Portland, Oregon -- the brewpub capital of the world -- first earned its reputation for beer in the 1980s. When Oregon repealed Prohibition-era laws banning brewpubs (restaurants with on-site breweries), it enabled Portland pioneers with a taste for beer to use the city as their home base for opening small, commercial beermaking enterprises known as microbreweries.
Fast forward 30 years and the city has more than 70 brewpubs and microbreweries, as it continues to lead the world of craft beer.
With so many options, it's hard to choose which Portland brewing establishments to visit. We've narrowed down the list to seven, each offering something special for your taste buds. Let the brewery hopping commence.
Bottoms Up: Drink Your Way Through Portland
Widmer Brothers Brewing(01 of07)
In 1984 Kurt and Rob Widmer quit their jobs and turned their hobby of home brewing beer into their line of work. The Widmer brothers found the parts they needed and built Widmer Brothers Brewing in an industrial part of Northwest Portland, what is now the popular Pearl District. Widmer Brothers Brewing officially opened April 2, 1984, brewing Altbier, German for "old beer," and a Weizenbier, their interpretation of a filtered wheat beer. Today Widmer uses a detailed brewing process to produce up to 450,000 barrels per year. The brewery offers free tours Fridays at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.One beeradvocate.com reviewer recommends the Widmer Hefeweizen:"Well-balanced between banana and orange zest. Citrus hops as well. I'm impressed."Photo
BridgePort Brewing Company(02 of07)
Billing itself as Oregon's oldest craft brewery, BridgePort Brewing Company was started in 1984 when Richard and Nancy Ponzi, part of a local winemaking family, hired with brewer Karl Ockert. The team took up residence in an old rigging rope factory and began brewing their creations, including the original Bridgeport Ale. Now, the once 600-barrel brewing operation has grown into a prosperous brewing company that produces more than 50,000 barrels per year.One beeradvocate.com reviewer recommends the Bridgeport IPA:"The texture is medium-bodied and almost creamy. Like the aroma, the flavours are perfeclty balanced. The malt flavour is just sweet enough to balance the hops, more biscuit and gra[vy] than caramel. The hops provide lots of floral, flavour and enough bitterness to make the beer crisp and refreshing."Photo
Hair of the Dog Brewing Company(03 of07)
Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, founded in November 1993, is known for brewing a barley wine by the name of Dave, which, at 29 percent ABV, was among the strongest beers ever brewed. Repeated freezing and removal of the frozen water, achieved through a process known as freeze distillation, results in the high alcohol content. "The first person to purchase our beer was Fred Eckhardt, beer historian, inspiration and mentor to the brewers. His purchase of Adam occured on August 23, 1994," according to the brewery's website. Inspiration for Adam and for Hair of the Dog Brewing sparked when Eckhardt spoke about extinct beer styles, in turn summoning the founders of Hair of the Dog to reignite early beermaking techniques.One beeradvocate.com reviewer recommended the brewery's Fred:"One of the better strong ales I've had. Complex, intense, balanced, great mouthfeel. It's a great marriage between an American barleywine/strong ale and a Belgian triple. Fantastic stuff."Photo
Pyramid Breweries(04 of07)
Beth Hartwell created Hart Brewing Inc. -- now known as Pyramid Breweries -- in 1984, on the banks of the Columbia River in Kalama, WA. The brewery's inaugural Pyramid beer, Pale Ale, was one of the first American microbrews. Pyramid followed up the Pale Ale next year with Wheaten Ale, America's first year-round wheat beer. After a successful run, Pyramid outgrew the general store in 1992. Today the brewery makes a number of seasonal beers, along with four year-round options: Hefeweizen, "the standard by which all other wheat beers are judged, Apricot Ale, the hoppy Thunderhead IPA and the bitter Outburst Imperial IPA.One beeradvocate.com reviewer recommends the Audacious Apricot Ale:"Wow. This has wonderful apricot flavor. It doesn't really feel like a wheat beer."Photo
Hopworks Urban Brewery(05 of07)
Hopworks Urban Brewery has made a name for itself as Portland's first eco-friendly brewpub. The brewery offers organic beers made with fresh, local ingredients, "all served in a sustainably built and operated building with a relaxed, casual atmosphere." Brewmaster Christian Ettinger spent a year and half constructing his "dream brewpub," which makes sustainability a focal point. From composting to rain barrels to hand dryers, the brewing process looks out for the environment; the brewery is also 100 percent renewably powered. They produce 6,000 barrels a year, and their restaurant has 10 different organic beers on tap and two cask ales.One beeradvocate.com reviewer recommends the Hopworks IPA:"Very good organic IPA. Although the hops and bitterness are strong, this is quite a tasty drink. Enjoyable through and through."Photo
Lucky Labrador(06 of07)
Located in an old roofing and sheetmetal warehouse, Lucky Labrador's brewpub boasts a warm, rustic ambiance that draws many looking for a cold, tasty beer. Founded in October 1994, the Lab produces Cask Conditioned Ale, naturally ripened beer, sans carbon dioxide (which gives most ale its carbonation). They say it gives the ale more subtle flavoring. "Because we don't use pressurized gas to propel this ale from cask to tap, it must be hand-pumped through the beer engine," according to its website. Perhaps the brewery earned its name from its outside patio, which proves to be a popular meeting area among locals with four-legged friends.The Brewmaster, Alex Stiles, recommends:Super Dog"Our most popular beer, with a ton of floral aroma generated by a pound of dry hops per barrel of beer."Black Lab Stout"This ultra-dark, rich and creamy foreign style stout is always a great companion in our pub." Photo
Alameda Brewing Company(07 of07)
This small brewery began in 1996 the heart of the Beaumont Village in Northeast Portland. Using five, 155-gallon barrels, all of its craft beers were produced under the watchful eye of headbrewer Carston Haney. Alameda makes a variety of beers, from the "light, refreshing Siskiyou Golden Ale to the deep, impenetrable Black Bear XX Stout." It's well known for its Black Bear XX Stout, which won the gold medal at the 2003 and 2005 Great American Beer Festival, where brewers from across the country compete for beer bragging rights.One beeradvocate.com reviewer recommends:"The beer, now that I'm old enough to order it, is strong across the board, with a couple of standouts. The Black Bear XX nitro stout is one of my favorite beers, and the Klickitat Pale Ale is another great offering, continuing a strong Oregonian tradition of American pales."Photo
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