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Beervana! Portland, Oregon

© Paul Ruschmann

With more brewpubs per capita than any city in the United States, Portland, Oregon, has acquired the nickname "Beervana."

There are plenty of reasons why Portland has become a destination for beer lovers. Grains and hops are found in abundance in Oregon. Local residents are sophisticated about beer; they also drink a substantial percentage of it on draft, which makes it easier for upstart brewers to reach them. State legislators have amended the laws to make them less of a burden for small brewers. Even the local climate plays a part; wet and chilly days lend themselves to drinking beer in cafes and alehouses rather than at barbecues or on the beach.

But Portland's craft brewing revolution wouldn't have gotten started without the people who brew the beer. People like Kurt and Rob Widmer, who fell in love with the beers of Germany and began replicating them when they got back home. And another pair of brothers, Mike and Brian McMenamin, who opened the state's first brewpub nearly 20 years ago and haven't looked back since.

A summer weekend in Portland provided just enough time to sample the brewpubs in and around the center of town. Widmer Gasthaus (929 North Russell Street; 503-281-1437), located across the street from the brewery, is a cheery establishment serving German and American food to accompany the beer. The Widmer brothers pioneered Hefeweizen beer in the United States; it's been Oregon's top-selling draft microbrew for years. If you've enjoyed Widmer beers in bottles, you'll like them even more on tap at the Gasthaus. There's also a rotation of seasonal beers you probably haven't seen.

Beer and pizza are a classic pairing, and one of the best places in town to enjoy both is BridgePort Brew Pub (1313 N.W. Marshall; 503-241-7179), about a mile north of downtown. Established in 1984, BridgePort is Oregon's oldest craft brewery. The brewpub is a converted 100-plus-year-old warehouse that gets downright lively at times. It's divided into a family area, where the pizza ovens churn out dozens of huge, topping-laden pies made from unfermented wort; and a pub area, where the award-winning beers are poured. Step up to the taps (it's strictly self service here) and order whatever they're serving out of traditional firkins. When I visited, the cask-conditioned beers were porter and India pale ale.

One of Portland's most elegant venues for craft brewed beer is McCormick & Schmick's Harborside Restaurant and Pilsner Room (307 S.W. Montgomery Street; 503-222-5343). Many of the beers on tap are made by Full Sail Brewing Company, which operates a small satellite brewery next door to the restaurant. The brewery makes seasonal and specialty beers; the current offering was "Lupulin," an appropriate name for a beer that even Portlanders would describe as "hoppy"). The Pilsner Room also serves McCormick & Schmick's line of beers, along with a selection of guest beers.

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