Just the thought of cracking a tart and tangy sour beer is enough to incite mouth-watering excitement from the biggest beer geeks, and Cascade Brewing is feeding that frenzy with its week-old Barrel House. Housed in a former produce warehouse, the space is divided into two sections—a temperature-controlled barrel room which houses 250 beer-filled French oak and Kentucky bourbon barrels, and a tap room where 14 of 18 draught lines pour Cascade Brewing’s barrel-aged sours like Vlad the Imp Aler and the Vine to sip alongside simple artisan snacks like locally sourced charcuterie, salads and sandwiches. In no way a newbie to the world of sours, Cascade Brewing began experimenting with barrel-aging its Belgian-inspired beers over five years ago and has since garnered numerous awards and a cult-like status for many of its Lactobacillus-flecked brews. And with a visit to their Barrel House, it’s easy to taste why.Coordinates: 939 SE Belmont St., Portland, Ore.; 97214; 503-265-8603; cascadebrewingbarrelhouse.com
Photo: © Matt J. Wiater (portlandbeer.org)