I apologize about the lack of posts lately.  For the last few weeks I’ve been moving into my new place in Portland, Oregon and desperately job seeking.

My trek from New York to Oregon took about three months and 15,011 miles.  Thankfully, I haven’t had to drive my faithful Toyota in quite some time due to the bike friendly and easy to navigate city of Portland.  Fortune has also smiled upon me today since I found out I finally got a job.  From now on, I’ll be schlepping sandwiches for Kenny & Zuke’s, an eatery that touts itself as having the best pastrami outside of New York.  I’ve yet to test that claim, but once I start working I’ll be sure to put it to the test.  Anyways, now to the important information:

One of my original reasons for moving to Portland was the delicious brews and great food scene.  Unfortunately, I failed to do adequate research before I set off to fulfill my working in a brewery dream.  Me trying to get my foot in the door of the Portland beer scene is a bit like if I was trying to become President of the United States simply by living in Washington D.C; it’s just not happening…yet.

Even if I can’t make beer as a living, Portland does have tons of delicious beer for me to drink.  The 2009 Oregon Brewpub Guide lists 146 brewpubs in the state.  Over 50 of them are located within the city limits.  In addition, there are numerous festivals, events and, for whatever reason, bike-ride-to-brewpub things.  That’s quite a few glasses I’ll need to raise.

Since the folks out here in Oregon are accustomed to staggering numbers of brewpubs and breweries, I’ve decided to try and give some honest reviews of the stuff for my friends back on the East Coast.  There are significant differences in the beer culture in the west and in the east (yeah, I know it’s super-obvious, but assuming something and actually experiencing it are entirely different), and I plan to explore all of them!

Until I get a little money back in my back account, I’ve decided to spend tonight whipping up some mussels and drinking one of my favorite east coast beers.  Who knows when I’ll be sipping anything from NY again?