Cascade Brewing / Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice modern take on a hunter's lodge. Big, mostly open interior space with word beams. Comfortable and inviting.

The food was very good. I had fish tacos and my companion had meatloaf, we share both dishes. The meatloaf had a mushroom sauce with a reduction made form Cascade ale, it was really tasty.

The beer menu is extensive, featuring 18 Cascade beers on tap. They offer free "splash" tasters, which for a fan of Cascade's rather expensive beers is a godsend! I feel I lucked out because one of the beers I wanted to taste was tapped out, so they had replaced it with a 2012 Cherry Burbonic Plague! Having never tasted it before, I was blown away by this beer. It's simply huge, full of fruit which is balanced by the tartness. The Aquavit Plum also knocked my socks off. It's a spicy, jammy wonderland...the ultimate holiday ale, IMO. The only beer I didn't love was the Cascade IPA. Nothing really wrong with it, but it just doesn't have the magic that their sours do.

After dinner, I took a trip downstairs to the small brewing area and bar. The staff (upstairs and downstairs) were super-friendly and offered a few more splash tastes of some of what they had to-go in bottles.

This is the perfect place to go for a Cascade fan. It's a bonus that the food is very good and the staff is very friendly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

About 20 sours and 6 other beers on tap at the time of my visit. Although sours are not, in general, a favored style for me, I was very impressed with every beer. Inviting staff and nice beer-centric venue. I was also impressed with the food and ordered or saw passing by on its way from the kitchen.

 

Sour Beer. What this place is all about, and they come through with a huge array and weekly specials.

I am rating the Bar as the upstairs is more of a family environment. Ambiance is okay, great view of the Brewery itself which I can appreciate, and leads me to rate a bit higher than deserved.

Quality is top notch. As Sours go, you may get a batch or a year that may not be the same as what you had before. These Beers mature in different ways.

Service is awesome in the Bar. Nothing more to be desired. This is not a place to get drunk though, they adhere to the OLCC to the T.

Selection is great, over 20 Sours in bottle and several that are tap exclusive, plus 13 rotating taps that range from Bourbon Barrel Aged Porters to West Coast IPAs, Pilsen erst, and all other sorts of specials, all brewed either in house or by Cascade Brewing, the parent company. Highlight is the Honey Ginger Lime Sour, 6.52% abv, and a great way to ease into Sours Beer, but please explore as there is so much complexity to the style.

Food is hit or miss. Menu is fine for pub fare but, the inconsistencies and obvious turnover in kitchen staff leads too a roulette of quality. Food is an afterthought to the beer. Highlights are the Pretzel and Sausage Fondue app.

 

 

 

 

We stopped in on vacation for tastings. We sat at the bar on a weekday night with a decent crowd. The bartender made the visit awesome. We love sours but he loved them even more. He was geeked about explaining everything we were willing to hear about the brewery. A must visit if you're in town.