What Makes a Good Brewpub?

The Street, riffing on RateBeer, has collected together a list of the country's best brewpubs.  It is, as lists inevitably are, fatally flawed.  The biggest problem with RateBeer's rankings is that the raters are all different.  According to RateBeer, the number one brewery in the United States is Peg's Cantina in Gulfport, FL.  There are currently 53 breweries in Florida, roughly the amount we have in Portland.  So whether Peg's is the best or not--and looking at the website, it's possible--the people who rated it have a very different pool of comparisons than those who rated, say, Hopworks (37th).  It's a lot harder to impress someone who lives in a city with dozens of brewpubs than someone who has one to choose from.  Indeed, something just doesn't quite track when you look at the list and see that the first ten brewpubs--including two I hope to visit in Italy--are foreign and the forty that follow are American.

Photo credit: Scottwwwwwww

But how would you construct criteria for "best?"*   It has to have good beer, obviously, but that's not enough.  The "pub" part has at least equal billing, so ambiance and food have to play a role.  I'd add another category I find critical: local character.  Unlike breweries, which can send their beer around the world, brewpubs are fixed in place.  The experience is local, and there should be some sense of place reflected in a brewpub.  I am never interested in going to a generic place that has a Appleby's feel--I want to know where I am when I walk in the doors.  One of my favorite brewpubs in the world is Portsmouth in Portsmouth, NH.  When we're traveling from Boston to Maine to visit Sally's family, I always try to finagle a stop.  It's New England, but not kitschy faux-New England like Gritty's in Portland, ME, which feels totally staged to me.

In our Portland, I have a list of brewpubs for first-timers that relies heavily on this "local" element (crossed with the factors of good beer, food, and ambiance).  Deschutes' in the Pearl, with its crazy chainsaw art, reminds you of pioneer Oregon.  Bikey Hopworks is tres Rose City.  And for that necessary crunch you must have in any full Portland meal, the Lucky Lab.  (If you visit and don't smell ganja, patchouli oil, and dog, you have done something wrong.)  Indeed, even though the food is average and the beer even worse, I often recommend Kennedy School, just because I know the only place people will ever see something like it is Oregon.

To their credit, The Street did place Walking Man in their top ten.  If had to visit a single brewpub from out of state (or country), they would learn a lot about the Pacific Northwest by stopping off in Stevenson.  So there's that.

Your thoughts?

__________________________
* The list-making, statistically-magnetized side of me suggests you could use these four dimensions: beer (6 pts), food (5), ambiance (4), and local color (5), scale them, and score brewpubs.  So Lucky Lab would get a 14 (4, 1, 4, and 5) while Deschutes would get a 16.5 (6, 3.5, 3, 4).  But the part of me that knows lists are futile says, "this warrants only a footnote mention."

Meet the New Brewery: Solera

The word Solera sounds vaguely Spanish and when used as a proper name reminds one of a luxury automobile or a sleeping pill.  In fact, it actually refers to a process, one worth spending a few sentences explaining.  It's a barrel-aging system used in wine, liquor (sherry, madeira, port) and vinegar production.  In liquors and vinegar, it's mainly a way of blending different vintages.  The blender has a series of casks, and at the end of a period of, say a year, he will remove some liquor from the final and oldest cask.  He replaces the removed liquor with liquor from the next oldest cask, and on down the line to the youngest cask, to which he will introduce new liquor.  In one variant, whisky producers replace volume lost to evaporation.  The process is similar in beer, with one huge difference: the goal is not only aging, but cultivating native yeast cultures within the barrels.  Brewers can blend beers from their soleras or just pull beer out straight and add wort.  It's pretty obscure, but Nick Arzner at Block 15 is using a solera to make his Caves Saison.

At the moment, Parkdale's newest brewery is sans solera--but we'll get to that in due course.  Let's talk about what it has, first.  It's the newest project of Jason Kahler, who was most recently at Big Horse down the road in Hood River.  Before that he was at Walking Man and Full Sail and before that, he was getting his brewing start in Duluth, MN at a place called Fitger's.  He's joined by partner John Hitt, a homebrewer with a background in biology and business--who's also a homebrewer.

Kahler took the helm at Big Horse a few years back and turned Hood River's red-headed stepchild into a place worth visiting.   He didn't often get to uncork wild yeast experiments, but when he did they were always impressive.  Hop fans know him for Vernon the Rabbit-Slayer, one of the most accomplished fresh hop ales and an annual fave.  But Big Horse, which has had a constant stream of brewers over the years, is not a final destination.  Jason was never going to follow his bliss making standard pale ales and stouts for a tourist brewpub.

Instead, he relocated 17 miles south in the wide spot in the road known as Parkdale, an unincorporated village of about 200.  The center of town is adorned by a 75-year-old theater that was, fifteen years ago, converted into the Eliot Glacier brewpub.  When the owners retired, they put the place on the block--brewery, building, and insane view of Mt. Hood (8 miles distant)--for a song.  Still, Parkdale's really remote, and it sat for the better part of two years before Jason and John decided to buy it.  They gave the 7-barrel system a scrub down and flipped the switch and about six weeks ago threw the doors open to the public.  

Beer and Brewing

To understand Solera's future, we look into Jason's past--and basement.  For years and years, even while he worked at different commercial breweries, Jason was conducting extensive experiments with soleras at home.  He now has something on the order of 20 in different sizes, which I take it his wife is a saint to tolerate.  He's also experimented with spontaneous fermentation, blending the results with the beer from the soleras.  Those form the research for projects he plans to continue at the new place, and he's currently looking for barrel space at warehouses around the area--the brewery building is far too small for a barrel room.  He even plans to convert the salad bar into a coolship and experiment with spontaneous fermentation out back.  It's hard to imagine a better place: the valleys around the brewery are forested in orchards, so the wild yeast ought to be healthy and dense. 

The first batch from Jason Kahler's private solera project.

In the meantime, he's making a range of eclectic ales roughly in the Gigantic mode--two standards and everything else rotating in and out.  Because it's Oregon, one standard is an IPA.  (As with Pints, Solera has no hops contract, so Jason has to work with hops he can find.  The current recipe uses the Zythos blend and Cascades and is lemony and thick.  I wouldn't be shocked to see it evolve.)  The other standard is far more unlikely: a 3%, sharply acidic Berliner weisse. 

What's amazing is the story of how it became a standard ale.  Solera may one day have the volume to send beer around the area, but it depends on local clientele.  And locals are principally hard working folks, not Portland hipsters and beer geeks.  Nevertheless, when Jason put Berliner Weisse on, they loved it.  This is pretty remarkable; when Full Sail put on a Berliner weisse at the Pilsner Room, it got geek admiration, but didn't move.  It's huge in Parkdale, though, so Solera will keep it on tap for them.  When they can, that is--and indeed, I had the misfortune of visiting on a day it was out.

The beer goes through a two-week lactic fermentation.  Jason experimented with different yeasts for the alcohol fermentation--German ale, lager, and saison.  Interestingly, the saison really didn't work; since saisons can have many qualities in common with Berliner weisses--wheat, tart character--you'd expect a fine marriage, but no.   The German ale strain, predictably, is the best fit.

Jason's also got a Grisette (4%) on tap and a stronger saison, both of which were delightful.  The Grisette, slightly phenolic and menthol-y with the French farmhouse yeast, is a perfect summer refresher.  He had on a pale made with no bittering hops--everything came in at about 15 minutes, and to get the BUs, that meant massive hopping.  These are not destined to last, of course, so you just have to visit to see what's on tap.  Oh, and Solera plans to make use of the local fruit bounty--look for ciders this fall. 

I hope John and Jason coordinate with Dave Logsdon and Charles Porter down the road at Logsdon Farmhouse Ales.  The two are just six miles apart and would make a drive out the Gorge a must for beer pilgrims.  They share a lot in common philosophically, too.  We have the makings of our own Senne Valley right here in Oregon.

As always, a few more pics below the fold.

Meet the New Brewery: Pints

"A craft is something where you're constantly tweaking and striving to make it better."  (Zach Beckwith)

If you're standing under the leafy canopy in front of Pints Brewing and you look to your right (north), you see Union Station; if you look left (south, obviously), you see Big Pink.  That stretch of Fifth Avenue is quieted by the Max line and is the perfect place to find a pub tucked into the old brick buildings.  Downtown has so few really good pubs, though; you almost never find one where it should be found.  I hope this augurs a change for the better.

Pints originally started as a coffee shop and pub and then owner Chad Rennaker had the idea of turning it into a brewpub.  He picked up a beautiful (but tiny) system that will become the showpiece of a dining room that is currently half-sheetrocked around a kitchen that isn't even half-installed.  (ETA two months.)  He hired Zach Beckwith, who has been working for Lompoc, and Zach is now a few batches into production. 

I first became aware of Zach last year when he made Voodoo Mild for the Mighty Mites fest.  Milds are fantastic beers but usually subtle (mild?) enough that they're underappreciated.  In what I will modestly say was a very strong line-up, Voodoo Mild might have been the standout.  It was impressively flavorful and just 3.4% strong.  Zach brings a similar sensibility to Pints, which I will let him describe in this wee video clip:


The beers are in the process of development, and will change batch to batch.  We can discuss tendencies, though.  Zach loves English floor malts, but prefers American hops.  Optic and Golden Promise are the current workhorses, but they're used in beers with hops like Glacier, Chinook, and Crystal.  (As I think will become a regular feature in these reviews, I'll note that Pints is having some trouble finding hops and has to take what they can get.  Most breweries have contracts and don't have to survive on the spot market--as Pints will when the new harvest comes in later this year.)

Floor malts give the beers rounded, fuller malt flavors.  The Tavern Ale, a strong bitter hopped with Willamettes, is cakey and lush, but it finishes with a nice crisp snap.  I thought I detected some water hardness and even sulfur, but Zach says he doesn't amend the neutral Portland water.  Red Brick Rye is fruity and spicy, Seismic IPA (made with Belgian pale) has relatively low bitterness but layered hop flavors, and Ripsaw NW Red is the most sharply bitter. Zach also has an historical English IPA in the bright tank that was lemony and very sessionable. 

My fave of the beers currently pouring is Steel Bridge Stout, made with Golden Promise and US pale malts, roasted barley, chocolate malt, brown malt, and midnight wheat.  Zach's originally from Michigan, and he grew up loving what he calls "Michigan stouts"--creamy, rib-sticking ales that could warm you on a frozen Upper Midwest night.  He will therefore almost certainly beef Steel Bridge up, but it's about perfect as an Oregon stout.  It's a creamy 6% stout that has found perfect balance between roastiness and a soft scone sweetness.

Some brewers enjoy experimentation, but Zach is an incrementalist.  As my call-out quote at the top of the post suggests, for him "craft" means slowly fine-tuning a beer into perfection.  Brewers always hate it when you associate them with any tradition (all brewers would have you believe their beers are sui generis), so probably Zach won't like me associating him with England's.  It's inescapable though--his temperament, his beers, and the setting of the pub, cozy and quiet, all point in that direction.  On the other hand, if you're not familiar with the British tradition, Pints is likely to seem familiar anyway--Portland's not far from London, aesthetically.

The beers on tap now are already in the B range, but he's only begun to tinker.  I hope to carve out some time in the coming months to stop by and try later batches and discuss what he's liking and what he's looking to change.  You might well stop in for a pint so you can watch them evolve, too.

More pics below the fold:

Review: Prodigal Son Brewing

230 SE Court Avenue
Pendleton, OR 97801
541-276-6090

Hours: Mon - Sat: 4 - 10pm, Fri: 11am - 11pm; Sun: noon - 9pm
Beers: A range of ales with an emphasis on local grains, especially wheat.
Other Notes: Kids okay; seasonal sidewalk seating available; on-street parking.


Pendleton, Oregon is an unassuming little town. As you approach it on Interstate 84, you see the copses of trees nestled down in pockets between scrubby hills that shroud all but a few buildings with the height to peek out. It's not an ostentatious spectacle, even along a stretch of road where the smallest landmark draws the eye. Yet while Pendleton may huddle low on the high desert, it stands tall in the imagination of the state. City leaders have chosen "the real west" as Pendleton's motto, a nod to the justifiably-famous Round Up and Woolen Mills that share its name. Yet it's also an allusion to a far darker, racier history that's more Deadwood than Dodge City.

Underneath Pendleton's sun-baked streets are a honeycomb of tunnels that for decades housed a shadow city. In that underground warren, cowboys visited opium dens, brothels (eighteen, purportedly), and of course, saloons--thirty two, if the legends are accurate. All of that "bounty" for a mere five thousand souls. It's amazing anyone ever crawled up to street level to see the light of day.

All of which makes the arrival of Prodigal Sun all the more noteworthy: if any city in Oregon needs a brewery, it's Pendleton. A group of locals who had been wandering the land decided it should be so; they returned to their hometown and are prodigal no more--and Pendleton has a brewery it can call its own.


The Pub
Thanks to Brewpublic's fine interview with the prodigal sons, I know now what I couldn't figure when I visited--that Prodigal Son occupies a former Packard dealership. Thus the main pub is the showroom floor, a large, saloon-like open area with a soaring two-story ceiling. Around the showroom--or pub--are what must have formerly been offices. Here they become private niches to entertain small groups, outfitted in a funky hodgepodge of different styles with thrift-store furniture. One of the rooms even has a movie screen and a scatter of couches in it--like a mini-Kennedy School. In fact, the vibe is actually not far from the McMenamins--a beautiful, restored historic space with lots of little nooks and crannies for exploration--but minus the hippie art. (This is Pendleton, after all.) It manages to capture a bit of old Pendleton, but if you teleported the whole place to 30th and Belmont in Portland, it would fit right in.


The Beer
The brewer, Brian Harder, got his start at Rogue following school at Siebel. He brews what would, to Portlanders, look like a pretty standard ale line-up. In Pendleton, which is uninterrupted Coors country, it might strike locals as more radical. Yet Portlanders would be mighty impressed with the execution--the range bears a distinctive voice; balanced, soft ales that are as approachable as they are accomplished. The softness is the tell, and I was surprised to find the beers this gentle--I figured Brian would have some fairly mineral-rich water to work with. Not so, apparently:

"It's surprisingly soft here. There is a substantial amount of permanent hardness but the temporary hardness varies depending on the time of year. The water department tells me that our city water is 25,000 years old. That is, from the time it rains to when it leaves the tap. I have water reports from the last 100 years and the water has remained relatively unchanged since then. In my opinion, it's good clean water and excellent for brewing.... Sometimes it is best to just let the beer make itself and not get overwhelmed with details like water hardness and pH."

Brian seems oriented in making beer as locally as possible. Pendleton is located in wheat country, and the brewery plans to use it as often as possible. One of their beers also uses rye to nice effect. And then there's this: "A friend of mine is growing hops in the valley and we'll use those for our wet-hop seasonal."

Below is a quick run-down of the beers on-tap the day I visited (excluding the IPA, which had blown).

• A Beer Named Sue (4.8%, 18 IBUs). I suppose you'd call this is a golden, but that's misleading. Goldens are often throw-away beers, but this was one of the best on tap (and Sally's favorite). I originally mistook the name for "a bee named Sue," because of the sweet honey note that brightens and lightens the beer. It is well-balanced to catch both the bisuity malts and gentle, spicy hopping. A great beer, and probably would be even better on cask.
  
• Wheatstock Hefeweizen (5.0%, 20 IBUs). This is the one dud in the bunch. It's well-made, but bland and characterless. Apparently it is the beer identified as the cross-over beer for wheat-appreciating Coors drinkers, but it's nothing to write home about.
  
• Veloci-Rapture Rye (5.4%, 30 IBUs). The brewery actually calls this an amber, but I think "rye" is more apt. It is in the same vein as some of the lighter, summer rye ales I mentioned earlier, but has is darker and packs a bit more heft. The recipe uses Simcoe hops (along with Citra, Glacier, and Crystal), and they play on the rye to pull out a distinctive juniper note. Although it bears the softness of the other beers, it's drier, and this also accentuates the rye spiciness.
• Spendor in the Glass (5.9%, 58 IBUs). An all-Citra beer that did a nice stand-in for the absent IPA. Soft, sunny, and lemony, but not particularly sharp. The listed IBUs seem high to me; rather, Splendor is an easy-drinking summer pale ale.
  
• Bruce/Lee Porter (7.5%, 36 IBUs). This is the beer that kept coming back to me in the days after my visit. A robust beer that conceals its strength in velvety-soft folds of chocolate. Roast notes balance the beer, but they play a minor role. It was a hot summer day when we visited, and I could easily have downed an imperial pint of this dark nectar.

With the exception of the hefeweizen, I'd put all of these beers in the B+/A- range, with a possible A going to the porter. I'd like another pint or three to see.


The Food
Call the menu Pub fare 2.0. Like many more modern brewpubs, it has the usual pub grub--fish and chips, burger, sandwiches--and a few interesting additions. Sally had a tasty onion tart and salad and I had sausage and fries. My guess is that it's some of the better food available in Pendleton--but Portland foodies shouldn't expect to find anything ground-breaking.

Overall, a most impressive debut. Pendleton is lucky to have such a great place to hang out--and they're really lucky to have such good beer. Now, I have to figure out how to get Prodigal Son to ship their porter to the Rose City ...

Surveying the New Breweries

[Note: I updated the post with a new, recently-opened brewery. Thanks, DA.]

In yesterday's post, I concluded by listing all the breweries scheduled to open in Portland in the next few months ... and missed at least three. Goes to show how many there are. So, let's review and see if we can capture a the full scope.

• Alchemy Brewing. This is Jason McAdam's new brewery. Jason was formerly with Roots, and brewed one king-hell of a fine imperial stout there. Alchemy will join the legions in Southeast Portland. Placeholder website here.
  
• Breakside. A brewpub scheduled to open in Woodlawn, an under-served part of Beervana. Scott Lawrence, a homebrewer, will man the mash tun. More info here.
  
• Coalition. A brewpub at 28th and Ankeny, and maybe the furthest along of this bunch. Owners Elan Walsky and Kiley Hoyt hope to work with homebrewing customers to create recipes (thus the "coalition"). More info here.
  
• Harvester. A gluten-free brewery from James Neumeister and Katrina “Kat” Jensen. Neumeister roasts the sorghum used in the beers. (See Brewpublic for more.)
  
• Migration. This brewery is just North of Coalition at 28th and Glisan. The owners say it will be open in "early 2010." (See Bill's write-up and also their Facebook page.)
  
• Mount Tabor. Bill sussed this one out on the OLCC website (.pdf). All we have is an address: 824 SE 73rd.
• [New!] Natian Brewing. A recently-opened 1.3-barrel nano brewery located at NE Sandy and Couch. They appear to specialize in cosmically-hoppy beers. (The 75 IBU IPA is described as "An IPA for non-hop heads.") Info: webpage, Facebook, Myspace.
  
• Occidental Brewing. Another phantom, this one has a logo, but we know no more.
  
• Rivergate Brewing. A North Portland pub on Lombard and Peninsular that plans to add a brewery. Early reviews are a bit mixed.

Holler if I missed anything.

Update: It occurs to me to mention that while there are eight breweries listed here, I can imagine at least a few reasons why some won't ever come to be. It's a lot easier to plan to open a brewery than it is to actually open one. That said, a couple of these are well on the way.

Rivergate Brewing - New North Portland Brewpub?

An emailar (whom I'm happy to credit if he wishes) just sent this in:

I live up in North Portland and came across a new sign over the weekend in a part of town sorely in need of a good beer bar or brewpub. It looks like the place is going to be called the North End Pub by Rivergate Brewing. A quick internet search turned up nothing, but maybe you can provide better insight from your contacts. The sign appeared above the space formerly occupied by Pietro's Pizza, then Big Daddy's BBQ and most recently by Sliders Bar and Grill (a lot of turn over - let's hope a brewpub has more staying power). It is located at 3011 N. Lombard (the corner of N. Lombard and N. Peninsular) across from a Walgreen's, King Burrito and a pawn shop - like I said, an area in need of a brewpub. It's a large space that should work well for a brewpub, but definitely needs some work as it has been empty for a year or so.

Anyone know anything about it?

Review: Fort George Brewery

I have been tardy about getting back to the breweries on my recent trip to Astoria. Let us now correct this oversight with a consideration of Fort George Brewery.

Brewers: Jack Harris and Chris Nemlowill
1483 Duane Street
Astoria OR 97103
(503) 325-PINT
Website

Hours: Mon-Thurs, 11am -11pm, Sat 11am - Midnight, Sunday, Noon - 11pm. Live music every Sunday night 8-10pm. Prices: Glass - $2.60, Pint - $3.85, Pitcher - $13, Taster tray - $8, Growler - $14. Beers: A large range of NW-style ales, Belgian interpretations, and regular use of botanicals.

As a region, the Oregon Coast, from Newport north, is starting to look like a mini-Beervana within Beervana. The two pillars are Rogue and Pelican, but Bill's Tavern, Siletz, and Astoria Brewing have all garnered plenty of praise. Since Rogue has a northern outpost in Astoria (and the nicest of all their pubs), you could spend a couple nights on the coast and hit a half dozen stellar breweries, all within a wonderful drive down highway 101.

Fort George is a great addition to this slate, and one born from it. The brewer who took us on a tour, Chris Nemlowill, is a co-founder and co-brewer along with his partner Jack Harris, the man behind Bill's Tavern in Cannon Beach. Chris is also a local. He got his start at Bill's where, fresh from college, with degrees in computer science and marketing, he offered himself an internship. He showed up and told Jack, "I want to do an internship and work for you for 120 hours--for free." Bill took him up on the offer, and he learned how to brew commercial volumes (it almost doesn't bear mentioning that he started as a homebrewer--but of course, he did). In '05 he got a job at Astoria/Wet Dog, and in 2006, he and Jack opened their brewery in the historic Fort George Building in downtown Astoria.

As a transition to a description of the beer, let me post a video clip of Chris describing where their flagship beer, Vortex IPA, got its name (thereafter I'll describe that beer). He and Jack were transporting the brewhouse cross-country and about halfway along, they ran into a spot of weather:



Beer
Fort George brews a lot of beer, and I only tried a little of it. Don't ask me how this happened--clearly blogger error was the culprit. When we visited, on the order of a dozen Fort George beers were available. They seem to fall generally into three overlapping categories: NW-style ales (IPA, porter, stout, pale), Belgians (wit, dubbel, golden), and botanically-infused beers. This latter category reveals Jack Harris' influence--Bill's Tavern is well-known for herbal beers. I tried just three of the dozen, which I guess provides me an ideal excuse to head back soon. (A taplist is posted in the right margin of the Fort George blog.)

• Divinity. Ft. George does a regular wit, which in addition to the usual adjuncts includes lemongrass and elderberry flower. Divinity is this beer re-fermented with raspberries. It tastes much like a standard wit, though drier and more acidic. The berries are perhaps responsible for the more vinous acid--they don't add a strong berry flavor, leaving the base beer mostly intact. Their contribution is aromatic and suggestive. Very fine beer. If the OBF invites them, I suggest sending Divinity. Rating: B+
• XVI Chapel. Named for a malapropism by a guy who helped install the brewery (he referenced Michaelangelo's "Sixteen Chapel"). It's an IPA/dubbel hybrid, dry-hopped three times. The aroma is pure, piney hops, masking any yeast character. That holds true for the flavor, too--the hopping is so intense you don't get any of the nutty malt flavor from the dubbel grist bill nor the abbey ale character. It's a beautiful-looking beer, but the hops flatten out the character. Rating: C
• Vortex IPA. When we were at the brewery admiring Vortex, we discussed the old difficulty of how to describe a beer. IPAs present a special problem because there are so many versions--particularly many that are good but not distinguishable. Fortunately, this is not one of those beers--it is probably the first one since Inversion that seemed new and distinct. A big boy at 7.7%, and Chris says it's 97 IBUs. I just can't believe that, though. The hops are far too nuanced to come on that strong--the aroma is succulent and the green hop flavors are layered without going to the extremes of bitterness. It's deceptive because it's so approachable--the hops are in harmony with the sweet, gentle malt--and you could easily find yourself quaffing it like a session. (I advise against.) As a parting visual, I leave you with the three tasters John, Lisa, and I had. See the lovely, frothy head retention?--even after the beer was gone! Rating: A/A-
  

Food
Chris bought us a taster tray of Fort George's handmade sausage, four varieties, and they were all exceptional. (I have a friend who loves sausage and he always asks why I don't write more about it. Brian: this is the good stuff.) Chris also plopped a nice plate of rough-cut fries with skins, and those were also excellent. But beyond this, I can speak to none of the food. The website has a menu, and it features mostly pub-style food, with a nod toward local seafood.

Astoria's a great place to visit, and if you do, be sure not to miss Fort George. If you exit the town without trying at least a pint of the Vortex, you'll never forgive yourself.

New Brewpub - Captured by Porches

There is apparently a new brewpub slated to open in St. Johns "soon." The evocatively-titled Captured by Porches will be just south of the St. Johns Bridge on Highway 30 (5909 NW Saint Helens Road), with Forest Park on one side, and one of those industrial plants on the river side. But beyond this, I know only what they say at the Beer NW blog:

Help support one of Portland's newest (and smallest) craft breweries--Captured By Porches. This Saturday, May 10, CBP's brewer and owner, Dylan Goldsmith, will be hosting a party with local bands and a variety of CBP beer to help raise funds for his new brew pub, opening soon in St. John's (5909 NW Saint Helens Road). Enjoy the sounds of Schicky Gnarowitz, Hey Tiger, Deadpan Pariah, andMcDougall. Be there or be square.

Party is at Liberty Hall, 311 North Ivy Street, Portland. Doors 7pm, bands 8pm. $3 cover; 21 and over.

The website has no info. Anyone know anything?

(Oh, and a shout-out to Beer NW for finally getting a regular blog going. It looks to be a nice source of info, and I've linked it in the blogroll.)

Review: Hopworks Urban Brewery

2944 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
503 / 232-HOPS
Website

Hours: Sun - Thu: 11a - 11p, Fri - Sat: 11a - midnight.
Happy hour: M-T, Sun: 3-6pm; 10-close Fri, Sat.
Prices: 16-ounce pints: $425, pitchers $12, sampler tray (8): $6.50
Food: Sandwiches, burgers and pizza. [menu]
Other info: Seasonal outdoor seating; kids allowed until 9; no smoking.
Beers: A range of NW-style ales with an emphasis on hops, seasonal lagers and Belgians.
Brewers: Christian Ettinger and Ben Love [Bios].

Hopworks has been one of the most anticipated brewery opening in recent years, due perhaps to the very long renovation period. That brewer Christian Ettinger started releasing beers almost a year before the pub opened only heightened interest. It's been open a month now, and the interest has not waned--on weekdays, lines still start forming just after five. Sally and I snuck in last Thursday just before five and there was already a waiting list for the restaurant; we found the last free table in the bar.

Ambiance
Christian Ettinger had two assets most first-time brewpub owners lack: $2 million and an architect father. The result is a striking and intentional space that will thrill most webfeet, but probably alienate a minority. The building is the old Sunset Fuel building some will recall seeing on Powell Blvd; it's set into an industrial space that's still surrounded by light industry (to get to the parking lot in the back, you have to dodge workers and trucks). Inside, the space is a mixture of motifs. The rafters supporting a curved roof have been exposed, giving the space a grandeur and height, but the space still feels industrial. Powell, with four lanes of roaring traffic visible through large front windows, does not allay the effect.

More interesting are the architectural features, like a curved bar surmounted by a scultpture of 42 bike frames, looking something like the skeleton of a giant snake. In the bathroom, two banana seats from 70s bikes have been mounted above the urinals. Not all the elements work. The northwest corner features a huge, round window--the first thing you see, actually, when you're heading east on Powell--that also harkens back to the 70s, and not in a good way.

But perhaps the best metaphor for the way Ettinger designed the buildings is outside: pony kegs have been cut in half lengthways to create planters. Kegs are objects of modernity, of industry--steel and sleek and wholly non-natural. The space outside the pub is similarly gritty, so the appearance of fragile blooms in this context is slightly disorienting. Ettinger's brewery, which is a recycled, eco-wonder in a super-urban setting, is much the same. It's pure Portland, and that's probably why it's so popular.

Beer
After stints at three breweries and brewing school, Ettinger honed his style at Laurelwood. Much like his pub, the beer appeals to most and alienates a few. Hops come first, and not delicately--though he does seem to favor porters and stouts as well. But what characterizes his style most is a very dry palate. This accentuates a husk quality of the malt and draws out the long hoppy finishes. I'll confess to finding it prickly. At Laurelwood, there were only a couple of beers to which I really gravitated. I wasn't surprised to find that was the case at Hopworks. Of course, its this very quality that has earned Ettinger such a loyal following, so adjust for your tastes accordingly. Here are capsule reviews of the beer currently on tap (April 2008):

Doppelbock (seasonal) - Fruity-nutty aroma. Looks like dark maple syrup. Thick and chewy body. Surprising fruitiness, as of an ale and also some bubblegum-and-spice phenolics. Although it's thick, I found it not particularly complex of malt. (Rating: C+)

Organic Lager [5.1%/11.5° Plato/32 IBU] - Brewed with Saaz and pilsner malt, it is a lovely golden color. A bit slight on the tongue, and bearing an unmistakeable honey note, it deviates from the pilsner style. Hops do add crispness and it refreshes. The finish is astringent. (Rating: B)

Velvet ESB [5.2%/13.5° P/30 IBU] - Deep amber, wonderful head. Toasty sweet first note gives way to the house astringency and an extremely dry finish. I'd like a bit more body and a sweeter terminal note. (Rating: B-)

Porter (Seasonal) - Wonderful smoky, roasted-coffee aroma. Smoky palate; smooth and creamy. Middle supported by a dark-fruit malting. Flavor lingers after a swallow. Very nice beer. (Rating: B+)

El Diablo (seasonal, brewed with Ardenne yeast) - Gorgeous beer, with an aroma of singed rubber. Sweet palate with notes of licorice, banana, and lemon candy. Funky and Belgian.

Crosstown Pale [5.3%/12.5° P/45 IBU] - An intense, slightly catty hop aroma. In the mouth, not quite as intense as you anticipate. Floral and volatile hopping. Malt sweetness balances the beer and offsets the house astringency. Delicate and refined beer. (Rating: B+)

Deluxe Organic aka "DOA" [1.9%/16.8° P/ 55 IBU] - I wonder if this beer was an answer to Rogue Dead Guy--it is similar, but an improvement. Call it comfort beer for the mouth. It is thick and hearty, slightly sweet, but with enough hopping to add interest. The malt is meaty, like a meal, even slightly savory and carmelized. It's a mouth-pleaser, and my favorite. (Rating: A-)

Survival Stout [5.3%/15° P/35 IBU] - Includes seven malts (and nicknamed "7-Grain Stout")--barley, wheat, oats, amaranth, quinoa, spelt, and kamut, and Egyptian grain. Unfortunately, it also includes a healthy dose of Stumptown coffee, which overwhelms the subtlety you might find in the quinoa, say. It's a bit sour, dark and roasty, and includes that astringent finish. I would love to try a decaf version of the beer. (Rating: C+)

IPA [6.6%/15° P/ 75 IBU] - The beer that most exemplifies the hops and astringency of the brewery, and I think the most popular. I have reviewed it in the past: "Ettinger made a minor specialty of beers with Amarillo and/or Ahtanum hops--both of which appear in this IPA. Hops react differently on the tongues of different tasters, and on mine, these have a slightly harsh, chemical signature." Still my view, but yours may well differ.

Food
I will update this post when I have tried the food. As it was, we had a happy hour salad and thick-cut steak fries, both of which were tasty, but don't provide any real insight into the kitchen. A pdf of the regular menu is here, the happy hour menu is here, and the kids menu is here. (It's probably good I didn't try the food--early reviews are not positive. I'll give them some time to get their mojo working. Sometimes it takes pubs a little longer with food, their attention being so firmly on beer.)

[Note: post updated 4/29]

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.

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

________________
*Actual dish.

Review - Double Mountain Brewing

8 Fourth Street
Hood River, OR
(541) 387-0042

Hours: Mon - Thurs: 4 - 10pm, Fri: 4 - 11pm, Sat: noon - 10pm, Sun: noon - 9pm
Prices: 14-ounce glass, $3; 20 ounce imperial: $4, five-sample tray, $5.
Other info: Seasonal sidewalk seating; kids allowed

As Oregon's brewing industry matures, we're seeing more and more places opened by brewers who have been honing their craft at larger breweries. For those who recall the first generation in the 80s and early 90s, the result is a marked improvement in quality, creativity, and sophistication. In the beers of these "second generation" brewpubs, you taste the intention and experience, as if the brewers had been biding their time and perfecting their art, just waiting to try out recipes they've been working on for years.

Double Mountain features alumni from Full Sail, which is literally just around the corner. Although the pub space could use a little more attention--it feels more like a coffee shop than a pub--the beer and food are both exceptional and allow Double Mountain to debut as one of Oregon's best brewpubs. A remarkable accomplishment for a place that just opened in May.

Beer
Brewers Matt Swihart and Charlie Devereux aren't slaves to style. Of the six beers pouring when I visited in late June, four had improvisational elements. The change-ups were subtle; rather than screaming out, "look at how funky we are," their beers featured, say, unexpected yeasts or hops. Their creativity is more a nod and a wink to the beer geeks they expect to come to their pub. (I wrote at greater length about this here). A testament to their attention to detail, I think there were three different yeast strains--and possibly four--in the beers I tried.

Most breweries have a house character, but with styles appropriated from Germany, Belgium, and England, I honestly couldn't describe Double Mountain's. Perhaps improvisation and surprise is the character. Have a look at these beers and see if you can tell what they'll brew next. It escapes me. [Note: I intended, but failed to steal the menu when I was there (you can see it in this picture), and so I didn't write down the stats or ingredients of the beers. Sorry.)

• Kolsch. This is a style rarely brewed (in Oregon, anyway) with the appropriate yeast. It's the kind of beer you can fudge. If Double Mountain didn't use a kolsch strain, though, they did one hell of a job of fudging. Their version has a very lively tartness, detectable in the aroma right on through to the swallow. They have overhopped it for style, but selected hops that draw out a lemongrass note, complementing the tartness. People who love kolsches will forgive the bitterness, and people who like hoppy pales will find it interesting. Rating: A-
  
• Pale ale. Northwest pale ales are almost always characterized by citrusy local hops, and are consequently rather soft and sweet. Here again, Matt and Charlie buck the trend. They opt for herbal, piney hops. What results is an unexpected pale. The nose is quite herbal, and the bittering tends toward a sagey, peppery hop. There are citrus notes, but they're subdued. Sally, who tends to like British hopping more than local varieties, was especially fond of this one. Rating: B+
• India Red Ale. (Also known as IRA.) Ira is an IPA brewed with a Belgian yeast strain. The resulting beer is softer and rounder than a muscular Oregon IPA. It has a creamy sweetness that buoys the ample hops and simultaneously seems to enclose the bitterness in a gentle pocket. I am reminded of Orval, which is also a huge, yet deceptively smooth beer. Rating: A
• Hop Lava. This was the most pedestrian beer pouring, though it isn't mild. Supposedly dry-hopped, but I got very little aroma (the beers came out quite cold, which may have dampened the nose). It's a straightforward IPA, crisp, clean, very bitter, and quite strong. It's the kind of green monster that leaves a slick of hop resin on your tongue. Rating: B
• Alt. Altbiers are another style that breweries often try to fudge. The yeast used in traditional alts is an ancient German ale, but one with very little fruitiness--they taste more like lagers. Once again, if the brewers fudged this, they did a great job. It emphasizes the malt, which has a hearty grainy flavor, but also a touch of honey sweetness. It has impressive mouthfeel--close your eyes and you can in its creaminess almost conjure a porter in your mind. The hops are present and assertive, and they dry out the malt out so that it finishes cleanly. Alts are hard to pull off, and Double Mountain more than succeeds. Rating: A
  
• Devil's Kitchen. This is a Belgian style strong that nods to Duvel (Flemish for "devil"). Served in a goblet, it looks like Duvel--deep golden with a snowy head. It is heavier than many Belgian strong ales, though, and sweeter. It is vigorously carbonated, and a mineral quality helps offset some of the sweetness. It has a bit of mustiness--a nice touch that recalls the cellared beers of Belgium. It was a bit too heavy and too sweet, and I wonder if subsequent efforts might be drier and slightly lighter. A worthy effort, though. Rating: B-
  

Food
I am again hamstrung by my lack of a menu, so I can't tell you the full variety of what is available. We had salads and a pizza, and they were both wonderful. The salad was a lightly-dressed, very fresh Greek. The pizza may have been modeled on the enormously popular Ken's Artisan Pizza in Portland. Like Ken's, the crust is wafer thin and delicious. The choices included a nice mixture of traditional styles. Sally, who is regularly disappointed by brewpub food, gave Double Mountain a rave.

We arrived at about 5 pm on a Saturday, and there was only one table available. An hour later, there was a waiting line. It appeared to be populated mainly by locals, which is always a good sign. Translation: the word's out.

Don't let that dissuade you, though--Double Mountain should be considered a destination brewpub. Take a trip to Multnomah Falls, drive down the Columbia River Highway, check out the Vista House, and then conclude your journey at Double Mountain--a perfect day.

Waiting for the Good Food Movement to Hit Brewpubs

Portland is, for its size, a pretty damn good town for food. We have a surfeit of above-average restaurants, and a few that are world-class. Our restaurants are creative and diverse. Of course, we also have the best beer in the world. But the two have yet to collide. Instead, the good food stays in restaurants with a couple-three taps, and the brewpubs serve relatively similar filling, but unspectacular versions of the same menu.*

I have been pondering this as I work on my endless "best brewpubs" post, but it's something that has crossed my mind before. I have this fantasy brewpub idea, and I wish someone would act on it. (Someone with, you know, the time, money, and culinary/zymurgical background. I'm an idea man.)

Imagine a brewery where the beer and menu were co-created, so that each was integral to the other. In my mind, this takes the form of the organic/local food movement, wherein the menu rotates with the seasons. During summer, it would feature more green vegetables and fruit, and be accomodated by drier, lighter, hoppier beers. In the fall, as squashes and pears are coming on, the beers would turn sweet and malty. The chill winter would call for potent beers to go with heartier stews and meats. And so on.

The chef and the brewer would collaborate on meals. I imagine beer would be served in smaller portions--say six or eight ounce glasses--so that patrons could enjoy complementary pours throughout their meal. When I was in Hong Kong, I was delighted to learn that most restaurants offered a jasmine tea like Americans offer water--free, when you sit down. It would be cool to have a very light aperitif to offer diners as they walked in the door--a mild lambic in a small flute, say. Or whatever. Anyway, you see what I'm after.

Many brewers actually got their start in food--Alan Sprints and Craig Nicholls jump to mind--so it's surpising brewpubs devote only 10% of their creative energy to the food. Time that changed, I'd say. Portland needs a world-class brewery-cafe to continue to stay ahead of the curve.

______________
There's Higgins, true. But while Higgins has an amazing beer list, most of the offerings are in bottle and Belgian. As a restaurant, it's wholly appropriate that they should feature this selection, and shame on Portland's other fine dining for not offering beer menus of this breadth. Still, it's not the same as brewing beer specifically for the food you cook.

Review - Astoria Brewing & Wet Dog Cafe

Note, post updated following a more recent visit.

Brewer: Bolt Minister
144 11th Street
Astoria OR 97103
(503) 325-6975

Mon-Fri, 11am -11pm, Sat 11am-2am. $4 pint, $3.75 glass, $6 for a taster tray. No smoking, kids okay.

Beers: A large range of NW-style ales, with an emphasis on ferocity.

For those of you who may have passed through town before, Astoria Brewing is the renamed Pacific Rim Brewing--though both past and present, the sign most prominent from the Astoria bayfront has been "Wet Dog Cafe." The beers and ambiance have changed, but the amazing view is the same. I stopped in for lunch yesterday and can't offer a full review. I only tried a couple beers, and there were something like eight on tap. With luck, I'll make it back to delightful Astoria soon and update the review.

Whether you're craving a beer or not, it's worth a stop for the view. One wall of the building is a window overlooking the mouth of the Columbia River, where massive ships begin their journey to the Port of Portland. There's outdoor seating for sunny days, but on cloudy, cold ones, you can sit inside and nurse a stout (or bowl of chowder) while watching the play of nature--black clouds on steel water, the angry churn that defines the Oregon Coast.

Beer
What do these names suggest: Bitter Bitch, Kick Ass Stout, Stone Cold Strong Ale. They have a certain muscularity, don't they? Names like that either mean a brewery is overcompensating, or serving notice. In this case, I'm happy to say it's the latter. I tried the Bitter Bitch (a double IPA) and the Kick Ass (an imperial stout). Both were big and aggressive . . . and rather accomplished.

I was slightly worried about the beer based on its murky appearance and lack of head--like a tall glass of unfiltered cider. But the aroma allayed my fear--it was a rich, sticky nose of saturated grapefruit, both fresh and faintly floral. Hops are the central note in this beer, but it isn't painfully bitter. The brewery describes the beer as "quadruple hopped," which while lacking in specificity, suggests a layered approach to hopping that is evident in the flavor and nose. Bitter Bitch, incidentally, won the People's Choice award at this year's Spring Beer Fest.

The stout was a more understated beer and highlighted thick, chocolately malts. It was smooth and creamy and seemed substantial, though I don't recall seeing stats on the alcohol. Much as with the Bitter Bitch, Kick Ass was in perfect balance. That's good, because Astoria is a stout town, if ever there was one. This is a pint that fortifies and warms.

Beer, Updated
I revisited the brewery in March 2009. The Wet Dog had exchanged brewers--Chris Nemlowill went on to found nearby Fort George, and he was replaced by Bolt Minister. A longer update, with a video clip of Bolt speaking about his history is here. From that review, I excerpt these capsule reviews:

• Pumpkin ale. The last bit from fall. The spices have fallen back a bit and the squash is now evident--a good change in my view.
• Bitter Bitch. The flagship ale is over 100 IBUs and is therefore shockingly bitter. The beer was designed to be out of balance--the hops vent out of the glass like strong wasabi--but the locals love it.
  
• Solar Dog. The nose on this beer suggests its Bitter Bitch's little brother, but it deceives. Still quite a bit of bitterness, but the malt is evident underneath, as is a richer, more floral hop flavor.
• Porter. In competition with the kolsch for brewery's best beer. The head was so creamy I asked if it was on nitro. It's both a gentle, sweet porter, but also thick, with a bit of roastiness for depth. "I praise the brown malts," Minister said by way of explanation.
• Strong ale. The final beer before my palate was certifiably shattered, this very dark brown ale was surprisingly smooth and gentle. Abram declared it an old ale, and when I asked Bolt about it later, he said, "well, it's actually an old ale..." (Abram on the case.) Also a great ship-watching beer.

In addition to these, the brewery has a weisse, an ESB, and a stout. I didn't rate out all the beers separately, but none would drop below a B-, and the kolsch and porter were in the B+ / A- range. A very nice line-up.

Food
The menu is impressive. It ranges from the usual pub food into a full offering of seafood. Veggie options are somewhat limited, however. I had a plate of scallops with fries on the side. The fries (steak cut) were great--crispy and not greasy. The scallops, which you can order breaded or sauteed (I went with the latter) were a little rubbery, however. Good scallops have a smooth, even consistency and are about my favorite seafood. Maybe this was an off-day for the cook. They were just switching their menu, too, so possibly things will improve.

Despite this tepid praise, you might stop in for a meal. The prices were moderate for Astoria, and I've been underwhelmed by area restaurants in the past. I wouldn't be surprised if the Wet Dog starts making restaurant short lists in the near future.

Post updated following visit on 3/28/09

Review - The Mash Tun

2204 NE Alberta St.
Portland, OR 97211

Hours: Mon - Fri: 4pm - midnight, Sat - Sun: noon - midnight
Prices: 20 ounce English-style pints: $4.
Other info: Seasonal outdoor seating (with awning); kids and smoking allowed
Beers: A range of NW-style ales plus seasonals.

You can trace the evolution of brewpub fashion from the Barley Mill through the Mash Tun. Originally, they were converted bars and they looked a lot like: bars. Into the light they came, however, and in the next phase they had windows and transparent (that is, not cigarette-blue) air. Along about the time they became restaurantized, we saw the emergence of the chain brewpub--BJ's and Rock Bottom, not McMenamins which are uniquely unchainy--which took them yet a further step away from their saloony forebears. By my reckoning, we're right around 1997 as this all happens.

Came then the backlash--hipsters eschewed the brewpub scene and found little windowless haunts with blue smoke, pool tables, and Pabst (never Hamm's, alas, always Pabst). Fortunately, the Lucky Lab had opened already and offered the promise of grit and blue collars as well as the delight only 85 BUs of Chinook hops can deliver. The Lucky Lab, perhaps not singlehandedly--though this is a blog, so who's going to hold me accountable?--saved brewpubs from suburbanization.

Now their ethos defines the newer generation of brewpubs, the ones founded by those erstwhile mid-90s hipsters who went to the Lab and dreamed of owning their own pubs: Roots, Amnesia, and now the Mash Tun, which I visited for the first time this weekend. (Yes, that's an embarrassing admission, but it's the price I pay for being an introverted lair-dweller with a beer blog.)

Cast in the classic Lucky Lab industrial style, it has more than a little of the Alberta/Mississippi aesthetic to make it unique. The drinking/dining space wraps around a tiny brewery that's visible beyond the attractive bar. There's a patio out back (covered with a sheet of translucent corrugated plastic), with a big beer mural; the walls inside have local art dotting them. The space feels like it's been there forever--it is comfortable and inviting and has a lived-in quality. And, as if to highlight the ethos of the place, directly in front of the bar is a pool table; on the afternoon we visited, it attracted the kinds of kids Pabst had previously attracted. One for the good guys!

Beer
As with the Lucky Lab, beer isn't the overwhelming strength at the Mash Tun. I tried four of the five beers they had on tap (skipping, for obvious reasons, the Hunny Blonde), and one was good, two were so-so, and one was a failed experiment. None were bad, though, and they were certainly better than Pabst. It's worth noting that as a new brewpub, it could be things will improve. There are no off-flavors or anything, just recipes that don't quite rise to the highest echelon.

Most people will try the IPA first and stick with it, and they will therefore think the Mash Tun has great beer. Do that.

• Alberta Pale - Nothing sings about this workman-like pale, but it's all right. It has a nice grapefruit nose and plenty of hop interest on the tongue, but it's a one-note beer in terms of hopping. It has a slightly grinding quality that may be from too much crystal malt. Whereas a good pale need not be a transcendently complex beer, the best are usually clean and direct. This one has a slightly muddled taste. Rating: C+
  
• Mr. Rosewater Porter - This beer was being brewed at the moment the brewer heard about the death of Kurt Vonnegut. As an ode to the great author, he added rose hips to the boil and came up with a funny porter that I originally thought had an excess of fusel alcohol. Turns out it was the sharp notes from the rose hips. It also thinned out the body, making the beer disappear in the mouth. A good try and a nice ode, but not a great beer. Rating: C-
• Portside IPA - The IPA is a mid-range variety--neither too strong nor too hoppy, which makes it a reasonable choice (you can have a couple without needing a Segway to get out the door). The balance between full, rich body and hop bitterness was perfect. The hops were unfamiliar to me; they had a soapy/lavender note and finished with a bit of black pepper. Rating: B
• Inclusion Amber - This is an amber in the Full Sail style and not a bad way to go, either. It is also nicely in balance, with a strong caramel malt base and fresh, green hops. A good choice for a session beer. Rating: B-

Food
Give the Mash Tun credit for putting thought into the menu. It is expansive, with two pages of dishes: appetisers, soups, salads, and sandwiches, burgers, pita pizzas (?), wraps, and the usual pub standbyes. Where possible, they buy their food fresh, local, and organic, including local beef. They feature quite a large range of veggie options, too, including tempeh and tofu dishes. I had a brat (locally made) with McMenamins-style thin-cut fries and was pretty much perfectly satisfied. Sounds great, right? Read on.

Sally's View
My lovely and talented spouse, who knows a lot more about food than I do, offered a few observations as I was taking notes, and it occurred to me that, in the interest of multiple perspectives, you might appreciate a differing view. Here's what she said (from my notes):

"It's nice they have veggie options, but what that means is you have tempeh and some veggie burgers, but everything is heavy and there are no fresh vegetables. Nor original salads, particularly--just the stuff you'd expect in a pub like Caesar salad. Everything comes with fries, no substitutions. It's very pubby--everything's breaded and fried."

So, take your pick: perfect and satisfying or heavy and caloric.

Final Analysis
The Mash Tun won't win any awards for its beers (yet), but it would be on a short-list of places I'd recommend for its very inviting ambiance and characteristically Alberta feel. The food, while heavy, continues the theme of place and locality. It's only been open a short while, but I think it is well on its way to being a classic Portland brewpub.

Standing Stone Brewpub

Tim Akimoff has been horning in on my territory. He's producing brewery vids for "Will Blog for Beer" that exceed mine in production values and content. In other words, they're pretty good. That doesn't mean I'm not sending over the goons to break his kneecaps, but props where props are due. Since I don't make it down to Ashland often enough, here's his video tour of Standing Stone.

I wasn't quite as impressed as he was on my last visit in 2003:

If you’ve been to Ashland, you know that the bar for food is very high (easily competing with cities ten times its size). It’s not surprising, then, that the food’s great. It’s also on the cheaper side, which is important to know—Ashland’s short on cheap eats. Unfortunately, the beer’s not up to the same standard. We had an IPA, a nut brown, and a stout (might have been a porter). They were all pedestrian affairs, a bit too tannic, and a bit too phenolic (that’s the banana-y flavor that’s coveted in some German wheats, but not in English-style beers). Ah well, I guess it’s not the end of the world: Ashland’s got just about everything else.

But, maybe things have improved. Let me know if you've been down there recently. And Tim, a little more shake in the camerawork, what say? We're beer bloggers; we've got low standards to maintain. Bring it down a notch, and maybe I'll call off the goons.

Review - Old Lompoc Fifth Quadrant

3901-B North Williams
Portland, Oregon

Hours: variable, call first if you're going odd hours; open all days
Prices: 10 oz glass - $2, 14oz - $3.75, Pitchers: $12
Other info: Seasonal outdoor seating; kids allowed; No smoking
Beers: A range of English ales plus seasonals.

Back in 1998, the Old Lompoc was a very modest new brewpub which I gave low odds to succeed. Down at the seedy end of NW 23rd (when there was still a seedy end), it had a new brewery, but still had the ambiance of a working-class 50s tavern. Of course, I liked it. When it re-opened as the New Old Lompoc, under the management of Don Younger and Jerry Fechter, it was still modest, but growing. None other than Bud Clark pulled the first pint (somewhere in a box in the basement I have a picture), but I still didn't give it great odds to thrive. (I still liked it.)

But my, how the Lompoc has grown. Now a mini-chain, it has a Southeast and Northerly outpost. And the Fifth Quadrant, which opened last year on Williams Ave (in what must be known city-wide as "the new Pix Building)", is the most haute of all--I can't imagine it began in that offbeat little tavern. The name is a nod to North Portland, which is mostly beyond the pub, and perhaps a nod to the rising fortunes of that portion of the city. So I guess everything has changed.

The Fifth Quadrant (5Q) is housed in a new building in the popular nouveau industrial style, with high ceilings and exposed duct work, cement floors, and metal floor-to-ceiling windows. It is spacious and airy, but also quite loud. The roof extends off one end of the building to make for attractive outdoor seating, and the booths at the center of the restaurant have sliding dividers that expand to seat two tables (ten people?). It was packed with families, including kids, when we went, the sure sign of a thriving neighborhood pub.

Beer
When the Lompoc was just getting started, Fechter had a tendency toward excessive tannins (generally a problem with too much crystal malt). For years I wanted to like Lompoc beers as much as I liked the pub, but they were just too grainy. So it was with some prejudice that I approached my Condor Pale at the Fifth Quadrant. Maybe it's 5Q brewer Derek Clark (there's a brewery on-site), but this ain't your father's (okay, older brother's) New Old Lompoc. Two of the three beers I tried were exceptional--a helluva batting average for any brewpub.

• Condor Pale - Sweet, carmelly nose, a warm golden color. Both this beer and the Stout had noticeably fresh aromas--as if they had been kegged and tapped minutes earlier. This was a classic NW-style pale, but what really caught my attention was the silky, creamy mouthfeel. It was thicker than most pales, but not at all heavy or cloyingly sweet. The malt and hops were in wonderful harmony. It finished dry--even more surprising, given the rich mouthfeel. Fantastic.
  
• Sockeye Cream Stout - Jet black, dense nitro head that lasted to the end. Roast and chocolate aroma, and something of English yeast (which may have been contributed by the taster, who was getting carried away) came through in the nose. Much of the strengths of the pale were evident here--silky mouthfeel, and a nice balance between a very chocolaty-sweet first note and a subsequent drying dark malts (could be both roasted and black). Perhaps the best sweet stout I've tasted.
• Centennial IPA - Although this is probably a crowd-pleaser, to me it was the one dud in the batch. It's got the hallmarks loved in Beervana--cloudy golden, frothy head, and intense bitterness. But the bitterness wasn't pleasant; it tasted like the hops had been strained for all their alpha-acid might; it tasted stressed, like over-boiled coffee. If you're going to do strongly bitter beers, better to include hops at all stages of the boil so that the bitterness is complemented by hop flavor and aroma. This one wasn't--even the aroma was nearly absent. I assume the name comes from Centennial hops, among the most aromatic, so this is a special injustice. But what the hay--have the Condor, instead.

Food
Brewpubs have learned that a good menu is good business, and 5Q has one. They feature a nice array of starters (nice if you're just out for beers), hearty sandwiches, pasta, and a few (mostly meaty) entrees. But there's also a decent selection for vegetarians, too--somewhat rare for brewpubs. Sally tried the fish and chips (her fave) and I went for a chorizo penne dish. I hate to report that the fish was slightly over-cooked; otherwise, with halibut and crispy shoestrings, it was very nice. I'd try it again. The pasta was tasty but slightly understated--still, pretty good for a pub. Portland Food and Drink, whom you should trust more than me, calls it "some of the best pub food in Portland." I'm inclined to agree. (And of course, Pix Patisserie, purveyors of the best dessert in town, is just around the corner.) We had a poor waitress, but consulting other reviews, this appears to be anomalous.

All in all, a great place. I give it a strong recommendation.