Brew Pub Crawl

I had an amazing FIRST yesterday...my first brew pub crawl in the microbrew capital of the northwest. Our friend the pretzel guy, Mike, put it together and around 20-30 people from different walks of life showed up. I don't know much about beer or even like it so much but I hear that it's not all budweiser here so I was willing to give it a try. I had met a guy named Chris at Prost! three weeks prior and after giving me a mini lesson on German beers and picking two out for me that I actually liked, we switched emails and planned to go out and try more of Portlands famous brews. Our schedules didn't match up until last night, we planned to meet at McMenamins before the Pub Crawl started and go from there.

I had no idea that there were the "normal" brews that they always have on tap and then the "seasonal" variety and so my lesson began with the fact that McMenamins is not all about Terminator and Ruby Red. I started out on recomendation to try the Sleepy Hollow Nut Brown, a beer that was seasonal but upon overwhelming request to return it to the menu can now be found periodically, I loved it! I also had a sip of his British style Nebraska Bitter, (looks like budwieser but tastes nothing like it!) I also learned very quickly that not all light beers are IPA's and I really don't like IPA's at all. After a very yummy cup of Tomato basil bisque and tater tots, we moved along to meet up with the rest of the group at New Old Lompoc.

On our way down 23rd, an amazing street with tons of quaint little shops, I found a pair of fingerless gloves that I just had to have! Winding our way along, Chris pointed out the local gellato, and kosher sandwichshop, a truely east coast tasting bagel shop and a cash only pizza joint. Finally arriving at the end of the buisness section we found this hole in the wall dingy little building that has an outdoor area covered with heat lamps in back, and is known for their seasonal brews as well as yummy fried food. We met up with Mike and Chris and Mike talked brews till I was so lost, I was very happy to see my friend Yvonne walk through the door. I tried their Winter Warmer, supposedly has spices and stuff in it but it tasted metalic to me, I didn't really care for it. I had a taste of Chris's New Alt...it wasn't bad, better than the winter ale. Now Chis is starting to get an idea for what I do and don't like as the group heads to the next spot.

Lucky Lab was a huge open room long picknic stly tables, grab a beer, grab a pizza, grab a spot and get to know your neighbor! Here Saamanta, Alex, Amy, Camille, her sister Marcie and Chris with the big glasses and skinny jeans finally met up with us. I did not write a note about the beers we tasted here so all I remember is, yep its beer, don't love it don't hate it...NEXT!!!



The group moved onto Bridgeport Brewery, and now we have moved from hole in the wall to old dusty hall room to uptown industrial renovated place, very cool architecture, mixed old wood beams, red brick and steel buttresses. Here, Jacquie showed up and I had finally bought a pretzel necklace and met a new guy, (name forgotten sorry) who is vegan not only in the food department but as an ethical life style choice. I told him not to look at my boots. He said the only people who wear furs are eskimos and "insert a not so nice word." I laughed and said "Phew! Lucky I'm an Eskimo then!" I ordered a sampler which had 8 different beers on tap, and I only liked three of them. The Blue Heron Pale Ale, The Porter, and the Scotch Ale. Chris drank the rest.

On the way to the next joint Chris, Jacquie and I stopped at a new vino bar and shared an amazing bottle of Sol De Uco Syrah! Now that is more my style! Next we were tempted with a dessert place that had the most amazing creme brulee with pepper and berry flavers so light you could hardly tell, and raspberry truffle and a vegan cheese cake. Chris and I shared a cigar, an experience I have not had for 11 years, and as good as it was will not do again for another 11 years! We didn't miss much as some girl in the group had a tif with the bar tender and they moved onto the next one pretty quickly.

There we met up with the rest of my friends, PV and Huebert had finally joined the party, but too late for me. By this time I was giving out pecks on the cheek and needed some real food and my bed. I was meeting lots of new strangers and the beers were all tasting the same, my pallet was gone and it was time to call it a night. Chris, his friend Brook, Jacquie and I went to Gasthaus for some food and Jacquie took me home. 8am I was up and on my way to work...good times :)