It's Girl Scout cookie time and that can mean only one thing: our annual cookies and beer pairing at The BeerMongers. In keeping with tradition Chris procured the cookies and we set a date to see what kind of pairing magic we could make happen. As has been the case in recent years, the Girl Scouts introduced a new cookie this year. Called Adventurefuls, it's described as an "indulgent brownie-inspired cookie topped with caramel flavored creme with a hint of sea salt." In our expert opinion, this cookie was disappointing both in overall flavor and the fact that even though it is supposed to b ..read more

The holiday season is upon us and with that come indulgences in many areas. Have visiting friends or family in town and want a quick breakfast? Donuts are always a hit. But donuts aren't just relegated to morning hours, they are quite honestly good any time of day. Some donut shops/bakeries shut down in the early afternoon or when they run out but those folks that have pink boxes and most grocery/convenience stores will have some form of donut at any hour of the day to sugar you up. We recently returned to our pairing shenanigans at The BeerMongers, with Milners bringing a selection of Hos ..read more

We're still here even though it's been quite some time since the last post. And even though the pandemic may have cancelled a lot of things, it didn't cancel Girl Scout cookie season and our annual beer pairing. Per usual, Chris sourced the cookies. Then he graciously divvied them up for a COVID-safe handoff/tasting last Saturday at The BeerMongers. We both started with a draft of StormBreaker Brewing Eagle Fang All-Valley style (shout out to SB for the awesome Cobra Kai reference). We agreed that the moderately hopped IPA was a nice pairing with Lemon Ups cookies that enhanced the hop ..read more

Oli, Kiddie, Carsten & Brandon (High Road Distribution) In Icelandic "kex" means biscuit. In Portland, "KEX" is the new hostel/bar/restaurant/brewery that has moved into the beautifully renovated building on the northeast corner of NE MLK and Couch. Co-owners Kristinn "Kiddie" Vilbergsson and Olafur "Oli" Augustsson brought their concept from Reykjavik to Portland, saying at a recent media event that Portland is similar to Reykjavik in that it is home to good food and beer and close to nature. Embracing Portland as a home for their second KEX (the first having opened in 2011 in ..read more

To start, you might be asking, "What's Cachaca?" A few weeks ago we wouldn't have known the answer and one of us would have had to consult Google to find out. Now we know that it is the oldest distilled spirit in South America and made from sugar cane. Sugar cane was cultivated on the continent's coast for the purpose of being harvested and shipped to Portugal back in the day. The plant's inclination to grow like a weed also meant it was a ready raw ingredient to ferment. How we came to be interested in it was by meeting local Cachaca distributor Bob Nathanson of 3G Spirits. A cousin-of ..read more

Have you ever read a recipe or had a craving for a cocktail that involves muddling summer fresh berries in the dead of winter? Even though you know you can probably find the correct ingredients in the produce or freezer section of your local grocery store you also know it won't be the same. So you tuck that recipe away until those luscious, local berries return. That was the train of thought behind our idea to use jams and jellies in place of fresh fruit in the latest Craft Beer Concoctions Test Kitchen. A stunning variety of jams/jellies are commercially available but we managed to limit our ..read more

Nine years ago this summer we arrived in Portland, after a multi-day drive from our former home in the Midwest. As we settled in to our new surroundings in SE PDX we naturally gravitated to places with good beer and The BeerMongers was one of the first we stumbled upon. At the time they had been open just over a year and from the start we were warmly welcomed. Today we count many of our friends as people we met there and are thankful to be part of “The Mongers Community.” Thursday, September 5 marks the 10th anniversary of The BeerMongers' opening and their 3,652nd consecutive day open. Owne ..read more

Are drink coasters fuddy-duddy? We don't think so but if "yes" was what first thing that popped into your mind, just remember that glass rings and pizza box-induced heat damage are why we can't have nice things.  Seriously though, coasters can be cool and the modern looking Great Ace Coasters from Groovy Groomsmen Gifts most certainly are not your grandma's coasters (or if they are, please, introduce us to her. We'd like to invite her to hang out with us because she sounds cool).  The 4-pack of coasters and optional, handy wooden storage box, can be personalized with up to three l ..read more

We were recently gifted two beers to try, one a lager and one a fruited wheat beer, and we're pleased to say that we'd be happy to stock our fridge with either or find them as we dig into a cooler at a summer gathering. If that's all you need to seek some out yourself, great! Head out and grab some Zoiglhaus/Zupan's Farm-to-Market German-style Lager and Public Coast Farm Stand Series Blueberry Wheat Ale. Want a few more details first? Read on. Zoiglhaus/Zupan's Farm-to-Market German-style Lager This lager is the ninth beer in Zupan's Farm-to-Market series, one that began in 2015 and has prod ..read more

"I love Gin Ginny Ginny Gin mmmmm Gin I love Gin" - Ron Burgundy, Anchorman We agree with Ron that Gin is a lovely thing. It is also one of the staples of any liquor cabinet or cocktail list and the varieties range from subtle to highly botanical. For infusions, like the ones we made for this Craft Beer Concoctions Test Kitchen, we chose subtle New Amsterdam to allow the flavor we were infusing to take center stage.  Here are our most successful concoctions, ones that we'll likely be refining in the future. Gin & Jam Laurelwood Lost in Happy Mountain Saison Lavender infused Gin ..read more