The Siren Song at Pfriem Brewing

Posted on May 26, 2025 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 #)

I’ve mentioned previously that my affinity for dive bars transcends breweries and brewpubs because they generally have more character and history. There are exceptions. For example, check out the Beerwanderers blog published by my friend, Rich Carbonara in Munich, Germany.

Rich is an American living in Munich with his wife, Doreen. He’s the founder of the beer hiking tour guide service Beerwanderers. His first book is Beer Hiking Bavaria which details 50 great hikes from all around Bavaria.

Each hike features a brewery and a suggested after-hike beer. When Janet and I return to Germany, one of Rich’s tours will be a top priority for our trip. (#1 – #2))

Let’s view one of numerous examples of the breweries Rich features – Stefansbräu Brewery – it’s in Dinkelsbühl – an historic walled medieval town dotted with half-timbered houses and intact tower gates in Central Franconia, a region of Germany that’s part of the state of Bavaria. (#3)

Stefansbräu Brewery

Unfortunately, we haven’t traveled to Bavaria, but just looking at the photos and descriptions of the quaint, picturesque and often historic breweries in Rich’s blog makes me yearn for some of that ambiance in the Pacific Northwest where breweries often are in modernized and sleek quarters without much personality.

Obviously, there are many exceptions. I have posted about Steeplejack Brewery’s NE Portland location in a reconditioned historic church. Baerlic Brewing’s SE Portland Brewery and Taproom, and Little Beast Brewing – another SE Portland establishment with great character are two other examples. You can see from the photos below that these interesting and inviting establishments deserve mention.

The Story

There’s a new one on my list and we had a wonderful visit there two weeks ago. Pfriem Brewing is a great story – opening in 2012 in Hood River on the beautiful Columbia River. Janet and I love their beer and their facility. As stated on their website:

“In 2011 Josh Pfriem was well on his path to becoming a master brewer, but that path veered dramatically the day he was introduced to Ken Whiteman and Rudy Kellner at a child’s birthday party. The three went on to form the brain trust that would eventually create pFriem.”

What began as a small company has garnered a big reputation throughout the Northwest based on their excellent beer. Most recently they were awarded three gold medals at the 2025 World Beer Cup for their Hazy IPA, Cold IPA and Pale Ale.

The World Beer Cup, held in Indianapolis on May 1st, is one of the most prestigious competitions in craft brewing where “a panel of 265 judges from 37 countries evaluated 8,375 entries from 1,761 breweries.” Brewers’ Association

And in the 2025 Oregon Beer Awards, they were recognized as both the Large Brewery of the Year and the Regional Brewing Company of the Year for Central Oregon. (#4 – #5)

Pfriem Brewing’s New Milwaukie, Oregon Tasting Room

The City of Milwaukie, in the 2020 census, had a population of 21,119 and was founded in 1847 on the banks of the Willamette River (one of the few major rivers in the world besides the Nile, that flow north) It’s a suburb of Portland – located six miles south of downtown Portland.

Perhaps I’m biased, but notwithstanding the glowing description in the “Visit Milwaukie” website below, it is not a location one would target for a visit. Quite frankly, the downtown is not very vibrant and it doesn’t have the rich history and geography of Oregon City – down the Willamette River about seven miles south.

“Discover the hidden gem of Oregon—Milwaukie, a vibrant community brimming with local charm, diverse businesses, and unforgettable experiences. Whether you’re a visitor or a resident, Milwaukie has something for everyone. From unique shops and delicious dining to exciting activities, explore what makes our community special.” (#6 – #7)

The Willamette River at Milwaukie Bay Park

After eighty-five years, the City outgrew the structure housing City Hall, the library and its fire station – built in 1947 for approximately $32,000…with the aid of a $13,800 grant by the Works Progress Administration (WPA).

The plan was to transform it into a brewery, a restaurant, and a bakery. Milwaukie selected Henry Point Development for the project. (#8 – #9)

A new City Hall about two blocks from the original was dedicated in October 2023. The July 2024 opening of Pfriem and Keeper Coffee “dedicated 87 years to the day of the original building” (according to New School Beer) will perhaps be a renaissance, of sorts, for downtown Milwaukie.

Keeper Coffee is a woman-owned cafe selling local coffee and house-made pastries founded by Brittany Huff in 2019. The Milwaukie shop is their second location and they get great social media reviews such as this recent Yelp review:

“Their southeast PDX location is great (and) this provides so many more seating and space options. The baked goods and coffee are some of the best in the Metro and the staff are awesome! Put this spot on your list of places to check out.” (#10 – #11)

The riveting attraction of the new Priem location is that it encompasses essentially four + different establishments – each with a different feel (meaning it beckons you to return….) As described in a 3/25 post in Brew Public:

Three bars with 20+ taps pouring pFriem’s celebrated core beers, seasonal releases, and exclusive small-batch offerings.
Five handcrafted pFriem specialty craft cocktails and Son of Man cider on draft.
A spacious outdoor patio with a pergola-covered seating area.
An upstairs event space for future brewery events, tastings, and community gatherings.
A cozy retail and bar area inspired by pFriem’s beloved Bear’s Den in Hood River, complete with a piece of original art reflecting the surrounding area.

Besides the attractive quarters of Keeper on the first floor, the building is festooned with historic photos, art and niches which make it an adventure to explore. In fact:

“….during the retrofit, one big surprise was the discovery of a time capsule snuggled in the corner of the building, installed by the city and local Masonic Lodge in 1938.” New School Beer

Siren Call?

While the siren call in Greek mythology refers to a powerful force that attracts someone to something, often with the implication that it may be dangerous or misleading, you won’t see Odysseus here saving his crew’s lives from the alluring vocalization. Instead, the idea of good food and beer in a warm and interesting environment is irresistible! (#12)

A newer beckoning call

That said, one can imagine the many times that City firefighters responded to that resonance while occupying the upper floor in the old City Hall and slid down the fire pole to get to the trucks below.

And that image is preserved, in part, by the focus on historic preservation by Pfriem, the City of Milwaukie and the developers:

“Meanwhile, a fire pole from the original firehouse will be repurposed into a one-of-a-kind beer tap system.

Rudy Kellner (co-founder of Pfriem) says they had an overwhelming response and request from the city and the community to salvage the fire pole and use it in some way in the building. So, they repositioned the original fire pole to land on the 1st and 2nd floor bar tops and adapted it to accommodate tap lines.

‘So we’re going to be pouring beer out of a fire pole. I think we’re probably the first tap room in the world to have beer in a fire pole,’ he says.” (New School Beer)

“….the brewery ran two glycol-chilled tap lines around the bar and up the shiny brass tube, where they meet a pair of handsome Czech side-pull faucets, which give bartenders more control to pour the perfect pint.” Oregon Live

Food for Thought….

Janet and I were joined at Pfriem by our friends John and Kim Limb. I serve with John on the Abbey Foundation of Oregon Board where he is the Immediate Past President and he has been Beerchasing with me on several occasions in the past.

One review described the menu at the Tasting Room as “A thoughtfully curated food menu to complement pFriem’s beer lineup.” The menu is not expansive and essentially standard pub food at reasonable prices. Kim, Janet and I had delicious grilled chicken sandwiches while John enjoyed a pimento cheeseburger. They went well with the Pfriem West Coast IPA.

The new tasting room and coffee shop are both Keepers. Give them a try.

Cheers

External Photo Attribution

#1 – #2. Rich Carbonara Facebook (1) Facebook

(https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10162218874320280&set=t.673215279&type=3}.

#3. Beerwanders Website (Zur Schleuse (Stefansbräu) – Beerwanderers)

#4. Priem Brewing Facebook Page

(https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=557066749901519&set=a.557066723234855).

#5. Priem Brewing Facebook

(https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1514400151968317&set=a.1450864238321909).

#6. Wikimedia Commons (File:Milwaukie, Oregon (May 2019) – 21.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. Author: Another Believer – 18 May 2019.

#7. Wikimedia Commons (File:Willamette River, Milwaukie Bay Park, Milwaukie – DPLA – 06f27a3bc5dcf8e4fa4294d83205f22d.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Creator: Gary Halvorsen – Oregon State Archives – 17 February 2019.

#8. Wikimedia Commons (Milwaukie City Hall – Milwaukie City Hall – Wikipedia) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Author: PortlandSaint – 3 April 2024.

#9. Wikimedia Commons (File:Milwaukie city hall.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author: Finetooth 27 May 2009.

#10 – #11. Keeper Coffee Facebook ( https://www.facebook.com/keepercoffee).

#12. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:Syreny (“Sirens”) – Wilhelm Kotarbiński.jpg – Wikimedia Commons). This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published (or registered with the U.S. Copyright Office) before January 1, 1930. Author:
Wilhelm Kotarbiński – 1900.

The Crux of the Matter

Posted on August 11, 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 at the top to see all of the photos and so the narrative is not clipped or shortened. External photo attribution at the end of the post. (#1 – #2)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But Let Me Digress….

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

https://www.beerwanderers.com/

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

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

What’s in a Name?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rest on its Laurels? No Way!

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

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

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

NO-MO-12pk-web

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

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

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

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

Only one week later Oregon Live reported:

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

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

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

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

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

But I Will Close on a Happy Note

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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