Portland: Everyday is a Beer Fest

Portland aka Beervana is so rich with microbreweries, pub crawls, brew tour trips, and craft beer samplings are just a hops (pun intended), skip, and a jump away. It seems there's a new place of interest popping up every week or month, so challenging yourself is always in order.

This week's excursion began when my friend and co-worker Alex from Belmont Station called me up and said "Let's go try some beers." No problem. We decided to make our first stop the furthest from home, as driving after a few is never a good idea. Destination #1: Max's Fanno Creek Brewery. Max's lies in the heart of downtown Tigard, a short drive from Portland from the Pacific Highway (aka 99-E). Tigard itself is a quaint suburban town with little to offer outside of the typical strip malls and corporate impact of big business. Max's, on the other hand, was an oasis of handcrafted delight. Alex and I caught the proprietor himself pouring pints, and we were able to get a tour of the brewery and were graced with a tasty sampler tray.

Farmer's Daughter--A light colored Belgian strong ale. Slightly sour and crisp with bright spicy notes. Max said this is going to be his offering at the Oregon Brewers Festival in late July.

IPA--A very vibrant smelling single hopped medium bodied India Pale. Employing yummy Centennial hops, this is an IPA for IPA drinkers. I was inspired to run to my car and grab my trusty growler so that I could bring more of this treat home for later.

Max's Nit Wit--The perfect summer beer (well, that or Max's pilsner). Crisp,straw colored, slightly bitter, and uber-quaffable. This is a lawnmower beer of the sitdown variety.

Golden Ale--For those who prefer ales to lagers, here's a sessionable summertime delight. Using crystal hops, this is a great way to welcome the warm season. Light in alcohol and body, but big in flavor and enjoyability.

Other grubbin' brews (I stole this term "grubbin'" from Alex) included a vanilla porter, a Belgian Trippel, a light colored ESB-esque Scottish ale, and a deep dark stout.


Click on Max's picture to visit his website
If you are ever on your way out of town via the 99-E, make certain to hit up Max's Fanno Creek Brewpub.



Though Tigard is just a stone's throw from downtown, Portland, it can seem like a world away. To welcome ourselves back into town, we thought it best to indulge in one of Portland's finest brewpubs, Roots Organic Brewing, for a pint of something chewy.


Alex went for the seasonal Chocolate Habenero Stout. He, like me, thought it was also grubbin'. I opted for a Turtle Pond pale ale. If I was going to go the distance on this day, I was gonna have to opt for the lighter side. The Turtle got me out of my shell with a hop bite that can contend with most breweries IPAs. There might not be anything better than enjoying a pint of Roots beer in the late June sun in Southeast Portland.



After Roots, we were close to my house, so the drinking got homier with some back yard lawn chair sitting over a chilled 750ML glass of Cantillon Iris. A wonderfully sour and light brew, the Iris is the beer that opened my door to Belgian sours. We took our time with this gem of a beer, sat for a bit and decided to go for a little pub crawl in the Clinton Street neighborhood by my house.

Word on the street was that People's Co-Op was having a farmers market with a beer garden featuring some organic brews. We showed up shortly after finding just a few taps of Roots beers on tap. Great beers and good enough for us, but afterall, this is Brewtopia, and we as snobs demanded a variety from our prior samplings.



My friend Jay showed up and we decided to hit up the Night Light. On the back patio in mid-80 degree weather, we enjoyed beers from perhaps my favorite Oregon brewery, Ninkasi. The Quantum Pale hit the spot like so few summertime beers can. After a moment, we travelled to the Clinton Corner, kitty corner to the Night Light to enjoy a few other brews. Alex and Jay opted for the Pelican Kiwanda Cream while I tried my luck with Fearless' IPA. The IPA was one I hadn't had in a while and was a very light colored and tasty IPA. I would definitely try it again. We finished our excursion at the Clinton Street Brewpub, where a tasty Rye, a chocolate stout, and a few awesome guest taps awaited. After that, the rest is history. It was a great day with some great beers. Oh, and the people were pretty cool, too!