One bottle to rule them all...

I'd go with Ralph or Sahati. Not only does it taste like the PNW (i.e. a pine tree), but AA is a family business and all about sourcing local ingredients and the true craft of making beer by hand.

They're certainly not alone in that category, but I think any beer that tastes like a tree is pretty good candidate for "PNW in a bottle". Not sure if it qualifies as "weird stuff", but I've never met anyone who didn't fall in love with that beer (of course, don't give it to anyone who doesn't like sours).

Not sure the availability of Ralph or Sahati in Portland at this time of year though. I've also seen Ponderosa Sahalie floating around, but I haven't had it, but ponderosa is supposed to be more subtle than fir and spruce and I prefer that in-your-face tree flavor that makes you feel like you're in the middle of the forest.

The more I talk about this beer, the more I realize it may fall under the "weird stuff" category.

 

I'd also consider peche n Brett which I'm sure you can probably find somewhere.

 

Style?

Do your friends have preferences, or or ya just gonna stuff something down their throats?

We're willing to help, but if you just wanna "impress" by bringing along a RarezBro, at least work with us. Clearly, you know about DeGarde, HotD, B15, and all the others listed in the various "visiting" threads.

Hell, the Grape Lotion thread alone should provide enough, ahem, substance.

Choose well buddy, we're here to help, but, c'mon now, throw us a bone. Your peeps hate sours? Well, we won't suggest a thing we think they'll hate.

 

Difficult question to answer..if you mean for the regular craft beer drinker in the PNW i would say something like Rogue Shakespeare Stout or HOD Adam..those things that many have drank for decades.
If you mean a beerk geek..i have no clue since i do not partake though pFriems Saison type offerings have impressed and seem fairly widespread.

 

2015 or 2016 Tahoma Kriek from Double Mountain. It’s a really tasty Belgian style sour with cherries. Tart and perfect. You’ll probably find it at double mountain taproom or around In bottle shop.

 

Well thats clearer...like other have mentioned the afore said DeGarde , Wolves and People or Ale Apothecary..but in reality they do not "encapsulate" the beer scene up here..
You have to9 understand the scene up here includes 70 year old guys and women..who have been drinking "craft" beer since the 80s

 

pFriem Pilsner.

A beautifully made beer, in a style that takes great skill to master, and yet is available pretty much anywhere. (The NW is not typified by whalez.)

(The sheer overwhelming amount of beer here makes it pretty much impossible to quantify it in a single bottle. At least until fresh hop season arrives.)

Beyond that, I'd say De Garde nails the local terroir like nobody else. Or contemporary bottles from Upright, which reflect their restless and characteristic sense of experimentation.

 

Everyone including us always forgets Heater-Allen PIlsner.......its so sad

 

If i had to name a bee that might come close to encapsulating the modern era in Oregon..would be Block 15 Sticky Hands

 

I don't forget them. I drink them! But that gorgeous floral component of pFriem Pils gets the nod from me. For my money, the best pilsner in the region comes from either pFriem or Chuckanut.

 

Yeah buddy, we're totally down with helping you. I'm pretty sure we can find multiple things to help hook your peeps up.

Please, enjoy your visit to the PNW .

 

Yeah me too but in threads they get forgotten.great beer from a great female brewer

 

Not one of their Dab Lab beers? Those are the archetypical Block 15 IPAs, for me.

"Let's approach hop extraction using techniques of THC processing!" That's Oregon!

 

Yeah but as ever not boing the "whale or rarity" type guy i go for what us widely available

 

I was OK with pFriems pils..but it is no HA in my opinion...have never found Chuckanut in Salem yet

 

Any of Alesong's Gose styles. Their Raspberry version this year was absolutely amazing. Even better is that they only cost $6.

Another vote would be any number of Upright's blended Saisons. Stupid cheap for the quality you are getting.

 

I actually prefer Zoiglhaus or Heater Allen's version but Priem's Pilsner is right there. I also LOVE anything from Wayfinder....their Czech Pilsner and Czech Dark Pilsner are some of my favorite beers.

Regardless, It's crazy how spoiled we are up here as I would put any one of the those Breweries against anyone in the country in terms of Lager Styles.