Bailey's is one of the first places I visited when I came to Portland for the first time several years ago. So I've got a bit of a soft spot for it. It was one of my formative experiences in terms of knowing good beer through the lens of a small bar with a well-curated taplist. Also, they're the first place I visited with an electronic, real-time taplist courtesy of DigitalPour.
But I've experienced a lot of beer bars and brewpubs in the last 5 years. How does Bailey's hold up?
Pretty well, as it turns out. I visited twice in the course of a week, as part of my statewide beer odyssey last month.
In many ways, Bailey's now reminds me of the Bier Stein's old location - it's too small for its location. Consequently, it's too crowded and loud, there's not enough seating, and having conversations is a challenge. This isn't really a problem Bailey's can do anything about, realistically - it just means I'd probably rather be elsewhere, most of the time.
Unlike the Bier Stein, Bailey's doesn't seem to have a cohesive approach to picking their beers. The taplist is eclectic - you might see a 2009 vintage double IPA next to a 4% mild next to a super-acidic lambic. It appears that when a keg runs out, the next keg in line is simply swapped out. Maybe I just like Bier Stein's structure a little more - having a few taps marked out for generally popular styles seems to do them well.
It didn't help that most of the beers I tried at Bailey's during my 2 visits were pretty lackluster. This isn't directly Bailey's' fault - beer quality can vary from keg to keg, even among the same beer from the same brewery. Maybe I'd get a better picture if I visited them more often.
Still, being across from Tugboat's excellent atmosphere and having access to Santeria's formidable burritos brings the whole experience to a different level, and I'll probably happily visit all 3 again next time I go to Portland.
No comments:
Post a Comment