Favorite Portland Oregon Brew Pubs - Gasthaus Pub and Widmer Brothers Brewery

Anyone who knows good beer knows Portland, Oregon and the surrounding area. Or if you are from out of town, at least you have heard of our reputation, and probably tried some local brew with distribution outside the area.

One outstanding local brewery with national distribution is the Widmer Brothers Brewery located in the Old Albina area, at 929 North Russell St. Probably best known for their Hefeweizen, the Widmer Brothers also brew up great standards Like their Broken Halo IPA and Drop Top Amber.

Not to mention noteworthy seasonals like the currently running W'11 KGB Russian Imperial Stout. The Widmer Brothers Brewery beer page says about W'11 KGB has "a color dark as a torrid past, a body as full as a well kept dossier, and a taste as complex as a conspiracy theory." Fun description of a very good beer.

You can take a brewery tour, either in person or through your computer with a virtual tour. Or you can go just down the block to the Widmer Gasthaus Pub, and enjoy your beer with some good food.

The Gasthaus Pub is also on North Russell, at 955 North Russell, just off Interstate Avenue. Parking is a little limited, but here's the good part - the Albina/Mississippi Max station is just a very short walk. You can take the Max down and forget about any designated driver concerns.

The on tap list at the Gasthaus Pub in available online and always up-to-date, should you want to see if your favorite seasonal is being poured. The W'11 KGB, for example, sadly comes to an end in April. Still, there are always around at least a dozen tempting choices for the beer fan.

What about the food? At the Gasthaus Pub you can find German style beer hall grub alongside some Tex-Mex and American sports bar standards. Off the appetizer menu I like the Fondue Sausage Sampler, minus the green onions. At 8.95, it's a treat you can afford to treat yourself to. And this "appetizer," coupled with a good beer or two, is more than filling.

If you are hungry for something more, a good selection of burgers and entrees will ensure you never leave the Gasthaus Pub hungry.

Another plus for the Widmer Brothers in my book is their decision to be a founding sponsor of our Portland Timbers MLS franchise. Good beer meets good soccer - what more could you ask for? As fans spill out of Jeld-Wen Field after a game on a summer afternoon, they can catch the Max over to the Gasthaus Pub for a good time.