I have a feeling that Summer 2025 will be a summer of Canadian Lagers as apologies to our nicer to us than we are to them neighbors to the north.
Here is one recent explicit example….
Sorry from Half of Us
Closer To a Second Everywhere
Looks like things are progressing in the swap of Chuckanut for Everywhere in Portland….
…where lagers will morph into hazies and seltzers and the occasional hoppy pils. As trades go, it is just different. Not better or worse.
A Book & A Beer – Tilt by Emma Pattee
Being from Portland, I have heard the warnings about the big one in Cascadia and going through earthquakes in Los Angeles gives me a tiny bit of experience so I was primed to read what Emma Pattee imagined could happen to the City of Roses and to one heavily pregnant woman walking through the aftermath and aftershocks, in Tilt.
Annie is our guide through this landscape and at best she is real, in the sense that she is working through shit now and from the past in messy real-time. She is no hero, though her stamina is damn impressive throughout. But a lot of the time she is so annoyingly millennial.
Now I can live with that type of character in a novel but when the other main character is her husband Dom, who if you can’t tell by the name is a selfish ass who would not be as far as he is without Annie. Which, spoiler, ain’t that far. It makes a reader start looking for anyone to latch onto. For me, it was Taylor, the Ikea employee who is there at the start and then re-appears later. She has an arc and emotions to wrestle with. Or I could root for the earthquake.
It is a propulsive read and I liked the alternating chapters and the way the timelines came together and though some may not like the ending, I thought it was kinda inevitable and hit the mark. Overall, I was hoping for at least some revelation but I fear that Annie and Dom are still in Portland and stuck in their lives and in their heads.
For beer, instead of something specific, I would recommend s bit of a crawl through Portland’s Eastside beer haunts that you should check out like Belmont Station or Beermongers both excellent bottle shops and tap rooms that could easily provide an overview of Portland beer or you could swing by Living Haus beer which is right near the bridges that span the Willamette River that Annie is trying so hard to reach.
New Customs
L.A. or other locales may be tired of hearing about how great Portland and their beer scene is but I am afraid to have to rub it in some more as it was recently announced that a new beer and culture festival, MXPDX is coming to the Rose City on July 19th.
The goal is to intertwine both Mexico and Oregon craft cultures and communities in Portland (this year and in Mexico in 2026) for this inaugural party. 13 central Mexico breweries will be sending beer and also brewing collaborations with Oregon brewers and cidermakers.
Review – Funeral Bock from Wayfinder Beer
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.
12 Days Straightaway
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.
Beastly
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.
Christmas Beer Time – Day 18
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.”
First Half of Function
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.
Sports & A Beer – Future NBA Cities (and countries)
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.