TriMet's MAX Blue Line Brewery Crawl

TriMet's MAX Blue Line Brewery Crawl

The Line:

The MAX Blue Line in Portland, OR is operated by TriMet, the Portland area's transit authority. The MAX lines (Metropolitan Area Express) are light rail lines which first began operation in 1986 when the initial segment opened. The Blue Line is 33 miles long and runs from the suburban Portland cities of Hillsboro and Gresham via downtown Portland. The Blue Line was the first MAX line to open, starting with service between downtown Portland and Gresham. At the time, it was simply referred to as MAX light rail and the use of colors to separate between lines was not used until 2000.

The Breweries:

The Breweries for this tour will span the length of the line to include the cities of Gresham, Portland, and Hillsboro.

1. The Hoppy Brewer- Labeling themselves “the hoppiest place in Oregon” this homebrew supply/beer garden/nano-brewery fully embrace the craft beer and homebrew culture. They have 12 rotating taps and over 200 bottles to choose from to enjoy inside or in their beer garden. In addition, the owner Steve Krause operates Gresham’s smallest brewery at the shop producing Krauski’s Brewskis. To round it all out, browse through their brewing supplies and contemplate your next creation, or if you don’t homebrew, consider all the fun you could have if you did homebrew.
2. Columbia River Brewing Company- This brewery opened in 2010 in the Hollywood District of Portland in the location previously occupied by former brewpub Laurelwood Pizza. They brew up house beers and seasonals for your enjoyment.
1. Alternative: Laurelwood Public House and Brewery- This neighborhood focused brewpub now focuses on many neighborhoods, with four locations around Portland, one being situated at Portland’s airport. Their philosophy revolves around being involved in the neighborhood, supporting the Pacific Northwest, and being family friendly (seriously, you can bring the kids). The lineup of beers beers includes regulars such as Free Range Red, Workhorse IPA, and Organic Treehugger Porter and seasonals.    
3. Old Town Pizza- Pizza, beer, history, and maybe ghosts intertwine at Old Town Pizza. Located in Portland’s historic Old Town, Old Town Pizza opened in 1974 and occupies the lobby of the old Merchant Hotel, built by two successful lumber barons in 1880. In addition to their famous pizza, they also brew their own beer at their brewery in NE Portland, all ontap here at the historic location. Also, while enjoy that pizza and beer with touches of history, keep an eye out for the resident ghost Nina, who has been seen by customers and employees alike.   
4. McMenamins Crystal Brewery- The McMenamin brothers have grown their Portland based empire of breweries, pubs, and hotels from a single bar to multiple locations all across the Pacific Northwest. This particular brewery is located at the Crystal Ballroom, which opened its doors as a ballroom in 1914 and it was in the 1960s that rock acts started performing there. The McMenamins reopened in in 1997 and added the Crystal Brewery on the 2nd floor in a space previously occupied by the Ballroom’s dance rehearsal studio. The brewery provides beer for both Ballroom and Ringler’s Pub on the first floor. Beers include McMenamin standards such as Ruby and Hammerhead as well as various creative offerings thought up by the brewers.
5. Vertigo Brewing- This brewery opened in 2008 (the taproom opening in 2012) and is located in an industrial building that will be a little hike from the MAX station, but worth it. The brewery has become a favorite in the Hillsboro area, with their Apricot Cream Ale quickly becoming a popular offering.  
1. Alternative: Three Mugs Brewing Company- As an alternative to Vertigo Brewing or in addition to, not far away is Three Mugs. Their tap room opened in August of 2013 and they feature many different guest taps but as of February 2014, they have started featuring their own brews as well. Founded by the owners of the homebrew shop Brew Brothers (which this brewery is located behind) and they say it was always part of the plan for the supply shop.

The Tour:

1. Start your tour on the eastern side of the Blue Line in downtown Gresham (as always, the tour can be done in the opposite direction if people want). Your first location is The Hoppy Brewer at 321 N Main Ave. If it is a nice day, enjoy your beer outside in the Beer Garden or out front and enjoy the people watching in Gresham’s downtown.
2. After finishing up your Hoppy Brewer experience (did you buy any homebrew equipment??), walk over to the Gresham Transit Center to get on the MAX Blue Line going west toward Portland. The train will run along tracks down the middle of E Burnside St until it reaches the Gateway Transit Center. At this point, the Red Line and Green Line join with the Blue Line and the trains run along the side of Interstate 84.
3. Get off the MAX at the Hollywood Transit Center and you will find yourself in Portland’s Hollywood neighborhood, named for the historic 1920s era Hollywood Theater on Sandy Blvd, right around the corner from the next stop at Columbia River Brewery (1728 NE 40th Ave).
4. If you decide to go with the alternative brewery at this stop (or if you plan on going to both) continuing walking up Sandy Blvd to Laurelwood Public House and Brewery (5115 NE Sandy Blvd).
5. Stroll back over to the MAX and after it passes through the Lloyd District, the your trip will take you over the Willamette River to downtown Portland. The MAX will head over the river on the Steel Bridge, a double deck vertical lift bridge completed in 1912. It is the second older vertical lift bridge in North America (the oldest being the Hawthorne Bridge just a few bridges down the river).
6. Depart the MAX at the Old Town/Chinatown Station and make the short walk over to the next location, Old Town Pizza (226 NW Davis St).  
7. After getting back on the MAX at the Old Town/Chinatown Station, you ride the MAX right through downtown past such famous landmarks as Pioneer Courthouse and Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionately referred to as “Portland’s Living Room.”
8. You will depart the MAX again at the Galleria/SW 10th Ave MAX Station to walk over to the next stop at McMenamins Crystal Brewery (1332 W Burnside St).
9. After finishing your beer, make your way back to the Galleria/SW 10th Ave MAX Station to continue your westward travel. After the MAX travels through the neighborhood of Goose Hollow you’ll pass by the home of the Portland Timbers, Providence Park, which was built in 1926 by the Multnomah Athletic Club. It has hosted various different sports and games over the years and was newly renovated for the Timbers, who made their debut at the stadium in 2011. As you leave Goose Hollow and pass under the Vista Bridge, the train will enter the Robertson Tunnel, a 2.9 miles twin-bore tunnel through the Tualatin Mountains. The one station in the tunnel at Washington Park is 259 feet deep, making it the deepest station in the United States. A core sample taken during construction is on display in the station with a timeline of local geographic history.  
10. To reach the last brewery (or breweries if you will be visiting both) you will get off the MAX at the Quatama/NW 205th Ave Station. The walk will be about 1 mile and depending on how direct of route you take, may be along busy roads- so be careful and smart. Consider using the nearby Rock Creek Trail which starts on NW Wilkins St and goes right behind Vertigo Brewing (21420 NW Nicholas Ct) and Three Mugs (2020 NW Aloclek Dr, #108).    

Map coming soon!