Get to Know These Portland Brewers

Oregon’s 23 medals at the Great American Beer Festival are proof that Portland has excellent beers. Here are picks from Brian Koch, owner of the Lombard House, of three Portland pints from excellent breweries who’ve helped build the city’s beer scene:

Von Ebert Brewing’s Volatile Substance IPA

It “won Great American Beer Fest Gold two years ago. It's one of the hardest categories to win. What we [recently had] on draft is their fresh hop version of it. Hops are typically kiln-dried; fresh hop beers are kind of like a celebration of the season.”

Baerlic Brewing’s Jim Parker’s Holiday Ale

“Bearlic always does Jim Parker's Holiday Ale every year, so that'll be coming out pre-Christmas. Jim was the inventor of the totcho. He passed away a couple years ago, but anywhere you go in the beer scene, if you say Parker, someone's gonna say 'Up yours.' That was his favorite toast.”

• Related: Everything you need to know about the totcho, aka a loaded tater tot. [City Cast Portland]

Upright Brewing’s Special Herbs

“It has calendula, yarrow, and coriander. They age in gin and wine barrels and then blend together. And it's just amazing. It's one of those gateway beers, where it's approachable.”

Koch joined the City Cast Portland podcast recently and told the tale of how he discovered Yovu Beer, a high-quality brewery in a North Portland home garage. That’s another of his recommendations.