Enjoying a Raddler at Hopworks
I heard about Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) when they opened three years ago. A friend mentioned an eco-brewpub opening up in Southeast PDX, which immediately spiked my interest. Katie (my world-traveling and beer buddy) and I check HUB out and I immediately fell in love.
What’s an eco-brewpub? It’s handcrafted organic beers, using fresh, local ingredients, served in a sustainably built and operated location.
Jenna’s Tips:
– When at the bar, there is a great bartender named “Miami” but he has a thick South Boston accent.
– In the summer order their famous Raddler, half Organic Lager and half lemonade – AMAZING!
– If you’re a girl, be sure to check out the woman’s restroom. You’ll get a wonderful surprise. And it’s true!
You are beautiful
Been to HUB? What did you think? How do you incorporate sustainable practices into your brewing process?
We did fall in love! Promise me a beer date when I get back ok? Miss you.
Yes definitely! Just let me know when you get home.
When I eventually make it out to Portland, I’ll be sure to visit Hopworks. Maybe I need a beer vacation.
I think the most sustainable thing I do for brewing is reusing empty bottles. I’ve used the same bottles multiple times now. I wish I had the same sustainable possibilities that Hopworks has there.
I think eco-brewpubs are a great idea and I hope to see more popping up all over the place. When I come to PDX (which I will one day) you can take me to visit this and some of your other fab breweries.
Definitely. I know Harpoon is starting to get involved in sustainability. Not sure of any other’s on the East Coast. Good thing to ask about?
Do you have a Facebook fan page for your site?
Not yet.
Congrats on all counts! I’d raise a glass, but I’m haingng tough with my no beer for 30 days test! As always, looking forward to following it all![] Reply:September 6th, 2011 at 7:20 amThanks Scott. I know that no beer for that timeframe can be a real challenge. You can do it![]
Nathan Oh yeah, beer can go VERY bad, depending on the style. Most of your gredan-variety craft beers are meant to be consumed as fresh as possible. This is why beers often taste much better straight from the tanks at the brewery. You certainly wouldn’t want to age a bottle of Henry’s, or even something more robust, like Terminal Gravity IPA. After a couple of months oxidation will become noticeable, and the hop character of any beer will significantly diminish (not a terrible thing I tried a 2003 barleywine from Full Sail last night at the festival; the hops are gone, but it has mellowed into a deliciously smooth treat).As for cellaring technique, I put mine in cases sitting upright in a set of lockers. For capped beers, you needn’t do anything. For beers sealed with corks, treat them like good wine rotate once a year and make sure to get the inside of the cork wet. Light and temperature are your enemies, so find a dark place with a steady temperature (cooler is better, but lack of variation is key. And that’s about all I’ve got.
Outstanding blog post. This is a pretty intriguing article. Thanks!
I can’t speak to the beers at all (non-partaker, though not for reosnas of principle), but the Raccoon Lodge is close enough to me that I get in semi-regularly for the food. From my experience of brewpubs generally (and I have been in a fair number, in the course of hanging out with folk who do partake), Raccoon Lodge’s menu is more restaurant-like than brewpub-like. In addition to salads (substantial), sandwiches (ample), and appetizers (typical), there are a number of entree options including meat loaf (quite good), several pasta dishes (tending toward the spicy) a mixed-grill sausage plate with kraut and cole slaw (the Louisiana hot has sometimes been really, really hot), and mahi mahi fish & chips (I haven’t actually tried these yet).FreddyK is right about one thing; the location is a bit of a challenge, as the entrance is right on a busy stretch of Beaverton-Hillsdale with no turn signal. It can therefore be challenging during rush hour if you’re trying to cross traffic to get in or depart.
I’ve been to Raccoon Lodge a couple of times. Really excited they opened a new brewery in SE PDX though. Need to get over there and write a review.