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Beervana
By : Adem Tepedelen
In Portland, Ore., it’s easy to take to heart English craft-brewing pioneer Peter Austin’s advice that beer should not be drunk any farther from the source than a horse can walk in a day. Portland boasts nearly 40 breweries in the metro area—more than any other city in the U.S.—and according to the Oregon Brewers Guild, no matter where you are in Portland, you’re never more than 15 minutes from a brewpub.
It’s no surprise that the locals love their craft beer; the close proximity to the hop farms in the Willamette Valley to the south and an ample supply of Mount Hood water ensure that the local brews are fresh and tasty.
Portland’s love affair with good beer isn’t a new phenomenon. Though other parts of the country have been a little slower to come around to the craft-beer renaissance, the City of Roses (alternately known among beer aficionados as “Beervana” and “Beertopia”) has been a mecca of brewpubs and start-up craft breweries since the ’80s. “The brewpub scene is a huge part of the fabric of Portland,” says Christian Ettinger, owner/brewmaster of Hopworks Urban Brewery. “It’s one of the things that makes up the Portland identity.”
The biggest challenge to thirsty visitors may be where to begin. Though there are some terrific breweries to tour here—Widmer Brothers, BridgePort, MacTarnahan’s Brewing—it’s best to dive into the brewpub scene, where you’ll not only get to try an array of great beers, you can sample Northwest pub cuisine, as well. Hopworks, though at just two years old a relative new kid on the block, is emblematic of not just the Portland craft-beer scene, but also Portland at large. Ettinger puts a huge emphasis on sustainability—reflected in everything from his award-winning organic beers to the locally sourced (and largely organic) food menu. “[Portlanders] are very aware of the impact of spending their money locally,” says Ettinger of the city’s unwavering support of local brews. “Four out of every 10 pints served in the state are craft beer—four times the national average.”
Though there are literally brewpubs and/or breweries in every major Portland neighborhood, the Pearl District in the Northwest quadrant features a concentration of brewpubs—Rogue, BridgePort and Deschutes, among others—thereby ensuring that visitors are always well within a horse ride of a pint of tasty, locally made beer.
How To Get There: American Airlines provides service to Portland.
Book your trip today! Visit www.aa.com, call American/American Eagle reservations at 1-800-433-7300, or call your travel agent for more information.
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