Wanting to travel to Oregon brewers festival

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Cheektronic

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Wanted to take at least one day to visit a brewery. Which day during the festival is the slowest and what would be the best brewery tour around downtown?
 
Are you suggesting that you want to go to a brewery when the fest is slow? I would recommend the opposite. Saturday is way too busy to enjoy the fest.

I recommend cascade barrelhouse for your day off. Then walk to any of the numerous breweries or tap houses nearby. Not sure where if your looking to tour a brewery though.

Enjoy and welcome to our lovely city!
 
The only real brewery tour in shouting distance of downtown would likely be Widmer in inner NE, near the Rose Garden. Large brewery, and a popular tour but I haven't been on it, only heard good things.
I would agree with staying away on the busiest day, Saturday. Enjoy the slower times, because the busy ones are challenging dealing with crowds and getting a pour. I'll second Cascade too, generally a dozen sour beers on tap there at all times. Hair of the Dog is not far, as is the Green Dragon and Burnside Brewing.
Enjoy the visit, and check out all the breweries in Portland and nearby. There's only about 40.
 
Good point about avoiding the busy day. I don't necessarily have to go on a brewery tour, but I'd like to know the cool beer relates places to go. I think I might stay at the paramount hotel since it looks to be within walking/stumbling distance of the festival.
 
Get there as early as possible on the first day, and avoid the weekend. Hopefully Dogfishhead sends something that doesn't taste like Robitussin this year.
 
Get there as early as possible on the first day, and avoid the weekend. Hopefully Dogfishhead sends something that doesn't taste like Robitussin this year.

Amen on both counts. Last year's beer was horrible. Buckley's-cough-syrup bad. (google it)

Also, I've had good luck on the Sunday. Friday + Saturday are the worst days.

MC
 
The Paramount is nice, pretty central to everything downtown. Though you'd be even closer if you did something right by the waterfront like the Marriott. If you don't mind a bit of a walk, you can easily get from downtown across the river to Cascade, Green Dragon, Lucky Lab, etc. and Sassy's

If you want cheap but hip, check out the Jupiter on East Burnside. Also close enough to the above, plus Burnside Brewing. and Union Jack's
 
The Paramount is nice, pretty central to everything downtown. Though you'd be even closer if you did something right by the waterfront like the Marriott. If you don't mind a bit of a walk, you can easily get from downtown across the river to Cascade, Green Dragon, Lucky Lab, etc. and Sassy's

If you want cheap but hip, check out the Jupiter on East Burnside. Also close enough to the above, plus Burnside Brewing. and Union Jack's
lol, good suggestions. The Motel 6 on Powell is about as cheap as it gets in Portland, and is next to HUB and Safari and is an easy bus ride to OBF.
 
I went last year for the first time. It sucked. Super crowded and none of the servers knew anything about the beer they were pouring, they were just event staff. I'll never go again.

Your time would be way better spent visiting as many tap houses and breweries as you can. It's a shame because the Oregon Fest could be way better. In comparison, the Washington fest may have a little less taps but you get to actually meet the brewers and the venue is way better.
 
Some states are now producing lists of breweries in that state. Is there anything like that for Oregon? If so who produces it or where might I go to find it?
 
Some states are now producing lists of breweries in that state. Is there anything like that for Oregon? If so who produces it or where might I go to find it?

I think the Oregon Brewers Guild is what you're looking for:
http://oregonbeer.org/


And as for the comments on the Oregon Brewers Fest - I have to say that I haven't been in years. There are a lot of smaller festivals around town that I enjoy more. The Holiday Ale Fest is the one big fest I look forward to every year (though it can also get crowded if you go at the wrong time).
 
I went last year for the first time. It sucked. Super crowded and none of the servers knew anything about the beer they were pouring, they were just event staff. I'll never go again.
The servers are all volunteers. The knowledge problem is the fault of the OLCC. OLCC regulations prohibit anyone from having a drink prior to serving alcohol, so servers aren't allowed to have a taste of the beer they are serving. So, unless they have prior experience with that particular beer, there's not a lot they're going to be able to tell you besides the small blurb the brewery has provided. It's the main reason I no longer volunteer to pour beer at events.

As for the crowds, yeah, the weekend sucks. This is why so many have suggested going early.
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys. The festival wasn't really the only reason for my trip, I wanted to visit the city anyway, it's just the festival helped me pick the date.

Any other sites/restaurants/tap rooms that area must visit?
 
i tried to go last year... ended up without beer and walked out to another bar for a few beers, it was bad, i doubt i'm going this year
 
McMenamens - there is the white eagle next to widmer and they usually have live local music, edgefield out in troutdale... they all have so-so beer but the expierence is well worth it!

Widmer -
Cascade barrel house -
lucky lab
amnesia... there are way too many great places here :)
 
As a previous volunteer, I can tell you we are not allowed to sample any beers due to OLCC regulations, and there are lots of volunteers who dont know a porter from a saison- so dont expect any more information other than what the brewer provides at the tap.


I suggest going on Thursday or Friday to beat the masses as well as get a chance to sample the goods.


If you want other good beer places to visit- visit Green Dragon, Baily's Taproom, and Beermongers(great bottle selection, no corkage fee)
 
Mongrel said:
The servers are all volunteers. The knowledge problem is the fault of the OLCC. OLCC regulations prohibit anyone from having a drink prior to serving alcohol, so servers aren't allowed to have a taste of the beer they are serving. So, unless they have prior experience with that particular beer, there's not a lot they're going to be able to tell you besides the small blurb the brewery has provided.
So true..!
Last year I was a volunteer server in the Buzz Tent and there were all these crazy new beers I had never heard of and of course we couldn't taste them because of Oregon's server laws. It sucked because most all the beer fest participants assumed that we worked at the brewery-- and they got surly. I just had to smile and say I was a volunteer working for free and I cannot taste because of the lame Oregon law prohibiting consumption.

I also find fault with the breweries for not giving me one piece of information besides the gd name of it!!
Only Goose Island sent a rep to tell his beer pourer what each one was.
 
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Getting excited for the fest. Went to a special showing of a documentary about the fest. There was a special panel of guests discussing the first years and how it's grown.

The documentary was a little under produced, but definitely got me excited
 
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