The Great American Ale Trail - Christian DeBenedetti [6]
SOUR POWER 101
INSIDE THE ART of SOUR, BARREL-AGED BEERS
To speak beer-ese in Portland, or just about anywhere else these days, you’ve got to know what makes sour beers pop the way they do. Simply put, they’re made by fermenting beer with a complex grain bill (for long, slow, layered fermentations) with Lactobacillus and/or other super active yeasts (sometimes wild rather than lab-cultured) and aging them in oak barrels that once contained wine, port, sherry, absinthe, rum, whiskey, or bourbon, occasionally with certain fruits or nuts added. After a period of three months to three years in the wood, the acidified brews are blended with one another in a stainless steel tank to taste, at which point fresh fruit additions or special brewers’ sugars are occasionally added again. Lastly, they’re kegged or bottled like Champagne, with a cork and wire cage. Executed well, these acid-forward ales echo the heft of certain big wines (meaty tannic reds, bright whites, and tawny old ports), and pair well with rich foods like cheese, charcuterie, and pork belly. One look at the beer lists in Portland’s top restaurants confirms: sour is the new black.
LAURELWOOD PUBLIC HOUSE & BREWERY
5115 NE Sandy Blvd. • Portland, OR 97213 • (503) 282-0622 laurelwoodbrewpub.com • Established: 2001
SCENE & STORY
Now with a handful of convenient locations (including the Rose Garden, where the Portland Trail Blazers play, and the Portland International Airport’s concourses A and E), Laurelwood was Portland’s first certified-organic brewery, and also made a smart business decision in a town with big numbers in the stroller department: kids’ areas. Ingenious! The adults found the beer irresistible (still do), and three years after opening, Laurelwood landed the coveted Best Small Brewpub and Best Brewer Award at the World Beer Cup 2004 and the second annual National IPA competition in 2009. These are not easy awards to win.
The main location is an old converted dinner theater; instead of floor lights, stainless conditioning tanks light up the room, and the food is filling, a mix of pub favorites like nachos and garlic fries with healthier options like wraps and spinach salads.
PHILOSOPHY
Green, but not obnoxiously so, and actively kid-focused: young parents themselves, founders Mike De Kalb and his wife made sure to put quality play spaces in all their properties.
KEY BEER
The tasty, pungent Workhorse IPA was the big winner in 2009, and it’s still pouring on the hops, with three separate dry hop additions in the fermenter (7.5% ABV). Also, don’t miss the coppery flagship beer, Free Range Red.
BELMONT STATION
4500 SE Stark St. • Portland, OR 97215 • (503) 232-8538 belmont-station.com • Established: 1997
SCENE & STORY
Founded by Carl Singmaster and the late, legendary publican Don Younger of The Horse Brass in that bar’s tiny adjacent alleyway in southeast Portland, Belmont Station was an idea far ahead of its time. With thousands of imported beers, glassware, and other beer-related gifts, it was a hit with locals who would wander in after a pint and perhaps a chat with the irascible, inimitable owner Don Younger, who died in 2011. (Disclosure: By the good graces of Younger, I worked at Belmont Station briefly in its earliest days, helping ship beer, which it no longer does. I was enormously grateful for the gig.) Since then, the shop has moved a block north to Stark Street and has expanded to include its own bar with 16 taps, 1,200-plus bottles stored behind UV-filtered light, regular tastings, and brewmaster appearances. They even hold their own festival in July: Pucker Fest is a weeklong celebration of sour beer.
PHILOSOPHY
Know thy beer. Belmont Station’s employees know a ton about beer and are glad to share their wisdom, sans attitude.
KEY BEER
The best beer is the one you taste fresh off one of the twenty taps as you wander the aisles, which is a lot of fun. Simply put, the selection here