Skip to main content
61 SE Yamhill St., 503-232-6585, hairofthedog.com, 11:30 am-10 pm Tuesday-Saturday, 11:30 am-8 pm Sunday.
People have been making pilgrimages to Portland for Alan Sprints' beer since the the dark ages—back when hazy and sour beers weren't made that way intentionally and Higgins was the city's hottest restaurant. Hair of the Dog still draws beer tourists from all over the world, now to a full-service brewpub instead of a loading dock. The Dog remains, for better or worse, a mecca for a certain stripe of beer nerd—those who'll happily forgive the occasional bubbleless bottle or rogue flavor compound in the new batch of IPA.
The Dog specializes in high-ABV, bottle-conditioned and barrel-aged brews so lovingly tended over the years they've earned their own human names (Ruth, Adam, Lila, Rose) and feature on the menu in assorted iterations and vintages as far back as 1995. Two years ago, Sprints started experimenting with a concrete egg, an ovoid specialty fermenter. So far, it hasn't been a game changer. If you're here, you might as well grab Dave, a 23-year-old bottle of strong ale rumored to have a 29-percent alcohol content. It costs a mere $1,500 and is for consumption in the tasting room only.
Drink this: Adam, Hair of the Dog's original 10-percent-ABV brew redolent of leather and chocolate.
Welcome to the 2017 Portland Beer Guide
This Year's Guide Is Dedicated to Dean Pottle
An Oral History of the Horse Brass
The Best Portland Bars for Hardcore Bar Geeks | Portland's Best Cider Bars | These Are the Bars in Portland Where We Get Our Beer to Go | Where to Get Crowlers in Portland | Big Beer Halls Where You Can Drink With Half of Portland | The Six Best Spots to Take Little Ones For a Little Nip | Warm & Cozy Beer Caves | Portland Spots Where Great Food and Beer Come Together | Tap a Belgian or German at These Portland Bars