First time headed to the coast (I've done all the big Portland drinking) and hoped for some ideas for beer. We will be staying in Neskowin but have a car and are ready to travel. Any advice for the area (beer related or otherwise) is much appreciated
I had to look where Neskowin is. The big, obvious answer is Pelican in Pacific City. Not a favorite brewery of mine, but their location is awesome. 2nd answer is DeGarde up in Tillamook. Don't know how long you'll be there, but a day trip up to Astoria would be recommended if you have the time.
Another option is Block 15 in Corvallis. They're one of the best breweries in the state, and you can get there from Neskowin in about 90 minutes or so. There are a few other breweries in Corvallis, but I am far less familiar with their beers.
Yeah, I think that about covers it if you're heading north. Heading south, Lincoln City is pretty close by, and if you've never been to a McMenamin's, a stop at the Light House brewpub would be recommended. McM beers get a bad rap in this forum (and for the most part, deservedly so), but I've always had a pretty good time at the Light House. I don't know how much driving the OP wants or plans to do, but of course if he heads far enough south, then I would recommend places like Yachats brewing, Bier One in Newport, and of course the Rogue brewery in Newport as well.
Well, even speaking as a beer geek, I'd say if you've never been to the Oregon Coast before, you should allocate most of your time to the magnificent coastal scenery, and less to chasing breweries. There are good to great breweries in many areas of our country, but there are few coasts as spectacular as what you'll see in Oregon.
Yeah, I'd recommend driving all the way down to Haceta Head just for the scenery. (Then you can stop in at Yachats Brewing as well.)
There's a little spot in Pacific City called Twist that has Russian River beers on tap (PtE, Blind Pig).
