You know Portland, Oregon is the epicenter of craft beer. That’s an indisputable fact that somehow gets disputed constantly. You could certainly make an argument for San Diego, and Asheville has its charm, but Portland is…well, Portland. And Cascade Brewing is one of the many reasons Portland earns the honor. In 1998, Cascade started out by brewing northwest IPAs like everyone else in town, but the founders quickly became obsessed with sours, capitalizing on the resources that were abundant from local wineries and fruit growers. They went “all in” on the sour movement in 2010, opening the Cascade Brewing Barrel House, a 7,000 square foot production facility and taproom that’s been dubbed “the house of sour.” Over the past decade, Cascade has perfected the art of blending and barrel aging and in the process, has helped to usher in the sour beer trend here in the U.S.
Cascade has spent the last year systematically expanding their distribution footprint, and recently announced an expansion into 12 new states ranging from Alabama to Maine to Ohio. They’re even going global, announcing earlier in the year that they would start distributing beers in the United Kingdom. So there’s a good chance that you’ll start seeing Cascade’s brews on the shelf of your local beer store. We’ve picked five of our favorites from Cascade Brewing here. But don’t fret if you don’t see something that strikes your fancy. The brewery has a deep portfolio that showcases a ton of different fruit varieties. So if there’s a fruit that really blows your mind, check Cascade’s rotating list of available beers and seek it out. You won’t be sorry.
Apricot
Cascade ages different blonde ales in oak wine barrels with fresh apricots for more than a year, then blends them together with some barrels of un-fruited blondes for balance. There’s no mistaking the taste here—it’s full of apricots, with a tart finish and a hint of oak. It’s 7.2% and available in 750ml bottles, like all of Cascade’s wares.
