Beer options behind security at PDX have improved dramatically in the last few months. I was out there this weekend on my way to a Vegas wedding, and was happy to find that Rogue and Laurelwood have each recently opened new pubs at the airport. They both have a decent selection of their own beers, and a second, larger Laurelwood pub opening next week will bring the joy closer to more airline gates.
The Rogue pub in Terminal D replaces the frumpy old lounge that used to serve the same drab-yet-expensive burger/pizza/nachos as most other frumpy airport lounges. The previous occupant was branded as a Widmer place, but the food had nothing in common with the Gasthaus food, and they never served any unusual beers, just stuff from Widmer's supermarket lines. By contrast, the new Rogue place has some things you'd expect to see on a Rogue menu, like fish and chips, and various configurations of ground Kobe beef. (I always thought it was completely deranged to make hamburgers out of premium beef like that. Then I learned the true meaning of "deranged": Rogue also makes Kobe Hot Dogs, Kobe-Blue Cheese Meatballs, and Kobe Chili.) The permanent beer list is nothing to text message home about, but it's better than the old Big Gulps of Widmer Hefeweizen:
- Dead Guy Ale
- American Amber
- Kell's Irish Lager
- Shakespeare Stout (nitro)
- Mocha Porter
- Brutal Bitter
- Juniper Pale Ale
- Hazelnut Brown Ale

- Mother Lode Golden
- Piston Pale Ale
- Hooligan ESB
- Free Range Red
- Boss IPA
- Tree Hugger Porter
- Space Stout
- Rotating (currently Vinter Varmer)
- Double Mountain IRA
- Amnesia IPA (no website?)
- Willamette Brewing Amber
- Laurelwood Golden and Porter
- Hopworks IPA
So, no matter which side of the security cordon you're on at PDX, you won't have to compromise on quality to be able to fortify yourself for the outward journey or wind down after the return trip. The new pubs also give out-of-towners a little better taste of Portland beer culture than they got before. It's a very positive development for the airport.
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