Tag: Portland

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Hop in the Saddle – book review

Over the holidays, I got my copy of Hop in the Saddle. I was one of the Kickstarters for this beery guide and was anxious to see how it turned out.
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And the answer is…. great!

This is handy for both bikers who drink (or don’t) and for drinkers who bike (or won’t). It splits Portland into manageable chunks while also finding spots that I had never even heard of.

The biking instructions are complete and the notes really show that the authors have been to these places. And they have picked solid locations to hit the bike brakes. The graphic design is a skosh cluttered in spots but is cute and consistent.
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This guide may be more useful for a year-round Beervana resident but still holds surprises for those planning a visit.

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Video Review – Base Camp In-Tents IPL

The first review of 2013 in intense. It comes from Base Camp Brewing in Portland, Oregon and is an India Pale LAGER!

Here is the description from the website, “Our flagship India Pale Lager showcases a copper color that gives way to a crisp, clean lager beer perfectly balanced in its massive complexity. Dry-hopped and aged on an in-house toasted blend of white and red oaks. The IPL finishes clean and smooth, with hop aromas of wild flowers and pine, and a unique maltiness highlighted by the subtle oak character.”

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Base Camp Brewing

I expect a little rustic-ness at most start-up breweries. Toss in the fact that I was in Portland and that the name of the brewery is Base Camp and the rustic quotient should be huge. And it was, but this was an impressive tap room.
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Nice and roomy. Though still incomplete in spots the wood and rocks under the tables plus the carabiner’s hanging from the sparkly tap handles made for a warm and classy spot.
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I picked up the 9 strong taster tray for a cheap price and set about trying the beers.
My favorite was the cleverly named In-Tents IPL. Nice and citric on the nose with a balanced load of hops. After tasting it I brought a can home to L.A. with me. Of course the can is shaped like a bottle but that doesn’t detract from the beer inside. Second and winner for presentation was the S’More Stout which came garnished with a toasted marshmallow. First time I had seen that effective touch. It was a lovely stout. Smooth with roast notes.
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Some of the other beers tasted good but suffered from being style misplaced. The brown ale was more a hoppy red and the kolsch was way to un-crisp for that style though still tasty.

Enough promise is shown here and great branding style that I will return when next I hit Portland.

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Portland in November & December

Flying the week after Thanksgiving is the way to go. Literally, no one was in the TSA line. I just walked right up and was through. That quickly, my trip to Portland had begun.

Each time that I head north, I make a list of places to go. Belmont Station is on it every time. Other points on the map come and go but for this trip, I wanted to make my first visits to two specific places and a long awaited return trip to an old favorite.

After buying way too much at Belmont Station, I headed along with my mom and wife to Upright Brewing. Near the Trailblazer’s Rose Garden. The brewing space is in the basement of a multi-use building. Little to no seating and no bar! The server was standing next to some taps and a chalkboard. You order and you try to find a spot to stand amongst the brewing equipment.

My sampler included Todo Modo, Pearwood Smoked lager, Bad Brains and Seven aged with Brett. Personally the lighter colors were the best. The two dark lagers were fine but could not compete with the flavors of the other two.

Next stop was Widmer. I haven’t visited the Gasthaus in forever. Checking their website before I left, I noticed they had a trio of New Zealand hop offerings. So I ordered that!

The Pacific Gem was the best of the group. But all really showcased the difference in hops from one part of the world. I got citrus, fruit punch and grape notes and pear too. All with a pleasant kick of bitterness.

My other new to me visit (though I have had a few of their beers was Gigantic Brewing. Tucked into (you guessed it) an industrial part of SE Portland is their very pretty space with Portland Timber and label artwork adorning the walls. No Axes of Evil. Though I wanted to try it. I started with Ume Umai…


…a red hued beer with a nice effervescence and a nice push of plum taste. A really great fruit accented beer. I finished with their winter tipple, Old Man Gower which was a pleasant strong ale.

The last stop was spontaneous and I will talk more about Base Camp Brewing in a later post but suffice it to say it was a beautiful tap room and their S’more Stout had a toasted marshmallow!

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Walking Away


“Beers Made By Walking is a program that invites brewers to make beer inspired by nature hikes and urban walks. This summer organizer Eric Steen invited five breweries on nature walks. A botanist/herbalist on each hike identified edible and medicinal plants along the trail which were then used to create innovative beers. He invited brewers in distinct parts of the state: Coalition and Upright (Portland), Flat Tail (Corvallis), Standing Stone (Ashland), and Deschutes (Bend).”

Here is the list of beers made:
Coalition Brewing – Ale with Stinging Nettles and Salmonberry
Deschutes Brewery – IPA with Juniper and Sage
Flat Tail Brewing – Fresh Hop Cherry Saison with Corvallis Cherries and Yarrow
Standing Stone Brewery – Ale with Sweet Root, and Wild Ginger
Upright Brewing – Saison with Yarrow and Rose

Now I just have to convince them to come to Los Angeles.

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Hop in the Saddle


You only have to follow this blog for a short time to know that I am a huge fan of the combo of craft beer projects and Kickstarter.

And now I have another one that could use a shot of adrenaline (and cash) to get over the finish line. Hop in the Saddle mixes Portland’s beer scene with it’s bike scene to create a unique guide to peddling to your next pint. So head HERE to see the video and donate. They only have 2 weeks to go!

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Beer Bunker

I love the L.A. Craft Beer Scene otherwise this blog would not have lasted as long as it has but the one thing that I keep harping about is that Portland (the Oregon one) has a huge lead on bottle shops with tap rooms dedicated to craft beer. Oh you can get bottles in many a fine LA beer bar but it will set you back a few coins.

Well, my mom sent me a recent Oregonian clipping about yet another NW beer spot where you can get your fix. The Beer Bunker.

So you can add it to your multi-day survey of Portland Bottle shops.

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It’s HUGE!

Or I should say Gigantic.

I sent my mom to check out Gigantic Brewing in Portland since it is a much longer drive for me here in L.A. to check out what the new tap room looks like.

The entry to the eastside establishment of Van Havig and Ben Love.

The to-go options which include their IPA and The City Never Sleeps. They also have a collaborative brew with 3 Floyds out of Indiana by the name of Axes of Evil.

Or you could sample a beer from someone else to compare and contrast.

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Axes of Evil


Gigantic Brewing has come out of the gate strong with a who’s who roster of collaborators in their first few months.

Pelican, Oakshire, Anchorage, Laurelwood, Breakside and now Three Floyds. That is a breakneck pace of brewing but a smart way to hit the ground running. I think I will have to send my mom on a Gigantic beer buying binge for me.

Oh, and GO TIMBERS!

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India Red Lager

The 2nd annual PDX Beer Week begins tomorrow in Beervana and the 2012 official beer is a collaboration between Hopworks and Deschutes and is a style mash-up, an India Red Lager.

So, if you find yourself in Portland between tomorrow and the 17th. Be on the look out for this limited time beer.