Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Last year I finally visited one of the two Function PDX locations in Portland. And they are banging in the first half of 2025 with doubled up tap takeovers….
…and you are seeing correctly, there is a lot of SoCal represented. So let your PNW friends know they can taste some of the same beers that we are lucky to get.
One day left in the Rose City and after fueling up with donuts ( Delicious Donuts ) and pizza ( Pizza Thief ) there were beers to be had and a last cocktail or two.
First up was Freeland Spirits which had an extensive Pride menu for their gins and bourbons. I went with the Butterfly G&T and it came in a big ol’ glass and was a vibrant purple. The base drink was not blown away by the blackberry tea and the pea flower.
Then, down the road was Great Notion and they were brewing beer. You could smell it in the air. Malt was a’ cooking. I figured that I should get something weird so went with the Orange Creamsicle Milkshake IPA. The ice cream part came through but the orange was a little lacking.
After a break, it was time for the last beer of the trip. And finally, I got to see inside of Function PDX. This beer bar hosts a single brewery each month from outside of Oregon and this month it was Dewey Beer from Delaware. I decided to go real big and chose an 11% stout ( which made the best of July list ).
Finally, since airport security was speedee, there was plenty of time to sample some Westward Whiskey. And we got a bonus taster as well. There was a White Dog, their flagship and a cask strength as well as Pinot Noir barrel-aged version, a stout barrel version and a rum barrel version. My favorite was the Pinot. Most were a little too on the hot side. There was a little mini- cocktail too.
