To say that beer in Portland is a culture is an understatement. We moved here thinking beer was “okay.” We quickly learned that not only should we like beer, we should develop some firmly held opinions on what kinds of beer we like. We are never short on places to drink it, and truth be told we have come to love some beers over the years. Below are some of our favorite spots to imbibe. Note that we are not trying to be all inclusive here. We live in SE Portland, so it stands to reason when we are venturing out to drink alcohol, we stay close to home so we can walk or rideshare safely. Rest assured that there are fantastic spots throughout the entire Portland Metro Area. No matter where you choose to live, there will be no dearth of beer.
Apex Bar, 1216 SE Division St.
50 beers on tap from the world over. Huge outdoor patio and tons of bike parking. A favorite summer spot to be sure, especially given its proximity to Los Gorditos next door for delicious Mexican food you can enjoy on the vast Apex patio.
Belmont Station, 4500 SE Stark St
No longer located on Belmont Street, but really just a short walk north to Stark Street. This is a great place to buy an assortment to bring home or to crack one open and sit and enjoy. They are both a bottle shop as well as a beer cafe, and they host a food cart on site, so dinner and beer is a fun, casual event at Belmont Station.
The Horse Brass Pub, 4534 SE Belmont St
Legendary spot on a sleepy section of SE Belmont Street with a local and international tap list that is always impressive. This is the pub that launched a thousand breweries. Great fish and chips as well.
John’s Marketplace, 3560 SE Powell Blvd as well as 3535 SW Multnomah Blvd
We are so lucky that John’s opened a location in SE Portland. They are both a bottle shop as well as offering taps and food and a small patio. Plus, if you have a favorite beer on draft, they can can it up for you in an aluminum can with their crowler machine so you can take it to go. What?!
Loyal Legion, 710 SE 6th Ave
99 beers on tap plus a respectable menu of burgers, veggie burgers, sausages, veggie dogs, and the like. We often will do a whiskey and beer pairing here as well.
Assuming you do drink some alcohol on occasion, whether you love beer, like beer, or only imbibe very occasionally, you are sure to find a beer in Portland that you like on the hottest of days or in the darkest of winter.