Part 2 of my late summer trip to Oregon [See Part 1]…

OREGON, August 2015 — As I explored the splendor of Oregon from Mt. Hood to the Pacific Ocean, I also explored Oregon beer, including two mixed 12-packs.

Ninkasi Brewing Company Variety Pack

This 12-pack from Ninkasi Brewing Company in Eugene, Oregon includes three IPAs – my favorite style!

• Total Domination IPA, a classic Northwest-style IPA with 65 IBU (6.7%)
• Dawn of the Red, this India Red Ale with a malty backbone ups the ante at 75 IBU and 7.0% ABV
• Maiden the Shade, this “Summer-style IPA” is not your typical summer sipper at 72 IBU and 6.8% ABV
• Lux, this German-style Helles Lager rounds out the 12-pack and cleans the palate between the IPAs (5.3%)

I found this 12-pack at a Safeway grocery store on my drive from the Portland airport to my meeting at Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. There were a lot of options to choose from, and I definitely picked a winner. I stopped at the same Safeway heading back towards Portland after my meeting to pick up more beer for the leisure part of my trip that was yet to come. I’m sure there were better beer stores, but all I wanted was a mixed 12-pack of local Oregon beer, and I found another one…

BridgePort Brewing Beervana Brewer’s Box

The Beervana Brewer’s Box from BridgePort Brewing Company in Portland, Oregon lives up to its name because when I was sampling this 12-pack, I felt like I was in beer nirvana. Drinking these brews within sight of the Pacific Ocean certainly helped…

• IPA, brewed with a blend of five hop varieties, this IPA has full hop flavor (5.5%)
• Hop Czar, an Imperial IPA dubbed the King of Hops, with 87 IBU and 7.5% ABV
• Kingpin, a well-balanced Double Red Ale (7.5%)
• Conviction, to celebrate three decades of craft brewing, BridgePort brewed a trilogy of distinctive beers. This Pale Ale is the first in the series (5.2%)

I wish I could find these mixed 12-packs in the DMV!