"Here's to Feeling Good All the Time" Pacific City, OR Trip Part 1

All things must come to an end and my summer in Spokane is almost over. I couldn't have asked for a better send off than a week down on the Oregon Coast. Plenty of great waves, sunsets, and of course beers were enjoyed. Several of which were complete surprises...which is one of my favorite parts of traveling! On our way to the Coast, a now "mandatory" stop in Hood River presented one of those surprise finds.

 After stumbling upon the Double Mountain Brewery on the trip to Portland a few weeks back, I did a little research and found out they produce a couple of excellent Kriek's that happened to be on tap!

The garage door to the brewery seems to always be open as kegs are loaded up and out of town

Not only do I love sours, but so does my sister. It wasn't hard to convince my family that this would be the perfect place to stop for lunch. I opted to get a sampler tray so that I could get a good taste of Double Mountain in such a short period of time. I guess I saved the best for last because the Rainier was by far my favorite brew of theirs...hope they are able to bottle at some point!

Taster from Left to Right: Kolsch, Pale, IPA, Devil's Kriek, Rainier Kriek

After the beers and an excellent New York style pizza complete with locally made sausage and fresh veggies (sorry no picture, it didn't last long) we were off to the Coast, hopefully to make it there before sunset and a possible surf session. Unfortunately, we were chasing the sun as we drove through the forrests of the coastal highway and found ourselves at the beach right as the sun went down. Despite missing the sunset we did manage to make it to the Pelican for a beer and some chowder, as well as making friends with one of the managers who is an avid trader and fellow BeerAdvocate.

An excellent Saison that was a perfect welcome into Pacific City

Anyone who knows can probably guess what the rest of the trip was like. For those of you that don't, it's as simple as this. If there is one hobby I enjoy more than beer, it is surfing. This vacation consisted of two parts; getting up early and surfing til mid day and then enjoying some excellent brews and BBQ for the remainder of the day. Thankfully, not to mention my surprise, waves were breaking well everyday and there was an abundance of great beers in a town of 700.

A damn near perfect picture thanks to my sister's photography skills

Between fresh Pliny on tap, excellent beers on the beach thanks to the Pelican, and cracking rare bottles with a fellow BA the pictures are more abundant than I would have thought. To round out this first segment, here's a miniature Brewery Feature on the Pelican Pub and Brewery!

PELICAN PUB & BREWERY

Established in 96' the Pelican has become an internationally acclaimed brewery with numerous awards each year for it's well rounded list of brews not to mention winning small brewpub of the year; three years in a row. Their eclectic lineup, limited releases, and ability to offer unique and amazingly balanced beer have helped them grow into the small beach town meca that they are.
 

Quite the prime piece of real estate for a brewery

While in Pacific City I enjoyed numerous beers from the Pelican, with my favorites being their India Pelican Ale; a well balanced and easy drinking IPA despite it's DIPA like abv and their Kiwanda Cream Ale is another stellar example of a sunny day  beach beer with it's smooth texture and delicate hop presence. Aside from their core line up, they also specialize in numerous Belgian and French styles throughout the year. I was fortunate enough to have tried a bottle of their 07' Le Pelican Brun which was a spectacular example of a common French style. Undeniably the major appeal to the Pelican is the gorgeous view of the beach and there was no better way to wind down a long day of surfing than with a  overlooking Cape Kiwanda.

Ankle Buster Ale: An English Style Pale finished with a Saison yeast strain

 Aside from the excellent beer and epic view, the hospitality from the assistant manager, Trevor, made things even more enjoyable. Cluing us in on the best kept "secret" of the pub, the white patio chairs are always available despite the potential two hour wait for a patio table, we happily watched the sunset while enjoying an imperial pint. My father and I were even given a private tour of the brewery while enjoying a glass of their Grand Cru, a strong Belgian Style Dark Ale with notes of rich fruits and a fruity red wine character.

Kettle, Hot Liquor Tank, and the smaller batch Fermenters.

An excellent beer to enjoy as the sun went down: Grand Cru de Pelican

Part 2 of this trip to feature some of the rare beers I was able to share/cross of my list as well as a miniature feature on Astoria's premier brewery, and a little bit of info on how I managed to enjoy pints of Pliny the Elder in one of the smallest beach towns in Oregon!