Oregon Beer Loop

Greg Robeson and Jack Harris, Guest Author
May 19, 2012 (Updated May 31, 2013)
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Jack Harris — Oregon Craft Brewer

Jack Harris’s brewing career has included stints throughout the western United States, including living in the front office of a brewery with his dog. He’s come a long way since. His philosophy as a brewer is to be original, avoid fads and keep it local. In a historic building in Astoria, where the Columbia River meets the Pacific Ocean, Jack creates popular brews like Vortex IPA, Working Girl Porter and Divinity. Here are a few of Jack’s tips for exploring his part of Oregon:

Start your day:
The Blue Scorcher Bakery in Astoria has amazing organic pastries, great coffee and tea, and huge windows looking out on the sunrise over the Columbia.

Unique sleeps:
There’s nothing like soaking in the clawfoot tub of the River Suite at the Rose River Inn in Astoria,  then throwing open the curtains and watching ships pass by on the Columbia River below.

Can’t-miss dinner:
Uriah Hulsey at the Columbian Café is the grandfather of Astoria’s food renaissance. Take a seat at the bar where you can chat up the chef, eat what’s fresh from the market and get caught up on town gossip.

Grab your camera:
At the south jetty observation platform in Fort Stevens State Park, you can watch the massive cargo ships as they cross the bar on their way upstream.

You’ve gotta see this:
Learn about thousands of years of history in an authentic Native American longhouse, and see its namesake cannon at the Cannon Beach History Center. Best of all, it’s free.

Meet the maker:
Take a day trip south, and head to the fishing village of Garibaldi on Tillamook Bay. Bring a cooler, because you can buy fresh Dungeness crab and other seafood right off the boats.

A treat worth driving out of your way:
At the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse in Hillsboro, order a Terminator Stout and then wander around an oasis of gardens, an orchard and an octagonal barn of a former pioneer homestead.

Want some inspiration to help create your own tasty trail? Download our Trails To Feast booklet featuring seven culinary paths throughout Oregon.