Speaking of Love...

Nine months ago, Rogue bought the Green Dragon, a nice, new little pub with 20 nice taps. The resulting furor was intense, and Rogue came in for a lot of pretty harsh criticism:

"[T]his is quite depressing. I'm still hoping this doesn't come to fruition, but if this holds up the East side just had a major setback."

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"T]here’s a reason I haven’t been to the Public House in Portland for years. The food is pretty spendy for the average quality and the beer list certainly lacks diversity."

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"This will mean no more eclectic tap offerings outside of Rogue’s own brands and perhaps a limited guest taps at the location. What started out as one of the best beer bars in Portland will simply become another Rogue location."

It wasn't unreasonable speculation--why would Rogue buy a financially-troubled pub and not turn it into a vehicle to sell its own beer? Why wouldn't the brewery re-brand it? Those of us who love tap diversity and will patronize a place with obscure foreign beers are still, even in Beervana, a distinct minority, so from a business perspective, one couldn't reasonably expect Rogue to continue to cater to us. And yet it appears that's exactly what they've done.

In addition to preserving the broad tap selection, Rogue has effectively buried its ownership. You can see evidence of Rogue Nation if you speak the language: the table sets include six-pack containers with beer-bottle salt and pepper shakers. The menu is familiar. But they've done a lot to scrub their involvement--the sixer containers are from regional breweries. The taps are every bit as diverse as they ever were--and I've been there when not a single one was a Rogue beer. (Which, as a fan of Rogue, was actually disappointing. I might have gone for a Brutal Bitter had it been available.)

All of which leads me to the latest news: later this month, Rogue will be hosting a small-brewery beer fest.

"On August 29th from 11:00am to 9:00pm, the city of Portland will close down SE 9th Street between SE Belmont and SE Yamhill for the 1st Annual Oregon Indie Beer Fest. The event will feature 30+ small, independent Oregon-based brewers that brew no-more-than 1000 barrels per year, providing festival goers with exciting, hard-to-find beers. To prepare us for this unique gathering, Green Dragon will be tapping some of these independent brews each day of the week (August 24-28) leading up to the festival."

Even by the high standards Rogue has maintained with the Green Dragon, this is exceptional. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they're hosting a brewers festival to highlight their competition. The press release doesn't say anything about Rogue's participation, but they certainly won't qualify in terms of barrelage restrictions. It would be all the more remarkable if Rogue hosts a beer festival for the competition in which they themselves can't participate.

This looks to be a very cool fest, and I'm looking forward to it. Nice work, Rogue!

Green Dragon Report

It was exactly like it was before Rogue took it over, save for the menu. I met a friend for lunch and we enjoyed a Roots Habanero Stout (Roots, the intended destination, was closed due to an electrical issue) and a Cascade Mouton Rouge. The waiter, Stacy, was stellar and engaged me in a discussion about the virtue of hoppy beers v. sour beers.

Were there ominous signs? Hard to say. The only evidence Rogue was the owner were two small, subtle things: they used the six-pack containers as condiment trays, but the did not use Rogue sixers; two of the next four Meet the Brewer events are Rogue Brewers. There was one official-looking gray haired guy with a clipboard wandering around taking notes. But maybe he was with the city--who knows?

I gotta say, if this is the end result, those who were worried should be breathing a big sigh of relief.

Final Comments on the Green Dragon

In comments below, Green Dragon owner Ed Schwartz gives a thorough debrief of the final days of the pre-Rogue era.

Yes it is true that I will no longer be the owner of the Green Dragon. While I am bummed out it didn’t work out with me as owner –I am grateful to Rogue for stepping in and doing the things that we could not. The city is requiring the building to be sprinkled, doors to be inset, walls to be built separating the brewery. They have additionally tacked on over 51k in CBC fees. Completing the brewery should take another 50k or so. The building has to be sprinkled by February in order to stay open. Lolo and I don’t have the resources to do this—the consequences being that everyone would lose their favorite watering hole, and several employees would lose their jobs…..which is why I began talking to Rogue. Viewing them as the enemy is silly—they are doing Portland and Green Dragon customers a favor by keeping this institution alive. I’d give them a break and see how things develop –their reasons for stepping in, as I understand it, are that they too fell in love with the Dragon and want to take what we started (19 rotating taps etc., meet the brewers nights, etc) and run with it.

I think emotions run high due to our feelings for the Green Dragon. Mine certainly are as well. In my dealings with Rogue I have gotten a sense that their heart is in the right place on wanting to take care of the customers, employees (providing them with health insurance and matching 401k which I could not) and Founders Club – If anybody has questions about anything—I’ll be in this Tuesday for Meet the Brewer and would be glad to answer any specific questions then.

Best to you,

Ed Schwartz
Green Dragon Brewpub

Thanks for the info, Ed. And best to you, too--

Green Dragon Reax

[Note: the post has been updated.]

Is there any doubt this is really a beer paradise? A brewery taking over a local bar might not make news in most towns, but in Portland, it's a Very Big Deal. Below are some early reactions. Keep reading, though, because Champagne of Blogs has a call for direct action--I'll note that at the end of the post.

DA Beers
As a mug club member and big fan of the Green Dragon, this is quite depressing. I'm still hoping this doesn't come to fruition, but if this holds up the East side just had a major setback.

I'll be honest, I don't like Rogue very much. Their beer is decent, a few are really good, but overall overpriced. They don't treat their employees very well, and the ones they do have often couldn't care less about knowing their product. Everything is overpriced in their pubs, so I'll stick to the bottles and maybe forking over the big chips to try something special if it is only on tap.

Champagne of Blogs
I don’t have a particular beef against Rogue, I drink their beer, but there’s a reason I haven’t been to the Public House in Portland for years. The food is pretty spendy for the average quality and the beer list certainly lacks diversity.

Doc Wort
Lets' hope for little change in the Green Dragon's beer selections...

This falls on the heels of our past loss of Rose and Raindrop Pub which was another beer bar icon to the city. That was sold to banking company.

It's Pub Night
Personally, I think it could be a positive thing. Ed was new to the pub business, and he wasn't particularly interested in beer. In my opinion, getting beer people in at the top is not a bad thing -- Ed's a nice guy, but just a few months ago everyone was wringing their hands about the loss of control by Jim Parker and Lolo.

Most people know that Ed had chosen another local brewer to take over the slowly-gestating brewing operation -- a friend of mine, as it happens. He hasn't been officially hired yet, so I'll be upset if the sale puts a stop to that. On the other hand, if he gets to become a Rogue brewer, that's a huge feather in his cap, not to mention an excellent catch by Rogue. So I'm looking on the bright side.

Champagne of Blogs isn't taking this lying down:

So, like good beer drinking activists, we’re taking it to the Web. BS Brewing developed a simple petition for Rogue should this sale go through. Here’s the petition:

Rogue’s buying the Green Dragon. Our demands are very simple. We want them to agree to:

1. Not put their crappy food on the menu.
2. Maintain the EXCELLENT tap list, and not just fill the keg cooler with sub-par Rogue brews.
3. Keep the amazingly knowledgeable wait staff.

So, how can YOU join the movement that’s sweeping across Portland? Simple, join us on Facebook or leave a comment here. We’ll be sure to forward everything to Rogue.

I would probably tweak that petition if it were me. I doubt Rogue regards it's menu as "crappy," so this may not be wholly persuasive. Nor do they regard their beers as "sub-par." Political action requires a bit of finesse. Twere I to have composed it, I might have said, "skip the usual pub fare and maintain a menu of eclectic, excellent food," and on point two just go with "maintain the excellent tap list by continuing to have a broad selection of beers from around the region and world." But it's not my petition, so you can sign that one as you like.

To add my own two cents. As with everyone, I love the diversity and eclecticity of the Green Dragon. In a perfect world, I wouldn't change a thing. Good pubs are hard to come by. On the other hand, it's possible people are missing the proper mental frame here. I don't know that the choice is between Rogue Green Dragon and Green Dragon. It may well be between Rogue Green Dragon and nothing. No doubt the owners wouldn't be making the deal if they had the cash to keep it as is. So while I will miss the current incarnation, and while I strongly support the effort to keep it as diverse as possible, I also appreciate the possibility that the pub doesn't go away completely.

[Update. I added Bill's comment from It's Pub Night in the reactions section.]

Rogue Buying the Green Dragon?

So sayeth Angelo:

According to reliable and undisclosed sources, Rogue will purchase what is currently the Green Dragon Pub and Bistro. One source says “Apparently papers are to be signed Friday (November 14). Officially no one has been fired but no one is expecting to have a job and they already have new people lined up. They are going to close down the Dragon on Monday for three days which is some kind of legal thing to change over ownership of the business. No employee is promised a job after this week.” Another source reported that Loren “Lolo” Lancaster still remains a 1/3 owner of the establishment, and the brewer and publican is trying to find a means to stop the changeover. It is also unclear whether the switch will even be totally legal. This will mean no more eclectic tap offerings outside of Rogue’s own brands and perhaps a limited guest taps at the location. What started out as one of the best beer bars in Portland will simply become another Rogue location.

Methinks Angelo is going to get his Rogue Nation membership terminated:

Rogue was founded by University of Oregon frat brother Jack Joyce and Bob Woodell and another friend Rob Strasser in 1988. Joyce, a former CEO, and supposed Coors drinker, and his comrades currently offer no happy hour at any of their ten locations.

Rogue responded, criticizing a few of the details in the post, but not its substance. Consider it a go.

[Update: Foyston confirms. Joyce downplays how much it will change, but make no mistake, it's going to change markedly.]

Tuesday at the Green Dragon

Meet the Brewer Tuesday
Green Dragon Pub
938 SE 9th Ave

The Green Dragon pub has a regular feature I've been bad about promoting--every Tuesday, they have a brewer on-site to chat with patrons. In some cases, like when Heater | Allen came, it's a new brewery. In others, it's a familiar brewery, so they bring some special beers to show and tell. Tomorrow it's Deschutes, and the Green Dragon is hinting Abyss may make an appearance. (To quote from their email: "Not to spread rumors, but we might just get a bit more of a certain imperial stout that night...")

Future schedule:

Feb. 26 Laughing Dog Brewery from Sandpoint, Idaho.
March 4 Double Mountain Brewery from Hood River (Charlie and Matt are sure to bring something amazing)
March 11 Block 15 Brewing from Corvallis ("St. Steve" Van Rossum returns to the brewhouse at this new start-up)
March 18 Fish Brewing from Olympia, Wash. (Former Glen Falconer Scholarship winner Jenn Gridley)
March 25 Full Sail Brewing (John Harris always has something fun cooking)
April 1 Cornelius Pass Roadhouse (No fooling: Corey Blodgett will show off his beers outside the McMennanin's empire)

I'll keep you updated.

[Update. From the Green Dragon, in today's email: "Just a reminder that tonight's Meet the Brewer is with Cam O'Connor of Deschutes Brewery. We will be pouring the new Green Lakes Organic Amber, St. Abe Belgian Artisanal Ale, Big Red (a double version of Cinder Cone Red).. oh yeah, and some stout called Abyss, or something like that. Taps open at 6 p.m."

Sounds like an interesting line-up--in addition to the Abyss are two other interesting beers, plus the new Green Lakes.]

Green Dragon: Early Appraisal

The Green Dragon, to its credit, has decided to throw open its doors before all the screws have been tightened. There's still no brewery, and the space has a certain provisional feel. But the kitchen's cooking, and the taps are flowing, and on the Friday night I visited, the seats were being warmed by the behinds of a full crowd. This is a similar effort--an interim, pre-review.

Background
The Green Dragon may seem vaguely familiar to you. This could be because you're familiar with the American ur-story or because you've seen one of the 97 Green Dragons elsewhere. About those that predate the Boston pub that inspired Jim Parker's Portland outpost I cannot speak. But about that Boston pub, I can at least quote:

The name the Green Dragon has historic roots, dating to before these United States were even a reality. The original Green Dragon Tavern was in the basement of a building and was the largest gathering place of its kind in Boston when Paul Revere and other like-minded Revolutionaries decided that they had had enough of that taxation without representation stuff.

They planned the Boston Tea Party at the Green Dragon. It also was where Revere started his famous midnight ride to Lexington with his warning that the British were coming.

The building that housed the original Green Dragon in Boston was torn down in 1854, but a Green Dragon Tavern in Beantown remains.

I have actually been to the more historic tavern in Boston, but the truth is that from the inside it's a little boring and generic. Ours is better.

Thumbs Up
The intention behind the Green Dragon was not just another brewpub. Owners Jim Parker and Loren Lancaster were aiming for something along the lines of a Belgian cafe--fantastic beer, sure, but also fantastic, fresh food. It is an evolution that has long influenced Portland dining, and I've been waiting (and praying) for it to spread to brewpubs. The two things are so closely connected--beer is an artisinal product very closely connected to its agricultural building blocks. In Belgium, cafes feature freshness of food prominently alongside their biere. But we inherited the English pub model, and with it deep-fried foods. I thought we might be forever doomed to have to go different places for good food and good beer.

The Green Dragon rectifies this. I didn't scrawl down which beers they have on tap--the list I saw was already substantially different from reports I'd heard just days earlier on other blogs. The taps rotate quickly, but they are selected on the basis of diversity. Lots of good locals and a few international selections as well. For those who have been to Higgins, it will look familiar.

The food is even more impressive, though. I was there as part of a quartet, and got to see four dishes--a bowl of steamed mussels and chorizo, Cajun meatloaf sandwhich, a fig and cheese sandwhich, and guajillo chiaquiles, which was a bowl full of Mexican goodness. I'm not really qualified to write about food, and I feel inadequate doing it. What I observed generally was fresh, unprocessed food, well-prepared, and ultimately well-received. Sally gave it a big thumbs up. There are almost no brewpubs you could envision going when you were hungry but not in the mood for a beer (a hypothetical, obviously). The Green Dragon breaks new ground in that respect.

Thumbs Down
Is it my imagination, or do these glasses not looke like full pints (look carefully and you can see a hand behind the glass in this picture). I'll have to take my pyrex measuring bowl in next time. They're cool-looking, but suspiciously diminutive.

The really big issue they need to address, and quickly, is heat. There was no heat on the night we went, and it couldn't have been more than 60 in there. I saw a regular I knew--actually even a member of the mug club with what looked like a 20-ouncer in hand--and he was draped with a blanket. The building's an old warehouse, and that's what it feels like inside. Take gloves and a coat.

I'll report back as the changes are implemented.

Selected Beer News

Fresh Hop Tasting at the Pilsner Room
0309 SW Montgomery St (Harborside)
503-220-1865

The Pilsner Room at McCormick & Schmick's Harborside debuts seven taps of fresh hop ales tonight. These are the experimental, one-of-a-kind beers breweries made from freshly-picked hops in the past several weeks. It's a nice opportunity to sit down and sample more than one so you can begin to pick up on the characteristics that distinguish fresh hops from dried hops--you can't miss the difference. For some reason, I have a list that includes only six names, so consider the last one a mystery tap:

• Full Sail Lupulin Ale
• BridgePort Hop Harvest Ale
• Sierra Nevada Havest Ale
• Deschutes Hop Trip
• Great Divide
• Laurelwood Fresh Hop Extra Pale Ale

Green Dragon Gears Up
928 SE 9th Avenue

I stuck my head in the Green Dragon last week on my way to the Lucky Lab for a pint of Mutt (the brewery's fresh hop offering--review to come) last week. It's going to be a pretty cool place. The seating portion of the pub is on the 9th Avenue side, and you can see the brewery space in the warehouse beyond. The seating is elegant but not posh--it has a decidedly East Side feel and will fit in nicely in the Beermuda Triangle. Brewing should begin soon, with beers ready in--according to the waitress I asked last week--a month. Also, this update from owner Jim Parker:

"As I type,the draft lines ae being installed and we will soon jump from four taps to 18. Make that five to 18... we just tapped the first pint of Old Rasputin on nitro... the first beer through our draft system. The other taps will be up and running before the end of the night. We also just tapped Double Mountain Killer Green... a fresh-hop IPA.

Other current offerings include Czechvar, Bend Black Diamond Dark Lager, and Collaborator Cascadian Dark Ale. Coming soon: New Belgium LaFolie, Hopworks Urban Brewery IPA, Amnesia ESB, Ninkasi Total Domination IPA, Racer X double IPA, Walking Man Sasquatch Legacy, an imperial steam beer, Avery 14 strong ale, Redstone Black Raspberry Nectar mead, Deschutes Lone Rock organic red ale (a test batch of the upcoming Green Lakes organic red that will be released in December), Dupont Saison Avec le Bon Veaux.

We're still trying to get our hands on the European tavern heads that will allow us to tap such goodies as Maredsous 8 and JW Lees Harvest Ale. So no guarantees on extra taps tonight, but by tomorrow, is a lock. Beer engines next."

If you're in the neighborhood, it's worth ambling over to the Lucky Lab and Roots for the fresh hop ales, too.

The Green Dragon Awakes

Jim Parker's new brewpub, the Green Dragon, is in the midst of a slow opening. The liquor licence is a week or more away, and the beer isn't flowing quite yet. The kitchen is open, and if you want to pop in to see what it will look like, the doors are open. (My guess is that every plate of Belgian-style mussels* you order speeds up the opening, too.) From an email Jim sent out, the beer will be flowing soon: The Green Dragon "should be serving beer, wine and liquor at least in the Bistro space by next week's end."

Leave a comment if you've stopped by and have observations. I will do a review at some point, but it's always nice to let a place get up and running and work out the bugs, so maybe I'll do preliminary posts on the beer first.

The Green Dragon Bistro and Brewpub
928 SE 9th
Portland, Oregon
503.517.0660

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*Actual dish.