I love beer. After now having visited over 390 different breweries, it’s fair to say I have sampled a lot of beer (follow me on Untappd). From post-race pints and run club meeting locations, to beer miles and relays, running and the kegged nectar seem to go hand-in-hand in Oregon. Our Kegs and Legs feature is where beer & cider drinking runners like me can go to find some new favorite beverages. Check out previous posts here!
Coming up THIS WEEKEND, is race number 8 of the 2018 Oregon Brewery Running Series – held at Ecliptic Brewing in North Portland. We thought it would be fitting to showcase some on the week leading up to the event to know what will be on tap! This week’s beers are the Orbiter IPA and Spectra Hoppy Pilsner – both staples in their lineup.
Here are some highlights from our race preview:
The 8th race in this year’s Oregon Brewery Running Series takes place at Ecliptic Brewing in North Portland on Saturday, May 12th. This is the perfect pre-Mothers Day outing for you and your friends and loved ones. Check-in for the race starts around 10:30am. You can pick up your bib, your shirt if you ordered one, and get ready for the 11am start.
The race will take you through neighborhood streets, past Overlook Park to the turnaround loop at Mocks Crest. As with all OBRS races, the race course is not closed (follow traffic rules!), is well marked and staffed with volunteers, will be around a 3mile to 5k distance, and will have no race clock. There is no bag check, and the race takes place in any weather, so please plan accordingly. After the run, enjoy your free drink (pint of beer for those 21+ with valid ID, non-alcoholic options also available), and stick around for the raffle.
Oregon Brewery Running Series – Ecliptic Brewing
When: Saturday, May 12; 11am
Where: Ecliptic Brewing, 825 N Cook St, Portland, Oregon 97227 (map)
Registration: Online here – $30 without shirt; $40 with shirt.
As I mentioned in my previous Kegs and Legs feature on Ecliptic, they have an astronomy theme with their logos, decorations, labels, and beer names. Their location is just north of Widmer, near the crest of Mississippi Avenue, that is seeing a ridiculous amount of development. I fully expect Ecliptic to explode even more as they become the anchor spot in a new neighborhood.
Orbiter IPA pours a dark amber and has a really solid head when poured into the glass. I found the hop combo of Cascade, Centennial, Chinook, Columbus and Simcoe to create an earthy IPA without overpowering bitterness. It’s still relatively high on the IBU scale at 75, but I didn’t find it overpowering. I found that this IPA gets better with each sip and is definitely a solid and straightforward IPA without all the bells and whistles – just solid taste.
I don’t drink Pilsner’s all that often, as they just aren’t my jam most of the time. However, I do realize that they can be really tasty when done right and are great as a lighter post-race treat. The Spectra Hoppy Pilsner looks unlike most American pilsners – it just looked a bit more hazier than I am used to with this style (maybe it’s the fact that it is brewed in an unfiltered Kellerbier style). It had a very sticky head on the glass and smelled crisp, yet with some herbal and earthy spice layers (thanks to the Sterling and Mandarina Bavaria hops). The taste was refreshing, and I know it would keep pilsner drinkers very happy.
Beers:
- Orbiter IPA
- ABV: 7.7%
- IBU: 75
- Spectra Hoppy Pilsner
- ABV: 5.5%
- IBU: 38
Brewery: Ecliptic Brewing (Facebook)
- 825 N Cook St Portland, OR 97227
- M-Thurs / 11AM – 10PM
- Fri & Sat / 11AM – 11PM
- Sun /11AM – 10PM
- HAPPY HOUR ALL DAY MONDAY / TUES – FRI 3PM – 6PM
