Ninkasi Brewing Company

If you know me, you know I love beer. There is no way I could spend time in Eugene, Oregon and not go to Ninkasi Brewing Company.  There was a lot of beer to be had in Oregon, and this is really the only brewery that stood out as truly amazing compared to what I can get home in Louisville. Named for the Sumerian goddess of beer (that was a Gus Bus Trivia question one time) they really live up to the calling of their craft.

One of the AirBNBs we stayed at was only a few blocks from Ninkasi, so we delayed our trip until then. It just so happened that night was also their first tapping of Maiden the Shade, a summer seasonal IPA. So it was a packed house. I snapped a few pictures, but mostly there was a lot of people and waiting in lines.

Ninkasi Brewing’s tasting room in Eugene’s Whiteaker neighborhood

Perpetuate Better Living

Maiden the Shade release party poster

The Ninkasi Tasting Room bar

Ninkasi Brewing Company on the floor of the tasting room

A pint of Ninkasi’s Tricerahops Double IPA

‘Sporkasbord’ sampler from the Sporks A La Cart food cart

A brief detour to the Ninkasi Brewery building

Maiden the Shade was very good. But my absolute favorite was the Tricerahops Double IPA. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a beer I liked better. I also tried the Quantum Pale Ale. For dinner we had the Sporkasbord platter (pictured above), Pad Thai, and a rice bowl with Pot Stickers from the Sporks A La Carte food cart. My favorites were the “mooinks,” bacon-wrapped meatballs, part of the sporkasbord.

Ber and I also got into a tiny Ingress battle over the tasting room’s portal while we were there. We held our turf well. As of this writing, we actually still own it!