I Heart Portland, Ore., Part II

And although I had no idea it was also Brew Fest this weekend, after leaving dinner at Por Que No, we had our super PDX resident chauffeur drive us to a parking lot to catch the Max.  We walk a bit to the event and pass a really creepy sidewalk loo - not a port-a-potty.  It had slants in it and I could see feet inside.  I, not oddly, turned my nose up at it and wonder out loud who in the hell would use such a creepy thing...

We get IDs checked and look around hoping to acquire a mug because there are TON of lines and a TON of people.  So many people, in fact, we can't see the giant sign pointing us to the ticket/mug tent, but it was fate, because the slightly bleary eyed couple we stop points us towards the tent and hands us their mugs (which are $6 each, and tokens are $1, 1 token = sample, 4 tokens = filled mug) and we are stoked, because only two of us are really going to drink much anyway.

So we get tokens and find our first drink, or, more accurately, get into a giant line of people. And I'm pretty happy because at least I'm in line for a Lompoc.

So what better to do in line (if you don't have a beer) than to take pictures?

  

And ruminate on the event setup.  I'm not a fan.  It was congested and crazy and there has to be a better way.  SO I juts kept pondering if it were my event how would I do it.  But then finally, because Chels is looking at me like I'm crazy and driving her crazy, I shut up about work related things like event logistics.

I'm thinking next year I might have to plan to go to PDX so I can try ALL the beer (and not just five)!

FINALLY!

I was very excited to be in line next for Fearless Scottish Ale - doesn't is sound delicious?  Perhaps only because I love most things that are Scottish; unfortunately, it was horrible.  Chelsea tried it and I won't repeat what she said it tasted like because even I don't want to be that mean.  But it was so bad that I rushed into line for another and found a boy with an empty mug to drink it.



This is Scott.  He was the only person within a 4 foot radius with an almost empty mug.  So I grabbed him and begged him, "Please drink this.  I'm sorry, it's horrible, but I can't just throw it out!"  So he chugged it with a bit of a grimace and then we marched up (because this line was much shorter) to try Zombie Flanders from Rock Bottom. 

Mine was filled first and I was completely surprised to find this dark brew to be sweet like a cider.  The shock showed on my face and Scott's eyes get really wide, "Oh no!  Is this one bad, too?!"  When I explained it tasted like cider he got really suspicious.. so before he spent his tokens on it I let him have a try (I mean, he did save me moments earlier).  We both mulled it over and decided while it wasn't something we would drink on a regular basis it was worth tokens for the evening.

On a very important note: next year I will be wearing a hat.

 

Next came more lines, because we traversed to another large tent (nearer the music) and met some more lovely people.  I got to try Hale's Supergoose IPA (delish) and Elysian's Idiot Savin (not my favourite, but drinkable). 

In line for Hale's a tall, good looking gentleman behind me touches my back and says, "Please tell me you live in Portland because I love your work."  To which I had to give the disappointing answer that I live in Idaho but I have the best artist around. And then we blathered a few more minutes about how amazing my back art work is.  I would like to point out that considering ALL the AMAZING ink that is EVERYWHERE in Portland (and at the Brew Fest, because even I was doing some double takes) it's pretty impressive to have someone ask about your work (way to go Zack)! 

After a bit we found a place to copasquat and chill for a bit and after darkness hit we figured we'd probably hit the Max.. and a loo.  Yep, the creepy loo.  But I had to!!

It was all lit up inside with blue lights, the super weird thing is I couldn't see anything outside, but KNEW everyone could see MY feet. 



I'm directionally challenged in Portland. So I didn't think beer would help and figured my job as documentor was much more important. And then we got onto a VERY crowded Max - I would think with brew festers, but only saw one mug other than ours and that was being held by a 4 year old. hmmmmm.

And then we made it home and went to bed so we could go on the Sunday wine tour!

XO

To Be Continued