Category: Bar

Bar, Food and Drink

Beer Bunker’s New Owners With Familiar Faces

On July 14th, Beer Bunker reopened after a refresh by its new owners, Rob Allred and Kimberley Hill. The brief closure allowed the new owners to secure their approval from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission and refresh the tap room with an eye towards improvements that will keep the place looking clean for its loyal patrons. Guests returning to 7918 SE Stark Street will notice the polish but still feel at home, having seen one of the new owners behind the bar for the last five years. Things will change slowly over the coming years as the management invests sweat equity into this 13-year-old staple in Montavilla’s historic downtown.

A vintage sign reading 'West Bend Lithia Beer' hangs above a glass-fronted cooler filled with various beers, showcasing the beverage selection at a taproom.

Co-owner Rob Allred left a career in finance and soon learned of an opportunity to take over the taproom and bottle shop. His partner, Kimberley Hill, has worked at Beer Bunker for half a decade as the manager, helping to drive its success. When Beer Bunker’s founder, Kevin Overby, decided to exit the business, Hill and Allred took a leap together to purchase a place that was special to them. “I’ve met all my greatest friends here. The love of my life, I’ve met here. Yeah, it’s just a great community spot. It almost feels kind of like a clubhouse,” said Hill.

Interior view of Beer Bunker showcasing a seating area with wooden benches, decorated with beer cans, large windows letting in natural light, and a wall-mounted TV.

When transitioning ownership, Hill and Allred wanted to pause operations to address issues that would ultimately cause problems in the future and make it harder for the partners to run the shop on their own. The decades-old space required a thorough cleaning, along with the reorganization of inventory storage. Its bathroom needed an overhaul to address long-standing deficiencies that kept it hard to clean and maintain. The pair, with help from friends, also tackled the weathered outdoor picnic tables, sanding and staining the wood. They plan to significantly enhance the outdoor service area behind the shop with more weather coverage, a fire pit, and natural elements to soften the enclosed pea gravel yard, which is popular with the dogs accompanying their humans on a night out. “I want a lot of plants to make it lush and cozy out there,” explained Hill.

Outdoor seating area at Beer Bunker featuring wooden picnic tables and a central fire pit, surrounded by a gravel surface and shaded by a tarp.

The new owners aim to retain much of what made Beer Bunker popular among regulars, while also welcoming new guests. For Hill and Allred, that requires slow updates with deliberate iterations that enhance what Overby built. They are pondering expanding the food options to include items not well represented on SE Stark Street, wanting to supplement the already well-developed menus offered by neighboring businesses. “We want to focus on salty snacks and nachos because there’s not that on the street. It would fill a niche that’s not represented through our partners in the area here,” said Allred.

A chalkboard beer menu displaying a list of various beers and ciders available at Beer Bunker, with details such as beer names, breweries, towns, and alcohol content.

Hill and Allred will reconfigure the seating to provide more guest space near the windows, presenting people with a pleasing view of Montavilla’s main street and also advertising to passersby that customers are inside enjoying themselves. Kimberley Hill has spent years developing a weekly live music offering at Beer Bunker and intends to keep it thriving with more purpose-built facilities for live performances. They will also collaborate with friends at Ground Kontrol Classic Arcade to feature at least five pinball machines in the tap room, allowing them to host weeknight pinball league tournaments. These old-school games will be in addition to the classic arcade cabinets already in the space.

Interior view of Beer Bunker showcasing glass-fronted coolers filled with a variety of packaged beers, with a wooden counter in the foreground and windows in the background providing natural light.

In addition to amenities, the new owners have also focused their efforts on highlighting the beer selection by launching a new Beer Bunker website, bunkerpdx.com, which accurately displays the complete lineup of 24 beers on tap. They also refreshed the tap board, with new paint and increased lighting for better legibility. The reorganization of the west wall clears a path for people to explore Beer Bunker’s hidden feature: a row of glass-fronted coolers where patrons can purchase an extensive range of packaged beer to go. Allred explained that they want to expand the beer selection to build a reputation for having the harder-to-find brews that people will travel from places outside the neighborhood to find.

Sign announcing the change of ownership at Beer Bunker after 13 years, thanking customers and mentioning new owners Kimberley and Rob.
Posted message from Kevin Overby announcing the sale to customers

Both Allred and Hill are grateful for Kevin Overby’s “passing of the torch” to them, and they threw him a well-attended retirement party on the 13th anniversary of the tap room’s opening, just before closing for the past few weeks. Beer Bunker is now open from 3 to 11 p.m. daily. The new owners are familiar to most regulars, but they are looking to meet new customers so they can show off the cleaned-up space to those people and their dogs. Look for improvements over time and follow the company’s Instagram page for updates on an official grand opening celebration later this month.

Article and photo by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

Bar, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink

Friday Beer Event and Hot Dog Cookoff in Montavilla Plaza

On Friday, June 20th, the second annual “Hop Dogs” event will greet hungry and thirsty guests from 5 to 8 p.m. in the Montavilla Plaza on SE 79th Avenue at SE Stark Street. Last year’s winner, Ruse Brewing, will compete against Grand Fir Brewing, Gold Dot Beer, Foreland Beer, and Threshold Brewing. The brewers will offer the crowd a custom hot dog with creative toppings designed by the team, which people can pair with one of their hoppiest West Coast IPA beers.

Interior view of a brewery taproom featuring a chalkboard menu with various beer options and prices, two staff members serving customers, and a rustic wooden bar with merchandise.

The all-ages venue allows families to participate in this event, presented as part of Portland Beer Week, a City-Wide yearly celebration running from June 13th to the 22nd in 2025. The Montavilla-hosted cookoff features five West Coast IPA brewers bringing their best hot dog recipes to the public in a friendly competition of flavors and brew craft. Drinking-age adults can select beers and hot dogs in several paired combos ranging from full pints, full dogs, half pints, and shorty dogs. A $7 ticket purchased at the event will allow attendees to pick up either one full-size hot dog or one full-size beer, so people can mix and match as they desire. Curious culinary adventures can also choose to purchase a flight of five shorty dogs to sample the range of flavors for three tickets. The cookoff is an open event, with no need to reserve a spot. However, hotdogs will be available while supplies last, starting at 5 p.m.

A colorful graphic featuring four superhero characters, each holding a beer, alongside a golden retriever wearing a cape, amidst a backdrop of hop plants. The words 'HOP DOGS' and 'West Coast IPA & Hot Dogs' are prominently displayed.
Graphic courtesy Portland Beer Week

This returning hot dog and brew event is building momentum as more people enjoy the artful pairing. “Hop Dogs is based on a concept I have been kicking around for a few years. The brewers have a ton of fun and enthusiasm for the hot dogs as well as the beers; they can get really into it, even hand-making the toppings themselves. We worked out the kinks last year, where we had a handful of people making all of the different dogs. Last year, we used a large hot dog roller, but this year, Threshold founder and brewmaster Jarek Szymanski will be grilling them himself,” explained Ezra Johnson-Greenough with Portland Beer Week. “Also, this year, there will be individual brewery reps making each dog; this way, they can really get into the groove of that custom hot dog and put it together to perfection.”

Event organizers will conduct a “people’s choice” vote for Best Dog and also Best West Coast IPA, presenting two awards. People should look over the available hot dog options and come hungry this Friday night.

  • Threshold Brewing – Tropic Thunder: Good Dog Guava Teriyaki Mustard, Kewpy, Mango, Jalapeño and Pickled Onion Chutney, Fried Wonton Crumble
  • Gold Dot Brewing – Dan Dan Dog: Cream Cheese, Dan Dan Sauce, Yacai, Roasted Peanuts, Green Onions, Sichuan Peppercorn
  • Grand Fir Brewing – Farmers Market Dog: Heirloom Tomatoes, Pickled Peppers, Whipped Cheese with Poppy Seeds, Green Garlic Ranch Sauce
  • Ruse Brewing – Michigan-Style Coney Dog: Zesty Meat Sauce, Minced Onions and Yellow Mustard
  • ForeLand Beer – Der Snack: Obatzda Bavarian Cheese, Beer Mustard, Onions and Chives

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Bar, Construction, Food and Drink, Restaurant

Montavilla Station Reopens March 13

At 4 p.m. on March 13th, the Montavilla Station bar at 417 SE 80th Avenue will reopen after a repair and maintenance closure. The February 10th notice to customers indicated the business was undergoing deep cleaning and the repair of rotten floor sections. Subsequent posters placed around the neighborhood announced the “Grand Reopening” of the popular bar and entertainment venue on the 13th. For nearly two decades, people have visited the family-owned drinking establishment. However, its history as a central gathering point for Montavilla residents extends further back.

The century-old storefront opened in 1910 after a fire burned many buildings on the block. Early in its existence, Dickson Drugs operated from the space before that staple of Montavilla moved into the corner shop next door, currently home to Yaowarat restaurant. Dickson Drugs featured a soda fountain and served homemade ice cream to residents, ensuring it was a core meeting place. Decades later, a 1982 plumbing permit listed Rose Salvi as the owner of the building, and sometime after that, her daughter Rosalie Williams owned the property. In 2002, Rose Salvi’s son Raymond “Ray” Salvi and his wife Jean took over the property from Ray’s sister. Ray Salvi, longtime owner and president of Portland Disposal & Recycling, started working on a new business called Sassy Jack’s Pub around 2004. The business’s website lists the opening year as 2006, and around 2010, the owners renamed the location Montavilla Station. Raymond Salvi passed away on October 30th, 2018. His wife, Jean Salvi, still owns the building and bar.

Bar logo courtesy Montavilla Station

Montavilla Station adopted its branding from the streetcar line that once stopped in front of its door. Until the 1940s, passenger rail tracks ran up NE Glisan Street from downtown Portland, terminating on NE 91st Avenue near the Mount Hood Railway and Power Company station. That railway line opened in 1911, connecting Montavilla residents with the town of Bull Run. At NE 80th Avenue, the NE Glisan Montavilla streetcar followed a small spur track south until SE Stark Street. It stopped north of SE Stark Street and returned to the mainline on the same single-track along 80th. Segments of that rail line are still under the street.

Montavilla Station is open to people 21 or older from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily. Patrons can enjoy 14 beers on tap, a full bar, and an assortment of pub food items on the menu. Entertainment options include Karaoke on Wednesday and Thursday nights, pool tables, video lottery games, and shuffleboard.

Article and Photos by

Jacob Loeb

Bar, Entertainment, Event, Food and Drink

Zwickelmania Returns with Shuttle Service

On February 22nd, Zwickelmania returns to Oregon with two of Montavilla’s breweries joining more than 50 other craft beer makers from all areas across the state. Host businesses offer attendees Zwickel tasting pours from the fermentation tanks and leading brewery tours. Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street and Threshold Brewing & Blending at 403 SE 79th Avenue will again participate in this annual celebration of local beer makers. Event organizers will offer sober transportation between sites through a network of shuttle buses that should widen participants’ exposure to Portland’s selection of independent brewers.

Zwickelmania is an annual celebration of Oregon craft beer during Oregon Craft Beer Month, organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild. Member breweries open their production facility to the public for a behind-the-scenes view of their operation and to offer unique sampling opportunities. The event’s name stems from the industry term Zwickel, describing the valve or sample port mounted outside a cask or tank. Brewers use those ports to test the product during fermentation, and this annual event allows people 21 years or older to taste beer from a producer’s perspective.

Map courtesy Zwickelmania

The 2025 beer-centric program features a safe way for event attendees to enjoy more brewery locations through free shuttle buses that transport people to participating establishments. This service allows drinkers to experience the event in several neighborhoods without getting behind the wheel or losing time taking indirect public transit. “On a day where people are tasting a lot of beers, this is a great way for people to see more breweries and do it safely,” explained Michael Kora of Montavilla Brew Works. During the event hours of 11 a.m. through 4 p.m., buses will depart each location at close to 30-minute intervals. The two shuttle routes overlap at Migration Brewing on NE Glisan Street for riders to transfer. However, there are too many participating locations to reach them all via the bus service during the event timeline, so people must plan to visit their favorite locations first or decide to explore some new beer makers.

Threshold Brewing & Blending’s zapiekanka (Jacob Loeb)

Zwickelmania’s organizers gear the event towards craft beer enthusiasts who can experience samples directly from the Zwickel port, find unique beer releases, take tours, and meet brewers as they provide educational talks. Some host locations will offer food and beer pairings or specials. This non-ticketed event will only cost the price of beer and food at each location. Designated drivers can also find non-alcoholic drinks at the event. People interested in attending should visit the Zwickelmania website for more information and a complete list of participating brewers.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Bar, Food and Drink, New Business

Publican Beer Room Opens at CORE

On Friday, September 27th, the Publican Beer Room opened inside the Collective Oregon Eateries (CORE) food hall, supported by the bartending skills of Chris Shimamoto of Barrio fame. The CORE food cart pod and dining hall at 3612 SE 82nd Avenue recently took in carts displaced from Eastport Food Center’s closure. Now, they have made space for Shimamoto, who lost his Barrio Bar during the Portland Mercado fire on January 3rd. The grand opening weekend is as much a celebration of CORE’s growth as it is a homecoming for a beloved bartender and member of the community.

From left to right: Hanry Ho, Chris Shimamoto, and Mandy Kao behind the bar

Shimamoto met CORE’s owners, Mandy Kao and Hanry Ho, in April as they worked to open their Publican Beer Room. The fortuitous introduction gave Shimamoto an option to get back to his craft and join like-minded bar owners in launching the community space they have envisioned for years. “I didn’t do anything for nine months, so today’s about coming back and being part of the community. After owning a bar for ten years, that community is really important,” said Shimamoto. “I missed that piece of it, seeing people’s lives, and I missed all the dogs.”

Regulars greeted Shimamoto on opening day, with some making a significant effort to attend. “Rosie doesn’t leave her house [much], but she came once a week with her friends for nine years to my bar every Thursday at 1:30. So today, she made an exception and came out for the opening,” explained Shimamoto. It is the many customers like Rosie that motivated him to get back to work. “When your community shows up for you, you want to show up for the community,” said Shimamoto. He also wanted his college-age daughters to see how to face adversity. “You always want to show your best example to your kids, so I wanted to show them that after having something tragic happen you get back up. That’s just part of life.”

After the early morning fire destroyed his bar last January, Shimamoto received significant support from people who wanted to help with the recovery. Like many losses in life, it takes time to process, and even now, he is not ready to rebuild what the fire took. “It wasn’t time for me to reopen a bar, but I wanted to work for somebody that had a shared vision and a love of community, and Hanry and Mandy have that,” remarked Shimamoto. The opportunity to grow CORE’s offerings is the right fit for this next chapter in his life. Chris Shimamoto has a passion for wine, and Publican Beer Room has a wide selection for people to choose from. However, the bar owners plan to expand into a secluded neighboring space in the food hall with a second shop called Publican Wine Room. Shimamoto will also tend to that business, featuring a stone wine cellar motif and dedicated seating for a focused experience. Shimamoto will create a rotating menu of wines that will stand alone or pair well with the food served by CORE’s many vendors.

Chris Shimamoto knows many of the Barrio fans will follow him to this new location, and he intends to stock a full selection of Mexican beer along with the sangrias and micheladas he served at the Portland Mercado. However, he is excited to adjust the bar’s selection to serve the community surrounding 82nd Avenue. “We didn’t have the Asian population there [at the Mercado], but we have a huge Asian population in this area. So we’ll have a full selection of soju, sake, and makgeolli, which is Korean rice wine. And we’ll have a full selection of Asian beer,” explained Shimamoto. As remarkable as his old bar was, it had only five beer taps and 18 indoor seats, and this new bar offers much more variety than was possible in Barrio. “There’s ten beer taps. We could never do cider on tap there. Here, we can do two cider taps. I have Nitro taps. We have a full bar. I didn’t have a full liquor license at Barrio, just beer and wine. So now, I can make cocktails,” said Shimamoto.

Publican Beer Room features a dual-sided bar serving guests from the outside cart area and the interior food hall. Guests can take their drinks anywhere within the CORE seating areas, making it easy to grab meals and beverages wherever patrons are comfortable. Mandy Kao designed the bar and seating area. It creates a warm, defined gathering space at the center of the hall without walls, allowing guests to expand into the open seating of the naturally illuminated food hall. Soon, five televisions featuring a variety of programming will hang on the walls. “It’s not necessarily a sports bar per se. We’ll have sports playing, but we’ll have a little bit of everything,” said Hanry Ho. He explained that the bar and TVs are essential to creating a space where people can feel comfortable gathering and hanging out.

People attending the opening weekend can enjoy live music from 6 to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The September 28th performance features Hannah Sloane-Barton. “Hannah is a union organizer, she’s an activist, but she also has a background in opera. She plays violin and is one of the loveliest singers that played at my old bar,” remarked Shimamoto. In addition to a unique and varied selection of drinks, people can find an assortment of food from cart and food hall vendors. CORE has always offered a place for people to stop for a meal, but now the owners hope it will become a destination for the neighborhood to gather and feel connected. The bar is now open daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the owners invite everyone to come see the bar and meet the bartender. “Chris is actually quite the character himself; he is definitely a big draw just being in a community for ten-plus years. So we love having him here,” said Hanry Ho.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Eastport Food Center carts that relocated to CORE:

Current CORE carts and hall vendors:

Bar, Food and Drink, New Business

Dingo’s Sports Pub for East SE Stark

In early September, Dingo’s Sports Pub opened at 8826 SE Stark Street, replacing the Beer Brats & Beats venue with an Australian-style sports bar. Owner Brendan Jones has transformed this space several times since opening in late 2021. This iteration pulls inspiration from his national roots with a light Aussie theme that offers a brighter, quieter sports bar experience.

Dingo’s displays four large screens showing American and Australian sports, with a variety of indoor table and bar seating. A bank of glass-fronted coolers behind the bar stock an array of local beer selections and two on-theme imports. “We absolutely support the Northwest beer because it’s the best in the world, having just reaffirmed that in my mind, going to Australia [recently]. There’s no comparison there, but I do have a couple of Australian beers, the iconic Foster’s Victoria Bitter and Coopers, which is our best craft beer,” said Jones. On the other hand, the majority of the food menu incorporates many flavors of his upbringing. “I’m focusing on the great Australian meat pie and the great Australian sausage roll. That food is such a huge part of our football sport culture because it’s readily available and easy to hold.” People can also order grilled cheese prepared several ways and veggie pies or spinach rolls as meat-free options. Dingo’s will continue to serve the espresso and full bar selection patrons of the previous iterations enjoyed.

Australian roll and meat pie pictures courtesy Dingo’s Sports Pub

Brendan Jones moved to the United States in 2001 and embraced his new country. However, a recent trip home rekindled his interest in his heritage. “I had a sort of a patriotic, nostalgic kind of reconnection to Australia when I went down there recently,” explained Jones. On his return, he set to work reshaping his storefront on SE Stark Street to match his vision, but not in the cartoonish fashion often seen in other Australian-themed ventures. Instead, he wanted to capture the feeling of his native country’s local pub, which primarily serves the neighborhood. “This really does feel like an Aussie pub, just straight off the bat because our drinking establishments are light. There are big windows, and you know it’s a very bright country in terms of sunlight, and that’s what I wanted to reflect here,” remarked Jones.

Unlike the classic American dark and loud sports pub, Dingo’s patrons will notice natural light streaming in from the nearly floor-to-ceiling windows and the general openness inside. Tables are widely spaced so people can come in groups and not feel on top of one another. Jones noted that he is conservative with screen placement around the pub, ensuring that TVs do not overstimulate guests. “I’ve been to those bars where you just sort of feel like your head’s gonna pop [from the distraction]. So it’s more of a happy balance of laid-back enjoyment without it being over the top,” said Jones. He explained that it is important for Montavilla residents living east of 82nd to have a “Local” in the British and Australian sense. A comfortable third place that is not home or work where neighborhood people can relax or meet friends.

Dingo’s Sports Pub is open daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. People can follow the company’s Instagram page for special games and updates. Visitors are welcome to walk in from the neighborhood. However, a newly resurfaced parking lot offers five standard parking stalls and one reserved accessible space for guests.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Bar, Business Closing, Food and Drink, View of Montavilla

Eastport Food Center Empties Out

As of August 1st, all vendors have left the Eastport Food Center cart pod, and the business appears to have closed permanently. The owner of the 23,000-square-foot dining destination at 3905 SE 82nd Avenue listed the business for sale in 2022. In May, the location’s website went offline, and carts began moving off property in significant numbers last month. Now, the facility is closed without a posted notice.

The property’s owner worked in the auto sales business and converted his used car lot to a food cart pod in 2020. Two years later, he changed his address to Texas, where he registered another car sales-related company. Around the time of the owner’s relocation in 2022, he listed the site and business for sale. Public records do not yet reflect a change in ownership. However, it appears this site will no longer support food cart operations and may have a new owner or a different tenant in the near future.

This is a developing story. We will update this report or provide a link to an in-depth article when more information is available.

Update: Many of the food carts from Eastport Food Center have relocated three blocks north to the Collective Oregon Eateries (CORE) at 3612 SE 82nd Avenue. A representative with the CORE cart pod and dining hall said they would update the list of carts soon. Until then, they encourage people to walk a few blocks over to discover the carts available at their collective.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Bar, Event, Food and Drink, History

Montavilla Brew Works 9yr Celebration

On Saturday, July 13th, Montavilla Brew Works will celebrate nine years of serving locally brewed beer with an all-ages event from noon to 9 p.m. Although this event commemorates the years since this pioneering neighborhood destination greeted guests, it represents a decade of work for founders Melissa and Michael Kora, who nurtured this ten-barrel brewery and taproom through good and challenging times. The festivities at 7805 SE Stark Street will have DJ MD providing music to guests inside and under the covered patio area, while Demarco’s Sandwiches will sell food from their food truck parked on SE 78th Avenue. The brew masters will also break out archived beers at the peak of their aging cycle for special pours of brewing history.

Montavilla Brew Works grew from a home-brewer’s passion and a desire to create a neighborhood-scale enterprise. Before starting his brewery, Michael Kora secured work with Bridgeport Brewing Company after briefly working for the owner’s winery business. When the seasonal wine work ended, Dick Ponzi learned of Kora’s desire to work in the brewing industry and found a place for him in his other business where he could learn about operations. “I didn’t get to brew because I didn’t go to brew school. I was driving a truck, working in the warehouse, shipping, distributing, moving beer around, and learning brewing at home. I then nano brewed for a while at the Green Dragon,” recalled Kora. After growing his skills and experiencing the brewing business from the inside, it seemed time to branch out on his own. Sitting at McMenamins Edgefield, Michael and Melissa Kora sketched out a five-year business plan and agreed to start looking for a space to rent.

Melissa and Michael Kora touring the Daugherty Auto Service garage 2013. Photo courtesy Michael Kora

The couple moved into Montavilla several years before starting their business. After agreeing to start a brewery, they looked for commercial spaces in neighboring areas but could not find a suitable location that fit their vision for the taproom. However, with some luck and good timing, Michael Kora discovered the neglected former Daugherty Auto Service garage at the corner of SE 78th and Stark Street. “I was riding home from the gym and came by Stark Street just to kind of look at what was going on and there was a for sale or lease sign. This building was so dilapidated it was nothing to look at, but Melissa and I were from the Detroit area of Michigan. I’d seen worse, so [I thought] this building is pretty cool and would make a cool brewery,” said Michael Kora. William “Dave” Beets, the operator of the now-demolished Beets Auto Body, owned the property and was excited to see it go to new owners for such an unexpected use. “He was a character, but he was surprisingly stoked. He said, ‘I think this is awesome. You guys are gonna be the first. There’s no breweries around here like this. It’s gonna be good for the community and the neighborhood.’ He was a neighborhood guy even though he didn’t live here,” recalled Kora.

Daugherty Auto Service garage. Photo courtesy Michael Kora

The Kora’s became tenants of the Stark Street building in 2013, but it would take over two years to open the doors to the public. The original owners of the 1922-era auto garage never designed it to house any other type of business, and it took substantial efforts to rehabilitate the building. Permits took four months to approve, and construction lasted another nine months. Kora discovered that the building roof slopes significantly to the northwest corner of the property for rainwater drainage, forcing him to place his tall brewing equipment at the south-facing front of the building, blocking windows and putting beer production centerstage. During construction, he added onto the north side of the building to create a walk-in cooler and storage room needed to keep finished beer and ingredients out of the limited customer-facing space.

Montavilla Brew Works construction. Photo courtesy Michael Kora

Construction delays, the added brewery inspections, and unanticipated expenses drained their cash reserves. Michael Kora started beer production offsite to begin bringing in funds and building the brand. Flying Pie Pizzeria was an early supporter, buying the pre-opening batches and installing a permanent Montavilla Brew Works tap handle at the restaurant, replacing Bud Light. Initially, they relied on help from friends, but the couple mainly worked alone at Montavilla Brew Works for the first few years. “Melissa designed everything on the interior. So she made this place feel like it does. And I was the beer guy and eventually the business guy. It was her and I for the first four and a half years,” recalled Kora. After the early lean years, they brought in help to brew their beers and cover bar shifts. With the added staff, it was beginning to feel sustainable until the pandemic upended the business model. Montavilla Brew Works focused on serving draft beer onsite with little attention paid to the at-home market. They distributed a limited number of kegs to local businesses but had not embraced canning. COVID-19 bar closures forced a change in the whole microbrewery industry. “We completely 180’d, and we’re in this world where we were doing 100% draft, and then we switched to 100% cans. Melissa and I were out there every week delivering to people’s homes,” said Michael Kora. They had to let their employees go to keep the business going. The brewery survived that scary time and invested early in outdoor seating to bring people back as soon as possible. Business is still recovering, but Kora expects it will not be on the same trajectory it was on before the pandemic.

Post-COVID, Melissa and Michael Kora spend less time in the brewery during service hours. Both are more focused on improving operations and branding, with a goal to make each subsequent batch better than the last. Although they retained canned beer to some degree, wide expansion is not part of the company’s plans. “A good 80 plus percent is still draft, and the remainder is packaged because we don’t distribute that far out of Portland. Hence putting the name of the neighborhood on it. We want people to come here. You want them to come to the neighborhood,” explained Michael Kora. Montavilla Brew Works’ hyper-local interest extends beyond just its business name. Over the years, Kora collaborated with area businesses to produce cross-promoting brews. These include an American amber beer titled Academy Amber after the Academy Theater, East Glisan Mosaic is dedicated to East Glisan Pizza Lounge, and a German Pilsner-style lager called Plywood Pilsner spotlights neighbor business Mr. Plywood. “We figured we live here, bought our house here, our business is here. We’re going all in, and you know, it’s worked. It’s helped build a really loyal fan base,” said Kora.

People can find limited supplies of Montavilla Brew Works beer at around 300 locations from Hood River to Hillsborough and as far south as Eugene and Corvallis. However, the corner of SE Stark Street and 78th Avenue is the best place to experience it. This weekend’s celebration will feature vintage beers that Kora has stored for years, just waiting for a special accession. The staff will sell these beers in smaller sipper cups to let more people experience the limited stock of aged brews. The event will also allow children to attend. Montavilla Brew Works has famously prohibited children, smoking, and televisions inside the tap room during regular business hours. However, on street fair days and special events, they set aside the rules prohibiting kids and open the space to all ages. Guests are encouraged to stop by July 13th starting at noon, and those interested in the archival beers should drop by early to get a taste while supplies last.

By

Jacob Loeb

Bar, Business Relocating, Food and Drink, New Business, Renovation

City Noise Records Opens, Replicant Bar to Follow

On May 22nd, City Noise Records relocated from a small storefront on NE Broadway Street to 7033 NE Glisan Street. Within a few weeks, a new beer and wine bar called Replicant will open next door to the punk and metal music shop, allowing customers of both establishments to commingle through a central passageway. These complementary businesses renovated the century-old storefront to create a complete experience for people to become immersed in music while enjoying their favorite drinks.

Lydia Crumbley and Gianpiero Milani co-own Replicant Beer & Wine PDX, creating the new bar as an extension of Milani’s other business, City Noise Records. The 810-square-foot bar’s name originates from the 1982 sci-fi movie Blade Runner. The film featured synthetic humans known as replicants, hunted in a futuristic Los Angeles. Milani is a fan of the film and will use it for some of the bar’s theming as it develops. The bar’s owners did not attempt to create an immersive movie experience but instead captured the Film Noir dim and focused lighting with pops of vibrant light spilling from the glass-fronted refrigerators. The dark-stained wood design supports over 40 guests at bar seating, group tables, and booths.

Replicant offers wine by the glass, draft beers, and non-alcoholic cocktails from the bar. They will sell a wide selection of canned beer and wine by the bottle for people to take home or drink on-premise. They will also have non-alcoholic beer but only in cans to start with. “We’ll gauge how interested people are in that before we get a keg,” remarked Crumbley. Soon after opening, they plan to offer cafe seating out front and will eventually complete a backyard gravel patio area accessed from a back door. That space is not yet clear of construction materials from building renovations underway in the apartments above the record shop. When completed, that outdoor space will extend the bar’s seating.

Customers at Replicant can enjoy a modest food menu to compliment the drink selection that includes pretzels from neighbor business Fressen Artisan Bakery and cheese boards with mostly vegan cheese, olives, and almonds. Crumbley, who eats a plant-based diet, explained that food options at other establishments often had little for her to enjoy. “I want to go to a wine bar and eat cheese, so that was part of the inspiration” for the vegan-friendly menu. The owners created a small commercial kitchen behind the bar and intend to grow the menu over time.

Replicant co-owners Lydia Crumbley (left) and Gianpiero Milani (right)

Several of the features planned for Replicant will come later this summer. Renovations took longer than expected due to contractor delays and an unanticipated need to refinish the concrete floors, which pushed the opening back. Consequentially, the team is focused on opening and will lean into all the finishing touches over the coming months. Crumbley and Milani anticipate a soft opening as soon as they receive the county health inspection paperwork, and they will host a grand opening for both businesses in July. By then, they want to have more theming and album listening stations ready. “In the near future, you can buy a record, buy a beer or glass of wine, and play the record. Listen with your headphones, drink your beer, and have a complete experience because drinks and records usually go together,” said Milani.

In addition to promoting music appreciation, Replicant will feature a small gallery space in the back with track lighting to feature the hung artwork. By the grand opening, they’ll display work from Alexander Heir. The Brooklyn, New York, artist has produced many album covers and has a clothing line. The location is open to minors until 8 p.m., allowing visitors of any age to view the gallery in the bar area.

City Noise’s four employees are still unpacking in the new storefront. The Montavilla location is a dramatically larger space than the original spot that opened on NE Broadway in 2021. They are still expanding into the space, growing the selection of vinyl and cassette-based albums, books, magazines, jewelry, and apparel. One record store staff person has bartending experience and will work shifts at both businesses. Although linked through ownership and some employees, they are separate entities and will keep slightly different hours. Crews working on the renovation found an old barn door buried in the wall and repurposed it to close off access between the two storefronts when one is closed. However, Milani explained that most of the time, customers will feel that it is just one big connected space with the wide door fully open.

Soon, Replicant will serve guests from 3 to 10 p.m. every day except Mondays. City Noise Records is open from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and Noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays. People should watch the Replicant Beer & Wine PDX’s Instagram page for updates about the soft opening date and other announcements.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Bar, Event, Food and Drink

Zwickelmania at Montavilla Breweries Feb 17

On February 17th, Zwickelmania® returns to the region with two Montavilla Breweries featuring Zwickel pours from the fermentation tanks and brewery tours. Montavilla Brew Works at 7805 SE Stark Street starts the celebration this Saturday at 11 a.m., followed two hours later by Threshold Brewing & Blending at 403 SE 79th Avenue.

Logo courtesy Oregon Brewers Guild

Zwickelmania® is an annual celebration of Oregon craft beer during Oregon Craft Beer Month organized by the Oregon Brewers Guild. Member breweries open their production facility to the public for a behind-the-scenes view of their operation and to offer unique sampling opportunities. The event’s name stems from the word Zwickel, describing the valve or sample port mounted outside a cask or tank. Brewers use those ports to test the product during fermentation, and this annual event allows people 21 years or older to taste beer from a producer’s perspective.

New cask beer engine at Montavilla Brew Works. Image courtesy Montavilla Brew Works

Montavilla Brew Works will offer brewery tours with free Zwickel samples from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guests can meet the brewers and purchase special beer releases throughout the day. The brewery owners will unveil their new cask beer engine and pass out special giveaway items to mark the occasion.

From 1 to 4 p.m., Threshold Brewing & Blending will invite attendees behind their roll-up door into the production area with hourly tours and Zwickel pours. Cousins Maine Lobster food truck will sell its crowd-pleasing food from noon to 8 p.m. on the 17th in partnership with Threshold, allowing people to make a day of Zwickelmania® in Montavilla.

Threshold Brewing & Blending owners Jarek and Sara Szymanski. Image courtesy Threshold

This weekend’s Zwickelmania® is taking place outside of Montavilla as well. More than 50 breweries across Oregon are participating, including beer producers StormBreaker Brewing and Gigantic Brewing Company, which have sales locations in Montavilla. However, the event focuses on beer production at the brewing location. Consequentially, those brands will greet Zwickel-seeking guests at their primary locations. A complete list of participating locations is available online at the official Zwickelmania® site.

Zwickel sample. Image courtesy Montavilla Brew Works

For people who miss this beer-rich opportunity on the 17th, Threshold Brewing & Blending will hold its 5th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, February 24th. That event will offer five beer releases served in exclusive and limited glassware. A line-up of DJs will provide entertainment, and wood-fired pizza from guest food truck Hearth and Soul will feed the hungry guests. February is a good month for exploring Montavilla’s brewing community, and walking to the potentially inebriating events is easy.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account or you can pay for a full year directly online. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.