Today, the region’s seasonal bounties—the city is surrounded by local farmland that’s verdant with hop vines, fruit trees, and wine grapes—provide a ton of inspiration and fresh ingredients. Oregon is well known for its beer and its role as a leader of the cannabis revolution, but the Willamette Valley is also home to some of the best Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in the country, and local breweries are happy to take cues from them, experimenting with grapes and knowing when to put a good wine barrel to use.
Lucky for you (and me!), Portland’s breweries don’t just offer some of the best beer in the country: The city’s creative farm-to-table movement means that even brewpubs can’t get away with lazy food. Because these breweries already use or draw inspiration from seasonal ingredients for their beers, most also serve great food that’s made from scratch with locally sourced produce, meat, dairy, and more.
