Me, My Parents, and the Horse Brass
Briefly

The author reminisces about their first visit to the Horse Brass Pub in Portland, reflecting on the significant influence it had on Oregon's brewing culture. Initially visited as a baby, the author's subsequent visits reveal a transformed bar scene where Don Younger was instrumental in promoting local microbreweries. Despite the smoke-laden atmosphere of the pub, it became a haven for emerging Oregon beers. The piece highlights the transition from mass-market lagers to innovative craft brews that defined a burgeoning beer culture in the state.
It was my first public social appearance, just a few weeks after I was born, and retrospectively it would have been a perfect snapshot of my future career.
The Oregon smoking ban was still a couple of years out, and while I loved the real metal darts with felt boards, I didn't love having to wash the smoke from my clothes.
A surly iconoclast, avowed libertarian, and heavy smoker, Younger was a vital patron of the nascent Oregon beer world.
Between my first visit and the times when I could drink, the state's brewing scene had erupted, and no small part of that was thanks to the Brass.
Read at Portland Monthly
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