PDX Beer Guide
PDX BEER GUIDE
By Don Klover
Not Portland, but PDX the airport. Ever find yourself there with some time to kill? If you think a decent, local micro draught might help the wait, here’s what you need to know:
The only places that are accessible to those without a boarding pass are found in the Oregon Market, which is that long row of shops located on the main level just past ticketing and just before security (see OM on diagram). The big ones are Stanford’s and Rose City Café. Both feature several taps (including Deschutes, Rogue and Widmer). Pizzicato is in the nearby food court with taps that carry Laurelwood, Deschutes and Widmer ales.
A boarding pass gets you by security where your choices actually increase. While the Port’s web site proudly states that “Each concourse provides the opportunity to eat, shop, and play,” there’s no one says you have to stay in your own concourse. In fact the secret to remember here is the Concourse Connector (CC on diagram) which obligingly offers you access to all five concourses without having to go back through security. This is good news for you because if your plane is scheduled to board at Gate D6 in an hour and you want a pint of, say Bridgeport IPA with a quick bite, you can make your way over to Capers Café on Concourse B and slake that particular thirst. Here’s the rundown:
Concourse A has only one venue and it’s a good one. Laurelwood Brewing Company offers several of their own beers on tap, along with many of their signature dishes from their menus back in town. Word has it that they’ll be adding several tables soon to accommodate a pretty steady business.
For beer, Concourse B has only one place to go too: Capers Café. They currently run two rotating taps of local micros, but are considering adding more in the not-too-distant future.
The airport’s longest, Concourse C has several outlets to offer. Gustav’s and Good Dog / Bad Dog, about halfway out, have several taps between them. Only a couple are given over to a local beer maker (Widmer), so you can also find Bass and Sam Adams if your tastes go that direction. Out near the end gates you’ll find another cluster of shops, including Sandoval’s Margarita Bar (Widmer & Mexican beers on tap) and a Made In Oregon shop which offers a large number, and probably the largest selection here, of individual bottle beers from several Oregon brewers. But these are sold to go and not refrigerated.
The international gates along Concourse D cause shop schedules to be more erratic. But this is where, by the end of the year, Rogue will open a new pub with many of its own brews available on tap. Look for a second Good Dog / Bad Dog coming in the spring, much like the one on Concourse C. Just down the walkway at the Made In Oregon’s wine kiosk you may still find an end display of Rogue’s Dead Guy on hand.
Finally, Concourse E has a Laurelwood ‘kiosk’ along one side of the walkway. This cold case may be the only place you’ll find their bottled beers right now – four different styles. Sometime before the end of the year they plan to open a new taproom in the same location.
Now you know how to navigate all the airport’s beer spots. Cheers! You’re on your own for boarding schedules.
posted by PDXBeer at 4:01 PM
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