Located about an hour east of Portland and at the confluence of the Hood and Columbia Rivers in the heart of the Columbia River Gorge, the city of Hood River is the home and hub to scenic mountain and water vistas, adrenaline junkies, fruit orchards, historic landmarks, and brewing excitement. Hood River was discovered by Lewis and Clark on Tuesday, Oct. 29, 1805, and served as a major stopping and ferry point on the last leg of the Oregon Trail during the 1800’s. In fact, my wife’s Great Great Great Grandfather and his family came across the Oregon Trail in 1847 and his daughter settled in Hood River for a number of years.

 

 

Our stop was founded in family history and brewing enthusiasm. I’ll skip the rest of the family history story and move straight to brewing.

One of the best sources for information about Northern Oregon and Southern Washington beer and breweries is freshpints.com, by Adam and Emily Duerfeldt. I originally met Adam and Emily in August at the 2014 Beer Bloggers Conference. They provided great guidance and support as I visited the area. I had hoped to meet them again while in the area but my schedule just got too conflicted (sorry guys!). With several breweries in the area, I did not have time to visit all but sampled a good cross-section thanks to help from Adam and Emily.

 

Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom

Matt Swihart and Charlie Devereaux (former employees of Full Sail Brewing) started and opened Double Mountain Brewery & Taproom in 2007. Matt, a former assistant brewer at Full Sail Brewing, focused on the 20-barrel brewery and Charlie focused on marketing and sales. In 2013, Matt purchased Charlie’s shares to take full control of Double Mountain.

 

 

We stopped at Double Mountain for a late lunch. The food menu basically consists of pizzas, salads, and sandwiches. I found a wide range of beers available, including some on cask.

The taproom is casual and the brewery is adjacent. Like always, I recommend trying a sample flight on your first visit. My two favorites were 1) Devil’s Kriek (9.3% ABV), a delicious Flanders Red Sour with Bing Cherries, and 2) a cask-conditioned India Red Ale (6.5% ABV / 60 IBU)  with Bravo Hops added that provided lots of toasted malt flavor with a mild citrus and bitter punch. I even picked up a couple of bottles of Devil’s Kriek to bring home.

Full Sail Brewing and Pub

Full Sail Brewing is listed by the Brewers Association as the 25th largest U.S. craft brewery in 2013. Started in 1987, Full Sail became an independent, employee owned business in 1999 with ownership going to 47 brew force employees. Since their inception, Full Sail Brewing has garnered an impressive 300+ awards and 140 Gold Medals.

 

 

The pub and taproom offer indoor and outdoor seating. Outdoor seating has a river view.

When I visited, there were 15 unique Full Sail beers on tap with at least 3 only available at the pub. I sampled 6 of the beers available.

My favorite was the Wassail Winter Ale (7.2% ABV / 56 IBU). This beer poured a dark amber/mahogany color with tan foam and provided rich malt caramel and dark chocolate aromas and flavors accompanied by a dry and pleasantly bitter finish.

Pfriem Family Brewers

Started in 2012 by Josh Pfriem (pronounced freem) with support from friends and business partners, Ken Whiteman and Rudy Kellner, Pfriem Family Brewers produces artisanal beers with Belgian influences but rooted in the Pacific Northwest. Co-located with the brewery is a restaurant with great service and excellent food (a tribute to the leadership of General Manager Ian Hutchings). My wife and I were so enamored with the restaurant (and beer) that we actually visited twice during our short stay in Hood River.

Pfriem has both indoor and outdoor seating with great views of the river.

 

I tried several of Pfriem’s beers and highly recommend all. One of my favorites was their special release Belgian Tripel (9.5% ABV / 38 IBU) that provided a zesty, earthy flavor with hints of pear and apricot. Another favorite was the Belgian Strong Dark (10.25% ABV / 38 IBU) with rich and complex flavors of figs, toffee, and dark chocolate.

Pfriem Family Brewers is a must stop for anyone seeking fine food and outstanding beer.

Everybody’s Brewing

Across the Columbia River from the city of Hood River is the small town (population is less than 2500) of White Salmon, WA.

White Salmon is home to Everybody’s Brewing. Opened in 2008 by Christine McAleer and Doug Ellenberger (Head Brewer), Everybody’s Brewing focuses on producing session beers with full flavor.

The pub offers food, beer, and live music on weekends. Indoor and outdoor seating are available. The outdoor seating provides a great view of Mount Hood.

Everybody’s Brewing’s flagship beer is their Daily Bread Common Ale (5.5% ABV / 65 IBU). A common ale is lager beer brewed warm and fast like an ale. Daily Bread is light-bodied with malt, orange peel, and citrus flavors.

Solera Brewery

About 16 miles south of Hood River is Parkdale, OR and Solera Brewery.  According to the Solera web site, “The brewery resides in an historical building that was built and operated as a movie theater from 1930 to the 1950’s.”

This is a small brewery with indoor and outdoor seating available. Solera also serves food.

In addition to their own beers, Solera has a rotating guest beer selection. I suggest trying the Solera Hedonist IPA (7.0% ABV / 50 IBU) with its pungent grapefruit citrus aroma, excellent malt and citrus flavors, and dry, peppery, bitter finish.

Logsdon Farmhouse Organic Ales

Once again, I’ve saved the best for last. Logsdon Farmhouse is the creation of David Logsdon (Brewmaster) and Charles Porter (Brewer). Judith Bams Logsdon (Dave’s Farmhouse Alewife) runs the tasting room.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Recently named by Draft Magazine as one of the top 25 breweries you should know about, Logsdon Farmhouse produces Belgian-inspired world-class ales (“world-class” is not a term I use often or lightly). Logsdon Farmhouse has won medals at the Great American Beer Festival (GABF) for the past three years of its four year existence, including a 2014 GABF Silver Medal for Peche ‘n Brett in the American-Style Brett Beer Category. Peche ‘n Brett also won a 2012 World Beer Cup Gold Medal and Cerasus won a 2014 World Beer Cup Gold Medal. A complete list of beers can be found here.

As co-founder and original brewer at Full Sail and creator of the renowned Wyeast Laboratories (yeast provider for many breweries), Dave Logsdon brings impressive credentials to this literally small, farmhouse brewery. And yes, the brewing takes place in a barn on the Logsdon active farm.

Logsdon Farmhouse is located in Mt. Hood, about 15 miles south of Hood River. Ignore your GPS and follow the Logsdon web site directions carefully to get there.

Visiting Logsdon Farmhouse is relaxing, scenic, and delicious. Picnic tables outside provide the opportunity to meet fellow beer enthusiasts and enjoy your surroundings.

I sampled all eight of the beers available during my visit to Logsdon Farmhouse (the Peche ‘n Brett was not available during my visit). All were outstanding! 

The Oak Aged Bretta (8.0% ABV / 35 IBU) was one of my personal favorites. This beer is made by taking Logsdon’s award-winning Seizoen Bretta (pronounced say-soon’-brett’-ah) and aging it for a period of time in oak barrels to develop the wood aged character in the beer. The result is a magnificent combination of aromas and flavors that include tart and spicy fruit, oak tannins, and vanilla and that have aged to create a complex, softened profile of drinking ecstasy.

Several Logsdon Farmhouse Organic Ales are available in bottles in Oregon, Washington, California, Vermont, Arizona, New York, and Canada BC.

The Hood River area provides some exciting opportunities to enjoy excellent beers, while also experiencing the history and beauty of this Pacific Northwest paradise. On our trip my wife discovered solid connections to her past and I discovered some delicious beers. I’m ready to buy the farm next door to Logsdon Farmhouse and visit my neighbors every week. What an awesome stop!