The Lucky Lab Brewery on SE Hawthorne is a well-known watering hole for Portland bike lovers. It’s the meeting place for big rides and club meetings, and on any Friday after work, you’re sure to see PDOT’s finest sharing a bowl of peanuts and pitcher of ale.
Now comes word from BikePortland correspondent Carl Larson that Lucky Lab’s Head Brewmaster Ben Flerchinger has created a new beer called Bike Route Rye. Dat Nguyen and Steve Kirkendall stopped by after the Shift meeting last night for a sample. Dat says it’s “really good, like a super light IPA, that isn’t too heavy…perfect for cyclists.”
Flerchinger told me on the phone this morning that he made it in honor of the city’s cyclists,
“We’re right in the middle of Hawthorne and the bridge, which are major bike routes, so we thought we’d do a little something as a nod to all that.”
And about the beer he says,
“It’s a light rye, it’s easy drinking, not too high in alcohol, so you can have a couple and still ride home.”
He said he’s only made one batch, but he’ll make more,
“We’ll definitely make another batch…it’s only been on tap for about a week now, and it’s been selling well. We also can do kegs with a few week’s notice.”
It’s a good thing they recently added a second row of bike racks.
Awesome. These guys have great beer, my doggie loves it there, and peejay owes me a beer! Let’s make it a Bike Route Rye.
Finally, some worthy news on this site Jonathan! *tongue in cheek*
Lots of bike racks, good beer, nice atmosphere… if only they could add some food more interesting than sandwiches.
Hmm, I always thought the curry bento was pretty decent for brew pub food.
Anyone who tries the Bike Route Rye over the next few days, be sure to give us a report on it. If it sounds good enough, I may at long last have something other than a Black Lab Stout next time I’m there.
Hmm, perhaps the Lab is feeling the potential competition from the soon-to-open Hopworks pub on SE Powell (former site of Sunset Fuel)? I know I have been looking forward to seeing if Hopworks will be as “bikey” as anticipated. And Chris Ettinger sure knows how to brew a tasty beer . . . .
If only it was vegan, I would partake…
Spaz, I hear you on that. Finding good vegan beer has been one of the major speed bumps in my journey toward vegan-land. Fortunately, there are now a lot of very fine beers available that are vegan:
http://www.veganconnection.com/veganbeer.htm
So maybe with some arm-twisting the good folks at the Lab’s lab might also get with the program?
A_O:
Tomorrow at 6? I’ll buy one for Dabby, too, if you guys promise not to hit each other.
And, while you’re at the Lab, you should wander across the street to the most excellent Recyclery, where you can get some fine new and used bikey things. Robbie will set you up proper.
peejay, you’re on. And I’m a pacifist, so no risk of me starting a fight. Besides, Debby can’t possibly be as annoying in person… 😉
“Besides, Debby can’t possibly be as annoying in person… ;)”
Gee, I am tempted to drop by just to find out Too bad I have other plans.
But I second the props for the Recyclery – more than once they have come to the aid of the venerable Heavi-Duty when no one else had the nerve . . .
Who’s this Debby character? Is she hot?
She will be if you drink enough of that Bike Route Rye.
spaz,
i agree about it being a big disappointment about lucky lab putting gelatin in their beers. but just so everybody understands, that makes it not only non-vegan but non-vegetarian too. kind of a meat beer, if you will.
unless one happens to be the rare
Ovo-Lacto-Jello vegetarian
Lucky Lab folks…thanks for adding more bike parking…it is long over due.
It was always such an odd situation for a famously ‘bike friendly’ business to have so little on site bike parking (given its bike volume) vs. a sea of car parking spaces.
I hope the new racks are covered and placed so you do not have to weave between parked cars to get to it.
For the bloggers; boycott McMenamins (Edgefield). Go to Lucky Lab Pub instead.
Today at 3:00 p.m. we brought our lab to McMenamins, we were told to put the dog in the car. Yes, car. Now today’s high in Portland was 91 degrees. I told them, “No, not in this weather.” So I walked to the parking lot, and sat with my dog in the shade until my relatives got some food to go. About 20 minutes later, a woman employee walks by and tells me, “There are no dogs allowed here.” We told her we’re just waiting in the shade not even close to a walkway, etc…
So, when our family just spent $100 on food we drove off only to see a dog in a car in the parking lot, unattended. So I ask McMenamins lovers out there, “Why patron this business when they are telling people to put their dogs in their car!
Outrageous. The Human Society should investigate such matters.
Marco
Bad news…the Lucky Lab is out of the Bike Route Rye. Dat and I went over on Friday to buy a few bottles of it to toast at the opening party for Clever Cycles, but no beer.
Lucky Lab…your rye was good (Laurlhurst Pub had a good one too 2 summers ago) and would be a great summer post ride beer…and a good way to support Pedal Palooza too.