Portland: Beer a day keeps the rain away

We have visited Portland once before but we didn't end up visiting any of the famous brewery options, so this time, I (Steve) insisted that we make a beeline for Deschutes Brewery for lunch. It is a cavernous restaurant and brewery, with a long, long line of home brews on tap and some tasty food to boot. It is located in the Pearl District of Portland, which is the old industrial area that has been renovated into lofts, cafes, and many hip little shops. It is also right around the corner from Powell's - a massive bookstore that winds through the four old buildings that have been renovated to be one big store.

But anyway, back to the beer. We had to wait for a bit to get in, and ended up settling into a couple of bar stools facing a long line of taps. The bartender gave us a sheet describing each of the available brews and I was able to pick six from the list for a sampler. I went with Obsidian Stout (whoa...), Green Lakes Organic Ale (nice, though not too exciting), Hop Henge IPA (nice and hoppy but a bit sweet), and Bachelor Bitter (yum, definitely my favorite) - 6 beers for $6.50.  We're not  in Canada anymore, Toto.  I also polished off a delicious plate of Halibit Fish n' Chips. All in all, a wonderful brewery experience with some experimental and delicious beers. Highly recommended as a Portland watering hole. I'll be coming back at you soon with some photos and clips from Rollaway's gig at Mississippi Pizza in the very near future.