Famously known as being the home to a certain group of “goonies,” Astoria, Oregon, is a quintessential Pacific Northwest town. For most of the year, blankets of rain keep Oregon’s Northwestern-most city bundled up, as Astoria averages just shy of 70 inches of rainfall per year. But rain or not, Fort George Brewery & Public House pours up cups of sunshine to the town’s many inhabitants and visitors. After all, everyone knows you don’t need to take Vitamin D pills when you could just have a good beer instead.
Located at the historic Fort George Building, the brewery opened its doors in 2006 following a brief abandonment period in the building’s tenured lifetime. Originally the settlement site of Astoria back in 1811, the lot the building is on has since housed an automobile service factory and then an auto-maintenance plant before being renovated into the brewery and public house.
The word “fort,” in Fort George could not be any more correct. Made up of the brewery, public house area, Lovell taproom, Fort George Gardens and an upstairs pizza parlor and live music venue, Fort George is a true behemoth. Tons of tasty treats for beer lovers and foodies alike are around every corner.
The brewery’s motto is fresh and local, from the beer to the food, sourcing locally made ingredients whenever they possibly can. The menu consists of the pub fare standards, from burgers to salads, sandwiches to house-made sausages. A standout on the menu is the Truffle Shuffle burger, affectionately named after one of those very goonies that romped around Astoria in the mid 1980s. Pork belly confit, truffle cheese, garlic mushrooms and truffle aioli top this burger to make it a true powerhouse.
If you’re not feeling a burger, the steak frites is a phenomenal option to go with, too. Painted Hills Oregon Beef Bistro filet marinated in Fort George’s dangerously delicious Cavatica stout provide the backbone for this dish. Take that and drop it on top of their house-cut fries, add some Rogue Oregonzola butter and some say you’ll have found heaven.
The beauty of a brewery serving excellent food is it allows you to have a plethora of pairing options. Fort George holds true to this statement, as each of their separate pouring locations have their own taplist. The pub, upstairs area and Lovell taproom all rotate different beers, with the taproom brandishing the most taps at a whooping 19.
You can’t really go wrong with any of the beer here, from staples to seasonals. A couple of standout brews would have to be the Ask Walt Whitman IPA, Coffee Girl stout and You Guava Be Kiddin’ Me, each of these beers very different in their own regard, but also equally delicious and drinkable.
Regardless of what season (or weather) you visit the Pacific Northwest coastline mainstay, Fort George will be there to pour you a little cup of sunshine to keep those rainy blues away.
