| Great Notion Brewing 2204 NE Alberta #101 | Portland, OR 97211 (503) 548-4491 greatnotionpdx.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.
Great Notion Brewing is located on Alberta, a vibrant street in North Portland. The motto at Great Notion is “With a passion for hops, and the patience for sours.” The project was started by three friends – Andy Miller, James Dugan, and Paul Reiter. The trio has a combined 25 years of brewing experience.
The 7 barrel brewhouse pumps out mostly New England-style IPAs like the irresistible Juice Box Double IPA (which is brewed with over 4 pounds of hops per barrel!) and creative sour ales like Old Barn, a barrel aged saison with brettanomyces. However, you’re sure to find interesting beers like Double Stack, a breakfast stout aged on Vermont maple syrup and locally roasted coffee beans or Root Beard, a dark cream ale aged on a unique blend of herbs including wintergreen, sarsaparilla, birch bark, licorice root, and vanilla.
The food menu at Great Notion includes starters like Buffalo Tostones (fried green plantains, buffalo sauce, mojo jicama slaw), Salt & Pepper Chicharones, and Potato Beer Bacon Soup. Mains include Fried Chicken Sandwich, Mac & Cheese, Yucatecan Pork Plate, and Brat Pot Pie. For the vegetarians, there are Crunchy Tacos and a Veggie Burger featuring Squirrel and Crow orca bean tempeh.
The brewery is open Sunday to Thursday noon to 10 PM and Friday to Saturday noon to 11 PM. Some beers are available in cans or Crowlers to go. There is street parking available on the popular street, but you may need to circle the block a few times or be willing to walk a bit. Trust me, the beer will be worth it.
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.
