Portland Brewfest 2010

My visit to Portland providentially coincided with the annual Portland Brewers' Festival, otherwise known as Brewfest. Every year, for the past twenty-three years, nearly eighty brewers from around the country, but especially from the West and Northwest, gather in Tom McCall Waterfront Park to share the fruit of their labors.

Huge tents line the Willamette River waterfront, and some nine refrigerated trailers are positioned to serve as bars, distributing the microbrews to thousands of thirsty revellers.

I was joined by seminarian Tim Mouton and Ken Hallenius, and we met up with the wonderful Mr. Bill Reed of the University of Portland and his wife and daughter.

You'll see that Ken was wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with bacon as one of the elements on the Periodic Table. It was the hit of the festival! We stopped counting after the ninth person either commented on the shirt, conversed with Ken because of it, or asked to have their picture taken with him!

Thankfully, his popularity didn't deter him, or hinder us, from sampling numerous new brews. We beat out the crowds and the heat as it was Friday afternoon before the worst heat hit on Saturday. Portland is indeed Beervana!!