There are probably a lot of Alan Taylor's out there but the one I'm referring to is a brewer who has recently joined a Portland brewery in Old Town. That brewery is none other than Pints Brewing Company, a combination coffee house and brewery. They opened just over a year ago and as many people know, they've been through a number of brewers. Former Lompoc brewer Zach Beckwith was the first and as of five weeks ago man in charge of the brew kettles became Alan Taylor.
Alan's background includes a couple of stints brewing abroad as well as time in California and at Full Sail. His brews are now starting to flow through the tap lines, including his revised version of Seismic IPA. Former incarnations of this IPA were higher in ABV but Alan is working to bring the alcohol content down into a sessionable range. As Alan settles into the position, and the lower level of the brewery that seems to have been designed with a shorter brewer in mind, Pints' small batch brews will likely continue to evolve as he puts his own mark on them.
Upon entering, Pints appears a small coffee shop, albeit with a tap list of nine house beers and a guest cider. But a short walk toward the back of the establishment reveals a cozy, larger seating area open to the upper portion of the brewery. The rest of the brewery resides below, a small space but one that still has some room for expansion. While the amount of beer being produced isn't huge, one can find Pints' brews at a few other locations around town including Laughing Planet, Hot Lips Pizza and Life of Riley.
If you're interested in meeting Alan and getting a closer look at the brewery you can do so tonight 5:00 - 8:00 pm during the Meet the Brewer event at Pints. In addition to brewery tours and give aways, there will be happy hour pricing on the beer and off menu food pairings throughout the event.
Excitement
EastBurn, known for offering Beer Belly dinners on a regular basis, recently announced a Beer Brunch with Burnside Brewing. Between enjoying the last beer brunch we attended (at Saraveza) and the menu I was stoked to turn the calendar page this week and see that the brunch was just days away.
Menu
Deconstructed Bloody Mary served with Uni Ale
Farm fresh egg roulade with wild boar bacon, grilled spring vegetables and sharp cheddar, topped with blood orange hollandaise served with Oatmeal Pale Ale
Andouille sausage and crawfish gravy over spicy cast iron baked cornbread served with 4449 Common Ale
Creamy apricot and ginger snap parfait served with Sweet Heat
Disappointment
Just as I was ramping up my excitement level I received word that the brunch was being cancelled. Apparently either others have not enjoyed a beer brunch in the past, therefore not realizing that they shouldn't pass this up, or the holiday weekend meant a lot of people had other, conflicting plans.
Excitement
Thankfully my sadness was short lived as I realized that by having what was sure to be a delicious, yet quite filling, brunched removed from my calendar that left me with stomach space available to attend a friend's Indian fusion fair underground supper club. I hadn't been able to attend the last one she offered but knew she made incredible food. As luck would have it she also graciously agreed to my request to bring beer along. Although I know I'll enjoy the included wine and an Indian spice-infused cocktail I'm a beer girl through and through. So now I've something new to be excited about and it's time to peruse the "cellar" to see what might go well with her menu.
Menu
Beet fritter - stem curry, mustard seed, coconut curry leaves, mint chutney, chaat yoghurt
Butternut squash bisque - habanero, maple syrup, bengalli spices, spiced candied bacon
Kale salad - kale, shaved fennel, cashew, Kashmiri yoghurt, fried lentils, lemon vinaigrette
Lamb + citrus polenta - Rogan josh, coconut, mustard, arugula, Bengali rye, honey goat butter
Rose panna cota - swelled basil seed, basil infused white chocolate
If you have any beer suggestions please leave a comment as my beer and food pairing abilities are at kindergarten level (at best). If you're interested in attending the dinner (Saturday at 7pm) leave me a note and I'll send you the details.
The Oregon Public House is putting a new spin on the pub model and donating 100% of their net profits to charitable organizations. I had heard a little bit about this place and had thought it actually opened a few months ago. However since it wasn't in my usual flight path it was only a passing blip on my very crowded beer radar screen, until this past weekend.
Saturday afternoon we met up with some friends at Breakside Brewery to enjoy the gorgeous day and beers on their patio. During the course of conversation one friend brought up The Oregon Public House and being that it was just a couple of blocks to the west we thought this might be the perfect opportunity to check it out. Being ever cautious (and not wanting to lose our prime patio seats unnecessarily) I wandered down the block and verified that they were open. Once our glasses were empty our group relocated to their small sidewalk patio area.
Their tap list of 12, primarily Oregon brews was full of plenty of great choices and couple in our group also ordered snacks - hummus platter and sweet potato tots - from their menu which offered appetizers, sandwiches and salads. Their third menu (above) listed the current charities the proceeds will benefit. An additional bit of coolness to this donation model is that when you order a pint you have the opportunity to select which charity will receive the approximately $1/pint donation. Those interested in making a larger donation can choose from three Founders levels, ranging from $500 to $2,500 and receiving free beer for life by the month, week or day and a personalized pint glass that can be used at each visit.
They are currently open Tuesday - Sunday in a soft opening stage with the grand opening coming up this Friday, May 17. I suspect details about the grand opening will be shared via their Facebook and Twitter accounts (two of the five social media accounts they've wisely established). If you're like me and NE Dekum isn't in your usual flight path you may want to like or follow, as appropriate, to stay in the know.
The Oregon Public House
700 NE Dekum St, Portland
There are probably a lot of Alan Taylor's out there but the one I'm referring to is a brewer who has recently joined a Portland brewery in Old Town. That brewery is none other than Pints Brewing Company, a combination coffee house and brewery. They opened just over a year ago and as many people know, they've been through a number of brewers. Former Lompoc brewer Zach Beckwith was the first and as of five weeks ago man in charge of the brew kettles became Alan Taylor.
Upon entering, Pints appears a small coffee shop, albeit with a tap list of nine house beers and a guest cider. But a short walk toward the back of the establishment reveals a cozy, larger seating area open to the upper portion of the brewery. The rest of the brewery resides below, a small space but one that still has some room for expansion. While the amount of beer being produced isn't huge, one can find Pints' brews at a few other locations around town including Laughing Planet, Hot Lips Pizza and Life of Riley.
