Skip to main content

Getting Sour at Cascade Brewing Barrel House

If beer is the blood coursing through Portland’s veins, then you can think of the brews coming out of Cascade Brewing Barrel House as that super-rare AB negative blood that only 1% of the population has. The beer they make here is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted, so if you ever find yourself feeling adventurous in downtown PDX, but also puzzled as to which brewery to visit, do yourself a favor and head over to Belmont and 10th on the East side and keep an eye out for a low-profile brick building surrounded by weathered oak barrels. Street parking is free around the lot, but you might want to take the Streetcar or call a taxi to get there – chances are good that nobody in your group will stay sober after they get a taste of what these guys are brewing.

Cascade specializes in barrel-aged sour ales; a style that brewmaster Ron Gansberg as been experimenting with and perfecting over the past 7 years. To achieve the sour flavor, he uses a technique adopted/adapted from an age-old Belgian style of fermentation – one that’s remarkably different than traditional methods.

Recommended Videos

In traditional brewing, great precaution is taken to prevent the introduction of unwanted yeast and rogue bacteria that could potentially ruin the flavor of the brew, but sour beers have the complete opposite approach. Brewers will intentionally add wild yeast and bacteria strains to the wort in order to achieve a good sour flavor. Methods differ from brewery to brewery and batch to batch, but Cascade’s mouth-puckering elixirs typically get their flavor from aging in oak barrels – barrels that have been treated with a particularly aggressive strain of yeast known as Brettanomyces. These bacteria thrive inside the warm, dark belly of the oak barrels and aggressively devour sugars, producing strong sour notes in the process, while also adding distinct aromas and flavor combinations of sweetness, tart acidity, earthyness, and hints of musty barnhouse funk.

Cascade produces a wide range of different sours, and they definitely won’t appeal to everyone, but if you’ve got an adventurous palate you’re in for a treat. For starters, we recommend trying the Kriek – a blend of red ales that’s aged in oak barrels for eight months, then aged for eight more on top of bing and sour pie cherries. It’s wonderfully complex, has a highly agreeable funk to it, and strikes a perfect balance between sour and sweet.  Check out Cascade’s website to find pictures of the space and take a look at the menu. They’ve also got a small selection of 750 ml bottles available for purchase, but given their popularity, they’re always in short supply.

Drew Prindle
Drew is our resident tech nerd. He’s spent most of his life trying to be James Bond, so naturally he’s developed an…
I tried the Kamado Joe Konnected Joe—here’s how it handled real recipes
Even if you make mistakes you can create crowd-pleasing meals with Kamado Joe Konnected Joe
Pre-heating the Kamado Joe Konnected Joe guarded by with Happy.

I jumped at the chance to test the Kamado Joe's Konnected Joe Digital Grill and Smoker. Like most members of our extended family of avid cooks and eager eaters, I enjoy grilling year-round. Still, my experience has been limited to conventional charcoal grills and three-burner propane grills. I was curious about what it would be like to cook with a ceramic grill, and grew even more excited by the prospect of precise temperature control promised by the Konnected Joe.
Why cook with a kamado-style grill

Kamado-style ovens, stoves, and grills use heated stone or ceramic to provide radiant heat that cooks the food. The Kamado Joe brand of kamado grills cooks with radiant heat, with thick ceramic sections in the cooker. It can take some time to reach the desired temperature, but the grill's heavy insulation retains the heat for a long time.

Read more
How I upgraded my De’Longhi Rivelia to make incredible cold espresso drinks
How to unlock six new cold foam recipes
De'Longhi Rivelia

I first started using the De'Longhi Rivelia espresso machine, the brand's newest fully automatic, innovative, and touchscreen espresso maker for home use. I was instantly impressed with how easy this espresso maker was to use and how quickly it made it possible to prepare all my favorite espresso-based beverages.

Ironically, I was so caught up in learning how to use the machine to make hot coffee drinks that I forgot it could also make cold coffee drinks. Once I upgraded with the De'Longhi LatteCrema Cool kit, I unlocked a whole new world of possibilities for cold coffee drinks, from an iced white flat to an iced cappuccino. This tiny upgrade changed the game, solidifying just how much I love this espresso machine.
De'Longhi Rivelia LatteCrema Cool

Read more
I learned the secrets of the Mai Tai at Hawaii’s most iconic beachfront bar
You can try three variations of a classic Mai Tai
Mai Tai Bar

The Mai Tai is one of the most popular Tiki drinks in the world, known for its sweet and slightly almond-flavored flavor. Until I visited the Royal Hawaiian, I had no idea just how much history lies behind this fruity cocktail. Initially created by "Trade Vic" Bergeron in 1944, the Mai Tai drink later made its way to Hawaii in 1953.

When Bergeron was hired to develop menus for the Royal Hawaiian, he introduced the classic Mai Tai recipe to Hawaii's most iconic beachfront bar, now known as the Mai Tai Bar. During my visit to the Royal Hawaiian, I stopped by the Mai Tai Bar for a special look at how the bartending team makes three of the most popular Mai Tai variations available on their menu today. You can't go wrong with any of these three drinks -- whether you prefer something more subdued or something fruity and sweet.

Read more