As big fans of the Portland beer and food scene, Chris Bjerrisgaard and his two friends, Cameron Forsyth and Ryan Wellington, took their shared passion and turned it into a business opportunity.
The idea behind it is that the three of us are giant Portland nerds and we always found ourselves imbibing the delicious beverages and tasty food they have down there, says Bjerrisgaard. The best businesses are those that are created because the owners love it and are passionate about it. So instead of having to do six hours in the car and crossing the border, whats the best way we could get our fix for Portland?
The answer? The trio opened Portland Craft, a popular Main Street bar and restaurant offering a range of 16 beers brewed in the Oregon city. Since opening during Vancouver Craft Beer Week in May, Portland Craft has served more than 80 beers, rotating new choices constantly.
The great thing about that is that theres going to be a beer on the menu for everybody, for any kind of taste,says Bjerrisgaard, who is in charge of marketing for the business. (Forsyth is the general manager and Wellington is the executive chef).
Complementing the diverse menu of beers, Portland Craft also offers a comfort-inducing, unpretentious menu of Oregon-inspired food items using local ingredients. Theres the Inner City Salad that uses a weekly selection of locally sourced vegetables as well as the Put a Bird On It, a crispy organic chicken dish on a Belgian waffle.
So what is it about Portland beer that Bjerrisgaard loves so much?
Its their willingness to take some interesting spins using crazy ingredients like tangerine wheat ales or sour Flemish pale ales and things of those nature, he says. Theyre not a afraid to try new things.
