12 Great Brewpub Patios in the Willamette Valley
Is there anything better than unwinding after a long day of wine tasting, shopping, or exploring Oregon's Willamette Valley than sipping on a cold, locally produced craft beer?
Yes: enjoying that cold, locally produced craft beer outside.
And with summer in full swing, you're never far from your favorite brewery's outdoor patio. Whether in the heart of downtown Oregon City or at the southern edge of Willamette Valley wine country, craft breweries throughout the region offer picnic tables, patio umbrellas, and more for making the most of summer. Here's a guide to 12 great brewpub patios throughout the Willamette Valley.
Since its founding in 2009, Gilgamesh Brewing has prides itself on using locally sourced items whenever possible. The brewery has incorporated blueberries, hazelnuts, pumpkins, and other Willamette Valley-grown ingredients into its beers over the years—and now partners with local farmers and producers who provide food ingredients for its sandwiches, burgers, pizzas, and more.
Whether you're making Independence a home base for cycling adventures or are passing through, the covered patio in downtown offers plenty of space, two stories of seating, and a stage for year-round live performances from local musicians.
Sweeping views extend in every direction from Corvallis—showing off the Oregon Coast Range to the west and Cascade foothills to the east.
The views of these diverse landscapes don't get much better than from atop the rooftop pub at Sky High Brewing in downtown Corvallis. Savor the sights with a house-made ale or lager from the wide-open patio or covered seats—and if the rooftop patio gets a little crowded, head down to Sky High Brewing's other outdoor dining area—this on the third floor—which is covered and heated for use all year long. For more inspiration, learn about planning a fun-filled weekend in Corvallis.
Benedictine Brewery at Mt. Angel Abbey (Mt. Angel)
Monks brewed beer at Mt. Angel Abbey as far back as 1885, but that burgeoning tradition ended when a fire burned several abbey buildings—including the brewhouse—in 1892.
So in 2010, Fr. Martin Grassel, general manager of the brewery and procurator of the abbey, relaunched brewing efforts—becoming Oregon's only brewery owned and operated by Benedictine monks—and sold bottles in the abbey gift shop. Roughly eight years later, in August 2018, Mount Angel Abbey opened the Benedictine Brewery taproom to the public.
In addition to a cozy, quiet interior, the family-friendly taproom boasts a comfortable patio for sipping your way through the brewery's selection of Belgian-inspired ales and lagers. A handful of picnic tables deliver wide-open views of neighboring hop fields, the wider Willamette Valley, and Cascade foothills.
We're covering a lot of great brewpub patios in this piece—but what about when the entire pub is one giant patio? That's the case at TopWire Hop Project, an outdoor beer garden from longtime producer Crosby Hops. Just outside Woodburn, TopWire pours a dozen or so craft beers made with Crosby's hops—all grown within 10 miles of Woodburn and nearby Mt. Angel.
Open roughly between April and October, the beer garden also offers packaged beers to-go, a few on-site food carts, and a stage for live music. TopWire sits surrounded by Crosby's hop fields, which grow to 10 feet or taller by August.
McMenamins High Street Brewery & Cafe (Eugene)
If the backyard setup at High Street Brewery & Cafe feels like the biggest and best backyard party in Eugene, that's because it is. Eugene's first craft brewery since the end of Prohibition—and one of three McMenamins pubs around the city—sits in a renovated 1900s house not far from downtown.
The indoor seating area is plenty fun, but it's outside where the High Street Brewery & Cafe really shines. Several picnic tables sit scattered throughout the family-friendly backyard alongside a year-round fire pit, strands of lights, patio seating, and colorful tulip blooms—all surrounded by a canopy of lush, green trees. It's an idyllic place to spend a few hours relaxing after enjoying a day trip around Eugene and along the McKenzie River.
Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery produces a fascinating blend of wild, farmhouse, and barrel-aged beers; after all, where else will you find a grisette brewed with Oregon fir tips or another made with sumac and stinging nettle?
And Wolves & People, housed in founder Christian DeBenedetti's family barn, offers an outdoor seating area worthy of the complex beers. Numerous picnic tables, some with patio umbrellas, sit surrounded by fire pits, towering fir trees, and an orchard that grows hazelnuts for some of the brewery's beers.
Alesong Brewing & Blending specializes in small-batch beers, with an eye on oak aging and Belgian-inspired techniques. Every beer you try at Alesong has spent up to three years maturing in oak barrels, and numerous Alesong ales are blended and fermented with fresh fruit and herbs, putting the brewery right at home alongside Oregon's vaunted wineries.
Alesong's patio offers a pleasant backdrop for enjoying those beers; several picnic tables sit under strands of lights and sun shade canopies, a small stage hosts live music, and views range from towering fir trees to Willamette Valley farmland.
The quirky Whiteaker neighborhood in Eugene is always a people-watching delight—look no further than the many porch couches lining its streets—and the outdoor seating area at Ninkasi Brewing Company Tasting Room gives you a front-row ticket to the fun.
Ninkasi pours about 10 house-made brews, which can be enjoyed on a partially shaded patio that hosts several tables and fire pits in the shadow of Ninkasi's brewing tanks. Check the taproom's social media feed to see whether you might catch trivia, live music, or another event. Learn about other outdoor activities and appetizing eateries around Eugene.
Long Timber Brewing opened in 2019 along Oregon Route 99W in Monroe—and has since drawn raves for crafting a variety of classic beers and innovative offerings, from a flagship West Coast IPA to a hearty stout infused with local marionberries.
Enjoy it inside a two-story brewpub with saws, axes, and other logging-themed bric-à-brac adorning the walls. Outside, you'll find bar seating and patio tables next to the front door, all of which is shaded, as well as a handful of quieter, partially shaded tables out back. Afterward, get the skinny on other fun stops during your Highway 99W road trip.
There's so much to see in and around McMinnville, from grapevines in the region's vineyards to an idyllic small-town downtown to old-growth forests in the Oregon Coast Range foothills.
See it all from the family-friendly Hotel Oregon's Rooftop Bar, which boasts sweeping, 360-degree views of the McMinnville skyline and the Willamette Valley's diverse landscapes—and offers numerous tables, umbrellas, and canopies for shade. The views pair well with McMenamins' own craft beers and ciders, cocktails, and classic American fare. Downstairs, you'll find three-dozen whimsically designed guest rooms if you'd like to linger a little longer.
Plank Town Brewing Company draws on Springfield's history as a lumber town for its interior—seemingly every surface of Plank Town's sprawling brewpub is covered in wood—but its outdoor seating embraces open-air, sidewalk dining with a handful of picnic tables and a trio of booths (all covered with patio umbrellas) for larger groups.
Spend your time on the patio noshing on burgers, sandwiches, or salads made with locally sourced ingredients—and while sipping one of more than a dozen house-made beers. If you can't decide, choose among three flights—including one that features each of Plank Town's 12 beers on tap at any given time!
Just a block away from Plank Town, PublicHouse serves a divine mix of regional beers and fare from a handful of local vendors in a converted church. You can enjoy a pint in the onetime chapel, but a central courtyard boasts covered and uncovered seating.
Elsewhere, a grassy area on the building's east side boasts another handful of picnic tables and hosts live music on occasion. If you're looking to enjoy your meal with something other than beer, the on-site Whiskey Lab pours roughly two-dozen cocktails and mocktails, some of which are seasonally inspired, with a curated selection of whiskeys from around the world.
