 Hello hello fellow connoisseurs! I am sad to say, but this is unfortunately my last post for this “Foreign Bev” blog. Eventually, a connoisseur has to know when to say when, and hang up the cleats. For my final stop, I traveled to the great T.C. O’Leary’s, in Northeast Portland. A famous Irish pub right here in Portland, T.C. O’Leary’s is not only known for its fantastic draft selection, with much of the beers coming from Ireland, but also for its live music. Patrons will engage in what is known as a session, in which musicians and dancers gather to play traditional Irish folk music with each other. The dancers will either do a jig or reel, depending on the tempo and structure of the music, and the musicians can range in bands from three members to as high as nine! I ended up going to T.C. O’Leary’s on recommendation from my world music professor, whose class I have been taking this semester. We took some time to learn about Irish traditional folk music, including the aspects of instrumentation, dancing, and singing, and how social activity is incorporated into that exercise. I went on Monday the 24th with three friends of mine, all from that world music class. Again, I should clarify that all four of us are of legal drinking age and drink very responsibly. As I get there, I immediately order a twenty ounce pint of Guinness. I figured that since I came to an Irish pub, I had to order a classic Irish bev. On top of that, I ordered some fish and chips, which I coincidentally ordered at the StormBreaker Brewhouse, also located in North Portland! Talk about a small world. Anyway, I sit down with my friends and we engage in some great conversation about academics, personal interests, and anecdotes. I received my twenty ounce pint of Guinness, which very much complimented my fish and chips. I have to say, the fish and chips at T.C. O’Leary’s were superior to the ones at StormBreaker. The fish was not only greasier and saltier, but the presentation was so unique. The fish and chips were in this giant cone-shaped metal plate. I almost did not even know how to eat them. It certainly took me a minute, maybe even two, to figure it out. This was my first time trying a Guinness, and I was not a huge fan of the flavor profile. Personally, I am not a stout kind of person, as the taste has usually been too bitter for my liking. This was no exception. However, there was something about the taste and flavor profile that weirdly went well with the very savory and salty fish and chips. I think that if I did not order the fish and chips to go alongside my bev, I probably would have regretted my beverage decision. My interactions with my friends were quite nice. Although not close friends of mine by any means, I have gotten to know them much better over the course of this semester. Given that we are all juniors and seniors, cherishing these last moments of school is very important to us. What added to the experience was that there was a session going on. The band, known as the Lads, were only a three-piece, but still played some fantastic music. They mainly played an arrangement of songs that sounded quite similar to each other. I think the rhythm they were playing in was known as a single jig, which I had known from my world music class a few weeks prior. Unfortunately, there was no one dancing along with the musicians, which made sense because the crowd was either middle aged or older. It was a Monday night, after all. The people I was with were joking that I should go up and dance, but I was in no mood. Despite the lack of dancing, the vibe in the pub was incredible. All in all, I enjoyed my visit to T.C. O’Leary’s. I think going with friends very much helped my experience. In terms of my visits to previous bev spots, I had either gone by myself or with one other person. This time, I went with three other people, which really helped my experience. Something that I was considering as I was with my group was how their social media personalities were not so distinct or different from their real-life identities. For some people, social media plays a big role in defining their image and identity. Touching on Baym’s chapter five concept of disembodied identities, the presentation of self can be quite disingenuous and deceptive. I have met people who I only knew previously from social media, but then turned out to be quite different in real life. This was not the case. I had known all of these people from in-person interactions, which I think helped to formulate my sense of their identities. Even after following all of them on social media, my idea of them as physical selves was more prominent than their social media presence. I also considered how T.C. O’Leary’s felt like a place in a different time. With the traditional Irish folk music playing, and the old-school pictures of people from the 19th and 20th centuries hanging up on the wall, the pub felt a bit removed from the world of social media. This was something that I very much enjoyed. Also, knowing these people I was with from in-person contact and situations helped to accentuate this feeling. Anyways, I am sad that this is my last post on this platform. However, my bev escapades will continue on. Although I said I would hang the cleats up, that will never happen. A connoisseur is timeless; they continue their job until it is not physically possible anymore. Who knows where this interest will lead me. Chances are, it probably will not lead me anywhere, but I am at peace with that. I hope you all have enjoyed my content. Ramble on, fellow connoisseurs. Ramble on.
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 Good day, folks! I'm back for more reviews and bev escapades. Last night, April 9th, I ventured to Storm Breaker Brewhouse in North Portland with a friend of mine. Although I was just expecting the trip to the brewhouse to be a relaxed, low-key night out at a bar, it turned into a true connoisseur experience. Since it was below 45 degrees and raining outside, we sat next to a roaring fire pit, along with two other groups (who I should say were at least 10 years our senior). Immediately, I was not only amazed by the environment and ambience, but also the food and drink selection. Side bar: I should note that both my friend and I are of age and consumed alcoholic beverages in a responsible manner. Anyways, the names of each beer were filled with pop culture references that pertained to my taste system. Such names included the Go Fugg Ya Self, a coffee stout; the Make My Day, a pale ale which they were unfortunately out of; and What We Brew in the Shadows, a cheeky reference to the vampire mockumentary What We Do In the Shadows. These names made me happy, to say the least. I was disappointed that they were out of the Make My Day, as this is a cheeky reference to the Clint Eastwood classic Dirty Harry. Nevertheless, I was taken care of.
As the hipster waiter greeted us, I ordered the Alterior Motive, a German ale, as well as some fish and chips. Sipping the reddish ale, I was absolutely taken aback by how flavorful it was. My friend, who ordered the What We Brew in the Shadows, was disappointed that she didn't order the Alterior Motive, and opted to order it in the next round. The flavors of the Alterior Motive were so smooth and gentle, it was easily the best pint I had drank in a while. What also added to my good experience at Storm Breaker were the interactions with the waiter, as well as the other people sitting at the fire pit. I had a conversation with the waiter about Nicolas Cage, as I mentioned to him that I had written my thesis on him. There were three thirty-somethings sitting across from my friend and me, and we awkwardly discussed the differences in our generation. They were making jokes that completely missed with us, as our differences in age made our senses of humor apparent. One of the Millennials compared me to some random country singer, who I did not recognize and honestly, did not look like me one point. However, I appreciated the attempt at humor. Also, the fish and chips were incredible. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Storm Breaker Brewhouse. The interactions I had with everybody were so pleasant and funny, and the food and bev were both outstanding. Baym's concept of relational escalation, as well as the concept of latent ties, can be applied to my conversations with the waiter and the Millennials. Of course, all of these conversations were example of initiation, as I had never met these people until my journey to the brewhouse. However, my interaction with the waiter felt as if we could have a deeper relationship than the initiating, given that we were able to speak about a niche topic--Nic Cage--for a good amount of time. Talking with the Millennials made me think of the concept of relational ties. Because I am about to graduate, the idea of staying close with my friends is very important to me at the moment, and will continue to be. Many of my friends will be moving to different cities in the coming months, so it is imperative that we stay connected through text, call, and social media. However, I recognize that I will not stay in contact with a lot of people from Lewis and Clark after I graduate. With that being said, seeing these thirty-something year olds still close with each other made me hopeful that I will not have as many latent ties as I may think. Meeting in this space reminded me of this truth. I also could not help but compare this experience to my previous trip to Rocket Fizz a few weeks back. Obviously, they are two very different locations. But what really stood out to me was the differences in interaction and socializing in these two spaces. The beer garden felt like a more fitting 'third place' in comparison to Rocket Fizz, given the layout and nature of the location. Additionally, the fact that the crowd were all at least ten years older than us made the socializing aspect more viable. It felt like a place where conversation about interesting topics was more viable, much more so than Rocket Fizz. What I have discovered through my escapades is that the first two bev locations--John's Marketplace and Rocket Fizz--were much less social in their lay out. John's Marketplace did have a bar and set of tables, therefore making it a place where people can get together and discuss. However, when I went to John's, it was in the early afternoon, so there was nobody at the bar or tables. This second half of bev escapades is more focused on having closer interactions with patrons, servers, and fellow enthusiasts of the liquid variety. Bars and beer gardens offer more opportunity for creating stronger relationships, even if it only reaches the initiating phase (as Baym puts it). Stay tuned, fellow connoisseurs. My last post will be up in the next few weeks. My final voyage will be to T.C. O Leary's, an Irish pub in Northeast Portland with interesting brews and live Irish music. Drink the milk of paradise, my friends! |
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