It was almost two years ago when I first shared the news about a new brewpub in Southeast Portland that was taking bike-friendly to a new level. Now, thanks to the Oregonian’s bike-and-beer loving reporter John Foyston, I learned this morning that Hopworks Urban Brewery (HUB) is all set to open next Tuesday.
sculpture on the ceiling.
(Photo: Hopworks Urban Brewery)
Foyston has covered developments of brewmaster Christian Ettinger’s exciting project since day one and in today’s paper he shares more details and photos of what just might be the most bike, and earth-friendly pub in Portland.
Here’s a description of the brew-pub by Foyston:
“As befits the acronym HUB, the place caters to Portland’s love of two-wheeled transport…a bicycle repair stand by the front door and meeting space for clubs and community groups. You can buy a new bicycle inner tube at the bar…”
The centerpiece of the pub’s bikey theme is a light fixture/sculpture made out of 44 old bike frames that hangs over the bar.
Get more details on the bike frame sculpture and lots of other cool features of this new brewpub on the Hopworks Urban Brewery blog.
- Hopworks Urban Brewery
2944 SE Powell Blvd
Portland, OR 97202
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Yeah!!! I\’ve been waiting for this since Christian left Laurelwood. I know the wait will be worth it, and the fact that it opens during Spring Break (for me) makes it all the sweeter. btw – Christian raced in the Cross Crusade series as well. BEER.
I\’m getting back into town on Tuesday from a trip. This is going to be awesome. It\’s finally happening! Thanks so much for the heads up Johnathan.
a buddy from high school is the assistant brewer so I luckily have an inside line and get a special dinner this week…woo hoo.
Can\’t wait, looks fantastic!
I know this has probably been talked about before, but what\’s the best way to get from 26th to 29th on a bike? Powell isn\’t exactly \”bike friendly\”
Hey Jonathan, thanks for the link/ink! You and your many readers will love the place and here\’s a link to my blog and the dozen beers on tap opening night…O boy…
http://blog.oregonlive.com/thebeerhere/2008/03/a_dozen_great_beers_on_tap_whe.html
The bikey stuff is awesome. In particular the workstand and tube sales.
However, I go to the pub for excellent brews and good food.
All the beers are hovering around 5% alcohol content. The IPA is a measly 75 IBU\’s. These are not inspiring numbers. Sounds like McMenamins level brews. Hopefully without the headaches and watery taste.
The menu is lackluster as well. Hopefully there will be additions? They don\’t even have the ubiquitous veggie burger. Not a single vegetarian sandwich and no vegan options. I guess you could order a cheeseless or meatless pizza.. Seems like a large oversight to me.
Not a very sustainable menu, even if all the flesh is locally sourced.
I think I will just work on my bike at home and stick to Roots, or better yet Concordia Ale House.
Daaaaaaamn, I was so excited about this being right up the street from me, until I read THIS:
\”
All the beers are hovering around 5% alcohol content. The IPA is a measly 75 IBU\’s. These are not inspiring numbers. Sounds like McMenamins level brews. Hopefully without the headaches and watery taste.
The menu is lackluster as well. Hopefully there will be additions? They don\’t even have the ubiquitous veggie burger. Not a single vegetarian sandwich and no vegan options. I guess you could order a cheeseless or meatless pizza.. Seems like a large oversight to me.\”
There\’s of course several options for vegetarian food within blocks of this new brew pub(other pubs), but I do think it\’s kinda curious you\’d be targeting cyclists at your venue and not bring forth good vegetarian food.
Vegetarian options are easier to prepare, and have a higher markup than flesh. Something to consider.
Also, no beers above 5%?
I\’m waiting for the day that someone will import Baltica 9 by the keg or start brewing the equivalent. Terminal Gravity is the closest it seems around here I\’ve come across, anyone have suggestions?
I\’ll probably check the place out, but you\’re gonna have to rock out that menu with Pub at the end of the Universe, Dot\’s, Lamplight and Chaos all around you to get me in there on the reg.
Where\’d you find the menu Steve I don\’t see it anywhere?
Those who judge their beers by alcohol content would be better served with a 40 ounce in front of the tube. Christian\’s awards don\’t lie. I\’ll be there.
I loathe beer snobs. Nice of you to dismiss Hopworks before you even set foot in the place.
After a long bike ride, some 4-5% beer hits the spot. But other times I prefer a 7.5%, 100+IBU IPA. 29th & Powell isn\’t the best locale for a bikey place, but maybe I\’ll take a look some time.
40oz LOL.
Mmann, thank you for showing that you have no idea what you are talking about. I am in the market for a Barleywine at 5%, know of a good one? I know a place that carries 3.2 PBR, I am sure it is right up your alley.
Just click on the HUB link in the article Torfinn.
Let\’s give it a chance people. I am a fan of Laurelwood, I think they brew good beers today but Ettinger\’s beers are what got me hooked at Laurelwood back in the day.
nuovorecord
Their menu is not catering to me, that is why I dismissed them.
I loathe bike snobs who feel that if something has the word bike in it, that it should be universally praised without critique.
Shouldn\’t a brewery be catering to beer snobs anyway?
Either way, I am not going to get screamed at for having the audacity to ride a bike on Powell, just to go somewhere where all I can eat is a soup or salad. Or perhaps a cheeseless pizza? Err. Yum.
steve, I hope you are kidding about looking for a barlywine at 5%
steve
Fine, if it\’s not your cup of tea…or glass of beer…just don\’t go.
But why bash it in a public forum? Sure, you have your right to say what\’s on your mind. But in a time when restaurants are already hurting, why not at least give the place a chance to succeed or fail on its own, instead of planting seeds of negativity? Here\’s a brave soul, opening a business and trying to add to the economy and culture of Portland. He ought to be getting all the support he can get, even if you never spend a dime in his pub.
Awesome news!
BTW, here is the menu –
http://www.hopworksbeer.com/menu.php
and it looks like they have lots of veggie pizza options! I would suggest if there is something you would like to see on the menu, just ask them. Nicely. Restaurants respond much better to nice people, than to not-nice people.
I hope they put in far more bike parking than might seem reasonable at this time.
The Lucky Lab\’s bikerack is so often full on weekends, meaning you have to lock up to a not very sturdy stop sign pole two blocks away et al.
I\’m comfortable doing that somewhere like Hawthorne, but the crime rates along Powell would make me a little more reluctant to lock my bike up anywhere other than right outside the building I was drinking in.
I think Belmont Station at about 45th and Stark has a 10% HUB IPA on tap served by the glass. 12 beers on opening night. Sounds like the variety should be there.
I do wish vegetarian was much more visible on menus around Portland. Vegetarian is an after thought at many places you would expect to see it by default. I don’t like special ordering at a restaurant. Redwing Café is an excellent example of a stand out vegetarian menu. Widmer Gasthaus has a great vegetarian Reuben with tomato slices subbing for corned beef.
That is a strange worldview you have there.
Who is bashing? What benefit are we without critiquing? Perhaps they will offer a more varied menu if people point out it is not serving them. Seeds of negativity? All I did was point out the options on their menu. Are you a freakin stockholder in the business or something? Sheesh!
Portland has more restaurants per capita than anywhere else in our country. I don\’t know that for a fact, it is just stated so often, I have taken it for the truth. Sort of like our porn store monopoly and our bike meccaness.
Either way there are lots of em. The ones I like have been doing fine for years, and I have not seen a rash of closures.
If this business succeeds or fails, I am certain it will have nothing to do with me and my silly posts.
Get a grip man!
Too bad it\’s not on a bike-friendly street. Location, location, location…
Steve,
I had no intention of getting in a p***ing match with you (pun intended) – my point was that I\’m prety familiar with what\’s brewed locally and Christian Ettiger\’s beers have always been considered among the best. And not just by me.
btw – \”40 oz.\” is slang for malt liquor, which is altered to have higher alcohol content than, say, PBR. Typical range for a \”40\” is 6-9% alcohol.
Mmann,
I know what a 40 is, thanks. I have even been to a party with a fridge full of 8 ball. Yuk!
The last time I had a 40 was in Austin at the Alamo Draughthouse. It is similar to the Bagdad here in town. They would have kung-fu movie nights and serve Chinese brews and sake. Also Blacksploitation 70\’s flicks and they served 40\’s and passed out thongs at the door. Excluding that scene, no 40\’s for me thanks.
And yes Jonathan L, I was kidding about the barleywine!
I just saw the post above by John Foyston. Looks like they have a lot of brews that are not on the menu. That is a welcome sign, they have some fun names too.
Perhaps there is food to be added yet still?
Damn, I\’m a vegetarian. I\’m still coming, hum I\’m going to have to look into this. I was also wondering about bike parking? What kind, how much? I guess I\’ll just have to find out.
you have choices if your a vegetarian, vegans don\’t fair so well. But then I love horse brass and you don\’t have many choices at that place either.
It seemd like so many bikey things are in SE. All the Bike Meetups have been in the SE. Will there be any soon in NE or (not too far) North? I\’m a lazy person by nature, so unless it\’s on my way home or in my \’hood, I\’ll probably never intentionally bike there (unless there are donuts or vegetarian pizza involved). I know there are some cool brew pubs up this way. Has anybody been to that one on Williams, just North of Skidmore? Any good?
If they provide sufficient bicycle parking, it sounds like another locale for future bikeportland social hours:)
Im very interested to try this place.
Though maybe their main beer list may not have anything very high alcohol content, there is more to beer than the %\’s. Im betting there will be some seasonal beers that will please too.
Its location is not very bike friendly, though maybe that can change if more bike traffic starts going there. Seems like the best way to get there would be to get to SE 26th (which has a bike lane) and cross Powell there. You can either curb it 4 blocks or go down to Rhone to get 3 blocks then try to cut through Safari\’s parking lot to get to HUB. And as a bonus, HUB is right near Safari in case beer and bikes just arent enough, lol.
28th Place and 33rd Ave are two places I often cross Powell, and this is quite handy to both. More bikey destinations in that neck of the woods can only be a good thing, shine a bit of light on the problems there.
My favorite part of the O article was that they used the word \”bikey\” in one of the picture captions — the first time I\’ve seen the word in a news article. It\’ll be entered into the AP guidelines someday, and then, who knows, maybe it\’s on its way into Webster\’s!
sounds great, but the Powell address is a definite turn-off
Beer snobs that want high alcohol beers in Portland? NAY!
Hahaha, unclench a little. Here\’s a chance to make suggestions that may help the business, which people are doing and you\’re trying to silence everyone.
Sillyness, it\’s a business their feelings are moot to me.
If their success is an emotional affair they\’re already doomed to competition.
I\’d mentioned above I was going to try the place out, either way so I\’m not quite sure what you want.
I do see they have mostly pizza and burgers as options, and while they have veggie pizzas no veggie sandwhiches, which makes it the kind of place I might check out, but probably won\’t frequent.
Also you can just cruise over Powell, take your first left and hook up their street. Adds 1/2 minute to your commute.
While I\’ll agree alcohol contents over 5% do not make a beer, I tend to enjoy mostly beers over 5%, what\’s wrong with that?
I go to Germany atleast once every 2 years, and enjoy as many different beers as I can while I\’m there, needless to say your 40 remark strikes me as a bit trite, and less than unecessary.
Hahaha @ Grimm! I suppose there\’s always that angle.
Plus one for the scotch eggs at horse brass!
Beer is fine for some folks. But in my case, I\’ve had enough for a lifetime.
So instead of arguing over alcohol volumes, can\’t we instead ask \”Where are all the good soda shops with good bike parking?\”
Scotch eggs at the horsebrass are one of those things that means I\’ll never be allowed to wear the vegetarian badge of honor.
Instead I have to be classified, a rarely eats meat-eater.
😀
Soda shops? There\’s a soda shop?
We have an awesome soda shop in the area. You have to wear a helmet though, as it is in Vancouver.
Moxie\’s
http://www.yelp.com/biz/moxies-on-main-vancouver
soda pop. mmmmmmm
This was already mentioned, but Chaos Cafe is 2 blocks away at the corner of Powell and 26th. Delightful, vegetarian, and they have HUB beer on tap.
Congratulations Christian and the rest of you folks! Keep on keeping on. Can\’t wait to drop in and enjoy one of them IPA\’s and some pizza.
30th may not be a listed bike route on your maps, but its my favorite route and it jogs many times, its faster when your in the 30s\’s and your going to a 30aveish address because there are no traffic lights, and at powell its faster to hop off your bike and use the crosswalks. when i dont need to go down and i dont need to go up 30th is rad because it connects across the 84. its my second traveled route in that latitude.
Looking foreward to going… but I want to know, does HUB do Rootbeer? I don\’t drink the real stuff.
I had the HUB IPA on cask tonight at the Oaks Bottom pub in Sellwood. Yeah, Sellwood kicks ass. Do I need to explain \”cask\” beer to folks? I\’m starting to wonder after that 40 oz discussion.
Anyway, it was a pretty classic Oregon IPA, bitter, ultra-hoppy, and floral. But not particularly strong, unfortunately. It reminded me of the Amnesia brews, without the punch.
I\’ll hold an open mind and look forward to exploring a new \”bikey\” spot. But where shall my pup go? She may keep me close to the Lab.
I am excited about the opportunity to have a new bike friendly place closer to my house- why should I have to go to Hawthorne to enjoy a \”bikey\” pub?
Down here in the \’hood we ride bikes too, and we know hor to cross Powell 🙂
Besides, if God hadn\’t wanted us to eat animals, he would not have made them outta tasty meat!
I\’m glad to see others here are left scratching their heads when a self-described \”sustainable menu\” has little to no vegan options. It\’s all great that they seem to be focusing on organic foods, but seems like a very sore oversight to not offer more veggie/vegan options. Yeah yeah they\’ve got veggie pizzas, but no veggie burgers or sandwiches, and just ordering a pizza without cheese is not exactly offering vegan pizza. It just seems very strange to me that a bike-related pub in Portland seems to be dismissing the true meaning of sustainable. As for the beer, I\’ve tried one already and it was great, so it\’s not all bad. I\’m sure I\’ll end up stopping by occasionally, having a beer, dreaming of a lentil burrito or something.
You can get there without riding on Powell.
But streets are what we make them. Maybe if enough bikey type things open on Powell, then Powell will start to change.
🙂
Quoting John Reinhold #41: Maybe if enough bikey type things open on Powell, then Powell will start to change. I\’d love to agree with you, but Powell is classified as a State Highway (26) and controlled by ODOT, and I can\’t imagine any possible scenario where they would give up a single one of those precious, high-speed 5 lanes.