Oregon
The Willamette Valley is the main wine-growing region in Oregon, and the third largest wine-producing state in the United States. The area is just 12 miles from Portland, which boasts the lofty distinction of being the city with the most breweries in the world. In fact, there are 38 of them, all within fairly easy distance of each other.
Perhaps the best known is Deschutes Brewery, which is based in Bend, OR, but opened a public house in Portland in April 2008.
Many wine lovers spend time in the valley and when they come back to Portland, they lust for an adventure in beer, explained Vince Brown, one of Deschutes’ managers.
A cavernous pub which somehow manages to still feel cozy, Deschutes offers around 18 beers on tap, 12 of them made here by brewer Cam O’Connor and the remainder sent from Bend.
Black Butte Porter was the beer responsible for Deschutes’ rapid rise to fame when the brewery started 21 years ago, and it remains a favorite and the flagship beer. However, Mirror Pond has overtaken it―this is a beer that showcases local hops with citrus and floral flavors―a stark contrast to the smooth and chocolate taste of Black Butte.
Deschutes also has some very high alcohol beers in its Reserve series, including Mirror Mirror, a barley wine-style beer with 11 percent alcohol; and the favorite, The Abyss, a pitch-black barrel-aged imperial stout. Because of the strength of these beers, they’re served in 10-ounce snifter glasses, which are great for presentation. Drink them while you can, because they’re brewed in very limited quantities.
A surprisingly popular Deschutes beer is the Green Lakes Organic Ale, which has a very complex hop and malt profile. It’s the only organic ale from the brewery, launched 18 months ago.
Laurelwood Public House and Brewery has two organic beers―the Free Range Red, the flagship and most popular beer, an American ESB, and Tree Hugger Porter.
“We started making organic beers in 2002, when not many people were doing it, even in Portland. We do, however, want people to know that the beer comes first and the organics second,” said head brewer, Chad Kennedy.
