstration from Portland U-Brew, a brewing supply, on-premises brewing location, and pub.
Hair of the Dog
What better way to attack the day after than Hair of the Dog. The barrel aged beers were a nice contrast to the hop bombs of the previous day. Other than the English Mild, Little Dog, the average ABV was around 7 percent. The Blue Dot IPA was citrusy with little to no bitterness. We couldn’t avoid Adam from the Wood, with all of its rich Bourbon aged goodness. We even saw a bottle of Dave, yours for the low price of $1500 consumed on-premises. Maybe next time.
The Commons Brewery
Well fortified, we continued on to The Commons who specialize in French and Belgian style Farmhouse ales. They were in the process of brewing their signature 2012 World Beer Cup medal winning Urban Farmhouse, which made the place smell phenomenal. We got the last of the Flemish Kiss on tap and the Myrtle, a tart farmhouse with Meridian hops.
Upright Brewing
We had Uprights The Hop and the Abstract Truth at the festival the day before, now we were going for the rest. Four, Five, Six, Seven. At least someone can’t claim copyright on those names. A blend of Belgians and Farmhouse Saisons with extra hops and a Rye thrown in for good measure. Struggling a bit, we called it a day to save some of our livers for Deschutes and Cascade.
Deschutes Brewery
Our last day in Portland, we filled up with a hearty lunch and a flight of beers from Portland’s second biggest brewery, Deschutes. The beer list was extensive and varied. We sampled many of the brewpub exclusives that are only available on site like Mirror Pond and Hop Trip. Saved many for another day as Cascade was the main event.
Cascade Brewing
Sour Heaven! But oh, so much more. We got there early and settled in for the long haul. Pale Ales, IPAs, casksLuckily, they have all draft available in 2oz tasters, meaning we could run through the whole list. Notables were the Honey Ginger Lime and the Bourbonic Plague from the cask.
Our trip was not just about drinking. We also visited many excellent restaurants like Higgins and LePigeon where beer is a first class citizen.
They put a bird on it!
Even the Portland Airport is a beer destination! The Made in Oregon shop gave us a last chance to bring home many beers we missed, including two from the Commons. This place is a must for any beer lover, with as good a selection as most bottle shops. Pack an empty bag and fill that sucker before your flight home! They also have online orders and shipping to many states, so you can have an Oregon Beer Staycation.
