OBF Hits 20th Anniversary Gold
I know there are many in the city who would disagree - but last Thursday afternoon, hundreds of Portlanders were in full-on agreement chanting “World’s Best Mayor” to Tom Potter as he hand tapped the opening keg at this year’s Oregon Brewers Festival - after leading a kazoo & keg parade down the streets of Portland from Rogue to the waterfront.
Check out some great pics at the Oregonlive beer blog and the Brookston Beer Bulletin.
Two of my friends were the lucky ones who got their mugs under the spout for the first two pours of the festival. OLCC monitors freaked out and beer drinkers rejoiced as more than 100 people stormed the gates before they were officially open, no one got ID’d or wristbanded and mugs were handed out willy nilly to all those who participated in the beer parade. (Yeah - the OLCC eventually backed everyone to the gate to make them official - but it was still cool to freak ‘em out!)
And in my 10 years of attendance at the OBF - I’d have to say there were more people there this Saturday than ever before. Whether it was the beautiful weather, the additional 20th anniversary promotions, or just more people becoming aware of it - the crowd swelled much earlier in the day and nearly all beers - not just the popular ones - had lines by early evening. But kudos to the crowd for being mostly respectable and courteous to one another.
We wondered though if maybe the sign printers for the event were paid in trade - seen at the south entrance: “Designed Drivers Check in at the Rootbeer Garden.”
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I was pouring at the Brewfest, and it was an excellent reminder as to how many fun drunks this town has. Way to love your beers Stumpers!
I thought the beer selection this year was fantastic. But I have one big complaint and that is the selling of cigars on-site and then allowing those foul things to be smoked under the tents. It was the nastiest, smelliest OBF ever.
TERRIBLE mayor….GREAT beer festival (ok…maybe a so-so mayor, what has he done?) I’ve been going since the early 90’s, and I had more fun this year on Saturday than I ever have. Great beers, efficient lines, and a volunteer friend tipped my on that if you have two mugs and get a taster of the same thing in each one, you essentially get a full mug for two tokens instead of four (and he gave me the extra mug sans charge).
TERRIBLE mayor….GREAT beer festival (ok…maybe a so-so mayor, what has he done?) I’ve been going since the early 90’s, and I had more fun this year on Saturday than I ever have. Great beers, efficient lines, and a volunteer friend tipped my on that if you have two mugs and get a taster of the same thing in each one, you essentially get a full mug for two tokens instead of four (and he gave me the extra mug sans charge).
“…maybe a so-so mayor, what has he done?”
One thing he *hasn’t* done is start any vanity projects a la his predecessor. He has made it a priority to engage the citizens of Portland rather than just cram personal legacy projects down our throats. I appreciate that.
As for the big kegger down by the river? Meh. Over-hyped and over-hopped, just like all the “craft” beers here in “Beervana”.