Tag: Portland

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Breakside + Hop & Vine =


I admit it. I watch the Portland scene with afar with a little jealousy. Not that LA is bad right now, far from it. But I do see beers and events pass by that I would so love to try and attend.

Thankfully, my mom is up there and every once in awhile, she will search out a rare beer for me. Last month she got me Roses on Roses from Fort George and this month, I have asked her to be on the lookout for this Berliner Weisse. And by on the look out, I mean go to Burnside Brewing and/or Hop and Vine to grab a bottle.

Because the southland summer approaches and I need a stock of quenchers to get me through the non-big beer season. And this collaboration between brewer (Burnside) and craft beer shoppe (Hop and Vine) would fit the bill.

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Uptown Market

Everywhere you look in my hometown of Portland is another great place to buy beer. And it seems like every month, I hear about yet another place.

Uptown Market has all of this going on, “Uptown Market strives to meet the needs of its clients. We have a large selection of domestic and imported brews in all shapes and sizes. One of the special features that we pride ourselves in is the two running taps that we have at all times. We offer regular tasting with a highlighted beer, stop by to find out our scheduled tastings. Along with the growler sales we also offer kegs to go for the more serious drinkers, a list of available kegs can be found on our product page. And for those of you who are the more do it yourself type we have all the fixings for making your own brew. We have Kegerators in stock as well as the parts and knowledge how to convert an old refrigerator into that kegerator you have always wanted. For those of you who live close and stop by often we have provided other convenient items that make your day to day shopping easier and efficient.”
As I write this post, they have Thai Wit from Laurelwood and Double Jack from Firestone-Walker on tap. That alone should get one to stop in.

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Oregon Beer Review # 1 – IPA from Burnside Brewing

The month of March is featuring reviews of Oregon beers that I brought back from one of my semi-regular jaunts to my hometown of Portland and to start, I cracked open an IPA from Burnside Brewing.

Here is what the brewery says about the beer, “Burnside IPA is our flagship brand on our sparkling new 15bbl system. An IPA with plenty of malt body and thoroughly hopped with 6 varieties of the herbaceous perennial. Expect to taste notes of pine & grapefruit in Jason’s first offering.”

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Portland Beer Trip – Part the Second

And the Portland craft beer photos continue….

Third time was a charm to finally walk inside the Hair of the Dog taproom. I tried a Little Dog and then this..

That’s the 2009 version Michael (which is my middle name and my Dad’s name). Quite the delicious beer. Slightly fruity with a minor sour note.

One of the great things about Portland is that great beer is literally everywhere. While my mom and wife were shopping, I was watching English Premiere League Football and having Secret Alt at the 2nd outpost of Hopworks Urban Brewery which is basically next door to the Lompoc Sidebar which is next door to the 5th Quadrant bar. Choices. Choices.

Then heading north from HUB, I hit Breakside Brewery which was #2 after Hair of the Dog of places that I wanted to see.

I got the sampler tray and was blown away by the Hoppy Amber and IPA as well as the Italian Amber. The Dry Stout and pepper infused Aztec were good but not to my particular taste.

I capped off my visit with a first visit of Bazi Bierbrasserie. A Belgian themed beer bar just off of Hawthorne. I picked up the licorice-eqsue Kopstooje from Upright and toasted another successful trip.

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Portland Beer Trip – Part the First

Last weekend, I journeyed up to Portland. I brought some Golden Road Point the Way IPA and Hefeweizen for people and brought back some goodies for me. But in between those deliveries, I did this….

I found this wine and beer shop in Sellwood while picking up dinner next door. Great spot with a nice choice of bottles and (4) taps. I sampled the New Belgium / Elysian Trip XI which was odd but refreshing. I also spied this bottle in the middle.

I made my pilgrimage to Belmont Station as well but I also found another bottle shop with taps in the Mississippi district.

SO hard to choose from a small list!

I decided to go with the Good Life Pale Ale which was only OK in my book. Too hoppy to be a pale and heavy on the vegetal hop notes that are not my favorite at the moment. But it looked gorgeous in the glass.

I went by this “cart” twice but it was not open on either occasion.

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A Big Box of Bridgeport

I am a big fan of the Ninkasi boxes that come out in summer and winter with four bombers in it and now Bridgeport is entering the mixed box game with….
“For the first time in its 27-year history, BridgePort Brewing Company will release a 12-bottle variety pack featuring four of its signature brews. The Beervana Brewer’s Box, will include BridgePort IPA, Hop Czar, Kingpin and a seasonal craft selection.

“This is the first time in our 27-year history that we’ve had a group of beers that are in such high demand that they warrant a variety pack,” commented Brewmaster Jeff Edgerton. “It wasn’t until the addition of Kingpin that we finally felt ready to launch the Brewer’s Box for long-time fans to have access to the four top beers as well as the chance for new customers to try BridgePort for the first time.”

The Beervana Brewer’s Box will be distributed nationally and will feature three bottles each of:

IPA: Our award-winning IPA is brewed with a blend of five hop varieties (Cascade, Golding, Ahtanum, Crystal and Chinook) and presents a floral, citrusy aroma and full hop flavor, while downplaying the bitterness. The beer pours smooth in the glass, emitting its signature golden glow.
Hop Czar: An Imperial India Pale Ale brewed with over two pounds of whole leaf hop cones in each barrel. The Emperor of IBU’s, Hop Czar is triple hopped with four varieties (Nugget, Chinook, Centennial and Cascade) to produce an aggressively bitter, yet drinkable flavor.
Kingpin: This triple-hopped red features rye and caramel malt yielding a deep red color. Kingpin uses a rarely-grown Willamette Valley Hop varietal known as Liberty Hops from fourth generation hop farmer John Annen of Annen Bros. Farm in Silverton, Oregon.
Winter Seasonal, Dark Rain: Black Wheat and Dark Crystal Malt add dense color and mild smooth flavors to this intensely hopped Black Ale. This ale has a very drinkable, mid-level alcohol and bitterness that starts with roasted and hoppy aromatic notes and finishes with the dry hop character of the Nugget hop varietal. A Chinook, Crystal, Centennial and Cascade blend is used in our hopjack to provide full flavored background hoppiness.”

Oh, I almost forgot to add that Widmer has a similar box too. And was is better is that I can get all of them here in Los Angeles.

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Christmas Beer of the Day – Permafrost

The Brewery – Burnside
The Beer – Permafrost

The Details
“This is Burnside Brewing Co.’s first winter elixir. It’s a big strong ale brewed with 7 different malts and copious amounts of Columbia and Amarillo hops pillowed in the middle to give this warming brew a chewy complex malt body and a unique fruity juicy hoppiness throughout. You wont want to sip this dangerously strong and tasty beer like you should but pound it . 8.3% abv 77.4 IBU”

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Holiday Ale Festival


I know that I am breaking my own cardinal rule about skipping over major holidays but one week from today the latest Holiday Ale Festival will take place in Pioneer Square in Portland. This is the place to be to sample rare and one-off beers that celebrate the cold time of year.

But don’t take my word for it, read this…..
“The popular event will feature four-dozen big, bold ales designed to fend off the cold chill of a long winter night. From IPAs, Belgians and barleywines to winter warmers, porters and stouts, these beers are crafted specifically for the event or are hard-to-fine vintages, helping secure the event’s reputation as one of the nation’s preeminent winter beer festivals.

What makes this festival standout from other similar events is the beer selection; the festival works with every brewery involved to make sure they can send a beer that has either been made specifically for the event, or is a rare or vintage beer that isn’t commonly tapped in the state. According to festival manager Preston Weesner, “It’s about the fans. This is a once-a-year event and these beer lovers are here to support their favorite brewery. When they get up to the taps and find something special, it further solidifies their support of Oregon craft brews and strengthens our reputation in the beer world as THE place to drink beer.”

For more information, visit their website or call 503-252-9899.