Portland, Oregon, has long been a mecca for craft beer enthusiasts, boasting over 80 breweries with no shortage of unique flavors. With so many outstanding options, how do you narrow down the best of the best? Here are ten top-notch breweries in Portland that should be on every craft beer lover's must-visit list.

Stormbreaker Brewing

Stormbreaker Brewing stands out in Portland's vibrant craft beer scene with its laid-back atmosphere and range of brews to please every palate. With two locations in town — one in the Boise neighborhood and the other in St. Johns — the brewery attracts locals and tourists looking to sample award-winning hops, from Opacus Oatmeal Stout to Nobody Puts Hazy in a Corner. These accolades stem from 2017, three years after founders Dan and Rob established the company and started making their mark in the industry. In the following years, the brewery received prestigious awards such as the Best of Craft Beer Awards, World Beer Cup, and Oregon Beer Awards.

Breakside Brewery

Breakside Brewery is one of the most well-respected craft beer breweries in Portland. With multiple locations in the city, it has won numerous awards, including Large Brewery of the Year at the Oregon Beer Awards in 2022 and the Oregonian’s Best Brewery in Portland in 2020. Its diverse beer lineup, from hop-forward IPAs to rich stouts, is a big draw for visitors. Popular flavors include Breakside IPA, Wanderlust IPA, and Black Swift Stout. Food options at the Slabtown, Lake Oswego, and Dekum locations are just as diverse, featuring spicy fried chicken sandwiches, mac & cheese, and more. Alternatively, you can enjoy an outdoor beer garden with food trucks at its Beaverton location.

Occidental Brewing Company

Occidental Brewing Company in Portland stands out for its dedication to traditional German brewing methods. These methods entail milling and malting grain, fermenting with lager yeast, and aging beer in horizontal lagering tanks. The result at Occidental is a unique range of flavorful and meticulously crafted ales and lagers that pay homage to the thousand-year-old German tradition. Situated in a charming taproom with a beer-can wall and views of the St. Johns Bridge, the brewery provides a delightful ambiance for enjoying its classic-style dunkels (“darks”), hefeweizen (“whites”), and more. Its focus on authenticity and quality keeps drawing visitors from afar, making it hands-down one of the best Portland breweries.

Gigantic Brewing

Gigantic Brewing in Portland lives up to its name with an audacious and adventurous approach to beer crafting. The brewery creates the same classic West Coast IPAs that made Portland famous while pushing the boundaries of traditional beer styles to embrace new and exciting flavors. Its emphasis on creativity and quality — reflected in its vibrant merchandise — has earned it a strong reputation in the craft beer community. In-demand flavors include the eponymous Gigantic IPA, Sassy Pony Pale Ale, and Tierra Del Lager. Additionally, Gigantic Brewing's unassuming atmosphere provides a welcoming space to enjoy its distinctive beers and meet fellow beer enthusiasts.

Steeplejack Brewing Company

Steeplejack Brewing Company is a beloved Portland brewery known for its unique beers and dedication to quality. Established in 1906, it’s one of the oldest breweries in town and has become a staple of the local craft beer scene. How does it stand out from the competition? For starters, it revived the cask ale movement, which had been in decline for decades, and brought a new appreciation for traditional brewing methods and flavors. Secondly, its flagship location took up residence in the former Metropolitan Community Church in 2021. A prominent structure in Portland’s Sullivan’s Gulch neighborhood, the historic church provides a singular experience for enjoying some of Portland’s best brews.

Upright Brewing

Located in the heart of Portland near Moda Center, Upright Brewing Company boasts award-winning German, French, and Belgian-inspired beers with a Pacific Northwest twist. The brewery’s dedication to classic farmhouse ales demonstrates a commitment to preserving traditional brewing techniques and flavors. Popular beer selections include Engelberg Pilsner, Wee Heavy Scotch Ale, and Four Play Wild American Ale. Upright has also won awards in competitions like the Oregon Beer Awards, the Great American Beer Festival, and the World Beer Cup, putting it among Portland’s best breweries. Limited edition beers often use unique brewing techniques, like aging a German-style beer called a gose in a barrel with squid ink or fermenting a Belgian-style saison in oak!

Away Days Brewing Co

Away Days Brewing Co. in Southeast Portland fosters a friendly pub atmosphere and specializes in traditional European brews with a local twist. Its beer selection masterfully combines classic European processes with Pacific Northwest ingredients, yielding bold flavors like Home & Away IPA, Mr. Ordinary English Bitter, and Runaway Pilsner. Other selections, such as Docklands Baltic Porter and Bucket Hat Bobby Barleywine, have won the Oregon Beer Awards. Moreover, its soccer-themed branding adds a playful Euro touch to Portland’s craft beer scene. After all, the term “away days” is well-known in British football (soccer) culture, referring to the days you watch your team play in another city. The brewery even has a soccer club with divisions for women, men over 40, and men over 50. 

Little Beast Brewing

Nestled in Portland’s trendy Richmond neighborhood, Little Beast Brewing specializes in mixed-culture fermentation. It uses a carefully curated selection of yeasts and bacteria to create complex and unique flavors in its beers. The brewery also prioritizes small-batch, barrel-aged beers and locally sourced ingredients to deliver exceptional lagers, pilsners, and seasonal sours that have become a hit with beer enthusiasts in the Southeast Portland area and beyond. Add to this traditional farmhouse methods, and it’s no wonder Little Beast is one of the most popular breweries in Portland. Award-winning flavors include Bes Tart Wheel Ale and Golden Stone Ale, both named winners of the 2020 Good Food Awards. 

Deschutes Brewery

Deschutes Brewery — pronounced “duh-shoots” — is located in Portland’s lively Pearl District just west of the Willamette River, though it was established in Bend, Oregon, in 1988. This award-winning brewery boasts thousands of five-star reviews on Google, sells over 200,000 barrels annually, and distributes its products to 32 states. A big winner at the 2024 World Beer Cup, the brewery is especially known for its non-alcoholic selection, including Black Butte and Fresh-Squeezed IPA. Deschutes’ Portland Public House is open seven days a week, keeps an active events calendar featuring Trivia Nights, and offers private dining and pub rentals.

Enhancing Your Portland Brewery Experience

In a city renowned for its beer culture, these ten Portland breweries stand out as prime examples of the creativity, passion, and craftsmanship that define the city's thriving craft beer scene. 

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