USA, OR: Steeplejack Brewing expanding again

Just over a month after Steeplejack Brewing launched its second location—and a little under a year after opening its first—the company is expanding again, the Willamette Week reported on June 30.

A third outpost will begin operations on Friday, July 1, at 5834 NE Pinefarm Court in Hillsboro. The site is right off of Highway 26 next to an industrial-retail plaza and sandwiched between two other beer-centric businesses: ABV Public House and Deep Space Brewing.

The pub, with 12 taps and two casks, as well as cider, wine and liquor, will initially feed customers via an indoor food truck while the full kitchen is being constructed. You can expect a menu similar to the one at Steeplejack’s Pizza and Beer location on Southwest Beaverton Hillsdale Highway, which includes hand-tossed pies as well as salads and appetizers like creamy polenta, fried Brussels sprouts, meatballs and arancini.

There is both indoor and dog-friendly outdoor seating, and in the coming weeks, pinball machines will be added to the interior.

Like the Southwest Portland tap house and the original rehabilitated church, this third pub is massive: 17,000 square feet. All of that room has allowed Steeplejack to install a 30-barrel DME Process Systems brewhouse with two 80-barrel tanks along with a canning line.

Beer nerds and those just learning about the production process will appreciate the production facility’s configuration. As soon as you walk in the doors, you’ll run smack dab into the workspace. There are no barriers between customers and the equipment, not even glass—which was an intentional design decision.

“We want our customers to be a part of the brewing process and have it be an accessible and interactive experience,” co-owner Brody Day tells WW. “You can see the brewers, and the ingredients that they are using. We believe that it is important for people to know where their beer comes from.”

The immersive experience is similar to the church pub’s, but those who look closely, or know their way around a brewhouse, will notice the Hillsboro system is different.

“It’s a German-style brewhouse with efficiency and tradition in mind, and I am really looking forward to making some rad beers with it,” adds head brewer Anna Buxton. “I can’t wait to see [brewer] Kevin Hanny explore hops and innovate new processes in the context of lager beer and really expand our brands offering.”

The second brewery will expand Steeplejack’s offerings by focusing on lager production and experimental one-offs.

The Hillsboro pub will be open 11 am to 7 pm Wednesday through Sunday. Those looking to expand their brewing knowledge should plan to visit between 3 and 7 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays—that’s when Steeplejack will hold interactive brewer events.

01 July, 2022