CHEERS TO PORTLAND

[HostDave]

What’s the first thing you do when you visit a new city? If you’re like most people, you take a look at the top lists for attractions and things to do and then dive right in, seeing how many “must see” spots you can fit into a day. We’re big fans of hitting the highlights of a city and that’s one reason we offer our complimentary Hop-on, Hop-off shore excursions in every port of call. We take you to the most popular attractions and you can get off and explore at your leisure. It’s a great way to get an overview of a new destination.

But we also encourage all our guests to spend some time exploring on their own as well. Sometimes, the best treasures or those we find ourselves, although our onboard Riverlorians are happy to help point you in the right direction. They understand the cities and towns along the river that we have visited for years and can turn you on to some surprising gems that you might otherwise miss. They know the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland rivers like the backs of their hands. And next year they will be adding the Columbia and Snake rivers to their list.

There’s more to the romance of the rivers than just the Deep South and the Heartland and that’s why beginning in April 2014 the American Empress joins the fleet to explore the Columbia and Snake rivers. All cruises either begin or end in Portland, OR and there’s more to the City of Roses than meets the eye. If Portland is your embarkation city, you’ll receive a complimentary one-night pre-cruise deluxe hotel stay included in your fare.

Take a look beyond the normal tourist sites and you can get a true sense of a city and understand its identity. In Portland, you might be surprised to learn that it has more than 60 microbreweries, a number it touts as the most of any city in the United States. In fact, it claims that it has more than any other city in the entire world, including some well-known contenders in Germany, the world’s brewing capital. Though its history of beer-making isn’t as storied as its German counterparts, Portland has a long, proud legacy of dabbling successfully in hops and barley. One story cherished by Portlanders is that of Henry Weinhard who, as a publicity stunt in 1888, offered to provide the fluid for the sparkling new Skidmore Fountain in downtown by pumping it full of beer from his brewery! The gracious gesture was politely declined by local politicians.

Portland’s true emergence as a beer hub only dates back about three decades. State laws were changed in the 1980s and made it possible for companies to both brew and sell beer at the same location. By 2010, CNBC awarded Portland the distinction as being the best city for happy hour.

We’re firm believers that one of the best ways to get to know a destination is to sit down in a pub or restaurant and have a drink or a meal. While not everyone has a taste for beer, the beauty of the 60 microbreweries in Portland is that each creates an array of beers with unique tastes. Much as connoisseurs of fine wine flock to vineyards, those with a head for a nuanced beer hop on over to Portland. Even if you prefer wine over beer, you’re virtually guaranteed that you will find a beer that you enjoy.

One of our favorite brewers is Hopworks Urban Brewery, located in an old tractor showroom that boasts its beer is organic and produced with an eco-friendly process. One of its signature items is a beer float (yes, we said “beer float” and not “root beer float) which consists of a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream in a glass of Organic Survival Seven Grain Stout.

Hair of the Dog Brewing Company was founded in November of 1993 with “the purpose of providing beer lovers with new and unusual beer styles.” The family-owned and operated brewery boasts that each beer “has its own name and unique identity; like the people who have inspired them.” For example, Adam is described as “a recreation of a historic beer style, originally made in Dortmunder, Germany. Rich in flavor, Adam is best served as a dessert beer and is great with chocolate or cigars, or just a warm fire and good company.”

If it sounds like beer lovers take their hobby as seriously as oenophiles, it should come as no surprise that BridgePort was actually founded by two local winemakers. You might already have enjoyed one of the brewery’s signature beers, India Pale Ale, which is distributed in 18 different states. The brew won the Gold Medal in 2005 at the Brewing Industry International Awards in Munich, Germany. The Blue Heron Pale Ale was created in honor of the Audubon Society of Portland since the city’s official bird is the Great Blue Heron. Hops come from the Willamette Valley and malted barley from the far side of the state which, coincidentally, the American Empress sails through on every voyage

Widmer Brothers, one of the top 10 breweries in the United States, offers a variety of intriguing flavors, including its Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout which is “an extremely rich and complex beer. The addition of raspberries during the fermentation process results in an almost purplish color with a beautiful brown head.” Warm chocolate and roasty notes balance the bitterness of the hops.

While still universally known as the City of Roses, Portland’s other nicknames are gaining in popularity. So don’t be surprised if you hear it referred to as Beertown, Beervana and Beertopia. Best of all, all these microbreweries have been at the forefront of the preservation efforts in Portland with pubs and breweries popping up in everything from historic theaters to architecturally significant warehouses. We invite you to discover the delicious taste of Portland on one of our 9-day Pacific Northwest cruises aboard the American Empress in 2014.