Beer Guide 2015: Fearless

By Pete Dunlop

Fearless

326 S Broadway St., Estacada, 630-2337, fearless1.com. 4-9 pm Wednesday-Thursday, noon-10 pm Friday-Saturday, noon-9 pm Sunday.

[RIVER RATS] When a cutout of John Wayne greets you at the door, you know you've entered a new dimension: the Rural Zone. Country radio provides the audio motif. Tiny retro TVs remind you of simpler days, before huge, distracting flat-screen TVs were invented. Estacada isn't centrally located on the route from Portland to anywhere that city slickers want to be in winter months, so things are slow when it's cold. Things pick up during the summer, when campers, tubers and anglers flock to the Clackamas River. Fearless leans heavily on the family-friendly vibe. The place is spacious, and the atmosphere is cozy. Ken Johnson has been brewing and refining his beers since 2003. There's a significant expansion coming in April, when a 15-barrel brewhouse will replace the old seven-barrel setup. Fearless might be the center of the rural beer universe out here, so stop by if you're in the neighborhood.

DRINK THIS: The smooth and well-balanced Loki Red is a crowd pleaser for good reason.

WWeek 2015

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