Best canned / bottled beer in the area

Nothing. You'll be getting screwed with every box.

 

The best??? I am still trying to figure that out. One pint at a time. Been a 25+ year journey. I must be doing something wrong. My life sucks.

'nothing jumped out' ? Cool. We are doing something right with the sandbagging and tepid reviews. Here's a little secret: it's all good. Your trade partner knows this. What they can pick up at the gas station/bookstore/laundromat/bike shop/hardware store rivals most specialty bottle stores located elsewhere. Which should tell you something about the specialty bottle stores that are there. Trust your trade partner.

The really good stuff never hits a bottle or can though......think about some sort of growler exchange.

Can you please send me a 2 liter bottle of Vernors for this valuable insight???

 

Yeah, I'd say just trust your trade partner to pick out a good selection - that's generally what I do when I trade. Half the fun is being surprised by what you get.

 

If you don't already have specific beers in mind, trust your trade partner to pick out good locals for you. Based on the first box, be honest about what you did and didn't like so he/she can fine tune for future boxes. Be open to complete surprises from breweries you've never heard of.

 

Ill give you a few beers that I have been seeing around town that I really like

3 Way IPA - seasonal 4 packs.

Buoy Czech Style Pilsner

Upright Saison Bretta

Anchorage mosaic saison

Jubel 2015

Stickee Monkee

Pfriem bottles (IPA, Saison, belgian strong dark)


as others have noted. a lot of the best stuff is on tap only. luckily most every place will fill growlers.

 

I've always liked Workhorse IPA and feel it is a solid representation of what Portland can offer. I just looked it up and it scored a 93 here and I bet you could order it at Chucky Cheese.

 

It's Chuck E. Cheese goddammit! How hard is that?

Seriously OP, give your trade partner some clear idea of your likes and dislikes and you probably won't be disappointed. Unless you don't like good beer.

And I want to learn more about this Anchorage Mosaic saison.

 

I checked, for science. They have bud, bud light, an amber, and "some sort of apple thing."

 

Sadly, Verners ain't what it used to be.

 

In Portland?. Shocked.

 

Coupled with that bud light thing above, I will just cry myself to sleep

 

To get totally off topic, since we're talking about Bud Light now. Are all these Bud Light spin-off products (Lime-A-Rita, Straw-ber-Rita, Mixx Tail etc.) actually beer in any way, shape, or form? I've idly wondered about this when I've seen the ads (I mean, they are under the Bud Light brand), but never quite enough to do any actual research let alone type a tangent post in a thread from a guy in Michigan about trade-worthy beers in the Portland area. But somehow this just feels right.

 

With zero shame whatsoever, I declare that I sometimes enjoyed a nice Zima. I miss Zima. Come home Zima, you are loved and missed.

 

The Chuck E. Cheese in Portland is way out on 96th and Powell near I205. It's not quite Gresham, but it's still outside the growing craft beer zone. The conversation was kind of funny:

Me: I'm having a party, and the adults need beer. Do you have any?

Kid: Yes.

Me: Bottles, draft, or both?

Kid: Um. I don't know what draft is. Ours comes out of a metal thing and we pour it into glasses. [insert mental facepalm]

me: Oh. What do you have?

[insert list from a few posts up]

Me: That's perfect, thanks!

 

A buddy of mine forced the rest of us to drink a Straw-ber-Rita once (they're normally $1 a can at Fred Meyer). It was so ridiculously sweet. Kinda reminded me of my mom's Bartles and James that I'd steal sips of when I was a kid.

And then I made everyone drink a Steel Reserve Blkbry once. Tasted like Grape Kool-Aid.

 

All you need is a Wild Blue and you'd have scored a pruno hat trick.

 

We can make that happen.