Comments on: A beer and a smile at the old Horse Brass

A beer and a smile at the old Horse Brass

twjordan — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:19:21 -0800

If you've ever been grateful for the abundance of delicious beer that's popped up in the last few decades, raise a glass to Don Younger today at three.

The American craft beer scene can claim many founders and heroes. Don Younger was considered by many to be both. By supporting upstart regional brewers like Rogue and Widmer at the bar he purchased one night while drunk , the famed Horse Brass Pub, he midwifed the Northwest microbrew movement into existence. Don passed away two weeks ago. Today there's going to be a pretty big party at his bar to celebrate his life.

By: fixedgear

fixedgear — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:27:24 -0800

Cheers!

By: Nelson

Nelson — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:29:58 -0800

Whenever I'm in Portland, I try to stop in the Horse Brass. Such a fine pub. Not just for beer snobs, it's a genuinely comfortable and friendly place. RIP, Don.

By: oflinkey

oflinkey — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:32:40 -0800

I will be dreaming of a stick beer and a steak and mushroom pie today, in honor.

By: jonmc

jonmc — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:35:30 -0800

I'm just drinking Narraganset* but I'll raise a toast anyway. *Really, they had it at the local Key Food in Queens, they had Genessee and Iron City , too. Somebody's buying up and reviving all the regional grandpa beers (and I like it)

By: dabitch

dabitch — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:47:11 -0800

How could I have appreciated YSB so many times and not know this backstory? A toast it is.

By: narwhal bacon

narwhal bacon — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:50:42 -0800

Ah, nuts. And here I am 200 miles away for another week. The Horse Brass is one of my favorite pubs in Portland. He will be missed.

By: d1rge

d1rge — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 10:51:07 -0800

Unfortunately, all I have in the house is an MGD 64. I'll just pour it down the drain in his name instead. .

By: paisley henosis

paisley henosis — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:11:13 -0800

3PM local time, or 3PM Portland time?

By: paisley henosis

paisley henosis — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:12:19 -0800

"at 3 p.m. your time on Sunday, Feb. 13" Answered on the BeerAdvocate link.

By: medeine

medeine — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 11:16:46 -0800

Yeah, it's a "rolling" toast. I'm sure Don wouldn't care if it was exactly 3 anyway.

By: A dead Quaker

A dead Quaker — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:00:54 -0800

*Raises glass of beer*

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:02:10 -0800

Okay! I can do this! And I have!

By: notsnot

notsnot — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 12:59:58 -0800

Cheers...nastrovya...slainte...prost...salud! ( I know how to say Cheers in more languages than I know how to say "fuck you"...I reckon that's a good thing!)

By: limeonaire

limeonaire — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:01:08 -0800

OK, it's 3 p.m. in the Midwest. Here's to craft beer!

By: limeonaire

limeonaire — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:02:44 -0800

[[clunks a can of Simpler Times with notsnot's glass]]

By: Slack-a-gogo

Slack-a-gogo — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:15:43 -0800

Damn - I didn't see this until 3:11! I'll raise a glass to Don right now, then pour another and raise it as an apology for missing the one at three. And then I'll pour and raise another just in case the first one didn't stick.

By: mek

mek — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:44:13 -0800

It's not 3pm in Portland for another 16 minutes. Keep drinking.

By: Jikido

Jikido — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 14:59:50 -0800

Cheers.

By: hal_c_on

hal_c_on — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:45:43 -0800

I'm going to use "midwife" as a verb now. Mostly I'll be midwifing the hell out of things in the future. Thanks OP.

By: yodelingisfun

yodelingisfun — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 16:33:00 -0800

I had my first legal beer at the Horse Brass...

By: gjc

gjc — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:06:30 -0800

I'll be midwifing when I'm not curating my pantry.

By: ifjuly

ifjuly — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:15:21 -0800

Raising an impromptu pint glass of Ghost River Black Magic. And thanks jonmc for the love of old grandpa beers--Genny's a plebe-y vintage fave of mine (though Iron City man, the only place I'll drink that is in a stadium in Pittsburgh...).

By: octothorpe

octothorpe — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 18:29:05 -0800

Just sat down to the computer after opening a Rogue American Amber Ale and saw this post. I missed 3 PST but I raise my bottle to his memory.

By: ijustwantyourhalf

ijustwantyourhalf — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 19:03:32 -0800

Just returned home from the wake. hundreds and hundreds of people there... tents in parking lot full. Every major (and minor) brewer within 100 mi. present. free beer flowing, snacks, memories, bagpipes, drunks, hooligans, etc. Don was a great promoter of the home/micro brew movement but also a good friend, and a genuinely excellent guy. It's not about the beer, its about the beer.

By: Prince_of_Cups

Prince_of_Cups — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:05:58 -0800

It's not about the beer, its about the beer. Indeed. God bless Don Younger, and I hope smoking is allowed in Heaven. And if beer isn't, I know where I'll see him next.

By: Ber

Ber — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 21:10:55 -0800

I hoisted a Bells Kalamazoo Stout. It was awesome.

By: thsmchnekllsfascists

thsmchnekllsfascists — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 08:09:59 -0800

I missed it. I know what the missus is getting for V day now though. Thanks guys.

By: spock

spock — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 06:54:10 -0800

The ones to thank are California Senator Alan Cranston and then President Jimmy Carter. He's the one who spearheaded changing federal law to make homebrewing legal in 1978. Many serious homebrewers became craft brewers. The rest is history.