Beer Guide 2014: Stickmen

By Adrienne So

Stickmen

40 N State St., Lake Oswego, 344-4449, stickmenbeer.com. 11:30 am-10 pm Monday-Thursday, 11:30 am-midnight Friday, 11 am-midnight Saturday, 11 am-10 pm Sunday.

Open-air kitchens are one thing, open-air breweries are another. After you finally find a parking spot in the Albertsons lot and scramble across busy State Street, you open the door to Stickmen Brewery to find yourself enveloped in clouds of steam and bleach stink. Thirst, gone. Then, you see Stickmen's food menu, a terrifying and slightly racist mish-mash of pub food and Asian fusion. (Ho'tasian buns—seriously?) Still, the views of the lake are glorious. The waitstaff is friendly and accommodating. And the beer is palatable, if leaning to the sweet side. Avoid the darker beers, which range from so-so to downright bad. The coffee porter, in particular, is like sucking on old grounds. But a seasonal saison incorporates Hood River apple cider and is crisp and dry, and the most popular beer, the imperial kolsch Big Honey, appeals to anyone who has ever taken a sip of golden Pilsner and thought, "Hmm, I'm just not getting drunk fast enough." In the summer, though, we'll look past everything to bask on that lakeside patio. ADRIENNE SO.

DRINK THIS: Bananas on Fire, a dunkelweizen with a nice vanilla finish.


Portland-Area Breweries from A to Z | Beer of the Year | Favorite Beers #2-10

Portland-Area Cideries | Top 5 Ciders of the Year | Beer Bars and Bottle Shops

Local Growler Makers | Surprising Growler Fills | Homebrew Shops

Restaurants With Great Beer | Local Beer and Liquor Pairings

An Oral History of BridgePort IPA | Beer Events Calendar | Beer Tours

Day Sips: North Oregon Coast, Hood River, Eugene, Seattle

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