The Local watering hole

[gonelong]

Do you have a local watering hold?

This is the first time in my adult life where I feel like I have a "local watering hole", and I like it!

This evening I'll be playing disc golf and afterwards I will stop by the local watering hole for a few well-deserved beers. The local watering hole opened about 18 months ago and has 20 or so craft beers on tap and has been rotating 3-5 of them out on a weely basis and replacing them with other craft beer. All of the sudden ... Six Point, Bells, Lagunitas, Hafbrau, Wooden Shoe, Abita, Anchor, Goose Island, Stone, Rogue, Flying Dog, etc. are all available a very short hop/skip from home. Heaven!!

In the first 2 months or so, my neighbor and I were pretty much the only folks there on a semi-regular basis so we got to know the managers, cooks, and wait-staff while everyone else was discovering the place. When I walk in generally 3-4 waitresses, one of the bar tenders, and one of the managers will specifically stop by to say hello. Its probably as close to a "Norm!" situation as I'm likely to get.

A good portion of the locals are only interested in the Buds and Millers of the world so when we arrvied and began showing a distinct interest in the micro-brews the bar manager began seeking us out each time we stopped by to ask us what we wanted to see on tap next. (Can you get Hafbrau Dunkel? Had it there the next week. *GRIN*)

So now I have a place close to home, with the beers I like, a constant variety to choose from, a friendly wait-staff, and a knowledgable bar manager who takes future tap requests ...



This week I installed Pintly on my phone to start keeping track of the different beers I have tried and to see if it can be helpful in determing other beers I might like. 'Pliny the Elder' is the highest recommended beer for me ... any opinions?

GL

[reds1869]

Arnold's.

[pedro]

My local watering hole, the Hedge House, is about 200 yards from my house. It's a great place.

They are an outlet of a local brewery with 4 locations. They only serve their own beer but it is delicious. portland is a "happy hour" town. Everyone goes to the pub after work, and often bring their kids who place on the lawn. About 7:30 or 8 most folks head home.

This is their beer menu but they also do seasonals and and have recently come out with new IPA and Pale varieties.

FOOL’S GOLDEN ALE
A light refreshing blend of malt and hops! We use Crystal hops and malted wheat to balance this great session beer.
5.0% abv. | 16 IBU

CONDOR PALE ALE
A clean, crisp well hopped ale with a pale orange color. It's brewed with Ahtanum hops that have a mild aroma and flavor.
5.2% abv. | 20 IBU

CENTENNIAL INDIA PALE ALE
A classic Northwest IPA brewed with crystal malts that give it a rich golden color. Centennial hops provide a floral nose and sharp bitter finish.
6.0% abv. | 64 IBU

C-NOTE IMPERIAL PALE ALE
To call C-Note very hoppy would be an understatement. It's brewed with the seven "C" hops (Crystal, Cluster, Cascade, Chinook, Centennial, Columbus and Challenger) and pushes the bitterness limit to 100 International Bitterness Units.
6.9% abv. | 100 IBU

PROLETARIAT RED
This Northwest Red ale is malty and full bodied with a deep, rich red color. Proletariat Red reminds us that work is the curse of the drinking class!
6.2% abv. | 45 IBU

LSD (LOMPOC SPECIAL DRAFT)
A Portland Classic! This strong ale has a deep mahogany color and is crafted with seven different specialty malts. A touch of smoked malt gives it a complex aroma and incredible flavor. LSD is also generously hopped with six hop varieties to help create an awesome beer.
6.9% abv. | 58 IBU

SOCKEYE CREAM STOUT
This is a perfect stout! Roasted malt flavors with rich chocolate and coffee undertones combined with an addition of oats creates a lasting finish. Served on nitro.
4.9% abv. | 12 IBU

[RichRed]

Those photos must be doctored, pedro - way too sunny.

[RichRed]

I'm lucky enough to be able to walk to the Pier Cafe, about a half mile down the beach from my house.





http://www.piercafevb.com/

(The website is outdated.)

Probably doesn't classify as a watering hole, per se, but they do serve a decent variety of beers, with happy hour seven days a week (unusual around these parts).

[pedro]

That place looks great RichRed. As for my photos, judging by the tree, it's winter, so yeah, not so bad for Portland. One thing I can say though is that when the weather is good here, it's phenomenal.

[westofyou]

My place is also owned by the same brewery that Pedro's is



When I go there the guy in the left hand corner will bring me a beer before I ask.

Oaks Bottom Public House is named for the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge that runs just west of our location in the heart of Westmoreland. The 163-acre natural wetlands was Portland’s first urban wildlife refuge and is home to more than 125 species of birds, including the Great Blue Heron that is our symbol.

The term “Public House” was used in Old England to describe homes that innkeepers, or publicans, who were seeking a warm meal, a cold (but not too cold) pint and possibly a comfy bed. While we don’t offer lodging (and can’t let you snooze in our booths), it is our intent to offer neighbors from near and far good food and good drink in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

A good public house should be an example of what sociologist Ray Oldenburg calls a “third place”- a friendly, comfortable haven where guests can leave behind the cares of the “first place” (home) and “second place” (work) and enjoy the company of friends while someone else cooks the food and does the dishes.

[NoCalRed]

This week I installed Pintly on my phone to start keeping track of the different beers I have tried and to see if it can be helpful in determing other beers I might like. 'Pliny the Elder' is the highest recommended beer for me ... any opinions?

Pliny the Elder is a double IPA made by Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa, CA. I go there about once a week to enjoy a pliny and get some food. I guess you could say it's my local watering hole, but there are so many to choose from in the area it's hard to nail it down to just one.

For what it's worth I really like IPA's and Pliny is probably my favorite, but it's a little on the strong side and the aclohol flavor may take away from the hoppiness. Pliny the Younger is seasonal and is double (they say) the elder. I'm not a big fan of the Younger, but will enjoy a half pint when it is released in Feb of every year. If you like IPA's try the racer 5, another local beer that is outstanding and sold to a wider market.

[RichRed]

pedro and woy, those places look really cool. I'd love to live in Portland for a few months and just soak up the pub culture, assuming my liver could handle it.

[gonelong]

Thanks to a designated driver ...

Chimay: Tripel Trappist
Dog Fish Head: 90 Minute IPA
Flying Dog: Doggie Style
Wooden Shoe: Bock
Lagunitas: Wilco Tango Foxtrot

GL

/disc golf sucked, it was pretty windy

[Rojo]

My local isn't nearly as nice:







Can't you just hear Hip Hug-Her?

[westofyou]

Pliny the Elder is a double IPA made by Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa, CA. I go there about once a week to enjoy a pliny and get some food. I guess you could say it's my local watering hole, but there are so many to choose from in the area it's hard to nail it down to just one.

For what it's worth I really like IPA's and Pliny is probably my favorite, but it's a little on the strong side and the aclohol flavor may take away from the hoppiness. Pliny the Younger is seasonal and is double (they say) the elder. I'm not a big fan of the Younger, but will enjoy a half pint when it is released in Feb of every year. If you like IPA's try the racer 5, another local beer that is outstanding and sold to a wider market.

The younger packs a wallop

[pedro]

Pliny the Elder is a double IPA made by Russian River Brewery in Santa Rosa, CA. I go there about once a week to enjoy a pliny and get some food. I guess you could say it's my local watering hole, but there are so many to choose from in the area it's hard to nail it down to just one.

For what it's worth I really like IPA's and Pliny is probably my favorite, but it's a little on the strong side and the aclohol flavor may take away from the hoppiness. Pliny the Younger is seasonal and is double (they say) the elder. I'm not a big fan of the Younger, but will enjoy a half pint when it is released in Feb of every year. If you like IPA's try the racer 5, another local beer that is outstanding and sold to a wider market.

Love the Racer 5. Can only have 2 though, otherwise it becomes the Eraser 5.

[NoCalRed]

The younger packs a wallop

Indeed hence the half pint even then take your time.

Love the Racer 5. Can only have 2 though, otherwise it becomes the Eraser 5

.

Never heard that, but so true.

Lagunitas: Wilco Tango Foxtrot

Lagunitas is another local brewery. I like their beers, but I feel they are more concerned with clever names than actually hitting a style. They put the style on their lables, but it's generally not what you would expect. Everytime they put out a new beer I'll give it a try and the first thing I think is wilco tango foxtrot.

[gonelong]

Lagunitas is another local brewery. I like their beers, but I feel they are more concerned with clever names than actually hitting a style. They put the style on their lables, but it's generally not what you would expect. Everytime they put out a new beer I'll give it a try and the first thing I think is wilco tango foxtrot.

Was not a big fan of WTF either.

Last night was the first Chimay I have had, loved it.

GL