When I travel and beer is on the agenda, I research new places, places getting buzz, beers that do not come to my neck of the woods. Usually that means driving all over to hit the spots that most interest me.
Or, both breweries could be within 4 blocks of each other on one street.
Both Grand Fir Brewing and Fracture Brewing sit on the north side of East Stark Street and I popped into both and came away impressed by both the beer and the atmosphere.
Grand Fir is two floors with a small amount of outdoor and first floor seating. Upstairs is the bar along with the kitchen so you can get beer and lunch / dinner. Touches of green and wood are everywhere.
I tasted four beers from their line-up and bar one that was fine, the others from brewer Whitney Burnside were great including the Lichen West Coast IPA and the Ember Schwarzbier.
Next door to a small food cart pod is Fracture where the vibe is cocktail bar (which it is) but with great beer.
I tasted two beers both IPA, both oat cream hazy and both simply fantastic. Their Anniversary IPA had a little sharp edge to it but was fruity and soft on the palate. Hype Machine V1 was somehow even more pillowy and more tropical fruity. I didn’t sample the lighter or darker stuff but based on the first two, my expectations are high.
