Skip to main content

Toast to the End of Summer at Shandytown in Portland, Oregon

This year, weather in Portland, Oregon, did a 180-degree switch overnight. Sunny, smoky skies gave way to the chilly rain that covers the city for a majority of the year. Even though Mother Nature thinks otherwise, Portland makers are doing whatever they can to hold onto that last bit of summer just a bit longer.

Take Pono Brewing Company co-founder Erick Russ and local event producer Natalia Toral, for example. They saw the framework for an event to celebrate a beloved summer beverage, the shandy, and organized a community celebration around the beverage to soak in the last of the season’s splendor. Their event, Shandytown PDX, puts a quintessentially Portland twist on a beverage that originated in Britain in the 1700-1800s.

Erick Russ Pono Brewing Shandy town PDX
Pono Brewing Company co-founder Erick Russ Image used with permission by copyright holder

The drink, initially called “Rich Man’s Shandy Gaff,” was half Champagne, half ale. More modest patrons would mix ginger beer or lemonade instead; the “gaff” theoretically came from the half ginger beer addition (ginger + half = gaff.)

Recommended Videos

Eventually shortened to just “shandy,” the libation became wildly popular, both for flavor and  low alcohol content. When Americans eventually caught, there were no shortage of stateside brands putting out their own versions of the typically sweet drink. Nowadays, the beer can be mixed with anything from soft drinks to juice, and many can be found in cans and glasses.

In a city that loves to drink, the original idea for Shandytown was drummed up at — you guessed it— a bar.

“I was meeting with [Ataula bartender] Angel Teta, working on getting one of our beers on her menu,” Russ says, “and she instantly made a shandy with our Pineapple Kolsch. It became the No. 1 drink on her menu.”

Shandytown
Image used with permission by copyright holder

A few weeks later, Russ was in another cocktail haven: Portland’s Raven & Rose. One bartender at each of the restaurant’s two bars also made shandies, then tested both on customers to see which one was more popular. After another shandy talk at a third restaurant, the idea had been planted for the celebration.

In true Rose City fashion, Shandytown PDX quickly blossomed from a few bartenders offering their own renditions of shandies to a full-blown competition between five of the city’s most lauded drinking establishments. Chefs around town also got wind of the event and wanted to be a part of the celebration. As a result, Shandytown PDX will also showcase five food collaborations, from Filipino cuisine to ice cream. Attendees will get access to the entire shandy and nosh lineup.

Above all, Russ is about collaboration. He hopes to bring together people from the thriving beer and spirits worlds, which sometimes exist in their own circles.

“My hope is that we can work together to promote both communities,” he says.

Shandytown PDX takes place Monday, September 25. You can purchase your tickets here. The event benefits Growing Gardens, a Portland-based nonprofit that helps low-income families grow and harvest their own fresh produce.

Geoff Nudelman
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff is a former contributor to The Manual. He's a native Oregonian who’s always up for a good challenge and a great hike…
The new brew routine: Why gut health is the future of coffee
Is your coffee good for your gut?
coffee bean

According to a recent survey by Danone America, 84% of Americans have become more interested in "functional" foods and products that support gut health. These changing wellness trends are affecting nearly every type of food and beverage product, and they've now made their way into your morning coffee mug as well. Popular coffee brand Bulletproof Coffee believes gut health is the future of coffee, adapting its product line to include science-based ingredients that transform a delicious cup of coffee into a gut-supporting beverage. I chatted with Stephanie Hoffman, Director of R&D and Quality at Bulletproof Coffee, to learn more about gut health and coffee.
Gut health in the wellness world

According to Hoffman, "Gut health has become a major focus not just in the wellness world, but in general, as people are recognizing its deep connection to energy, immunity, mood, and mental clarity." With this in mind, Bulletproof has adopted a mindset that your morning coffee should do more than wake you up.

Read more
Surprising ways to use ground coffee beyond your morning brew
Everything you can use ground coffee for, beyond your morning cup of joe
Coffee grounds in a plant

Perfectly described by Chris Smith, co-owner and founder of Ground Ops Roastery + Bakehouse, "The day doesn't truly begin until that first sip of coffee." Yet, according to Smith, the story of coffee extends far beyond its role as just a drink. Coffee has so many uses both inside and outside of the kitchen -- that most of us coffee drinkers fail even to acknowledge. From cooking with coffee grounds, such as in tenderizing meat, to using them as fertilizer for plants, consider these surprising uses for ground coffee.

Ground coffee uses in cooking and baking

Read more
The new Ninja Creami Swirl is a game-changer for high-protein summer treats
CreamiFit is a game-changer for high-protein, low-sugar snacks
Ninja creami swirl

Counting and tracking your macros is hard; and that's one thing every fitness and health junkie can agree on. During the summer, sticking to your nutrition plan can be even more challenging. After all, stopping for ice cream is a summertime event that evokes a bit of nostalgia for all of us.

Luckily, Ninja has dropped its newest version of the Ninja Creami, just in time for the summer: The Ninja Creami Swirl. The Ninja Creami Swirl is a total game-changer for health-conscious foodies, featuring special settings designed to create healthier-style ice cream and frozen treats. The Ninja Creami Swirl's specific CreamiFit setting is the perfect tool to whip up your high-protein, low-calorie snack or protein treat. Here's how it's changing the game this summer.
Trying the Ninja Creami Swirl

Read more