Hail to the Hall – Oakshire Beer Hall That Is!

Posted on October 10, 2019 by Thebeerchaser

A home-grown Oregon Success Story

Oakshire Brewing in Eugene is a shining example of a family-owned enterprise that based on creativity, good management and community involvement has thrived since its founding in 2006 by CEO, Jeff Althouse, who attended Oregon State before graduating from the U of O and is a former high school math teacher.

Oakshire Founder and CEO

Thebeerchaser has not been to the Brewery or it’s Eugene Public House to this point, but the opening of its new Beer Hall in Northeast Portland offered a chance to have a Beerchasing gathering and gain my own impressions of this Oregon craft brewery’s excursion to Portland.

The Beer Hall opened in July in Northeast Portland (NE 42nd Ave. on the border of the Cully/Concordia neighborhoods) and now occupies an expansive space in what used to be the popular restaurant Old Salt Marketplace.

The question below was asked and answered in a July 23rd post on Portland-based New School Beer.com – an excellent website dedicated to craft beer and news and commentary about Northwest beer and cider:

“Why open an Oakshire Beer Hall in Portland when its beer is readily available in cans and bottles? Consumers demand variety and like to go straight to the source; this way Oakshire can showcase a much more diverse selection with its signature brand.

Oakshire Brewing is known for its Overcast Espresso Stout, Watershed IPA, Amber Ale and somewhat for its fruited Gose can series. Anyone who has been to the pub in Eugene knows that they offer much more than can be found elsewhere; from crisp lagers to milkshake IPAs, classic pub styles, and their highly underrated barrel-aged mixed culture ales; all are available at the new Portland beer hall.”

Sam Holloway in one of his speaking gigs.

This post will focus just on the Beer Hall itself rather than be a descrition of the Brewery and pub in Eugene and it’s many beers.

I was also interested in covering this new establishment because my good friend and former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Dr. Sam Holloway, a professor at the University of Portland joined us that day.

He is also a consultant on the craft brewing industry and serves on the Oakshire Board of Directors. The story of how he and Jeff Althouse met and Sam got on the Board is interesting and can be gleaned at the second link below:

Sam is also President of Crafting a Strategy – a global consulting firm and resource for micro-brewers. See Sam’s interesting background by clicking on the link below: https://thebeerchaser.com/2015/08/25/sam-holloway-educator-craftsman-and-beerchaser-of-the-quarter/

The picture below shows Sam with Brother Thomas Buttrick, OSB and former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Fr. Martin Grassel – both monks from the Mount Angel Abbey near Salem. Fr. Martin is also the General Manager and Head Brewer of the Benedictine Brewery.

Fr. Martin is a devoted follower of the Crafting a Strategy resources in business planning for the Mt. Angel Brewery – one of three in the country owned and operated by Benedictine monks.

Dr. Sam with Brother Thomas and Fr. Martin Grassel.

While the Beer Hall exceeded expections, like every Beerchasing escapade, the companionship was the highpoint, but I will address that below. However, it needs to be stated up front that this was the first time ever that six Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter congregated in the same room.

Constitutional scholar Westwood – prior civic commitment

It would have been seven but for attorney, Jim Westwood’s prior commitment as the Constitution Team Coach for De La Salle North Catholic High School at the same time. (And if there is ever a time when knowledge of Constitutional principles is important……..)

You can see most of these in the photos below and Thebeerchaser is kicking himself for not getting a group photo of this august group. (I guess it will have to wait until they are all in the ethereal realm with mugs of I Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost – a sour Berliner Weise – listening to Jack Faust recite from Goethe.)

Jack Faust – https://thebeerchaser.com/2014/09/02/john-r-jack-faust-fall-2014-beerchaser-of-the-quarter/

Dr. Sam Holloway – https://thebeerchaser.com/2015/08/25/sam-holloway-educator-craftsman-and-beerchaser-of-the-quarter/

Fr. Martin Grassel – https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/07/26/father-martin-grassel-beerchaser-of-the-quarter/

Jay Waldron – https://thebeerchaser.com/2016/03/29/jay-waldron-rugger-rafter-rider-and-lawyer-beerchaser-of-the-quarter/

Amy Faust – https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/04/11/amy-faust-beerchaser-of-the-quarter-and-mandolinist/

Art Vandelay – https://thebeerchaser.com/2014/01/31/beerchaser-of-the-month-art-vandelay/ (He sometimes adopts the moniker Carson Bowler)

Now let’s take a look at why this place is recommended by Thebeerchaser:

The Beer: I was amazed that the number of taps at this outpost was rivaled the number of “Breaking News” captions on a Cable New Broadcast in an hour.

The Beer Hall has twenty-two of its own beers on tap with ten more offering draft white and red wine, guest hard cider and kombucha. The taps are displayed behind the attractive dark wood bar and also on an electronic display to the side.

I stuck to the “core” offerings rather than the “vintage” or “pilot” options – these three comprise Oakshire’s distinct small-batch brewing programs. Their brews are also available in cans and bottles distributed throughout Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Colorado.

The ability to get some of Oakshire’s hard-to-find caged and corked barrel-aged clean and sour wild ales in a refrigerated case for purchase is also a good feature.

For example, Jim Finn, a retired litigator Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt who was there with his wife, Alanna, reveled in the name and description of the pilot program’s new Dinosaurs Will Die Brachiosaurus.

He did so with the same enthusiasm he showed when he approached the jury for his final argument in trial – “hazy and brewed with galaxy, mosaic, motueka and citra hops” – this is the description of the beer, not Jim’s oratory.

Fr. Martin and Jack Faust – two former Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter

Similary, Fr. Martin was curious about both the contents and the theological implications, if any, of the Hellshire IX – “Imperial Stout aged in freshly dumped Kentucky Bourbon Barrels.”

Theological implications???

(I also assume he will be interested in comparing Oakshire’s Smokin’ Hell Helles Lager brewed with smoked Oregon Spruce Tips to his own Helles Lager – he brews it at the Benedictine Brewery to rave reviews.

He discussed homebrewing with another retired Schwabe lawyer – Jack Faust – who in addition to being one of Oregon’s premier appellate lawyers, is still a homebrewer notwithstanding the results when he tried to brew his infamous “Rasberry Red Ale.”

(Faust may also have been asking about the possibility of indulgences for that experiment in his basement years ago although he maintains that his current batch of Dark IPA is one to die for….)

Brian and Hannah brief us on the new release

The staff stopped us at one point to announce in advance introduction of the new Oakshire’s new Novemberfest Lager – their second lager and one with an orange hue. Evidently, they announce a new release at the Beer Hall every Tuesday at 6:00 PM.

The Space and Ambiance – We had about thirty people there, all of which fit comfortably in the half of the establishment’s space dedicated to the bar. Besides seating at the bar, there were two nice long tables and several booths.

The dark wood and basic décor makes it inviting and there is substantial additional space available in the other half of the room – separated by a wood panel – where the food offerings are prepared.

There are plans in the future to put in an a large room for events and a beer garden where there is now an adjacent parking lot. (They currently are having a Trivia NIght every Monday evening.) Several small tables on the sidewalk in front offer additional seating. Ample street parking is another benefit.

One factor which added to the experience on both of my visits was the personable staff – friendly, but also very knowledgeable about all the beer offerings and very accommodating in offering samples to determine one’s preference for a pint. Brian, Jake and Hannah were great ambassadors for their company.

The Food – Only a few in our group took the time to eat during the event. While there is discussion about multiple food carts at the site in the future, a very interesting and attractive option is offered inside the Beerhall currently.

Good and interesting food option

As stated in a recent review in the Portland Mercury:

“:….BIBA! CHamoru Kitchen, operated by Ed Sablan….BIBA’s menu showcases the cuisine of Guam with an emphasis on grilled meats and bright spice…….

The kelaguen is unique and habit-forming although for something more traditional you can go for the fiesta plates, with barbecued chicken, pork spareribs or veggies. They’ve got an array of of starters and snacks too; the shrimp fritters were a perfect blend of airy puff, crispy batter and shrimpy succulence.”

Fr. Martin talking to Amy Faust while eating a spicy dish from BIBA!. *1

Since it is new, there are few reviews on social media, but almost are all positive and this one was typical (9/14/19 Yelp):

“Great addition to the neighborhood! Nice place, nice people, very prompt and helpful service. The food was all stellar, I’m super excited to go back and try the rest. All very fresh and delicious.
Highly recommended!

Bargain sale…….

*1 It should be noted that in the picture above, Amy Faust and Fr. Martin are having an animated discussion about cats since both are feline fanciers.

Amy’s Facebook posts are filled with references and she even embarked on a self-admitted foolish business scheme to sell cat-related merchandise “made for my talking cat, Ted, for the recent Cat Festival in Portland.” (If you are interested, check out this Instagram post. This cat also is involved in an Internet romance – but that’s another story….)

Cecelia

Fr. Martin adopted a stray cat forteen years ago in the hills above the Seminary and Monastery and “Cecelia” now follows him around the Abbey Hilltop and sits on his desk each day.

“There are a lot of feral cats in Rome and I took comfort feeding some of them. I was the only one they would approach. Feral or abandoned cats roam our grounds, too, one of which was Cecelia. I started feeding her and she adopted me.”

Especially vocal in their praise were the present and former members of the Schwabe Natural Resources Group who have been loyal Beerchasers from the beginning. Many of the lawyers in this group attended that day (Brian Flanagan – Group Leader, Patty Dost, Jay Waldron, Cheryl Rath, Carson Bowler and even Tim Sullivan who is now practicing in a law firm in Baltimore.)

Cheryl Rath, Tim Sullivan and Carson Bowler (aka Art Vandelay)

A watershed IPA moment – creative advertising too….

They were drinking and particularly interested in the Watershed IPA – not because it might pose some issues that would generate billable hours.

The description of this beer simply reflects their collective personality and approach to Super Fund sites: “strikes a balance between bitter and sweet, finishing crisp and clean.”

Note: One of those sites may be Jack Faust’s basement where he disposed the remains of the batch of Raspberry Red down his drain.

That reference also allows me to finish with another kudo to Oakshire for supporting the environment. They have partnered with the McKenzie River Trust:

“One percent of Watershed IPA sales revenue is set aside for the protection of local watersheds in the territories where the beer is sold, helping to preserve the clean water that is so vital to our community and our beer.”

Oh yes. I forgot – it’s a family-type place and kids are welcome until 11:00 PM. One of the stars that day was my youngest granddaughter, Rylee Dawn Keene. This ten-month bundle of joy is shown here with her other grandfather, Ron Keene.

To sum it up, the Oakshire Beer Hall deserves its recent designation in Willamette Week as one of the five best places in Portland to get a drink. (The week of September 11th)

Whether its the beer, the nice space, a chance to sample good food from Guam or you just want to support an Oregon company with great values, you will not be disappointed. The feedback I got from the group attending was universally positive.

Oakshire Brewing Beer Hall 5013 SE 42nd Avenue Portland

Mad Sons (Pub) with Happy Daughters…

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Thebeerchaser

A resurrected venue in Southeast Portland

You won’t find Madison’s Bar and Grill in any of the past Willamette Week Bar Guides even though it operated from 1997 until February 2014. The Bar Guide is the weekly paper’s annual review of about 100 favorite Portland bars and one of the ongoing resources for this blog.

WW described the predecessor, Madison’s B & G, in their review of its resurrection, of sorts, Mad Sons Pub, in its 8/26/14 review of the remade bar: “(Madison’s Bar and Grill was) a bar that looked like a Denny’s in West Virginia and attracted the same clientele.”

The sign with a minor change

The most noticeable change is on the bland exterior of the bar – the large neon sign near the entrance now has the “I” taped over, purportedly so it would not shine at night although some say that it just burned out and the name change then saved the owners money on signage. The real story is below.

I definitely liked the décor of the remade bar on our recent Beerchasing trip to its location at 1109 SE Madison. The large lot with free parking in an area where vehicle resting spots are at a premium was another plus.

WW speaks favorably of the new bar including the capital invested by the new owners:

“The new Revolutionary War-themed bar is a beautiful hardwood affair complete with 13-star flags, a hearth, a giant blue-felt billiards table and a picture of the signing of the Declaration of Independence burned into the wood of the bar’s service gate.”

And like some of the other “treasures” – bars or pubs I have discovered in the five-year Beerchaser Tour of Bars, Taverns and Pubs, I would not have had the pleasure of raising a mug – this time with great companions – if I had not initiated this idiosyncratic but interesting retirement hobby.

Jack Faust contemplates the beer menu

Joining me was one of the most frequent Beerchaser “regulars,” Portland appellate lawyer and former moderator of the award-winning public affairs program, Town Hall.

Jack Faust has joined me at visits to The Buffalo Gap, Bailey’s Tap House, the Rookery, Kelly’s Olympian, the Marathon Taverna and the lackluster Yard House. (use Thebeerchaser search function above to read reviews of these bars). He was also one of the more colorful Beerchaser-of-the-Quarters , which highlighted his notable legal (mostly at Schwabe, Williamson & Wyatt) , broadcasting and civic career (see post on 9/2/14)

Jack Faust

Speaking of the Schwabe firm, where I spent twenty-five years of my legal management career, Faust, a Portland native, joins two other former Schwabe partners as three of the Jefferson High School’s “Outstanding 100” – their most distinguished alums named at the school’s Centennial in 2009.

Retired US District Court Judge and decorated Viet Nam Veteran, Ancer Haggerty, and the late Congressman, Wendell Wyatt were also honored.

The late Congressman, Wendell Wyatt

Faust maintains he garnered the honor based on his accomplishments playing quarterback on the Democrat’s six-man football team, but I countered that it was the notoriety achieved by his home-brewed “Raspberry Red Ale” which contributed to Portland’s designation as a SuperFund site by the EPA.

As has been the case on several previous bar visits, members of the Faust clan – in this case son, Charlie, and daughter, Amy, were Beerchasing with us in addition to Charlie’s wife, Kristen, a first-time Beerchaser.

The final two companions that afternoon were the youngest – my daughter, Laura and her fiancé, Ryan Keene, slated for September 17^th nuptials at Vista Hills Vineyard and Winery west of Dundee – the home of one of my favorite dive bars – Lumpy’s Landing.

While we did not spend too much time trying to mentor and advise the young bride and groom to-be, they couldn’t go wrong listening to some words of wisdom, given that the cumulative total years of marriage for their elders was an astounding 139 years as follows:

An amazing couple

Jack and Alice Faust 60 years

Don and Janet Williams 36 years

Amy Faust and husband, Kevin 24 years

Charlie Faust and wife, Kristen 19 years

Charlie Faust, being a numbers guy, pointed out to Ryan and Laura that since the average time of marriage for those above has been 34.8 years while the median is still an impressive 30 years, they would do well to invite members of this group out for beers in the future to seek advice on marital bliss…..

Thebeerchaser with his daughter and soon to be son-in-law

Although Charlie and his dad have a great relationship, they agreed to pose while I took the picture below in an effort to get the pub’s owners to adopt it as a logo for their new moniker. In fact, in a moment of sentimentality, Charlie gushed:

“You know, I owe a lot to my parents – especially my Mom and Dad.”

It should also be noted that both my daughter, Laura, and Jack’s daughter, Amy, seemed to be pretty happy with their dads that afternoon and not just because we paid for the beers (I think….)

A new logo for Mad Sons??

Not only does Mad Sons have some interesting décor including multiple US Presidential portraits but the spacious game-room upstairs includes a billiard table racked for free pool, some nice booths to relax and some additional historical memorabilia.

I had a nice conversation by telephone with General Manager, Lavender Davis, who is one of five partners in Mad Sons. The remodeling took six months and was done by craftsman with the historic items throughout the bar coming from a variety of sources including estate sales. Some of the drapes are from her living room…..

She stated that the reason for the name change and blacking out the “I” in the Madison’s on the sign, was because of restrictions imposed by Portland’s Sign Ordinance (Perhaps a skilled lawyer could have overcome that challenge but the name change is a good thing.)

Blue felt and free

The upstairs has a long shelves filled with impressive volumes ranging from philosophical classics such as Sir Thomas More’s Utopia, Milton’s Paradise Lost and perhaps appropriately, Sophocles’ Oedipus the King to novels by Nobel Prize winners such as Steinbeck and Hemingway. Don’t plan to use the space as a reading room while you’re enjoying a mug, however.

The expansive volumes on the shelves are all firmly glued together. This is too bad because there was some fine literature on these shelves.

An impressive faux library…

Realizing these books were glued together and untouched, along with the thought of beer readily available, also brought back some unpleasant and possibly repressed memories from my freshman year at Oregon State.

The freedom to have an under-aged brewski at Price’s Tavern with the bros in Corvallis was like a Siren call while my freshman physics and calculus texts sat essentially glued together. Although they might have indicated an impressive academic regimen, at least part of the quarter, they mostly gathered dust.

Fortunately, my Navy ROTC advisor informed me in a direct manner that if I did not start putting some wear on the pages, I would not only lose my scholarship, but the Navy’s travel agent would be happy to book a free flight on one of its planes headed for the other side of the International Dateline. The motivational speech worked.

Limited but adequate patio

Mad Sons is a spacious, interesting and warm space to gather with friends on a fall or winter day – you might also want to take advantage of the limited but adequate patio during the spring and summer months.

The afternoon we were there, the bar was not hopping with patrons and WW alluded to the same situation in their multiple visits. And that’s too bad because Mad Sons also has a good selection of beers and a robust and very reasonably priced food menu described by the Oregonian shortly after it opened in 2014:

“A little New England, a little Old England with sandwiches, stews and other hearty plates of varying quality.” Oregonian 10/31/14

A nice selection of beers

There are eleven beers on tap, a rotating seasonal and nitro and a local craft draft root beer. (Our party had Priem IPA, Double Mountain IRA and Upright Pilsner.)

Kristin had a Grapefruit Shandy, which Thebeerchaser had never been exposed to previously. I learned that a Shandy is a combination of beer and either a soft drink or juice in approximately a 50/50 mix. Kristin approved of the Mad Son’s version.

Recent Yelp reviews looked very positive including these two:

“Clean with great vibes and plenty of space! Awesome selection of booze with excellent service at Mad Sons Pub. Free pool, pinball, games and a huge outdoor patio – (Thebeerchaser does not agree with this description) for summer! Definitely check this place out! No kids and parking for all. Love it!!!” 7/2/2016

2016-08-15-18-13-46

and

“This place is quality. Super chill, nice staff, good food and drink, their brisket is awesome. I really appreciate the ambiance here, they’re always playing good music, it’s nice and dark with the look of an old style pub, but a more modern vibe.” 7/23/2016

Also good comments on their Saturday and Sunday brunch (from 11 AM to 3 PM), which according to Lavender is “very popular” and one where those who prefer not to have children affecting the ambiance, can gather. The Chicken and Waffles looked promising as did the Beef Brisket Hash as well as the “You Build It” combinations.

This sign describes Mad Son’s pretty well. They have a DJ every Friday night and a nice Pandora selection otherwise.

As a departing note, Laura and Ryan’s wedding at Vista Hills near Dundee was a wonderful event, notwithstanding this particular Saturday being the only day with precipitation in the ten-day period preceding it. And was it rainy – which can be problematic in an outdoor venue. Fortunately, we had tents and a crowd with a great NW attitude.

Now while my wife may not think that it is appropriate to post some of the first photos of their wedding in a blog about bars and beer, I think after 36 years, she will probably let the proud Father-of-the-Bride go with this indulgence, given how much I love this young couple and want to show them off.

Rainy but a wonderful occasion

The old marrieds there that day talked to Laura and Ryan about the importance of good communication and listening, which opened the door to some of Thebeerchaser’s favorite quotes on that general topic:

“Don’t speak, unless you can improve the silence.”

“Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until they open their mouths.”

“A single fact can spoil a good argument.”

The beautiful Vista Hills setting

Mad Sons Pub 1109 SE Madison

The Marathon Taverna – What’s(a) in(a) a Name(a) ?(a)?

Posted on December 15, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

Not what you might expect!

While working in downtown Portland for over thirty years, I would often promise myself that I would pay a visit to the Marathon – a bar housed in an interesting looking building on W. Burnside not too far from Providence Park (aka Civic Stadium). I figured it was a dive bar with an eclectic group of regulars with a storied history – like some of the classic dive bars I’ve reviewed – Joe’s Cellar in NW Portland and the Ship Tavern in Multnomah Village were stellar.

Perhaps it will keep you from reading the remainder of this post, but I was sorely disappointed by this watering hole – a pseudo sports bar with a paucity of character and little to distinguish it.

We should have instead opted for the nearby Cheerful BullPen, which has more character or Claudia’s with a rich history.

The saving grace was being accompanied by Beerchaser regular and Beerchaser-of-the Quarter Jack Faust and his son, Charlie. Their company and conversation could make a discussion on the Rule Against Perpetuities seem interesting or make a soccer match ending in a scoreless tie, stimulating. (I would get into trouble by suggesting more globally that such would be the case for any soccer match…..)

The Fausts with thebeerchaser logo

Okay, maybe that’s an exaggeration, but one or both have joined me for great trips to the Buffalo Gap Saloon, the Grand Cafe and Bailey’s TapRoom. Jack’s daughter, Portland radio personality, Amy Faust (99.5 The Wolf), recently Beerchased with us at the Rookery (review still pending).

Upon entering the Marathon Taverna, I raised the question as to why there was an “a” at the end of the word tavern. A taverna is defined as a small Greek café or restaurant.

Not the character or ambiance one would expect on West Burnside

There wasn’t any moussaka or souvlaki on the menu and no retsina wine or even ouzo or Mextexa Brandy to drink. Alas, the only things Greek in this watering hole were Faust who was a Sigma Chi at Oregon, Thebeerchaser – an SAE at Oregon State and a few gyro sandwiches. Socrates would not be impressed with that line-up.

And what’s with the name Marathon? The website mentions that the bar – opened in 1974, was originally located in the Acropolis Tavern – also a well known Portland strip club, but whether this heritage is accurate could not be verified.

To better understand the lure of the Marathon, Charlie Faust suggested that instead of driving, we start in Marion County in the city of Donald. A run to Portland with a short side-trip around Forest Park – would yield a route of 26.2 miles. We would therefore honor the Greek soldier Pheidippides – who was reported to have died in 490 BC after his run from Marathon to Athens to proclaim the Greek victory over the Persians. Before dying, he shouted, “We have won!”

I thought this would be fitting, since these are the same words Jack uttered when he represented Bing Russell and the Portland Mavericks in the now famous arbitration with Major League Baseball in the 1970’s and chronicled in the great new documentary, “The Battered Bastards of Baseball.”

: Jack Faust ordering a beer from the Marathon Bartender

Jack, however, based on his undergraduate and law school days at the University of Oregon, countered with the suggestion that we each drink 8.75 pints of beer to arrive at the 26.2 milestone. Looking at the photos below will demonstrate that his idea could offer some synchronicity, but his son and I demurred.

Jack Faust drinking a beer at the U of O after a 26 mile swim

But we digress. What was good about the Marathon Taverna? Well, they have free popcorn – not a Greek dish, but still very good. There are also a lot of TVs with different sporting events, if that’s what you like with your beer. A small, but ardent group of Portland Timber supporters was watching a match on one of the TVs – 20 high definition and a giant 92-inch monster.

: Not Mediterranean, but free.

There are nineteen reasonably-priced beers and also cocktails on their menu – but neither is listed on their website.

A number of reviews are positive about the gyros and the cheeseburgers – and their $2.00 breakfasts served until 2:00 P.M. But the rather agressive and surly attitude of the staff was also mentioned multiple times in reviews – a downside, especially as you enter.

And this may be because of the physical layout confronting you when entering the bar – the only such arrangement I have seen in visiting over 50 bars in Portland.

There is a bouncer – a security guy, of sorts – sitting at a dias or throne-type arrangement which makes him look – and possibly act like Alexander the Great. The “welcome” signs shout out, “No soliciting and “No Trespassing.”

Power hungry??

Portland Barfly sums up this issue and the overall atmosphere of the venue quite well:

“The loyal shift of elderly patrons and the unsmiling doorman – those regulars may have been arriving every morning the past fifty years, but they’d best have their ID on hand to enter – are the only traces of The Marathon’s rather-more-dangerous past.

Plenty of TVs, but where are the grizzled regulars?

Weekend nights have largely been overtaken by a large, tight-knit, metal-happy, pool-playing, irritatingly-attractive group of twenty-somethings seemingly brought en masse from Beaverton for reasons beyond our imaginings.”

A sentiment echoed by this excerpt from a City Search review: “Great place with horrible irrational staff – This used to be one of my favorite places until the last two times I’ve gone there, the bouncers have gotten extremely aggressive and kicked me out for no reason.”

Now perhaps the bar’s management feels that they need this type of defensive screening based on its Burnside location although the only altercation I could find occurred in 2008, and did not seem to be too savage. As reported in Willamette Week:

A University of Portland grad is suing a Vancouver man for subjecting him to an uninvited bear hug outside a dive bar on West Burnside Street. In a lawsuit filed Sept. 10 in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Patrick Geraghty claims that Brian Yoakum and his friends were standing outside the Marathon Taverna on Sept. 13, 2008.

Yoakum, “without warning, clutched [Geraghty] in a ‘bear hug’ and twisted [Geraghty’s] body after securing said hold,” the lawsuit says. Geraghty suffered a broken right foot as a result, according to the lawsuit. The suit, filed by Portland lawyer Sanam Dowlatdad, seeks seeks $75,000 for medical bills and lost wages, plus $500,000 for pain and suffering.

We don’t know if this suit settled or was tried, but for those wondering, Sanam Dowlatdad, after graduating from Willamette Law School, worked as Multnomah County Deputy DA and then at the Cosgrove Vergeer Kester law firm, before establishing her own firm in 2011.

Charlie Faust and Thebeerchaser – good company but no ambiance.

No Greek national flag either…..(Faust and Son)

And the only other egregious conduct recorded is that of Welches area con-man named, David Wilson. Several years ago he purportedly tried to scam those at the Marathon and nearby establishments by stating that he was desperate for a loan because he’d lost his wallet at a Timbers game and couldn’t get his car out of the parking lot.

I guess if you just want nothing more than a cheap beer and to watch a sporting event, hit the Marathon. But unless you can get the Fausts to join you or maybe start running from a mile and one-half east of the Vista House on the Columbia River Highway – it would allow your marathon to finish at the Marathon – it may not be fulfilling.

Marathon Taverna 1735 West Burnside

John R. (Jack) Faust – Fall 2014 Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter

Posted on September 2, 2014 by Thebeerchaser

Wikimedia Commons - public domain (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Jack_faust.jpg)

This blog has recognized a number of individuals over the last three years as Thebeerchaser-of-the-Quarter or Month. Why? Because they have either distinguished themselves in their profession or for their contribution to society. In the case of the first “honoree,” retired chemist Harold Schlumberg (August 2011) – just because of his approach to life.

Some of those tapped for this laurel include my friends, Jud Blakely (September 2013) and Steve Lawrence, (May 2014) for their military service in Viet Nam – a conflict in which both were awarded the Bronze Star. Three authors, Portland’s Brian Doyle (Feb. 2014); Princeton Professor Emeritus, Harry Frankfurt, (Jan. 2012) the author of the brilliant tome, On Bullshit and crime novelist, James Crumley (Sept. 21011) were named because I loved their books.

This quarter, we are recognizing one of Oregon’s preeminent appellate lawyers and citizens, John R. Jack Faust.

Jack skipped first grade (either because of his advanced intellect or disciplinary issues) and went on to graduate from Jefferson High School – the alma mater of his future law partners at the law firm of Schwabe Williamson & Wyatt, former Congressman Wendell Wyatt and now a senior judge in U.S. District Court, Ancer Haggerty.

After undergraduate school at U of O, Faust distinguished himself at the University of Oregon School of Law, serving as Editor-in-Chief of the Law Review and graduating first in his 1953 class, receving the Phi Delta Phi Award for Outstanding Graduate – Pacific N. W.. ( He has great tales of legendary professor Orlando J. Hollis.) After military service, he first practiced at the law firm of Cake, Butler & McKewan, and in 1979 moved to the Schwabe firm.

Charlie and Jack Faust Beerchasing at Bailey’s Taproom

He practiced corporate, appellate and general law and represented public utilities, insurance companies, baseball teams (see below), public officials and did a lot of pro-bono work.

Jack served as President of both the Multnomah Bar Association and Vice President of the Oregon State Bar and was selected by his peers for listings in Best Lawyers in Portland and Best Lawyers in America.

Friend, fellow spook and another great Oregon appellate lawyer, Jim Westwood

Like his colleague and friend, Jim Westwood – Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter in March 2013 – our new honoree is a former “spook” (both served in military intelligence) and both are recognized for the legal accomplishments. Westwood’s description of his friend, Faust, is shown below.

And Westwood is qualified to offer an opinion. Jim has handled more than 200 appeals and is a Fellow in the American Academy of Appellate Lawyers, listed in Best Lawyers in America and an Oregon Super Lawyer.

“Like Jack Faust, I’m an appellate lawyer. I am 0-2 against him. In the second one I gave a stemwinder of an opening argument, then Jack got up and said to the judges, ‘I don’t have anything unless you have questions.’ They didn’t, he sat down, and he won. That’s Faust, the lawyer who also represented owner Bing Russell of the Portland Mavericks against Major League Baseball and cleaned MLB’s clock. He is not only the Beerchaser of the Quarter – he is The Man.” (This is a compliment to Faust’s brief, his judgment and his ego.)

We will describe his acclaimed legal career and his civic contributions below, but Jack Faust, also receives this accolade both because of his sense of humor and his furtherance of Beerchasing concepts. The latter was first achieved while in college at the University of Oregon as can be seen this photo of him swimming.

Efficiency is a hallmark for his achievements

Jack, the recipient – efficiency and multi-tasking are the hallmarks for his achievements

“Faustmaister” (not copyrighted) is the label of his home brewed beer – a hobby he has pursued for many years in his basement – the nadir of which was the production of “Raspberry Red.”

It was digested by his basement drain rather than a human – other than several swallows to test. (The statute of limitations has tolled on violations of environmental regulations and it was not classified as a Superfund site – possibly because “RR” was brewed before the 1980 enactment of the federal legislation.)

A hydraulic lift he installed to lift the five-gallon kegs of beer enabled uninterrupted brewing when he suffered a triple hernia.

Faustmaister production facilities…

Not only does the Schwabe firm, have outstanding lawyers, and great people, but one of the factors that makes it such a great place to work is an organizational sense of humor and team work. Jack Faust is a sterling example, as demonstrated by his e-mail sent to the entire firm in 1999.

Jack sent the missive below shortly after Schwabe joined other law firms in moving to a business-casual dress policy for lawyers. It shows his wry commentary at some of the changes in the legal profession:

“At the risk of the usual barrage of abuse – please spell my name right in your responses – I report the following: This morning dressed in ‘business casual’ per SWW Reg. 1-901A(1)(c)(ii), I had just parked my car in the Pac West Center garage and deposited my keys in the box by the parking attendant’s station.

A fancy car rolled up with a well-dressed woman at the wheel. She asked me, ‘Do I park it myself or will you park it for me?’ I was about to tell her that I am a lawyer, not a parking attendant, but I was afraid my mother would find out. It would kill her!”

While serving as COO at Schwabe, I tapped his humor numerous times for lighter moments at firm retreats as can be seen by the video below. You might also note when viewing, that the co-star is another Beerchaser-of-the-Month (January 2014), Art Vandelay, better known by his colleagues as attorney, Carson Bowler. You will see from the second “blooper video” that Faust’s quest for a flawless product extends beyond his appellate briefs to his acting……

Civic and charitable service is a firm core value at Schwabe and Faust was no exception. They are too extensive to name all, but include, Vice Chair of the Oregon Land Conservation and Development Committee (LCDC), the Oregon Commission on Higher Education, Chair of the Board of Lewis and Clark College and board service for the Portland Opera, Campfire Girls and SEI. Corporate boards ranging from Equitable Savings to Western Savings Bank to Pacific NW Bell are also on his resume.

Son Charlie and Jack with Thebeerchaser logo at the Marathon Taverna

Jack and his son, Charlie, have been Beerchaser regulars. (The Buffalo Gap Saloon, Bailey’s Taproom, the Grand Café and the Marathon Taverna – not yet posted) Jack helped me line up personal tour of the Grand Café (Beechaser review in January 2013) by Frank-The Flake-Peters when Schwabe’s Product Liability Group visited the bar.

Jack and Frank Peters at the Grand Cafe

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He knows Frank well (Frank wrote to him often when Peters served time at the Oregon State Penitentiary) and Faust is a personal friend and represented Bing Russel, the actor and former owner of the Portland Mavericks baseball team when Frank Peters managed.

The escapades of this wonderful minor league team are captured in the recent Net Flix movie “The Battered Bastards of Baseball,” which has drawn rave reviews nationally. In fact, Faust appears in the movie because of role as the lawyer who won the $206,000 arbitration award for Russell from the Pacific Coast League – the League’s final pre-arbitration offer was $5,000!

Jack is also well known for his television work – moderating the award-winning (Iris Award for Outstanding Local Public Affairs Program in the Nation) “Town Hall,” on KATU for thirteen years. The stories about “Town Hall” – filmed live with a small studio audience – essentially a panel (in-the round) of parties vested in the topic with the moderator in the center – are numerous.

: Moderating Town Hall

Faust is a quick study and after playing tennis in the morning, would go to the KATU studio at noon where staffers would have material and brief him on the topic he studied until the live broadcast at 6:00 P.M.

His stories range from the forum on prostitution which included a number of “participants” in the panel who provided an itemized pricing of various services; a fight in the KATU parking lot between two panel members (a female and a male) after the show, and one on professional wrestling where one of the burly participants demonstrated a headlock on the moderator, and gave a twist whereupon Jack exclaimed, “Jesus!” into his mike.

: Ghosts in residence?

He also recounts the show on ghosts – broadcast on location from Portland’s White Eagle Café (see Thebeerchaser review from Nov. 2012), a venue reported to have a ghost still living in the basement.

Three shows on the Rajneesh and the Bhagwan concluded with two in Rancho Rajneesh – now, Antelope, Oregon. Ma Anand Sheila was the spokesperson for the Bhagwan. Amy Faust, Jack’s daughter and a local media celebrity, writes a compelling account of these shows in the July, 2014 edition of 1859 Magazine. (The first two shows had not gone well for the Followers and they balked at having the third one):

“Then, just one day before the scheduled taping (of the third show), they reversed their stance, sending my dad an apology and a boxed lunch from Zorba the Budha Deli. While my dad remembers his receptionist, Jeannine Marks, saying, ‘I wouldn’t eat that if I were you,’ like a good, waste-not child of the Great Depression, he wolfed it down. ‘What are they going to do,’ he replied, ‘poison me?’

The next day, his producer, India Simmons, got an odd phone call from Ma Prem Sunshine, asking simply, ‘How’s Jack today?”’Sunshine’s tone of voice prompted Simmons to call my dad, who was in fact at home in bed with a fever of 103, horribly sick for the first time since age 5. Not wanting to miss the show, he recruited my mom to drive him to Antelope, feeling nauseous the whole way.

After a heavy does of Tylenol, he hosted the show, which was indeed more damaging to the Rajneeshee reputation than the previous episodes. In the face of criticism from detractors, the Rajneeshees often broke into loud, disconcerting laughter, and at one point responded to an angry local by bursting into song.” (Faust’s response in ending the chanting was, “This show is not a musical!”)

One clarification: When Amy said that Jack had not been sick since the age of five, she did not include the hangover he suffered while in college after the swim shown in the picture above.

For many years, he was the premier emcee for banquets and events all over the state. He’s also met a number of U.S. Presidents as evidenced by this photo.

: At the White House with President Reagan

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He introduced Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush Sr. and Vice President Rockefeller, in addition to numerous US Senators including the late Howard Baker and every Oregon Governor from Tom McCall to Ted Kulongoski (finally a Democrat!!) Add Gloria Steinham to his list of celebrities when she was in Portland for a fundraiser for former Senator Bob Packwood.

Because of his public speaking abilities, Faust was a vital part of the Schwabe firm’s oral communication training for lawyers – including how to introduce speakers. I had attended this same training and knew most of his tips and naively acquiesced to his request to be his “shill” and introduce him at one of these training sessions. Of course, I prepared and practiced knowing that he would shred my effort in front of the approximately fifty colleagues who attended – I was not disappointed.

Army Intelligence duty - notice, he has no insignia on his utilities.

Army Intelligence duty – notice, he has no insignia on his uniform

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Our honoree is a wonderful story-teller, although even with the passage of time, about the only thing he is close-mouthed about – even after a few beers – is his role in Army Intelligence and counterintelligence during the Korean War. From 1953-55 as a Special Agent in the US Army Counterintelligence Corps – detachment Far East Command, he was stationed in Korea, Japan and China. Remembers the interviews and IQ tests.

Faust at a liaison dinner with Japanese counter-intelligence personnel in Japan

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Jack is also a great family man. He and Alice will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary in 2016 and they have three great offspring. Barbara, the oldest is a retired customer service representative and Charlie, Thebeerchaser regular and a successful Portland mortgage broker.

Amy – who has inherited her father’s media notoriety and is the Amy of Mike and Amy on 99.5 The Wolf – the pair recently returned to air – brought back by listener demand when the station, in 2012, decided to cut corners for on air-personalities after the duo had been together on the station for 13 years. Several years ago, Jack co-hosted with Amy when Mike was gone and did a very credible job – probably feeling as much pressure to perform as when he argued in front of the Oregon Supreme Court…..!

: Mike and Amy (Faust) — a triumphant return to the air waves

In fact, Jack tells how when Amy was growing up, she sometimes got a little frustrated because people would always inquire, “Oh, you’re Jack’s daughter?” Jack smiles when he relates that for the last ten years, when people first meet him, the standard question is, “Oh, you’re Amy’s Dad?”

He and Alice have traveled extensively – to 35 countries, the most exotic of which was Bangladesh (Ask him to tell you about the legal case he handled and his adventures wondering around when you have a few minutes for intrigue….)

: Jack and Alice in China

And there are many other stories such as the time he sang a duet with actress, Ginger Rogers, when she was staying at a house on the Rogue River. These tend to spill out when he reminisces over a Faustmaister – with the exception of “Raspberry Red.”

Thebeerchaser raises a mug to John R. Jack Faust for his contributions to make Oregon a better place to live and his outstanding legal career, – both of which mitigate his somewhat questionable propensity to wear Oregon Duck gear when we drink beer and in his travels all over the world.

Jack and waitress, Eldridge at the Buffalo Gap Saloon.

Jack and waitress, Holly Eldridge, at the Buffalo Gap Saloon

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John R. (Jack) Faust – Fall 2014 Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter