Rogue Public House - Originally Published 2008

If you don’t know, Oregon’s own Rogue Brewery makes some pretty fine beers.  One of my personal go-tos is Dead Guy Ale.

They beauty of the Rogue Public House is you can get some of that nice beer paired with well prepared food.  As the menu shows, this is substantial pub grub.  Don’t plan on being to ambitious after eating here.  After a little walk around the pier, the only thing we were good for was sleep.

Even if beer holds no appeal to you, the Pub is worth a stop. This place is literally right on the water.Actually, it’s right in the middle of the water. The views go well with the food.If you drink beer, be careful.They have a full selection of T-shirts. Do you really need a beer t-shirt?

Bridgeport Alehouse - Originally Published 2008

Portland is an amazing riverfront city, the kind we don’t seem to get on the west coast.  The locals are fiercely proud and there is an emphasis on the local economy and talent.  To get the full experience, don’t go looking for a TGI Fridays.  Talk to some folks and be ready to try something new.

Rookie traveling mistake #1:  Go to a new place and try the same stuff you can get at home.  You’ll only be disappointed.  If you’re disappointed, you’ll tell everyone that the city you visited was crappy.  And it wasn’t.  Your choices were crappy.

The Bridgeport Alehouse is a great place to get a feel for what Portland is all about.  This city is home to more microbrews that anywhere else.  The beer coupled with the food made from local ingredients make this place a winner.

We tried the hummus, the beet salad, and the open-faced salmon sandwich.  If the leaders of the world spent a few hours here, there would be little need for a standing army.  Yep, it’s that good.

Deschutes Public House - Originally Published 2009

The lessoned learned from the road is that to really enjoy a place, you need to eat local.  The fare in Bend tends to lean towards pub grub.  Deschutes Public House delivers the goods.

I know what’s you’re thinking.  Bend is miles from the ocean.  But that makes no difference because the oyster shooters were worth it.

This is a can’t miss appetizer called “Buffalo Shrimp”.  Super hot and very nice.  Watch out, though.  The flavor will stay with you a while.

The only problem with this place is that I don’t live closer to it.

Deschutes Brewery - Originally Published 2009

Before you invest an hour in this tour, there is an important question you need to ask yourself.  Do I really like beer enough to find out how it’s made?  Think before you answer, because the guides here are passionate about what they do.  This is not the Heineken tour where they show you a video and then turn you loose on free samples for an hour.

If the answer is an unequivocal “yes”, then you are in the right place.  No detail will be spared in explaining how this factory produces beer.  First stop on the tour is the bar where they pour four, four ounce samples.

In a wise marketing maneuver, the higher ups at Deschutes placed the bar right in the middle of the gift shop.  Don’t drink and shop.  You really don’t need a Black Butte beanie.

Deschutes brews all of its own beer in house.  This is a remarkable feat for a microbrew.  As most of them expand, they have to contract brew.  In other words, that’s not really a Sam Adams you’re drinking.  It’s a Budweiser. 

I think this was the point that Mai officially gave up on pretending to be interested.  Just so you know, those brew kettles were custom made in Germany and are rolled out of one sheet of steel so there’s no welding seams.

Some La Verne and Shirley action.       

Tustin Brewing Company - Originally Published 2011

Pretend that you had a cool older brother.  Now, pretend that your cool older brother was a restaurant.  You know who he’d be?  He’d be the Tustin Brewing Company. 

You see, here’s the thing about cool older brothers.  Cool older brothers are all about the right now.  While the rest of the world gives you problems about crappy grades and your lack of direction, your cool older brother tells you now to worry about it.  He’s been there before you and he knows that it’s all going to work out.

It’s important to know about Geometry, but it’s also important to know that Mitch Cumstein was kicked out of college for night putting. 

Yup.  Older brothers are pretty cool.  In the time it takes to separate the stems and the seeds from a lid on a copy of Rumors, they’re sure to straighten out your perspective on the world.