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What Northwest Portland has become--a gentrified community of diminishing local distinction--belies what it was not too long ago: a unique region of the city with a neighborhood feel, much like Sellwood today. Along with a handful of other businesses throughout this part of the city--Cinema 21, the Nob Hill Pharmacy, the empty husk of Fryer's Quality Pies--the Old Lompoc is a reminder of slightly older times, like a patch of cobblestone peeking up through the pavement. It has the feel of a neighborhood tavern inside; its center is a bar ringed with stools--tables and a pool room radiate from there. The first time I visited it, Dixieland jazz played quietly in the background, enhancing the feeling of stepping into another era. In fact, it is one of Portland's youngest breweries. A few years ago, when the Old Lompoc was still just a bar, Jerry Fechter convinced the owners to let him try brewing. In addition to his homebrewing background, Fechter had spent a summer at the Siebel Institute, a brewing school in Chicago. He finally broke ground on the new brewery a year and a half ago. It definitely qualifies as a micro; Fechter estimates that since the taps started running with Lompoc ales, just over a year ago, it has produced about 350 barrels (BridgePort, by comparison, will brew around 16,500 barrels this year). Even from the outside of the undistinguished 1912 building, the feel of the place is comfortably worn. No gleaming, polished brass here: Hanging over one of the pool tables is an impressive, if somewhat dog-eared, caribou; antique beer advertisements decorate the walls. The name itself suggests something historic; stories about its source range from a short explanation--it was the name of a bar on Grand Avenue in the '60s--to an epic involving angry Californians and W.C. Fields. Although it feels like the place has been unchanged for decades, these touches, along with the central bar, are part of a recent modification. Until a month ago, a full kitchen sat where the bar is now, and the Old Lompoc offered liquor and an expanded menu. For various reasons, a decision was made to pare down to the basics. The current menu is much reduced, sandwiches mostly (including two vegetarian choices), focusing the attention where it belongs--on the beer. In addition to the comfortable wooden tables and booths inside, there is a garden behind the building with additional seating. Several tables are arranged under grape and hop vines. Although it's a bit bleak outside now, in summer a natural canopy provides cool shade. The brewery can be seen through windows facing out to the garden. You'll have to get there early to see Jerry brew, though--he begins at 6:30 or 7 am. The beers change frequently, though you can probably expect a golden ale, a brown, an IPA, a Scottish ale and a porter or stout. Recently, the Old Lompoc was also serving bock and Holiday Cheer. Unlike many Portland brewers, Fechter is enthusiastic about lighter ales. His are not throwaway beers; Fechter pays close attention to balancing hop bitterness with the malts, and the yeast provides a pleasant hint of caramelly diacetyl to many of them. Especially good is the Bitter Brown, a complex English brown ale; the IPA, a lighter version of the traditional ale; and the Scottish ale, with a hint of smokiness from the roasted malt. If you don't happen to make it into the Old Lompoc anytime soon, look for a selection of its ales at Virginia Cafe, O'Brien's, Wimpy's, O'Malley's Saloon & Grill, Shaughnessy's Bar & Grill and the Moosehead Cafe & Lounge, which are all under the same ownership as the Old Lompoc. Better still, make a trip to the brewpub. |
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