Saké, Beer & Spirits Trail

Full-Day Excursion

The Tualatin Valley is more than just wine and Pinot Noir. The area is becoming known for its exploration into other beverages, such as craft beer, saké and whiskey. Not for the faint of heart, this tour is for the true beverage connoisseur.

After breakfast, head to SakéOne (820 Elm St., Forest Grove), the largest producer and leading brewer of craft saké in America. Taste a flight of saké paired with local culinary delights, and tour the kura, the traditional brewery, for a bird’s-eye view of how saké is made. (1.5–2 hours)

Refuel at Cornelius Pass Roadhouse and Imbrie Hall (4045 NW Cornelius Pass Rd., Hillsboro). At Imbrie Hall, enjoy a meal of Northwest-style pub fare, which incorporates the freshest seasonal ingredients from local and regional growers. Wash it down with a pint of McMenamins’ own handcrafted brews. After the meal, take a peek at the Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Brewery, where many of McMenamins’ beloved beers are made, or the recently opened Cornelius Pass Roadhouse Distillery, where McMenamins crafts its spirits in a century-old, 160-gallon Alambic Charentais pot still. (1.5–2 hours)

Next, visit Vertigo Brewing‘s taproom (21420 NW Nicholas Ct., Suite D-7, Hillsboro) and sample a variety of handcrafted ales. Styles range from a light raspberry wheat ale to a Northwest-Style IPA, and everything in between. (1 hour)

The last brewery stop is Ambacht Brewing (1060 NE 25th Ave., Ste. B, Hillsboro), which crafts unique, Belgian-inspired ales, each made with local, organically grown ingredients. Ambacht’s ales are mashed at a low temperature, which gives the beer a “refreshing” dryness and “clean, toasty” flavor. (1 hour)

Finally, end the day with a pint and a delicious meal at ABV Public House (23588 NW Clara Ln., Hillsboro). ABV, named for the beer term, “alcohol by volume,” features 34 rotating taps, and it’s menu has a variety of small plates and larger entrees.