Visiting Portland, OR: which brewery to visit first?

[nebben]

My sister lives there, and I'm going out a day before my family comes out for Thanksgiving. I've got some time to burn on the town, and thought about visiting a brewery or two.

I've visited the Rogue pub (I think that is what it is called?) ... but otherwise no other brewery.

Where is a good place I can drop in, maybe tour the brewery, and/or sample what they've got?

 

[alexdagrate]

Cascade Barrel House

Hopworks Urban Brewery

Green Dragon

Horse Brass Pub isn't a brewery but is worth a visit.

I highly recommend bringing lots of cabfare or learning the mass transit system. You can get blasted easily in Portland. While it's a bike-friendly city, if you bike while intoxicated it's treated just as severely as DUI in a car.

You could also take in a brewery bus tour:
http://www.teamweb.com/brewbus/go.html#schedule

 

[cinderbike]

I'd also check out Distillery Row if you get a chance.

 

[tnvol]

Cascade Barrel House

Hopworks Urban Brewery

Green Dragon

Horse Brass Pub isn't a brewery but is worth a visit.

I highly recommend bringing lots of cabfare or learning the mass transit system. You can get blasted easily in Portland. While it's a bike-friendly city, if you bike while intoxicated it's treated just as severely as DUI in a car.

You could also take in a brewery bus tour:
http://www.teamweb.com/brewbus/go.html#schedule

What he said. lol Some great beers in Portland. I spend quite a bit of time there. I love it.

 

[2bluewagons]

Kinda depends on what kind of beer you're into. If barrel-aged, mostly sour beers are your thing then for sure hit up Cascade Brewing as suggested above.

Also:

Hopworks (good everything, gives a good brewery tour)
Upright Brewing – farmhouse-style beers that aren’t always for me, but these guys are certainly on the avant side
Hair of the Dog (limited production, limited hours, ridiculously good)
Laurelwood (good IPAs, porter, Southern English brown, multiple locations)
Lucky Lab (several locations, lots of variety and all is pretty good)
Amnesia (IPAs, pale, red, avoid their Belgians)

Beer bars:
Breakside Brewing is a new brewery that only has their Wit on tap (which is good), but also has a nice tap list
Horsebrass Pub-amazing taplist
Concordia Alehouse-same as above, 30+ taps and amazing bottle list
Bailey’s taproom-I would say one of the best tap lists in town. When something new comes around, I look there first and they usually have it.
Saraveza
Belmont Station

Welcome and have fun! There is so much to choose from and it's hard to go wrong.

 

[Mongrel]

Deschutes, BridgePort, Lucky Lab (SE Hawthorne location), New Old Lompoc.

For a real Portland experience, you'll have to hit Magic Garden, Union Jacks, Mary's Club. (Don't take the sister)

 

[whitebirdfeathers]

There are fantastic brewpubs all over Portland. I would skip Bridgeport though. It was very disapointing in my eyes.
Have fun!

 

[Brewfat]

Deschutes, BridgePort, Lucky Lab (SE Hawthorne location), New Old Lompoc.

For a real Portland experience, you'll have to hit Magic Garden, Union Jacks, Mary's Club. (Don't take the sister)

Seconded.

Visited Portland a couple years ago and I know I hit Magic Garden and Mary's Club, not sure about Union Jacks.

 

[madavis25]

With the beer bars of Horse Brass, Green Dragon, and Henry's 12 St Tavern, you almost don't need to go anywhere else. One of those is bound to have some Double Mountain from Hood River, they have some great beers

I 2nd the Hair of the Dog recommendation, the beers are outstanding.

Deschutes is fun because they have limited brews that aren't released elsewhere.

 

[humann_brewing]

since all the Oregon people showed up here, may I hijack this for a moment

Thanks, what about The Eugene area, I know there is Ninsaki and there is a brewpub right on I5 North of Eugene but anything else worth checking out?

 

[madavis25]

since all the Oregon people showed up here, may I hijack this for a moment

Thanks, what about The Eugene area, I know there is Ninsaki and there is a brewpub right on I5 North of Eugene but anything else worth checking out?

Absolutely. Oakshire Brewing. They have limited tasting hours, but their beers are available around town on tap and in bottles

Eugene City Brewery in in downtown and they have some sort of arrangement with Rogue-they have many Rogue beers on tap.

The Bier Stein is a great beer bar.

 

[BigJerk]

Bridgeport's pub has one of the best burgers I've ever eaten, beer's pretty great too

 

[MonkeyWrench]

Lol, I posted about this topic 3 weeks ago and got 4 replies...but I posted in the Commercial Brews section...goes to show you where you put your topic matters..haha.

Here is my topic and does have some good suggestions.

My wife called around to a lot of the placed listed and found Rogue is the only one (so far) open on Thanksgiving. Many of the McMenamins Hotels are open as well, but not the pubs.

EDIT: Henry's Tavern on 12th is supposed to have a nice tap list and is open Thankgiving Day.

 

[cincybrewer]

My sister lives there, and I'm going out a day before my family comes out for Thanksgiving. I've got some time to burn on the town, and thought about visiting a brewery or two.

I've visited the Rogue pub (I think that is what it is called?) ... but otherwise no other brewery.

Where is a good place I can drop in, maybe tour the brewery, and/or sample what they've got?

I can't really help you out too much but I've spent quite a bit of time in Portland for work prior to me being really obsessed with good beer and it was incredible all the different craft beers they had out there.

At the time I was big into wheat beers and really liked Widmer's. It's been a while and was before I got into brewing so maybe that isn't even considered a good beer, but I liked it back then and it was from Portland.

The food there might be just as good as the beer...okay, maybe not, but the food is good.

 

[Mongrel]

since all the Oregon people showed up here, may I hijack this for a moment

Thanks, what about The Eugene area, I know there is Ninsaki and there is a brewpub right on I5 North of Eugene but anything else worth checking out?

Outside of Portland, I really recommend driving South East to Central Oregon. Bend has more breweries per capita than Portland. Bend Ale Trail

 

[wonderbread23]

My Top 3:

Cascade Barrel House
Laurlewood Alehouse (eat here too)
HUB (eat here too)

 

[HItransplant]

im gonna put down another vote for deschutes' portland pub.. they have a ton of beers on tap beyond those they distribute (but the distribution beers are there too). The also have great food--recommend the pulled pork sandwich if you like that sort of thing.

HUB is great too.

Ive also heard good things about concordia ale house and the green dragon (although never been to either).

The McMenamins places are really cool to visit, and definitely a portland-esque installation. Although I think there is better beer out there, they would be worth checking out. Id go visit the bigger venues-- like kennedy school, or the Grand Lodge (bit of a drive, but very cool).

Tugboat is one Id skip.. Im not a fan-- I think they have a bit of an infection brewin' (pun intended)--all their beers I tried have a vinegar flavor.

Oh, and Hair of the Dog has a new brew pub.. its fun, great beer (definitely dont plan to drive if you are going to spend any time there-- big beers).

Rogue is also a Portland staple, but the last time I was there I wasnt wowed by their stuff... Id go somewhere else if I was time crunched.

I think thats it.

have fun.

 

[alexdagrate]

Deschutes, BridgePort, Lucky Lab (SE Hawthorne location), New Old Lompoc.

For a real Portland experience, you'll have to hit Magic Garden, Union Jacks, Mary's Club. (Don't take the sister)

Mary's is right next door to Bailey's Taphouse. It's kinda bizarre having the nicest taphouse in Portland located right next door to the roughest gentleman's club. One thing I gotta say about Mary's, though, cover is only a buck or two and they always have great beers on tap! The show's something else, too.

 

[step]

I will second (or third) the recommendation for Amnesia for a small brew pub, Lucky Labrador (Hawthorn location) isn't too bad, Apex on SE 12th and Division is a GREAT tap room and Beer Monger on the opposite corner has some decent brews from time to time (its a bottle shop with ~4 taps), Belmont Station is a bottle shop/tap room staple if you want to pick some up for T-day and the HorseBrass whish was mentioned is right around the corner, I know I'll get flack for this but I don't think HUB (Hopworks Urban Brewery is all that great, good but not great), try some Pelican Brewery beers while you're here (Doryman Dark is outstanding), have fun!

I don't think you can wrong with any of the locations already mentioned...

Avoid McMenamins in my opinion (unless its for a show), there food is sub-par at best and their beers all taste the same they're just different colors.

 

[Mongrel]

Mary's is right next door to Bailey's Taphouse. It's kinda bizarre having the nicest taphouse in Portland located right next door to the roughest gentleman's club. One thing I gotta say about Mary's, though, cover is only a buck or two and they always have great beers on tap! The show's something else, too.

It's really not that odd. Portland was built on a combo of beer and dancers. It takes both for a full experience. Don't know how many of you are familiar with the Suicide Girls, but that is Portland born. Portland is a mix of Drugstore Cowboy and Fight Club. The brew scene is nationally renowned. Keep Portland Beered!*

*Sorry Austin, Portland will mess with Texas

 

[shamrockdoc]

My Top 3:

Cascade Barrel House
Laurlewood Alehouse (eat here too)
HUB (eat here too)

Agreed +1000 internetz good sir

 

[samc]

Deschutes - love the beers
McMenamins - the McDonalds of beer, i'd skip it at all costs, nothing positive to say about it
Rogue - love some of the beers
Bridgeport - bland food, bad service, served wrong beer or it was horribly underhopped
Laurelwood - boring food, beer was just ok

if you have a car and want to go on a road trip, http://www.walkingmanbrewing.com/ has some fine beer. you can also swing over to Hood River for Full Sail tour and Double Mountain brewery.

so many choices, so little time.

 

[Mongrel]

McMenamins - the McDonalds of beer, i'd skip it at all costs, nothing positive to say about it

I'd agree if McDonalds made good pizza, had theaters, played great 80's movies, and let you take pitchers back to your seats. Terminator is good ****.

 

[wacko]

HUB
Upright
Laurelwood
Double Mountain (Hood River)
Walking Man
Everybody's brewing (Hood River across the Columbia)
Cascade Brewing
Hair of the Dog
Big horse (Hood River)
Captured By Porches

Too bad you're not going to be here for the winter ale fest Dec 1-6

You should probably go to deschutes for a sample of Dissident as well.
"After nearly two years aging in isolation, 2010 The Dissident has reached its pinnacle. Deschutes Brewery's only wild yeast beer, brettanomyces and lactobacillus "critters" (a technical brewing term) create a distinctive Oud Bruin, Flanders-style sour brown ale, with a fruity aroma and flavor. Along with the wild yeast "critters", which help to create a strong Belgian flavor, this lavish brew has whole central Washington cherries--pits, stems and all."

 

[HItransplant]

I'd agree if McDonalds made good pizza, had theaters, played great 80's movies, and let you take pitchers back to your seats. Terminator is good ****.

yeah, I dont know Id go so far as to say that its the "mcdonalds" of breweries.

What they have done with the locations is awesome.. super cool. Their beer isnt bad, just not up to the level of other breweries in the area. I do, however, find their seasonals to be pretty good sometimes...

 

[HItransplant]

HUB
Upright
Laurelwood
Double Mountain (Hood River)
Walking Man
Everybody's brewing (Hood River across the Columbia)
Cascade Brewing
Hair of the Dog
Big horse (Hood River)
Captured By Porches

Too bad you're not going to be here for the winter ale fest Dec 1-6

You should probably go to deschutes for a sample of Dissident as well.
"After nearly two years aging in isolation, 2010 The Dissident has reached its pinnacle. Deschutes Brewery's only wild yeast beer, brettanomyces and lactobacillus "critters" (a technical brewing term) create a distinctive Oud Bruin, Flanders-style sour brown ale, with a fruity aroma and flavor. Along with the wild yeast "critters", which help to create a strong Belgian flavor, this lavish brew has whole central Washington cherries--pits, stems and all."

oh man... is dissident available now????!?!?!?!?!?

Im on my way.

 

[wacko]

I'd love to meet you there. How's Dec 6? we could hit winterfest and then roll out to deschutes for dissadent

lets get a stumptown meetup going.

 

[wacko]

Oh hell WBF ends on the 5th

 

[alexdagrate]

oh man... is dissident available now????!?!?!?!?!?

Im on my way.

they just tapped it this past saturday.

they've been known to break out vintage kegs of special beers on occaision. I had a four year old glass of mirror mirror barleywine next to a glass of the most recent year. Pretty fun.

One more thing, Horse Brass has imperial pints for all of their beers. Nothing tanks me better than 20 ounces of Old Rasputin! Up here in Middle Cascadia (Washington State) we can only get Old Rasputin and big beers like that in 8 or 10 oz servings.

 

[HItransplant]

they just tapped it this past saturday.

oohhhhhhhh... IM SOOOOO EXCITED.