Morrison - Craft beers and breweries of the Pacific Northwest: a beer lovers guide to Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia

A BEER LOVERS GUIDE TO OREGON, WASHINGTON, AND BRITISH COLUMBIA

LISA M. MORRISON

To Mark, Mom, and Dad

Copyright 2011 by Lisa M. Morrison. All rights reserved.

All photographs are by the author unless otherwise noted.

The author and publisher encourage all readers to visit the
breweries, brewpubs, tasting rooms, and other establishments
mentioned in this book, to sample their beers, but we recommend
that those who consume alcoholic beverages travel with
a nondrinking driver. Even pedestrians on pub crawls should
navigate carefully!

Published in 2011 by Timber Press, Inc.

The Haseltine Building
133 S.W. Second Avenue, Suite 450
Portland, Oregon 97204-3527
timberpress.com

2 The Quadrant
135 Salusbury Road
London NW6 6RJ
timberpress.co.uk

ISBN-13: 978-1-60469-089-7

Printed in the United States of America
A catalog record for this book is also available from the
British Library.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Morrison, Lisa M.
Craft beers of the Pacific Northwest : a beer lovers guide to
Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia / Lisa M. Morrison.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-60469-089-7
1. BreweriesNorthwest, PacificGuidebooks. 2. Micro
breweriesNorthwest, PacificGuidebooks. 3. Northwest,
PacificGuidebooks. I. Title.
TP577.M674 2011
641.2'309795dc22

2010032648

From the end of Prohibition until about three decades ago, beer in America meant only one thing: a fizzy, pale, nearly flavorless liquid that was best served ice-cold. It was the cheap white bread of the wider beer world, a mass-produced product made of inferior filler ingredients, peddled by its makers for the sole purpose of making as much money as possible.

Then came a shifta tiny tremor in northern California, where a small, short-lived brewery got the whole thing rolling. Oregon and Washington soon followed suit, and the shakeup spread north to British Columbia. Throughout the Pacific Northwest, a handful of pioneers began exploring ways to make beer with flavor, brewed from local ingredients, as it once was made. They wanted to make beer with integrity, and people wanted to drink it.

These craft beer pioneers overcame many obstacles. They scrounged for ingredients. They convinced politicians to change laws so they could make and sell their beer. They welded and jury-rigged old dairy equipment for use in their tiny breweries. And, after all that, they still faced their toughest challenge yet: they needed to persuade beer drinkers, familiar with only the mass-produced beers of the day, to sample their odd-looking, cloudy beers that were made in small batches just down the street. Fortunately, Northwesterners are not only pioneering but also adventurous people. Microbrew, as it was called back in the day, caught on quickly, and the Northwest became the cradle of the craft beer movement that is now flourishing and spreading across the United States, Canada, and the world.

Much like terroir in wine, these new craft beers possess defining characteristics. But instead of being shaped by the soils condition or mineral content, craft beers terroir is influenced by the personalities of the brewers, the surrounding communities, and the particular culture that envelops each brewery. I have been writing about beer for more than a dozen years, and I still cant quite put my finger on itthat enigmatic quality that gives craft beer a slightly different flavor in the Pacific Northwest. It could be that artisan brewers have been making beer in this region for upwards of 30 years. Perhaps it is the quality and freshness of the ingredientsthe Northwest is the heart of the largest hops-growing area on the continent. Or maybe those old beer ads were right after all. Maybe it is the water.

I prefer to believe that its the peoplethe Northwest brewers and the beer fans who, through their passions, continue to put their own indelible mark on craft beer.

Im blessed to have many of these wonderful people to thank for their contributions to this book.

First and foremost, my heart and my heartfelt thanks go to Mark Campbell, my wonderful and patient husband, who makes me laugh every day. Mark has been with me either in person or in supportive spirit every day throughout the research and writing of this book. Whether it was driving us across western British Columbia with our dog, Yeti, so I could concentrate on research, calling to check in each night when I was on the road alone, or cooking dinner so I could squeeze in some more writing time, those generous gestures and your companionship meant so much.

A lifetime of gratitude to Joe and Nancy Morrison, my parents, who always told me I could do anything I wanted to do (although I am convinced beer writer never crossed your minds).

It is a great pleasure to express my thanks to the following friends: Susan and Dan Bartlett, my travel mates, who assisted more than they will ever know on beer research trips; Susan Benson, who smilingly took on the task of looking up contact information for the listings in this book; John Norton, who stepped in and made phone calls so I could focus on writing at a crucial time; John Foyston, who first suggested I write this book; and Eric and Valerie Bressman, who were always there to lend an ear, ride shotgun on a photo-taking mission to Seattle, or help out with a pub crawl.

Many thanks to Rick Green, of the Campaign for Real Ale in Vancouver, B.C., for being just an e-mail away to answer a question or confirm a fact, and to Don Scheidt, Mike Besser, Tiffany Hereth Adamowski, and Jake Swanke, who helped me make heads and tails out of the Seattle beer scene.

Finally, sincere thanks and deep gratitude to all the brewers, brewery and pub owners, servers, distributors, promoters, fellow beer writers, and beer enthusiasts who passionately contribute to the exceptional beer culturethis beer communitythat we are so fortunate to enjoy in the Pacific Northwest.

The topography of craft beer is ever-changing here in the Pacific Northwest, just like it is all over the world. Thats what makes it so intriguing and exciting. So, instead of thinking of this book as the quintessential fixed-in-stone roadmap to craft beer in the Pacific Northwest, think of it as more of a compass. The people you will meet and the places you will visit in the pages of this book have all contributed to the regions vibrant craft beer culture. Nothing can change that. The roots of craft beer have already grown deep here; the past is so rich and the future so compelling that you will want to explore the present Northwest beer community all on your own. A good number of websites, including my own-beergoddess.com-help you keep track of the latest news at (and most current information concerning) the taps and the breweries.