Saturday 18th June 2011

Bob Thompson

Upright is at 240 N Broadway. It's to be found in the basement of an office block. I went down in the lift and then I was in a p*** up in a brewery, literally. Just a few upturned barrels provided flat surfaces for resting glasses. Some drinkers were leaning against what I took to be a mash tun and beer arrived from taps located in the corner.

With such a set-up the brewery is only open at weekends after brewing has ceased. Hours are: Fri: 16.30-21.00; Sat-Sun: 13.00-18.00.

There appeared to be six beers from the brewery, two of which were specials, and one guest from another producer. The brewery specialises in beers from what they call the Belgian/French farmhouse style. Not ever having tasted a beer on a French or Belgian farm I cannot comment on their authenticity or even the style itself.

They did 5 oz (1/4 pint) glasses for $1.50 (about £1), so I had the four beers from the permanent range.

These are imaginatively named as follows: Four (4.5%) is a light dry table beer made with barley and wheat malt. OK without being exceptional, the dryness was not noticed.


Five (5.5%) is a Pale Ale which I thought was quite good, at least you could taste the hops and it had all barley malt.

Six (6.7%) is beer made with both barley and rye malt. I've had Rye (Roggen) beers in Germany and they were fine yet this wasn't. Far too malty and rather thick and cloying.

That left Seven (8.0%) a modern take on a Belgian Saison beer. It was fine, some hop character and little of the sourness that US brewers think is compulsory.

So my tastings were a bit of a mixed bag.

The other beers offered were Engelberg Pils, Monk & Mingus and King of Sting. The guest beer was IPA from the Oakshire brewery. The only food was pork skins (like crunch, the puffed version of scratchings) and they were very good, worth a return visit, if at all possible.

Important Information:

Upright Brewing Tasting Room, Leftbank Building (basement),
240 N Broadway, Portland OR. 97227. Tel: 503 735 5337

Open: Friday 16.30-21.00; Saturday and Sunday 13.00-18.00. All other days Closed.

The Tasting Room is well served by all bus routes coming over the Broadway Bridge and also the new east side Streetcar route. It is less than 10 minutes walk from the Rose Quarter Transit Centre where all four of the MAX lines stop.