The Tugboat Brewing Company is tucked away on a little known corner of Portland’s downtown. Mary’s Club’s famous twinkling lights shine around the corner, yet even those lights don’t penetrate the dim, covert stretch of Ankeny Street, where you will find the door to this laidback pub serving some of the Northwest’s greatest ales.
Brewing in the tradition of good British-style ales since 1993, the Tugboat Brewery offers 15 kegs on tap. But these aren’t just the generic microbrews found just about anywhere in Portland. These brews pack a punch of flavor and craft that rivals any other brew in town.
“One of our flagship beers is the Chernobyl Stout,” said Megan McEnroe-Nelson, owner, cook, dishwasher and window cleaner of the Tugboat Brewing Company “It’s scrumptious but it will make you walk funny fast.”
And at 13 percent alcohol content, you can believe it. The Chernobyl Stout takes you back to the European style of beers, where the percentage as high as the taste.
“We only brew ales, and that includes porters and stouts,” says McEnroe-Nelson. “It’s not filtered … you get more of the goodies in there, you don’t really need to filter beer.”
Their process makes the difference. It’s an old one and, if Tugboat’s beers are any indication, it works.
“We harvest in this area a lot of the bulk natural ingredients, and it’s locally roasted,” says McEnroe-Nelson. “I think it allows a lot more flexibility of flavor.”
About as impressive as their beer, Tugboat’s atmosphere is yet another great selling point they have. The vibe here is very chill, with an extremely low “douche factor.”
It’s the kind of place designed for you to wander into and get taken in by the live jazz. Maybe you crack a book, today’s paper or start up a game of chess if you can gather enough pieces to play, though you may end up using a penny or two for pawns. Of course, per the bar’s recommendations, you could just sit back with good company while you take in the music and beer.
“It’s an all-original jazz club,” McEnroe-Nelson says. “It has to be the artist’s original music, it can’t be covers of someone else’s.”
A lot of places will tell you they are a jazz club, and then spend every minute you are there reminding you of it, as if they have something to prove. Whether it be themed pictures on the wall, or goofy knick knacks, they eventually come off like a manufactured, campy Applebees. One of the best aspects of Tugboat is that it just lets itself be what it is. From beer to music, it is an authentic experience that you can sink right into.
If the sprit of Jack Kerouac is still roaming the American roadside, you can be certain that the Tugboat is on his route. It’s rare that you find a pub where reading, talking with friends and writing are all equal possibilities, but Tugboat has managed to cultivate just such an atmosphere. Rest assured, it is not to be missed.