| Ex Novo Brewing Company 2326 North Flint Avenue | Portland, OR 97227 (503) 894-8251 www.exnovobrew.com |
Portland, Oregon is regularly rated among America’s top craft beer cities. According to oregoncraftbeer.org, it’s estimated that 53% percent of all draft beer consumed in Oregon is brewed in Oregon. There are currently 58 breweries in Portland and 84 in the Portland metro area.
I recently had a chance to visit Portland, Oregon, and while I did not visit all 84 Portland-area breweries, I did manage to check out 14 stand out breweries.
Ex Novo Brewing Company, located in North Portland, is just a 0.3 mile walk from Labrewatory. Established in 2014, Ex Novo is the nation’s first nonprofit brewery. The brewery partners with organizations doing good work and have become a consistent fundraising tool for them. After covering costs and building a small reserve fund, all net profits go to these partner organizations.
Head Brewer Jason Barbee brews on a 10 barrel brewhouse, churning out some delicious beers. Try Cactus Wins the Lottery, a Berliner with prickly pear; Blueberry Cream Ale made with fresh blueberries; Dynamic Duo IIPA brewed with Boadicea and Centennial hops; or Thick as Thieves, a dry hop sour ale brewed with Solemn Oath Brewery. Beers can be purchased by the pint or in flights of 4 beers.
The kitchen at Ex Novo serves up innovative twists on comfort food. Small plates on the seasonal menu include Mexican Street Corn and Roasted Brussel Sprouts. Handheld offerings include Pork Carnitas Tacos, Smoked Beet Reuben, and Jerk Chicken Salad Sandwich. Larger plates include Super Mac, Yam Noodle Bowl, and Detroit Style Pizza.
Ex Novo is open Monday to Thursday 3 to 10 PM, Friday 3 to 11 PM, Saturday noon to 11 PM, and Sunday noon to 10 PM. Minors are welcome until 9 PM. Beers are available in growlers and some in bottles or cans to go. There is plenty of street parking – for bikes and cars.
Check out more breweries from Steph’s Portland Beerventure and for more beer spots in cities across the country, check out our complete Beerventure Series lineup.
