Don't Forget Vernonia

Hidden along a winding Nehalem Highway in the western valley of the Northern Oregon Coast Range is the quiet logging town of Vernonia.  Here, more than fifty miles from Portland lies a hidden little brewpub at the Blue House Mediterranean Cafe.  At the Blue House Cafe can be found a variety of tasty Mediterranean offerings ranging from gyro and hummus plates to sweet baklava. Owners Sam and Elinor Sumergian are about hand crafted quality with their Armenian inspired fair…and it doesn’t end with the food.  House brewer Brett Costley keeps three of his beers on tap at the cafe.  When we arrived earlier this month, he had a Raspberry Rye Ale, a Porter, and a Golden Ale on tap.  “I usually have my Blueberry Wheat on tap” said Costley, a native of Georgia.  “That’s the most popular beer I brew. When it was out, a person came in and asked for it and when they found out we didn’t have it on tap, he just left.”

“Bars in Vernonia have been all about PBR and Rainier for some time” said Costley.  But that may be changing. “(My beers have) really been a hit. This is an eclectic community ranging from loggers to artsy fartsy folk.” The Blue House features exclusives Costley’s own beer recipes with no safe bet swill for the light beer crowd. He obtains his grain and White Labs yeast from Main Street Homebrew Supply in Hillsboro, but anticipates using Great Western Malt in the future.

Costley moved with his family from Texas where he formerly worked for Compac.  Still in the tech trade, his current day job is with Intel in Hillsboro, Oregon.  He is also an active member in his community, serving on the city council.

The brewery at Blue House is a modest two ten-gallon installation (which he runs simultaneously) on the back outside canopied patio of the cafe.  Despite a somewhat rudimentary set-up, his beers are surprisingly clean and clear.  “I started homebrewing in ’91 or ’92 in Texas” said Costley. “It was over a long Thanksgiving weekend and people liked it.”  He added “The water temperature is better here.  In Texas, the water comes out of the tap at 80 degrees.  That, and the water in Houston is too hard.  I had to put chemicals in it to get the PH right and that compromised the hops.”

So far the locals have really taken a shine to the beers at the Blue House.  Despite floods in 1996, 1997, and a damaging one last November that caused the business to close until Valentine’s Day.  “You can see the water mark in the bath room” said Costley.  A mark of white paint about three feet up the wall reveals the the extreme flooding that made its way into the already elevated building. The restaurant will be moving closer to the center of town after the new year. “Sam had a custom built (brewery) equipment going into the new restaurant” said Costley.  The new set-up he will be relatively small as well, but considerably larger than his current modest situation.  So what to look for next from this brewery without a name?  “I am going to make a scottish ale with peated malt for winter” said Costley.