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Wayfinder Beer makes appearances in Los Angeles on occasion and I do my best to sample their wares as I find their range to be exciting even with old school styles such as, say a bock bier.
This has the initial aroma of a vinous old ale. There is a small touch of sweet and a smaller touch of smoke and some milk chocolate tucked in as well. Many less intense flavors involved in making a bigger whole.
This year, Santa gifted me 12 Days of Straightaway Cocktails from Portland, Oregon.
I have now gone through them all and it is time to do summary reviews…
Day 1 – Mai Tai has big rum aroma but the orange lime mix kicks in while the almond note adds a bit of creamy texture.
Day 2 – Blanco Margarita has the balance of spirit and citrus just right. simple ingredient list but works really well.
Day 3 – Espresso Martini, my first ever, nitro too. smooth and creamy. weird duality. good cold brew then not good vodka .
Day 4 – #3 Daquiri coconut top note, heavier abv than the other 3. the acidity keeps it bright though
Day 5 – Manhattan is a classic and this is right up my alley. big bitters taste here. nice and spicy. perhaps a touch too much. whiskey is a minor player.
Day 6 – Negroni is not one of my favorite tipples. I find that Amaro and me are not friends which is a problem for a cocktail heavy with it. But this one, I can get down with. Crimson Snap liquer seems more accessible to me.
Day 7 – Oregon Old Fashioned which is quite strong. was hoping for more of a filbert nutty taste to it. the fir note is not there either. mostly getting honey and whiskey.
Day 8 – Margarita with jalapeno scared me a bit since I am heat averse but this was more on the green vegetal pepper side and though not my favorite had a nice balance of sweet and spicy.
Day 9 – Bee’s Knees first time trying this drink. not as sweet as expected. quite strong. have never heard of the liqueur in this but it makes this a little top heavy even as it cuts the honey.
Day 10 – Maple Old Fashioned is not super syrupy which is a good thing? quite a bit hot as well. the other old fashioned is slightly better. was expecting more sweetness or viscosity.
Day 11 – Thai Gimlet has quite a bit of spice to it and a nice hit of lime as well. for a vodka drink, i quite like it. no alcohol hit but that is ok since the other big flavors take control.
Day 12 – Pacific Paloma has a slight grapefruit pith aroma and a larger citrus taste here. seems a bit watery overall though. the other listed ingredients do not pop out.
Some end of the year good news for us here in California. Little Beast Brewing from Portland, Oregon will be distributing in the Golden State.
If you need some sour beer in your life, then I would suggest picking up some of their beastly delights.
Time to hunker down with a cozy stout named Wintering from Kings & Daughters Brewery in Portland, Oregon.
“Unique and special enough for a holiday evening, classic enough for an every-night at home, this smooth stout hints at coffee and chocolate, with a touch of vanilla.”
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.
With the news of Portland getting a WNBA franchise, time to turn attention to re-creating another PNW grudge match. Blazers vs Sonics. Ever since the Thunder came into being because of duplicitous Oklahoma ownership, basketball fans have lost a rivalry game. With the Ducks running for the money train, the UofO – OSU game has lost its luster and we could use an old fashioned derby game.
The other near lock for a new franchise (with LeBron’s backing) is Las Vegas. That tracks too because that city has been real vocal and supportive even with the bastard step-children franchises from their relationship with Oakland.
But I would like to see a franchise added to the Eastern Conference and it might raise some eyebrows but Puerto Rico would be someplace to look at. There would be expat fans and it would balance out the lone Canadian franchise. More importantly it could use a boost that the NBA could bring and there is no reason why the NBA or the NFL can’t use their power to build up instead of always choosing cities with that already have a lot of sway.
For beer, get yourself a couple beers each of Oregon beers and Washington beers. Pick one style, like pilsner of West Coast IPA or stout and get a friend to help you blind taste test and see what the rankings are.
Two items are now on the to-do list now that the WNBA has announced that Portland will be getting a reincarnated franchise.
First is a real kick ass name. The NWSL Thorns is great because it is a riff on the City of Roses and also matches up with the woodsy Timber name for the MLS team. Please do not try to bring back the generic Fire or Power names from the past.
Pioneers is good but a little to spot on though I would take it in a pinch. I prefer Pathfinders but maybe take a cue from the minor league baseball franchises like the Hillsboro Hops or Portland Pickles or Salem Marion Berries. Or keep the T going from Timbers, Thorns and Trailblazers and go with Thunderbirds or to riff off the Portlandia statue, Tridents.
Once someone more Gen Alpha than me figures that out, our breweries need to make a signature beer for the team. Considering that Portland is a great coffee city, I suggest a Golden Coffee Stout. Something smooth and rich but with a nice topnote of java to give it a little burst. If the team does go the T route than TIPA becomes a frontrunner.
Narratives, whether true or false, can be powerful. Many American cities have been painted with a broad brush of “unsafe” or “uncool” even if the day to day is not much different.
Portland, my hometown neighbor to the north, has endured a bit of bad press you could say but during both of my visits this year, it has seemed just as filled with beer, good food and frustrating parking as any city one lives in or visits.
So I am glad to see Old Town Brewing go to bat and stand up for the City of Roses with their recently launched Believe in Portland IPA. Which you can read more about HERE.
Since the last Portland post was menus only, I thought that I would finish up with a few pretty pics to make you want to visit…
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.
