Southside Speakeasy And Brewpub

Stopped in with a friend on the off chance that SOMEWHERE in the second largest city in Oregon there was one brewpub that wasn't owned by a big chain. No such luck. The "Public Brewpub" sign above the bar had long since burnt out and according to the bartender, the place hasn't brewed it's own in years. The prices for beer are good, but the selection is basically the standard Northwest pantheon: Widmer Hef, Mirror Pond, Fat Tire, etc. Also the place is pretty hard to find if you don't know where you're going. I'm disappointed that the one place in Salem that was selling it's own beer has stopped. If anyone in this area wants to make money hand-over-fist, open a brewpub!

It’s 7:45 on a Sunday night and there’s not a single patron in the place. The bartender is shooting pool. The gal at the register is filing her nails. There’s not a car in the lot. As I walk through the door the only sounds are the cool buzz of a neon Coors sign and the silvery jingle of my spurs.

Okay, I wasn’t really wearing spurs. Threw that in for effect. But I was the only customer and this is now officially a country/western bar since the new owner took the reins last April. The Speakeasy is also now Salem's only independent brewpub though McMenamins and The Ram are also established in town. But unlike it’s brewish neighbors, the identity of the Southside Speakeasy and Brewpub is both clumsily defined and in flux.

First, there’s the name. “Speakeasy” is a great name for a brewpub. There’s a brewery called Speakeasy in San Francisco and probably at least one bar in every state by a similar name. In fact, the whole Prohibition era motif works well and the Southside Speakeasy uses it to great effect. Beers and mixed drinks are named for Al Capone, paddy wagons, flappers, etc. Great idea for a gin house or brewpub. Lousy idea for a country/western dance bar.

Next, there’s the master plan. The bartender shooting pool is also the owner. He spoke to me at length about his new business, his plans, investments, and emergent agenda. He’s a nice guy and was very helpful. Trouble is, the man is absolutely indifferent to craft brewing. He informs me his country/western clientele "all drink from brown bottles." For this reason he moved to bring in both the major mega-macros and their menacing merchandising mélange. This “brewpub” is now splattered top to bottom with neon, plastic, and mirrored glass stressing the tenuous virtues of Coors, Bud Light and MGD. Not only is this overt emphasis on macroswill entirely contrary to the ethic of craft brewing, it thwarts the economic sensibilities of operating a brewpub in the first place.

The horror. The horror.

Of course, if you like country swing dancing and Coors Light, you’re in luck. The Speakeasy now has a great new dance floor, a modern sound system and DJ cage, and they offer free dance lessons five nights a week. And if you happen to fancy a beer with personality and verve, so much the better. They still have six house beers on tap plus one on nitro.

But the conflict between craft brewing and macroswill invariably manifested itself as an ideological rift between the head brewer and the new owner. This, I am told, was amicably resolved with the brewer’s departure and his replacement with an avid home brewer. For the time being, the plan is to perpetuate most of the Speakeasy’s original recipes while retiring some of their more adventuresome fruit beers.

The owner, being none too preoccupied with attending to customers on a Sunday night in August, was gracious enough to give me a tour of the brewing facility. I noted that the mash tun and brew kettle are located outdoors, encaged in a fenced enclave in the parking lot behind the building. They are inoperative pending a large investment in plumbing infrastructure.

The Southside Speakeasy is located in an odd corner of an industrial park on the outskirts of Salem. I’ve personally been known to travel hundreds of miles in search of a good beer. But this choice of location has all the personable charm of…well, of an industrial park. In the truest sense, none of this is any of my business. But I’m a staunch advocate for the perpetuation of craft brewing in my local bioregion, and I’ll state this much emphatically: It’s a flawed business plan to operate a craft microbrewery and then sell your wares in a brewpub that is ideologically indifferent to the art of craft brewing. Something’s gotta give and I’m fearful of what that might be.

Footnote: Salem is our state capitol. The word means “peace” in many languages.

**UPDATE** The Southside Speakeasy is presently (as of mid-September, 2004) not brewing beers at all and will not be brewing until several thousand dollars worth of plumbing and structural upgrades are put in place. A scheduled date of completion for this project has been hard to pin down. For the moment all Speakeasy ales on tap are from reserve stock produced last April by the previous brewer. It’s hard to say whether these will be restocked upon depletion. The Speakeasy is presently doing a thriving business with its country / western clientele. Guests will note a ratio of about four women to every male patron and $2.75 pints while they last.

Ok no idea why I took it into my head to visit this establishment..had heard about it..but it didnt seem promising..being located in an industrial park.
Ok took some time to find..its behing "The Hoop" an indoor basketball place.
Walked in..despite its modern facade..its actually nice and dim and cool inside. I was welcomed immediatlly by the bar maid..
Nice menu..great attentive staff..good beers on tap..Alaskan Summer, Blackhook on nitro..among other. The brewpub had just got a new brewer apparentlly he was a brewer with The Pelican in Pacific City..so there was rather a lack of brews from the pub..just two so far a cream Al;e and an Apricot ale.
I had the Cream which was pretty good stuff..sampled the Apricot..wich was ok..The bar maid told me the brewer is gonna try a dunkel-weissen next..that should be a challenge.
Service was excellent..slelection should get better..Ill review agin in a month or so.
Nice food ..has live music and a open mike..seems like a real friendly place to spend an evening.