Great Notion is One of the Greatest Success Stories in Portland Beer

Its crowlered limited releases are now highly sought after among cultish fans and beer traders.

(Great Notion, Thomas Teal)

2204 NE Alberta St. #101, Portland, 503-548-4491, greatnotionpdx.com. Noon-10 pm Sunday-Thursday, Noon-11 pm Friday-Saturday.

Great Notion is one of the all-time great success stories in Portland beer. Homebrew buddies James Dugan and Andy Miller, who are neighbors, teamed up with finance guy Paul Reiter and took over a failing brewpub on Alberta Street. They brought big ideas—specifically, the New England-style hazy IPA. They're ubiquitous now, of course, but at the time Great Notion was the first to do it locally, confusing other brewers and sparking heated debates that are now a little embarrassing for the folks who maintained that the haziness was a bug and not a feature. After shattering local palates and infuriating classicists with Juice Jr., our 2017 Beer of The Year, Great Notion became nationally known for the style. Its crowlered limited releases are now highly sought after among cultish fans and beer traders, and it had some of the longest lines at this year's Great American Beer Festival. Lucky for you, the best stuff you'll ever taste from the Wonka factory of Oregon ales is at this packed pub space, where papaya sours recall melted fruit juice popsicles, imperial stouts taste like syrupy pancakes, and a myriad of hazy hop bombs will blast your mouth so far into the stratosphere, you'll hardly taste the meat-piled waffle fries you're pairing them with.

Nearby: With house-made beer, a movie theater and a gorgeous bar occupying the old boiler room, the McMenamin brothers' restored Kennedy School grounds (5736 NE 33rd Ave, 503-249-3983, mcmenamins.com/kennedy-school) offer the educational experience you never had. There's still no running in the hallways of the century-old school, but that's because you might spill your beer.

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