Rolling into town early Friday evening presented quite a bustling Ninkasi tasting room. Thankfully, we were greeted with a fabulous outdoor patio fully equipped with tables, heaters, and open flame. Although Ninkasi is becoming one of those breweries whose beers are easily available in my neck of the woods, it was refreshing to try a taproom exclusive. I enjoyed the refreshingly crisp taste of the El Dorado Single Hopped Pale. It was not too hoppy and had just enough maltiness to please my palette on that brisk February evening.
Off the beaten path and equipped with a wood fired pizza oven food truck, we knew we had hit THE spot. Walking in to see a lone fiddler entertaining a modest crowd only further sealed the deal. We gathered our crew at a picnic table shared with others and started in on our dozen or so samples. Visiting with out of town friends, drinking delicious brew served by friendly, unpretentious staff, and listening to the sounds of country made this locale feel like America, I mean 'Merica. My traveling partners agreed that this was the place where you could feel like you: no ifs, ands, or buts about it. Plus, they had their Watershed IPA on Nitro...win win!
(fallingskybrewing.com)
On our way to meet up with another old friend, we traversed the trendy part of Eugene to find Falling Sky Brewing. Friday night had this place bursting at the seams. Long community picnic tables lined the inside and out, with only a few single tables available for intimate seating. The tap selection was quite impressive, boasting quite a few offerings for these picky hopheads. Pairing those with their daily special truffle fries made this stop the perfect night cap for our first day on the road.
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