Migration Opens With A Bang

Brewpublic was storming the gates when the good folks at Migration Brewing made their official opening on Wednesday February 24, 2010. Right beside us was Portland Beer and Music‘s Jason Wallace for the inaugural pours of Widmer’s Collaborator brew, the Hallucinator (Check out Wallace’s site for a nice write up on Migration and an update from Concordia’s Beer Brawl III). According to Migration brewer Mike Branes, the first brew will be coming sometime next week. It will be dubbed MPA (Migration Pale Ale), and promises to be a crisp, hoppy, and aromatic India Pale Ale somewhere in the ballpark of 5.7% ABV. Branes apprenticed at Barley Johns Brew Pub in Minneapolis, Minnesota before moving to Portland, Oregon, and says the inspiration for his first release comes from Bell’s Two Hearted Ale.

The brew system was manufactured by Portland’s own MetalCraft Fabricators of St. Johns. MetalCraft’s 7-barrel system for Migration is yet another in their expanding repertoire. They have also manufactured brewing set-ups for Full Sail, Upright, Rock Bottom, Hopworks, Lompoc, and Laurelwood. Branes is anxious to get cracking on his new rig, and so are we.

On the public house side of things, folks were rolling through the doors left and right. The high ceilings, wood tables, and laid back atmosphere is a recipe for summer success at this relaxing new brewpub. Near the corner of NE 28th and Glisan, Migration is perfectly situated between to bustling streets in Sandy Boulevard and Burnside Street. A garage door front that can open in the warmer months will make for a wonderful ambiance as well as make loading supplies that much easier.

Pouring was a nice assortment of Northwest beers, mostly from Oregon. These included Ninkasi Otis, Lucky Lab Super Dog, Fort George Sunset Oatmeal Pale, Hale’s Cream Ale on draught, Hopworks ESB, Double Mountain Kolsch, and Anderson Valley Hop Ottin IPA. As you can see, lots of great regional brews to choose from. That is why we opted for all of them. What fun! Lots of beer folks were in attendance. Hopworks brewer Jaime Rodriguez, The Daily Pull‘s Brady Walen, and our friend Sean “Seany Wonton” White, a new recruit at Green Bottling, were among those on hand. There was even a Fred Bowman sighting, which is no surprise considering his passion for craft beer. Migration is a spot we’ll surely migrate to on a regular basis. Located in the heart of Portland’s Eastside, it’s features a promising food menu that is still being developed and is run by some friendly, hardworking folks who are passionate sustainability and locally produced craft beer. See you there again later today!