Portland Point of View
McMenamins: A chain without identical links
April, 1999by Michael Rasmussen
A group of brewers were once debating about the best beer in Oregon. Different names were thrown into the hat. Stylistic accuracy was pitted against invention and taste preferences. Then one of the crowd suggested McMenamins beers. "What? That cloudy stuff? You're kidding, right?" The brewer asserted he was not. He argued that "Beer is not Just Beer, something to drink for the taste and the buzz. Beer is also something to do with people. 'Have a beer together.' Ya know? McMenamins are the greatest places to have a beer. They're always comfortable. You can meet people there. It's because there's more than just beer there - and you always get more - that they're the best."
Whether you agree with his words or not, the McMenamins also brew some fine beers like Hammerhead and Terminator. Their beers do vary from location to location. This is not a chain of identical links. The uniqueness of each location extends to the food and the beers.
Yes, there are standards. At almost every place you'll find Ruby, Hammerhead, Nebraska Bitter, Black Rabbit Porter, Terminator on tap. But don't expect the Hammerhead at one location to match what you had elsewhere. The beers vary from place to place. The individual brewers have freedom in what they create. This extends to their special brews - beers that don't stick around for even a full season. There's always a special two or five beers on tap, from the Fulton Pub's Jalapa, a light ale graced with Jalepeno peppers, to a hard to find Teaches Entire, the best brown Porter I've come across in a brewpub - one that bucks the corporate preference for chocolate scented robust porters.
The McMenamins empire comprises (at least this week) of four dozen places for friends and family to gather for a pint and a meal. No two of them are alike. It seems that the McMenamins art staff is the largest seen in this region since the Works Progress Administration did its stuff. If you don't like the art at one location - move on. The next McMenamins will be different. All of the pubs have unique décor, from fern bar to roadhouse. Yes, the smiling sun, good witch Ruby, Hammerhead people, black rabbits and other themes are frequently evident. However, a visit to Edgefield Manor, the Crystal ballroom, or other renovations of historical buildings show a respect for the history and tradition of the place. Only a few of the McMenamins establishments are housed in newly constructed buildings. The rest are adapted from Churches, chain restaurants, hotels, movie theatres, poor farms and power stations. None of the pubs are soulless corporate remodeling jobs. Each of them shows a continuation of the spirit that existed in the place
Good fortune led me on an hour's drive to the Hotel McMinville, a recent addition to the McMenamin's empire. The pub portion is a familiar McMenamins pub. The menu has the standard fare - Captian Neon and other burgers, High Pasta, the comfort food that is on most of the McM's menus. The Hotel does hold three treats in what I call "pocket bars." Bars that are tucked away in corners. While part of the physical establishment, each one has a character all its own, much like siblings in a family. At the Hotel McMenville if you're not in the mood for a well lit bar and lots of people, you can take a few steps to the kitchen bar? If you're lucky enough to get one of the six stools you can ponder imponderables while watching the cooking crew do their stuff. If you'd like to get cozy, the basement features dim lights, low ceilings, and lots of brickwork. Even when stuffed with people you can have a conversation. It's a local that I wish were a simple stroll from my house. Feeling lighter? Want something more expansive? The rooftop bar has patio seating, hard liquor, bright lighting and Dutch Street signs for décor. The joy in visiting the Hotel McMinville is being able to do a mini pub crawl without stepping into the Oregon Rain. And yes - there were different beers on tap at each place.
The "pocket pub" concept extends to any of the larger properties that McMenamins own. They don't consolidate for efficiency. They build and mold to suit the character of the place. This trait exists even in a place as small as the Bagdad Theatre. Here they managed to make three establishments from one place. The main pub, the only McMenamins that does not serve hamburgers, is painted with a middle eastern theme and has a wall of windows onto Hawthorne Street. The movie theater has two beer counters and a snack counter. Around the corner, tucked into the side of the building is Greater Trumps, a "celebration of port, cigars, and conversation." Although part of the Bagdad building, Greater Trumps does not share signage or an entrance with the theater or pub. Greater Trumps does not even share space with the Bagdad on the McMenamins web page. At the Edgefield resort there are a half dozen separate pubs. The ultimate little pub is the Little Red Shed. The building was originally the Edgefield Poor Farm incinerator, now it's a cozy place for single malt, cigars, and lazy afternoons and no more than eight people at a time.
All of this individuality leads to personable environments for a pint. Have you ever been intimidated by the beer at a McMenamins? Do you know of anybody who has? Even the most non microbeer oriented person can feel comfortable with one of their brews. For many in Oregon the first craft beer was drained at a McMenamins. Yet even among a group of hard core beer people - say the Oregon Brew Crew - you'll find devotees of the Brother's beers. No doubt about it, they make some excellent beers. Much to their credit they make more than just beer.
Oh, did I mention that Mike and Brian have a design goal that each McMenamins be a place that you can comfortably take your Mom?
