Trains, Buses, Cars & Breweries

Aug01
by on August 1, 2008 at 9:00 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized
(Corvallis Oregon to Richland Washington)

Calapooia Brewing
40 Hill St. NE

Albany, Oregon 97321
541.928.1931

Sunday:Pub: 1pm-10pm
Kitchen: 1pm-9pm
Monday – Wednesday:
Pub: 11:30-10pm
Kitchen: 11:30-9pm
Thursday – Saturday:
Pub: 11:30-12:30am

Heard about this place for the past few years so it was time to see what it was all about. In the old part of town in a area you ‘d think this can’t be it there it is. A big place with some great beers. An old warehouse with both indoor and outdoor seating they do allow kids so that is good for those traveling with your kids. They have a small seating arrangement inside for about 20-30 and outside they can hold about 100 if they move some tables. The best part it is all under a huge cover so the rain and weather will stay off of you. Around 15 taps going not all their beer but they had about 10 beers going on this day. I got to try a sampler of beer. 8 different and great beers. Ranging from a light pale ale for the light beer drinker to the heavy stout that had flavor and life of it’s own. Be wary of the hot pepper beer it will make you wish you ate ice cream. It was smoking hot. The flavor was just that it was a beer but so hot and peppery it was too much one could not really enjoy drinking this over and over it was defiantly a beer fro a one time try and say I had it beer . The food was regular pub fare and very good stuff. Had a great time the locals love this place so it has it’s character and charms. If they are brewing they will ask if you want o see what is going on and you might be pitching malts or helping swril the beer as it is brewing. Very nice and friendly staff. This was a great time.

Oregon Trail Brewery

1 SW 2nd Street
Corvallis, OR 97333
541 – 758-3527
http://www.oregontrailbrewery.com/

This is not the easiest place to find so you have to remind yourself that you’re looking for a deli and then you will find it. So look for the Old World Deli and you will have found the brewery. Tucked in the back of the deli wow what a interesting place to walk into the deli is like 4 businesses mixed up into one. They have this open court yard feel almost like you’re in old Mexico. So once there look into the windows that divide the deli from the brewery if they (The Brewers) are there you are in. The brewer said come on in and we bs’d for about an hour. Sampled beers and talked brewing got the full nickel tour. They brew with a 7 BBL system and on this day they where brewing their Wit beer. The brewer was studying fermentation sciences over at Oregon State University – Go Beavers, and was full of such great beer passion. I found the beers to be very good. Started with the Wit and wow it was so fresh the added orange peel I can attest to is go vast they for sure have a special beer here. I also loved the IPA it was also so fresh. The hops where balanced well with the malts making this a very easy to drink IPA. I also got to try the Brown ale and Beaver Tail these beers did not disappoint either. After a good hour of BS I had to leave and also make my next stop before they closed. This is a place to visit try to come when they are brewing so you get the whole feel. Kids are OK in the deli area but not in the brewery.

Corvallis Brewing Supply
119 SW 4th St
Corvallis, Oregon, 97333

541-758-1674

Tuesday thru Friday 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday 10:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m.
http://www.brewbeer.cc/

When they say this is going to be a one stop place they mean it. They had it all. If they do not have it really what is left to need? Homebrewing supplies and that was jammed packed and then the 500+ bottles of beer all mostly in singles all for your liking ready for you to give a new home. It was like Christmas. They had a huge section of Belgian beers for you Belgian fans and the local stuff was not missing either. I was able to pick up several bottles that I had never seen and I am sure if I looked at my trusty list I would have found more that where needed. Prices where very comparable other places and the selection was top notch. I had arrived right at closing time they still gave me the time of day and the staff was very knowledgeable. If in need of some great beer in Corvallis and want to take it home they have something up your alley. Hours are tight in the evening so a late run at 9:00pm is going to be out of the question. Get your beer drinking list covered early in your shopping day

Block 15 Brewery
300 SW Jefferson
Corvallis, OR 97333
(541) 758-2077

Sunday – Wednesday11am-11pmThursday – Saturday11am-1am
http://www.block15.com/

Last stop for the day Block 15 the newest brewery in the area. Nestled in the town right between both the Oregon Trader and the Corvallis Homebrew supply is Block 15 Brewing named after the original name of the area as they named the blocks when Corvallis was being formed. Old Gentlemen’s clothing store converted into a brewery. The place had the old brick walls the nice flooring, big bar and the sign that said beer here. A great old pub feel with a special little charm. The beers where very good and I got to try the food and the beer. The food was regular pub fair nothing out of the ordinary and was very good. The beers where very nice and they have over 10 different styles so to try them all was going to be a marathon of tasters. I got to try as many as I could and they where all very nice. The stout was awesome and the IPA had such a fresh flavor wow it was awesome. Hell you’re I hops country so they better be good. We got there after the brewing was shut down so no tour maybe next time when in town. You can bring the kids and they have plenty of parking out front and the place can get jammed with locals and I am sure when college is in full swing look out this place on game nights and after will be jammed. Check it out another great beer place in Corvallis to hit.

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My Muscles for Beer.

Jul30
by on July 30, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Posted In: Uncategorized

So a while back I get a call from my mother-in-law asking can I help move her. I say “yes” of course and then hang up and proceed to figure out how best I can visit more breweries and taste more beer while on this moving odyssey. Is this bad I ask myself? I even requested that we make stops along the way in the U-haul to see even more breweries. So I have scoured all over Beermapping.com and mapped out at least 5-6 more breweries to visit while I am helping during the move. So when does this become work. Well I figure once I cross the line into actually driving the U-haul and then unpacking I am paying back my brewery visits with more than enough sweat and tears to make up for my liver punishment. I have heard it from friends you’re doing what your moving your mother-in-law. Yep and along the way I am stopping at several breweries and pubs to quench my thirst and insatiable need to add to my places visited. Now I ask you am I the best son-in-law or what? She gets strength of my back for moving and buttocks for driving and I get to punish my liver at the same time.

Look out Corvallis Oregon here I come. Block 15, Calapooia Brewing, Oregon Trader Brewing and then in the Hood River area Double Mountain Brewing and then over to Washington for Ice Harbor brewing in Kennewick. Think I can talk my wife in to go to a few more on the way back to Olympia. Hmmmm only time will tell.

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Almost over…

Jul25
by on July 25, 2008 at 8:16 am
Posted In: Uncategorized

Bier One
424 SW Coast Hwy
Newport, Oregon 97365
(541) 265-4630
http://www.bier-one.com/

Hours: Tues – Sun 12:00pm – 8:00pm

Stopped at the newest of bottles shops in the Northwest region. Bier One in Newport, Oregon. They had moved from a previous spot on the bay front and are now actually located off of Hwy 101. Bay Blvd is Hwy 101 in Newport. Parking can be touchy at times but once your inside it is all forgiven. They have a brand new spot the paint is still drying and wow if your thirsty they serve it as well. Yes you read correct you can sit and have a few pints as you check out the 250-300 different beers and well over 200 different Red, white and sparkling wines. If you so inclined they also have a small section of home brew supplies so you can brew your own stuff. The beers are mainly local and with a good assortment of foreign beers also available. I was happy to find a few that I had also not had nor seen. So that was a good day. If you want to fill growlers they sell those for 5 bucks for the first growler then the fill up fee. They have a rotating line up of 6 taps and usually 4 of them are good Pacific Northwest fair and the other 2 taps high priced foreign or off the wall stuff. When I was in there they had a Lambic for the high priced stuff. Lindemans – Framboise $27.00 a growler. So stop by on your way to your Oregon coast destination so you have some good beers to add to your trip while you’re enjoying the Oregon coast.

Next on our stop was Florence Oregon.

Wakonda Brewing Company
1725 Kingwood St. #4Florence, OR 97439 541-991-0694.

Tasting room hours:
Thursday 5:30pm – 8:00pmFriday – Sunday 5:00pm until 8:00pm

The speculation is over. They do exist and they are open for business and I am proud to say they are opening a tasting room. Just this past few weeks they have ha d limited hours. Starting on July 31st they will go to Thursday thru Sun 11:00am until 6:00pm for tasting room hours. I missed out on this due to the Oregon brewers Festival so the brewers where out of town. But it was good to see they where open and they do have beer flowing. I found some of the styles a cream ale and IPA at a local water hole and they told me more about Wakonda. The Beachcomber down in the Old town actually is like the special Wakonda beer place. They make special beers for the Beachcomber. Word is soon they will be bottling. I will try to make contact and see what I can find out.

Beachcomber Tavern
Beachcomber Tavern – Beachcomber Bottle Shop & Brew Wear
1355 Bay St
Florence, OR 97439
(541) 997-6357‎

Wow what a little gem found in Florence Oregon. After the stop of trying to find out something about Wakonda Brewing. We found a little tavern in the middle of the old town of Florence. The Beachcomber was not just a tavern this was also a bottle shop and beer wear shop adjacent to there tavern. They have had this for about 3 years and wow it was filled with the nest Pacific Northwest beers and the bear wear was all over the place. You name it or have a special beer quote they have it on a shirt. After a nice little tour of the bottle shop that they gave me so graciously after they had shut down it was time to check out the Tavern. It was rocking. They had a full crowd and it was loud. The music was going the TV’s with sports and beer was a flowing. 12 taps. 7 macros and 5 micros the Micros included there signature brand Wakonda Brewing Beachcomber cream ale. That was a tasty beer. They also had another Wakonda on tap a IPA that was very nice. If you are there during the Bottle shop hours you can get anything from the bottle shop served in a glass in the Tavern. Wow what a deal. 250 bottles to choose from and they will serve it to you also. The food was pub food and looked very good. I stuck with the beer. They also have a full bar and soon the smoking will go away. So in Florence after you had your fill in the sand dunes hit the beachcomber a fun place for a brew check out the local shops and then have a beer or two at the Beachcomber. Just remember this is a local’s bar. So check the attitude at the door and you will be fine.

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