Blog Author: Scott Schwab

Rare site at OBF - no line for beer! The first Wednesday ever of the Oregon Brewers Fest is now in full swing and I was able to partake in a portion of it. These tidbits may help others navigate some of the next four days of debauchery (for my preview, check here): Wednesday is no secret: Although I timed my visit after the paraders had most likely cleared out and before the happy hour crowd... Read More »

The biggest brew fest of the Portland season returns this Wednesday for a five day run at Tom McCall Waterfront Park. Here are the pertinent details on the 26th Annual Oregon Brewers Festival for those just interested in the facts: Location: Main entrance at S.W. Oak Street and Naito Parkway in downtown Portland Dates: July 24 - 28, 2013 (always the last full weekend in July) Times: Wednesday through Saturday: taps are open from Noon... Read More »

Author April Peveteaux reading from her new book Gluten Is My Bitch to a standing room only crowd at Widmer that included Fred Eckhardt I had the pleasure of being one of the three media members that turned out last Thursday evening to an exclusive roundtable interview with April Peveteaux, author of the new book Gluten Is My Bitch and the blog of the same name. Normally, a gluten-free event probably would not invite beer... Read More »

Base Camp's In-Tents IPL was one of the easier beers to identify in the Braul While the rest of you were potentially loading up on cheap pints at Hopworks on the Tuesday of Portland Beer Week, I was enjoying the relative calm at the Fifteenth Avenue Hophouse for their PDX BEER BRÄUL at half price. The official write-up from the Hophouse can be found below, but I hope everyone was able hit either location (the original... Read More »

Here is the second installment in my Happy Hour Weekly Planner series. The first edition covered N/NE Portland and lined out the fairly rigorous criteria I laid out for establishments to meet. The basic requirement was $3 or less for 'good' beer and $2 or less for 'bad' beer. I tried to spread the love all around SE where beer drinking options abound, but my final list does tend to the areas I frequent more... Read More »

Although many folks tout the Northwest’s cold and wet winters as a reason we have such great beer and pub culture, I do not find myself excited to seek out a killer happy hour deal when I punch out and it is already pitch black by 4:30. Therefore, I have held back this post until the sun returned, the days got longer and the mercury routinely rose above 60. The stars have now aligned, so... Read More »

The first shot that I heard was fired last October when Richmond, Virginia (RVA) was named by Outside magazine and its readers as the top river town in America from 10 finalists. Although Portland was not one of the finalists, Hood River was on the list and they are an acceptable proxy for PDX in this competition. It does not appear beer was one of the listed criteria, but many of the things we pride... Read More »

Super Bowl XLVII kicks off in New Orleans at 6:30 PM PST this Sunday (February 3) pitting the San Francisco 49ers against the Baltimore Ravens. If you find yourself in Portland for the big game, most likely you are not here for the football because this is not an NFL town. We do not have our own team and you will only find lukewarm support for the Seahawks up the road in Seattle. With the... Read More »

Now that November has arrived, many folks in Portland will start to make plans for the Thanksgiving holiday. Most beer lovers will rightly look past Thanksgiving weekend to the 17th Annual Holiday Ale Festival the following week (November 28th to December 2nd this year). However, for those with family in town you might need to entertain them with Portland things to do. A great tradition for the last 30 years is Wine Country Thanksgiving in the Willamette... Read More »

Fresh Hop French Press The Fresh Hops Workshop presented last Saturday night by Portland Beer Week at Saraveza's Bad Habit Room was an excellent opportunity to sample some outstanding fresh hop beers and to also experience fresh hops via other avenues. Like most craft beer drinkers in the Northwest, I love hoppy beers and look forward to fresh hop beers all year long. However, the workshop convinced me that, unlike bacon, hops do not make... Read More »

For those that thought Portland Beer Week was a week-long celebration of all things beer in Portland held every June, you would only be partially correct. The actual 'week' was held this year over a baker's dozen week of 11 days from June 7th to the 17th. In addition, PDX Beer Week is morphing into the gift that keeps on giving the whole year (much like a Jelly of the Month Club) by adding events... Read More »

Labor Day Weekend is generally considered the figurative end of summer, so it seems right to start seeing the fall seasonals get released. Lompoc Brewing held a release party for their Oktoberfest on Saturday September 1st at the Fifth Quadrant. I am hesitant to call it a formal Octoberfest celebration as when I was there (Happy Hour from 4-6 PM) it would seem that the vast majority of the patrons probably did not even know... Read More »

Plenty of bike parking available at the start of BIKETOBEERFEST The fourth annual BIKETOBEERFEST was held last Saturday at Hopworks Urban Brewery in SE Portland under bright sunshine and blue skies. Even though this was the intended result of moving the event up over a month, I know some people would have preferred a bit cooler temperatures to enjoy some of the heavier beers. Of the 13 beers on tap, two were barrel aged (Kentucky... Read More »

Although summer weather only recently arrived on a regular basis in Portland, Oktoberfest season officially kicks off this Saturday with Hopworks' BikeToBeerFest. I know Oktoberfest is a misnomer as it traditionally starts in September, but an early August start is pushing the limits of the 'season'. However, I won't hold it against them and plan on attending and partaking in the revelry. Here's what you definitely need to know: WHEN: Saturday, August 11 from 2:00... Read More »

As most of you probably know, the Oregon Brewers Festival runs this weekend starting on Thursday with the Brewers Brunch & Parade and continues until the taps close at 7 PM on Sunday. OBF is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and the details have changed very little over the years. Here are the particulars: Venue: Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. The website points you to the main entrance at SW Oak Street and Naito... Read More »

Michigan Brewing Company, from realdetroitweekly.com When I was back home visiting family over the Fourth of July, my brother broke the news to me that Michigan Brewing Company was no more. This news blew up bigger for me than any fireworks display (with the possible exception of San Diego this year - those 15 seconds were pretty unbelievable). Not only had Michigan lost its fourth largest brewery, but the Lansing area and the state lost... Read More »

CRB's brewery has a rich history dating back to the Old World Pub & Brewery, which is where Hopworks Owner/Brewer Christian Ettinger cut his teeth. It is hard to believe, but it has been two years since Columbia River Brewing launched in the space most recently occupied by Laurelwood at 1728 NE 40th Avenue in the Hollywood District. To celebrate, CRB is throwing an anniversary party this Saturday July 14th. Although Happy Hour specials will be... Read More »

The view from the bar for the Paris-Roubaix [from velocult.com] Velo Cult Facebook | Twitter Watch Tour de France 1969 NE 42nd Avenue 10:00AM–10:00PM Monday-Friday Portland's love of beer and bikes is well documented and the two cultures often cross paths. Hopworks has been successfully mixing the two since they started back in 2007 and even kicked the bike theme up a notch last year with the opening of their second location, the BikeBar. Apex... Read More »