Looking for a late night snack, someone suggested that we go to McMenamin’s Pub tonight. Upon arrival, I quickly checked to see what they have on tap. It turns out that they brew their own beer. I tried to refrain as my mouth watered in curiousity.
As we are looking at the desserts to satisfy the sweet tooth, I am getting a feel for this guy, he is quick to tell us that “Oregon is the microbrew… “ I just finished his sentence for him and everyone at the table saw my face light up like a pirate that just figured out the last clue to the treasure map. One of our guys responds by asking for a sampler, and the table erupts in debate on whether or not we should experience the sampler in a public place (it’s a rather conservative group we are working with). Our waiter suggests that we just get one to go and put it in a to-go bag. Since I am the one with the ear-to-ear grin, I don’t waste any time announcing that I would like a quart of IPA. He asks if I want the larger single serving, and I have to think to myself, “is this the time to be greedy?” I insist on the quart. The server returns with a 4 Quart Balls Wide Mouth mason jar filled to the top with the amber glow of IPA. He hooked us up big time. I leave the place with the satisfaction of knowing that I have more than enough beer to last the night.
I return to my dorm room and immediately crack open the jar. I am just waiting for this to be terrible because I just have too much of this stuff for it to be any good. After I remove the top of the jar, the aroma fills my nose with citrus fragrance as I can smell the hops right from the top. I immediately take a big swig. It opens up with a great, balanced mouth feel with a very traditional flavor, then come the hops. The hop character of this beer is what makes it stand out above what I was expecting. It comes across a big flavorful beer. It was a great take on a traditional classic, definitely bringing something new to the table. The bitterness took over my mouth in a great way and I can still taste it even though I took my last sip several minutes ago. Very strong flavor and a great beer.
So I have made one stop and I am a believer in Oregon. I can’t wait to see what the rest of this trip has to offer. Oh yeah, the total bill at the restaurant included three personal sized pepperoni pizzas, four RC Cola soft drinks, a raspberry tea with fresh, organic raspberries smashed into it, two corn dogs, two orders of fries, a marionberry crisp (we don’t have these berries in GA, but they are like a tart blackberry that pretty much rules), three triple chocolate stout milkshakes (the best chocolate milkshake I have ever had. Total = $17.25. Oregon doesn’t have sales tax either. Someone pinch me.
