With 50+ craft breweries and over a dozen coffee roasters throughout the city, Portland provides coffee and beer lovers an array of options to drink the day away.Before we started researching, we knew Portland was a destination for craft brew lovers. There are 58 breweries in the city and over 80 if you include the surrounding suburbs. Being from Austin, and having a lot of our own craft breweries, we hadn't heard of most of Portland's beer but we were excited to try a few! Ecliptic- This was the first place we visited after we arrived in Portland. We got settled into our Airbnb and walked to the east end of Mississippi Ave. to grab lunch and a beer flight. The space houses some innovative brews but the owners wanted a place for people to come and enjoy beer as well as awesome food, something they thought was lacking in the community. We dined at the bar top and chatted up the bartender for recommendations. He was super helpful and the beer was refreshing! Their taps are constantly rotating based on season but we really appreciated a place to drink and dine. Definitely a highlight. StormBreaker Brewing- as their website claims "winner of an unknown amount of 4th place finishes at many beer competitions", StormBreaker is good but it might not be the best beer you've ever had, more like the 4th best beer ;) With a wide variety of IPA's, Ales and Stouts, StormBreaker is easy drinking on the cutest outdoor patio on Mississippi Ave. Deschutes- Originally from Bend, OR, Deschutes has expanded and has a few brew houses in the Portland area as well as outside Oregon. Their pubhouse downtown draws you in with their cute sidewalk tables but grab a menu and you'll see they have a big beer and food selection! The good thing about Deschutes is that they have so many options, everyone can satisfy their craving. The atmosphere was energetic and the experience was good. A nice spot for big groups of people. Base Camp- Hands down, my absolute favorite Brewery from this trip. This place was crowded and loud, mostly because it was raining so everyone was forced to drink in the tap room. Decorated with the adventurer in mind, this place's aesthetic and beers were themed after travel and activities. We ordered a flight and included the s'more stout (accompanied by a mini roasted marshmallow) and after taking a sip, I knew I was drinking greatness! Trust me on this, if you're in Portland put Base Camp on your must list. Ok, switching gears a bit, Portland has a brewery scene, yes, but they also have some awesome coffee. Unlike the beer, we actually knew about how serious they take their cup of joe. The "most known" coffee roaster, Stumptown has gotten pretty popular and some shops all over the U.S. are choosing to carry them. There are a few coffee houses here in Austin that serve Stumptown's earthy beans so we put their downtown Portland location on our list. We also knew we couldn't stop there and wanted to explore others around town. After researching, we had picked out quite a few, in fact, we had more coffee shop stops planned than days... at least we wouldn't be tired, right?! Stumptown- There's a reason Stumptown has gotten so well known and we suggest a it's a must stop for anyone who likes strong espresso. Once you've had it, the flavor pretty much gets locked in your memory. It's smooth and balanced but I like to describe it as full-body earth! There's a rooty, gritty flavor that just hits you... fruity it is not! Heart- When you walk into a coffee house and see their drum roaster in the corner, you know you've stubbled into something special. Heart (and a few other shops around PDX) had one and we were so excited to try their espresso. Not only is it locally roasted but they roast it right there, in house! I can't begin to recall which roast we got but I can tell you it was smooth and had fruity overtones. Perfect in our cortados! Case Study- Another spot with their own roasting drum in the back, Case Study is an ideal pitstop for coffee lovers. The two story shop was busting out their house roasted beans in a warm, "come and stay awhile" environment. The one thing we noticed instantly when we walked in was the molecule hanging from the ceiling. Being there with two biology based professionals, we couldn't order until they figured it out! Turns out, it was a model of caffeine. To say the owners take their passion seriously is an understatement! This place was delicious, adorable, and absolutely a favorite! Five Mississippi Coffee- We stumbled upon a tiny coffee trailer at the end of the Mississippi Ave. food court and the single barista operation steamed up a bold and creamy cappuccino that was top notch! Personally, I was drooling over the interior of the trailer... it had subway tiles and a chandelier! I mean, come on! To give you a sense for how great the coffee is in Portland, a 40 sqft mobile shop in a parking lot is just as quality as a modern brick and motor on the bustling Alberta St. The saying, "take your pick" is rather appropriate here. Thanks for that, Portland!! If there's a favorite place you loved from PDX that didn't make the list, let us know!
Until Next Time, C + D
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