American Craft Beer The Best Craft Beer, Breweries, Bars, Brewpubs, Beer Stores, And Restaurants Serving Serious Beer.
A lot of attention has been (rightfully!) paid to Portland, Oregon over the past few years. From the outstanding parody (?) series Portlandia to the current “fairy tale without vampires” series Grimm, Portland provides an excellent backdrop of scenic beauty and cultural treasure. Part of what makes Portland so curious for outsiders is that it’s tucked up in the Northwest corner of the United States where its citizens are free to experiment, play, and create. For a long time the rich craft brewing scene has been part of that culture and now there is a way to take it all in, by bike, in a new book titled Hop In The Saddle that combines pedals and pints.
Our guides thru the streets of the Rose City are three enterprising cycling and beer enthusiasts who developed the projected and raised funding thru Kickstarter.com. Authors Lucy Burningham and Ellee Thalheimer are both Portlanders and travel writers with credits from The New York Times, Bicycling, and The Lonely Planet guidebooks. Designer Laura Cary also lives in Portland and runs her own company, Cary Design Group. Together these three talented ladies chronicle the vast landscape of Portland’s best breweries, bars, restaurants, and bottle shops in a compact 96-page book that is chock full of information.
Home to more than 40 breweries, Portland is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the U.S. With that in mind, Hop In The Saddle is designed to fit into your back pocket or messenger bag. This eye-catching red volume takes the reader and rider on a tour of town through the five (yes five!) quadrants of Portland with detailed routes maps and cue sheets with turn by turn directions. Want to check out some breweries in points north? Take the Northeast route and visit Burnside Brewing Company and Laurelwood Brewing Company while stopping along the way at Irving Park or Wilshire Park along the way. Continue south to the beating heart of Portland’s craft beer scene to have a pint at any of the numerous choices like Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, Cascade Brewing Barrel House, and Gigantic Brewing Company.
Hop In The Saddle contains great side stores about the history of biking and brewing in Portland pointing out colorful characters and the connection between pedals and pints. Did you know that the first bicycle path in Portland was created in 1896 by the League of American Wheelmen to gain better access to their favorite bar? As you’ll read, Portland’s 100+ year love affair between bike and beer has a long and rich history.
This book is a valuable resource for cyclists and non-cycling visitors coming to Portland for the first time. We suggest you pick up a copy for yourself and grab one for your friends for Christmas (it’s a recommended read from ACB). As even more incentive there are coupons included in the book good through November 2014 for discounts at Portland Peticabs and Portland Bicycle Tours if you bring along your copy of HITS.
