Hey NW BAs! I'm a former NW resident transplanted to the Midwest, badly missing the bounty of NW beers! A friend will be visiting soon and is willing to bring some beer. I'm familiar with the usual suspects from roughly five years ago, but I'm sure the region has exploded with great new beer as usual. Here's the question: What are your top 5 beers that are reasonably easy to find on shelves in the PDX area RIGHT NOW? I have a few old favorites that I'd like to ask my friend to bring, but I'd also like to know what are the new, exciting, and available beers that I could try? Thank you very much! (BTW, I'm a fan of most styles, so let 'em fly!)
Anything from Ale Apothecary The Commons Myrtle Breakside Passion Fruit Gigantic IPA and/or Ginormous IIPA Block 15 Sticky Hands (assuming your friend's visit coincides with the monthly release)
If i were to pick up 5 relatively easy to to find bottles/cans, it would probably go like this: Ale Apothecary Sahalie (should be able to be found) though expect a 25 to 30 dollar price tag Logsdon Seizoen Bretta Occidental Hefeweizen Heater Allen Pilsner Commons Myrtle IPAs are bit tougher Gigantic Ginormous is probably my favorite of the easy to find variety.
Assuming it's available in Portland - Elysian Punkaccino. Really awesome pumpkin beer that also captures the coffee culture. Made with Stumptown beans.
I agree on Ale Apothecary - Sahalie, Sahati, or La Tache Logsdon Seizoen Bretta Deschutes Mirror Mirror is still sitting all over town. Delicious. Also, Not the Stoic I like regular Breakside IPA. But look for Ft George/Block 15/Boneyard 3-Way IPA as well. Crux Half Hitch IIPA is also lingering around town. 10% and very very good Sticky Hands vanishes as soon as it drops. The latest was another masterpiece
Is Ale Apothecary's Be Still lingering? Saw it at Belmont Station a few weeks back. The price is steep - $37 I believe - but one of the most unique and memorable beers I've had this year.
it is still lingering. Baileys downtown has it for sale. pretty crazy beer. i was impressed, although I really cant drop $35 for it. Even $25 for Sahalie is a tough one to swallow, and I love that beer
I like a lot of AA stuff but be still was a major let down for me. I didn't drop the coin for a bottle but tried it at the 1/4 party at de garde. 6 bucks for a pour and I could barely finish it. I like coffee beer but it really didn't jive with me sadly but on a plus side I don't have to drop 35 for a bottle.
it struck me a lot more with chocolate and red wine than coffee. but I can definitely see this being a polarizing beer. I split a bottle with 3 others and we all really liked it, but the word "interesting" and "unique" kept coming up. never tasted anything quite like it
FWIW, if you get another opportunity to try it in a different setting w/o dropping the dollars, I'd go for it. I've had some off experiences with beers at big events including de garde and then been really impressed with the same beers later. I'm imagining what Be Still would taste like after a couple Bu's and I can imagine the contrast being wretched.
Awesome suggestions, thank you all so much! Just curious, any HotD one-offs available on shelves at the moment?
They never get distributed, but occasionally stores will send people to the release and but stuff for resale. Market of Choice would be the most likely bet for having something. We don't have any HoTD right now because they haven't released any Adam, Fred, Ruth, or Blue Dot in at least a couple of months.
Temptation just hit PDX, a bunch of it at John's. Otherwise you can expect to find most of the other -tions around town.
