Is there anything better than unwinding after a long day of wine tasting, shopping, or exploring Oregon's Willamette Valley than sipping on a cold, locally produced craft beer?
Yes: enjoying that cold, locally produced craft beer outside.
And with summer in full swing, you're never far from your favorite brewery's outdoor patio. Whether in the heart of downtown Oregon City or at the southern edge of Willamette Valley wine country, craft breweries throughout the region offer picnic tables, patio umbrellas, and more for making the most of summer. Here's a guide to 12 great brewpub patios throughout the Willamette Valley.
Hours: 2-7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, 1-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
Family-friendly: Yes
Monks brewed beer at Mt. Angel Abbey as far back as 1885, but that burgeoning tradition quickly ended when a fire burned several abbey buildings-including the brewhouse-in 1892.
So in 2010, Fr. Martin Grassel, general manager of the brewery and procurator of the abbey, relaunched brewing efforts-becoming Oregon's only brewery owned and operated by Benedictine monks-and sold bottles in the abbey gift shop. Roughly eight years later, in August 2018, Mt. Angel Abbey opened the Benedictine Brewery taproom to the public.
In addition to a cozy, quiet interior, the taproom boasts a comfortable patio for sipping your way through the brewery's selection of Belgian-inspired ales and lagers. A handful of picnic tables, perched just outside the taproom's garage door, deliver wide-open views of neighboring hop fields, the wider Willamette Valley, and Cascade foothills.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
Family-friendly: Yes, until 9 p.m.
The first time you visit Gilgamesh Brewing in Salem, you might wonder whether your phone's GPS led you astray: Salem's largest brewery sits back from the street, its restaurant hidden behind an office building and parking lot.
But step onto the patio at Gilgamesh, and there's no mistake: You've arrived at the right place. The brewery's backyard patio boasts covered seating-long picnic tables sit next to cozier tables-a lawn area for corn hole and other games, plenty of open space for little ones to romp around and play, a shaded forest canopy, and the lazy Pringle Creek flowing nearby.
Hours: The rooftop patio opens, weather permitting, at 3:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Family-friendly: Yes, until 11 p.m.
The views extend in every direction from Corvallis: The Oregon Coast Range rises to the west; the Willamette River flows just east of downtown; Cascade foothills dot the landscape further east; and Willamette Valley farmland spreads like a bedsheet in seemingly every direction.
And the views of these diverse landscapes don't get much better than from atop the rooftop pub at Sky High Brewing in the heart of downtown Corvallis. In addition to 360-degree views, the rooftop bar offers covered seats with sweeping views in every direction. (And if the rooftop patio gets a little crowded, head down to Sky High Brewing's other outdoor dining area-this on the third floor-which is covered and heated for use all year long.)
Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to midnight Sunday
Family-friendly: Yes
If the backyard setup at High Street Brewery & Café feels like the biggest and best backyard party in Eugene, that's because it is. Eugene's first craft brewery since the end of Prohibition-and one of three McMenamins pubs around the city-sits in a renovated 1900s house not far from downtown.
And while the indoor seating area is fine enough, it's outside where the High Street Brewery & Café really shines. Several picnic tables sit scattered throughout the backyard alongside a year-round firepit, strands of lights, patio seating, and more-all under a canopy of lush, green trees.
Hours: 1-8 p.m. daily
Family-friendly: Yes
You probably know the southern Willamette Valley for its many outstanding wineries-but don't skip Alesong Brewing & Blending, one of the Beaver State's most scenic taprooms, deep in the heart of Oregon Wine Country.
Alesong specializes in small-batch beers, with an eye on oak aging and Belgian-inspired techniques. Every beer you try at Alesong has spent up to three years maturing in oak barrels, and numerous Alesong ales are blended and fermented with fresh fruit and herbs, putting the brewery right at home alongside Oregon's vaunted wineries.
Naturally, Alesong's patio offers a pleasant backdrop for enjoying those complex beers; several picnic tables sit under strands of lights, a small stage hosts occasional live music, and views range from towering fir trees to wide-open Willamette Valley farmland.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday
Family-friendly: Yes; minors are allowed in the taproom until 9 p.m.-and outdoors until close.
With a tap list more than 30 beers deep, Oregon City Brewing Company doesn't make it easy for patrons to pick the perfect ale or lager. But on a sunny day, there's no question where to sit: on the brewery's patio, sitting at a busy street corner in the heart of downtown Oregon City. The brewery hosts more than a dozen picnic tables, most under umbrellas and strands of Edison lights, and offers an outdoor walk-up window so you don't miss a minute of sunshine.
Hours: 4-9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 12-9 p.m. Saturday, 12-7 p.m. Sunday
Family-friendly: Yes
Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery produces a fascinating blend of wild, farmhouse, and barrel-aged beers-after all, where else will you find a grisette brewed with Oregon fir tips or another made with sumac and stinging nettle?
And Wolves & People, housed in founder Christian DeBenedetti's family barn, offers an outdoor seating area worthy of the complex beers. Numerous picnic tables, some with patio umbrellas, sit in the midst of DeBenedetti's farm. Towering fir trees surround the seating area, and a hazelnut orchard sits mere steps from the patio.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 11 a.m. to midnight Thursday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday
Family-friendly: Yes
There's so much to see in and around McMinnville, from grapevines in the region's vineyards to an idyllic small-town downtown to old-growth forests in the Oregon Coast Range foothills. And you can see it all from the Hotel Oregon's Rooftop Bar: The bar boasts sweeping, 360-degree views of the McMinnville skyline and the Willamette Valley's diverse landscapes-and offers numerous tables, umbrellas, and canopies for shade.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Family-friendly: Yes
One of the Willamette Valley's newest breweries wasted no time in establishing itself as a must-visit destination-and the outdoor seating is just one of many reasons Long Timber Brewing in Monroe is already attracting visitors from throughout the valley.
The brewery opened earlier this spring, roughly halfway between Corvallis and Eugene, along Oregon Route 99W. Long Timber's two-story building includes a bar area.
Hours: 12-9 p.m. Sunday-Wednesday, 12-10 p.m. Thursday-Saturday
Family-friendly: Yes
The quirky Whiteaker neighborhood in Eugene is always a people-watching delight-look no further than the many porch couches lining its streets-and the outdoor seating area at Ninkasi Brewing Company gives you a front-row ticket to the fun.
The partially shaded patio hosts more than a dozen tables and chairs, fire pits for staying warm, and a rotating cast of food carts to complement Ninkasi's in-house snack selection. And with a tasting room not much larger than some studio apartments, you don't have an excuse not to step outside.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday
Family-friendly: Yes
Plank Town draws on Springfield's history as a lumber town for its interior-seemingly every surface of Plank Town's sprawling brewpub is covered in wood-but its outdoor seating embraces open-air, sidewalk dining with a handful of picnic tables and a trio of booths (all covered with patio umbrellas) for larger groups.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Family-friendly: Yes, except in the Whisk(e)y Lab
Just a block away from Plank Town, PublicHouse serves a divine mix of regional beers and local fare in a converted church. You can enjoy a pint in the onetime chapel, but take advantage of summer weather outside, where a central courtyard boasts covered and uncovered seating. Elsewhere, a grassy area on the building's east side boasts another handful of picnic tables and hosts live music on occasion.
