Visiting Portland (Spring 2016 update)

So I came to Portland last April and went to Hair of the Dog, Cascade, Commons, and Deschutes Pub. I am coming back again this year for the de Garde anniversary. I want to go back to Cascade and Hair of the Dog again but I also want to go to Culmination, Upright, and Great Notions on this trip. I saw the above comments about Culmination. Is there a brewery yall would recommend that i dont have listed? One that is a must go-to? Or should I stick with Cascade, HOD, Culmination, Upright, and Great Notions?

 

Thank you for the input!

I definitely plan on hitting the bars. I went to Apex, Beermongers, and Bailey's when I was there last year. Plan on going to Apex, Tin Bucket and Belmont on this trip. Hopefully Growler Guys also.

 

A BIG thank you to the folks who participate in the Northwest forums … my wife and I hit Portland for the first time last weekend and this forum played a huge part in making our trip extremely enjoyable! Very nice folks here … I appreciate your help! And WOW – the weather last weekend … it was nicer here in Portland than in was at our SoCal home, LOL

This was not exactly a 100% beer trip, but we did manage to do our fair share of “research” … summary below:

Downtown Crawl
We stayed downtown so this crawl was excellent … HotD -> The Commons -> Cascade -> Base Camp. Chose this one over Deschutes, Fat Head, Rogue, etc. cuz … well, you know why (quality). Highly recommend this crawl to any visitor … it’s such an easy walk, coupled with quality brews at each place (except Base Camp). I was concerned about the homeless situation and the safety of my wife walking these streets (Reddit makes it sound like a war zone), but no way … it was not a problem at all … SF is way worse where you can actually smell urine as you walk. Anyways … awesome to be able to drink all those vintage bottles at HotD – had the brisket there, very good eats … Cascade tap list = WOW – unbelievable how many sours they have on draft – if you are into sours, this is a must stop … Base Camp was very disappointing – you can definitely skip this one – I tried 6 beers and they were all thin and lacking in any real flavors – cool space but the beers just didn’t hit the mark for me.

Tillamook | de Garde | Oregon Coast
We took the 1.5 hour drive to Tillamook on Sunday … and wow, what a beautiful drive. It was very cool to get out of downtown proper and see the sheer beauty of Oregon. The forest, trees, colors, etc. were amazing. We stopped at de Garde and spent two hours there. I knew de Garde would awesome – but being there in person it really blew my mind. Their beers are INSANELY GOOD!!! Small space but it was cozy and inviting. Everyone there was so nice … my love for de Garde has grown exponentially. After de Garde we visited Cape Mears, Oceanside and Netarts … so beautiful … if you are visiting de Garde, please make time to experience the beauty of the Oregon coastline.

Other
So many good eats and place in downtown Portland. Ate dinner at Veritable Quandry – tasty food, impeccable service and a very romantic atmosphere – highly recommend. Lardo was delish … had the Korean Pork Shoulder sandwich – YUM!!! Blue Star > Voodoo. The Rookery bar had a great mix of cocktails and draft beer – dug this place – good food too. Baileys was very cool – so many high quality draft options. What’s with all the strip clubs?? LOL – Portland you dirty dog The Departure Lounge on top of The Nines hotel as amazing – gorgeous views! We stayed at The Nines – highly recommend this hotel!! The Minnesota Timberwolves were also staying there during our visit and we rode the elevator with them a few times – now I know what a small child feels like – those boys are BIG!!! Huber’s Café was fun for the history aspect – it was cool getting the table side service Spanish Coffee – that shit is STRONG. Saturday Market was filed with so many unique arts and crafts - loved strolling around and visiting all the vendors.

So that’s about it … again, thank you to all Northwest Forum participants … you guys ROCK!

 

Thanks for the trip report, always glad to hear an outsiders view.

 

Does anyone know when Wayfinder will be open? And, is there any updates on Double Mountain's Portland Taproom?

 

I second guajolote on his Breakside recommendation. Their pub has good food and it's in a nice neighborhood setting. In my opinion, Hopworks and Fat Head's are also worth your time. Both have very solid and varied lineups for you to choose from. They are popular, so expect crowds. As for beer bars/bottle shops, I would just add Bailey's and Beer Mongers to the list. Happy drinking, enjoy your visit!

 

Portlander here chiming in with a question. One of the breweries in town I have not been to is Ecliptic, and I find their beers good. As in I can walk into a grocery store or bottle shop see a bottled on date and pull the trigger. I don't think I've been disappointed, and that includes the triple ipa on draft some thought was a bit messy. Does anyone have feelings about the brewpub? Mostly food and service, thanks.

 

Food is very good to very very good and service is average to good. You should definitely check it out.

 

I think their food is quite a bit better than most of their beers. I've tried maybe a half dozen items, ranging from appetizers to entrees, and they've all been terrific. Service was good, but I'm not the best judge of that. I really don't tend to notice service unless it is very good or very bad.

 

Food is probably one of the, if not the best in terms of brewpubs in Oregon (imo). They change most of the menu with the seasons. Service is good, never had any complaints. Great view and great atmosphere.

 

Thanks, judging by Ecliptic's online menu it looks like they try to transcend the typical brewpub food, and I admire that. It's one of the reasons I enjoy going to Burnside Brewery. This is a crowed food and beer market. Does anyone have a favorite dish at a brewpub that isn't a burger?

 

Visiting Portland this weekend and plan on trying to hit up the following breweries:
The Commons
Cascade
Hair of the Dog
Breakside
Upright
maybe Deschutes

Also on our trip to the gorge:
Double Mountain
Pfriem

Anything I'm missing as a good start for a first timer?

Also, any bottles to look out for? Especially anything that we can't get down in San Diego?

 

Portland:Ex-Novo
Hood River:Logsdon

 

Beat me to it. The view should be spectacular this weekend, at least by mid-afternoon when the clouds burn off.

 

The view looks pretty amazing from their patio. I think we'll probably stop in there for that and to try the beer.

How's the food? Any suggestions on places to eat out in the Hood River area would be much appreciated.

 

Thanks, we'll probably get some pizza then. Seems to be highly recommended.

Also been looking to try some beers from De Garde but doubt we'll have time to make it to Tillamook. Any recommendations for a first timer on A. which beers to shoot for, and B. where to get them? I wouldn't mind bringing a few home also since it sounds like they don't distribute in CA so any rec's on bottles would be awesome.

 

It's kind of out in the middle of nowhere (apologies to anyone living in Oregon City), but Arch Bridge Taphouse seems to have the best de Garde bottle selection. I don't think you can go wrong with any of the current offerings.