Great Notion Brewing has leaned into fun. Pancake beers, milkshake IPAs, you name it. Now they are into childhood fun with a new beer, a root beer.
Gee Whizz
PDX Summer 2024 – Report # 3
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.
Tart & Trill
The Crowns & Hops 8 Trill Initiative continues with a Great Notion release of Crowns and Axes Tart Ale “made with strawberry, pink guava, sea salt, and coriander.” Unique ingredients for a unique cause.
Jam with Ruby
SoCal has been getting regular Great Notion drops and you can double the Oregon. (and an homage to my mom)
“Whether you’re an Oregon or Washington local or have ever paid a visit, chances are, McMenamins has cast a spell on your heart. To show our love for one of the PNW’s most beloved institutions, we created our magical collab, Ruby Jammin!
We took McMenamin’s best selling Ruby Ale and dressed it up in our favorite Jammy Pants to conjure up a tart ale with bewitching flavors of raspberry, vanilla, and lime.”
All
To create real change, you have to keep demanding it. Which is why I am glad to see that Black Is Beautiful logo on a new beer from Weathered Souls plus Great Notion Brewing. The name is a nice push for ALL of us to do better.
Sometimes A Great Blazer Notion
Looks like Lillard and Co. will be able to have post game pastry stouts…
According to the Blazer page on NBA.com, “This first of its kind partnership includes co-branded merchandise with Great Notion’s skeleton character, Moss, on hats, t-shirts and crew neck sweatshirts. Additionally, Great Notion customers have the potential to receive access to exclusive discounts on tickets to future Trail Blazers games. Fans will also get the opportunity to try multiple Great Notion beers at the annual Rip City Ale Fest slated for later this year. More information will be shared about Ale Fest soon.”
Power Couple
Doctor Who references in beer are catnip to me, and of all the Great Notion labels, this is probably one of the better ones…
The companion, as it were, for this couple is Bottle Logic and they have created a West Coast DIPA (sorry pastryheads) with Strata and Amarillo.
Review – We’re Out of Dynamite by Great Notion
I haven’t had a Great Notion beer in awhile but SoCal has been getting quite a few beers from the PDX brewery that I thought the time was right for some dynamite, or lack thereof.
You will read about where I bought it later today, but here is the review from me and two fellow tasters…
This was not a well loved beer. One gave it the lowest rating she had given a beer and the other found it not to his taste. Me well, I found toasted coconut big time with a neapolitan ice cream aroma. There was some tropical notes but more strawberry. It was almost like a sour stout in which the ABV over 11% does not really show.
It may be another while before I have another pastry stout
Reparations
Charity beers have been a bright beer light this year and in 2020 fashion, we ain’t done yet. Great Notion Brewing in Portland has a new one, named Reparations Imperial Stout. All (100%) of the proceeds will be donated towards The National African American Reparations Commission (NAARC) in support of bill HR-40
The brewery was buoyed by the success of the Black is Beautiful Beer program from Weathered Souls in Texas so they are inviting other breweries to do their versions. You can read more at reparationsbeer.com.
Dino-Mite
Well, this one is probably going to go fast due to two words, Great and Notion…
I will look for it because of the wicked cool design and because I love how Brouwerij West uses the good malt from Mecca Grade.