Tag Archives: St. Michael Taproom

Fall Facades – Part I

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Welcome back to Thebeerchaser. This is a long post. If you receive it 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 isn’t clipped or shortened. 

Perhaps I reached for the title of this post a bit, but I like captions with alliteration and my intent is to just cover a number of miscellaneous topics – just on the surface without overanalyzing – just a facade, if you will. That way I’ll have more time for football…..(# External photo attribution at the end of the post – #1)

The image portrays an Oregon State University Beaver football player. I can’t get excited about PAC 12 football or athletics, however, with the realignment.

It essentially decimated the “Conference of Champions (nicknamed by the unforgettable former Washington State basketball coach George Raveling).

I was at OSU during the Giant Killer years in the late 60’s when we beat #!-ranked USC led by OJ Simpson – who in those years tried to escape defensive linemen rather than sheriff’s deputies.

That said, I was pleased and entertained to see how the Beavs played in their 20 to 33 loss to #23-ranked Houston in the first game. Quarterback Braden Atkinson showed real potential as did some of his young receivers. Not to be cynical, but if that kind of showing continues, he will in all probability be in the transfer portal at the end of the season.

The Good Old College Years

One’s freshman year at college was often a life-changing experience and the first time many young people were relatively independent. Without trying to be overly sentimental, I remember with fondness being a “Rook” in 1966 at the SAE house. We got up at 6:30 every weekday morning to start “chores” – cleaning the showers/urinals, serving on kitchen crew, mopping floors, etc.

Similarly, at the NROTC unit, we were the pitiful 4/c midshipman who screwed things up whenever we marched at drill, didn’t spit polish our shoes correctly and struggled with the academic regimen. Our first-term Naval History professor told us that if we got sleepy during class to go stand in the back of the room.

I still have memories of my wonderful late fraternity brother, Dan (Foghead) Riley. Dan, after commissioning, served six years as a Navy aviator and landed on aircraft carriers.

As he nodded off sitting at a desk next to me, piece of chalk (thrown by instructor Lt. Reece) whizzed by his head and splattered on the blackboard in the back of the room. By the time we were seniors, however, (see photo below) we were squared away.

SAE House
NROTC Class of 1970

Those were times of joy, but challenge. The first time away from home marked a significant transition that required adaptation, resilience and learning from mistakes. Being away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings can cause feelings of loneliness and sadness.

Juggling academics, social life, extracurricular activities and for some – a part-time job – could be overwhelming. That said, regardless of whether you were studying for a professional career or just trying to figure out your major, it was a first step in learning how to deal with life’s future challenges.

I was therefore befuddled – maybe unjustifiably so – with two new developments on college campuses. First, as stated in the Morning Brew 8/12/2026: (#2 – #3)

West Hall University of Michigan

“The University of Michigan won’t release official grades for its freshmen’s first semester. The university said that the pivot to a pass/no credit system for first semester classes is an effort to ‘curb the mental health crisis’ among students. (emphasis added)

…. Professors will still give students grades on assignments (in the Colleges of Literature, Science, and Arts) and the school will internally track grades for scholarship and athletic requirements. But the letter grades won’t show up on students’ transcripts”

Other colleges – California Institute of Technology, Swarthmore College, MIT (since 1968) and Wellesley College – all have similar programs for first-semester grades. I guess if I knew my first term grades for physics and calculus (I was a Political Science major, but needed them for my Navy scholarship), wouldn’t go on my transcript, I would have slept a lot better.

Perhaps a Statistics major could do a class project determining the statistical significance of frosh beer consumption and patronage at Good Time Charley’s – a traditional UM hangout for both students and faculty – both before and after this policy is implemented. (#4)

The good news is that it won’t go into effect until 2027. Maybe Michigan can fix its football scoreboard synchronization by then.

A Step Too Far?

While I can accept with a bit of skepticism, the grade scheme above, I unequivocally question the wisdom of another trend at some of the elite universities as reported in the Washington Post 8/11 – a college concierge service.

“College Concierge empowers students to focus on what is important in their academic and social journey during these important years or their life.” (#5)

I couldn’t find a specific cost without booking an appointment, but most are on a monthly fee basis. For example, College Concierge – a Dallas-based company (go figure..) emphasizes consequences?!:

“Based on the parent’s preferences, students can take on the responsibility of submitting their grocery order by a certain date each month or bi-weekly, with a consequence of groceries not being present the following week.“

And to further emphasize personal responsibility, College Concierge will not arrange the delivery of alchoholic beverages — regardless of age!

The service shown in the photo above might be awkward in a fraternity sleeping porch.

Before leaving these two trends, however, it’s worth noting that young people today have real challenges which didn’t face us during our college years – climate change, the implications of AI, the perception of the US by our traditional allies, among others.

My intent is not to demean those in Generation Z. But ingraining a sense of personal responsibility is more important than ever.

Farewell Counselor!

In a 2023 blog post, I highlighted my friend of almost fifty years – attorney Mark O’Donnell. I was saddened when he passed away on August 26th. Mark was one of the best business, land-use and real estate lawyers in the state.

His robust practice also included legal work for non-profit organizations.  Besides his skill as a lawyer, Mark was also a wonderful human being and a man of strong faith.

He’s a guy who showed compassion, a dry and sophisticated sense of humor and an ethic which involved helping others on a daily basis. (#6)

A lawyer of skill, intellect, wit and compassion.

We first met a Clackamas County Commissioner’s land-use hearing in 1979 and started our friendship with a series of letters – continued for many years. My initial letter to him culminated with Mark’s letter responding dated 7/11/1979. 

It addressed a check I sent him for $1.07 for “legal services in kind.”  The final paragraph in his letter stated:

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

In my many years working with lawyers, I learned they don’t like to be outdone. True to form, Mark followed up with a letter to the proprietor of the Saloon. The check sat there for six months until we used it as a credit against our beer.

Mark’s memorial service will be on Saturday, October 11 at St. John the Fisher Catholic Church in Beaverton.

He will be missed.

And Farewell Iconic PacWest Center Fir Tree….

In a 2023 blog post, I chronicled the story of the celebrated evergreen on the 25th external terrace of the PacWest Center in the heart of Portland. I worked in the building for twenty-five years when my law firm occupied the 16th – 20th floors.

The PacWest Center had character and reflected the dynamic personality of its developer – John Russell, President of Russell Development Co. who has both an engineering degree and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

I quoted a fascinating 2023 KOIN News article entitled, “This Portland pine may be the world’s tallest tree planted on top of a high rise:” (#7 – #8)

The PacWest Center

“Standing approximately 40 feet tall, the pine prominently planted atop the Pacwest Center’s 25th-floor terrace could be the tallest tree growing from any high-rise rooftop on Earth.

Commuters anywhere southwest of Jefferson Street and 6th Avenue are bound to notice the coniferous evergreen towering above Downtown traffic. Planted shortly after the office building’s completion in 1984, the tree has quietly matured with the Portland skyline, drawing little attention in the last four decades.”

Unfortunately, as recently reported in Willamette Week “The PacWest Center Pine Tree Has Died at Age 42.”

“The quirky fixture of the Portland skyline was removed in March for safety reasons…. An exact cause of death was not given, but an arborist evaluated the pine and determined it was ‘in declining health and no longer viable.’”

Perhaps replanting the fir will be symbolic of the regeneration which needs to take place in the City of Portland.

Happy Anniversary!

The Benedictine Brewery and St. Michael Taproom at the Mount Angel Abbey, celebrated its eighth anniversary on August 31st. I got involved with the group that helped plan the Brewery starting in 2016 and still remember the structure raising on a cold day in November in 2017.

Check out the amazing video in this post on Thebeerchaser. https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/11/21/the-benedictine-brewery-beam-me-up/

“In 2018, the taproom opened quietly on August ahead of the soft opening of the brewery in September. The dollar bill in the glass case is from the first purchase at the taproom, made by Mount Angel Seminary alumni, classes of 1971 and 1975.

We are grateful to God that St. Michael’s Taproom continues to offer Benedictine hospitality to all our guests eight years later.” (#9 – #13)

Fr. Martin Grassel has built a regional following with his excellent beers and the Brewery has been a wonderful addition to the Abbey. And cheers to Br Lorenzo Conocido now working with him and Taproom Manager, Nicole McCall, for her wonderful staff. Congratulations on this milestone. You should pay a visit to Taproom.

Cheers and Blessings

External Photo Attribution

#1. Open AI Image Generator

#2.  Wikimedia Commons (File:West Hall, University of Michigan, University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI – 54380287947.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license  Author: w_lemay –  8 September 2024.

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:University of Michigan Logo.png – Wikimedia Commons).  This image 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.  Source: University of Michigan Global Communications – 8 January 2015.

#4. Facebook site for Good Time Charley’s Ann Arbor   (https://www.facebook.com/GoodTimeCharleys/photos)

#5. Open AI Image Generator

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

#7. – #8.  Photos courtesy of Dan R. Swift, SIOR, CCIM –  Senior Vice President
CBRE | Advisory and Transaction Services – Investor and Occupier. #9 – #13.  Benedictine Brewery Facebook and Website (https://www.facebook.com/BenedictineBrewery/photos) (https://www.benedictinebrewery.com/home-1

#9 – #13.  Benedictine Brewery Facebook and Website (https://www.facebook.com/BenedictineBrewery/photos) (https://www.benedictinebrewery.com/home-1

Guess Who’s Coming to…..Beerchase!!

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

At the end of April, we were delighted to have two separate house guests. Archie, our three-year old grand-pup, visited for ten days from Seattle while his family was on a Hawaiian vacation.  

And my old consultant friend with whom I worked at the Schwabe law firm before I retired in 2011 – “West Coast” Dave Hicks – flew in from an east-coast business trip for two days before he returned home to Ventura, Ca.

In the early days of my Beerchasing hobby and over the next five years, Dave was a frequent companion as you can see from the photos below at the Double Barrel, Reel-Em Inn, the Horse Brass Pub, the Richmond Bar, Crackerjacks, Belmont Station and the Ranger Station. 

Dave has used his Princeton and University of San Diego Law School education well and is now Chief of Staff at Garnett Capital Advisors – a financial services firm specializing in managing loan portfolio sales for credit-granting institutions.

He is also known to use his experience as a Princeton Nassoon – the university’s oldest acapella group – with his identical-twin brother, to entertain at parties although he refrained from doing this at the dive bars we visited. 

We usually toasted one of my first and most memorable Beerchaser-of-the-Quarter, the late Dr. Harry Frankfurt – Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at Princeton and author of the wonderful essay “On Bullshit.” (#2 – #4)

The Princeton Nassoons in 2008

Some Trepidation…?

Archie had visited and stayed overnight with us in the past, but it was always with his family – Mom and Dad and two young daughters.

Question No. 1:  “How would he react to staying with us for ten days?”

 Question No. 2: “How would he react to our male out-of-town visitor for a day and one-half?  Did he have an aversion to the Ivy League?”

Well, our concerns were short-lived.  Archie immediately went over to Dave sitting on the couch and curled up next to him and rolled over to have his stomach rubbed. Dave is a walker and the next day, he and I took Archie on a long walk on which Dave was the main leash holder.  And the pup was a prince for his entire stay with us.

Trepidation unwarranted!

Beerchasing

Dave and I had an ambitious agenda.  On the Friday afternoon, we drove the twenty-four miles to the Mount Angel Abbey to have some beers at the Benedictine Brewery and St Michael Taproom and say “hello” to Fr. Martin, the Manager and Head Brewer.

Fr. Martin stopped his work to say hello

No brewery will ever surpass my affection for this enterprise on the grounds of the Abbey in Mount Angel Oregon – one of just three owned and operated by Benedictine monks in the US.

Those who follow this blog, may recall that I was involved in the planning and development of the Brewery starting in 2016 until it opened in late 2018 including the amazing event in 2017, when over 125 monks, priests, seminarians and volunteers and members of the Mount Angel community, gathered for an “old-fashioned barn rising.” 

As shown in the videos in this post, we started with a cement slab that cloudy morning and by the end of the day, had a framed structure for the brewery and taproom.   https://thebeerchaser.com/2017/11/21/the-benedictine-brewery-beam-me-up/  (#5 – #11)

Dave and I had a great sampler of six beers and toured the beautiful Abbey Hilltop including a visit to the famous Alvar Aalto Library before returning to our home in West Linn. (#12 – #13)

Dave had invited Janet and me to dinner the next evening at the Bellpine Restuarant at the top of the Ritz Carlton Hotel in downtown Portland. While Janet spent her Saturday afternoon on a variety of activities, Dave and I drove into Portland for beers at two of my favorite downtown dive bars.

The Yamhill Pub – as I stated in the title of my 2015 blog post  https://thebeerchaser.com/2015/05/14/the-yamhill-pub-a-dive-bar-with-character-or-grunge/ the aura of this hole-in-the-wall was best described in the now defunct Portland Barfly Website (another COVID victim…)

“A genuine dive-bar lurking midst the downtown shopping arcade, the Yamhill Pub maintains an unreconstructed seediness through blaring juke, food…(and, for that matter, toilets) best avoided, actively-encouraged graffiti upon the smoke-stained walls, pennies-a-serving pitchers, and a fiercely-protective cadre of underemployed regulars (seniors, rockers, bike messengers) willing to throw themselves in front of Hummers to prevent the forces of gentrification. Intimidating for the first-time visitor, but that’s sort of the point.”

This was my fourth visit to the Yamhill, and I was happy to see that it was still in business.  As one regular commented to me in 2015, “Mark my words, this place will be gone in five years and that will be a tragedy.”  

Willamette Week reported in November 2020, that Kevin Hill, the owner, launched a $15,000 GoFundMe campaign to raise $15,000 to save the bar – evidently it worked.

But grunge is still the watchword – from the graffiti-infested walls, the bathrooms and even the entrance sign in which the name has become essentially illegible.   Look at the difference in the sign over the front door between 2015 and last month!

2015
2025

But as stated in its own Wikipedia page and as affirmed by, Neal, our friendly bartender, the Yamhill Pub, founded in 1939, still retains its legacy for draft PBR. “The bar has been recognized as the top Pabst Blue Ribbon seller in Oregon.”

Not only that, but at one time in the ’90’s they were #5 in North America!!  Before I could scoff, he pointed out this PBR sign (see below) from 2012 – Number 18 in North America in PBR sales. 

Dave and I chatted with Neal about Portland bars and watched the The Other Guys – a “buddy-action-comedy” movie with Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell and Michael Keaton which was streaming on the of the two small screen TVs hanging at the corners of the bar. (It seemed appropriate given the setting.)

Kelly’s Olympian – We walked around Portland some more – noting how the City was coming back from the depths but still had a way to go – and I suggested we drop into another favorite dive.  Kelly’s Olympian, which evolved even before the Yamill (in 1902 – the third oldest Portland bar in continuing operation) has class and a great theme as you will see from the pictures below and this description from their website:

“The crowning glory is the collection of a dozen vintage motorcycles hanging from the ceiling and about, each restored to perfection. One of the owners is a motorcycle enthusiast and finally found a home for his impressive motorcycle collection.

Complementing the motorcycles are other motorcycle accessories, combined with museum quality neon signs, antique gas pumps and historic photos of Portland and motorcycles.”   

If you enjoy history, read the full account in my 2015 blog post.  Even the name chronicles the legacy:

“The name was derived from the name of one of the original owners, ‘Kelly’, and the Olympia Brewing Company, which was involved in the inaugural opening so that it could sell its product, Olympia Beer. It was originally called ‘The Olympian Saloon’. The name ‘Kelly’s’ was added a few years later…..”

And part of the bar’s historic identity goes back even further.  The sections of downtown Portland – mostly in Old Town Chinatown – were known for their “Shanghai Tunnels.”  According to Wikipedia, this is really a misnomer, and an urban legend:

“They connected the basements of many hotels and taverns to the waterfront of the Willamette River. They were built to move goods from the ships docked on the Willamette to the basement storage areas, allowing businesses to avoid streetcar and train traffic on the streets when delivering their goods.”

I had seen some of these on a tour by Adam Milne, owner of Old Town Pizza and Brewing, below his establishment in Old Town (right three photos below), but behind the Kelly’s Olympian Bar is a stairway down to the basement (photo on the left).

In my 2015 first visit to the bar, Lucia, the Manager, verified that servers still descend the stairs through the trapdoor behind the bar to get ice and that’s where their kegs are also stored.

We left after Dave refused to believe my story that the 1912 Princeton Student Body President visiting Portland one summer, got drunk at Kelly’s and was last seen being shuttled to a Chinese freighter.

Bellpine at the Top of the Ritz Carlton – We headed to West Linn to pick up Janet and get into our fancier duds and then drove back into Portland where notwithstanding our offer to dine on pub food at a brewery, Dave treated us to a wonderful six-course dinner (plus dessert) at the Bellpine on the 35th floor of the Ritz.

“Led by acclaimed Executive Chef Pedro Almeida, the culinary journey features ingredients indigenous to the region and is accentuated with world-class wine selections and unique spirits crafted by the region’s master distillers.”

Although the opulent bar was sparsely occupied on a Saturday night, the restaurant was hopping and it was a wonderful meal (yes, I drank wine instead of a PBR) and a fitting farewell to Dave who flew out the next morning to his Ventura, Ca. home. (#14 – #16)

Final Note

I chuckled on the way back home about having a bit of culture shock based on our three establishments that day ending with Bellpine after Kelly’s Olympian and beginning at the Yamhill Pub.  Perhaps it was tantamount to a high-rise outhouse…..

And unfortunately, the 2019 timing of the development of the Ritz, by noted Portland developer, Walt Bowen, was disastrous. A fascinating March 2025 Willamette Week article charts the history:

“After two huge wins, he was ready to gamble again. A new project, called Block 216, would be his most ambitious ever. It would have five floors of prime office space, a Ritz-Carlton hotel, and 132 Ritz-Carlton condominiums…

That may be the most ill-timed guarantee in the history of Portland real estate. A year later, the world locked down because of COVID-19. Hotels emptied. People fled urban condos for ranch houses in the suburbs…

It appears Bowen’s dream tower will instead be a 460-foot tombstone for his career. As first reported by WW on March 5, the construction lender for Block 216 said in an earnings report that ‘ownership and serial asset disposition on the components would be the best net present value outcome for the loan.’

Translation: take the keys and sell the building in pieces.” (#17)

Well at least Kelly’s and the Yamhill will still be serving good cheap beer!

External Photo Attribution

#1. Garnet Capital Website (https://www.garnetcapital.com/aboutus/management#1)

#2. Wikimedia Commons (File:2008NassoonsHolzhaus.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Lhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/deed.en – Attribution:  Nassoons at English Wikipedia – 5 July 2008.

#3. Public Domain – Wikimedia Commons (File:On Bullshit cover.jpeg – Wikimedia Commons) This image of simple geometry is ineligible for copyright and therefore in the public domain, because it consists entirely of information that is common property and contains no original authorship. Author: Dr. Harry Frankfurst, Princeton University Press – 2008.

#4. Wikimedia Commons (File:Harry Frankfurt at 2017 ACLS Annual Meeting.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported license.  Author: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN30Qk9j0bKuWF2ulC9CtVQ – 29 October 2018.

#5 – #11. Benedictine Brewery Website (https://www.benedictinebrewery.com/home-1).

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

#14 – #17. Wikimedia Commons (File:Portland, Oregon, May 2024 – 54.jpg – Wikimedia Commons) Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.  Author:  Another Believer – 19  May 2024. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Another_Believer).

Taste and Believe!

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The history of beer is as robust as an imperial stout and has religious roots.  These generally date back to the sixth century when the monks at the Benedictine Brewery in Monte Cassino started brewing beer in the monastery founded by Benedict of Nursia.  Saint Benedict is also the originator of the Rule of St. Benedict.

Benedict of Nursia

As stated in a Jesuit Press article entitled  How Monks Revolutionized Beer and Evangelization,: 

“If you love beer, thank a monk.  Monks have been producing beer for 1,500 years, and in that time, they have revolutionized and perfected the beer making process.”

The Benedictine saints Bonifatius, Gregorius the Great, Adelbertus of Egmond and priest Jeroen van Noordwijk (Circa 1529-30)

Well, after more than five years of planning, constructing, training and testing,  Oregonians now have an opportunity to reap the fruits of that legacy in their own backyard.

The Benedictine Brewery is now brewing on site across from the hop fields on Mount Angel Abbey property in the City of Mt. Angel .

Abbot Jeremy Driscoll

The Brewery and the St. Michael Taproom were blessed by Abbot Jeremy Driscoll, OSB, in an inspirational ceremony on the afternoon of August 8th attended by monks, priests, seminarians, Abbey Hilltop employees and special guests.

Abbot Jeremy, an Idaho native was professed a monk in 1974, ordained as a priest in 1981 and elected the 12th Abbot of the Abbey in 2016.  The Abbey Monastery was founded in 1882 and the Seminary in 1889.

The ceremony commenced with Fr. Martin Grassel, OSB, who will be the General Manager of the Brewery and whose vision was the motivating force stated:

“Father Abbot, we ask a blessing on this building constructed for brewing beer, so we may live by the work of our hands bringing forth from nature and art, a drink we pray, will gladden hearts, bring friends together and lend them to the thankful praise of God.”

Abbot Jeremy and Fr. Martin at the Blessing Ceremony

The Timber Raising

Although planning for the Brewery commenced over five years ago and the monks have been brewing on a contract basis with Seven Brides Brewing of Silverton, the primary construction phase was marked by an old-fashioned barn or timber-raising last November. On that cloudy day, over one-hundred monks, seminarians and members of the Mt. Angel community gathered in the early morning.  

What began the day as a foundation and concrete pad ended up as a structural fame with six bents (two-dimensional transverse rigid frames and the building blocks that define the overall shape of a structure) using 14,000 board feet of Douglas Fir timber harvested from the Abbey tree farm.

To see pictures, video and read about that event see Thebeerchaser post:

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

The following video is one example of those shown in the aforementioned post.

 

The first prayer ceremony in the brewery.

Workers broke at noon for the first prayer service in the brewery, rather than the standard service in the beautiful Abbey Chapel.

Fr. Vincent Trujillo, OSB, led the service – which was “uplifting”– very consistent with the theme that day! The monks sang and were joined by the other participants.

Scrumptuous even without pigs stomarch…

We were rejuvenated by a delicious spread of barbecued chicken, baked beans, potato salad, fruit and green salad.  Missing from the traditional feast of historic barn raising in Amish and Mennonite communities was the standard main course – pig stomach!

What a wonderful collaborative effort that day.

 

Who Should Come to the Brewery and Taproom and Why?

With over 260 breweries in Oregon, most with taprooms, why should you visit the Benedictine?  That question is answered more thoroughly below, but one reason is that it is one of only three in the US in which monks are the owners and operators of the brewery. You have to travel to the wild Chama Canyon near Abiquiu, New Mexico for the closest to Mount Angel Abbey – that of Christ in the Desert Monastery.

Fr. Martin Grassel –

Fr. Martin as General Manager and Fr. Jacob Stronach, the Head Brewer will be guiding other monks who will assist in the brewing, bottling and maintenance of the equipment.  The beer will use locally sourced hops grown on Abbey land and water from the monks’ well.

Fr. Jacob briefing his colleagues on the brewing process

Fr. Martin is a University of North Dakota graduate in Computer Science who started his career in Phoenix as a software engineer for Honeywell Corporation before he got the call and made the trip to Mount Angel for seminary in 1995.

“Once I stepped across the threshold at Mount Angel, I knew I was home,”   His fascinating story can be viewed at

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

The Environment

The brewery and taproom are in rural setting at the lower edge of the Abbey grounds and across from the hop fields.  A friend who is a noted NW architect and saw pictures of the taproom interior (not quite finished) and external shell responded with the following comment:

“The building looks splendid – adhering to the Benedictine principle of elegance through simplicity.  What a splendid project with which to be engaged – one in which rewards will precede heaven.”

Taproom as it nears completion

The interior of the taproom has a great Northwest ambiance – attractive wooden beams, community tables and benches.  There is a patio on the south end with picnic tables looking over the hop fields with the imposing steeple of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in downtown Mt. Angel in the background.

The magnificent steeple of St. Mary’s Catholic Church

And only a mile away, the Abbey Hilltop, overlooking Marion County farmland has an inspiring campus with the splendid chapel as the focus,

 

Besides the Chapel, there is a bookstore, museum which integrates art with natural history, a retreat center (guest house), seminary classrooms and dorms and a noted library:

“Housed in a world-renowned building …..the Mount Angel Abbey Library provides …. access to a large collection of books and other library material in a wide range of subjects including medieval manuscripts and rare materials from the Civil War.” (Abbey web site)

Library mezzanine

 

 

 

 

“It is one of only two buildings in the United States (the other is at MIT) designed by Alvar Aalto – one of the early giants of modern architecture. Completed in 1970, the library received the 2014 World Monuments Fund Award. Recently, Oregon architects voted it the second most iconic building in the state, after Timberline Lodge at Mt. Hood.”  (Mount Angel Letter – Summer 2018)

The People

You and your family (including children) will find when you visit both the St. Michael Taproom and the Hilltop, that the Abbey Community including monks, seminarians and employees are a diverse, interesting and hospitable group.   And the people in the City of Mt. Angel are enthusiastic about this project and we expect them to be regular visitors to the taproom.

The Glockenspiel Restaurant will provide the food at the taproom ranging from chili, to pretzels to fondue and cheeses. As Fr. Martin said, “With Oktoberfest and a German heritage, this is a beer-loving town.”  (The St. Michael Taproom will be open to the public during Mt. Angel Oktoberfest, September 13 to 16, for tastings and tours and the Grand Opening will be September 22-3.)

The Mt. Angel Octoberfest Board at a Taproom preview event on the patio.

Br. Andre Love

The monks have come to the Monastery from all over the world with amazing backgrounds.   We already talked about Fr. Martin, but meet Br. Andre Love who is standing by the sign that he made which will hang on the outside of the brewery.

He is the Curator of the Abbey Museum, an artist who once owned a tattoo parlor and a talented designer who was a key figure in designing the Taproom.

Or you might raise a mug with Br. Bede Ramos who hails from the Philippines and  had a background in international human resources before he came to the Seminary.

Br. Bede with a bottle of Black Habit

And if you want to hear a marvelous southern drawl, just order a mug from the new Taproom Manager, Jennie Baxley, a Texas native who just drove across the country in her move from North Carolina to launch St. Michael.

She has a background in education and the hospitality industry and is shown in the picture below with Fr. Liem who is originally from Viet Nam – a monk for twenty-nine years.

The Beer

Initially, the number of beers will be limited to a certain extent as the Brewery ramps up production.  Taps will feature Belgian beers with NW hops including Black Habit – a smooth dark beer which has received an enthusiastic reception fom the brewing community and beer lovers. 

In addition, St. Benedict Farmhouse Ale and Haustus Pale Ale and Fr. Martin’s Helles Lager are some of the beers in the tap list still under development.  Cider (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and wine and root beer from Mount Angel will also be served.

The beer will be crafted in the brewing tradition that recognizes Saint Arnold of Metz, a Benedictine Monk who is known as the “Patron Saint of Brewers.”

“In medieval times, beer was an essential, as many places did not have access to clean drinking water. Arnold gladly brewed the beer for the local peasants and encouraged them to drink it instead of water”

St. Arnold of Soissons – Patron Saint…

He once said, “From man’s sweat and God’s love, beer came into the world.”

The People!!

This factor is worth restating as it will differentiate the Benedictine Brewery from others and also begs the question:

Is this a taproom where one has to be Catholic or have a religious bent to enjoy it and feel welcome.   Let’s look at the Brewery Guiding Principles authored by Fr. Martin:

“To say it should be a place of hospitality and welcome and family-friendliness would be too shallow. It should be a place where people are more than just welcome.

A place where they will feel blessed, where they will feel the peace of the Abbey, where they will encounter faith in an inviting and non-threatening way, where they will want to come back because of the spiritual atmosphere.” 

So how is that “blessing” imparted?  Fr. Martin goes on to state it is the feeling one will encounter there and leave with as exemplified: 

“By the greeting you receive.  The respect people are shown, the simplicity and the values encountered.  The presence of monks, priests and seminarians.  The peace of the Hilltop.  

The contemplative view of the hop fields.  The blessing of the taproom when it opens daily.  Having your personal items blessed if you make that request.”

You might even meet Abbey Jeremy, shown in the picture below toasting with Br. Anselm, from Bakersfield, California, who is one of four novices who one year ago made their simple vows (stability, conversion of life and obedience – essentially becoming junior monks).

And consider having Abbot Jeremy autograph one of the books he has written including The Monks Alphabet  – my absolute favorite and a wonderful read.

It’s a series of short essays with the Abbot’s own reflections on topics ranging from serious theology including his years spent teaching in Rome, to thoughts on literature to keenly observed moments in nature, to his unique experiences as a youngster.

The latter includes his adventures when he was nineteen – he and three friends had jobs as cowboys in New Mexico.  Fortunately, by then he had learned some lessons in life including how to avoid accidents:  “When I was five-years old, my brother and I burned our garage down.  It was a big accident.” 

So this fall, if you are taking a trip to nearby Silver Falls State Park, the Oregon Garden or just want to have an interesting and peaceful afternoon on the Abbey Hilltop, “tap” off your trip with a tour of the Benedictine Brewery and have a glass of Black Habit or one of the other Benedictine Beers.

Whether you meet Taproom Manager, Jennie Baxley, Fr. Martin, a resident of the Mt. Angel community, Br. Bede or someone who has traveled from Sacramento to see the wonders of Oregon, you will enjoy the fellowship and the beer.

(The video below is the Hilltop on the day of the St. Benedict Festival in July)