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You Should be Seen in The Steens – Part I

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Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  (External photo attribution is at the end of the post.)  (#1)

Most Oregonians know something about Steens Mountain in Southeast Oregon.  That said, most don’t know exactly where it is, how to get there and that it is just one mountain rather than “Steens Mountains.”

The Steens Mountain Wilderness is 170,200 acres and I’ll tell you more about it in the next post.  My wife, Janet, and I visited the summit in September on a 4 1/2 day road trip through Central and Eastern Oregon and it was a highlight.

The Background

We love road trips, but were stymied during the pandemic and this was only the second in over three years – postponed after reservations were made last year – by the smoke and wildfires that raged throughout Oregon and the Northwest.

The stage for this trip was set in the fall of 2013, when my brother-in-law, Dave Booher and our friend, Steve Larson and I took an unforgettable five-day journey through both Central and Eastern, Oregon, both camping and staying at old hotels.

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Five days of Beerchasing in God’s Country

As you might expect, the three of us hit numerous bars and breweries – including one great dive bar  that Janet and I also visited in our recent trip and you’ll read about below.

That trip, including multiple bars and breweries we explored, was documented by four posts in Thebeerchaser: https://thebeerchaser.com/2013/11/24/the-diamond-hotel-the-cutting-edge-in-hospitality-and-the-final-chapter-in-thebeerchaser-tour-of-eastern-oregon/

I might add that the idea in 2013 germinated when I was in high school and my dad, Duane (FDW), (to whom I paid tribute in several Beerchaser posts) and I went on his Eastern Oregon carpet sales territory.   

He didn’t reel in big commissions visiting his dealers in this area, but absolutely loved the people, the geology, the history and isolation – besides being able to trout fish in mountain lakes such as Fish Lake in the Steens Wilderness. 

When I was sixteen, the road only went to a campground below the Lake and it required us to hike in two miles.  And we reeled in a lot of fish!

FDW (VW) on a Forest Service Road near Burns, Oregon

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The Itinerary

Janet and I spent the first and last night in a Bend hotel and ate both times at one of our favorite restaurants in Oregon – Zydeco Kitchen and Cocktails. Great food, outstanding martinis, friendly and competent staff and reasonably priced.

Although Bend has more breweries than one could reasonably visit in several days (thirty!) as documented on its Bend Ale Trail, we only had an hour so hit Boneyard’s Pub which opened in 2018. 

It’s spacious, has a nice bar and a great selection of drafts, but no real ambiance although maybe that was because we were there in mid-afternoon on Wednesday.

Janet had her favorite beer – Boneyard RPM IPA (6.5% – 50 IBU) and I had a good red ale –Foeder Red (5.7% – 10 IBU).   We sat at the bar and the guy next to us was just starting his vacation, a Seattle Mariners’ fan and in a good mood so he bought our beers. (that helped the ambiance!)

When we returned on Saturday afternoon, we had the time to take a long walk in Bend’s beautiful Drake Park.  That made us feel less guilty when we dined again at Zydecko. (#2)

Burns Oregon

Our second night stay in Burns required a little over a two hour drive through beautiful high-desert countryside with no urban centers to spoil the “freedom of the road” – unless you consider Brothers (66), Hampton Station (41), Riley (73) and Hines (1,665) to be metropolitan centers….

The 2021 population of Burns was 2757:

“Burns and the nearby city of Hines are home to about 60 percent of the people in the sparsely populated county, by area the largest in Oregon and the ninth largest in the United States.” (Wikipedia)

Burns is where a guy can still get a haircut for $20 and there’s a warning for Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) employees on the entrance to my favorite tavern in the City. 

One might think that with all the wildfires we’ve experienced, the city was named after a long ago timber blaze, but you’d be surprised to know:

“George McGowan named the city after the Scottish poet Robert Burns. By 1891, the community had stores, a post office, hotels, and other businesses. McGowan was the town’s first postmaster.” (Wikipedia)

Burns has one main street – Broadway which is only about ten blocks long. It’s the county seat of Harney County.  We returned through the city two days later on the way back to Bend after our visit to Steens Mountain. 

We were fortunate to witness the parade down this thoroughfare as part of Harney County Fair and Rodeo. It was awesome.

The Central Pastime Tavern 

We walked Broadway after checking into our hotel in the early afternoon, but my primary goal was to revisit this great dive bar which I first hit in 2013 on the aforementioned trip – right on Broadway, a few doors down from the Historic Central Hotel.

It had been almost exactly ten years since I had been to the bar with my two friends and I was anxious to see if the watering hole still had its same unforgettable character(s) as well as seeing if the wonderful bartender (Patty) still worked there.

Patty, was the star of our 2013 visit.  She served us great lunches (chicken gizzards, rib-steak and taco salad with Heinz 57 as a garnish….) and we each had one of the eight beers on tap.

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Here is an excerpt from my blog post on that visit:  https://thebeerchaser.com/2013/11/20/burns-oregon-a-hot-stop-on-thebeerchasers-tour-of-eastern-oregon/

“Since we talked about former University of Oregon football star and NFL quarterback  Kellen Clemens, who is a Burns native, Dave decided to ask one of the patrons, ‘Do you know Kellen Clemens?’  The guy was listening to country-western and replied, ‘No, but hum a few bars to see if I remember the melody.’

But the conversation with the hard-working Patty, an attractive and personable lady in her late forties or early fifties, was the best part of this bar.  I had seen the cocktail menu which included some interesting libations including one entitled, “Liquid Marijuana.” 

I didn’t want to pay $9 and had already had a PBR, so Patty offered to fix a shot sampler and told us the ingredients: Captain Morgan’s Rum, Blue Curacao, Malibu Rum and a splash of Midori (green melon liqueur).  It tasted like a Long Island Ice Tea with coconut.

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“Liquid Marijuana”

We could have talked to Patty all afternoon, but she was busy and we needed to head to Diamond and our conversation concluded with this friendly exchange:

Beerchaser:  How long have you worked at the Central Pastime, Patty?

Patty:  Eighteen years.

Beerchaser:  Then this must have been your first job out of high school?

Patty:  And I thought the cowboys around here were smooth talkers.  You city slickers put them to shame!

When Janet and I went in and each had our beers, I asked the bartender if Patty still worked there and her reply was:

“Yes, and for the last five years, she’s been the owner.”

She informed me that Patty was at the Harney County Fair (seeing her grandson in a talent contest) but she would be in Saturday morning because she was temporarily filling in as the cook!  (Notice the announcement of Patty’s new role that now hangs above the bar.)

Photo Sep 07 2023, 3 49 04 PM

Patty – the new owner as of 2018

Well, since Patty had been one of the more memorable people I’ve met in twelve years of Beerchasing, we decided to stop back on Saturday morning and say “hello.”   

We did that and since she was taking a quick break to watch the aforementioned parade pass by, I didn’t want to interrupt, so I just told her I had great memories of my 2013 visit and offered my congratulations for her ownership.

Her reply reflected what must be typical for most small hospitality business owners who survived the pandemic:

“Thanks Don – I guess!”

Now as you might expect, Eastern Oregon bars have a totally different atmosphere than those west of the Cascade Mountains or even Bend.  They reflect the personality of the wonderful people who make their living primarily through farming, ranching, logging or in small businesses.

This is a generalization, but they are strongly independent, patriotic, fiercely defend individual rights and want the government and regulators to leave them alone.  That’s why you’ll see signs such as the one in the Central Pastime which stated:

“Invest in precious metal. Buy lead” 

Portland bars and breweries often brag about being dog friendly.  That’s usually not the case in Eastern Oregon as seen by these two signs from LaGrande and Prineville bars shown below:

“Keep your dog in your rig!”

You can see a few pictures from the current and former trips below which demonstrate that nothing much has changed at the Central Pastime.

Stayed tuned for the next post on our night in Burns, the Diamond Hotel and then the trip to and up Steens Mountain.       

Cheers!        

Dead End

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons – (File:Steens Mountain (14591571776).jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author:  Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren – 8 July 2014.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (Drake Park (Deschutes County, Oregon scenic images) (desD0054b) – Drake Park – Wikipedia)  By Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives, Attribution, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19098667.  October 2005.

Everything’s Jake(s) – Part II

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Photo Sep 24 2023, 11 09 10 AM

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  (External photo attribution is at the end of the post.)

In my most recent post – Part 1 of this series, I told you about my two notable Beerchasing companions and friends – David Dickson and Matt Love.  I briefly touched on the bar Matt selected for us to meet – a great dive named Jake’s Place.

When I asked him why he selected this watering hole – other than it was close to his home in Sellwood – he responded:

“Jake’s was my choice because of Cassie, the weekday bartender who I had observed for over a year dealing with the various homeless people of the neighborhood who routinely wandered into the joint and utilized it as a de-facto service center once they spent a buck in the slot machines or bought a beer with change.

Cassie always dealt with these customers with a no-nonsense style laced with kindness and compassion. She also was the only bartender I’d ever seen who dusted the blinds of a window, in Jake’s case, the only window.”

Photo Jul 17 2023, 3 30 34 PM (2)

Matt and Cassie at Jake’s Place

Jake’s Place is a former biker bar that used to be named “The Hole-in-the-Wall” and is now primarily patronized by locals. There are not too many social media reviews and a number of them – especially older ones – are very critical.

But I prefer to rely on my experience on two visits and the observations of Matt  – a frequent regular for the last few years.  As I reported in my last post, he is probably Oregon’s foremost authorities on the topic of dive bars as evidenced by his book – Oregon Tavern Age:

“Oregon Tavern Age (OTA) is a 64-page tabloid size book-with-in-a-magazine featuring original illustrations that culminates 22 years of writing about the crazy and poignant life that unfolds in Oregon Coast’s dive taverns and bars.”

For example, this Yelp review of Jake’s Place from quite a few years ago stated, in part: 

“……it’s one of the only bars I’ve walked in to in Portland where I immediately put my guard up. Usually dive bars are inhabited by harmless drunks or ironic people, but last night it felt like it might as well have been full of drunken longshoremen itching for a brawl.”

One wonders why longshoremen of their equivalent would be in the vicinity of Sellwood – a middle-class community.

However, I always keep in mind this truism: (Supplied by my long-time friend, Hap Ziegler, a legal consultant in the Santa Barbara area)

I prefer to rely on this more recent (August 11, 2022) Yelp review which echoed my experience even though I’m not a “Sellwood local”

“This is a place where the more years you go here, the more rewarding it is ….Salt of the Earth staff and patrons ….Tracy is MVP, Deb is the hard outer shell with the heart of gold, Cassie, her daughter, is always there with the clever quip, and Bonnie is the tall goddess . (Note: All of these women are bartenders.)

Great service and food. They call this a dive bar….but no, it is a ‘neighborhood bar…it might take a bit of time to fit in, but if you’re a Sellwood local, it should be a first stop.”

My own take on Jake’s Place was that it had a nice vibe with regulars enjoying themselves at the bar, chatting at tables or playing pool. 

The bar was long and attractive and there were tables spaced throughout an expansive setting. (One often occupied by Matt who likes to write here.) (#1)

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And while some of the reviews are very critical of the service and the attitude of the bartenders, both Cassie and Katie, who I met on the weekend during my second visit, were wonderful.  Katie, who has worked there for eight years, is employed part-time while she’s getting her nursing degree.

And Cassie showed a common sense and compassionate perception of the world based on her own challenging life experience as described by Matt:

“Cassie was from the neighborhood and used fake ID when she was 17 to patronize Jake’s as her first bar. Her mother, Deb was the evening bartender. (and still is)

She had once been homeless herself, years ago, after having a baby and giving it up to the father. She treated the homeless people who came in with unconditional love and she’d had only one problem with the homeless in the four years she’d worked at Jake’s Place.”

The bar is an expansive space with a number of classic pinball machines, video machines (which were were not intrusive), three wide screen TV’s, a good “juke box” and two pool tables (one being used by a friendly guy named Kevin who chatted while clearing the table).

The “juke box” even has college school fight songs although I didn’t check to see if there was an Oregon State one in the mix. (Unfortunately, there was a neon Oregon Ducks sign on the wall and not a comparable one for the Beavs.)

They have a good selection of reasonably-priced pub food including appetizers (no salads) and the tap list is good – nine beers, two ciders and wine in addition to some great cocktails as you might surmise from the photo of their liquor inventory below.

A pint is a very reasonable $5.50 and $5.00 at Happy Hour. (Matt and David each had  a Breakside RPM and, of course, I availed myself of a PBR.)

Jake’s Place is not the watering hole of the same name in Maryville or Hendersonville Tennessee; Denison Texas, Bedford, Virginia; Shawnee Kansas or Monroe, South Dakota. 

But the bar is a vital part of Sellwood – a wonderful neighborhood just five miles south of downtown Portland.  And Jake’s Place is right across the street from Bertie Lou’s:

“A tiny, funky breakfast & lunch joint with napkin art on the walls serving classic American dishes.”

What About the Other Jakes?

I have to admit that when I first heard Matt say “Let’s meet at Jake’s,” I was taken aback.  Matt and I have a mutual respect and admiration for dive bars but I thought he meant the historic bar which is part of Jake’s Famous Crawfish in downtown Portland – one of, if not the, premier seafood restaurants in the Rose City.

Now, as you might expect, Jakes has an ambiance distinctly different from Jake’s Place.  There’s $10 Valet Parking, white-coated waiters and a beautiful long bar in a long, narrow room on one side of the restaurant. There are no pinball machines, juke box or video poker terminals.  

Generally, just urban professionals knocking down highballs in business attire after work. (#2 – #5)

Matt and I quickly cleared up that confusion, but this gives me an opportunity to retell part of this history from a 2013 Beerchaser post with a “bar scuffle” story involving the Portland Rugby Club and their counterintuitive adoption of the bar at Jakes downtown.  

For that post, I got background information from Jay Waldron, a colleague of mine at the Schwabe law firm and one of Oregon’s top environmental and energy law and litigation lawyers.

He’s also a  member of the Rugby Hall of Fame (Class of 2017) and former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter. (https://thebeerchaser.com/2016/03/29/jay-waldron-rugger-rafter-rider-and-lawyer-beerchaser-of-the-quarter/)

Law Council, James T. Waldron

When I was writing the post in 2013, Jay urged me to visit the “shrine,” of sorts, to ruggers in the bar at Jakes.  I was skeptical, but discovered there is, in fact, an alcove leading into the men’s room which preserves some rugger nostalgia – thanks to John Underhill, Jake’s former manager and also a rugby player.

One of the best mementos is a letter (see image below) to Jake’s written by Steven G. Hayford on April 29, 1982.  

He took umbrage with his experience in the bar in what was a synergistic attack which could have been orchestrated by Jay’s son, Shane, who is now the Offensive Coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks.  (#6)

The text of the letter is essentially as follows:

“….. we were assaulted by 5 to 8 of your largest patrons.  My arms were pinned behind my back while a third cut my tie with a pair of scissors…..one mustached individual bounded over the bar to break up a possible ensuing riot. 

As each offending participant was twice as large as (we were) and a full four times as large as your bartender, a riot did not ensue, and my party bid a hasty (although loud) retreat.

I believe the ‘gorillas’ that attacked us belonged someplace other than at a high-class place like Jake’s and should have been evicted……I would like to consider the incident closed…but my bruised ego is preventing me from making a clean break……

I would appreciate it, if you would reimburse me for the nominal amount of $20…. for my silk tie.  If you decline, I’m afraid people who wear ties will start avoiding your restaurant.  Please consider my flippant tone a measure of my sense of humor and not as a lack of seriousness of this matter.”

silk tie

Since the statute of limitations for assault has tolled, Waldron is pretty candid about the incident and provides this perspective:

“We placed the cut portion of the tie on the bar with a double margarita as compensation —I cut it with the scissors from a Swiss army knife — A warm night in Jake’s after rugby practice, we in shorts and practice gear, he and others were in suits.

He made a loud remark about the inappropriateness of our attire. We reacted immediately.  Two 250 lb. players lifted him off his feet and pinned his arms, a Swiss army knife appeared on car keys from one of the player’s pocket and I cut cleanly.”

A Response from the “Victim”

I was amazed several days after I posted the story to see a response on Thebeerchaser from one Steven G. Hayford.  I guess it’s a comment on both the breadth and reach of social media as well as Hayford’s perspective and good humor:

“Hey! I’m Steve Hayford and I remember everything except disparaging what the gorillas were wearing. That tidbit must remain in dispute. Anyway, all is forgiven. Amazing what you find when you google your own name.”

In Closing…

A maxim propagated by those who don’t like dive bars (and I have not found true after twelve years frequenting them) is that the best way to get involved in a fight, is to “invade” the “territory” of the regulars.

Jay Waldron and the ruggers provide evidence, however, that lack of judgement in assessing your surroundings can invite that result in any establishment. 

Regardless, I would suggest that you can enjoy your experience; consume good beer, wine, cocktails and food at either Jake’s Place or the bar at Jake’s Famous Crawfish.  That said, the menu, tap list, price, ambiance and drinking companions will be distinctly and refreshingly different!

I also have some more to relate about David Dickson and Matt Love, but will save that for another post,

Cheers (#7 – #8)

External Photo Attribution

#1 and #8).  (https://www.restaurantji.com/or/portland/jakes-place-/)

#2 – #5 and #7. Jake’s Famous Crawfish Trip Advisor  (Jake’s Bar – Picture of Jake’s Famous Crawfish, Portland – Tripadvisor)

Photos for Jake’s Famous Crawfish (yelp.com)

#6. Seattle Seahawks (https://www.seahawks.com/news/shane-waldron-no-difference-this-week-in-approach-as-he-prepares-to-face-former-)

 

Everything’s Jake(s)!

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Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. 

This post is about two outstanding guys and an excellent dive bar with a friendly and memorable bartender. The topic begs for some editorial digressions so you will see one or two additional posts which allow me to wander.

Before I tell you about the bar, let me tell you why I admire the two friends who Beerchased with me.

Matt Love and David Dickson

David Dickson

I’ve known David since about 1991 – both of our daughters went to grade school together and on Father-Daughter Hikes for years on numerous Oregon wilderness trails.  These continued during the girls’ high school years.

They included reaching the summit of the 10,363 foot South Sister in the fall of 1997, when the girls were about 12 and 13 years old.

The moms of this group would argue that the Mom-Daughter Book Club during these same years, will have a more lasting impact on these now fine young women. 

The girls will never forget the memory of hiking out from our camp on the slope of the South Sister by flashlight, the sight of a mouse which drowned in our pot of coffee left out overnight or the penetrating nasal-cleansing smell of the latrine at the head of the Jefferson Park Trail.

I submit that these will yield a more substantive legacy than discussion of the passage of Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy March from childhood to womanhood in Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women.  (External photo attribution at end of post #1 – #2)

David is a Stanford grad where he came close to being a right-handed pitcher on The Cardinal freshman baseball team, but washing dishes for tuition and beer money won out. 

His subsequent career as a Development Director in higher-education and long-term civic civic contributions are considerably more notable than his earned-run average would have been in Palo Alto…..

I admire David for his perpetual optimism, his concern for the homeless (to be discussed in the next post) and his spirit of high adventure such as shown while he was demonstrating his skill at Big Buck Hunter while Beerchasing with Adam Davis and me at Portland’s Belmont Inn in 2013.

His venturous enthusiasm led him to solo exploration of far-flung regions after college and before graduate school at the University of Oregon.

He traveled through Central America (Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Costa Rica) and South America (Columbia, Venezuela, Equator and Peru). To my knowledge he was not involved in any insurgencies or surreptitious attempts to tamper with voting machines in Venezuela. 

I asked David about his post-Stanford adventures and enjoyed his response:

“After getting my BA at Stanford in 1972, I spent two years as a VISTA volunteer/community organizer in Cherokee County, Oklahoma.  When I returned, I took off with a loaded backpack and $800 in travelers checks, purchased with the money I had saved from VISTA. 

My transport was 3rd class bus (accompanied by chickens and machetes); hitchhiking on the back of pickups and getting lost in the Andes; hitchhiking on merchant ships, hiking when no-one would pick me up and flying once from Panama City to Colombia.

I probably stayed in hotels about 4 nights total (some flea infested), but generally set up my tent in people’s yards or nearby hills or stretched out my sleeping bag in bus depots.”

He showed this same wanderlust on our Father-Daughter hikes which is why we usually had him walk at the end of our group rather than lead it.

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Randy Wenger, David and Charlie Rose debating Forest Service map.

Matt Love

Although I only met Matt in person in 2021 while Beerchasing at the wonderful Falls View Tavern in Oregon City with Jim Westwood – a former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, and like Matt Love and me, a fellow Oregon City High School graduate.

Photo Jul 06, 1 11 56 PM

Love, Westwood and Williams at the Falls View

Among other traits, I admire Matt for his meaningful and ongoing efforts to help the homeless and downtrodden, his deep love for canines, his perseverance in the face of hardship, his creativity and dedication as a former high school teacher. 

Last, but certainly not least, he’s a fellow-letterman in basketball for the Pioneers at OCHS – a number of years after me, but it should be noted that his team did not win the TYV Title and go to the State Tournament……

But my feeling of kinship with Matt originated in 2012 when I came across his blog “Let it Pour.net”  – right after I started my Beerchasing hobby and was researching dive bars on the Oregon Coast.

“Let it Pour” originated as a popular column in Hipfish Monthly, an alternative magazine in Astoria on the north Oregon Coast. He maintained his blog from 1999 to 2011 and unfortunately a number of the watering holes he chronicled are no longer in business.

But Matt’s descriptions will live on as he is a keen observer of both the ambiance of dive bars and the interactions that take place among the patrons – he’s an expert in describing those in entertaining style. 

Matt is a prolific and talented author and now owns a small Astoria publishing house he founded in 2003 – The Nestucca Spit Press.  You’ll hear more about Matt’s books in the next post The only problem I have with Matt’s prose is that it forces me to highlight many paragraphs so I can come back and quote his stuff (with attribution, of course!)

The descriptions in his books of emotional interactions sometimes bring tears to my eyes. His bar chronicles were a key factor in motivating me to pursue my Beerchasing adventures, which have continued for over twelve years.

This guy is a master of observation – not only human relationships, but the trappings and character(s) of these dives. He coined the term “Oregon Tavern Age” (OTA)

Matt spent hours in bars converting the notes he took “jotting down observations with a pencil on a golf score card” and his conversations with the regulars into a captivating collection of stories and anecdotes with great graphic illustrations – “courtesy of his ex-wife.”

For example this one from a bar – Pitch’s East – a dive in Port Orford:

“One day, many years ago, a woman sat in Pitch’s Tavern in Port Orford. She saw a horse drinking beer from a saucer on the counter.  On another visit, she saw a live boxer crab holding an unlit cigarette in one claw and a glass of beer in the other.”

Take this one which made me check out the Old Oregon Saloon in Lincoln City as one of my first Coast dives – “Where Friends and Family Meet.”  It was a great bar and I have returned many times:

“(It’s) a damn fine gritty place to drink beer – a lot of beer….The regulars call it The Old O and after spending time there over the years, I feel it is not too outrageous to suggest the nickname stands not only for The Old Oregon Tavern in Lincoln City — which it does — but really some of the patrons’ last long ago orgasm.  Maybe in the Johnson Administration.”

Now I know that Matt, who coaches writers, would advise against excess, but indulge me, because these are so good, I love to share them – so just two more brief ones – both from the Sportsman’s Pub and Grub in Pacific City.

It’s justified.  After all for a number of  years, Matt served as the watering hole’s “Writer in Residence.”

“A man blasted through the door and obliterated the tavern’s somnolent mood.  His hair was feathered….and perfect.  He appeared anywhere from 40 to 70 years old.  Many years later, I coined the phrase ‘Oregon Tavern Age’ or ‘OTA’ to describe the condition….

The man’s name was Larry or Wayne, both solid OTA names.  He sat down with us at the bar.  He was loud.  I struck up a conversation with him and learned he had $10,000 in cash stuffed into his pants pocket…..

He had cashed a check the previous afternoon – a settlement from an injury suffered in an automobile accident and was ready to party down – hard.  He bought the house a round, screamed an encouraging profanity, and then bolted out the door.”

Lastly:

“So the story goes, a veteran patron requested that upon his death, he wanted his wake held in the tavern. Well, the old timer dies, he was cremated, and of course the management obliged him. 

So his drinking buddies crowded in the men’s bathroom, hoisted their pints for a second…and flushed his ashes down the toilet.  Top that drug testing, antiseptic, bottom line, unfunky, God fearing, screaming baby, corporate brewpubs!”     

But What About Jake’s Place?

I  have more to tell you about both David Dickson and Matt Love and our discussions while Beerchasing which involve some significant Portland issues.   

Also why Jake’s Place is a bar you should visit and more importantly, why you should talk to Cassie, the Bartender.  (By the way, I’ll relate why I initially thought Matt made a mistake when he named the bar where we should meet).

But that will wait for the next post.  Stay tuned.

Photo Jul 17 2023, 3 30 34 PM (2)

Matt and Cassie at Jake’s Place

Cheers!

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Outhouse_1.jpg)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: Steinsplitter  11 July 2016.

#2.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (Houghton AC85.Aℓ194L.1869 pt.2aa – Little Women, title – Little Women – Wikipedia)  This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer.  Author: Louisa May Alcott – Source: *AC85.Aℓ194L.1869, Houghton Library, Harvard University”

Summer Simmers – the 2023 Finale

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Photo Aug 26 2023, 7 04 26 PM

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  (External photo attribution at the end of the post.)

While many people would suggest that September is not technically summer, I’m going to finish my four-part “Summer Simmers” series – after Labor Day. 

Besides, with the temperatures being experienced all over – at least in the US, “simmers” is still appropriate.  We’ve witnessed a new paradigm with aberrant weather and atmospheric events, which  besides being alarming, make one rethink a lot of past assumptions – even lyrics to songs….

I was listening to my YouTube favorites and did a mental double-take, of sorts, when I heard the following lyrics to the James Taylor and Karli Simon favorite “Devoted to You.”  (#1)

James_Taylor_and_Carly_Simon,_1975 (1)

“Darlin’ you can count on me
Till the sun dries up the sea
Until then I’ll always be devoted to you”

The dynamic vocal duo above, thought their marriage would last “forever” rather than just eleven years – until James became too vain….

And obviously the words in bold above, are exaggerated to make a point, but I also never thought we would see a tropical storm in California, draught to flood whiplash and record wildfires in 2021 on three continents.

And given my concern for the future of my four precious granddaughters – shown in the photos at the beginning of this post – I’m going to rely on the studies and evidence from scientists.

This is in lieu of the blather evidenced in a recent political debate by, among others, a self-admitted “skinny guy with a funny last name” who majored in biology and stated:

“And so the reality is more people are dying of bad climate change policies than they are of actual climate change,” 

Another Outstanding Lawyer

In my last post, I chronicled my long friendship with Portland lawyer Mark O’Donnell and why I admire his skill as a lawyer, his values and Mark’s civic contributions. 

Last week, I attended a Celebration-of-Life for my college Oregon State Fraternity brother, Charlie “Buck” Adams.  Charlie was of the same ilk and leaves a lasting legacy.

Photo Aug 28 2023, 5 11 43 PM

After completing law school at the distinguished University of California at Berkeley – Boalt Hall Law School, where he was inducted into the prestigious Order of the Coif, he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Alfred T Goodwin, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 

This was followed by a long career at Northwest Regional Law Firm Stoel Rives, where after joining the firm in 1976, he became a partner.  He was ranked among the top 5% of Oregon’s appellate lawyers in 2006.

The Legacy

But while Charlie’s legal career was outstanding and will be part of his legacy, his life will be celebrated more so based on his family values, his life-time friendships, his diverse interests and his perseverance though physical hardship.

He became significantly disabled from a spinal cord injury and peripheral nerve damage sustained initially working in a sawmill the summer of 1969.

He had two beautiful and accomplished daughters (Ashley and Joliene) during his forty-five year marriage to Carol, who he met at an holiday open-house after college.  And Charlie cherished his two grandsons.

Notwithstanding the limitations from his back injury which caused him to work both in a prone position and a stand-up desk during his law practice, he also participated in drag racing, snow shoeing, building snow caves, dog mushing in Denali and the Yukon (40 below) and he resumed hunting.  (#2)

Buck was also a man of faith and active in his church – St Luke Lutheran.

But I’m going to focus on the times when I first met Charlie – the SAE House where he was a member of the class of 1969 – one year ahead of me. 

This “cowboy” from Prineville who wore his ten-gallon hat (which he also would periodically don at the law office) would entertain us with his acapella version of “I have a dog and his name is Jake.”

It was not fair that Charlie was so smart and while the rest of us were cramming during Dead Week right before finals, Charlie was raising mugs at our favorite bar – Prices’ Tavern. 

And he would usually end up with the highest GPA in the House during many quarters. (#3 – #4)

And Charlie developed life-long bonds with his fraternity brothers.

The picture on the left below is at an SAE Beerchasing event at the Gemini Bar and Grill In Lake Oswego in 2019..  (Charlie is on the left)  At the Celebration-of-Life, seventeen of us sang the SAE Song “Violet” to his family and friends.

Cheers and Phi Alpha Brother Buck! (#5)

There’s Nothing Better than Baseball in the Fall

In June, I went to a book reading by Eric Gray a couple of weeks ago in Portland.  He has written two books:
 
 
 

Both are excellent and are essentially vignettes – “a collection of personal memories.  With over 1250 tales collected from around the world, memorable experiences with Major League Baseball.:”    (#6 – #8)

Check out these books, you’ll enjoy them.

And Finally

In honor of Buck Adams, I’ll finish with this clip from the July 16th Morning Brew Newsletter. It’s the kind of discussion that Charlie would have over a beer at Prices Tavern with his SAE brothers, given his love of the wilderness.

Besides, his mind was sharp enough to conceptualize the thesis.  It also makes one wonder who funds these academic studies (besides students with their tuition) and what practical value they have.

“The hills are alive with the sound of silence. If a tree doesn’t fall in the woods, new research suggests that we’d still consider its lack of sound to be…a sound.  A Johns Hopkins study has found that people hear silence as a kind of sound rather than an absence of noise.  (#9)

Researchers discovered this by running ‘sonic illusions,’ which typically compare one moment of noise to two shorter moments of noise that together last the same amount of time.

Listeners tend to wrongly perceive the uninterrupted moment as lasting longer, and the same thing happened when the single moment of noise was subbed out for silence. 

This might not have happened if our brains didn’t consider silence to be a sound, scientists say.”

Of course the guys from the SAE house at Prices were less erudite than the Johns Hopkins’ researchers and would have advanced a corollary question:

“If a lone backpacker in the forest expels gas, does it smell?”

The Johns Hopkins’s study was published.  The SAE inquiry never was.

Happy Labor Day

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:James_Taylor_and_Carly_Simon,_1975.jpg)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license.  Source: Kathleen Ballard, Los Angeles Times – 1 August 1975.

#2. Oregon Live Obituaries (https://obits.oregonlive.com/us/obituaries/oregon/name/charles-adams-obituary?id=52446999#:~:text=His%20laughter%20was%20contagious%2C%20his,is%20now%20in%20eternal%20wilderness).

#3. – #4.  (http://saeoregonstate.com/)

#5.  Illustration courtesy of Pam Williams.

#6. – #8. (https://basestobleachers.com/)  Website of author, Eric Gray.

#9.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gfp-wisconsin-new-glarius-woods-tree-falling-over-on-trail.jpg) This file has been released explicitly into the public domain by its author, using the Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication.  Yinan Chen  – 15 June 2013.

Summer Simmers III

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From Bumpass Hell in Lassen Volcanic National Park

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  (External photo attribution at the end of the post.)

In my first  “episode” of “Summer Simmers” I stated that I was going to end some future  posts with three items from my vast collection – bar jokes, lawyer jokes and quotations.  Well this one ends with a combined “story” of each of these three elements.

It’s courtesy of my friend of more than fifty years, attorney Mark O’Donnell, who is one of the best business, land-use and real estate lawyers in the state.  His robust practice also includes legal work for non-profit organizations.  Besides his skill as a lawyer, Mark is also a wonderful human being.

He’s a guy who shows compassion, a dry and sophisticated sense of humor and an ethic which involves helping others on a daily basis. (I realize that these traits apply to most attorneys….)  (#1)

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Attorney Mark O’Donnell

In 2013, he received the Sam Wheeler Foundation Freedom Award for his commitment to AA and his work in the community:

“Mark is an inspiration for many, and the support of his friends, family, and colleagues at the event made it clear that he has made an impact in our community,”

In September 2018, the Northwest Pilot Project presented him with the Agency Impact Award to commemorate his service to the organization, which provides affordable housing to seniors in Multnomah County:

O’Donnell’s commitment has prevented 450 low-income seniors from becoming homeless.” …He also partners with SE Works, De Paul Treatment Centers and other organizations that serve at-risk kids and low-income seniors.”

Stay tuned below for the closing story, but first some quick news about two watering holes:

Sasquatch Brewing – Since the pandemic, I’ve chronicled bar and brewery closures although trying to stay positive and letting you know of some openings such as Crux Fermentation’s SE Portland Pub and a pair of small Oregon Brewery Success Stories (The Benedictine Brewery and Beachcrest Brewing).

Remembering a great Beerchasing visit in 2013

Since I covered Sasquatch in 2013 – about two years after it opened “Sasquatch Brewery – Anything but Abominable!”, I was saddened to see the Oregon Live headline last November:

“Sasquatch Brewing to shut down brewery, cidermaking operations, keep SW Portland pub”

It was a great little pub and brewery in SW Portland and I enjoyed a beer with my friend, David Kish, who had a distinguished career in public service both for the State of Oregon and the City of Portland including serving as Portland’s Director of General Services under legendary Mayor Bud Clark. 

David Kish – a distinguished career in public service

And Sasquatch has a great story:

“In 2012 (Tom) Sims –  former weld-grinder, former beeper salesman, soon-to-be former homebrewer – opened Sasquatch Brewing, and the brewpub quickly caught on in the Hillsdale neighborhood.

It proved to be such a hit that in 2017 Sasquatch’s owners opened a second pub, returning to Sims’ roots in Northwest Portland, where the co-founder had years earlier plied his trade.”  (Oregon Live)

David and I talked to Tom, a fellow Oregon State grad (David graduated from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst) and based on his initial success, he had plans to expand – these came to fruition.

Will be back in business

After the closure news late last year, I was then happy to see just a couple of months later, Willamette Week’s story:

“Sasquatch Brewing Will Start Producing Beer Again at Its Hillsdale Flagship.” 

Experienced brewer, Nick Scandurro, plans to be “…brewing in Hillsdale this fall and have at least 12 in-house beers by spring 2024.”  

Tom Sims made heroic efforts, but the pandemic, cost of materials and related issues made it impossible to continue.  I hope he continues brewing in some capacity.

Celebrates its 100th Birthday in 2023

The Sandy Hut – A Portland dive icon that I visited in the early days of my Beerchasing journey – epitomized why I started this retirement pursuit.

Known by regulars as “The Handy Slut”, this excerpt from “Willamette Week’s 2008 Bar Guide” (that was three years before I started Beerchasing) will convey why it’s so well loved:

Photo Aug 28 2023, 6 48 24 PM (2)

A classic resource for Thebeerchaser from 2008

2008  – “The Handy Slut, as regulars and the bar’s merchandise call it, is a lurid, windowless utopia. It looks like it once housed the Rat Pack—and hasn’t cleaned since the party ended.

The drinks pack enough alcohol to fuel a racecar, and often mere eye contact constitutes consent. The east side loves you, Sandy—you dirty little slut.”

My first foray was in 2014 with one of my favorite attorneys and frequent Beerchasing companion, John Mansfield.  John has never been shy about having his photo appear in this blog and the second photo shows him with Kevin, a friendly regular we sat next to at the bar. 

He welcomed us and stated he has frequented the bar since 1979 when he moved from Phoenix.

JM in front of the iconic Al Hirschfield exterior

I was thus very concerned about the rumor shortly afterwards that The Slut was going to be demolished and become a high-rise condo.

It was purchased in 2012 by two of Portland’s dive bar saviors, Warren Boothby and Marcus Archambault.  And as with their other acquisitions, they went to work 

”  And in 2018 restored an Al Hirschfield mural of celebrity caricatures, uncovered a glass brick wall by the old entrance and improved the food and drink menu with recipes nodding to the establishment’s Mid-Century glory days, when it was known as The Wolf’s Den.”  (Oregon Live 7/18/23)

And as it celebrated it century year in August, does it still have a community following?  Well, take a look at the photo below and the description of the event and it’s obvious:

“I’m so in love with this portland community.  thank you so much for supporting sandy hut and helping to make portland a great place to live. no arguments, no fights. just 2000 folks showing up to have fun, rock out, and be present. thank you to the vendors, staff, and food carts that made this event a success! ….we love you all!” (#3)

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And as Promised Above – The Story and Mark O’Donnell

Mark, being a compassionate guy and believing in contrition has forgiven me for my letter after I first met him in 1979 when I worked for the Clackamas County Commissioners in Oregon City. 

He was appearing before the Board on behalf of a client who needed a conditional use permit for a mobile home on an expansive rural property.  (At that time, they were labeled “house trailers.”)

Fortunately, I had worked with a number of lawyers in the DA’s Office who were were known for their well-honed cynical, sarcastic senses of humor. I speculated, with some risk, that Mark might share this same trait. 

So with an elevated attitude of righteous indignation, I sent him a letter castigating him for trying to turn the park across from my Mom’s residence and most of my Oregon home town into a massive trailer park. (#2)

“Trailer Home!”

Mark responded, in kind, and this started a long-term friendship where we debated everything from religion to politics to land-use planning at periodic lunches. 

Our relationship was characterized by letters and e-mails that many (most notably the secretaries who opened my mail) would view as acrimonious. All of these missives are still in my collection of “treasured” documents and I’ve included a few examples below. 

In a letter to me dated 2/21/1979 to the Local Government Personnel Institute (my then employer) he again referenced my “concern” about my mom’s residence, he stated:

“(Your mom) called us bleeding liberals and said she agreed with every policy decision of her “former” son. (In the preceding paragraph, he asserted that Mom disclaimed ever having a son.) I then apologized for my single issue approach and we had a nice talk. 

In the course of  leaving the premises, she mentioned to me that while she always agreed with your great plans for our society such as clean air, transit malls, snow-capped mountains, clean water, mediocre schools, demise of the family unit, open space and farmland, she did miss the feeling of self-respect, dignity and independence.” 

When I started work as the Business Manager at the Oregon State Bar, he did not disappoint me as you can see by the address on the envelope below:

Capture

Of course, Mark wanted to raise the standard higher and got one of his firm’s associate attorneys involved.  I knew Martha Hicks from her work as a Deputy DA in Clackamas County when I worked for the County Commissioners. (Ironically, she now works as an Assistant Disciplinary Counsel at the Oregon State Bar!)

In a letter dated 8/7/1979, Martha wrote, in part:

“Attorney Mark O’ Donnell has forwarded to me your letter.  He has also explained to me in detail your views on land use planning, government expenditures, tax relief and continuing support for elitist goals.

I have explained to Mr. O’Donnell your ‘spoon-in-mouth’ childhood, education and employment patterns.  I have also admitted to Mr. O’Donnell that this does not excuse you, but that he should show more compassion and appreciation for your views.

I suggest you consider the following:

‘From each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs.'”  (#3)

The first time I received a letter quoting Karl Marx

This initial series of letters culminated with Mark’s correspondence to me dated 7/11/1979.  It was in response to a check I sent him for $1.07 for “legal services in kind.”  The final paragraph in his letter stated:

“The El Gazebo Saloon has the finest super nachos that I’ve ever tasted.  Please call me so that we may discuss these important matters over a plate of super nachos and large amounts of beer.”

He enclosed the following correspondence to Ms. Sharon Imholt, the Proprietor of the El Gazebo:

When we met for super nachos and mugs of beer, Mark gave me credit for $1.07 and paid the remainder of the bill. The El Gazebo went out of business long ago and has been resurrected several times since. 

The structure that houses the bar has a long history as you can see by the photo below.  It’s ignominious history may have come to a halt, however. 

It became known as the Route 99 Roadhouse and closed temporarily in February 2021, when the Oregon Liquor Control Commission suspended its license for COVID violations:

“Per Gov. Kate Brown’s guidance, restaurants in ‘extreme risk’ counties cannot allow any form of indoor dining; in addition, all counties in Oregon must wear face coverings and follow social distancing guidelines when in restaurants or bars.

“The OLCC says it had reached out the bar before the in-person visit with educational information about the state’s safety protocols. According to the OLCC, inspectors who visited the bar for the follow-up evaluation found Route 99 packed with customers and staff, many of whom were maskless inside the bar.”  (PDX Eater 2/5/21)  (#4 – #5)

A watering hole with a long history including a meeting over super nachos and beer

It reopened, but the last Facebook post was in December 2021 indicating it was closing for good and the listed telephone number has been disconnected.

Objectively speaking, the above letters may appear like a foolish waste of time by two guys who don’t have enough to do, but they started a friendship that has endured for decades and transcends trite banter. 

Mark followed our last lunch two weeks ago by sending me a booklet with David Foster Wallace’s essay:

“This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life.” 

Wallace was an American novelist, short story writer, essayist, and university professor of English and creative writing who died by suicide at the age of forty-six in 2008. 

The text originated from a commencement speech Wallace gave at Kenyon College on May 21, 2005. 

“The speech covers subjects including the difficulty of empathy, the unimportance of being well-adjusted, and the apparent lonesomeness of adult life. It suggests that the overall purpose of higher education is to learn to consciously choose how to perceive others, think about meaning, and act appropriately in everyday life.

Wallace argues that the true freedom acquired through education is the ability to be fully conscious and sympathetic.”  (Wikipedia)  (#5)

The essay was controversial, as was its author, but received great acclaim.  I could write another post on both of these, but I want to finish with my favorite part of the work below, and as I promised, it involves a bar!

“Here’s another didactic little story. There are these two guys sitting together in a bar in the remote Alaskan wilderness. One of the guys is religious, the other is an atheist, and the two are arguing about the existence of God with that special intensity that comes after about the fourth beer.

 And the atheist says: ‘Look, it’s not like I don’t have actual reasons for not believing in God. It’s not like I haven’t ever experimented with the whole God and prayer thing. Just last month I got caught away from the camp in that terrible blizzard, and I was totally lost and I couldn’t see a thing, and it was 50 below, and so I tried it: I fell to my knees in the snow and cried out ‘Oh, God, if there is a God, I’m lost in this blizzard, and I’m gonna die if you don’t help me.’

And now, in the bar, the religious guy looks at the atheist all puzzled. ‘Well then you must believe now,’ he says, ‘After all, here you are, alive.’ The atheist just rolls his eyes. ‘No, man, all that was a couple Eskimos happened to come wandering by and showed me the way back to camp.'”

And In Conclusion

Cheers to Mark O’ Donnell and as he would advise you:

“Keep your eyes out for those Eskimos!”  (#6 – #7)

At the Freedom Award Banquet

External Photo Attribution

#1.O’ Donnell Law Firm LLC Website (https://www.odlf.net/about-us/professional-team/attorneys/mark-odonnell/)

#2. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buggenhoutse_woonwagen.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.   Author: Milliped – 29 June 2022.

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx#/media/File:Karl_Marx_001.jpg) The author died in 1901, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author’s life plus 100 years or fewer.  Source: International Institute of Social History – Date: before 24th August 1875.

#4.  Route 99 E Roadhouse (https://www.facebook.com/route99roadhouse)

#5.  Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Foster_Wallace#/media/File:David_Foster_Wallace.jpg)  By Steve Rhodes – originally posted to Flickr as David Foster Wallace, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4788606.

#6.  Mark.jpg (715×1016) (portlandsocietypage.com)  Freedom Award honoree Mark O’Donnell Archives – Portland Society Page

#7.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Life_with_the_Esquimaux_-_1864_-_Volume_2_page_224.jpg) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office.  Author:  Charles Francis Hall – 1864.

A Pair of Brewery Success Stories

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View from the Mount Angel Abbey Hilltop

(External photograhps (#) attributed at the end of the post)

In my last Beerchaser post, I mentioned an article that bemoaned the fate of seven Portland breweries which have recently closed or been put up for sale. This led to a perhaps overly ominous question in a headline entitled “7 Portland Breweries and Taprooms are Closing. Is Peak Craft Beer Over?

But there have been some real success stories including Crux Fermentation’s new SE Pub which I reviewed in that same post.

Now to focus on two “B’s” for they are among the “Best” breweries encountered on my twelve year Beerchasing journey.  They’ve attracted many loyal patrons.  Neither has a long history, but both have made their marks.

Beachcrest Brewing Company – Gleneden Beach

Beachcrest Brewing came to my attention in early 2019 – shortly after they opened.  I wrote the following review:

https://thebeerchaser.com/2019/04/23/ride-a-wave-to-beachcrest-brewing/  

Take a look at this excerpt for some context:

“In seven years of Beerchasing, I’ve been impressed with the number of brewery owners who started homebrewing as a hobby and ultimately became micro-craft entrepreneurs after diverting from their original career paths. They have ranged from lawyers, teachers, accountants, contractors and public servants to former bartenders.”

Below is some information from their website:

“Beachcrest Brewing Co. started as the dream of lifelong musicians Matt and Amy White who spent many summers visiting the enchanting Oregon Coast.  After years of dreaming of living on the coast the duo made the plunge and relocated to the central coast to follow their passion of combining beach life, craft beer and great music.”  

They partnered with Megan Leesley – a CPA who does the Brewery’s accounting and Sean Sissel, a contractor, who spent five months in 2018 building out the brewery.  Both still live in Colorado and will be working in the brewery periodically.”  (#1)

49083409_861193477559682_8436710147656515584_n enterpren - facebook (2)

I interviewed Matt and Amy (on the left of the photo above) to get info for my post and they were a wonderful couple – passionate and enthused about their dream.   We have a vacation home in nearby Lincoln City and I was concerned, however, given the competition, how they would do. 

The Brewery is across from Salishan Lodge in a small commercial development.  Salishan, at one time one of Oregon’s premier destination resorts, was struggling and going through ownership changes.   A number of other small businesses in the same mall had gone out of business or were struggling to get customers.  

And, of course, one year later, the pandemic was upon us.

Four years later, I’m happy to report that they appear to be thriving?

Our deck in Lincoln City often sees Thebeerchaser down a Beachcrest brew….

So without reviewing their financials, how do I conclude that they are flourishing?

Well, every time we make a visit, the expansive taproom and patio are hopping.  The setting for the patio on the back nine at Salishan is beautiful and they’ve transformed part of the patio into an all-weather tent which regularly features jazz and a variety of other musical offerings.  (After all, Matt and Amy are professional musicians.)

“My absolute favorite thing about this place was the ambiance. We sat with a nice view of the golf course, kind of hidden away from other guests. It was convenient for our dog. They have a 70s and 80s soft rock hits playlist that creates the perfect vibe. I’ll definitely come back.”  (Yelp 6/14/23)  (#2)

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Although a number of new businesses have opened in the mall, there is still ample parking.  Beachcrest has a robust tap list and the beers are varied and great quality (especially the Lincoln City Logger (Helles Lager) (5.5% ABV 16 IBU).

They’ve regularly offered new and creative beers such as their Strawberry Milkshake IPA released on June 7th. One can also order wine, cider, a margarita and the unforgettable Rogue Root Beer.

Beachcrest does some of the most creative and attractive labeling I’ve seen on the Coast.  (#3 – #4)

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While the menu is not expansive it has some delicious salads, a tasty jumbo beer pretzel with cheese sauce and mustard and nine pizza options – the reviews are very positive.  And don’t forget the chocolate cake for dessert.

“Best wood fired Pizza on the Coast and their beer is outstanding! Friendly staff makes it a joy to eat and drink here. They have a very open air feel to the whole place. The price point makes it a great value. It’s our favorite brew pub in Oregon.”  (Yelp 6/5/23) (#5 – #7)

Matt and Amy White have created a “community” in their four + years of operating with many loyal Central Coast fans.  Their establishment is family and dog friendly.

Besides their live music every Saturday at 6 pm and Sunday at 4 pm from July through September they also have Trivia Night every Wednesday.

The staff is friendly and efficient and they seem to reflect the same values as the owners which is emphasized on their website.   Even on very busy days, the wait-time is minimal.

And while not trying to demean another good Oregon Brewery (Pelican) which recently opened an expansive brew pub just south of Lincoln City (about three miles away) you will pay substantially more for beverages and food and usually face a wait-time. 

(I just checked with Google Assistant and on this August Sunday afternoon, the wait-time for a party of four was 120 minutes!)  It should be noted that Pelican does have a robust pub menu.

Besides the patio, you will also find that Beachcrest has a beautiful taproom.

 

Benedictine Brewery – St Benedict, Oregon

Dating back to 1887, the Mount Angel Abbey Hilltop is one of the most beautiful and peaceful locations in Oregon.  It is home to the Benedictine monastery, the seminary and college, and also features a book shop, museum, a majestic chapel and beautiful guest house for retreats. People of all faiths or no faith are welcomed.

The Alvar Aalto Library designed in 1970 by Finnish architect Alvar Aalto – which garners international recognition – has manuscripts dating back to the twelfth century. (#8)

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“Mount Angel Abbey strives to be a place where all can ‘seek things above’ in peace and solitude. The Abbey keeps vital the ancient traditions of Divine Office, love of learning, and hospitality.” (#9 – #13)

The Abbey’s rich history percolates throughout the Hilltop and in 2018 another ancient monk tradition dating back to the Middle Ages became a reality – the opening of the Benedictine Brewery and St. Michael Taproom.

“The beer brewed now at Mount Angel follows the early monastic tradition and is “crafted for a higher purpose.” It’s likely the only beer in the US that receives a priestly blessing at every stage, from raising the hops to pulling the tap. Mount Angel Abbey’s Benedictine Brewery and Taproom is one of a very few monastic breweries currently operating in the United States.”

Saturday, August 26, the Fifth Anniversary of the Brewery will be celebrated.  It will be open for the regular Saturday hours (1 to 8 pm) but from 2 to 4 pm, five years of operations will be celebrated with monastic art displays, an ice cream cart, cornhole, live music, and of course, your favorite Benedictine Brewery beer. (#14 – #16)

#benedictinebrewery #mountangelabbey #oregonbeer #fifthanniversary #tasteandbelieve

And I have been blessed to be associated with the Brewery and its Head Brewer, Fr. Martin Grassel, since 2016. 

I remember well the cloudy day in November 2017, when we started with a cement slab and through the efforts of about 125 monks, priests, seminarians and volunteers, ended with a framed structure. 

It’s now become a gathering place of exceptional fellowship and cheer. 

https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/11/21/the-benedictine-brewery-beam-me-up/

I’ve witnessed Fr. Martin – who as a monk prays five times each day and has primary financial duties at the Abbey as Procurator, become a skilled brewer and manager. (He gets by with minimal sleep!)

He’s expanded the variety of beers, recently added barrel aging to the repertoire, garnered a regional following of beer enthusiasts and run a profitable business that helps further the Benedictine mission and values in addition to drawing many people to explore the entire Abbey Hilltop and meet the monks and priests.

He efforts have made the Brewery’s motto “Taste and Believe” a reality.

Come out on Saturday and wish Fr. Martin and the Benedictine Brewery Happy Birthday.  (And by the way, the Hair Shirt IPA (7% ABV – 56 IBU) is superb and will not make you feel guilty about ordering a second pint!) (#17 – #20)

Blessings and Cheers

External Photograph Attribution

#1 – #3.  Beachcrest Brewery Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=711461560988659&set=pb.100063744632543.-2207520000.&type=3).

#4 – #7.  Beachcrest Brewery Website (https://beachcrestbrewing.com)

#8 – #13.  Mount Angel Abbey Website (https://www.mountangelabbey.org/) 

#14 – #20.  Benedictine Brewing Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BenedictineBrewery)

 

 

The Crux of the Matter

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Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  External photo attribution at the end of the post.  (#1 – #2)

My wife, Janet and I first visited the Crux Fermentation Project in Bend in the summer of 2017 on a Central Oregon road trip.  And there is no shortage of options in Bend as evidenced by the Bend Ale Trail.

Now the number of stops on this malted trek varies based on the internet site you check and the date because I saw figures ranging from ten to eighteen to thirty – the latter of which appears to be the latest count:

“For a small mountain town, Bend packs in the breweries. With 30 breweries on the Ale Trail, there is no lack of variety — whether you love sours, IPAs, or just a good beer-flavored beer, there is a craft brewery for everyone here!”

It’s debatable whether Bend can still be considered a “small mountain town” with a 2021 population of 102,000 and in 2017 we did not travel the entire journey which now has expanded to seven “Territories” and is more sophisticated….

“Track your progress in our free app, or pick up a keepsake paper passport at the Bend Visitor Center for $5. Either way, you can plot your course, bone up on brewery knowledge, or pick a perfectly paired adventure for your trek through each territory.”

But we did visit some great Bend breweries on the Trail including Sunriver, Boneyard, Goodlife, Spokenmoto (coffee and beer), Immersion and Atlas Cider Company.* Interestingly, notwithstanding the pandemic and increased competition, all are still open and appear to be thriving. (Photos from our 2017 trip)

*I was initially concerned that Atlas Cider was gone, but some additional research revealed it changed its name to Avid Cider Company because of an intellectual property dispute with Atlas Brew Works which brews beer in Washington DC. (Bend Bulletin)

(I guess that was before all DC lawyers were employed working on prosecuting or defending felonies……)

But Let Me Digress….

But before I get back to Crux and an exciting new development for the brewery, let me take a brief international side trip – appropriately, because I was talking about the Bend Ale Trail. 

I want to take this opportunity to invite my friend from Germany, Rich Carbonara and his wife, Doreen, to Oregon to experience this Central Oregon phenomenon. (#3 – #4)

While we have not met face-to-face, Rich and I regularly share e-mails and comments on each of our blogs.  Reading an excerpt from this Philadelphia native’s bio below and seeing the book he wrote, you will not be surprised at the commonality of our interests.

“Since those times, I’ve hiked from the Rockies to the Andes to the Himalayas but friends still mostly think of me as the beer guy, the one who was into craft beer before it became fashionable.

Living in Munich, I still do my fair share of alpine hiking in the nearby Alps but I find myself ever increasingly drawn to Germany’s brewing heartland to not only find the beers I’ve been looking for there since 1997 but also to enjoy the many trails that more gently get a person from point A to point B. In my case, those points are often if not always breweries.”

Now the scope of Rich’s adventures in hiking and exploring breweries far exceeds what we could offer just in Bend, but there are certainly numerous NW hikes and craft brews to more than pique his interest.   

And besides, that would help me convince Janet that we should reciprocate and visit Munich for Beerwandering – a great complimentary activity to Beerchasing. If the photos of the breweries, the beer, the beautiful countryside and the food below entice you, check out his website. (#5 -#12)

https://www.beerwanderers.com/

“(I can be) a resource of information about the beer, food and trails of Bavaria, and in particular the northern part known as Franconia.

If the ideas don’t seem self-explanatory enough or if you just want a local guide to do all the planning, reserving of accommodation, getting you on the right trails to the best breweries and making sure you order (or at least know about) the local delicacies, then please feel free to contact me (thebeerwanderers@gmail.com”

What’s in a Name?

While we enjoyed each of our seven stops on the Trail, Crux, was clearly our favorite.  The taproom was magnetic, the beer varied and high quality and the design of merchandise and beer cans and bottles creative. 

But the most impressive feature was and still continues to be the grounds surrounding this former AAMCO Transmission Shop.

With food trucks, playground equipment and a stage for musical acts it’s a “community” gathering place that attracts locals and their families, tourists from throughout the Northwest and even “Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers that take a break from their 2,600-mile trek.”

And one cannot help but feel the positive energy that keeps things hopping into the evening.  The clever way Crux does “Sundowner Hour” with flexible times during the year depending on when Old Sol disappears below the horizon ($1 off beer 1/2 hour before and after sundown) is another example of creativity.

Crux had its tenth anniversary last summer celebrating the vision of Larry Sidor with co-founders Paul Evers and Dave Wilson

“….During these ten years, Crux has been producing hundreds of different beers and has since expanded into wine, cider, and most recently, whiskey!” Brewpublic.com

I don’t know the origin of the name, but an educated guess is after the celestial Crux:

“a constellation of the southern sky that centered on four bright stars in a cross-shaped asterism commonly known as the Southern Cross. It lies on the southern end of the Milky Way‘s visible band.”  (#13 – #14)

The Crux Fermentation Project Logo

Rest on its Laurels?  No Way!

While the team at Crux has garnered many awards for both its beer and marketing, they are not resting on their laurels – so to speak. For example, in May 2021:

“After a few trial runs, Crux Fermentation Project has officially released NØ MØ Non-Alcoholic IPA in 12oz cans and on draft. This is the perfect option for those looking at cutting back their alcohol intake, reducing their calories consumed or pairs nicely with a lunch during the work day. 

NØ MØ Non-Alcoholic IPA is brewed like a regular IPA using Citra and Mosaic hops.” (Brew Public May 4, 2021) (#15)

NO-MO-12pk-web

And I was especially pleased to read the June 18th article in Oregon Live Andre Meunier’s Beer Column entitled, “Crux Portland Pub opens in SE at former home of Vagabond Brewing.”    

“The Crux Portland Pub is pouring 20 taps of its offerings, which eventually will include three batched cocktails.

Beers on the first tap list include five lagers, such as the Bivio Pilz Italian Pilsner; seven IPAs, including hazies and West Coasts, such as the tropical Grade A Portland IPA brewed for the new pub; and Tart Cherry Tough Love, a barrel-aged imperial stout.”

This was welcome news in light of another Oregon Public Broadcasting article entitled: “7 Portland Breweries and Taprooms are Closing. Is Peak Craft Beer Over?  It named the following: Pono, Ambacht (Hillsboro), Sessionable, Grains of Wrath, Brewery 26, Unicorn and Conspirator Beverage.

Only one week later Oregon Live reported:

Culmination Brewing, once a Portland rising star, up for sale as costs, pandemic fallout take toll

I was really saddened by the closure of Pono Brewing after a visit with friends in January 2023.  It was a wonderful family-oriented tap room with great food and good beer that they brewed temporarily at Zoiglhaus Brewing. 

Founder Larry Clouser and his wife in addition to Marketing and Graphic Design Director, Byron Sina were gracious and talked about the challenges they had to overcome and their plans for the future.  I wish them well.

While some of these closures were only the Portland-based part of their operations, the tale was familiar:

“Rising costs of operation, change in consumer drinking habits, and the lingering effects of the pandemic have all affected the market.” 

But I Will Close on a Happy Note

Janet and I joined our friends John and Kim Limb and John and Sharon Meek for a Sunday afternoon dinner at the the new SE Pub.  (Both Johns and I serve on the Abbey Foundation of Oregon Board – we refer to them as First and Second John…)   

And while our friendly and competent server, Jen, stated that after opening in early June it’s still a work in progress, we were all impressed and will return.

 

The Beer – As you can see from the photo below, the tap offerings are rich and include their non-alcoholic brew. They also have wine and cocktails.

The Velvet Underpants IPA (6% – 60 IBU) was the favorite although the Cruz Pilz (5.2% – 35 IBU and the Noisy Boy IPA (5.7% – 65 IBU) both got good reviews and I’m sorry we didn’t get a sampler so we could try more of the tap list.

Photo Jul 23 2023, 5 20 59 PM (2)

Thanks to Kim Limb’s alertness when we walked in – she heard that one of the brewers from Bend was on site – I got to briefly chat and get a photo of Grant McFarren, Crux’s Assistant Brewmaster.   (Take a look at this interesting interview with him about Experimental Hops) (#16)

The Food – Rather than rely on food carts as does the Bend location, the new pub has its own kitchen:

“… the menu includes dishes like a chopped cheese sandwich—a New York bodega classic, a muffuletta, sticky wings, a cheese-and-charcuterie board and a beet avocado banh mi.”  (Willamette Week 6/19)  (#17)

Our group, after a great Brussel Sprout Starter (flash fried and tossed with local hop honey, smoked blue cheese, Crux Whiskey, and pork belly ) had the Muffuletta Sandwich, the Jerk Chicken Sandwich, and the Beet and Burrata Salad (fresh local greens, roasted beets, delicata squash, sun-dried cherries, candied walnuts, pickled red onion, burrata cheese, and focaccia croutons).  We were happy with our meals.

The Setting – As mentioned, still a work-in-process, but definite potential for this former Darigold Dairy structure. 

There is ample free parking in their lot and on the street.  The picnic tables – an interim setup – will be replaced by a full patio with heater which will probably be covered.  They have a lot of space on the second floor which is being built out.

All this will supplement the very attractive long bar and current space for tables.   And while Vagabond left some brewing hardware, it’s not being used now, but the plan is to brew on site as they progress with their plan:

“The new, modern rustic look is a credit to the skills and hard work of Gary Estenson, Crux’s maintenance manager, and head brewer Sam Wallace, Randles said. They took decades-old onion boxes that had been abandoned on a farm, cleaned them up, and crafted the wood-lined walls with them.

Estenson fabricated the copper-cylinder pendant lights hanging along the bar, in addition to other touches.”  (Oregon Live 6/18)  (#18 – #19)

Check out the new Crux Portland Pub.   It’s here for the long term.

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Crux Fermentation Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/cruxfermentationproject/photos/pb.100064366644696.-2207520000./5298066050280973/?type=3).

 #2.  Crux Fermentation Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/cruxfermentationproject/photos/pb.100064366644696.-2207520000./5673598242727750/?type=3).

#3. –  #12.  Beerwanderers Facebook Site – Beerwanderers Blog – Rich Carbonara Facebook Site (https://www.facebook.com/beersworththewalk)   (https://www.beerwanderers.com/) (https://www.facebook.com/rcarbonara).  

#13. Crux Logo – Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=637074851781397&set=a.637074795114736).

#14.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Crux_Chart.jpeg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  Author: Harv4  – 18 April 2014.

#15. Crux Website (NØ MØ Non-Alc IPA | Crux Fermentation Project %)

#16. Linked in (Grant McFarren)  ((24) Grant McFarren | LinkedIn).

#17.  Food (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=191032433938879&set=pb.100090963706407.-2207520000).

#18 – #19.  Fermentation Brewing Project Portland Pub Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/cruxportlandpub). 

 

 

Summer Simmers – Part II

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Sun_(Sol)

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  External photo attribution at the end of the post.  (#1)

During the summer months, I’ve decided to address some random items – some having to do with bars and breweries and some captured while sipping a gin martini at the beach (up with olives).   As in the first post in this series, I’ll end with three jokes from my files.

Bullshit Will Never be the Same!

It’s psychologically challenging when one knows that a sad event is on the horizon, but the timing is unknown – kind of an ominous foreshadowing, if you will.  Now perhaps that’s an exaggeration in this case, but I was saddened when I received an e-mail from former Beerchasing Regular, “West Coast Dave Hicks.” 

I say former, because after I retired and he moved for a time to the East Coast, our forays to such great bars as Crackerjacks Pub, the Double Barrel Tavern, the Ranger Station, Sloan’s Tavern and the Richmond Bar were relegated to just memories of great beer and great chats.

Hicks chowing down at the Reel-M-Inn

Dave sent me the obituary of Princeton Emeritus Professor Dr. Harry Frankfurt, author of the wonderful seventy-four page 1986 essay/book On Bullshit.  The good professor died on July 16th at ninety-four. (#2)

Brilliant and Captivating

When I started this blog in late 2011, I decided that besides reviewing bars and breweries, I would feature an interesting individual or group each quarter.  My Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter might not have anything to do with beer or bars, but in my opinion they’ve made a meaningful contribution to society and their story should be told.

In almost every case, I’ve known the individual or group and they’ve ranged from athletes, authors, media personalities, military heroes and even academicians (including my graduate school professor in Public Finance).   

One of the few I did not know, but felt compelled to “honor” in 2012 after reading his brilliant essay, was Dr. Frankfurt.   As a lark, I looked up his contact info at Princeton and sent him an e-mail describing Thebeerchaser blog and his designation as B-O-Q. 

I thought it would get caught in Princeton’s spam filter or that a person with this distinguished Ph.D.’s schedule would just ignore it..

So I was surprised and thrilled to receive the e-mail below several days later. His cryptic reference in the last sentence also indicated that he read my very long blog post in its entirety. 

Sent: Monday, January 30, 2012 7:36 AM
To: Williams, Donald
Subject: RE: Hello Dr. Frankfurt

Dear Mr. Williams,

First of all, thank you for the honor of naming me the January 12, 2012 Beerchaser of the Quarter.

I have looked at the blog in which you announced my receipt of this distinction, and I was impressed by its wit, its charm, and its erudition. Also, I enjoyed the pictures.

I intend to follow your blog regularly. I am especially interested in keeping up with the debate over whether to remove the letter M from the alphabet. I believe that, with regard to this issue, my mind is still completely open.

Anyhow, thanks very much for writing.

Sincerely,         Harry Frankfurt     

In 2020 with the prevalence of lies and BS (he makes a distinction) I felt compelled to republish the original post and add some updated commentary:   https://thebeerchaser.com/2020/03/12/bs-revisited-if-only-i-had-known-in-2012/  ( #3-#4)

*+* BULLSHIT rubber stamp on the desk of a Street Photographer

I will mourn the passing of Harry Frankfurt, in part, because he won’t be around to comment on the 2024 Presidential Elections. 

And as we listen to the forthcoming debates and interviews we can’t say the Professor did not warn us:

“The realms of advertising and of public relations, and the nowadays closely related realm of politics, are replete with instances of bullshit so unmitigated that they can serve among the most indisputable and classic paradigms of the concept.”   

As an admonition when a candidate steps over the line, perhaps the moderator of each debate should whip out the poster below: (#5)

310px-Bullshit.svg 

Farewell to Another Icon

The world was saddened with the death of Tony Bennett last week at the age of 96.  He won twenty Grammy Awards and sold over fifty million records during his career.

The crooner captivated audiences for seven decades with his wonderful tunes and his charismatic personality, philosophy of life and support of humanitarian causes.   He was a model for all generations.

Anthony Dominick Benedetto, like Thebeerchaser, was born in Long Island, New York. He struggled with significant personal issues during his life, but overcame them and continued to be a “masterful stylist of American musical standards.”

“(He had) an easy, courtly manner and an uncommonly rich and durable tenor that made him a master of caressing a ballad or brightening an up-tempo number.”  (APNews.com)

And who has not whistled or hummed, “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” in the shower….? (#6)

Tony_Bennett_and_Susan_Crow

Tony Bennett and wife, Susan

I wrote about him in a 2020 blog post – one not about entertainers but lawyers.  My post was intended to make some observations about my almost forty years working with attorneys.

The opportunity to interact with these professionals during my entire career almost all of whom were ethical, smart, dedicated advocates with amazing work ethics and elevated senses of humor was a real benefit.  

I tried to identify some general traits of lawyers that kept me on my toes in communicating.  The last one I mentioned and the relevance to the preceding narrative is described below in this excerpt from the August 2020 post of Thebeerchaser:

Need to Have the LAST Word 

Over my forty years working with lawyers, I learned that one way to garner their respect was to respond emphatically and with confidence in any (or every) kind of debate whether it was in conversation or electronically.

I learned, however, that even if I prevailed in substance, I should expect, and to some extent, encourage the lawyer to have the last word.  It was a good method to save further time deliberating and allow a win–win result.

My favorite example of the lawyer insisting on the last word, occurred with one of Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt’s very good lawyers from our Vancouver Office who was on a sabbatical in Italy with his wife. 

This counselor was very active in professional and civic activities and served on the Washington State Bar Board of Governors.

They were walking up to the entrance of an exclusive restaurant in Rome and out comes a group of several people led by a distinguished looking gentleman in an impeccably-tailored  suit. 

Obviously, I wasn’t a witness, but I was told that the conversation went essentially like this as the lawyer and his wife approached the group and he addressed the guy in the lead:

Lawyer:  Hi. I know I’ve seen you before.  Are you from the Pacific Northwest?

Stranger:  No.

Lawyer:  Wow!  I know I’ve seen you before… Are you involved with the Vancouver, Washington Chamber of Commerce?

Stranger:  No.

Lawyer:  This is just puzzling to me because I’m positive I’ve seen you before.   Did you have any  dealings with the Washington State Bar Association?

Stranger:  No……. I’m Tony Bennett 

Lawyer:  Oh my God.  You’re right!! (emphasis added)  (#7–#8)

No! I’m Tony Bennett!

(And “I didn’t leave my heart in Vancouver, Washington!”)

In Closing…

I mentioned in my most recent blog post Summer Simmers – Part 1, that since we will be moving later this year, I’ve been mandated by my wife, Janet, to go through the stacks of files scattered at various places in our house including my office and the garage.

 In my diligent efforts to help Oregon’s recycling efforts, I’ve found that I’m most inclined to keep files entitled “Bar Jokes,” “Lawyer Jokes” and “Quotations.”  

So, unless I hear vehement objections from Beerchaser followers, I will periodically continue to include an example from each of these categories:

Lawyer Joke

A trial lawyer known for his aggressive personality sat in his car in the immense courthouse parking lot during a lunch recess.  He saw an old guy who obviously could not remember where he parked.  So every time the guy held the remote in the air, the lawyer honked his horn.

Bar Joke

A skeleton walks into a bar and the bartender says, “What’ll it be?” The skeleton replies, “I’ll have a beer and a mop.”  (#9-#10)

Next time I'll try a dry martini...

(Next time, why don’t you try a dry martini?)

Quotation

“When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather – not terrified like all the passengers in his car.”  (Anonymous)

Cheers!

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Sun (Sol).gif – Wikimedia Commons) This file is in the public domain in the United States because it was solely created by NASA.  Author:  NASA – 22 April 2008.

#2.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Harry_Frankfurt_at_2017_ACLS_Annual_Meeting.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.  Author:
American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) – 29 October 2018.

#3. Princeton University (https://philosophy.princeton.edu/people/harry-frankfurt) 

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:BULLSHIT rubber stamp on the desk of a Street Photographer.jpg – Wikimedia Commons)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author:  Lupus in Saxonia   25 March 2022.

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Bullshit.svg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.  Author:  This W3C-unspecified vector image was created with Inkscape by Anynobody, composing work: Mabdul .  Source: Own work using Bsahead.svg:  and No sign.svg:   7 November 2011.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tony_Bennett_and_Susan_Crow.jpg)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  Author:  Jeremiah Garcia  9 February 2008.

#7.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tony_Bennett_in_2003.jpg)    Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  Author: Tom Beetz – 11 July 2003.

#8. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SF_From_Marin_Highlands3.jpg)   This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Paul.h at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.)

#9.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Human-Skeleton.jpg)  The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law. You can copy, modify, distribute and perform the work, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission. Author: Skimsta – March 2010.

#10.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mop.svg)   I, the copyright holder of this work, release this work into the public domain. This applies worldwide.  Author:
Mop.png: AwOc – 25 March 2010.

Dirt and Dust

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I Haven’t Washed my Hands of this Nickname….

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  External photo attribution at the end of the post.  (#1 – #2))

I often understandably get questions from followers of this blog on the origin of my nickname. Credit is due to my long-term friend, fraternity brother and Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Jud Blakely, for the design of the logo which has the moniker, “Don ‘Dirt’ Williams.” 

The story on the derivation of that label can be found in the 2021 blog post under the section entitled “The Origin of Dirt.” 

It was not due to a nefarious action, but college fraternity brothers at the SAE house at Oregon State University in 1966. And it has stuck all of these years.

From Dirty Donnie to Dirty to Dirt

And I get a good chuckle when I see examples.  For instance, this Rogue Brewery truck we saw on the Oregon Coast and this creatively named hauling company whose truck came rumbling by our house recently.

And, one of my favorite radio personalities is Andy “Dirt” Johnson on Portland radio station 1080 The Fan.  Dirt has had a great career in a competitive industry and he’s carried the nickname from an earlier age than I: 

“He was an all-league quarterback at Portland’s Cleveland High School, where he picked up the nickname ‘Dirt,’ which has stuck professionally. It came from some inappropriate pictures he drew on an overhead as a Cleveland freshman.”  (The Oregonian)  (#3)

7NPUQrAT_400x400

From Earth to Earth, Ashes to Ashes, “Dirt to Dust….

Yes, I’ve slightly modified this burial service phrase from the Book of Common Prayer to relate the derivation of my younger brother, Rick’s nickname, when he joined the SAE’s at OSU four years after me.  It was logical that he should become known as “Dust.”

And I want to talk about Dust a bit – not only because he had a remarkable career in the US Navy before retiring as a Captain, but because it’s relevant in light of the recent tragic implosion of the Titan submersible.

His career story is conveyed in my blog post when I named him as one of my Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter in 2015. Rick, like me, graduated from Oregon State and was commissioned as an Ensign after four years in the NROTC program.

The photos below show him as a midshipman and at his 1987 wedding (clockwise from left to right: brother-in-law, Dave Booher, Dust, Captain Jim Taylor, Dirt and middle brother, Garry – a West Point graduate)

Change of command

With wife Mary Jean and two sons, Timothy and Taylor receiving his first Legion of Merit Award from Vice Admiral Herb Brown, Commander of the US Navy Third Fleet in 1997

But to summarize, after graduation and commissioning in 1975, he was off to Naval School Diving and Salvage as a “hardhat” diver, followed by Surface Warfare School.

In his first sea tour on the Navy’s newest ocean engineering platform, submarine rescue ship USS PIGEON (ASR 21), he qualified as a Deep Sea (HeO2) Diving Officer and Surface Warfare Officer.  During this tour, he attended Naval School Deep Diving Systems for saturation diving training as a Navy Aquanaut.   

In an usual career twist, he went through a challenging interview with the legendary Admiral Hyman Rickover (Father of the Nuclear Navy) (read about it in the post) and attended Nuclear Power School in Orlando and Submarine Warfare School in Groton, Connecticut.

He served two deployments on the USS SEAWOLF (SSN 575) – the oldest operational fast-attack sub in the world. Rick qualified in Submarines and as a Nuclear Propulsion Engineer. (#4 – #7)

After this five-year detour, he took command of the Deep Submergence Vehicle SEA CLIFF (DSV 4), an “inner space ship” built for deep ocean recovery with a crew of fourteen special projects submariners including three officers.  

He served almost three years during the SEA CLIFF’s conversion from a 6,500 feet steel-sphere and aluminum frame vehicle, to titanium-rated for 20,000 feet – an extraordinary and accelerated nine-month project – and the deep ocean operations that followed. 

Before I relate his amazing experience as captain of the Sea Cliff, Rick’s final command was as skipper of the USS Spadefish (SSN 668 – a Sturgeon Class fast-attack nuclear sub.  Dust led two under-ice expeditions to the North Pole during his command of SPADEFISH. She surfaced through the ice “about a dozen times.” 

The trips were also “Freedom of Navigation Exercises” to assert US rights of passage in international waters — as the Russians were trying to assert territorial rights in the Arctic Ocean – a situation which is still a critical defense issue today.  (#8 – #10)

 A Classic 19th Century Novel

Jules Verne’s classic 1869 novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was a fictionalized account inspired by “…a model of the French submarine Plongeur (launched in 1863) figured at the 1867 Exposition Universelle, where Jules Verne examined it.”

“The book was widely acclaimed on its release and remains so: it is regarded as one of the premier adventure novels and one of Verne’s greatest works.”, (Wikipedia) (#11)

I didn’t know until researching this post that:

“The title refers to the distance, not depth, traveled under the various seas: 20,000 metric leagues (80,000 km, over 40,000 nautical miles), nearly twice the circumference of the Earth.” (Wikipedia)  (#11 – #12)

20,000 Feet Under the Sea!

Now the book was science fiction and Dust, while skipper of the Sea Cliff, did not encounter a giant squid as did Captain Nemo of the Nautilus.

He did, however, have an incredible adventure in 1985 – and that’s not hyperbole as you can see by reading the article below:

Rick Middie_0002

The key paragraph of this 1985 Oregonian article about the Sea Cliff dive off the coast of Guatemala states:

“Now at 33, Williams sits as the first man to command a deep-sea diving submarine 20,000 feet below the ocean surface.  He and his team, which he credits most for the achievement, are known throughout the community for their feat and the United States owns the title of being the first country to master those depths….

When the day finally came (after two years of preparation) Williams and two crew members crowded into the vessel’s main cabin – 6 1/2 feet in diameter and after fourteen hours, mastered the mission.”  (#13 – #14)

The most graphic representation I saw to help understand the pressure at those depths was the “squashed cup” you see in the picture below.  It was a full size coffee cup tied to a line outside the Sea Cliff on the operation and shows the effects of the pressure at 20,000 feet.

The Titan Submersible (#15)

OceanGate_Titan_schematic_nevernude.svg

The Titan implosion was a tragedy and given his experience in the depths, I wanted to get Rick’s perceptions.  He was somewhat tight-lipped because of the tragic consequences although he has typically been reticent about his Navy experience.

Part of that is for security purposes and part of that is probably to “repay” me for the transaction we had when I was eight and he was four. I told him that if he gave me a dime, I would give him five pennies.  Since he was not into currency at that time, he readily agreed. 

And speaking of payback, he did, in a manner of speaking on his First -class Midshipman Summer Cruise in 1973 as recounted in the aforementioned 2015 blog post:

“While Rick was a whiz at math and science, his comprehension of world geography was lacking.  While on this 1/C cruise and in port in Singapore, he awoke me with a phone call at 3 AM.

He wanted to borrow $50 for what he characterized as ‘an investment in the future’ – to buy a watch.  Although he maintains that he paid it back (…and he later did give me the watch as a gift), it is still carried as an Accounts Receivable on Thebeerchaser’s personal balance sheet.”  (#16 – #17)

Stansfield Turner

Recently I started reading Bob Woodward’s book Veil – The Secret Wars of the CIA (1981-1987) Stansfield Turner was transitioning from the position after Reagan was elected.  Turner referenced the “SNCP” (Special Navy Control Project) involving high-risk surveillance by US subs on their Soviet counterparts and other Soviet assets.

I asked Dust if had had ever been involved in that and he responded, “

“I can neither confirm nor deny receipt of your email referring to submarine operations. To quote General Schwarzkopf. ‘We do not discuss submarine operations.'”

This facetious response was similar to the retort, “If I told you, I would have to kill you,” that he often gave me when I asked Rick about the games of “chicken” that US subs were having with their Soviet counterparts in the Pacific while he was on active duty.

But I Digress…..

While I didn’t do any meaningful research, my understanding was that one of the issues of controversy with the Titan was its carbon-fiber hull as contrasted with the steel and titanium hulls of Navy and other deep submergence vehicles.  

The debris field of the Titan was evidently about 500 meters from the hull of the Titanic which is at a depth of about 13,000 feet. The Sea Cliff dive went to 20,000 feet and their final practice dive was at 15,000.

Rick’s comments were few but meaningful.  When I asked him about the lack of certification and rumors of rushed inspection with the Titan, he said that going that deep in the ocean is “inner space.

“The Navy’s rigorous inspections make it “obscenely safe. There is no margin for error or backup plan. The Navy’s approach has been validated.” 

He quoted a former Navy Admiral:

“Never begrudge a precaution.” (#18)

640px-Deep_sea_corals,_Wagner_Seamount

And finally he stated:

“I was extremely proud of going to 20,000 feet and particularly proud of returning from 20,000 feet!”

Dust earned his MBA while in the Navy and is now a Senior Fellow in the Center for Public Service at Portland State University, and a doctoral student in Public Affairs and Policy.   After working for several defense contractors he founded Oregon Applied Research LLC. – an executive and technical management consultancy and veteran-owned small business. 

And Finally….

While Rick and I may have disagreed on the value of coinage and the net present value of investments, we were harmonious during college years in our annual rivalry with Brother Garry, while he attended the US Military Academy at West Point.

Garry’s most articulate response came in the mail one year the week before the Army vs Navy Game.

External Photo Attribution

 #1. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Traffic_signs_buried_in_a_pile_of_dirt,_Molenlaankwartier,_Rotterdam_(2022)_02.jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Donald_Trung – 25 September 2022.

#2.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dust_bunnies.jpg) This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Stromcarlson at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide – 23 January 2016.

#3.  Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheDirtJohnson/photo)

#4.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Standard_diving_dress_1.jpg

#5.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:USS_Pigeon_(ASR-21)_underway_off_Southern_California,_California_(USA),_on_28_July_1976_(6392003).jpg)  This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States – 28 July 1976. This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Mark.murphy at English Wikipedia. This applies worldwide.  Author: Mark.murphy.

#6.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyman_G._Rickover#/media/File:Hyman_Rickover_1955.jpg)  This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States – Circa 1955.

#7.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Seawolf_(SSN-575)  This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. US Navy – August 1977.

8.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Spadefish_%28SSN-668%29) This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States. 1969.

#9. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Insignia_of_SSN-668_Spadefish.PNG)  This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States.

#10. History Central –  (https://www.historycentral.com/navy/Submarine/spadefishII.html) Always cite unless otherwise noted Marc Schulman as author, Publisher is Multieducator Inc and Publication.

#11. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_Thousand_Leagues_Under_the_Seas#/media/File:’Twenty_Thousand_Leagues_Under_the_Sea’_by_Neuville_and_Riou_036.jpg) By Henri Théophile Hildibrand – http://jv.gilead.org.il/rpaul/Vingt%20mille%20lieues%20sous%20les%20mers/, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=23310394.

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twenty_Thousand_Leagues_Under_the_Seas#/media/File:Houghton_FC8_V5946_869ve_-_Verne,_frontispiece.jpg)  By Edouard Riou (1833-1900), Alphonse Marie de Neuville (1835-1885), Jules Verne (author) – Houghton Library, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37326342.

#13.  (http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08354.htm) USN photo courtesy of Darryl L. Baker.

#14.  (http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/0835400.jpg) Photo courtesy of Larry Beaver..

#15.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:OceanGate_Titan_schematic_nevernude.svg) licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. By Mliu92 – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0,

#16. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stansfield_Turner#/media/File:Admiral_Stansfield_Turner,_official_Navy_photo,_1983.JPEG) This file is a work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, it is in the public domain in the United States – 13 June 1983.

# 17. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Woodward#/media/File:DIG13846-168.jpg) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it is a work prepared by an officer or employee of the United States Government as part of that person’s official duties under the terms of Title 17, Chapter 1, Section 105 of the US Code – Author: Jay Godwin 2 March 2016…

#18. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Deep_sea_corals,_Wagner_Seamount.jpg) This image is in the public domain because it contains materials that originally came from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, taken or made as part of an employee’s official duties.  15 September 2017.

Summer Simmers – Part I

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4

Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this post through an e-mail, please visit the blog by clicking on the title above to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened.  External photo attribution at the end of the post.  (#1)

The word “simmer” is a transitive verb meaning “to stew gently below or just at the boiling point.”  The usual context is cooking, although with climate change it describes the reaction in many parts of the country to elevated temperatures – now during a major portion of the year in many regions.

I prefer to use the term more intellectually, however – to describe my mental state when looking at many TV commercials, reading or listening to political commentary or just ideas for future Beerchaser blog posts. Ideas which simmer in my cerebellum…..

So this and a few more scattered posts this summer will just be an amalgam or fusion of miscellaneous topics – most not having to do with bars or beers.

Stay tuned, however, for reviews of two great bars I’ve visited in the last few months and deserve their own posts – both with the type of riveting histories that make conveying them in this blog, a fascinating hobby. 

You will enjoy the sagas and character of both the Wildwood Saloon (top two photos) and the original Old Town Pizza and Brewing.

“So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

The author of the Gospel of Mathew who composed the above verse (Chapter 20 v 16) could have used this description for the 20th Century Oregon Legislature and voters. The state led the nation in some meaningful initiatives.

The Oregon Beach Bill was shepherded by Oregon Governors Tom McCall (R) and Bob Straub (D) – when bipartisanship was the norm!

“Thanks to Oregon’s landmark Beach Bill, passed in 1967, and a 1969 Oregon Supreme Court decision, the public’s right to access to all of the state’s beaches is guaranteed

…It established public ownership of land along the Oregon Coast from the water up to sixteen vertical feet above the low tide mark.” (Wikipedia)  (#2 – #3)

Tom McCall and Bob Straub
Cannon Beach

Then there was Oregon’s Bottle Bill – introduced in 1971 as the very first bottle bill in the U.S.  The bill was created to address a growing litter problem along Oregon beaches, highways and other public areas. (Oregon.gov). 

It was again championed by McCall and former Senator and then State Supreme Court Justice, Betty Roberts. (#4)

So how does these mesh with the following two examples?

Oregon and Louisiana were the last two states to allow convictions from non-unanimous juries:

“For decades, Oregon allowed juries to convict people of felony crimes based on non-unanimous jury verdicts (for example 10 jurors agree to convict while 2 jurors vote to acquit). In 2020 the United States Supreme Court took up the constitutionality of non-unanimous jury verdicts in Ramos v. Louisiana.”  (Oregon.gov) (#5)

764px-Balanced_scale_of_Justice_(blue).svg

And as reported in the June 23rd Oregonian after seventy-two years, the Legislature voted to end a prohibition on self-serve gas. Unless vetoed by the Governor, the law

“would require gas stations to staff at least half of their open pumps for people who want assistance. But it would allow other pumps to be open for self-service.”

But wait, it goes further!  In a fit of progressivity, lawmakers included a provision that:

“….would also eliminate from state law language referring to coin-operated fuel pumps, perhaps in recognition of the fact that a $1 coin, the largest denomination in general circulation, would today buy two-tenths of a gallon of gas, and it would take more than 50 of them to fill an average tank.”  (#6)

800px-Petrol_pump_mp3h0354

It’s a great comfort to me that Oregon changed this archaic prohibition before New Jersey – now the only state where one can’t pump his or her own gas. 

This also makes me quite confident that the Oregon Legislature will make future leaps in solving some of the less significant issues such as climate change, homelessness, funding for public defenders (a crisis), timber and wildfire management and Oregon’s high school graduation rates.

The Good Ol’ Days?

How many times have we Baby Boomers reflected on how our parents used to say “goodbye” to us in the morning when we were on summer vacation from grade school?  Our moms would then admonish us not to be late for dinner as we walked out the door for the day.

We would often pack a lunch and then wonder across busy streets through the woods to a pond or stream in which we fished or swam, have lunch in a makeshift treehouse and walk or ride our bike several miles to a hobby shop or Five and Dime Store in the center of town.  

Now days, parents are understandably a lot more cautious about that kind of “adventure” without adult supervision. That said, I’m amazed at how young and how fast kids whiz by on electric scooters or motorized bikes – most of the time – but not always – with helmets. (#7 – #8)

My younger daughter is a pediatric Emergency Department nurse. 

Maybe I should ask her although I think she’d probably reply, “Relax Dad. Go have a beer!”

Concluding Simmers

I’ve mentioned in recent posts that since we will be moving later this year, my wife has been relentless on reminding me of my task to go through my extensive collection of newspapers, magazines and old files with everything from college and graduate school papers to law firm e-mails which are often humorous and sarcastic (Go figure!)

But it’s not just reviewing this stuff, but the mandate is to recycle the great bulk of this “material” in filing cabinets in our garage, my home office, etc.

I talked about this in two blog posts in the last year  (https://thebeerchaser.com/2023/01/02/de-files-de-files-part-ii/) 

I’ve already given my daughters the stuff from their school years that occupied several file drawers, but I insisted on saving a valuable resource for my bar exploits – the Annual Willamette Week Bar Guides.

Photo Jan 01, 11 22 50 AM

An invaluable reference since Beerchasing began in 2011

I did find three files that I also am inclined to keep entitled “Bar Jokes,” “Lawyer Jokes” and “Quotations.” 

To assuage Janet’s concern that I will never look at these files and our daughters will eventully be forced to dispose of them upon our demise, I offer the following. Perhaps, I will provide one in each category to end future blog posts where I don’t review a specific bar or brewery.

Lawyer Joke

A guy walks into a lawyer’s office and says, “You’re a high-priced lawyer.  If I pay you $500, will you answer two questions for me?”  

“Absolutely,” says the lawyer.  “What’s the second question?”

Bar Joke

A brain walks into a bar and says to the bartender, “Please give me a draft beer.”  The bartender looks at him and says, “Sorry, I can’t serve you.”  The brain asks, “Why not?” The bartender replies, “Because you’re already out of your head.”  (#9)

Human_brain_NIH

Quotation

“Before you judge a man, walk a mile in his shoes.  After that, who cares?  He’s a mile away and you’ve got his shoes…..”  Scottish Actor Billy Connolly

Cheers and Happy Independence Day

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Grill_(PSF).png) This work has been released into the public domain by its author, Pearson Scott Foresman. This applies worldwide.

#2.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cannon_Beach_(63902003).jpeg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.  Source:  the Archive Team – 22 September 2006.

#3.  The Oregon Encyclopedia (https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/oregon_beach_bill/) Courtesy:  State of Oregon.

#4.  Oregon Beverage Recycling Cooperative  (https://obrc.com/oregons-bottle-bill/history-of-oregons-bottle-bill/)

#5.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Balanced_scale_of_Justice_(blue).svg)  This file is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication. Source: User:Perhelion,  12 March 2015.

#6.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Petrol_pump_mp3h0354.jpg)  Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 France license.  Author:  https: Rama – 2 January 2008.

#7.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lewis_Hine,_The_Swimming_Hole,_Westfield,_Massachusetts,_1916.jpg)  This work is from the National Child Labor Committee collection at the Library of Congress. According to the library, there are no known copyright restrictions on the use of this work.   Author:  Lewis Hines – 28 June 1916.

#8.  Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Generation_Z_kids_on_Electric_Scooter_(48263543577).jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.  Author: Kristoffer Trolle from Copenhagen, Denmark – 6 July 2019.

#9.  Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Human_brain_NIH.png) This image is a work of the National Institutes of Health, part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, taken or made as part of an employee’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain. Source: National Institutes of Health.