Visiting Portland (Fall/Winter 2014 update)

Discussion in 'Northwest' started by guajolote, Jul 17, 2014.

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  1. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    Update for next time:

    • Remove Amnesia From North Portland Pub Crawl (would like more input on whether to add StormBreaker).
    • I don't really understand this pub crawl: Cascade > HotD > Bailey's > Deschutes > Upright > HUB/Side Bar
    • Also consider adding Baerlic brewing to the Inner SE crawl (I understand if they are too new to make a recommendation yet.) Also consider Groundbreaker brewing (formally known as Harvester) to the Inner SE Pub crawl - Might be nice to have a Gluten Free option in there.
    Thoughts?
     
    #41 TheeWalrusHunter, Aug 20, 2014
  2. John_M

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


    My thoughts are that reaching some sort of consensus on these changes is likely to be a problem (this has been raised in posts I've read over in other forums).

    I'm willing to make the additions and deletions you suggest, but it would be nice to have at least several other folks throw in their two cents as well.

    Anyway, those are my thoughts. :-)
     
    #42 John_M, Aug 20, 2014
  3. guajolote

    guajolote Maven (1,359) Sep 12, 2008 Oregon

    Yeah, I noticed the Amnesia thing a few days ago. I'll fix it on the next update. Personally, I think StormBreaker is a worthy substitution (if not an outright upgrade). Could probably add Ecliptic to that one as well.

    My thinking on the Cascade->HotD->etc... pub crawl was that it's a nice, long walk. Plenty of space to sober up a little between places, and a good way to see the city. I've never done it myself, but I plan on it someday. Probably next time I have a beer nerd friend visit.

    These were just ideas I thought up that sounded like fun. Feel free to create your own pub crawl map and add it to the thread. There should be space to add more on the next update. Like I said in the disclaimer in the initial post, this isn't/wasn't intended to be an exhaustive list of places to drink beer in PDX. I just thought it would be a helpful "one-stop" resource for visitors.
     
    #43 guajolote, Aug 22, 2014
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  4. trbergman

    trbergman Initiate (0) Nov 17, 2006 England

    I realize this is a bit early, but I'll be headed back to PDX in January and was wondering if any festivals are going on the second weekend of January. My wife has a conference Jan 8-11 and I'm looking for ideas. I've already seen some of the highlights, but I definitely plan to check out The Commons (last trip was before they opened) and Full Sail (didn't manage to get there). Is the trip out to the Heater Allen taproom worth it? I've really enjoyed the bottles I've been able to try, but wasn't planning to rent a car.
     
    #44 trbergman, Aug 22, 2014
  5. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    I totally get it. And now that i look at a map, that beer crawl does make sense. I didn't know if we were in the business of updating this every quarter, or even at all. I mean - no reason to add to it since it is already so good and people can get other ideas by posting on the forum.

    I think I am more interested to see in a year what new breweries have established themselves and which have fizzled. That might be a more appropriate time to add the likes of Ex Novo/Baerlic/Ecliptic/10 Barrel/Fat Heads.

    One addition that would be interesting to discuss is Occidental, but thats all the way up in St Johns, so I don't know how beneficial that would be to visitors.
     
    #45 TheeWalrusHunter, Aug 22, 2014
  6. Justin42

    Justin42 Initiate (0) Apr 3, 2013 Massachusetts
    Trader

    I'm heading up shortly so subscribing to this thread. Thank you so much for the awesome resource!
     
    #46 Justin42, Aug 22, 2014
  7. John_M

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

    There's not a lot of information at present, but last year the event took place on 1/17/14, so perhaps the timing will work out for you.

    http://woodybeer.com/big/

    As for Heater Allen, I don't want to dissuade you from going (especially if you're a big fan of their beers), but most of the stuff they make (bottles and draft) can be easily found around PDX. As you probably know, it's a bit of drive to get over there from PDX, and other than Golden Valley brewing, I can't think of much else to do (beer-wise) while you're out that way. If you happen to be out there on a Sunday, Fire Mountain over in Carlton might be a possibility as well. There's also a couple of new (relatively) spots over in the Newberg area as well (Chehalem Valley and Deception brewing), but I confess I'm not familiar with their beers, and have never been to either spot. Shrug. If it were me, I'd probably stick around Portland, where you have a lot more (and I would argue better) options.

    Have fun.
     
    #47 John_M, Aug 22, 2014
  8. spartan1979

    spartan1979 Pundit (970) Dec 29, 2005 Missouri

    We rented bikes when we were there in July. We did:
    Prost -> Breakside -> Concordia Ale House -> Bottles -> Laurelwood -> Migration -> Prost (so we could have Big Ass Sandwiches)
    HOTD -> Cascade -> Green Dragon -> Commons -> Apex -> Gigantic -> Widmer (For Dinner)
    Fifth Quandrant -> Hopworks Bike Bar -> Occidental -> Upright

    We rode about 18 miles/day give or take.

    The first night, before we picked up our bikes, we walked to Deschutes -> Bailey's -> Pints

    We stayed in the Irvington neighborhood.

    Great trip! The next time, I'd probably reduced the number of bars/breweries one day and do more sightseeing. I'd probably also spend more time hanging out in a couple of the places and hit less. It was a bit too much of have one beer and then on to the next place.
     
    #48 spartan1979, Aug 22, 2014
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  9. beefandbean22

    beefandbean22 Pundit (844) Oct 15, 2008 Oregon
    Trader

    By that time, The Commons should also have their new space opened up. Lots more space, and I even heard a rumor about tables! Going big
     
    #49 beefandbean22, Aug 22, 2014
  10. Justin42

    Justin42 Initiate (0) Apr 3, 2013 Massachusetts
    Trader

    I am getting excite for my visit. Any can't miss bottles to be on the lookout for to bring back to my friends in Boston?
     
    #50 Justin42, Aug 22, 2014
  11. Reidrover

    Reidrover Grand Pooh-Bah (4,886) Jan 14, 2003 Oregon
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    I guess if I am tipsy enough maybe the Jupiters gaudy rooms will make more sense!
     
    #51 Reidrover, Aug 23, 2014
  12. Justin42

    Justin42 Initiate (0) Apr 3, 2013 Massachusetts
    Trader

    Just wanted to say thank you to @guajolote and everyone else who made this thread so helpful. Our weekend in Portland was awesome. We stayed at the Paramount Hotel, which I really liked. Apex was damn-near perfect; I really wish we had a spot like that in Boston. We had an awesome time at Cascade on Sunday and brought back a case of sours which I plan to enjoy with friends over the next year or so. Food was awesome as well, with visits to Blue Star Donuts, Ave Gene's, Sen Yai, Besaw's, Oba, and others.

    I also loved taking one-way trips in a Car2Go. Why anyone, anywhere, would ever spend more than $5,000 to actually own one of those awful Smart cars is beyond me, but grabbing one a block from the hotel and driving it to Cascade for under $5 was perfect! (Cab picked us up of course).
     
    #52 Justin42, Sep 4, 2014
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  13. mpak

    mpak Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2014 Illinois

    This thread is great thank you for putting this together! I am going to be visiting Portland for the first time the beginning of October and can't wait to check out as many of these as I can.

    Question for the group, has anyone, or does anyone, go on any of the specialty brewery tour groups? I briefly looked at the "Brewvana" site, and was curious if it made since for a first timer to go on one of these organized tours, or if I'm better off going on my own.

    Would love to know your thoughts, suggestions. Thanks in advance!
     
    #53 mpak, Sep 6, 2014
  14. maltmaster420

    maltmaster420 Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2005 Oregon

    Brewvana tours are awesome if you have a group and/or want behind the scenes tours of different facilities, but otherwise you're probably better off just visiting places on your own schedule. The transit network in Portland is incredible given the relatively small size of the city, so you can get pretty much anywhere you want via bus or train and not worry about getting a DUI.
     
    #54 maltmaster420, Sep 6, 2014
  15. rozzom

    rozzom Pooh-Bah (2,620) Jan 22, 2011 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    This thread is great! Going to Portland this weekend for the first time for my birthday.

    Kanger put something similar together for NYC (every second thread in the Mid-Atlantic forum is someone asking where to go on their NYC trip), which is really useful, but as is the case here, there are probably one or two absolute gems listed among some solid places, so I hate to ask but:

    1. what is the must-visit beer bar / pub, purely in terms of beer
    2. the above, but also factoring in food (if it's the same answer, that's cool)

    I'm set on breweries and restaurants. Can't wait to get there, and cheers in advance

    Edit - for any of you familiar with NYC, I love places like Owl Farm and Double Windsor (more under the radar places that focus on quality, not quantity) and I'm not so keen on places like Gingerman and Rattle N Hum (rammed, tons of taps, but a lot of meh).
     
    #55 rozzom, Oct 10, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2014
  16. John_M

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

    This is actually a pretty tough question to answer (but I'll try).

    If you want a place that has a huge selection of high quality tap handles, then I would give the nod to Apex or the Horsebrass. If you factor in a great bottle selection as well, then I would also recommend Belmont Station and Beermongers, and maybe take the Brass out of the mix. Henry's tavern has arguably the largest draft selection in town, but like Rattle N Hum, most of the selection there is pretty meh.

    In terms of food, again this is a tough call. IMHO, it would be pretty hard not to give the nod to Higgins, but Higgins is a fine dining destination, one that just happens to also have a decent tap list (around 10 or 12 draft options), and then a decent size bottle selection as well. It's not the sort of place I normally visit (as usually I want some place more informal and laid back), but undeniably, the food there is top notch. Another possibility would be the HOTD tasting room, though of course you're pretty much limited to HOTD beer if you go there. I happen to think the food at the Hop and Vine is very, very good, though admittedly, they don't have the largest draft selection (but it's still pretty decent, and they have a good size bottle selection as well). Same with the Grain N Gristle if you're in the mood for a neighborhood dining establishment (small, but well thought out tap list, with a few bottles, but really good food).

    I could throw out a few more recommendations as well, but you indicated you're only going to be in town for the weekend, so that should be enough to keep you busy (and "well fed and watered"). Have fun!
     
    #56 John_M, Oct 10, 2014
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  17. rozzom

    rozzom Pooh-Bah (2,620) Jan 22, 2011 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    mate - that's a perfect number of suggestions - much appreciated man!
     
    #57 rozzom, Oct 10, 2014
  18. Shmabye

    Shmabye Initiate (0) Oct 10, 2014 Oregon

    In terms of places for beer and food, Trifecta Tavern is a big omission from the list. You need reservations most times and its a tad spendy (although less so than Higgins), but the food is good good, not bar good, and it has a pretty laid-back vibe, with a good happy hour. They have 8 all-Oregon taps, and more good choices in bottles and cans. Excellent cocktails and extensive wine list as well. Not a shill, but think they are worth suggesting.
     
    #58 Shmabye, Oct 10, 2014
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2014
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  19. TheeWalrusHunter

    TheeWalrusHunter Initiate (0) Aug 23, 2013 Oregon

    @John_M always has good suggestions. Ill strip it down more on my preference:

    Favorite Bar/Pub: Belmont Station. But Apex is pouring 4 Barley Browns beers 4 Bone yard Beers. Notorious and Forlift are hard top pass up.
    Favorite Food and beer Place: Breakside or Hop and Vine

    The best places have online tap lists:

    Apex: http://www.apexbar.com/menu
    Belmont Station: http://www.belmont-station.com/
    Beermongers: http://thebeermongers.com/
    Baileys: http://www.baileystaproom.com/draft-list/
    Imperial: http://imperialbottleshop.com/

    Side note, Baileys is pouring Notorious right now for 4.50 for 12oz!!! Compare that to $6 for 6oz at Apex. Holy shit, what a joke.
     
    #59 TheeWalrusHunter, Oct 10, 2014
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  20. rozzom

    rozzom Pooh-Bah (2,620) Jan 22, 2011 New York
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Awesome - thanks guys
     
    #60 rozzom, Oct 10, 2014
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