Hopworks Is Celebrating Its 13th Anniversary and Earth Day With New Menu Items and an Interior Refresh

You can also expect new batches of brews that haven’t been on in a while, including U-Bahn Kölsch and Vandelay Import/Export Lager.

Hub_Henry-Cromett_2 (Hopworks Urban Brewery, Henry Cromett)
By Andi Prewitt

It’s certainly fitting that Hopworks, the first Certified B Corporation brewery in the Pacific Northwest, celebrates its anniversary on Earth Day.

Now, that brewery will double down on its mission of sustainability by introducing an assortment of locally sourced dishes and murals for the upcoming milestone.

To mark its 13th year in business on April 22, Hopworks’ executive chef Erin Connell has reworked the menu so that there are now fresh appetizers, salads, bowls and sandwiches to accompany some of the longtime favorites. New items include nachos made with the brewery’s Juicy Bear IPA-braised pork piled high on a mound of house-fried corn tortilla chips, as well as a black bean burger topped with guacamole and crispy jalapeños.

Anyone who attends the Earth Day celebration this Thursday can also order the limited-edition Northwest Best pizza covered in a medley of local mushrooms, leeks and asparagus from Washington state farms, Eastern Oregon-sourced wild greens, and Portland Creamery chèvre.

You can also expect Hopworks to tap new batches of brews that haven’t been on in a while, including U-Bahn Kölsch and the biscuity Vandelay Import/Export Lager, named, as any Seinfeld fan can tell you, after George Costanza’s famed phony businessman and sometimes alias. Both beers will be pouring at the Powell location as well as the brewery’s Vancouver outpost, along with the newest year-round release, Beestly Organic Honey Porter made with local GloryBee honey.

Year 13 also apparently demanded a refresh of the walls. Portland artist Caleb Jay has been working on three murals inside the restaurant, the last of which you can watch him put the finishing touches on during the celebration. Each painting features ideas that are central to Hopworks’ brand—think cycling, beer and homages to legends in the industry.

Hopworks Mural Portland artist Caleb Jay works on a mural inside Hopworks' Southeast Powell Boulevard pub.

Hopworks is planning the event with pandemic safety measures in mind. There will be at least 6 feet between each table, limited capacity inside and out, menus available via QR code and the required wearing of masks.

Staying true to message, customers will get a party favor in the form of pollinator-friendly garden seeds with every pack of beer to go sold on Earth Day, so prepare to free up some room in your planter boxes.

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