by Sam Soule for pdxguide.com
May 2006

The scramble has begun.

With the weather finally turning warmer and sunnier, Portlanders are once again making the move from barroom to beer garden. And nothing will stop them.

Not the sun — though Oregon is a documented hotbed for melanoma sufferers — and not the bars, who too often treat outdoor seating for drinkers (a limited proposition given this region's climate) as something of an afterthought.

We've all felt the pain. The hastily converted alleyway or back lot space. The line for three lone two-tops tossed out on the sidewalk. Frustrated? Probably. And Amnesia Brewing knows it.

This two-year-old brew pub, located on the ever-expanding commercial stretch of North Mississippi Street, makes drinking outdoors a number one priority. The bar itself is a tastefully converted warehouse (hanging vines meet industrial steel) with a beer-making factory in the back. Garage doors roll up on the front, exposing the interior to the heavy foot traffic of North Mississippi Street. Occasionally, live music sets up against the far wall — on my most recent visit, an acoustic duo played an atmospheric set of Medieval folk tunes.

But the real attraction is the front patio. A sturdy, all-weather canopy stretching across what was formerly a paved parking lot, covering a baker's dozen of picnic tables (easily re-configured to accommodate very large parties). This outdoor seating arrangement, which easily triples the bar's carrying capacity, is an all-season proposition; the tent protects patrons from both the sun and the rain while two heating units are in place to fight off breezy chills.

Obviously, hand-crafted beer is a major attraction at Amnesia Brewing. Flavors running through the pub's five tap handles range from the hoppy to the honey-tinged. According to one satisfied looking customer, enjoying a burger plate with his pint, "I like them. [They're] very drinkable."

The food at Amnesia is also very eatable, a simple menu that emphasizes the venue's out-of-doors feel. It all comes down to an impressive grill set-up sitting under the far corner of the tent, where spiced sausages and hearty burgers are grilled to order. The smell of charred meat goes a long way in creating a buoyantly cheery, informal barbeque atmosphere. Vegetarian options are also available.

And like any "real" Portland hang-out, short pants and big dogs are more than welcome. It's a given that citizens of this city will go to extreme lengths in their efforts to expose bare knee and calf in public; dogs, however are not allowed in all drinking establishments. Canines rule the Amnesia.

To look at the picnic tables on Amnesia's crowded patio is to bear witness to a throng of very happy and content customers.

You might not sit out there during the coldest stretches of winter. Then again, you might try wearing long pants.

The opinions expressed within are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of pdxguide.com or The Columbian Publishing Co.