My girlfriend and I are planning our first (beer) adventure through Oregon in early October. We're staying with family in Grants Pass starting on the 6th, then towards Bend on the 9th, Portland on the 11th, and driving back to California on the 14th. So far, I know I want to go to Boneyard, Cascade, Green Dragon, Apex, and de Garde, and she has her heart set on Deschutes. Where else do I need to go? Are there stops I should make between destinations? Also, I'm from Santa Rosa. Does everyone up there want Pliny the Elder? Or should I bring more Blind Pig and STS Pils, since they're not distributed? And sours? Which spots might give me the VIP treatment if I give them a couple bottles?
It is worth pointing out that De Garde is in Tillamook, about 75 minutes west of Portland. Day trip, maybe?
For Portland: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-portland-summer-2016-update.433537/ For Bend: https://www.beeradvocate.com/community/threads/visiting-bend-sunriver-spring-2016-update.406590/
As mentioned, Oregon still gets RR stuff. Now, if you were headed to Washington, you'd probably draw lots of interest, since some folks are feeling withdrawal symptoms after RR weaseled out of the state.
Better off bringing SARA and The Rare Barrel. I would also add Wolves and People, Great Notion, The Commons, and Breakside as potential stops.
Oh, I'm sure they would certainly welcome them, who doesn't like beer after all, but since it's still reasonably well available in OR, RR stuff isn't as likely to pique someones interest as some other stuff that they don't see. My opinion, bring beer you enjoy and want to share. Have fun enjoying the beers you encounter here. It's been my experience that the harder you push on these things, the less likely they are to happen. If you're willing to stay, ahem, fluid, surprises seem to happen more.
Just come up and have a good time. I wouldn't worry about gifting beers in the hopes of getting special treatment.
While in bend you should hit up Bend brew Co, worthy, boneyard, crux and anything you can walk to in-between. Portland: Theres so many good places to have a beer in portland, like on every other block theres a place. You should really try to stop a Great Notion Brewing on Alberta Street. They're making some really good beers, well worth the stop.
