March Gladness

Posted on March 27, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

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 at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened. External photo attribution at the end of the post.

Since I periodically swerve from this blog’s main focus – review of a particular bar or brewery – you might expect a few comments about both the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Final Four Basketball spectacle, but that’s not the case except for a minor observation or two below.

No, my title is because notwithstanding many regional, national and international concerns and challenges which are vexing and depressing, I’m going to end the month chiefly focusing on the positive.

A primary factor is that on March 29th, I celebrate our 44th anniversary with my wonderful spouse, Janet. From the time I first laid eyes on her at a 1979 meeting of the Oregon City Planning Commission. I chaired that body, she served as the City’s Neighborhood Involvement Coordinator, and ever since, I’ve been blessed by her companionship, patience and affection.

Busier than a Urologist in March

A slight alternation of the term for the annual March tournament was coined several years ago. “Vas Madness” refers to the demand for appointments for vasectomies right before the Final Four so the male patient can cite doctor’s orders that:

“During the (recovery period) patients are under strict medical orders to rest and avoid strenuous activity while periodically icing the groin area. With all that free time to lounge around, men are likely to want to have something planned.”

It’s explained very well in a USA Today article “Vasectomies and March Madness: How marketing led the ‘vas madness’ myth to become reality.” And it’s fascinating to do a Google search on “vas madness.” Numerous urological clinics cheerfully (and aggressively) advertise. Look at this one by the Central Indiana Urological Group:

“Ready for some exciting basketball? We’ve got your assist: Vas Madness”

And the Oregon Urology Institute, in my own state, helpfully offers:

“5 Reasons to Plan Your Vasectomy During March Madness”

The most gripping – “Score a free T-shirt” – with a slogan “Lower your seed…Snip City 2024” (#1 – #2)

Permanent birth control is a slam dunk…..

If you are a Bloody Mary fan, you might also want to stock up on ice as it becomes a “groin concern” and might be in limited supply.

And Just in Case

Those who might need it, but understandably are somewhat reluctant to have the procedure, could well take the admonition of this sign recently posted on the wonderful Facebook page of the group American Saloons, Bars & Taverns: (#3)

Reaffirming Optimism in Portland’s Old Town

In my last blog post entitled Optimism in Old Town, I enthusiastically set forth the positive steps that owner, Adam Milne has recently taken to demonstrate his commitment to a Portland recovery.

His “Believe in Portland” campaign has gained traction and there are more indications that Portland businesses and leaders are working to regain the City’s reputation as a wonderful place to both live and visit.

I was therefore glad (remember the theme of this post) to see a headline in yesterday’s local news: “$2 million to go to transforming Portland’s Old Town vacant buildings into fashion manufacturing facility.” KGW.com

“If approved by the governor, the money will go to the Old Town Community Association, part of a group that wants to bring manufacturing, housing, and office and retail space to the district on the northern edge of downtown.” Oregon Live (#4 – #6)

There are multiple issues for Portland to overcome, however, as an article just today, in the Oregonian reports:

“Portland’s central city had the highest office vacancy rate of the 50 largest downtown office markets in the country by the end of last year, according to a report by real estate firm Colliers.” (#7)

The Pacwest Center where I spent twenty-five years.

And the homeless quandary seems staggering although Portland voters and the various levels of government have approved substantial financial resources to address the problem.

Why Can’t We Just Get Along and Get Something Done??

The City of Portland, after a successful ballot measure, is restructuring its governing and management organization. It’s a massive transition that would be a challenge for any entity, but the efforts have not been smooth to date.

And notwithstanding the available funds, the homeless plight continues with improvements at what many consider to be a glacial pace.

We watch the City of Portland and the Multnomah County fighting over policy and jurisdiction with a multitude of non-profits gumming up the works and adding to the acrimony. (#8 – #9)

Voters have approved money and changes to restore Portland, but that sinking feeling of despair returns when reviewing the recent announcement of the Joint City of Portland – Multnomah Homeless Response Action Plan – chronicled as a major step forward.

An Astute Reaction

Jack Bogdanski, is a professor of tax law at Lewis and Clark Law School in Portland. He graduated from Stanford Law School as a member of the distinguished Order of the Coif.

“He is a five-time winner of Lewis & Clark’s Leo Levenson Award for excellence in law teaching. He supervises the school’s tax moot court team, which has won national honors, and he founded and runs a volunteer clinic to assist international students with U.S. tax issues.” (#10)

Now taxation may sound rather boring, but the erstwhile academician is also an inveterate blogger and one of the most prolific and entertaining in the Northwest.

Check out the insightful excerpt from his post “It’s Hopeless,” below and you’ll understand why the announcement from the City/County group should be met with disdain.

“I see that the lame duck mayor of Portland and the queen of the Multnomah County commission held another one of their bizarre press conferences about the city’s street crisis yesterday. They’re very big on the media photo ops. They had an almost identical one in December.

At that point, they were bragging about a framework for a draft of a plan for some programs. Yesterday they had moved from the framework to the draft. So now we’ve made it all the way to the draft of the plan for some programs. It took only three months. You wonder how many junkies, and small businesses, died in that span of time.

And if you think the wait was bad, you probably don’t want to look at what we were waiting for. Forty-seven pages of bureaucratic word salad. The content is so bad, it’s almost a parody. Turn any page and you find stuff like: (#11)

“Word Salad” is too genteel to describe this BS….

‘The Homelessness Response Action Plan creates new governance and accountability structures to allow decision-makers to set goals, objectives and the budgets needed to achieve outcomes. It creates a co-governance model in the Steering and Oversight Committee to identify responsibilities, coordination and goals.

Under that committee, it calls for an Implementation Sub-Committee to track progress, identify challenges, collaborate and hold one another accountable to solutions.

And it assembles a robust Community Advisory Sub-Committee to elevate the issues of those across the spectrum of providers, partners and impacted stakeholders to offer their input on goals and solutions and other kinds of feedback…..”

Edwin Newman and Schu Would be Appalled.

The last two years of my seven-year tenure for Clackamas County, I was an Administrative Analyst for the three-member County Commission. My job was to write memos, press releases and various missives as well as financial analysis.

And the late Commissioner Robert Schumacher, as Chair of the Commission, was my primary boss. Schu, went out on a political limb to hire two young guys to help formulate budgets and perform a variety of organizational tasks for a county that was sorely lacking in best practices.

Mike Bateson and I promptly became known as “The Whiz Kids” – I like to think with a certain amount of bemused affection from our colleagues in County Counsel and various Departments.

Bob “Schu” Schumacher graduated from Lewis and Clark Law School and had a better grasp of the Oregon land-use system implemented in 1973 with passage of Senate Bill 100, than almost any elected official in Oregon. Having served several terms as Clackamas County Clerk, he was also an expert at Oregon Election Law.

Besides that, Schu had a remarkable and acerbic sense of humor that helped mitigate the stress of local government work. He was a superb and gifted elected official.

Although he was my boss, we became good friends and he served as an usher in our 1980 wedding. After several terms on the Commission, he left to work on the Oregon Governor’s staff. He passed away far too young.

Now before you think I’m straying too far afield, the preceding narrative is appropriate because consistent with the theme of this post, I will be forever glad that I spent two years working for this consummate elected official.

Schu was also a student of the language and we used to have shots of bourbon in his office after hours and laugh at the brilliant books of Edwin Newman, American newscaster, journalist, and author. He wrote both Strictly Speaking: Will America be the Death of English? and a Civil Tongue. (#12)

Journalist, author and newscaster

I still remember during budget hearings averting my gaze from Schu to avoid laughing when a Department Head would use a redundancy such as “free gratis” or state in a subdued tone, “Just between you and I,” use the term “hopefully” or end a sentence with a preposition.

And Newman would go nuts if he saw the quote from the Homeless Action Plan release above. As he once asked rhetorically:

“Is the design and implementation of pragmatic interfaces’ something we want to happen? I’m not sure.” Washington Post

(I should note that I’m leaving myself as a target, because I’m sure I’ve committed some linguistic or grammatical gaffes in this post. My friend, lawyer and legal consultant, R.W.(Hap) Ziegler, who scrutinizes (nitpicks?) each one for errors and will e-mail me within ten minutes after it is published. Since I don’t want to be a hypocrite, I also welcome his inspection.)

And Finally – Don’t Forget Dr. Harry Frankfurt

I have written several posts including “BS Revisited – If Only I had Known in 2012!” about the brilliant book On Bullshit by the late Harry Frankfurt, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at Princeton University. (#13)

The good professor would use the “BS” label to describe both the written and the spoken word and this excerpt seems fitting to describe the author of the above press release:

“When we characterize talk as hot air, we mean that what comes out of the speaker’s mouth is only that. It is mere vapor. His speech is empty, without substance or content. His use of language accordingly does not contribute to the purpose it purports to serve.

No more information is communicated than if the speaker had merely exhaled. There are similarities between hot air and excrement, incidentally, which make hot air seem an especially suitable equivalent for bullshit.

Just as hot air is speech that has been emptied of all informative content, so excrement is matter from which everything nutritive has been removed.”

Enough said!

Farewell Malachy McCourt

I wrote about Malachy’s Bar in New York City in my February post “Don’t Jump When You Can Dive – Part III”. I had also recently featured former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Jay Waldron who after he saw the post commented:

“Was Malachy’s named after Malachy McCourt? He was a full-of-shit Irishman who played rugby and drank with me in NYC in the late 60’s and I also had a pint with his more famous author/brother Frank in McSorleys , my then favorite NYC bar. Jay”

The answer to Jay’s question was affirmative. McCourt was, indeed, a rugby player who owned Malachy’s Irish Pub on West 72nd Street. (#14 – #15)

Well, thirty-one days after I wrote about McCourt and Malachy’s Irish Pub, Jay sent me this link to the Washington Post obituaries:

“Malachy McCourt, raconteur of the Irish experience in America, dies at 92”

Cheers! (#16)

Pam 13

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Kansas Jayhawks Open Practice at the 2016 March Madness Opening Rounds (25817826036).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license. Author: Phil Roeder from Des Moines, IA – 16 March 2016.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:Rtu.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: Ramonduran – 28 June 2001.

#3. Facebook Page of Amercian Saloon, Bars and Taverns (https://www.facebook.com/groups/AmericanSaloons).

$4 #5. Old Town Brewing Web Site (https://www.otbrewing.com/shop)

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland, Oregon sign + Old Town tower, 2012.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Another_Believer – 8 January 2012.

#7. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons – PacWest Center (icensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: Cacophony 18 June 2006.

#8. Wikimedia Commons (File:Ted Speech.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Hcraddock – 5 December 2015.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Jessica Vega Pederson.png – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license. Author: MetroEast Community Media – 30 October 2017.

#10. Lewis and Clark Law School Website (https://law.lclark.edu/live/profiles/295-john-bogdanski).

#11. City of Portland Website (Portland, Multnomah County announce Homelessness Response Action Plan | Portland.gov).

#12. Wikimedia Commons (File:Edwin Newman in 1975.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in the United States between 1929 and 1977, inclusive, without a copyright notice. Author: NBC -12 December 1975.

#13. 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) 20 October 2018.

#14. Wikimedia Commons (Malachy_McCourt_3_by_David_Shankbone.jpg (2265×1913) (wikimedia.org) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: David Shankbone – 30 March 2007.

#15. Malachy Irish Pub Website Photo Gallery (https://www.malachysirishpub.com/gallery).

#16. Illustration courtesy of Pam Williams.

Optimism in Old Town

Posted on March 19, 2024 by Thebeerchaser

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. #1 – #2)

Adam Milne is an optimist. He had a vision as a youngster. And now he has another vision.

As I’ve related in two previous posts about Old Town Brewing and Old Town Pizza, Adam first became enamored with Old Town Pizza when he visited at the age of nine in 1979 when it was owned by the Accaurdi family. They originally opened it in 1974. He then purchased it when he was thirty-three in 2003.

I’ve mentioned how Adam’s unceasing optimism kept his business going after some significant challenges in the early years, during his trademark fight with the City of Portland and as the global pandemic raged in the last few years shuttering many business – especially those in the hospitality sector permanently.

And when I say optimist, it’s not a frivolous compliment. From my previous encounters with Adam, given his buoyant spirit, I would not be surprised to see him start a new diet the week before Thanksgiving.

He’s so positive about the future, he’s probably committed to stay in Portland during the NBA Western Division Playoffs to see the Trailblazers – 14th out of 15th in the West with a current record of 19 – 49.

Okay, you get the idea, but possibly the following quote from one of Oscar Wilde’s plays is most appropriate to explain his new vision:

“We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.” (#4)

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Looking to the Stars….

Take a look at some of the articles about Portland’s downward spiral in the last few years – not only Oregon publications, but in major papers throughout the country. They single Portland out among major cities for lingering pandemic related issues.

“Downtown in distress: Portland’s core is unsafe and uninviting, residents say in new poll, threatening city’s recovery.” Oregon Live 5/24/21

“What’s the matter with Portland? Shootings, theft and other crime test city’s progressive strain.” Los Angeles Times 2/10/23

“Fighting for Anthony – The Struggle to Save Portland Oregon.” New York Times 7/29/23 (#5)

But That’s Not Adam’s Mentality

The pandemic decimated many breweries who either closed permanently or shuttered to comply with State mandates or just because there were few, if any, patrons. Old Town Pizza was no exception:

“At one point in late 2021, his receipts in the original location for the day were $17 and he made the difficult decision to temporarily close that location. After eighteen months, it reopened five days per week in 2022. The NE Pub continued to operate during that hiatus.”

Thebeerchaser https://thebeerchaser.com/2024/01/13/head-downtown-to-old-town-pizza-and-brewing/ (#6 – #8)

Old Town Pizza located in the historic Merchant Hotel Building in Old Town

Carson Bowler, a Sigma Nu fraternity brother of Adam’s at the University of Oregon and a Portland lawyer and I joined Adam for a beer in Old Town in July 2023 to hear about Adam’s new vision.

Carson was almost giddy – not just at seeing his old friend – but at the opportunity to down a Shanghai’d IPA – one of their most popular seasonals and consistent with the historical ambiance in which we raised mugs:

“A Toast to Portland – Portland’s Shanghai Tunnels, an eerie section of which lie beneath our Old Town Taproom. (about 14,000 square feet of it – see photos below)

Lore of unsuspecting laborers being kidnapped via these secret tunnels and sold to ship captains for a crew in the late 1800’s lives on today.”

I quaffed an Old Town Red Ale – one of their flagship brews:

An impeccably balanced malt-driven ale with notes of sweetbread and caramel partnered with a medium hop bite and finish. (#9 – #10)

Adam told us at that one point during COVID he thought that his dream and his enterprise might not come back. “Can I recreate a career at 50?” But he restarted incrementally and continued to rely both on his marketing talent and his positive outlook.

The Old Town location had been down 60% from pre-pandemic sales numbers; however, the pub and brewery in NE Portland had done better.

But as pointed out in several articles, Adam was not going to join the chorus of those essentially viewing Portland as a lost cause. One of the articles by The Oregonian’s Beer Columnist and Editor, Andre Meunier, entitled “A New Look for Old Town Brewing Shines a Positive Light on Portland and its Icons,” provides an apt description:

“But Milne is a self-described and unapologetic optimist, and where some see a reason to turn out the lights, he sees motivation to add wattage.

I wanted to come out of the pandemic and really be a part of the solution to making Portland better,’ Milne said. ‘So we started with that. How can we be a positive voice for Portland?’” The Oregonian 2/22/23

Unlike many of the elected officials and non-profit managers who seem to offer more bombast than action, however, the article sets forth concrete steps he’s taken to help not only his own business, but fellow merchants and the entire City.

He extended his lease in Old Town by at least seven and up to twelve years.
He reopened the underground tunnel tours in the basement space below his building which gives an amazing historic portrayal of Portland’s rich past – especially in Old Town.

He gave us a tour of the chambers below which required some careful navigation of old staircases, (the ancient elevator is not in working order at the present) but was fascinating including an old bar and drinking area.

For those who have any interest in authentic historical settings, the Haunted Shanghai Tunnel Tour is a must. And for $38 you get a ninety-minute tour plus some extras – what a deal:

“Learn about Portland’s dark history and hear stories about our resident ghost, Nina. Finish up with a special tasting and 1 pint of our internationally award-winning beer.”

Adams recovery actions continue:

He initiated a re-branding campaign for Old Town Brewing

“…that focuses on Portland and the images and symbols that have won the city and region affection for decades.

A new line of beer cans will prominently display the leaping stag of the widely recognizable ‘Portland Oregon’ sign along the Willamette River and each of Old Town’s five core beers will highlight recognizable images and symbols and present a unique toast to each.”

beer cans

Milne stated, “We believe in our city, and want to be a part of the solution in making Portland even better. That’s why our new cans celebrate the city we love, capturing some of our favorite aspects of the city.”

Pilsner and the Fremont Bridge

IPA and the “zoo-bombers” down the West Hills roadways

NW IPA and the Columbia River Gorge

Hazy IPA – Pillowfist and Mount Hood

Red Ale and the Lone Fir Cemetery

The Stag is still on the front of the cans as Adam views that as a symbol of unity and pride in the City. (#11)

The Brewery is now working with area non-profits, most notably Word is Bond, an organization helping young Black men with citizenship and leadership training.

Adam will host fundraisers and provide food for their programs and is working with visionary Founder and Executive Director Lakayana Drury..

Drury came up with the slogan “Believe in Portland,” which graces the shirts available on the Old Town website and in stores. $10 of every shirt sale will go to a local nonprofit, with a different one getting the money every month.

Next up was Central City Concern, a neighbor of the restaurant in Old Town. (#12 – #13)

And last but not least, Willamette Week in its story captioned: “Nine Portland Breweries Are Reviving Their Own Version of Portland Dining Month,” relates how Old Town and eight fellow breweries are figuratively “joining kegs” to create the second consecutive Portland Brewery Dining Month.

Patrons can partake of customized three-course meals throughout March, the traditional period when Portland Dining Month took place:

“Better yet: The breweries are sweetening the deal by throwing in one beer, house wine or non-alcoholic beverage and a $10 voucher for use between April 1 and June 30—a perk you didn’t find at Portland Dining Week.” (#14)

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And after wandering through the Old Town’s downtown space and marveling at the alcoves, historic pictures, I checked their website and also discovered that Old Town:

“…. has a beautiful, open lofted level with several semi-private spaces for groups of between 10 and 60 people. Book an event with us and enjoy a full service, buffet-style dinner in the historic Merchant Hotel, plus even more space available at our NE brewery.”

Their Facebook page shows some great pictures of weddings and receptions held recently.

So I decided to take advantage of that for a Beerchasing Event. I invited former and current members of the Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt Environmental and Natural Resources Group to meet in the late afternoon last January for beer and pizza.

There was no room charge, the space was well-suited for our group and the pizza and beer were a hit with all nine of us there.

schwabe

So what can those of us who love Portland do to support Adam and his compatriots’ vision for restoring Portland to its beauty, vitality and reputation as a prime vacation spot?

Well, you can pay a visit to either the Downtown or NE Portland location, order some beer on-line, buy a t-shirt from the Old Town website, take a Shanghai Tunnel Tour, book an event or just send this Portland leader an e-mail reinforcing what he is trying to accomplish. https://www.otbrewing.com/contact-1

And to End this Tome on a Note of Positivity

Speaking of major career decisions, here’s an ending toast to Carson Bowler. My former colleague and friend for many years is not only a superb lawyer, but a wonderful human being.

A leading Portland mediator, several years ago who moderated an all-day session in which CBo (as we affectionately called him) represented one of the parties told me the next day:

“Don, that Carson Bowler is the real deal!

Congratulations to him for leaving the large-firm environment at the beginning of 2024 and starting his own firm – Law Office of Carson Bowler. (#15 – #16)

https://bowler-law.com/

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland, Oregon sign + Old Town tower, 2012.JPG – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Another_Believer – 8 January 2012.

#2. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Thanksgiving_Turkey_2021_(cropped).jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Freshman 404 – 23 November 2021.

#3 – #4. Old Town Brewing Website (Old Town Brewing (otbrewing.com)).

#5. Wikimedia Commons (File:Northeast Portland homeless camp tents.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Graywalls 1 March 2020.

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Merchant Hotel building – Portland, Oregon (2016).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Steve Morgan 23 October 2016.

#7 – #8. Old Town Brewing Website (Old Town Brewing (otbrewing.com).

#9 – #11 Old Town Brewing Website (BEERS — Old Town Brewing (otbrewing.com)).

#12 – #13. Word is Bond Website (WordIsBond (mywordisbond.org)).

#14. Old Town Brewing Facebook Page ((2) old town brewing – Search Results | Facebook)

#15 – #16. Law Office of Carson Bowler Website (https://bowler-law.com/).

May Meanderings

Posted on May 21, 2023 by Thebeerchaser

(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.

Pappy’s – That’s all there is to it!

This is a blog about bars, saloons and breweries – colloquially labeled as “watering holes” – not bistros or cafes. I’ve made a few exceptions where a great bar is located within a restaurant, but only for those of historic significance.

These have essentially been restricted to the McMenamin establishments which reek of history – the White Eagle Saloon, the St. John’s Pub, the Old Church and the Fulton Pub.

The following is an exception, however, because of the compelling character of both the bistro and the owner. It’s not a bar – I don’t even know if they serve any alcohol, but Pappy’s Greasy Spoon in the heart of Canby – a small town in semi-rural Clackamas County about twenty-five miles south of Portland – is a destination I would unequivocally recommend.

And it’s not that often when the charisma and personality of the owner are so integrated with the overall character of the bar, that it becomes a focal point and the highlight of the visit.

Those I remember from my eleven years of Beerchasing are John Runkle of the Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak, Montana and the others all in or near Portland.

There’s Adam Milne, the entrepreneurial owner of Portland’s Old Town Brewing; the late Mayor Bud Clark and his unforgettable Goose Hollow Inn and former Irish soap opera actor, Tom O’Leary, the owner of T.C. O’Leary’s.

I can’t forget amiable Amy Nichols of the Cheerful Tortoise and Cheerful Bullpen; the inimitable Frank “The Flake” Peters of the Grand Cafe (RIP) and last but not least Patrick Whitmore, the generous and down-home, cowboy-hat wearing owner of the Beavercreek Saloon (formerly Buffalo Bill’s and Kissin Kate’s in rural Clackamas County.)

I heard the stories of the grit and determination it took to open and manage their bars from each of the individuals above and pictured below, while I was at their establishments and they were unique and rewarding to hear.

Beerchasing Icons

From top left clockwise: John Runkle, Adam Milne, Tom O’Leary, Frank Peters, Patrick Whitmore, Amy Nichols and Mayor Bud Clark

However, on my May 4th birthday, I met another icon like those above – this one at Pappy’s Greasy Spoon where I had breakfast with two former work colleagues – Dick Templeman and Walt Duddington.

Dick, who is now retired in Canby, was the first manager (Director of Operations) I hired when I started working at the Schwabe law firm in 1985. We worked together until I retired in 2010 and he was outstanding at his job.

Walt was a skilled technology consultant, who saved our bacon on a number of projects. And speaking of bacon, see below.

Pappy came over and spent twenty minutes relating his story and just chatting with us – at the end being joined by his wife, Lisa. But first he thanked Dick for supporting the business during the pandemic years when takeout was the only option much of the time.

While you can get an excellent burger or fried chicken sandwich with a milk shake before their 2:00 PM closing time, the specialty is breakfast of “generous” portions which Pappy’s starts serving at 6:00 A.M.

Before telling you more about Pappy’s and maybe out of a sense of guilt, I should tell you about my breakfast that day as it probably shortened my life by several years. That said, I would do it again.

The Riley Special for only $9.00, is two eggs, four strips of bacon (or sausage), hash browns (or red potatoes) and two slices of toast (with jam). At least I didn’t have the biscuits and gravy…but as a recent article in Oregon Life stated:

“:…this isn’t a place for those who are counting calories or watching their cholesterol. This is classic American diner food in its truest form. “

Birthday bacon, itself, is worth remembering but as stated in one of the many articles:

“But what makes Pappy’s truly exceptional is Pappy himself (whose real name is Mike Merrill), who’s owned and run the diner for over 20 years and absolutely loves what he does.

The business originally started in a bowling alley, Canby Bowl, which has since closed down and has been replaced with an O’Reilly Auto Parts.” (Oregon Live 4/18/23)

Photo May 04 2023, 9 44 39 AM

Pappy told us that he and his first wife moved to Oregon from New Hampshire. He’s had the business for over twenty years. Walking into Pappy’s is taking a trip back to the classic diners of the 50’s.

The long counter with red stools reminded me of the drugstore where I used to get nickel Cokes after my Oregon Journal paper route in Oregon City was finished.

And speaking of Coca Cola, much of the memorabilia (which he states is about 90% donated – even some from the East Coast) is Coke related.

There’s numerous Coke signs, a clock, an upside umbrella hanging from the ceiling and best of all, an antique Coke cooler which I assume still functions because there are current bottles of Coke underneath it.

Don’t forget the Aunt Jemima sign and the photos of celebrities’ ranging from Elvis to Nat King Cole to Danny Thomas and Al Hirt to name just a few.

Pappy stares out from galley where he cooks hundreds of breakfasts each week and periodically walks out like an army general to greet his customers who are already being giving loving attention by his servers including Lisa.

He told us that his first wife died a number of years ago from an extended illness, but Lisa, who was working as a server became a friend and then a perfect match. They were married about five years ago.

Dick said the wedding was held in a large vacant room down the hallway, but the reception was in the diner:

“Marilyn and I attended along with half the town. It was standing room only. Fun time.”

Pappy’s is well worth a visit, but it may require a wait. It’s worth it!

Pandemic Recovery Challenges Continue

In my last two posts I wrote about the number of bars and breweries that struggled during the pandemic and listed a number of my favorites which are no longer in business.

One would think the challenges are largely past, however, the City of Portland unfortunately and to the detriment of business owners, has not recovered to the extent of other major US cities.

While it’s easy to point fingers and there have been unprecedented challenges, most citizens feel that elected officials, most notably the Portland Mayor and City Council and the District Attorney of Multnomah County fell down on the job. Don’t forget the last Oregon Governor’s constant equivocation on COVID closure and occupancy policies for hospitality establishments.

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One of my favorite historic Portland dive bars I first visited in 2015 is Kelly’s Olympian. A May 10, 2023 Willamette Week article is entitled, “The Owner of Kelly’s Olympian Is Despondent About the Fentanyl Den Across the Street”:

“Since it opened in 1902, Kelly’s Olympian, the bar on Southwest Washington Street, has survived two world wars, the Depression, Prohibition, the Great Recession, the 2020 protests and COVID-19.

It’s an open question whether it will survive the fentanyl den across the street between 4th and 5th avenues.”

When I visited Kelly’s, the scene was typical of that until the pandemic – people sitting at picnic tables in front of the bar, a few motorcycles parked out front by patrons who wanted to see the vintage collection of the machines inside and a friendly, engaged and diverse crowd at the bar as described in this Zagat Review:

”a mix of punks, business types and ‘street urchins’ gathers for Pabst and ‘strong’ pours of Jack Daniels….”

And there would always be crowds to enjoy the bands who played there several times each week. At one point, Kelly’s was purported to have the second highest liquor sales of any establishment in Oregon.

But what attracted many people – both regulars and visitors – were the unique trappings of the bar. Hanging from the ceiling were about a dozen vintage motorcycles which had each been beautifully restored.

Adding to the flavor were museum quality neon signs, antique gas pumps and historic photos of Portland and an old-fashioned pinball machine.

Our friendly bartender, Mary Kate, when we asked about the bar’s history, showed us the trap door behind the bar and the stairway down to the cellar which although they are now boarded up, used to have a maze of “Shanghai” tunnels:

“Legend has it that there used to be several secret entrances to the Shanghai Tunnels, Chinese immigrants and dockworkers lived and made their way about the underground of Portland.” Kelly’s Olympian website

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It should be noted that not all of downtown currently Portland presents the same picture as the area around Kelly’s Olympian. As stated in the Willamette Week article, the times of prosperity have changed:

“Kelly’s is hanging on ‘by a string,’ says owner Ben Stutz. Blight, crime and untreated mental illness and addiction in downtown Portland are driving customers away, and Stutz is spending $15,000 a month on full-time security guards for Kelly’s and tenants on the floors above

…I would like more police patrols. Just walk the street. Go in and deal with people. Make it uncomfortable for people to break the law. I’d also like to see the governor get some State Police and National Guard out here like they’re doing in San Francisco.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is not what you’d call a bleeding heart. He took a look at San Francisco and said, ‘We can’t have this happen.’ But our governor isn’t doing that. The mayor talks about a reset. The governor needs to talk about a reset too.”

Next time you are in Portland stop at have a beer or whiskey at Kelly’s and tell them you’re glad they’re still going. And ask to see the trap door behind the bar!

But Let’s End on a More Uplifting and Ethereal Note!

Those who follow Thebeerchaser know that my favorite brewery is Mount Angel Oregon’s Benedictine Brewery – on the grounds of the Mt. Angel Abbey. The Brewery is one of only three in the US owned and operated by Benedictine monks.

I was fortunate to get involved in the planning and development in 2016 until the Brewery and St. Michael’s Taproom Taproom opened in November 2018.

It has been extremely successful and Fr. Martin Grassel, the Head Brewer, has developed a regional following for his excellent beers. ( External photo attribution is at the end of the post. #1)

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Recently, he was featured in an episode of “The Beer Hour with Jonathan Wakefield.” The episode covers a wide variety of topics, from the history of monastic brewing to monastic formation and Fr. Martin’s vocation story, to the origins of the Benedictine Brewery.

Since it’s 53 minutes long, I was just going to listen for about ten minutes, but got hooked and listened to the entire thing. He’s a good storyteller!

The Beer Hour with Johnathan Wakefield: Benedictine Brewery’s Father Martin Grassel on Apple Podcasts

But I want to end this post – not with a review of a watering hole – but a movie. Fr. Stu: Reborn was released by Sony Pictures in December, 2022.

As unlikely as it seems from his past roles, it stars Mark Wahlberg (who is a devout Catholic) and was produced on a shoestring budget of only $4 million. Evidently, the film received mixed reviews; however, my wife and I really enjoyed it. (#2 – #3)

The focus of my interest was the role of the Mt. Angel Seminary. As stated in the Mount Angel Newsletter:

“An injury ended Stu’s heavyweight professional boxing dreams, and after a succession of short career starts, a motorcycle accident caused him to spend months in hospital care.

In that time of recovery, he realized his vocational call to the priesthood and entered the seminary for the Diocese of Helena. He studied at Mount Angel Seminary from 2004 to 2007 and was ordained in 2007.”

Since I serve on the Abbey Foundation Board, I’ve gotten to know many of the monks, priests and seminarians including Fr. Pius Harding OSB (shown below) a monk who was Fr. Stu’s spiritual director at the Abbey and who just celebrated his 30th anniversary of ordination. He stated:

“Stu had a casual, upbeat way about him: very interested in the people around him. He was most generous; as a matter of fact, you had to refrain from admiring things in his presence, or he would buy them for you.” (#4)

frr pius

During his years in seminary he was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that mimics the symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s disease and for which there is no cure. The movie chronicles his courageous battle with the disease.

“He took [the illness] on like the fighter he was trained to be,’ recalls Fr. Pius. ‘And he went on to live the vocation of love. I know several who embraced the Catholic faith due to his kind example and zealous catechetical ministry.’” (#5)

I’m confident that you will enjoy the movie. Blessings and Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1. Benedictine Brewery Facebook Page (https://www.facebook.com/BenedictineBrewery)

#2. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_Wahlberg_(6908662467).jpg) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license. Author: Eva Rinaldi – 20 February 2012.

#3. Mount Angel Letter (https://www.mountangelabbey.org/fr-stuart-long-lifelong-fighter-for-christ/)

#4 Mount Angel Letter https://www.facebook.com/MountAngelAbbeySeminary/photos/fr-pius-x-harding-osb-celebrates-25-years-of-ordination-at-the-mass-for-trinity-/1612137055508896/?paipv=0&eav=AfZLE-ZipJYEIS3d0endrLmmaDP01ldf2GuMQlXxWffe36RtDUmu0_V1g1Nw0EuDYTY&_rdr)

#6. Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mt._Angel_Abbey_(Marion_County,_Oregon_scenic_images)_(marDA0213).jpg) The copyright holder of this file allows anyone to use it for any purpose, provided that the copyright holder is properly attributed. Redistribution, derivative work, commercial use, and all other use is permitted. Source: Gary Halvorson, Oregon State Archives.

Beerchaser Miscellany – The Bad, the Unfortunate and the Good!

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Thebeerchaser

In one of my last posts entitled “Destiny of the Dives,” I listed a number of Portland bars and breweries that had closed based on the pandemic and resulting lockdowns and the civil disorder that was rampant in Portland last year. Unfortunately, there’s a couple more, both of which I had hoped might reopen, but that doesn’t appear to be the case.

Bailey’s Tap Room – right on Broadway in downtown Portland and known since 2007 for its robust tap list (its twenty-six rotating taps were displayed electronically) will definitely not reopen although that was the intent when it first closed.

Unfortunately, the Upper Lip – a great lounge on the upper floor of the same building – is also gone. The building was quickly sold and who knows if another watering hole will eventually take over the space. An article in Brewpublic.com echoed the same pessimistic outlook.

One of the first electronic displays of its kind

Willamette Week reported in a January article headlined “An Oregon economist could not think of another example of ‘an area that has so quickly fallen into disfavor.’”:

“Portland plunged from one of the most desirable cities for real estate investors to 66th among 80 cities (Urban Land Institute)….The reputational damage is what’s going to exacerbate or prolong what we saw unfold in 2020.”

Grixen Brewing – my former neighbor was one of the partners in this brewery opened in 2013 in SE Portland that featured a spacious taproom and good beer.

Great taproom and quality beer…

Grixen — Sorry to see them go…..

It was announced in August that they would temporarily close although their website now states:

“We have permanently closed. We are still navigating a way to keep the beer alive. Follow us on social channels for announcements.”

Well, there is nothing in social media or on the internet that updates that info except a piece in NewSchoolBeer.com in October stating “Lease the Former Grixen Brewery.” I hope I’m wrong, but don’t count on seeing them again.

Tax and Legislative Changes and Lifting of Restrictions

Fortunately, at least in Oregon, there are some positive developments which will now help bars and breweries after a tumultuous year.

Oregon Craft Brewers avoided what would have been a 100% tax increase: “The $900 billion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress Dec. 21 includes a set of tax breaks that offer substantial relief for Oregon craft brewers, distillers, winemakers and cider makers, who are among the small businesses hit hard during the pandemic.”

As an example, a brewery that produces 10,000 barrels a year would have jumped from paying $35,000 a year to $70,000 a year in excise taxes

My favorite cocktail — gin – up with olives

— At the end of 2020, Oregon Legislators passed a bill that allows bars and restaurants to sell mixed drinks for offsite consumption – something the industry has been seeking for the last year statewide. It requires food with the drink order, but that’s a start.

Well, it took long enough, but at least they got this one right!

— Because of falling COVID rates, “For the first time since November, restaurants, bars and brewpubs in the Portland metro area will be allowed to reopen their indoor dining rooms at a limited capacity at the end of the week.” (2/12)

So on 2/12, Portland area Beerchasers, while still practicing social distancing and wearing masks, could go out and support their local watering holes and not just sit in the cold with portable heaters.

And to show how it goes, just when the COVID restrictions were loosened, Portland and the burbs got hit with an incredible ice storm that closed roads, led to hundreds of thousands losing power and trees either coming down altogether or large limbs breaking under the weight.

Matchsticks….! My sidewalk and street

I’ll take a pint over push-ups or pilates…..

Our own street and sidewalk looked like a behemoth tossed limbs like match-sticks.

But I’m confident normality will resume In Oregon. It’s just a matter of when and how one defines “normality!”

After all, it was reported by Willamette Week, that a recent national survey by the American Addiction Centers revealed that bars won out over gyms on which adults missed most. In Oregon bars won by a decent margin: 59% to 41%. Go figure!

The Evolution of Darwin’s Theory and a Sad Farewell..

Followers of this blog know that one of my favorite dives outside Oregon is Darwin’s Theory in Anchorage Alaska. I first came across this unique watering hole in 2014 and it has been serving beers (not on tap – just bottles and cans) for over forty years.

I always look forward to their pithy and biting quarterly newsletter – until I can return, but was glad to see in the latest edition that they reopened in late January:

“Several establishments won’t be opening at all. Some were old, established icons around town. (We will reopen) with the same wonderful staff that are known and loved – some as long as twenty six years. Some minor tweaks were done during the shutdown, but the same free popcorn and free Jukebox will still be there too…..So get vaccinated and let’s end this crap.”

My last mention of Darwin’s was to post a picture sent by Jon Magnusson’s – father-in-law to our older daughter when he and his wife, Nancy and two good friends, Dr. Bob and Stephanie Thompson visited Anchorage on a trip to see the Northern Lights in February, 2020.

I told them they had to check out Darwin’s and I got a text from Jon with the picture below and the comment, “Exploring Darwin’s – Great Place.”

From left – Jon and Nancy Magnusson and Stephanie and Dr. Bob Thompson at Darwin’s Theory in February 2020.

We were shocked and saddened to learn that Dr. Bob passed away last week following a heart attack while swimming. He practiced Family Medicine in Seattle and was loved and respected by patients, colleagues and all who knew him.

In 2013, he was honored as the Outstanding Health Care Practitioner in Washington State and as stated by the CEO of the Valley Medical Center where he practiced for over thirty years:

“Dr. Bob, as he is fondly known, has worked at Valley for over 25 years and he is an emblem of what it truly means to be a tireless and compassionate care giver, committed to helping people in need.”

Dr. Bob Thompson was an outstanding person-of-faith who worked on many volunteer medical missions including Belize in Central America and Albania. He was active in numerous charitable organizations and a loving husband, father and grandfather. We will miss him.

New Times for Old Town

In an 8/16/20 Beerchaser post, I mentioned how entrepreneur, Adam Milne, the founder of the iconic Old Town Pizza in 2003 and his later expansion to Old Town Brewing, faced challenges during COVID and the riots/protests in Portland this summer.

Adam Milne – a bright and creative businessman

They caused him to temporarily close one of his his two establishments – the downtown location as reported in a July 12 Willamette Week:

“‘The moment of a temporary closure became, sadly, clear on Thursday when our revenue for the day was $18.75,’ he says….. ‘We really need help from the city. Downtown businesses have been hit especially hard with the high density, vandalism and tents in front of our business.'”

While Old Town Pizza is still closed, he has not been sitting idle and will expand with another eastside location besides the Northeast Brewery.

Just this month, he purchased Baby Doll Pizza on Southeast Stark – he won’t change the name although it will now feature a number of the excellent Old Town beers on tap. Baby Doll is known for its’s New York style pizza.

Congratulations Adam.

Parting with Encouraging Words

In my recent post, Destiny of the Dives, I bemoaned the loss of some historic Portland watering holes, but parted with a hint of optimism – that during and after the pandemic – required restrictions, a number of establishments have either expanded or innovated to stay open and in some cases, grow and prosper. The pent-up demand caused by isolation would be a beacon to Beerchasing…..

And then I came across an outstanding January 12th article from New School Beer.com that was stunning in the expansiveness of such plans in 2021 — The Most Anticipated Upcoming Oregon Breweries and Taprooms of 2021 — New School Beer + Cider

The most exciting news is the info about Steeplejack Brewing – plans to open this summer – a heartening story not only because of the spirit of the co-partners (Brody Day and Dustin Harder) who are two college buddies, but because their partnership and cooperative efforts with the Metropolitan Community Church.

Portland’s Metropolitan Community Church

The result – a wonderful historic landmark will be saved and still serve as a community gathering place. This is an incredibly ambitious project. Stay tuned and Godspeed!

“The church at NE 24th and Broadway is a landmark of Portland’s Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhood known for it’s ornate steeple and long history.

The building’s most recent owners Metropolitan Community Church left the building in 2019 and it narrowly avoided being demolished. Turning down competing bids, the MCC leaders chose to sell the space to two homebrewers who wanted to keep the building intact and as a central hub or the community.”

Conceptual photo of the planned brewpub

Amen!!

Beerchasing Miscellany – Lockdown Version II

Posted on July 16, 2020 by Thebeerchaser

We can still enjoy a pint a home – Ryan Keene exemplifies…

(Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. If you are seeing this through an e-mail, please visit the blog to see all of the photos and read the story by clicking on the title above so the post is not clipped.)

In the last post, I covered a number of miscellaneous categories – most of which were not related to bars or breweries, but since my Beerchasing expeditions to new venues are temporarily on hold, please pardon my editorial license

But

As I mentioned in the last post, rummaging through some of my old files has uncovered some “treasures” and elicited some laughs when I harken back. Consequently, I have reviewed some older Beerchaser posts in light of current events.

The First Tuesday After the First Monday……

One of my first jobs out of the Navy was in the Clackamas County Elections Department where we administered not only the Primary and General Elections, but hundreds of school and special district measures. Understandably, most citizens have no comprehension on the amount of detail, technology and legal compliance required to manage an election.

On election nights, I still have some empathy for election officials who are trying to maintain the integrity of their systems while concurrently being pressed by print and broadcast media and candidates to give them immediate returns.

While the initial data are always qualified as preliminary and un-audited, that disclaimer is often forgotten.

Back in 1976, when my hair was almost as long as it is now (No haircut for 4.5 months. ) Norma Paulus then served two terms as SOS.

Oregon Law (ORS 254.056) states the General Election is held as stated on the day in the caption above in even numbered years – and that, my friends is only 109 days away.

Since this is a blog about bars and beer, I typically refrain from political topics, but unless one has been living under a rock for the last 18 months, it’s difficult to stay above the fray.

A Precursor to the “Digital” Age (Excerpted, in part, from Thebeerchaser May 18, 2017)

And we know from the 2020 Primary, campaign divisive politics will be unceasing and brutal going forward. It causes wishful thinking about the civility and at least reasonably bipartisanship approach of leaders from past decades that characterized Oregon politics e.g. Tom McCall, Norma Paulus, Hector MacPherson, Vera Katz and the US Congress e.g. Senator Mark Hatfield, Speakers of the House Sam Rayburn and Tip O’Neill.

Senator Mark Hatfield in his DC office in our visit in 1993

Wendell Wyatt – Statesman and Lawyer

And don’t forget my late friend and law firm colleague, Wendell Wyatt, who served from 1964 to 1975 and was an effective Congressman, a wonderful person and skilled attorney at Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt.

Yet, based on the nature of the beast, there were times years ago – even in a more refined era (without 24-hour cable news coverage) when emotions overcame propriety – something which lent some humor and excitement to the news.

Such was the case on September 16, 1976, when Vice President Nelson Rockefeller was campaigning with Sen. Bob Dole, who had been selected to be President Gerald Ford’s running mate.

A student in a group of hecklers gave the finger to the VP and he immediately reciprocated the gesture — with gusto! I’ve kept the picture below from the newspaper for all these years thinking I could use it at some point and the excerpt below describes the incident:

“At the time, Rockefeller’s finger flashing was scandalous and the gesture was referred to thereafter as ‘The Rockefeller Salute.’ Rockefeller refused to apologize for his outburst. ‘I was just responding in kind’ he said, neatly avoiding the point that the apology was not expected to go to the hecklers but to the general public.”

Statesman and war hero with a dry sense of humor

Bob Dole was asked by a reporter why he didn’t join Rockefeller in “the salute”. “I have trouble with my right arm,” the wounded WW II veteran replied. (Rarehistorical photos.com October 16,2016)

This Beer Really Hops….

And since limited activity during the pandemic results in time to free-associate, seeing that image brought back the memory of one of my business trips in the late ’80’s which I recounted in Thebeerchaser on February 8, 2013. (Excerpted below)

Laura loved frogs in 1990

Thebeerchaser’s youngest daughter, when she was in grade school, had a wonderful frog collection – ceramic amphibians, posters, stuffed frogs, etc.

Each time I had a business trip, I would seek out and bring home an addition to that collection, which grew to be almost 100 in number.

The remnants of a once great amphibian collection…..

On a business trip to Chicago, I consumed an excellent light-colored amber beer from a brewery in Michigan and decided that the empty bottle with the amazing Bad Frog Logo would be a unique supplement to the group of cold-blooded amphibians in my daughter’s room. The bottle survived a suitcase ride home and my daughter liked it.

Now married and a pediatric ER nurse

Thebeerchaser’s spouse, however, had better judgment – much better! – and you will probably understand why. She refused to accept my assertion that our young collector did not yet understand the underlying message conveyed by this rebellious frog.

Jim Wauldron, the founder, was not a brewer, but a graphic artist and t-shirt designer, who created the image and merchandise – but initially – no beer.

The Bad Frog story is quite interesting and you should visit this link to their website to see their story and perhaps even purchase a sweatshirt:

“Well we did learn about beer and started brewing in October 1995. Then the whole thing went BESERK! We’ve expanded to 25 states and overseas. We were BANNED in 8 states.

The banning of the Beer and the non-stop legal battles with each State prevented the expansion of the Beer, but BAD FROG fans all over the world still wanted the BAD FROG merchandise. We’ve been featured on CNN, CBS, NBC, FOX, and ABC. BAD FROG was even featured in PLAYBOY Magazine TWICE.”

From the Bad Frog Brewery

The legal challenges resulted because of the frog’s none-too-subtle extension of its middle digit. Liquor Commissions in multiple states banned the beer. Eventually the US Second Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the New York State Liquor Authority‘s ban on selling Bad Frog Beer in an interesting and extremely entertaining First Amendment case Bad Frog Brewery, Inc. v. New York State Liquor Authority 134 F.3d 87 (1998).

Lawyers would love the language from the court opinion which has some great footnotes and includes,“…..(The logo) is patently offensive’ and presumably a suggestion to have intercourse with oneself.”

It appears that one can still purchase Bad Frog merchandise, but the beer disappeared a number of years ago, in part, because of the problems associated with all the legal issues.

The Pandemic

While current headlines are shattering, we can also view many wonderful acts of kindness, sacrifice and charity to help those who have been affected by the virus and these unselfish deeds continue to occur.

A novel of suspense (and spice….)

And though all of this, we need to maintain a sense of humor and optimism and realize that life is filled with joy and tragedy. I thought a good quote to reflect the ups and downs, was from Joe Lansdale’s novel Bad Chili which I mention in my post entitled Books and Brew published in November, 2018.

The action is innovative e.g. an early encounter with a “vicious, angry, bloodthirsty, rabid squirrel.” The author’s dialogue is unique and rich with quotes such as this one from Jim Bob Luke, a primary character:

Texas Chili – tasty and spicy ….

“Life’s like a bowl of chili in a strange café. Sometimes it’s pretty tasty and spicy. Other times, it tastes like shit.”

Now while the next quote has nothing to do with the pandemic, it always causes me to smile and at least it’s related to bars. I originally covered it in a 2011 post about one of my first Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter.

James Crumley was a Montana author who taught at both the University of Montana and Portland’s Reed College. Some critics describe his final book The Last Good Kiss as “the most influential crime novel of the last 50 years.”

Crime Novelist James Crumley

Others maintain that initial sentence of the book is the best first-line ever written in an American crime novel.

“When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon.”

Fireball Roberts ??

At the time, I suggested that you could toast Fireball Roberts with a pint of In-Heat Wheat Hefeweizen from Flying Dog Brewery in Denver.

It appears that this beer is no longer available but they certainly have some of which Fireball would approve. (For example, Raging Bitch Belgian IPA at a robust 8.3% ABV – strong enough for any mongrel….)

Cutting to the Chase

With the lockdown, many of us have transformed wardrobes to sweats or “quarantine casual wear” especially when working at home. Even when one has a Zoom meeting, there’s always the tactic of using a landscape or photo as background rather than a live shot.

Second from left in 1968 in Washington DC with then Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird

But it is entertaining to see the impact that the absence of haircuts or styling for about four months has wrought. From the requirement to have “stunted” hair during high school basketball and then during NROTC all during college, my locks have undergone a number of transformations over the ensuing years.

I even tried the beard and mustache route in the late ’70’s because of a misguided belief that it was cool.

Last week, I was scheduled for a haircut and as I pulled into my guy’s parking lot, he called my cellphone with this information:

“Don, I have a story for you. I got a call one hour ago from a couple whose hair I cut last week. They have Covid, so I’ve been exposed. I get tested tomorrow.”

I thanked him for the call and reflected on the good timing and decided to let things stand for awhile. This sentiment was reinforced after I saw some former male colleagues in a Zoom meeting this week who are of about the same demographic. One looked like a Mountain Man and the other essentially had bangs, but both looked good.

Go for five months??

My daughters are urging me to continue to let it grow, but for both time management and economic purposes, I’m seriously contemplating returning (maybe regressing) to the crew cut and black Chuck Taylor Converse All-Star High Tops.

According to the Converse website the Chuck ’70 has:

“More cushioning, tougher canvas, same versatility…..is built off of the original 1970’s design, with premium materials and an extraordinary attention to detail…… No reason not to wear them all day, every day.”

And Finally…..

Even before all of us are able to frequent bars and breweries again when it is safe and permitted, we can still support these establishments by buying their products and using takeout options – many of which are innovative.

A friend with strong knowledge of the hospitality industry stated in an e-mail about watering holes on the Oregon coast:

“The joints are teetering. It really is dire.”

The Old Oregon Tavern in Lincoln City – a classic dive bar

And even in Portland, one of my favorite breweries Old Town Brewing, which I reviewed last year, was forced to temporarily close their Old Town location since many people are not traveling downtown because of the violence occurring with the continuing protests.

Entrepreneur Adam Milne

Owner Adam Milne showed innovation and collaboration with other breweries early on in the pandemic by hosting a Brewers Market at their second location and brewing headquarters on NE Martin Luther King Blvd.

It’s a weekly assembly of booths offering various breweries’ beers to-go in a drive-thru meets farmers-market setting. Adam turned the parking lot there into a mashup of a drive-thru and a brewer safari.However, as reported in a July 12th Willamette Week article:

“‘The moment of a temporary closure became, sadly, clear on Thursday when our revenue for the day was $18.75,’ he says. ‘I spent the last week trying to get a rent reduction from our landlord, but was unsuccessful. We really need help from the city. Downtown businesses have been hit especially hard with the high density, vandalism and tents in front of our business.'”

This is just one example and all of us can help support OTB and other small businesses.

Cheers and Be Safe!

Thebeerchaser

Bars, Breweries and Watering Holes – An Exploration

Tag Archives: Adam Milne Old Town Brewery