Zwickelmania 2019: Ruse Brewing

Once again, I happened to be in Portland for this great event.

Every year, on a single day in mid-February, breweries across the state of Oregon host free tours in an open house format. Participants take short tours and receive samples given directly from the conditioning tanks. The tap near the bottom of the tank is called a "zwickel," and hence the name. This event takes in the Portland metro area on one weekend, and then in all other parts of Oregon state on the following weekend. This year, in Portland alone, 65 breweries participated.

Five of us went off across the city in search of some of the newer breweries, or some in cases newer outposts of established breweries: Vagabond Brewing Portland, West Coast Grocery, Ruse Brewing, Von Ebert East, Migration Brewing - Gresham, and Threshold Brewing & Blending.

Our third stop was Ruse Brewing. Founded by Shaun Kalis and Devin Benware, who both previously worked at Culmination Brewing, Ruse specializes in farmhouse ales and wild ales, though they do produce the other styles as well. The name of the brewery is reflected in the artwork on the walls and bottle labels, with a sense of magic and mystery, including mazes, hieroglyphics, and Escher-inspired designs.

We spoke at length with Kalis about how the brewery developed and types of beer he makes. We asked about a large foeder in the brew area, and he mentioned that he had used it to age a blonde sour ale with peaches. And then, rather magically, a bottle of that brew, called “Semicircles,” appeared for us to sample.

                                                          Shaun Kalis (left) w/ R-san

We were very impressed with the variety of beer styles available here. We look forward to revisiting and seeing what Ruse might conjure up in the future.

Ruse Brewing

4784 SE 17th Ave,

Portland, OR 97202

(503) 662-8325

Zwickelmania 2019: West Coast Grocery

Once again, I happened to be in Portland for this great event.

Every year, on a single day in mid-February, breweries across the state of Oregon host free tours in an open house format. Participants take short tours and receive samples given directly from the conditioning tanks. The tap near the bottom of the tank is called a "zwickel," and hence the event name. This event takes in the Portland metro area on one weekend, and then in all other parts of Oregon state on the following weekend. This year, in Portland alone, 65 breweries participated.

Five of us went off across the city in search of some of the newer breweries, or some in cases newer outposts of established breweries: Vagabond Brewing Portland, West Coast Grocery, Ruse Brewing, Von Ebert East, Migration Brewing - Gresham, and Threshold Brewing & Blending.

Our second stop was West Coast Grocery. This was a highly touted new brewery that opened in 2018. Yes, the name is unusual. Apparently the owner’s family was in the grocery business for many years, and he decided to go with a grocery store theme for his brewpub. Check the many shopping carts dangling from high up on the second-floor ceiling. And the owner was lucky enough to snag a former head brewer from the Deschutes Portland brewery.

… and at the beginning of the year, a female employee complained of sexual harassment from said brewer, the owner did not take it seriously enough (brewer was suspended for one week and told to take a class), and once it all reached social media, a sort of boycott had broken out. Eventually the owner fired said brewer, but many speculate that happened only because of the social media backlash. You really have to admire the employee who refused to let it all slip away; it surely took a lot of courage.

Things seem to have settled down at this point. But we were still a bit wary about what we would find there, or even if we should enter, once we got there.

Had four beers, which ranged from good to very good:

Peck Chillzner

Stark Street Blood Orange Saison

Cheeriest Hour Cherry Sour

Flavor Merchants Imperial IPA

                                                (...looks like he needs a beer)

West Coast Grocery

1403 SE Stark Street

Portland, Oregon, 97214

503-477-6011

Zwickelmania 2019: Vagabond Brewing Portland

Once again, I happened to be in Portland for this great event.

Every year, on a single day in mid-February, breweries across the state of Oregon host free tours in an open house format. Participants take short tours and receive samples given directly from the conditioning tanks. The tap near the bottom of the tank is called a "zwickel," and hence the event name. This event takes in the Portland metro area on one weekend, and then in all other parts of Oregon state on the following weekend. This year, in Portland alone, 65 breweries participated.

Five of us went off across the city in search of some of the newer breweries, or some in cases newer outposts of established breweries: Vagabond Brewing Portland, West Coast Grocery, Ruse Brewing, Von Ebert East, Migration Brewing - Gresham, and Threshold Brewing & Blending.

First up was Vagabond Brewing Portland. This is a new brewpub location for Salem-based Vagabond Brewing.

They had a soft opening earlier in the month, and Zwickelmania was to be opening day.

... and indeed, the smell of fresh paint was in the air. The staff were busy unpacking merchandise and stacking it up. The menu beer board was just being created, as we entered.

We had samples of two beers, an IPA and a Pils, which were being poured out by brewer Dean Howes.

The pub is a wide-open airy space...

... made to appear more open and airy, in the mind, by the Cessna aircraft hanging from the rafters.