Oregon's first brewpub since Prohibition, the Hillsdale's inaugural brew was made in October 1985. The initial brewers crafted first McMenamins unfiltered Wheat Ales and the first Fruit Ales (starting with blackberries scavenged from the vines off the parking lot). The Hillsdale is also notable for staging in 1985 the "Northwest Micro-Fest" -- which as far as we know was the first microbrew festival staged in Oregon, a giant bash held both inside but mostly out in the parking lot.
Today, the Hillsdale Brewfest, held every February, is considered the Grand Daddy of all McMenamins brewfests. Another first at the Hillsdale came in the form of Alex Farnum, who was the first in a line of female brewers to work for McMenamins, and may well have been the first female micro-brewer in Oregon. Currently guiding the paddle is Jenni Augello, winner of the coveted Brewfest Belt her first time around!
McMenamins currently operates 24 breweries, with our newest at Elks Temple in Tacoma, Washington.
Since our first brew at the Hillsdale Brewery & Public House in 1985, McMenamins has produced more than 75,000 batches. In 2016, our breweries collectively crafted more than 3,900 batches of beer (including more than 250 new house-specific recipes), which equaled more than 46,922 kegs of beer or an astounding 5.8 million pints!
In keeping with McMenamins' company philosophy, our breweries believe that brewing "green" is brewing responsibly. Waste products are given to local farmers, where they can be used; materials used are recycled or reused whenever possible; and second-hand equipment is largely used. Have a look at our earth-friendly brewing practices.
Many beer lovers are familiar with our ales: Terminator Stout, Hammerhead, Ruby, Black Rabbit Porter, Sunflower IPA and others. Read more about these "standards" and dozens of other beers, including our beloved seasonal selections. All of the McMenamins beers you know and love are made at our Washington and Oregon locations, with many coming from our Portland Breweries.
Due to the nature of handcrafting, it's safe to say that no two McMenamins batches are identical. Science and technology provide the backbone for our craft, but it is the unique qualities of each brew house, and the individual brewer's ale-crafting style, that ensure you will enjoy liquid refreshments that are truly special and made with every care for the environment. Whether you're in Seattle, Salem, Roseburg or Portland, breweries with the iconic McMenamins name are near. Come in and sip some creativity!
Draught at the Six Arms, Seattle Rosy pink as watermelon juice, with no trace of a head, muddy. If I inhale VERY deeply and long, I can get indeed some raspberry aroma. But is says "packed full of 60 pounds or raspberries...". Yes, on - the city’s water reservoir? Discreet fruit taste, as a bit of raspberry jam dissolved in a big galss of tap water (well, then maybe not as Seattle tap water contains lethal doses of chlorine). Refreshing it is, no doubt. OK, it’s light. Very poor fruit beer.
Draught at Six Arms, Seattle Very deep brown; tenacious small yellowish head. Dark malts; I get peanuts again, as in the porter. Very surprising fruity flavour, as if the raspberry beer was mixied in, but that would make it too weak. No bitterness discernible whatsoever. Very little roastedness too. Slightly lactic/wheat acidity retronasal. Creamy MF, not empty. TERMINATOR? Yes, it was, I left the pub.
Scores are aggregate of various McMenamin’s house IPAs rated.
Edgefield - at Hotel Oregon: Hazy, beigey-blonde. Very fruity aroma - dalandan, lemon and slight wood. Fairly full body with a pale malt balance. Refreshing, by the numbers IPA that scores more points for execution than ingenuinity. Ar 7 Ap 4 F 7 P 4 O 15 = 3.7
Dad Watson’s: Hazy dark straw. Woody aroma with some breadcrusty malt and a hint of citrus. Pithy grapefruit bitterness but it fades a bit late. Woody, earthy hop flavour. Ar 6 Ap 3 F 6 P 3 O 13 = 3.1
Six Arms: Cloudy straw colour. Lemony, grapefruity aroma with light pale malt. Crisp, dry, very lean body with only a hint of heft from the yeast. Lemony bitterness. Bone dry finish. Ar 7, Ap 4, F 8, P 4, O 16 = 3.9
Kennedy School: Hazy straw colour. Piney, grapefruity c-hop aroma. Piney, hoppy flavour with moderate bitterness. On the lighter side but still typical PNW IPA. Wouldn’t mind this in Vancouver. Ar 6, Ap 3, Fl 7, P 3, O 13 = 3.2
Draught at White Eagle, Portland. Hazy golden, no head. Light citric aroma. Medium bodied with clean mouthfeel. Plenty of grapefruity hops, resiny bittterness. One of the best of the beers in an otherwise lifeless range.
Draught at White Eagle, Portland. Clear dark brownish amber. Neutral aroma. Light bodied with clean, hard mouthfeel. Some syrup, but otherwise not much flavour. Low bitterness. Incredibly uninspired.
Draught at White Eagle, Portland. Near black. Coffee aroma. Sweet with mellow mouthfeel. Lots of coffee, but otherwise not much going on. Fairly low bitterness.
Draught at White Eagle, Portland. Near black. Vague coffee aroma. Sweet with mellow, syrupy mouthfeel, some molasses are there. Harsh resiny finish. Simplistic.
Draught at White Eagle, Portland. Hazy reddish brown. Neutral aroma. Dryish with clean mouthfeel. Sharp resiny hops that linger on into the finish. Uninspired.
Draught at White Eagle, Portland. Hazy reddish amber. Light raspberry aroma. Medium sweet with clean mouthfeel and light body. A decent, drinkable fruity beer that however does not have a lot of interesting things going on.
Bottle. Quite fruity raspberry aroma. Cloudy orange colour, small white head. Fruity flavour with a hint of raspberry, a little watery. The aftertaste is also very raspberryish. I guess the berry flavour is well done, but it does not do much for me. This needs to be mixed with Terminator Stout to be very enjoyable.