Blue Palate

I have mixed feelings about cheap beer. Beer is high in calories for a beverage and if I’m going to spend it I like to taste it. But a pint of Pabst Blue Ribbon or can of Hamm’s can be quite refreshing on a hot day and I can drink a couple and not feel heavy headed. And the best thing about cheap beer? It’s cheap. Here are a few of my favorite spots in Portland to drink cheap beer.

Photo credit: Whatknot

The Standard - At this Northeast hidden gem you can drink Rainier on Monday and Hamm’s on Wednesday for a buck a can. Yes folks, for one dollar you can sip an adult beverage, play shuffleboard, or lounge in their large patio. Save your remaining dollars for the county fair-esque photo booth.

Zach’s Shack - Known for their delicious dogs and late-night hours, Zach’s Shack on Hawthorne has one dynamite refrigeration system. Their cans of PBR are the coldest in town. During their extended happy hour (4 p.m. - 8 p.m. every day), you can chase away the heat for $1.25.

Captain Ankeny’s Well - Probably best known for their authentic deep dish pizza, Captain Ankeny’s has the most variety I’ve seen when it comes to happy hours. $1.25 on select pints some nights, $1.95 select small pitchers on others, sometimes only $0.50 off.  But if you land on the right night of the week between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m., you can drink - and eat - for dollars.

Cheap beer is plentiful, even in the land of $5 microbrews. Where’s your favorite place to knock back a cold one for a buck or two?

I was on my Mac dashboard using the dictionary widget to look up the word foodie (def: a person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet). A message on my Epicurious widget caught my eye:

“Shopping for a foodie friend? Epicurious has found 16 gorgeous gourmet goodies for everyone on your list  ——– and they’re all under $100.”

I’m not usually a fan of food gift baskets, unless they’re filled with wine. But I couldn’t resist seeing what Epicurious had to offer. (If you are unfamiliar with Epicurious, it is one of the best recipe sites ever.) The site featured a slide show of 16 gift basket of varying contents. Some were undeniably gorgeous and delicious looking, especially the Spices and Herbs tins from TSP Spices, the only one that was somewhat reasonably priced at $42. (Mom, Dad…hint.)

The Microbrew Beer Bucket was my favorite, but I almost blew a keg when I saw the price. $70 for six bottles of beer and some snacks? I challenged myself to make a Beer Bucket for less than half that price.

I love sampling microbrews and am a sucker for markets that let you buy a six pack sampler (Woodstock Wine and Deli and Otto’s Sausage Kitchen in my neighborhood.) This is not the cheapest way to buy beer, but a great way to get to know some great beers without investing in a whole six pack of one variety. Last time I was at Woodstock Wine and Deli, they charged around $1.60 to $2.00 a bottle, with 10% off if you buy six. They had some great snacks there, but you could spend way less on gifty snacks at your local grocery bulk section or Trader Joe’s.

In my DIY Beer Bucket, I substituted salami and crackers for jerky. (To me, jerky is road trip food not beer food.) You could use any kind of snack that goes well with beer. The nice thing about DIY gift baskets is the opportunity to personalize according to the giftee’s taste. Here’s what I came up with:

• One small aluminum bucket from local hardware store - $8.00
• Six 12 oz bottles of microbrew beer, averaging around $1.80 each with 10% off - $9.72
• Chocolate Covered Pretzels, I like Trader Joe’s brand - $2.99
• 1/4 pound salted nuts. Peppered cashews or Tamari almonds from the bulk section - $2.50
• Dry salami. Trader Joe’s salami is GREAT, and amazing with beer. - $4.29
• Crackers. Milton’s Brand come in a long box that would fit nicely in a bucket. - $3.99

Total - $31.49, less than half of the $70 Gourmet Gift Baskets charges for their Beer Bucket. You could knock even more off the cost by using home made snacks and goodies. Plus, you can make your bucket more personal, use beer from local brewers and support your local vendors. Epicurious might want to stick to publishing great recipes.