Visiting Eugene/Springfield 2018 Updated

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by jbakajust1, Feb 3, 2016.

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  1. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    As the Eugene/Springfield area continues to grow in stature as a beer destination spot in its own right, it seemed reasonable and useful to create a post/thread similar to the PDX and Bend/Sunriver versions.

    Have talked over the following list of recommendations with @John_M, but even so, this is far from a comprehensive list, so please don’t hesitate to let me know if I missed something.

    (Almost) Universally Recommended “must-Visit” breweries and brewpubs
    Oakshire
    Ninkasi
    Hop Valley (Eugene location)

    Other Highly recommended Breweries and Brewpubs
    Agrarian
    Sam Bonds
    Viking
    Claim 52 & The Abbey

    New Comers
    ColdFire
    Mancave
    Elk Horn

    Highly Recommended Bars/Growler Stations
    Bier Stein
    16 tons café and tap house
    Tap and Growler
    Growler Guys

    Other recommended Bars/Growler Stations
    Growler Nation
    First National Tap house
    GrowlerU
    Growler Underground
    The Filling Station
    Steel Pail
    Beer Garden

    Highly Recommended Bottle Shops
    Bier Stein
    16 tons Tap house
    Market of Choice (the Willakenzie St. and Williamette St. locations)
    Bi-Mart (Royal Avenue store)

    Beer centric restaurants
    Electric Station
    Café 440
    Hot Mama Wings
    Falling Sky (multiple bastions)
    Planktown brewpub
    Cornucopia Bar & Burger
    North West Burgers 5th Street Market
    Board
    Hop Valley
    Planktown

    Extra
    You can always try out the Eugene Ale Trail as well.

    Prominent Eugene festivals
    KLCC Microbrew Festival (February 12-13)
    Hellshire release and barrel-aged beer fest (March 12th)
    Eugene Beer Week (usually held in early June, and culminating with the annual tower of sour at Bier Stein and the Sasquatch Brew fest)
    Oakshire Single Batch Fall Bierfest - (Usually Mid October).

    The Eugene area is pretty centrally located, making short day trips and combination beer-centric vacations feasible. The City is just a couple hours from downtown Portland and the Bend/Sunriver area, and is roughly a 45 minute drive over to Block 15/Les Caves via hiway 99, and roughly the same distance over to Oakridge and Brewer’s Union 180 via Highway 58. So it's very easy to add the Eugene/Springfield area into your beercation plans, no matter what your ultimate destination is in Oregon.

    ** Disclaimer: This post is not intended to be a catch-all for Eugene beer establishments. There are many well-regarded beer institutions throughout the area, many of which are not listed in this post. This thread is an attempt to present the most frequently recommended and highest-regarded spots. Exploration and experimentation are certainly encouraged!
     
    #1 jbakajust1, Feb 3, 2016
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  2. John_M

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

    Correct me if I'm wrong Justin, but I think the only change from the prior thread, is that the new post now includes two new, noteworthy Bars/Growler Stations. The Filling Station and the Tap and Growler's new Beer Garden location are deserved additions to the old list (IMHO).

    Thanks for putting together this newest edition!
     
    #2 John_M, Feb 3, 2016
  3. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Fairly close, there are the 2 you mentioned plus the Steel Pail off Delta. And the biggest one is the incorporation of ColdFire Brewing into the Newcomers for Breweries. They opened January 23rd and already expanded there taproom hours. I heard they are probably going to expand them again in the coming weeks. They also have a collaboration beer with Matt Van Wyk of Alesong (formerly of Oakshire) that will drop at KLCC.
     
    #3 jbakajust1, Feb 3, 2016
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  4. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    The collaboration beer, a Berlinerweisse with Lemongrass and Lime juice has released as of this weekend, as well as the Farmhouse with Brett C that drops tonight.
     
    #4 jbakajust1, Feb 17, 2016
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  5. shadetree67

    shadetree67 Savant (1,072) Sep 11, 2013 Minnesota
    Trader

    What are the best bars / breweries to visit in eugene for people who like IPA and sour beer?
     
    #5 shadetree67, Mar 5, 2016
  6. John_M

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

    The bars on the OP list are you best options for both. Most places keep a current, up to date online tap list (Steel Pail is the only place on the list that in my experience doesn't, and for some reason the Tap and Growlers website hasn't been updated recently), so you can check to see what's currently on tap before heading over. In term of local breweries in town for the best IPAs and sours, I would recommend Hop Valley for their IPA's (Ninkasi too I guess, though I find most of their IPA's to be too malty), and Sam Bond's has made some decent ones as well. In terms of sours, your best bet would be Agrarian and Oakshire I guess, though I understand that Coldfire plans to start doing some as well (and just came out with a Berliner Weisse in fact). I would add that we get a lot of Block 15 stuff in town, and some of their sours are definitely worth trying. I would also add that Eugene is well supplied with bottles from Cascade and Logsdon, so you shouldn't have any difficulty finding sour beers in the area. I would also point out that Eugene is well supplied by Barley Brown and Boneyard, and their IPA's/DIPA's tend to be terrific.
     
    #6 John_M, Mar 6, 2016
    Last edited: Apr 29, 2016
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  7. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    I agree with @John_M. Hit Bier Stein, 16 Tons, or Tap & Growler for both IPA and Sours. There are a lot choices for good IPAs at most all the Eugene breweries. Sours... not so much. The Berliner at ColdFire is really good, not sure if anyone else in town has a sour on tap right now.
     
    #7 jbakajust1, Mar 6, 2016
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  8. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    ColdFire just released a really good German Pilsner.
     
    #8 jbakajust1, Apr 30, 2016
  9. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Eugene Beer Week Update:
    May 30 - June 5, 2016
    Watch the Website for a full calendar (eventually, not up yet)
    Events I know of for sure:

    Bier Stein
    5/30 7pm Beer Family Fued
    5/31 6pm Alesong Release at main bar with a ticketed dinner in the back bar
    6/2 All Day SN Beer Camp Event
    6/3 All Day Tower of Sour Event

    Sasquatch Brewfest
    6/3 7pm Brew Dinner @ Hi-Fi Music Hall
    6/4 All Day @ Hi-Fi Music Hall
     
    #9 jbakajust1, Apr 30, 2016
    Last edited: May 25, 2016
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  10. crico925

    crico925 Zealot (516) Jul 8, 2015 Colorado
    Trader

    Random question - do cans of Sticky Hands usually sell out the day the are delivered to the Bier Stein?
     
    #10 crico925, May 3, 2016
  11. derftron

    derftron Pooh-Bah (1,663) Feb 8, 2012 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    no way. since they have been canning, STicky hands is much easier to get now days. it usually hangs out for a week at least
     
    #11 derftron, May 3, 2016
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  12. John_M

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

    ^ This... but I wouldn't recommend going to BS for Sticky Hands. Their prices for individual cans and 4 packs are on the high side for Eugene, and they do tend to run out more quickly then other places in town. If you're just interested in Sticky Hands, I would recommend 16 tons taphouse or one of the MofC's in town.
     
    #12 John_M, May 3, 2016
  13. crico925

    crico925 Zealot (516) Jul 8, 2015 Colorado
    Trader

    Great! Much thanks for the info, good to know about the pricing differences as well. I'm just going to be in town on Friday for a little bit and wanted make sure that the cans would still be around. Been wanting to try this beer for a while!
     
    #13 crico925, May 3, 2016
  14. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Market of Choice on Willamette and 29th will get fresh cans of Sticky Hands on Thursday. And when I say fresh, I mean, they are canning it today according to Twitter and FB.
     
    #14 jbakajust1, May 3, 2016
  15. crico925

    crico925 Zealot (516) Jul 8, 2015 Colorado
    Trader

    Thanks for the heads up! I've been wanting to check out the new Bier Stein location (Haven't really been back to Eugene since I graduated in 2011), so maybe I will just have a beer there and then head over to MoC afterwards to pick up cans.
     
    #15 crico925, May 3, 2016
  16. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Stein is on the same delivery schedule as the MoC on W/29. Honestly the gas and time used to drive out there and then back to wherever else you plan to go (all the other good beer spots are DT and Whit), you may as well just paid the mark up for cans at the Stein. It's a couple bucks and they won't run out in 1 day. ColdFire is dropping a new Berlinerweisse on Wednesday that will be perfect on their new patio seating this weekend.
     
    #16 jbakajust1, May 3, 2016
  17. BBThunderbolt

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

    Brah, 24 hours? Faded shite brah, faded shite.
     
    #17 BBThunderbolt, May 3, 2016
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  18. crico925

    crico925 Zealot (516) Jul 8, 2015 Colorado
    Trader

    That's a good point. I'll be on a bit of a time crunch, so it will probably be worth it to just get the cans from the Bier Stein.

    Haven't heard of ColdFire before. Is their release at the brewery only? or do this distribute to some places in the area?
     
    #18 crico925, May 3, 2016
  19. John_M

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

    Exactly. Though of course the same is true of 16 tons as well (and they're just a couple of blocks from BS).

    There are 4 MofC stores in Eugene, though in my opinion, the two best by far are the one alluded to by Justin, as well as the one over on Willakenzie. That being said, I'm fairly certain that all 4 stores will be getting a sticky hands allocation on Thursday. So whichever store happens to be the most convenient for you, I guess maybe go there (or if you're going to BS anyway, just grab your cans there).

    Eugene is well supplied with Sticky Hands these days, and I'm virtually certain that it will be on tap somewhere in town as well. So if that interests you, check the online tap list at 16 tons (they have it on tap right now I believe), BS, tap and growler, the Beergarden and maybe even growler guys. Have fun!
     
    #19 John_M, May 3, 2016
  20. jbakajust1

    jbakajust1 Pooh-Bah (2,552) Aug 25, 2009 Oregon
    Pooh-Bah

    Actually W/29, Delta, and Willakenzie are the only MoC in EUG that get SH in cans, and they are all on different delivery schedules. MoC W/29 & BS get new cans this Thursday, 16T, MoC Willakenzie, and BS (again) on the 19th, and MoC Delta on the 26th.

    http://block15.com/our-beer/#distribution
    https://calendar.google.com/calenda...p.calendar.google.com&ctz=America/Los_Angeles
     
    #20 jbakajust1, May 3, 2016
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