Brewpub Heaven

Everyone knows that if your looking for the best in
coffee, you go to Seattle.  For wine, you go to
California.  When it comes to the best in beer, you
go to Portland Oregon, where your never more than 
15 minutes away from a quality brewpub.

The Williamette Rive in western Oregon has been 
the center of hop growing and brewing since the
days of the pioneers.  When the microbrew revolution
began, the history and the hops were already there,
along with the spring water, the grain, and the 
fruit for summer beers.  As a result, regional 
brewers and microbrewers began to pop up all over
the place.

After that, it didn't take long at all for the 
brewpub to follow.  These beers weren't just for
washing down food anymore.  The hand crafted beers
could be used in cooking, just like wine.  In
the brewpubs of Portland, the beer also forms a
base for salad dressing, spices up marinades, and
even helps to sweeten the desserts as well.

Many brewpubs will offer a sampler of the best
in beer tasting.  You can think of it as wine tasting
without the snooty steward.  You sip on small 
amounts of a variety of brews to see what the 
brewer can do, from the light and hoppy to the
dark yet sweet brews.

What to expect
	1.  Good head on the beer.  Good head
ensures that you'll get a strong smell of the 
brew, so be sure to pour it into your glass very
carefully.
	2.  Always use a glass.  You should always
use a clean glass, a very clean glass.  In most
brewing establishments, the glasses are always hand
washed and air dried to ensure that there isn't a
speck of grease in the glass to deflate the head
and leave soapy looking bubbles behind.
	3.  The English are right.  As the English
know, refrigerated beer is too cold to fully 
appreciate the taste.  In brewpubs, the beer is
served at temperatures that are cool but not that
cold.  The iced and chilled glasses are saved for
martinis.
	4.  Vocabulary.  Beer has a mouth feel, 
which describes the body of the brew - light,
medium, and full.  The color can be misleading,
as even light bodied beers can be full bodied.

Anytime you are looking for the best in microbrews,
you can count on Oregon to deliver the best in
beer.  There are hundreds of brewpubs here, with
everything you could ever want.  Anytime you
are in the area, don't hesitate to stop off and
see why the microbrews here are easily among the
best in the United States - or the world for 
that matter.

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