McMenamin's prepares for the Oregon Brewers Festival

For the past few days I've had the great pleasure of following a selection of brewers from the vast McMenamin's brewing empire as they contended in "The Battle for the Belt." In addition to bragging rights among their colleagues, the winner of the Belt are assigned the task of upholding McMenamin's honor in the annual Oregon Brewers Festival, which takes over Tom McCall Waterfront Park for the last full weekend in July.

I enjoyed all 20 of the samples available at the Hillsdale Brewery last Saturday, from the lighter offerings like Brady Romtvedt's refreshingly crisp Pitchfork Lager (soon to be available year-round at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse in Hillsboro) to big, chewy, high-alcohol stunners like Graham Brogan's Bishop's Gate Imperial Red (from John Barleycorns in Tigard). Worth Laflin's Whatawit from the Queen Anne Brewery in Seattle changed my mind about wheat beers: some of the more heavy-handed examples overpower with banana and bubble-gum, but Worth's Whatawit was clean, delicately perfumed with tropical fruit aromas, and tremendously refreshing.

When the winners were announced yesterday afternoon at the Kennedy School's Cypress Room, I was on hand to congratulate and interview the top brewers from the weekend. This year, Ben Nehrling and Tim Proctor of Concordia Brewery (the brewing facility located at the Kennedy School, no less) celebrated their second consecutive victory at the Hillsdale festival. I confess that their Lucky Charms organic Irish red ale left me a little nonplussed on first taste; the grassy character of the hops was almost a shock compared to the usual floral, citrus tang more common in Northwest craft beers. But the great malts (organic Pilsner, Munich, and Crystal malt, with a little Chocolate added for color and flavor) were up to the task of the blend of US Goldings, Amarillo and Chinook hops. Congratulations to both of them.

Next up for me: the Nano Beer Fest at one of my favorite local brewpubs, Max's Fanno Creek in Tigard. Ten small-volume (but high-quality) brewers, from as far away as Ashland and as close as Mt. Tabor, will be present from the 26th to the 28th of this month. (Crikey! That's the day after tomorrow!)

Hope to see you there!

We must take the bitter with the sweet...

...and I'm not talking about mixing Fuller's with barleywine. (Eurgh.)



In my column about Birra Deli, I mention that they're preparing to remodel the entire shop, adding more seating, a proper bar, and better still, enough refrigeration for up to 600 craft beers. Throw in the half-dozen taps they're planning, with a rotating stock of kegs from a wide selection of Northwest brewers, and it's a little slice of heaven in Tualatin. (If they have free wi-fi, I may never need to leave...)

So what's the down side? They will be losing most of their menu. We've come to rely on their sandwiches for our take-out fix about once a week. The Italian, the meatball, the BLT with avocado (Kim's favorite) -- no word yet on how many, if any, will be retained. They will serve food (Oregon liquor laws require this, as it turns out), but it won't be the focus as it was.

All in all, it's a win. Besides, just last week I perfected the Italian cold-cut sandwich. Look for that writeup in my food blog next week for HuffPost's Week of Eating In.

Until then, relax... don't worry, have a craft brew!

Welcome!

If you've been around Portland a while, you're no doubt aware of the breadth and quality of the craft beer scene here. Whether it's a microbrewery or a brewpub, a deli stocking 200+ varieties of craft beer or a restaurant with a dozen or more local brews on tap, Portland has earned the nickname "Beervana."

Join us as we explore all the great ways you can enjoy the variety of Northwest craft beers, from refreshingly light pilsners and lagers suitable for quaffing on a warm summer day, to deep-chocolate stouts and porters that are almost a meal in themselves. We'll look at some favorites, investigate some new locations, and highlight the people who are behind this exciting local phenomenon.