Getting a buzz 4 ounces at a time

I attended my first Oregon Brewers Festival at Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland. I've been a fan of microbrew beers for a long time, but obviously my beer knowledge is not as developed as many of the people who attended the Brewers Festival.

I still have much to learn before I can become a true connoisseur. But I can qualify as a beer SNOB (Supporter of Native Oregon Beer). They had shirts like that at the festival, but at $20 a pop, I wasn't that much of a SNOB.

So, I may not be able to masterfully describe the characteristics of a beer by its hoppiness or the maltiness. But I know what I like. And my favorite beers of the festival, of those I was able to try (and there were too damn many to try them all and not end up on my lips) were the stouts. Many of the IPAs and others I tried were too bitter with an acidic after taste. But the stouts didn't have that problem.

My favorite was the Black Gold Imperial Stout by Full Sail Brewing Co. of Hood River. It's the only beer I went back for a full pour of after a sample.

I hope Full Sail opts to make the stout available in bottles.

Many people at the festival were obviously there just to get drunk, which can always get a bit dicey in a big crowd, but while we were there Saturday toward the end of the day, I saw no major problems, other than a few staggering souls. Well, and one member of our party got peeved at a man who brushed up against her in the crowd. She got up in his face for intentionally copping a feel. He took his tongue lashing like a man and slithered off before any of us had to step in and separate them.

So, the 18th annual Oregon Brewers Festival was my first time at the outing, taking some fine, and not so fine beers. It was also a great venue for people watching. I would certainly say I would gladly go again.

Oregon Brewers Festival
Beer
Weekend