Beervana's Best Pub Crawls: The Northern Expedition

Best pub crawls: Downtown | Southeast | Division St. | North

I had really planned to get all of these pub crawls completed by the OBF, but.... In the interest of completeness, however, I'll forge on and finish up with the last great trove of breweries. This one isn't quite as convenient as some of the others, and it requires a bit more walking. Still, you've come to Oregon, a place to which Meriwether Lewis and William Clark once hiked from Missouri. This requires hiking on the order of a couple miles round trip. In pioneer country, sometimes you have to adopt a pioneer spirit.

Getting There and Back
The cool thing about this crawl is that it employs the light rail. Starting out downtown, you want to take the MAX Yellow Line. It will take you across the Steel Bridge and into the Rose Quarter (that's where the Blazers play). Disembark at the Rose Quarter station (stop 11508). From there you're going to hike north around the Rose Garden and travel until you get to Broadway. In the fork where Broadway and Weidler divide, you'll find the Left Bank Project; Upright is located in the basement. You want to retrace your steps and get back on the Max. Continue north to Stop 11509, Mississippi/Albina. Walk north one block and west one block and you'll be at the Widmer Gasthaus. Retrace your steps and continue north again to stop 11510, Overlook. You'll continue north along Interstate Ave (where the light rail runs) until you come to Failing St. Trying to ignore the inauspicious name, you turn east and follow Failing until you arrive at the Lompoc Fifth Quandrant. Don't stop there, but turn the corner at Williams, walk 20 feet, and enter the Sidebar. Hopworks is another half block north.

Alternatively, you can ride the 44 bus from downtown and get on and off at Russell Street. You'll walk down Russell to the Widmer Gasthaus and then back for the bus the rest of the way to the Sidebar. Here's a Google map with the locations, and you can click on the map to enlarge it.

Stop 1: Upright Brewing (420 N Broadway, Left Bank Project basement)
Have you ever played one of those games where you're shown five objects and asked to identify which one is not like the others? In a lineup of Portland breweries, Upright's the one. Brewer Alex Ganum has created a little farmhouse brewery in one of the most industrial spots in the city. But from his open fermenters issue absolutely lovely farmhouse-style beers. He has an extensive barrel-aging program, and you'll always find something strange and wonderful on tap. Ask if Alex is around; he's a knowledgeable and entertaining guy, and he'll be happy to tell you the story behind his beers. Important Note: the Upright tasting room is only open from 1pm to 6pm on the weekends.

Stop 2: Widmer Brothers Gasthaus (929 N Russell)
The Widmer Brothers have been one of the country's biggest breweries for a couple decades. People know them for their Hefeweizen and feel like they get the whole Widmer thing. Ten to one you don't get them. A stop into the Gasthaus, which regularly has one of the most advernturesome and eclectic taplists in the city, dispels all preconceptions. And for most of the beers there, you have to go to the Gasthaus to find them. They don't pour anywhere else in the city. The Gasthaus also has a great menu of German cuisine, so if you're looking to fortify your stomach, this is a great place.

Stop 3: Hopworks Bike Bar (3947 N Williams Ave)
To get to Hopworks you'll pass two brewpubs, including the fourth stop. It's odd, but trust me, you want to do it in this order. The main Hopworks pub is across town, on Powell Blvd. This recent addition captures all the elements of the original, plus it has a absolutely beautiful patio out in the back. Hopworks is known for hop-forward beers in the quintessential Portland mode--the pale and IPA are classics. Consider the lager, though, which has a big following, too.

Stop 4: Lompoc Sidebar (3901A N Williams Ave)
The New Old Lompoc was founded in 1996 in NW Portland and has created a mini chain since. The Fifth Quadrant was one link in that chain, and it's located just around the corner from the Sidebar. You'll find the usual Lompoc fare there, but do yourself a favor and stop into the Sidebar. it's effectively a barrel house that has been converted into a pub. There's a fire crackling opposite the bar, and the walls are lined with casks of aging beer. As for the beer, the Sidebar is where the aged and rare stuff pours. You'll find big, boozy beers here, and maybe even a sour. It's a perfect way to end a pub crawl.

Other Areas of Interest
You'll be passing through some prime beer real estate, and if you want to go off the beaten path, here are a few possibilities:

• Amnesia Brewing (832 N. Beech Street). If you want to skip the Sidebar/Hopworks spur, you can stop off halfway and hit Amnesia (turn right off Failing at Mississippi and head south a block). It's another Portland institution, like Hopworks famous for its hoppy beers. Good vibe and good sausages to boot.
  
• McMenamins White Eagle Saloon (836 N. Russell St.). Just down from the Widmer Gasthaus is a classic old bar the McMenamin's bought back in the 1990s. The building dates back to frontier days, and you can feel the wild old ghosts knocking the walls.
• Pix Patisserie (3901 North Williams). In between the two Lompocs, occupying the corner space of Williams and Failing, is one of the best dessert shops in the city. They also have an impressive selection of bottled beers--Belgians, mostly--which are cheaper than anyplace in the city.

Beervana's Best Pub Crawls: Division Street

Best pub crawls: Downtown | Southeast | Division St.| North

A lot of people come to Portland on vacation. A lot of them want good beer. Unfortunately, very few of them have the kind of time and money it would take to do a thorough tour. They--perhaps you--must therefore be choosy. But how? Look no further than your friendly neighborhood blogger. Below is the third in a series of neighborhood-based pub crawls that will take you through the best the city has to offer. Portland is most famous for its brewpubs, but Oregon has over a hundred breweries and counting. Today's crawl is ideal for the visitor more interested in an overview of Oregon beers than a survey of brewpubs. You will find a diverse list of beers from the three non-brewing pubs on this list, and you'll also get a rich sense of Beervana's beer culture--which includes a lot more than brewpubs.

Travel. From Victory Bar to Beermongers is 1.4 miles in a straight shot. It's not well-spaced out, though, and the distance between stops two and three is 1.2 miles. You have a handful of Portland-esque choices to navigate this distance: walking, biking, or busing. Busing is probably the best choice, because, as you'll see with stop four, you're going to be toting a lot of baggage with you by the end of things. It's easy-peasy, though: just catch the #4 Division bus downtown, and it will take you to stop #1 in just fifteen short minutes. After you exit stop two, you can choose to hop the bus between stops or walk. In any case, I recommend getting a $4.75 all-day pass for this crawl, that way you don't have to think about the bus; just hop on it when you're ready. (Click map to enlarge)


1. Victory Bar (3652 SE Division)
The Victory is not, truth be told, a beer bar per se. It's just one of Portland's best bars period, which, not surprisingly, has a small but well-selected taplist. The food's great--make sure you get something in your stomach--and the ambiance is a perfect mixture of relaxing, urban, and secretive. (You are on a beer crawl, so don't get distracted, but the cocktails are stellar, too.) I'm not alone in this assessment--it's killing on Yelp. It's also a nice way to get a sense of the scene in Portland. We're all about beer, but you know, we're not only about the beer.


2. Lompoc Hedge House (3412 SE Division)
There once was a bar in NW Portland called the Old Lompoc. Jerry Fechter bought it and turned it into a brewpub. Later, he did a full renovation and called it the New Old Lompoc, which you are welcome to take as a metaphor for Portland. Over the years, the Lompoc has expanded into a small collective of outposts ("chain" is not the right word). Hedge House is a 99-year-old bungalow on Division that has a great patio and the usual, tasty Lompoc beers. The brewery is known for muscular Northwest ales, which is also what the city's known for, so have a pint and see what you think.

Detour: Pix Patisserie. Before you get on any buses, consider walking next door to Pix Patisserie for one of the city's best desserts. The absolutely stunning concoctions coming out of the bakery include things like the Amélie, winner of a prestigious French pastry competion (brûlée atop mousse), the Jubilee (champagne mousse and strawberries), and a pear-rosemary tart. They also have wonderful bottled Belgian beers because, you know, it's Portland.

3. Apex Bar (1216 SE Division)
Apex is a fascinating manifestion of late-stage beer geekery of the kind found in very few cities. There are something like fifty beers available here, and they span the cream of the beer world's crop, including the extra-special beers from Beervana. There's a flat-screen TV above the bar that has minute-by-minute updates about what's on tap, sort of in the manner of off-track-betting screens with updated odds. The vibe is PBR cool--the bar, for example, is a repurposed shuffleboard bar. Yet they regularly stock some of the world's finest beers--Dupont, Rodenbach, Mort Subite, Weihenstephaner, etc. (This is the classic Portland high-low.) Apex also offers rare and/or most highly coveted beers from the West Coast. (Behold.) It is the best list in town, and I'd put it up against any list in the world. If you have the munchies, you must go next door to Los Gorditos for a burrito, but Apex smiles on this practice--they even encourage you to bring it back with you for a second pint.


4. Beermongers (1131 SE Division)
Your final stop is a bottle shop, located kitty-corner from Apex across Division. If you were enjoying a pint out on Apex's vast patio, you might have noticed it. In addition to bottles, Beermongers also has eight, always well-selected taps. You can grab a pint of draft while you peruse the large bottle selection. As the name implies, the folks running the store aren't just cashiers; they're beer sellers, and they can tell you about every bottle in the store. If you're looking to take a piece of Beervana back with you, here's the place to stock up.

Beervana's Best Pub Crawls: Southeast

Best pub crawls: Downtown | Southeast | Division St. | North

A lot of people come to Portland on vacation. A lot of them want good beer. Unfortunately, very few of them have the kind of time and money it would take to do a thorough tour. They--perhaps you--must therefore be choosy. But how? Look no further than your friendly neighborhood blogger. Below is the second in a series of neighborhood-based pub crawls that will take you through the best the city has to offer (here's the first). Today we go to the heart of Beervana. If you can only do one pub crawl in Portland, this is the one to do. It will give you the broadest sense of what is available in the city, beerwise.

Getting There and Back
Today's crawl happens just across downtown in Portland's Southeast. Starting downtown, take a short walk across the Morrison Bridge to stop #1. If you aren't up for walking, hop the Number 15 Bus (Belmont) and ride to 11th and Belmont. This puts you one block from stop #3 on the pub crawl, and you can navigate from there. Once you've landed, everything else can be reached by foot. If you do end up at Burnside Brewing, it is on a direct bus line. Hop the 2o or 12 and it will take you back across the bridge to downtown. (Click map to enlarge.)

Stop 1: Hair of the Dog Brewing (61 SE Yamhill)
There are a few stops along Portland's beer trail that locals consider hallowed ground. One is Hair of the Dog, a ground-breaking brewery that was doing 2011 beer in 1994. The founding brewer, Alan Sprints, is famous for producing tiny batches of huge beer, each lovingly tended (if sometimes faultily bottled). In addition to the succulent regular beers (Adam, Fred, Doggie Claws, Blue Dot), you'll find barrel-aged versions, specialty beers, and even small beers (Little Adam and Little Fred). The pub overlooks downtown and there's a great (if small) menu, to boot. (Fuller review here.)

Stop 2: Lucky Labrador (915 SE Hawthorne)
The Lucky Lab might be considered hallowed ground in Portland, too--for a different reason. Founded just a couple months after Alan Sprints sold his first beer, the Lab is the quintessential Portland brewpub. Its vibe has been echoed many times in the years since it was founded--though the porch outside, where dogs are as welcome as their owners, remains a unique feature in the Rose City's beerscape. The Northwest was destined to be a hophead's paradise, but the Lab did its part in making that a reality. Their beers are old-school hoppy, as green and bitter as the July days are long. As a tuning fork for understanding the city and its culture, you must spend an hour at the Lab. (Full review here.)

Stop 3: Cascade Barrel House (939 SE Belmont)
Ready for a change of pace? Ron Gansberg was the diligent brewer in the Beaverton-based Raccoon Lodge for years and years. He made the kinds of easy-drinking ales suburban drinkers like. Eventually, he began to tinker with sour ales. He bought a few barrels and started aging and blending. He added fruit to the mix. His collection of barrels expanded to include bourbon barrels and wine barrels. The beers he made were huge, very complex, and very much not the easy-drinking ales suburban drinkers crave. Owner Art Larrance recognized that Gansberg's side project had become the brewery's signature line, and so he opened up a new outlet at ground zero for beer geekiness. All of Gansberg's regular sours are here, plus two special cask blends, plus a few regular ales. It's a great space, and the menu goes nicely with the sour ales. (Fuller review here.)

Stop 4: Burnside Brewing (701 E Burnside)
The last stop on the crawl takes you to one of the newest breweries in Portland. If Hair of the Dog and the Lucky Lab show you where Beervana came from, Burnside points the way to the future. That future includes changes in beer and brewpubs, both evident at Burnside. For a generation, the brewpub experience was predicated on beer; as an afterthought, the pub offered a menu of burgers, sandwiches, and maybe a plate of fish and chips. Burnside has placed its focus as much on food as beer, and the menu reads like many newer restaurants. The beer is not brewed in isolation from the menu, either. Brewer Jason McAdam has abandoned the hops arms race and crafted a line of beers that pair nicely with the menu. He's a fan of smaller beers and of herbs and spices--definitely not the usual fare. (Fuller, but not very full review, here.)


Other Possibilities
This neighborhood is just thick with pubs. Even if you walk into a dive, you'll find a decent selection of good beer--probably better than in 75% of American pubs. If something doesn't thrill you on this list, here are a few alternatives:

• Green Dragon (928 SE 9th). The Green Dragon was an aspirational pub that aimed to be a brewpub one day. It ran into financial difficulties and Rogue snapped it up, adding a tiny brewery recently. Rogue more or less kept it as it was--an alehouse with an extensive list of taps. They even added more, and the total is now 50--almost none devoted to Rogue's beers. This would be on the list if it were in any other part of the city.
• Produce Row (204 SE Oak). This was one of the McMenamins' first pubs way, way back in the day. They sold it before there was a McMenamins, but it's always had a funky vibe and a great beer list. Ownership recently turned over, and it was spruced up a bit.
• Basement Pub (1028 SE 12th) and Roadside Attraction (1000 SE 12th). These two little pubs are right next to each other on 12th, and both have nice beer lists. Roadside Attraction is the more intriguing of the two, all for its ambiance: a warren-like space filled with strange tchotchkes and decorations.

A Little Further Out (Other other possibilities)
The pub crawl listed here is located between SE 12th and the River. A bit further out, along the spine of 28th Ave, there is a whole different trove of breweries and pubs.

• Coalition Brewing (2724 SE Ankeny). Another of the newer breweries, with a nice menu, nice patio, and very nice maple porter.
• Spints Alehouse (401 NE 28th). One of Portland's newer gastropubs, with a menu focused hearty German-inflected cuisine.
• Migration Brewing (2828 NE Glisan). Migration opened with beer quality issues but has since become a solid destination. The spaces is great and they have a nice list of guest taps.
• Also, Beulahland (118 NE 28th) and the Laurelthirst (2958 NE Glisan) are cool neighborhood bars with impressive beer lists.

What to Avoid
It is a testament to this part of the city that there's really nothing to avoid--even dive bars, bowling alleys, and corner cafes will offer you decent-to-spectacular beers. But be advised: for every minute you're off the beaten track, that's a minute you're not experiencing the best of Beervana.

Beervana's Best Pub Crawls: Downtown

Best pub crawls: Downtown| Southeast | Division St. | North

A lot of people come to Portland on vacation. A lot of them want good beer. Unfortunately, very few of them have the kind of time and money it would take to do a thorough tour. They--perhaps you--must therefore be choosy. But how? Look no further than your friendly neighborhood blogger. Below is the first in a series of neighborhood-based pub crawls that will take you through the best the city has to offer.

Small Print
My choices are based largely on beer quality, but not exclusively. A pub crawl shouldn't be antiseptic and calculating--you're out to have a good time. These crawls will deliver the best in beer, but also a few oddball places that are fun and worth seeing. I've tried to limit stops to four--any more would be irresponsible. Finally, do yourself a favor familiarize yourself with Portland's legendary public transportation, which GPS tracking and free apps like this make a breeze. Leave the rental at the hotel; with your feet and public transportation you can enjoy the beer more.

Stop One: Full Sail at the Pilsner Room (309 SW Montgomery)
Unfortunately, the Full Sail test brewery is located at the south end of downtown, somewhat distant from the other cluster of places on our tour. You don't have to be particularly intrepid to pull it off, though, and the results are well worth your effort. Let us count the ways: 1) John Harris, a legend in Oregon brewing, mans the brew kettle there. He started at McMenamins and then went on to be the founding brewery at Deschutes--where he created the recipes for Mirror Pond, Black Butte, Jubelale, and others--before going to Full Sail in the 90s. 2) The location, on the marina overlooking the beautiful Willamette River. 3) The beer--all of Full Sail's regulars plus some home cookin' from Harris and at least a couple well-tended cask engines. 4) The happy hour (between 3-6), where you can get ridiculously cheap food, including a $3 half-pound burger.

Travel. (Click map to enlarge) You have a few options. Easiest but slowest: walk. Almost as easy and almost as slow--but air conditioned!: walk south to the streetcar stop at River Dr and River Parkway, and ride it (it's free) to the Powell's stop at tenth and Burnside. From there you're two blocks away. Fastest but trickiest: Walk west along Montgomery, and wend your way across Naito Parkway (there's only one way to go) and proceed to Harrison Street (a jog to your left--or the south--a half block). From there you walk to Sixth Ave and wait for the free Max Light rail at stop 7774. Ride it three stops to Pine and Sixth (stop 7787) and then walk to blocks to the next stop.

Stop Two: Bailey's Taproom (213 SW Broadway)
Not counting duplicates, there are forty breweries in Portland. That's just a third of all the breweries in Oregon. Since you can't travel to each of them, and since you may not be able to travel beyond Portland, you need to find an alehouse where the publican has selected some choice pours. One of the best places in the city is Bailey's, where owner--and probably the guy handing you your beer--Geoff Phillips regularly assembles an amazing group of beers. At least half will be from Oregon, and many will be from smaller breweries you may not have heard of. It's a great place to find some gems from around the state. Geoff is happy to make recommendations so you get the perfect beer.

Stop Three: McMenamin's Ringler's Annex (1223 SW Stark)
The McMenamin brothers got into the pub business in the 70s and in the 80s helped change the law so they could get into the brewing business. But what they really excel at is the ambiance business. Over thirty years they've snapped up some of the most impressive properties in the Northwest and bent them into psychedelic little time capsules. They brew very mainstream beer, and not always with the greatest care, but never mind that. You go for the vibe. Ringler's is in a slice of building at the fork of Burnside and Stark. If you descend into the basement, you enter a space that recalls equal parts speakeasy and Portland's shanghai-ing history. It's worth a stop.

Stop Four: Deschutes Brewery (210 NW 11th)
If you only make it to two or three breweries on your visit, Deschutes should be on your list. The Bend-based brewery opened this pub in the chic Pearl District, but brought plenty of Central Oregon with them. Inside the obligatory warehouse space, Deschutes has created a mountain lodge with chainsaw art, lots of wood, and a huge fireplace. The real attraction is the beer. In addition to all the regulars, you'll find pub-only specials created by Ryan Schmiege on the pub's 10-barrel system. He has a real talent for subtle beers and lagers. Deschutes also offers their specialty beers on tap at the pub (The Abyss, The Dissident, Mirror Mirror, etc.) when they're available. Finally, Deschutes maintains two cask engines, and they are reliably among the best in the city.


Other Options
These four stops aren't the only places to see downtown. If one or more of them don't float your boat, here are a few alternatives:

• Higgins (1239 SW Broadway). Higgins is one of Portland's best restaurants, but relevant to our purposes, it is one of the nation's oldest gastropubs. Since the mid-1990s, chef Greg Higgins has been pairing his regional, sustainable cuisine with some of Oregon's and world's best beers. He has a selection of a dozen taps and over 100 varieties of bottled beer. If you're looking for a place to eat downtown and you're willing to spend a bit, this is the place to go. And not to worry--the waitstaff is as knowledgeable about beer as they are wine. You can also pop into the bar for a pint.
  
• Rogue (1339 NW Flanders). This outpost of the Rogue empire is a non-brewing pub, and is the location of the first Portland Brewing brewery (now called MacTarnahan's). You'll find a large selection of Rogue beers and a decent menu. The downside is the cost--pints and plates are quite a bit more money than comparable fare elsewhere. Since Rogue is available in most states, it's a tweener. Go if you love Rogue, but skip it otherwise.
  
• Henry's Tavern (10 NW 12th). Henry's takes its name from the brewery that once stood at this location for 150 years--Henry Weinhard's. The building is still there, and it still feels like sacred ground to me. Unfortunately, Henry's is a pretty bland yuppie restaurant. The virtue are the 100 taps, including a large selection of regionals. Like Rogue, though, you pay a lot for the privilege of drinking a pint there.
  

Places to Avoid
Even in Beervana, not every place is a winner. Your time is valuable, and you shouldn't spend it at these places:

• Rock Bottom Brewery (206 SW Morrison). Until very recently, Rock Bottom was home to Van Havig, a very talented brewery who was given free reign to follow his bliss so long as he brewed a few of the chain's standards. Until very recently, Rock Bottom wasn't owned by a private-equity firm. But now they are, Van's out, and the beer is mall-ready. Don't bother.
  
• Tugboat Brewing (711 SW Ankeny). Tugboat is the polar opposite of Rock Bottom--a funky little hole-in-the-wall that feels like a cross between a beatnik coffeehouse and your best friend's basement rumpus room. It is not without its charms, but beer, sadly, is not among them. It's not much larger than a home-brewery, and the beer is totally unpredictable.