A perfect pint awaits at one of these unique breweries.
From Astoria to Brookings, dozens of coastal breweries are producing everything from a crisp lager that took gold at the country’s most prestigious competition to spontaneously fermented ales to a fig-infused stout. Here are nine beermakers that are worth a stop.
North Coast Brews
Astoria is already brimming with great beer, so is there room in this small port town for yet another brewery? The answer is “yes” if you’re making offerings as innovative and varied as those at Obelisk Beer Co. It was opened in late 2022 by two Fort George Brewery alums in an old Blitz-Weinhard warehouse, and you can settle in right next to the fermentation tanks and forklifts. Alternatively, hang at the bar made from a handsome slab of Doug fir, with brass taps serving great IPAs and barrel-aged small-batch brews.
The Times Theatre in the heart of downtown Seaside entertains audiences by screening sporting events, but you can also pair a meal with a Mexican-style lager, a raspberry cream ale or a double-dry-hopped IPA — all of which are made on-site. In addition to restoring the building’s 1940s-era decorative flair, the owners installed a brewhouse behind the screen that operates under the Sisu Beer brand.
De Garde Brewing has harnessed the wind for more than a decade with remarkable results. Owners Trevor and Linsey Rogers launched their business in Tillamook with the air in mind — allowing wild yeast to ferment the beer that matures in massive open tubs. The resulting tongue-tingling ales attract beer nerds from across the world, who place stars on a map indicating where they’re from inside the breezy downtown taproom.
Central Coast Taphouses
Pelican Brewing – Siletz Bay is the newest bird in the company’s flock. The Lincoln City location, open since 2022, has floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing customers to gaze at Siletz Bay without obstruction. When the weather cooperates, head to the sprawling patio — the ideal place to watch the sun slip behind Salishan Spit. This is also the only Pelican with its very own seafood market, Phil’s Nest, where you can buy crab-boil kits to go.
Five years ago, the Marketplace at Salishan, just 3 miles south of Lincoln City, was energized by Beachcrest Brewing Company — with its colossal wave logo — bringing new dynamism to the complex. A brewhouse upgrade and the installation of a wood-fired pizza oven draw even more visitors to this quiet little town. Beachcrest’s patio overlooks a meandering creek under cover of a large tent.
South Coast Brewpubs
Roseburg-based Two Shy Brewing launched this outpost in 2022, bringing craft beer back to Old Town Reedsport. The owners plan on firing up the turnkey system once they’ve purchased the building. Until then, kegs from the valley taste just fine — particularly Worth the Wait IPA, whose swell of mango brightens the grayest days on the Coast.
7 Devils Brewing Co.’s original downtown pub feels like a place built for Coos Bay residents. It’s as eclectic and cozy as your living room — if you had fermentation tanks just feet from the sofa. But the gleaming Waterfront Alehouse that opened in 2021 across town on the bayfront is a modern space with sweeping views of Coos Bay and decor by local artists, including a spiral glass-float chandelier. When available, order Symbiosis, a nitro stout made with Mission figs.
Every once in a while, a small brewery will make waves by winning big at the Great American Beer Festival, the most esteemed competition of its kind in the U.S. That’s what happened to Arch Rock Brewing Co. when it nabbed gold for its Gold Beach Lager in 2014. The beer is one of just three that brewer James Smith makes year-round. Visit Arch Rock’s intimate taproom for free samples, or head next door to Hunter Creek Bar & Grill for a full pint.
Chetco Brewing Company’s World Beer Cup medalist almost ended up down the drain. Brewmaster Michael Frederick intended to dump an imperial stout batch, but it instead sat for six months. Another taste revealed aging added new layers of complexity, and a winning brew was born. Block and Tackle took silver at the 2014 World Beer Cup, then gold in 2023, so it’s a must-order when visiting the Brookings taproom, which doubles as a community-events space.
– By Andi Prewitt
Top photo Pelican Brewing – Siletz Bay
in Food & Drink