Hear the Roar at Little Beast Brewing – Part II

Jim Westwood

Jim Westwood – BOQ 3/28/13 – Jim joins Jack as being regarded as one of the premier appellate lawyers in the Pacific Northwest. 

In fact, we deliberately separated the two during the event to avoid them having an animated discussion of Jack’s 1986 victory in front of the Oregon Supreme Court (June v Roberts) involving initiative ballot titles, nuclear energy and Trojan (not the one you’re thinking of….)

Of course, they would have also discussed Jim’s 2005 case before the Oregon Supremes (City of Nyssa v. Dufloth/Smith) involving free speech, nude dancers, prohibited touching and the distinction between the distance of four feet and one foot.  (Surprisingly, Trojans were not involved in this case….)

The Portland Mercury elaborated in its article “Nude Justice – Oregon Supreme Court Appreciates Strippers.”  (It appears that Miss Sally’s Gentlemen’s Club is gone but not forgotten!)

But Jim – one of my most frequent Beerchasing companions – has a story that transcends his legal accomplishments. 

(And I’m not talking about being a fellow graduate of Oregon City High School where his mom, Catherine was my Latin teacher for two years, his stint as a fill-in weatherman on KGW television or how he learned Thai when he was in Naval Intelligence). (#4)

Thai_translation_&_transliteration_of__Meitei_language__(alias__Manipuri_language_)

Jim was the Captain of the legendary Portland State College, GE College Bowl Team in 1965. The College Bowl story is remarkable as evidenced by this excerpt from the Portland State Alumni Association News article by Kathryn Kirkland, May 2, 2005:

“The 415 points scored in their final match ties them for fifth-highest single-game total achieved, and their 1725 points total set a new record at the time and is fourth highest overall.

The March 26, 1965, issue of Time has an article on how the College Bowl victories helped change Portland State’s image as ‘the flunk-out school’ for University of Oregon and Oregon State drop-outs…” (#5)

college-bowl

To obtain some idea of the erudition of this team (Jim describes them as students with GPA’s around 3.0 who were just “nerds.”) take a look at this YouTube link from the University of San Francisco match:

GE College Bowl 1965 – Portland State College v University of San Francisco (youtube.com)

Finishing the Little Beast Story

Little Beast started in 2017 in the former quarters of Brannon’s in Beaverton which never gained traction (Kevin Brannon is a former Schwabe lawyer).  LB also has a brewing facility in Clackamas.

It moved to its current beer garden location after Lompoc Brewing closed it after fourteen years as reported in Portland Eater article 11/20/17 Lompoc owner Jerry Fechter stated:

“The competition is greater and frankly, business is slow….We’ve seen decreasing sales for the last two years.“

Well, Little Beast continues to strive, notwithstanding the competition and perhaps, creativity, excellent beer and outstanding food overcome the struggle for market share.  You should find out yourself. (#6)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Facebook page for Little Beast Brewing (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=540816814406810&set=a.540816787740146)

#2.  Facebook page for Lawless Barbecue (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=513171177477762&set=a.513171140811099)

#3. Lawless Barbecue Website (Lawless Barbecue – Slow Smokes Legit Kansas Style BBQ in Portland (lawlessq.com).

#4. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Thai translation & transliteration of “Meitei language” (alias “Manipuri language”).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) File is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.   The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work. Author: Haoreima – 21 July 2024.

#5.  Portland State University Inside Portland State (Historic 1965 College Bowl victory gave PSU national visibility, local credibility – INSIDE PORTLAND STATE (pdx.edu))

#6. Facebook page for Little Beast Brewing  (https://www.facebook.com/littlebeastbeergarden/photos/t.100054354896107/234642883900263/?type=3)

Jack Faust – Beerchaser of the Quarter 9/2/14 – the senior member of our group, has been a mentor and friend to all of us there that day.  He graduated first in his class at University of Oregon Law School, served as a special agent in the Army Intelligence Corps and was regarded as one of the best appellate lawyers in Oregon when he practiced.

But he also had a memorable broadcast media career:

“For 13 years, Faust moderated Town Hall, a weekly public affairs television program on ABC affiliate KATU. The program featured discussions, often contentious, between public officials, experts and plain citizens on topics that ranged from serious (child abuse) to light (alien abductions).

It drew high ratings and received numerous honors including national awards.”

Another of the many interesting Jack Faust tales can be viewed in the 2014 prize-winning Netflix documentary “Battered Bastards of Baseball.” 

Jack served as the Portland Maverick’s lawyer and a good friend of actor Bing Russell, team owner and his son, actor, Kurt.  He obtained a notable victory for Russel in an arbitration with the Pacific Coast League.

Besides his intellect, one of the traits that endeared Jack, not only to his partners but the entire law firm, was his keen sense of humor.  He was always willing to participate in my schemes to make presentations at the firm’s retreats more interesting.

For example, take the two YouTube videos below – the first being part of a retreat video and the second being the outtakes to produce the final product.  Jack is “admonishing” a colleague who has a definite resemblance to former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Art Vandelay.

Amy Faust

Amy Faust – BOQ 4/11/17 – Jack’s daughter (the only father-daughter BOQ) had an extended radio broadcast career.  For nineteen years – in two different stints – she was the Amy in the Mike and Amy Show on KWJJ – The Wolf

They received the CMA award for Major Market Personalities which was accepted on a national television broadcast.

At one point, 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…..!

Amy is a talented and creative person with a fascinating career besides her time in radio.  This includes stints in documentary film production, freelance writing, authoring advertising copy, producing TV commercials, television production and as location manager for the show Portlandia

She currently works as a social media/marketing expert for New Seasons Market. If you want to view a sample of Amy’s excellent writing and Jack Faust’s amazing connection with the Rajneesh, read her 1859 Oregon Magazine article from 2018 entitled “Rajneesh in Review – A Memoir.”

Jim Westwood and Amy having a spirited debate with oversight by Amy’s husband, Kevin.

Jim Westwood

Jim Westwood – BOQ 3/28/13 – Jim joins Jack as being regarded as one of the premier appellate lawyers in the Pacific Northwest. 

In fact, we deliberately separated the two during the event to avoid them having an animated discussion of Jack’s 1986 victory in front of the Oregon Supreme Court (June v Roberts) involving initiative ballot titles, nuclear energy and Trojan (not the one you’re thinking of….)

Of course, they would have also discussed Jim’s 2005 case before the Oregon Supremes (City of Nyssa v. Dufloth/Smith) involving free speech, nude dancers, prohibited touching and the distinction between the distance of four feet and one foot.  (Surprisingly, Trojans were not involved in this case….)

The Portland Mercury elaborated in its article “Nude Justice – Oregon Supreme Court Appreciates Strippers.”  (It appears that Miss Sally’s Gentlemen’s Club is gone but not forgotten!)

But Jim – one of my most frequent Beerchasing companions – has a story that transcends his legal accomplishments. 

(And I’m not talking about being a fellow graduate of Oregon City High School where his mom, Catherine was my Latin teacher for two years, his stint as a fill-in weatherman on KGW television or how he learned Thai when he was in Naval Intelligence). (#4)

Thai_translation_&_transliteration_of__Meitei_language__(alias__Manipuri_language_)

Jim was the Captain of the legendary Portland State College, GE College Bowl Team in 1965. The College Bowl story is remarkable as evidenced by this excerpt from the Portland State Alumni Association News article by Kathryn Kirkland, May 2, 2005:

“The 415 points scored in their final match ties them for fifth-highest single-game total achieved, and their 1725 points total set a new record at the time and is fourth highest overall.

The March 26, 1965, issue of Time has an article on how the College Bowl victories helped change Portland State’s image as ‘the flunk-out school’ for University of Oregon and Oregon State drop-outs…” (#5)

college-bowl

To obtain some idea of the erudition of this team (Jim describes them as students with GPA’s around 3.0 who were just “nerds.”) take a look at this YouTube link from the University of San Francisco match:

GE College Bowl 1965 – Portland State College v University of San Francisco (youtube.com)

Finishing the Little Beast Story

Little Beast started in 2017 in the former quarters of Brannon’s in Beaverton which never gained traction (Kevin Brannon is a former Schwabe lawyer).  LB also has a brewing facility in Clackamas.

It moved to its current beer garden location after Lompoc Brewing closed it after fourteen years as reported in Portland Eater article 11/20/17 Lompoc owner Jerry Fechter stated:

“The competition is greater and frankly, business is slow….We’ve seen decreasing sales for the last two years.“

Well, Little Beast continues to strive, notwithstanding the competition and perhaps, creativity, excellent beer and outstanding food overcome the struggle for market share.  You should find out yourself. (#6)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Facebook page for Little Beast Brewing (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=540816814406810&set=a.540816787740146)

#2.  Facebook page for Lawless Barbecue (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=513171177477762&set=a.513171140811099)

#3. Lawless Barbecue Website (Lawless Barbecue – Slow Smokes Legit Kansas Style BBQ in Portland (lawlessq.com).

#4. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Thai translation & transliteration of “Meitei language” (alias “Manipuri language”).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) File is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.   The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work. Author: Haoreima – 21 July 2024.

#5.  Portland State University Inside Portland State (Historic 1965 College Bowl victory gave PSU national visibility, local credibility – INSIDE PORTLAND STATE (pdx.edu))

#6. Facebook page for Little Beast Brewing  (https://www.facebook.com/littlebeastbeergarden/photos/t.100054354896107/234642883900263/?type=3)

I’ll finish below with some final thoughts on LB, but first I need to single out three of my Beerchasing companions.  Periodically on this blog, I recognize an individual or group who may or may not have anything to do with bars or breweries but has good story. 

In my opinion, they have made a contribution that should be recognized – thus my Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter. (BOQ)

Past recipients of this “honor” have included veterans – most notably some war heroes, academicians, media personalities, lawyers, athletes including the 1967 Oregon State Giant Killer Football Team and even my retirement oboe instructor.

In our group at LB, I had three former Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter – Jack FaustAmy Faust and Jim Westwood – and I want to briefly highlight their stories.

Jack Faust

Jack Faust – Beerchaser of the Quarter 9/2/14 – the senior member of our group, has been a mentor and friend to all of us there that day.  He graduated first in his class at University of Oregon Law School, served as a special agent in the Army Intelligence Corps and was regarded as one of the best appellate lawyers in Oregon when he practiced.

But he also had a memorable broadcast media career:

“For 13 years, Faust moderated Town Hall, a weekly public affairs television program on ABC affiliate KATU. The program featured discussions, often contentious, between public officials, experts and plain citizens on topics that ranged from serious (child abuse) to light (alien abductions).

It drew high ratings and received numerous honors including national awards.”

Another of the many interesting Jack Faust tales can be viewed in the 2014 prize-winning Netflix documentary “Battered Bastards of Baseball.” 

Jack served as the Portland Maverick’s lawyer and a good friend of actor Bing Russell, team owner and his son, actor, Kurt.  He obtained a notable victory for Russel in an arbitration with the Pacific Coast League.

Besides his intellect, one of the traits that endeared Jack, not only to his partners but the entire law firm, was his keen sense of humor.  He was always willing to participate in my schemes to make presentations at the firm’s retreats more interesting.

For example, take the two YouTube videos below – the first being part of a retreat video and the second being the outtakes to produce the final product.  Jack is “admonishing” a colleague who has a definite resemblance to former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Art Vandelay.

Amy Faust

Amy Faust – BOQ 4/11/17 – Jack’s daughter (the only father-daughter BOQ) had an extended radio broadcast career.  For nineteen years – in two different stints – she was the Amy in the Mike and Amy Show on KWJJ – The Wolf

They received the CMA award for Major Market Personalities which was accepted on a national television broadcast.

At one point, 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…..!

Amy is a talented and creative person with a fascinating career besides her time in radio.  This includes stints in documentary film production, freelance writing, authoring advertising copy, producing TV commercials, television production and as location manager for the show Portlandia

She currently works as a social media/marketing expert for New Seasons Market. If you want to view a sample of Amy’s excellent writing and Jack Faust’s amazing connection with the Rajneesh, read her 1859 Oregon Magazine article from 2018 entitled “Rajneesh in Review – A Memoir.”

Jim Westwood and Amy having a spirited debate with oversight by Amy’s husband, Kevin.

Jim Westwood

Jim Westwood – BOQ 3/28/13 – Jim joins Jack as being regarded as one of the premier appellate lawyers in the Pacific Northwest. 

In fact, we deliberately separated the two during the event to avoid them having an animated discussion of Jack’s 1986 victory in front of the Oregon Supreme Court (June v Roberts) involving initiative ballot titles, nuclear energy and Trojan (not the one you’re thinking of….)

Of course, they would have also discussed Jim’s 2005 case before the Oregon Supremes (City of Nyssa v. Dufloth/Smith) involving free speech, nude dancers, prohibited touching and the distinction between the distance of four feet and one foot.  (Surprisingly, Trojans were not involved in this case….)

The Portland Mercury elaborated in its article “Nude Justice – Oregon Supreme Court Appreciates Strippers.”  (It appears that Miss Sally’s Gentlemen’s Club is gone but not forgotten!)

But Jim – one of my most frequent Beerchasing companions – has a story that transcends his legal accomplishments. 

(And I’m not talking about being a fellow graduate of Oregon City High School where his mom, Catherine was my Latin teacher for two years, his stint as a fill-in weatherman on KGW television or how he learned Thai when he was in Naval Intelligence). (#4)

Thai_translation_&_transliteration_of__Meitei_language__(alias__Manipuri_language_)

Jim was the Captain of the legendary Portland State College, GE College Bowl Team in 1965. The College Bowl story is remarkable as evidenced by this excerpt from the Portland State Alumni Association News article by Kathryn Kirkland, May 2, 2005:

“The 415 points scored in their final match ties them for fifth-highest single-game total achieved, and their 1725 points total set a new record at the time and is fourth highest overall.

The March 26, 1965, issue of Time has an article on how the College Bowl victories helped change Portland State’s image as ‘the flunk-out school’ for University of Oregon and Oregon State drop-outs…” (#5)

college-bowl

To obtain some idea of the erudition of this team (Jim describes them as students with GPA’s around 3.0 who were just “nerds.”) take a look at this YouTube link from the University of San Francisco match:

GE College Bowl 1965 – Portland State College v University of San Francisco (youtube.com)

Finishing the Little Beast Story

Little Beast started in 2017 in the former quarters of Brannon’s in Beaverton which never gained traction (Kevin Brannon is a former Schwabe lawyer).  LB also has a brewing facility in Clackamas.

It moved to its current beer garden location after Lompoc Brewing closed it after fourteen years as reported in Portland Eater article 11/20/17 Lompoc owner Jerry Fechter stated:

“The competition is greater and frankly, business is slow….We’ve seen decreasing sales for the last two years.“

Well, Little Beast continues to strive, notwithstanding the competition and perhaps, creativity, excellent beer and outstanding food overcome the struggle for market share.  You should find out yourself. (#6)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Facebook page for Little Beast Brewing (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=540816814406810&set=a.540816787740146)

#2.  Facebook page for Lawless Barbecue (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=513171177477762&set=a.513171140811099)

#3. Lawless Barbecue Website (Lawless Barbecue – Slow Smokes Legit Kansas Style BBQ in Portland (lawlessq.com).

#4. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Thai translation & transliteration of “Meitei language” (alias “Manipuri language”).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) File is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.   The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work. Author: Haoreima – 21 July 2024.

#5.  Portland State University Inside Portland State (Historic 1965 College Bowl victory gave PSU national visibility, local credibility – INSIDE PORTLAND STATE (pdx.edu))

#6. Facebook page for Little Beast Brewing  (https://www.facebook.com/littlebeastbeergarden/photos/t.100054354896107/234642883900263/?type=3)

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 the video at the end of the post and so the narrative isn’t clipped or shortened.              (External photo attribution at the end of the post # 1)

In Part I on the Little Beast Brewery and Beer Garden, I covered the history and the backgrounds of the co-founders and owners, Brenda Crow and Charles Porter. Porter’s excellent beer was a major focus.

My companions always make these outings enjoyable, and this was no exception. I’ve had numerous Beerchasings with the “Faust Clan” – Jack, Amy, and Charlie. (Kevin Frazier, Amy’s husband and Max, Charlie’s son also joined us. Jack’s wife Alice, joined us a number of times in the past and passed away last year.)

Similarly, lawyers Jim Westwood and my former and now-retired Schwabe law colleagues, Dave Bartz and Jim Finn – all three of which had notable legal careers as did Jack were also there.  As mentioned, Susan Bartz also was a great companion.

Our server, Preston, did a great job of accommodating us with our own table in a prime spot as well as taking the photo below:

Photo Jul 29 2024, 4 41 25 PM

Clockwise Sue Bartz, Thebeerchaser, Dave Bartz, Charlie Faust, Jim Westwood, Amy Faust, Max Faust, Jack Faust and Jim Finn

The Eats

Although Brenda Crow with her culinary background, including a stint at Portland’s Olympic Provisions, has been the guiding hand for the food offerings, Little Beast (hereafter “LB”) entered a partnership with Kevin Koch, the owner of Lawless Barbecue in October 2021 when it became available at the beer garden. (#2)

302051895_513171167477763_9096067598087057205_n

“The result is a menu that includes 13-hour smoked prime brisket, burnt ends, spare ribs and pulled pork….

The mains are rounded out by a handful of classic sides, like barbecue beans, loaded potato salad, mac and cheese, and a vinegar-based slaw—dishes that Koch says are carefully crafted from scratch and not just an afterthought.” (Willamette Week 10/27/21) (#3) 

452701457_18235846555280346_1591207561206125642_n

Dave Bartz had the Mac-n-Cheese with two pork ribs. “Delish,” he stated. (I was sitting next to Dave and was tempted to surreptitiously dig in but was still remembering his years as my boss as Co-Managing Partner at the Schwabe firm…..)

Sue Bartz enjoyed the burnt ends and Jim Finn took an order home. 

I was tempted….

The menu is more than inviting with starters such as nachos, pastrami salad and even Frito pie, sandwiches and inviting sides and the prices are very reasonable.

But let’s look at this 12/10/23 Yelp review which does a decent job of making one want to double his or her dose of statins to partake:

We were a little hungry so we decided to order from their bbq menu, option for their brisket and potato salad. Both items were chef’s kiss! The brisket was tender and juicy and absolutely melted in my mouth.

The potato salad had nice chunky potato without being mushy. I love that the bbq sauce came on the side so I can choose how much sauce I wanted to eat.

The Company

I’ll finish below with some final thoughts on LB, but first I need to single out three of my Beerchasing companions.  Periodically on this blog, I recognize an individual or group who may or may not have anything to do with bars or breweries but has good story. 

In my opinion, they have made a contribution that should be recognized – thus my Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter. (BOQ)

Past recipients of this “honor” have included veterans – most notably some war heroes, academicians, media personalities, lawyers, athletes including the 1967 Oregon State Giant Killer Football Team and even my retirement oboe instructor.

In our group at LB, I had three former Beerchasers-of-the-Quarter – Jack FaustAmy Faust and Jim Westwood – and I want to briefly highlight their stories.

Jack Faust

Jack Faust – Beerchaser of the Quarter 9/2/14 – the senior member of our group, has been a mentor and friend to all of us there that day.  He graduated first in his class at University of Oregon Law School, served as a special agent in the Army Intelligence Corps and was regarded as one of the best appellate lawyers in Oregon when he practiced.

But he also had a memorable broadcast media career:

“For 13 years, Faust moderated Town Hall, a weekly public affairs television program on ABC affiliate KATU. The program featured discussions, often contentious, between public officials, experts and plain citizens on topics that ranged from serious (child abuse) to light (alien abductions).

It drew high ratings and received numerous honors including national awards.”

Another of the many interesting Jack Faust tales can be viewed in the 2014 prize-winning Netflix documentary “Battered Bastards of Baseball.” 

Jack served as the Portland Maverick’s lawyer and a good friend of actor Bing Russell, team owner and his son, actor, Kurt.  He obtained a notable victory for Russel in an arbitration with the Pacific Coast League.

Besides his intellect, one of the traits that endeared Jack, not only to his partners but the entire law firm, was his keen sense of humor.  He was always willing to participate in my schemes to make presentations at the firm’s retreats more interesting.

For example, take the two YouTube videos below – the first being part of a retreat video and the second being the outtakes to produce the final product.  Jack is “admonishing” a colleague who has a definite resemblance to former Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, Art Vandelay.

Amy Faust

Amy Faust – BOQ 4/11/17 – Jack’s daughter (the only father-daughter BOQ) had an extended radio broadcast career.  For nineteen years – in two different stints – she was the Amy in the Mike and Amy Show on KWJJ – The Wolf

They received the CMA award for Major Market Personalities which was accepted on a national television broadcast.

At one point, 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…..!

Amy is a talented and creative person with a fascinating career besides her time in radio.  This includes stints in documentary film production, freelance writing, authoring advertising copy, producing TV commercials, television production and as location manager for the show Portlandia

She currently works as a social media/marketing expert for New Seasons Market. If you want to view a sample of Amy’s excellent writing and Jack Faust’s amazing connection with the Rajneesh, read her 1859 Oregon Magazine article from 2018 entitled “Rajneesh in Review – A Memoir.”

Jim Westwood and Amy having a spirited debate with oversight by Amy’s husband, Kevin.

Jim Westwood

Jim Westwood – BOQ 3/28/13 – Jim joins Jack as being regarded as one of the premier appellate lawyers in the Pacific Northwest. 

In fact, we deliberately separated the two during the event to avoid them having an animated discussion of Jack’s 1986 victory in front of the Oregon Supreme Court (June v Roberts) involving initiative ballot titles, nuclear energy and Trojan (not the one you’re thinking of….)

Of course, they would have also discussed Jim’s 2005 case before the Oregon Supremes (City of Nyssa v. Dufloth/Smith) involving free speech, nude dancers, prohibited touching and the distinction between the distance of four feet and one foot.  (Surprisingly, Trojans were not involved in this case….)

The Portland Mercury elaborated in its article “Nude Justice – Oregon Supreme Court Appreciates Strippers.”  (It appears that Miss Sally’s Gentlemen’s Club is gone but not forgotten!)

But Jim – one of my most frequent Beerchasing companions – has a story that transcends his legal accomplishments. 

(And I’m not talking about being a fellow graduate of Oregon City High School where his mom, Catherine was my Latin teacher for two years, his stint as a fill-in weatherman on KGW television or how he learned Thai when he was in Naval Intelligence). (#4)

Thai_translation_&_transliteration_of__Meitei_language__(alias__Manipuri_language_)

Jim was the Captain of the legendary Portland State College, GE College Bowl Team in 1965. The College Bowl story is remarkable as evidenced by this excerpt from the Portland State Alumni Association News article by Kathryn Kirkland, May 2, 2005:

“The 415 points scored in their final match ties them for fifth-highest single-game total achieved, and their 1725 points total set a new record at the time and is fourth highest overall.

The March 26, 1965, issue of Time has an article on how the College Bowl victories helped change Portland State’s image as ‘the flunk-out school’ for University of Oregon and Oregon State drop-outs…” (#5)

college-bowl

To obtain some idea of the erudition of this team (Jim describes them as students with GPA’s around 3.0 who were just “nerds.”) take a look at this YouTube link from the University of San Francisco match:

GE College Bowl 1965 – Portland State College v University of San Francisco (youtube.com)

Finishing the Little Beast Story

Little Beast started in 2017 in the former quarters of Brannon’s in Beaverton which never gained traction (Kevin Brannon is a former Schwabe lawyer).  LB also has a brewing facility in Clackamas.

It moved to its current beer garden location after Lompoc Brewing closed it after fourteen years as reported in Portland Eater article 11/20/17 Lompoc owner Jerry Fechter stated:

“The competition is greater and frankly, business is slow….We’ve seen decreasing sales for the last two years.“

Well, Little Beast continues to strive, notwithstanding the competition and perhaps, creativity, excellent beer and outstanding food overcome the struggle for market share.  You should find out yourself. (#6)

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1.  Facebook page for Little Beast Brewing (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=540816814406810&set=a.540816787740146)

#2.  Facebook page for Lawless Barbecue (https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=513171177477762&set=a.513171140811099)

#3. Lawless Barbecue Website (Lawless Barbecue – Slow Smokes Legit Kansas Style BBQ in Portland (lawlessq.com).

#4. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Thai translation & transliteration of “Meitei language” (alias “Manipuri language”).jpg – Wikimedia Commons) File is made available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.   The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain by waiving all of their rights to the work. Author: Haoreima – 21 July 2024.

#5.  Portland State University Inside Portland State (Historic 1965 College Bowl victory gave PSU national visibility, local credibility – INSIDE PORTLAND STATE (pdx.edu))

#6. Facebook page for Little Beast Brewing  (https://www.facebook.com/littlebeastbeergarden/photos/t.100054354896107/234642883900263/?type=3)

“Bottoms Up”at The Oaks Bottom Public House

Many Oregon breweries have become high-profile operations with significant advertising budgets and sleek new brewpubs with roof-top patios attracting crowds of millennials from downtown high-tech firms that have become an important part of Portland’s new economy. The bravado is sometimes more for the underlying events and image of the venue than the beer.

Thebeerchaser is not suggesting this is a negative.  In fact, the micro-craft industry, from its roots in the mid-1980’s by some pioneers including Don Younger, the Widmers and the McMenamins has become a multi-billion dollar industry providing family-wage jobs, attracting tourists to all parts of the state and even becoming an integral part of the higher-ed curriculum at Oregon State, University of Portland and Portland State University

Logo for the OSU Food and Fermentation Science Club

According to the Oregon Craft Beer website, by the end of 2016, “…the state had 230 brewing companies operating 261 brewing facilities in 73 cities across the state….employing roughly 31,000 Oregonians directly and indirectly and contributing $4.49 billion to the state’s economy.”  4/017 (The 2017 ending brewery count had grown to 245.)

However, today’s post of Thebeerchaser focuses on one of the more understated and yet highly regarded members of the brewing community which has great beer.  Lompoc Brewing has four locations in Portland – down one when the Hedge House on SE Division closed last year.  “Sadly, it seems to be a victim of increased competition, rising rents and bad weather combined with the lease being up for renewal.”  New School Bar, 11/19/17)

Lompoc’s website is almost too basic and not typical of a brewery with their profile and history. I featured the original pub (the New Old Lompoc) on NW 23rd in an 11/18/15 post on the blog, when I visited it with one of my favorite individuals, Dennis Ferguson, Senior Philanthropic Advisor for the Portland State University Foundation.

Ty, Denny and Rosie, the Manager of the New Old Lompoc in 2015

Accompanying us was Tygue Howland, a superb athlete in his high school and college days and now Associate Athletic Director at Portland State. We loved the ambiance of this small pub which “rose like the Phoenix” when the area around it was redeveloped.

I had the same reaction, as did my fellow Beerchasers, on two visits to one of the other Lompoc locations – the appropriately named Oaks Bottom Public House – in the heart of Sellwood and adjacent to the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge.

Former Willamette Week Arts and Culture Editor, Martin Czimar, an expert on the Portland restaurant and brewing scene – in this excerpt from one of his last columns written before he left for a new job in Washington D.C. – wrote about Lompoc Brewing (although describing the NW 23rd pub, it fits Oaks Bottom as well):

“It’s just one story that illustrates why so many Portlanders are fiercely loyal to this friendly mini-chain, which was founded by Don Younger of Horse Brass fame before the ever-affable Jerry Fechter took over.  Lompoc is perhaps the city’s archetypal brewpub of its generation—homey, friendly and totally lacking in all pretension.” (Willamette Week 3/4/18)

Now most Portlanders in the Baby Boomer era (including Thebeerchaser) know the late Don Younger as the legendary founder of the Horse Brass Pub – one of the older and more revered Portland pubs and Younger’s legacy based on his contributions to the fledgling craft industry.

If you have never been to the Horse Brass, you should visit it next time you are in East Portland.  In fact, in Willamette Week’s  “2016 Best of Portland,” the Horse Brass Pub was recognized for the best pub food in Portland:  “….One of the most important pubs in the history of Portland’s brew culture.  It also has some killer meat pies and fish and chips.”  (In 2017, the weekly also recognized Horse Brass for the City’s best Fish and Chips.)

My own experience is described in this post I wrote in May, 2013: https://thebeerchaser.com/2013/05/23/the-horse-brass-pub-pinnacle-of-perfection/

However, we digress as is my tendency when talking about brews and breweries…..Back to the Lompoc Brewery…..In an Oregon Live article written in April 2017, Nathan Freeburg interviews the Lompoc Founder, Jerry Fechter, who the columnist describes as a “fun, friendly and gregarious guy,” about the origin of the Brewery:

“Fechter was working at ‘The Old Lompoc House’ on NW 23rd in the early ‘90’s.  It was a small bar that got its name because it reminded the owner of an old bar from the ‘50’s.  When craft beer started getting big in Oregon, Fechter figured out how to brew beer, went to beer school in Chicago and began building the brewery.  They brewed their first batch in early 1996.

In 1999, the owners weren’t ‘into the whole craft beer thing,’ so he bought them out. ‘We were playing golf and I said, ’hey, can I buy the brewery?’  By the end of the round, we had agreed upon a price’ and the rest is history”

Accompanying Janet and me to the Oaks Bottom Pub were Beerchasing regulars Roy Lambert and Mary Maxwell – they also accompanied us on our first trip to the pub several years ago – both times after a good walk to enjoy the scenery described below.

Newcomer to our walking group and new to Oregon as well, Chris Hamm, who moved here recently from New Hampshire, joined us on the walk and Kate Dickson, met us at the pub afterwards for dinner and beer.

While Oaks Bottom had a nice feel in the past, the expanded space (they acquired the former dry cleaning shop next door) enhances the experience.  It provides additional booths and tables to accommodate what can be robust crowds especially for the good Happy Hour values available.  It also has a nice décor and a big fireplace for winter visits.

Nice job on expansion space…

One trend in micro-brewing lately is to incorporate all kinds of weird ingredients when making beer in an ill-advised effort to be innovative.

According to an article in Paste Magazine, the list includes dill, horseradish, peppercorns, celery seed, maple syrup, molasses, margherita pizza, bourbon vanilla beans, Vietnamese cinnamon and peanut puree to name a few.

Fortunately, there was no indication that Lompoc decided to try leftover dry-cleaning solvents, from their expanded space, in a new beer release which could include turpentine spirits, benzene, carbon tetrachloride or liquid carbon dioxide in furtherance of this trend.  Sorry, I just have no desire for a “Cleaned and Pressed IPA!”

The bar, itself, is a nice setup although most people use the tables and booths.  It’s in a passageway that leads to the patio in the back – a much better option than the few tables on the sidewalk in front of the pub – right on busy SE Bybee Blvd..

While the menu can be described as pub food, it offers a lot of options and based on our experience, the food is pretty good and reasonably priced.  On the first trip, one of us tried the fish and chips and a delicious cobb salad and rated them highly.

On this trip, we stuck to burgers and sandwiches – the Oaks Bottom Burger (1/2 lb. for $12) or a smaller one at Happy Hour and the chicken sandwich.   While the HH hamburger  is a good deal at $6, it does not compare favorably with some of the bars and pubs at which burger lovers rave.  Examples include the Slow Bar and Wilder.  (See prior Beerchaser reviews.)

But the tap list of  Lompoc beers is the highlight – particularly the Proletariat Red, a former winner (2015) of a silver medal at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival.  Craft Beer.com describes it as, “Deep chestnut in color…..features a toasted malt profile with biscuit undertones leading to notes of caramelized pear and cinnamon. It strikes an ideal balance between malt and hops.”

Native Portlander, journalist and Communist party figure

And the proximity to Reed College with its sometimes controversial reputation and the history of Portlander, John (Jack) Reed, (not the founder of Reed College as is often thought) but a key figure in the early Communist Party raises the question, why isn’t Reed’s picture on the back of the Proletariat Red bottle?

Reading about John Reed and Reed College is worth placing yourself in an easy chair at the Pub while having one of the Lompoc Beers. (For example, their Kick Axe Pale Ale – according to RateBeer.com: “The unofficial beer of the Timbers’ Army.  Kick Axe is a crisp and nicely hopped pale ale that has been dry-hopped in the fermenter with whole leaf Cascades for a huge hop aroma.”)

One fascinating article describes John Reed’s interactions in Russia with Lenin and Trotsky in an article entitled, “Oregon lad became a founding father’s of Russian Communism.”  He was buried with full military honors and is the only American to be buried in the Kremlin Wall!

https://offbeatoregon.com/1602d.john-reed-communism-380.html

Another example is  this excerpt from a 2009 piece written by a Reed grad and activist – Ty Marbet, who interestingly enough, tried to get rid of gun free zones on Oregon college campuses including Reed:

“Depending on who you ask (Princeton Review, etc.), Reed is between 2nd and 8th ‘most politically and socially liberal’ college in the country, comparable to UC Berkely.  Our school’s unofficial seal proudly sports the hallowed trinity: ‘Communism, Atheism, Free Love.'”  

Elliot Hall at Reed College

Finally, an extremely interesting and detailed article on John Reed is from the Marxist Internet Archive with intriguing references to the Arlington Club, Waverly Country Club, Dunthorpe and Portland society – part of John Reeds, young life in Portland – written by prolific Portland author, Michael Munk, another Reed College grad and university professor.

Those considering a trip to the Oaks Bottom Pub, should definitely work in a hike given the proximity of some attractive options.

For example, on the first visit, we walked the trail along the Oaks Bottom Wild Life Refuge for which the pub is named.  It’s an urban wetland popular with bird watchers and full of other critters including beavers, otters and cranes which sometimes pose for photographers.

Photo taken during our walk along Oaks Bottom

It also provides some great views of the southern parts of Portland along the Willamette River – a great contrast to the wild and primitive nature of the area surrounding the trail.

This was a description from a 10/10/17 Willamette Week article on haunted hikes in Portland

“You’ll wind around Wapato Marsh, passing by the wildlife mural on the Portland Memorial mausoleum, which became the first crematory west of the Mississippi when it opened in 1901.

Eventually, you’ll turn left onto the Springwater Corridor and head toward Oaks Amusement Park. The amusement park is allegedly haunted by a young man and a little girl who died there long ago, according to Ghosthunting Oregon by Donna Stewart.”

 

And if you want a more urban, although highly scenic option, try meeting at the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Gardens adjacent to Eastmoreland Golf Course and across the street from Reed College and only 1.2 miles away from the pub.

While you’ll have to pay $5 per person for admission to the Gardens, the flowers and surrounding ponds are well worth the price.

And then we walked through the interesting trails on the Reed College campus which also includes more wooded landscape, streams and ponds.   It’s also great to see the students lounging on the greens scattered through the campus which also has some interesting and historical buildings.

Even if you don’t supplement your trip with a hike, check out the Oaks Bottom Pub.  This excerpt from a Yelp review last August sums up the situation pretty well and is typical of those you will see on social media.

“…….now it’s one of my favorite spots for dinner and/or drinks in the Sellwood neighborhood! I love that they expanded the place, so it’s definitely faster getting a table now. But I do tend to try to go before or after their busiest times.

The food is great (I actually love their salads!) and the drinks are strong in just the right way. Service is almost always awesome. And I love sitting by the fire on cold, rainy nights.”

Oaks Bottom Public House           1621 SW Bybee Blvd.