The Rogue Distillery and Public House

Portland is renowned for their beer, and Rogue Brewery is probably the most famousof the Oregon Microbrews. Its beers can be found across the continent. Many people consider themselves to be part of the “Rogue Nation.” Founded in 1988, their creed states that:

Walking into their bar, they certainly do things differently and fight the status quo. Most places are glad to have my custom, or at least willing to fake it for a tip. Not Rogue. I don’t think I’ve been to a place that was less enthused to take my money. Most places are eager to give me some indication of how I should present myself to them. Not Rogue. There was no host/hostess, nor a sign to indicate what I should do, nor other visual or auditory clues. I finally asked a waitress moving past if I should seat myself. She answered in the affirmative and I found a seat.

A waitress eventually took notice of me and dropped off a beer list and menu. The beerlist was an impressive book. It had a description of each beer, a list of ingredients, notes on ABV and IBU, and food pairings. Everything you need to know. Except for which beers are currently on tap.

You see, the book lists every beer that Rogue offers…ever, including their seasonal offerings (helpfully highlighted with the word “seasonal,” but not with any indication of which season they’re offered in). My hopes of trying their Russian Imperial Stout were raised and dashed when I tried to order. My waitress said no, and really didn’t elaborate on which ones were available.

It was at that point I realized that Rogue was there to try to confuse and vex me. With this in mind, I decided against probing deeper. I didn’t ask what her suggestions were. I didn’t even ask if they offered taster sizes. I picked a beer at random from their list of year round offerings, their Orange Honey Ale.

Somer Orange Honey Ale: Clear golden color with no head. Some orange in thenose. Surprising malt flavour, with underwhelming honey and little orange. Fairlywatery. More of a lager than a wheat ale. Reminds me of Molson Canadian, sans thecheap price and college bar unpretentiousness. I had maybe a 1/5 of it and put it aside.

I am Canadian, born in Ottawa, bred on the West Coast, and educated in Atlantic Canada. Let me assure you: it is not a complement when your beer reminds me of a Molson product.

I ordered their Kobe Chili and side of fries. The food was superior to the other two brewpubs. The chili had just the right amount of spice, the fries had just the right amount of crunch. Their menu had Kobe beef burgers and hot dogs (haute dogs), and other intriguing offerings (bread made with their beer, Rogue creamery cheeses, ect). Go hungry, because their servings are generous.

To replace the Honey Ale, I ordered their Northwestern Ale.

Captain Sig’s Northwestern Ale: Amber color with a grapefruit nose. Little head. An overwhelming grapefruit flavour and almost no bitterness. Well balanced mouthfeel. Mild carbonation. No burning acidity, but very bright. It was a bit sweet and sour, like a ripe pink grapefruit. A lovely India Red Ale.

I finished off my meal with their Chocolate Stout Float. Yes, an adult version of classic children’s drink.

Chocolate Stout Float: It was surprisingly good. The bitter flavour of the stout combined nicely with the sweet vanilla ice cream. Bitter cocoa is the overwhelming firstimpression that gives way to a sweet, creamy aftertaste. The carbonation of the stout dances nicely on the tongue. I get the impression that their stout is very bright and fizzy (like a lot of West Coast Stouts, sadly) and lacks body. I think this is the best way to enjoy their stout. The rich ice cream gives the stout a heft it would otherwise lack.

Rogue was a disappointing experience overall. As mentioned, the service was… er, unique. The waitress graciously struck the Honey Ale from my tab. But for most of the night she was absent. I don’t mean busy. I mean she vanished. It was impressive. I’m curious to learn if she knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men.

The food was very good. I’m impressed by their use of high quality beef in standard pub fare. But if you want to excel as a brewpub, the food is a secondary consideration. Youmust highlight your beers. To do so is inexcusable in Portland, a city is known for its exquisite food carts (Tito’s Burritos!) and exceptional bistros. You can get great food on every street corner.

There are several changes I would make if I were running the pub. If they didn’t want to pay for a host (a concern I understand with a pub that’s half the size of Deschutes), perhaps there could be a “Please Seat Yourself” sign. I would organize the beer book with the on tap beers upfront. I would offer tasting sizes. I would encourage the staff to be more visible. I would, perhaps, have signs indicating where the washrooms are. In short, I would minimize the opportunities for their customers to feel stupid.

Good food, though.