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by Emily B., October 4, 2021 8:51 AM
Is there any combination more Portland than books and craft beverages? The rain that makes this city the green, sometimes gloomy place we love is finally back and when it’s wet outside there’s nothing better than curling up by the window with a book and a good drink. But which book? And what drink? We called in the experts at 12 of our favorite local breweries and cideries to share their perfect pairings. With book + brew combos ranging from the spooky to the psychedelic, your fall reading and drinking are covered.
Baerlic Brewing Company
Though Henry Rollins doesn’t imbibe, his scattered thoughts, loose interviews, and travel writings are sure make you feel as though he’s had a couple. I chose to pair his book Do I Come Here Often? (Black Coffee Blues, Part 2) with Baerlic Brewing’s Punk Rock Time IPA. Henry Rollins may choose not to drink, but his writings flow better when I’ve got a beer in my hand. Especially when “I’ve got a six-pack and nothing to do.” — Richard K. Hall, CEO
Breakside Brewery
Take the visual influence of the Oregon Dunes combined with the orange haziness of our What Rough Beast and you'll find the same aesthetic taking shape as that of the desert planet Arrakis in Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune. Melange, the life-sustaining spice of Arrakis, was an exclusive substance that extended human youth, vitality, and lifespan, which some folks could argue are the same properties we find in PNW-grown hops. — E. K. MacColl, Director of Sales & Marketing
Cascade Brewing
The owner of Harry’s New York Bar, a regular watering hole for Lost Generation expats in 1920s Paris, once noted that “Hemingway could down 20 whiskey sours at one sitting and then go back to his hotel to work.” While this anecdote may well be an exaggeration, there is no doubt that Hemingway was fond of the whiskey sour cocktail, as referenced in his memoir, A Moveable Feast, which chronicles Hemingway’s formative years as a young writer in 1920s Paris. In one fitful scene from the book, Hemingway finds himself trying to console a hypochondriacal F. Scott Fitzgerald while the two of them imbibe several rounds of whiskey sours as a remedy for Fitzgerald’s mysterious ailment. Inspired by this scene and Hemingway’s fondness for the drink, we are pairing A Moveable Feast with our seasonal Fall offering, Single Malt Sour — a sour beer interpretation of the whiskey sour cocktail. Made from sour quad ales aged in single malt whiskey barrels and infused with lemon and orange zests, Single Malt Sour sports a 1920s-inspired Art Deco label, making this beer a fitting match for the literary luminary’s tales from the Jazz Age. — Kevin Martin, Director of Brewery Operations
Ecliptic Brewing
Ursula K. Le Guin is an amazing writer — awesome! The Left Hand of Darkness (written in 1969) is far-reaching — a new society with no gender, explored by an emissary. In today’s current social climate, this is a worthy read. Winter is the planet, and dark beer is a friend of winter. — John Harris, Owner & Brewmaster
Ex Novo Brewing
Want to learn more about craft beer and the history of brewing? Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher is the perfect intro course to understanding one of the most consumed beverages on the planet. For many of us, it's how we began our beer learning; and as Randy Mosher opens up with "Don't even consider starting this book without a beer in your hand,” we recommend pairing it with our limited-edition City of Books IPA. — Brandon Sharp, General Manager
Great Notion Brewing
We’re pairing Merry Dankster with Tom Wolfe’s Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Merry Dankster is our tribute to Ken Kesey and his Merry Pranksters. While they may have gotten their kicks from drinking the Kool-Aid, we prefer beer. You can grab Merry Dankster and other trippy beers on the Great Notion app! If you have a choice, get on the bus! #KeepBeerFun — Amanda Douglas, Marketing & Operations Manager
Editor's Note: Great Notion also has the distinction of being named after a book, Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
Ground Breaker Brewing
I want to pair Ralph Friedman’s book about Oregon history, Tracking Down Oregon, with our Luella Belgian Pale Ale.
Ralph Friedman drove around Oregon for 30 years talking to people and gathering interesting local stories. I’ve spent many late summers roaming the backroads of Oregon retracing Ralph Friedman’s steps with my copy of Tracking Down Oregon. When on your own backroads journey and stopping for the night at one of Oregon’s more interesting campgrounds, I recommend our Luella Belgian Pale Ale. Named after Luella Love, one of Oregon’s pioneering farmers, and featuring her photo, it is a great accompaniment to the time of year when the leaves have just begun to turn. For this season’s campgrounds, I recommend the Steens Mountain Wilderness Resort, where we listened to a free-roaming horse try to break into our cooler all night or Crane Hot Springs for a lazy soak in the pond. — James Neumeister, Founder
Reverend Nat's Hard Cider
The pears for my new fall seasonal, Valley of the Pear, were all grown in Hood River, which is the setting for Kessler’s Stubborn Twig. I've bought apples and pears from farmers in the Hood River Valley for years, including some Japanese farmers, but never had an appreciation for the unique agricultural heritage of the region. It's such a fascinating book, and not just for a fruit nerd like me! — Nat West, Founder
Rogue Ales
Dead Guy Ale, Rogue's flagship beer, was originally brewed in 1988 for a Day of the Dead celebration. This spooky beer tastes great all year long, but really has a special place in our hearts around Halloween. That’s why there’s no better book pairing for Dead Guy Ale than Scary Stories to Tell in The Dark, a book filled with tales of such eerie horror that you'll need the comforting, sweet, malty flavors of Dead Guy Ale to settle your nerves while reading it. — Amanda Zessin, Communications Director
Rosenstadt Brewery
We chose this book because both Tobias and myself have family ties to Germany and travel back as often as we can. Tobias Hahn (Rosenstadt) is from Freiburg and my wife, Susi, is from Baden-Baden, at opposite ends of the Black Forest. A few years ago, my family visited the Allgauer Alps and did a hike near the Kofel, near Oberammergau. It was a nice coincidence to see it in Carbonara’s Beer Hiking Bavaria a few years later.
Concerning the beer, Rosenstadt Helles is typical of what you’ll find in southern Germany if you simply order “ein Bier”: No-nonsense, straightforward, fresh, and true to style. We make it fresh in Portland using all German ingredients — besides the Oregon water! Helles evolved out of Tobias’s original homebrew recipe from over 25 years ago, to commercial availability in kegs five years ago, and bottles and cans in the last 18 months. It is one of our best-selling beers and can be found all around the Portland metro area. — Nick Greiner, Co-Founder
Beer and book lovers, don't forget to check out the Powell's x Ex Novo collaboration, City of Books IPA. It's on sale for one day — find details here.
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