This entire month of July, Portland Brewing is donating a portion from every case or growler of Portland Brewing ZigZag River Lager (growlers must be purchased at the Portland Brewing Co Taproom, cases must be purchased in the state of Oregon) sold right back to our Northwest waters via Sandy River Basin Watershed Council.

The Sandy River Basin Watershed Council is an independent non-profit organization that works cooperatively with volunteers, agencies, businesses and community groups to improve the health of the watershed for fish, wildlife and people. The Council coordinates efforts among many public and private partners to produce the greatest benefits for the watershed.

This means you can enjoy a refreshing lager to cool you down while also supporting a good cause! If you are looking to bring some beer to a party, or for your own get together, consider stopping by for some of the Portland Brewing ZigZag River Lager.

I was invited to visit Portland Brewing back in April as they were first launching Zig Zag River Lager. I was able to taste then how fresh and balanced the flavors of this beer are with the blend of pale, wheat and very malty Munich malts and the spicy Tettnang hops with hint of caramel notes. Let me assure you that it is perfect for the hot days ahead this month to refresh you.

While there, I also tasted the Oregon Honey Beer brewed with Oregon-sourced white clover honey and Willamette hops, also a wonderful summer beer choice and Portland Brewing even shared a recipe for Oregon Honey Beer Marinade for grilling. You can drink and eat from your growler! Not to be outdone, maybe pair that with their recipe for ZigZag River Lager Beer Cheese.

So let’s raise a glass or bottle of Portland Brewing ZigZag River Lager to the Sandy and give back to the Sandy together! Visit The Portland Brewing Beer Finder to use the search and map tool there to find where you can get some Portland Brewing near you, or visit the Portland Brewing Taproom.

If you do stop by the Portland Brewing Taproom at 2730 NW 31st, make sure you also check out the really cool Copper Brewing Vessels. You probably already saw a peek of them from the outside, but they are right there to your left when you walk into the tasting room.

The copper vessels were acquired all the way from Germany and Portland Brewing actively uses them in their brewing during their boiling part of the process.

I also got a little tour of the brewing facility narrated by none other than Portland Brewing head brewer Ryan Pappe himself, so I got a better look at the Copper Brewing Vessels being used and the super cool controls for the vessels. How sci fi steampunk awesome are these!!

If you’d like a look yourself, Portland Brewing does free brewery tours every Saturday from 12pm – 3pm with three complimentary samples of beer and a PBC bottle opener, but you have to be wering closed toed shoes and they will also have you wear those stylish goggles you see Ryan modeling.

While at the Portland Brewing Taproom, besides the handful of Portland Brewing beers (including possible experimental recipes only available at the Taproom), you will also be able to try some beers from Pyramid Breweries who purchased it and dubbed it “MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company” for a while until Pyramid was purchased and last year MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company returned to the original Portland Brewing name of today.

Whatever the history, the end result is that combined with the Pyramid beer and Portland Brewing beer there are more than a dozen beers for you to try here! The Portland Tasting Room is also a restaurant so feel free to linger here for a bite to eat. The menu suggests beer pairings with several dishes, and if you come for happy hour (3PM – 6PM and 9 PM – close, daily!) there are a dozen bites $5 or less for you to enjoy, and also a handful of desserts also $5 or less.

Other specials they have on their Event Calendar include getting a burger &  fries and pint of beer for $10 every Wednesday, getting a free Portland Brewing pint glass when you buy a pint of beer on Tuesdays, and on Sundays kids 12 and under get a free kids meal with purchase of an adult dinner AND they have live music every Sunday in July, and more! Next weekend on July 19 Portland Brewing is also doing a mini festival of Oregon Honey Beer.

This taproom is such a hidden gem.

For extra credit, consider visiting tomorrow, Friday July 11, which is when Portland Brewing Taproom will be doing an Outdoor Movie Night! The movie starts at 9pm and they will be showing “Beerfest” will be on the big screen. There will also be Raffles, Prizes, and Beer and German Food Specials. Of course you can get some Portland Brewing ZigZag River Lager in your glass too.

The $5-10 suggested donation will benefit CASA for Children Multnomah and Washington Counties, aka Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children who advocate for the children who have been abused or neglected and are going through the trauma of the court system and foster care system.

So you’ll be enjoying beer, having a good time, and contributing to TWO WORTHWHILE CAUSES at once.

I hope to see you raising a glass or bottle of Portland Brewing ZigZag River Lager this month!

Disclosure: This tasting of the beer at the Portland Brewing Brewery Day Celebration was complimentary, but I will always provide my honest opinion and assessment of all products and experiences I may be given and I have visited them before this event and will certainly be visiting them again in the future. The views and opinions expressed in this blog are entirely my own.