NW Oregon Trip – Who’s In?

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by psweendogg, Jun 29, 2017.

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  1. sharpski

    sharpski Grand Pooh-Bah (3,100) Oct 11, 2010 Oregon
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    If you're looking for Ale Apothecary bottles in town, BTBS and The Brew Shop are your best bets in town. Newport Ave. Market or Crow's Feet Commons may have a stray bottle that you can't find elsewhere, but the former two are more reliably stocked. If you're looking for anything that hasn't made its way out of the taproom (Vamonos or the latest batch of Sahati, but that may change by the end of the month), shoot me a PM and I can hold it for you.
     
    #41 sharpski, Jul 5, 2017
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  2. maltmaster420

    maltmaster420 Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2005 Oregon

    For what it's worth, Sunriver (the village) is an absolute clusterfuck this time of year, and I would personally avoid it at all cost. Sunriver has a pub in Bend (less than a mile from McM's St. Francis) with the same beer and food.
     
    #42 maltmaster420, Jul 5, 2017
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  3. psweendogg

    psweendogg Maven (1,411) Jun 30, 2005 Connecticut
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    @maltmaster420 I may indeed skip Sunriver (the village) altogether as the Sunriver pub in Bend should do the trick!

    Does anyone think Three Creeks or Wild Ride are worthwhile stops on our way in or out of town?
     
    #43 psweendogg, Jul 6, 2017
  4. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
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    Ive had the Wild Ride Nut Crusher Peanut Porter a couple times, and liked it. If I were in the area I'd stop in.
     
    #44 BBThunderbolt, Jul 6, 2017
  5. sharpski

    sharpski Grand Pooh-Bah (3,100) Oct 11, 2010 Oregon
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Based on your other planned stops into Bend, I don't think either make sense on your way into Bend. On your way out, I'd hit whichever is most direct for your next destination, but not try to do both unless you had a gap in your schedule (doesn't seem likely given what you've shared so far:slight_smile:). Both have won medals in statewide and national competitions, and both distribute in 6pks and 22oz so you can still sample either from a grocery store if you don't visit.

    You might be focusing discussion on breweries because you already know the bars/bottleshops/growler fill station stuff covered, but I wanted to make sure you were aware of the difference between CT and OR laws and how that (and other stuff) contributes to Oregon beer being heavily in the mix at establishments outside the breweries. Some are better than others, but every grocery store has a decent local selection for taking back to a hotel room, and the beer-focused venues can help you to sample a broader swath of Oregon beer than just the breweries you're visiting. I haven't spent time in CT for 10+ years, but I remember some significant differences.
     
    #45 sharpski, Jul 6, 2017
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  6. psweendogg

    psweendogg Maven (1,411) Jun 30, 2005 Connecticut
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    @sharpski Thanks for the advice. I definitely was not aware of the difference between the CT and OR beer experience. I hadn't mentioned bottle shops / growler fill stations because I didn't think we would stop into too many of them. As a side note, we are hoping that most of the Oregon breweries offer flights so we can try a wide array of beer styles at any given place. If we find something that we really enjoy, it's good to know that we might be able to stop into a grocery store to check it out.

    As far as bars go, we definitely have a few places picked out for when we get to Portland. If there are any other places along the way (WhiteWater TapHouse seems like a great example), we will definitely keep them on our radar. If we can try some great beer and decent food at a good price, we will gladly stop anywhere!

    Actually, that was one of the reasons I asked about Three Creeks and Wild Ride. I don't think we'll be ready to just start day drinking when we get to Bend after driving from Eugene. We will definitely want to explore the area and thought those might be decent pit stops to grab food and try some beer before actually getting into Bend. Of course, that all assumes we come into Bend from McKenzie Pass... we're still looking into the Crater Lake option!
     
    #46 psweendogg, Jul 6, 2017
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  7. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    When you have as many planned events on your plate as you do, I think you have to draw the line somewhere. Rather than just beating endlessly around the bush, I think it's fair to say that most folks in the NW forum do not consider Wild Ride or Three Creeks to be among the better breweries in the area. If you glance through various NW threads, you'll see reference to all kinds of different beers made by a variety of different breweries in the area, with almost no reference to anything made by Three Creeks or Wild Ride. I think there's a reason for that, especially when you consider that their beer is widely available in PDX, Eugene, etc. Neither place is horrible, and I don't mean to give that impression, but both places are producing beer that is pretty forgettable (IMHO). Given all the legitimately great places for good beer in Bend, if you have to skip any place, I would skip Three Creeks and Wild Ride. I would also point out that neither Sisters or Redmond are exactly a long journey from Bend. Sisters is maybe a half hour North of town (Bend) and Redmond is practically adjacent to Bend. So I'm guessing you probably won't be so hungry and thirsty that you need to make a pit stop at either location before making the "long and arduous" drive over to Bend.

    As for your comment about purchasing flights at most breweries, you're correct. It's also true that most grocery stores will have a surprisingly good selection of craft beer, and so yes, if you come across something from Good Life, Crux, Deschutes or Bend Brewing (for example) that you really like, chances are you'll be able to find bottles/cans of it at almost any grocery store in Oregon. Finding decent beer, whether at a brewery, grocery store or café/beer bar/beer store, is a pretty effortless endeavor in Oregon. IMHO, the ready access to a wide variety of craft beer and imports pretty much wherever you go, is probably the one thing that sets Oregon apart from any other state I've lived.
     
    #47 John_M, Jul 6, 2017
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2017
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  8. blackcloud

    blackcloud Savant (1,243) Apr 28, 2012 Alaska
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    I'll toss in another recommendation for hitting Mejii in Eugene. That place is great.

    Also - I second the idea to look at some beer bars. While it's not a NW-only phenomenon, I think the NW does beer bars better than anywhere else. In my years of living in Portland I'd always get asked for brewery recommendations and without fail would always recommend beer bars instead, unless people were looking for a specific beer.

    This is a great thread, and an even greater idea. Enjoy your trip!
     
    #48 blackcloud, Jul 6, 2017
  9. psweendogg

    psweendogg Maven (1,411) Jun 30, 2005 Connecticut
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    @John_M Once again, the honest feedback is greatly appreciated! I read through so many of the threads on the NW forum and didn’t really find anything related to Wild Ride or Three Creeks so I figured I would ask. We definitely don’t want to waste our time at places that aren’t putting out great beer or providing an enjoyable environment (scenery, food, activities, etc.). Sounds like we can safely skip them both and capitalize on our time in Bend.

    It’s great to hear that the availability of amazing beer in Oregon is nothing like it is here in CT. If I want the best that CT has to offer, I need to go straight to the brewery (NEBCO, OEC, Beer’d, etc.) since I will never find it in stores. I also don’t have the opportunity to hit 15 – 20 breweries within a few miles of each other like I will be able to do in Bend and Portland. I don’t usually live the FOMO lifestyle but I feel like there are so many things we’re going to miss out on in Oregon. Prioritization is key and you guys are really helping me stay on the right path!

    @blackcloud I am thoroughly enjoying all of the feedback on this thread. We would definitely like to hit some great beer bars along the way. There is nothing to speak of where I live but I almost always seek out beer bars when I’m travelling. One of the minor considerations that we’ve made relates to the amount of money we spend on beer & food. We are definitely looking forward to hitting some places during off hours and we’ll be looking for happy hour deals as well. Obviously, the trip isn’t going to be cheap so we’ve decided to scale back a little bit. If we can get an amazing beer selection at a decent price, we will hit any beer bar we can find!

    Plus, I don’t want to ask too many obvious questions about the places that I “should” know about. It’s awesome to know about a place like Meiji in Eugene because I’m sure we would easily overlook it. Again, I’m sure we won’t be able to do a fraction of the things that we want to do. However, our decision making is going to be a whole lot easier now that I have a huge list of recommendations from people with first hand experiences. Can’t wait for this trip to finally happen!!!
     
    #49 psweendogg, Jul 6, 2017
  10. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Always a very understandable consideration and concern.

    Patrick, I know you've done your homework and have done a lot research in preparation for your trip, so please accept my apologies if I'm pointing out something that's obvious and/or that you're already quite familiar with.

    When it comes to costs (in particular), the East Coast is not the NW, and Oregon is not Connecticut. For one thing, there is no sales tax in Oregon, and whereas in your part of the world $7 or $8 for a pint, and $20 or more for a growler, is considered fairly normal for widely produced and distributed ales and lagers, both prices would be considered sky high/highway robbery out here. There are still plenty places where you can find a good, solid, NW IPA in the $4 to $5 range, and growler prices are in the $12 to $14 range (for example). A lot of places run happy hours where can get a pint of a house pale ale or IPA for $2 to $3, and many breweries will put a beer on sale for growler purchases, which can get the price down in the $5 to $8 range (and yes, we're talking about a 64 ounce size growler).

    Also, many places will do half pours of beer sold by the pint, even if that's not advertised or posted. So don't hesitate to ask if you can a get a half glass of a particular beer, especially if you're at a place that looks to be a spot where you might want to do a lot of "heavy lifting."

    Still always a smart idea to be careful with your money when on a big trip like this, but my point is that you may be pleasantly surprised when you get out here and see what prices are like as compared to what you're accustomed to back home. That being said, I know you're a big fan of Great Notion. While their food prices are fairly typical for Portland, let's just say their beer prices will immediately remind you of home. :slight_smile: Cheers
     
    #50 John_M, Jul 6, 2017
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  11. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Availability of great beer is the least of your concerns. You'll see that mini-marts and grocery store have selections that rival "specialty beer stores" in other places. Relax a bit, the beer will be there, no matter where "there" is.
     
    #51 BBThunderbolt, Jul 6, 2017
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  12. sharpski

    sharpski Grand Pooh-Bah (3,100) Oct 11, 2010 Oregon
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    In the "Visiting" threads, most listings include a link to the online taplist so you can get an idea of what we're talking about. As an example, WhiteWater Taphouse http://fbpage.digitalpour.com/?companyID=5568f31c5e00370f38dbb9e1&locationID=1 has 23 of their 30 taps devoted to beer. 16 of those 23 are from Oregon breweries. I think you'll see a similar trend among the other online taplists in the "Visiting Bend/Sunriver" thread, and across your Oregon travels.
     
    #52 sharpski, Jul 6, 2017
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  13. psweendogg

    psweendogg Maven (1,411) Jun 30, 2005 Connecticut
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    Great stuff guys! I really didn’t think about the fact that we would be dealing with very reasonable prices. Half pours are also a great option that I hadn’t considered.

    Regarding Great Notion, we only tried a few samples of their beer at EBF. While we were pretty impressed, I can’t say I’m a big fan yet… although I do have a feeling that many of the breweries out there will turn us into big fans!

    @sharpski Thanks for mentioning the online taplist features in the “Visiting” threads. Those threads are extremely helpful and I have barely started clicking through the available links. I will definitely continue following all of those threads so I can stay informed.
     
    #53 psweendogg, Jul 6, 2017
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  14. psweendogg

    psweendogg Maven (1,411) Jun 30, 2005 Connecticut
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    Thanks for all of the suggestions! I think our Bend Ale Trail path is all set with 2 legs (gives us a chance to hit 10 passport stops if we’re feeling up to it)…

    Ride Bend (2-6): Boneyard > Cascade Lakes > GoodLife > 10 Barrel > Sunriver > McMenamins
    Walking (6-10): Craft Kitchen > Immersion > Crux > Deschutes > White Water > BBC

    Here’s what we have in mind for the next day:

    Wednesday, 7/26 Bend > The High Desert > Mt. Hood > Hood River
    Morning Coffee    : Looney Bean >
    Late Morning (9-12): Visit Bend > Cove Palisades Park > Round Butte Overlook > Ghost Town Gulch (Might Skip This) >
    Early Afternoon (12-3): Trillium Lake > Mt. Hood Brewing (Lunch) > Timberline Lodge >
    Late Afternoon (3-6): Apple Valley Country Store (Snack) > Mt. Hood Winery > Panorama Point Vista House >
    *Sunset Beer (6-8) / Pub Crawl (8-10): pFriem > Big Horse Pub > *Full Sail > Double Mountain (Dinner)
    Final Stop: Hampton Inn

    Recap: We will grab a coffee and turn in our Ale Trail Passports in the morning. Then, we’re just hoping to see the sights on our way to the Gorge. If you can think of any worthwhile stops along the way, we’re definitely open to suggestions. We don’t have a particular agenda or timeline other than to slowly make our way over to Hood River. Solera Brewing looks like a pretty nice pit stop but they’re closed on Weds. I also just saw that Logsdon’s barrel house in Hood River officially closed… oh well.
     
    #54 psweendogg, Jul 7, 2017
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  15. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    https://t.e2ma.net/message/strw0/46d00c

    It might be worth your while to get on the OBG mailing list. They do a pretty decent job providing updated information regarding special events, happy hour specials, etc. The link above is a representative example of the type of weekly update they send out.
     
    #55 John_M, Jul 7, 2017
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  16. blackcloud

    blackcloud Savant (1,243) Apr 28, 2012 Alaska
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    I'd maybe hit Vista House in the am, as I'm assuming that you're headed into PDX the next day. That's a bit of an odd backtrack. You could just take the Historic highway west instead of hopping on 84. Spend more time at the mountain, or just wander Hood River more.

    Also - I'd suggest Backporch for coffee in Bend as an alternative.
     
    #56 blackcloud, Jul 7, 2017
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  17. BBThunderbolt

    BBThunderbolt Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,846) Sep 24, 2007 Kiribati
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    If you can squeeze it in, I'd suggest a quick hop over the river and hit Everybody's Brewing in White Salmon WA.
     
    #57 BBThunderbolt, Jul 7, 2017
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  18. John_M

    John_M Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,849) Oct 25, 2003 Washington
    Mod Team Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    If he needs to cull the herd a bit (in order to make it over to EB - just a 5 or 10 minute drive from Hood River), I would consider dropping Big Horse (decidedly so-so beer these days, with fairly basic pub grub), as well as Mt. Hood winery (unless he feels they just have to squeeze in a winery visit while in Hood River).
     
    #58 John_M, Jul 7, 2017
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  19. stevesbeer

    stevesbeer Initiate (0) May 17, 2016 Washington

    Arderi Winery is a nice place with a great view of Mt Hood. Though they may be more great for picnic types, don't recall their food options other than they were limited.
     
    #59 stevesbeer, Jul 7, 2017
  20. psweendogg

    psweendogg Maven (1,411) Jun 30, 2005 Connecticut
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    @John_M The Oregon Craft Beer / OBG website is amazing. I’m definitely going to use it to check for events while we are in the area. Also, thanks for the feedback on Big Horse and Mt. Hood Winery. Both locations appeared to be conveniently located along our route but we don’t have any compelling reason to stop at either place.

    @blackcloud I love the Vista House recommendation. Looks like a great spot. We are indeed heading into PDX the following day so we’ll add that stop to the route. And thanks for the Backporch coffee suggestion!

    @beertunes Everybody’s Brewing is another great recommendation. As John said, we might drop a stop or two on Weds PM and add that. Or, we might check them out around lunch time on Thursday. Either way, they are on my radar.
     
    #60 psweendogg, Jul 7, 2017
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