Storm Breaker Brewhouse: Where the Adult Connoisseurs Hang

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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