After Occidental, we headed around to the Portland Brewing
Taproom, located in a rather gritty industrial section of the city.
Portland Brewing, founded in 1984, has been the focus of numerous
buy-outs, corporate consolidations, and rebranding schemes. In 2004 it was sold
to Pyramid Breweries, and the Portland brewery was renamed MacTarnahan's Brewing
Company. In 2008 Pyramid itself was acquired by Magic Hat Brewing Company,
which was in turn bought by North American Breweries in 2010. In 2012 Florida
Ice & Farm Co. bought the whole group. Then in 2013 the Portland facility regained
its original name. Whew! What could be next?
Currently, the brewery produces
beers under three labels: Portland, MacTarnahan’s, and Pyramid.
For Zwickelmania, the staff was conducting a blind tasting quiz. We had to sample four different Pyramid beers and identify each one. We were able to identify .... only two. Quite a humbling experience for three guys who think they know beer.
We had not planned on taking the tour, but they offered a
$10 discount on lunch to tour participants and off we went. The tour was a bit
long, and the tour guide perhaps overly chatty, but the samples we received at
the end were something of a revelation.
Earlier, the three of us agreed that, when
beer shopping, we tend to walk right past bottles of Portland, MacTarnahans’s
or Pyramid – and instead search for newer and perhaps more credworthy beers. (I
think the last time I had a Pyramid beer was at a Seattle Mariners game several
years ago.) But these Portland samples were all fairly tasty brews. Perhaps it
was their freshness, or perhaps we were simply thirsty, but it was clear that
these beers deserve another chance.
The restaurant/tap room had 16 taps on, including the
Pyramid regulars, four seasonals, and two special featured brews. Samplers were
available. Since it was rare sunny day, we ate lunch in a pleasant outside
space. And talked about how it’s not just the newer guys on the block who can make
decent beer.
2730 NW 31st
Avenue
Portland,
Oregon United States 97210
503 228 5269
Hours:
Mon: 11-9pm
Tu-Thu:
11-10pm
Fri: 11-11pm
Sat: 12-11pm
Sun: 12-9pm
Nevitt, I've already started picking up bottles at the supermarket -- good house beers.
ReplyDeleteRed, Next time around I'll have to try some of those overlooked brews, too.
ReplyDeleteEmbedded in permanent memory is the jaunt I went to the day after the 1994 World Cup U.S.A., when my award flight on Southwest Airlines was to San Jose(SJC); the only Bay Area destination it then served.
ReplyDeleteI stayed in a dorm room at San Jose State. But I had a rental car. One day, I drove that to the BART station in Fremont (It was free then.) and rode over to San Francisco. I had a paper copy of "Celebrator", Tom Dalldorf's west coast brewspaper. An advertiser therein boasted of its immense tap list. I rode BART and walked to it (it was in North Beach). I had the most amazing apricot-flavored beer from Pyramid there. This is 1994, bunky. It was stunning.
I have had Pyramid Apricot Ale several times since then. It is still great. It is likely the first fruit-forward beer offered in the U.S.A. If it is available where you are, have it.