The Friday
afternoon crowd at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland, Oregon was anxious
but relaxed. The gray haze burned off by late afternoon and the temperature was
just right for sampling the 72 beers from brewers around the country invited to
participate. Many improvements were noticeable over years past. There were
entrances on all four sides of the fenced-in event area and ID checks went
fairly quickly. Mug ($3) and drink ticket ($1) booths were centered in between
the two long open-sided tents, with pouring tables only along the West side of
the perimeter. Pour sizes have shrunken from previous years to the current four
(4) ounces for one token and 12 ounces for three. The tents were marked as
Non-Smoking and most people followed the rules, allowing maximum enjoyment for
those wishing to taste the beers. Designated smoking areas were marked along
the Eastern sides of the perimeter fence. Folding chairs were lined up along
the wooden tables under the tents as well as in sunny and shady areas in
between the tents and in front of the stage. With temperatures in the mid-80s,
there were rarely any empty seats. Food vendors also occupied the center area
and included Der Rheinlander & Gustav's, Garbonzos, Greek Cusina, Hayden's
Lakefront Grill, Kells Irish Restaurant, Raccoon Lodge & Brewpub, and Truly
Med. I found that Salmon Pizza complements the numerous local IPAs on hand. The
Oregon Liquor Control Commission seems to be developing a humane side, children
were allowed to accompany their parents throughout the festival area. Beer was
poured only to people displaying an ID stamp received at the entrances. There
was minimal uniformed police presence and the highly visible Alcohol Monitors
seemed to monitor things just fine without diminishing anyone tasting pleasure.
No dogs were allowed inside but cyclists were accommodated with a secured
bicycle parking area.
This year saw a contingent representing Hawaii's Aloha Brewers
Guild. A nice touch for those who can't get out to the islands to see what's
brewing there. The Longboard Lager from Kona Brewing was
medium-bodied with an even balance but big mouthfeel, where a light hops came
across only into the finish. The Macadamia Nut Brown Ale from
Ali'i was light brown with a perfumy aroma and an interesting pronounced
flavor that is like no other "nut". The Kauai Sunset from Keoki
featured a complex nutty flavor with a slight hoppiness toward the finish. The
Mehana Red Ale from Mehana Brewing Company seemed a bit bland
with a thin body matched to a slight malty flavor. The Uli Uli Ale from
Waimea offered a nice malty flavor.
Other standouts included the Bridgeport
Rye'no, clear amber in color, its light hop aroma was accompanied by a
light caramel malty flavor that led to a smooth dry finish. The Blackberry
Porter from Wild River Brewing offered a combination of dry
chocolate flavor and tart blackberry to produce a nice light-bodied brew. The
Drunkin Squirrel from Casey's Restaurant and Brewery began with a
pronounced bourbon aroma and flavor that dominated the light malty character.
The IPA from Terminal Gravity Brewing was big and malty with a great sharp
hoppiness. From Lucky Labrador Brewpub came the Crazy Ludwig's
Ale. A great synergy of hop bitterness and malt, this even-balanced,
medium-bodied brew was very drinkable. The Vitzen from Angel City
was a hazy gold with a refreshing sweet/spicy wheat flavor. The Maximus
from Lagunitas featured a great hop aroma from its four constituent
hops. Widmer's Killer Bee Mead started with a strong aroma that
was followed by a smooth, mellow sweetness with a slight tartness. The 7.5%
Rogen Weisen from Mt. Angel was a full-bodied brew with plenty of
malt, along with a slight wheat crispness and characteristic rye dryness in the
finish. The big Badger Blonde Bock from Raccoon Lodge Restaurant
& Brewpub leads with hops but finishes with the expected maltiness. At
8%, the Saquatch Strong Ale from Wild Duck offers a rich malty
aroma and flavor where the alcohol warming comes through in the finish.
Another great feature this year was the inclusion of an
Oregon Brewer's Guild tent where beers from various members would rotate in
four shifts throughout the days. This gave festgoers the opportunity to try
additional beers from across the state. The Mt. Angel Root Beer Garden featured
hand-crafted sodas for the enjoyment of those of all ages. There were
"compatible" vendor booths selling merchandise and offering information on the
brewing process and the components of beer but, unlike last year, no obnoxious
News Talk Radio booth destroying the ambiance with its 90 decibel babbling. The
grounds were grassy, fairly dry and wheelchair accessible. The port-a-pottys at
the North and South ends were adequate through most of the three days and the
cannabis scented air fresheners were a nice touch. 5-gallon water stations were
near the corners of the tents and a few rinse buckets were on hand. An
increased visibility of these buckets might have helped convince people not to
pour out their unwanted beer wherever they happened to be standing. The great
sunny weather on Saturday and Sunday must have accelerated consumption since a
hand-full of breweries ran out early. Fortunately, local brewers stepped up and
offered a variety of their wares as substitutes so no tap handles went
unused.
This year's event saw the majority of breweries bring some of their
more full-flavored beers and the vast majority of the crowd seemed to
appreciate that. The Oregon Brew Crew and it volunteer force of over 1200 are
to be commended for organizing such a large but still enjoyable festival in
spite of all the natural and artificial obstacles that must be overcome. Once
again the great Portland July weather was accommodating and only encouraged
visitors to this modern city to discover the myriad quality craftbeers
available throughout the region.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| The Place to Taste | The Band Played On | Monitor This! | Here to Serve | A Banner Year |
Oregon Brewers Festival 2000
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
Portland,
Oregon
July 28, 29, & 30,
2000
503-778-5917
www.oregonbrewfest.com
Reviewed by Tom Ciccateri - August 2000
Home 
Festival Reviews 
Photo Gallery