I love beer and cider. After now having visited over 400 different breweries and cideries, it’s fair to say I have sampled a lot (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 drinking runners like me can go to find some new favorite beverages.
If you haven’t read about Portland Brewing Company‘s rebrand this past year, I recommend you checking out our post about it. We were there on Day 1 of the shift and got to check it all out in person. Here’s a little from our post:
Portland Brewing has unveiled a brand refresh that takes their beers and packaging into the new craft beer world. Some info from their press release:
Portland Brewing’s company values reflect the city itself: original, solid, passionate, Portland. “Portland isn’t just in our name, it’s in our DNA. The brewery was born here, and the city helped raise us. We will always represent Portland, making original beer that’s a reflection of the city and the people who give the city its character.
The bold graphic “P” is not only a modern evolution of Portland Brewing Company’s original packaging, it also reflects the city itself, taking on the geographic layout of Portland. The brand mark refers to some of the first signage created for the tap house in 1986 combined with the modern geometric design popular at that time. The stem of the “P” follows the path of the Willamette River as it runs through the center of the city, while border elements on the badge were inspired by Portland’s city flag. Our goal was to create something that not only reflected Portland Brewing’s history, but created a strong symbol for the brand in years to come,” said Sean Barrett, Creative Director at Studio Mega.
We raced at Portland Brewing back in April during the Oregon Brewery Running Series Hoppy Day Brewfest 5k and got to sample some of their new offerings. Additionally, we tried out a few of their staple beers – and ones that you will likely see around town. Their historical Portland IPA has been slightly modified and has been renamed and bottled as “Ink & Roses“. They also have a “New Way IPA” that is in some snazzy new cans as well.
New Way is the epitome of the Portland Brewing shift, moving away from old-school, traditional IPA offerings and moving into the new IPA landscape with a crisper and lighter offering. It is full of Denali, Eureka and Calypso hop, which provides more of a tropical and fruity finish than most old Portland Brewing options. They describe it as “refreshing, yet complex; creative, yet approachable, like the city we call home”. Perfect in my opinion.
Ink & Roses pays homage to two things that Portland seem to be known for – the Rose City moniker and tattoos. This has a more traditional flavor profile than the New Way, but you can tell it has a little modern flair thrown in from its previous version (the Portland IPA). It pours a little lighter and the dryhopped Centennial and Sterling hop combo makes it more floral drinkable, in my opinion, than the original.
Whatever you do, don’t just think of Portland Brewing as your “dads” brewery. I highly recommend trying these for yourselves when you see them on the shelves and plan a trip to NW to check out their taproom-only beers and take home a crowler or two.
Beers:
- New Way IPA
- ABV: 6.8%
- IBU: 60
- Ink & Roses IPA
- ABV: 6.5%
- IBU: 65
Brewery:
- Portland Brewing Company (Facebook)
- 2730 NW 31st Portland Oregon, 97210 (RACE LOCATION)
- Monday–Friday: 11:00am–7:00pm
- Saturday: 12:00pm–7:00pm
- Sunday: Private Events
- 2730 NW 31st Portland Oregon, 97210 (RACE LOCATION)
