A Weekend in Beervana: Beer Tasting Notes From Portland, Oregon

This story was originally published on Gourmet.com in 2008. 

For beer geeks, Portland, Oregon, is the promised land.

            The town has been nicknamed “Beervana” for good reason: It contains 30-plus microbreweries—the most per capita of any city in the U.S. Brew pilgrims could spend a week sampling the liquid manna, from Hair of the Dog’s super-strong Rose Belgian Tripel to Lucky Labrador’s rich, roasty Black Lab Stout. At most local bars, Budweiser is a bad memory.

            “Our beer drinkers prefer drinking locally,” explains Van Havig, senior brewer at Rock Bottom Brewing. “Craft won here.”

            And craft fans’ Super Bowl is the Oregon Brewers Festival, held during the last weekend of July. “We picked that because it’s traditionally Portland’s driest weekend,” laughs Art Larrance, who cofounded the fizzy celebration in 1988. The initial event featured just 16 beers. This year’s edition—hosted on the grassy, dusty expanse of the Willamette River–hugging Tom McCall park—offers 73 beers: half from Oregon, half from outside breweries, encompassing pilsners and mahogany-colored porters. Pockets bulging with wooden tokens (one buys a three-ounce sample; four equals a full glass) and plastic mug in hand, I hit the OBF thirsty.

            Since hoppy India Pale Ales are Oregonians’ preferred potion, I start with Eugene City Brewery’s 100 Meter Ale. The caramel-hued brew’s sweet maltiness balances the hoppy blast, resulting in a lip-smacking mineral tang. I sample it twice, before grabbing a Copacetic IPA from Portland’s Amnesia Brewing. The pleasingly bitter blend is grassy, smooth, and eminently drinkable. Best in small doses is Portland-based Bridgeport Brewing’s Hop Czar. It’s insanely piney, redolent of freshly plucked high-grade marijuana (or so I’m told). After each weedy sip, I half expect a cop to cuff me. The fest’s most innovative concoction is Roots Organic’s Calypso. The Portland brewery’s ale is manufactured with apricots and incendiary Scotch bonnet peppers, producing a light, fruity beer with a peppery nose and serious burn.

            Not all my favorites hail from Oregon. Pliny the Elder, from California’s Russian River Brewing, is a hops behemoth that registers a knockout 8 percent alcohol (the average Bud is 5 percent). But alcohol doesn’t overpower the creamy, resinous flavor and delicate grapefruit notes. “Want a full cup?” the beer-pouring volunteer says, sensing my delight. I happily fork over four more tokens.

            Also mug-worthy is the Coffee Bender from Minnesota’s Surly Brewing. The chocolaty brown ale–porter hybrid is infused with cold-pressed coffee, creating a smooth java flavor without the bitterness plaguing most beer-coffee concoctions. It would fit right in at a hedonist’s breakfast table.

            More dessert-like is Dragon’s Milk from Michigan’s Holland Brewing Company. The burly strong ale is aged in oak barrels, resulting in a complex blend of vanilla, caramel, oak, and cocoa leading to a stomach-warming alcohol burn. It’s a wintery treat more in tune with Portland’s rainy season than this clear-sky day.

            By Sunday afternoon, I’ve reached my limit. As some of the record-setting 70,000-plus attendees stream past, I approach Larrance to share my impressions. On cue, festivalgoers hoist plastic mugs and unleash a loud, rumbling cheer. “That’s organic,” Larrance says. “That’s a spontaneous expression of joy for beer.”