Upright Brewing

I got a nice tour of this entire office building trying to find Upright. By tour, I meant me walking around aimlessly trying to find the place. I just want to drink already! As you enter the building, there was a cardboard sign saying Upright Brewing this way and it pointed towards the stairs or at least it looked like it pointed to the stairs. Clearly I was wrong on that since I got lost. I went up the stairs, walked around and could not find the place. I think I went on each floor to this place and almost gave up. Turns out the brewery is downstairs duh. I felt like an idiot.
Anyways, I walk into the quiet very dimly lit basement, I felt as if I was walking into a horror movie. As I slowly made my way inside, I see in the dark corner a man standing there next to some taps. Turns out he is the bar tender and the drinking can finally commenced! They had maybe 5 – 6 beers on tap all of which were very good. I am a sucker for spicy beer so I really enjoyed the spicy beer which I cannot remember the name at the moment.
Overall, this is not your conventional brewery/​bar as you are literally drinking in the brewery area where they work. They have seats next the all the barrels and kegs so it puts you right there in the heart of everything. Really enjoyed my time here sampling the different types of beers they have. Also it is CASH only so be prepared.

Man crazy mission finding the place. It’s located in a business building and if you don’t read the directions you’ll take a tour of the whole place and might just leave because you can’t find it. Take it from me, read the board on your left when you enter the building. The brewery is located in the basement. Once you enter you see barrels and kegs of beer. The menu is fairly small and so is the brewery itself. I ordered the Four Play and for a non avid beer drinker like myself I enjoyed the hint of fruit in it.
It’s cash only and there’s ample street parking.

So the environment is pretty neat, but I’m not a huge fan of the beer. Although the cherry brews are surprisingly interesting (coming from someone that does not normally like such things).

My boyfriend took me here two years ago when we were visiting from the Bay Area, and I’m super happy he introduced me to their beers. I don’t even remember the «numbers» I loved (there were several).
There’s a limited selection of Upright beers in the SF market, so it’s a definite stop whenever I’m back in PDX. Oregon is really blessed with some amazing breweries!

I hesitate to write this review at the risk of more people discovering one of the most secret gems I’ve ever found. Let’s just say, if you’re not cool or into cool things, stop reading. If you are, a) let’s be friends b) get your cool butt to this awesome basement brewery.
Finding this place was like a J.R.R. Tolkein oddesy. First, a wise wizard, named Unilocal,did us a solid by directing us to the treasure. Other Unilocaling adventurers warned us that it is hard to find, but like all good things, worth the search. Go confidently with the treasure map, The address on Unilocal is correct. You will see a small hand-​painted a-​frame sign indicates you are nearing your destination. Travel inside, search for the stairs or elevator to descend below the earth’s surface. There will be many doors. Choose wisely. Follow your nose and your ears toward the sweet scent of elixir and jovial sounds of laughter. Be rewarded for your quest is won!

I’m not sure what I was expecting Upright to be, but it met all of my expectaions and even more.
Upright is lesser known here on the east coast. Most of the bottle shops have a few bottles usually that sit on shelves at an average cost of around $ 16/​bottle. I had really only tried one before going to the brewery, but was happy that I tried more.
Upright has some really stellar beers. While there, I tried an old ale and a few different saisons. The space is really neat. When you walk into the building, you aren’t really sure you’re in the right place, save for a few small signs that say «Upright this way». Once downstairs, follow the hall to a basement brewery and tasting room. The tasting room itself is just really 2 or 3 small tables and a friendly pourer playing records (with fine taste in music!). there’s a barrel room too where you can walk around with your beer. Small pours were ridiculously cheap — 4 of us drank there for an hour for a total cost of $ 15. insane. Bottles to take home were around $ 8. I’m so glad we decided to stop in!

It’s a tiny brewery in the basement of an office building. It’s hard to find because the building is also located on an island on a confusing intersection with one way streets.
The beer was good, although I didn’t care for the sour beer but that’s more based off preference. I had to deduct a star for the lack of seating. I think they can easily add another table or bench into the space.

Difficult place to find through a maze of tunnels below a mixed-​use office building. Inside the basement is a tiny 10 max tap system among the small barrel room adjoining the brewhouse. Staff was friendly and attentive while we were there, but took off for awhile leaving the area unstaffed. A handful of tables. No food. No food truck. Some special bottles available for purchase to go. Tour of the brewhouse available. Quality of beer was very high with a good portion of things being tap-​only specialties. Tasters available. Worth it to try some special Sole Composition beers. But for the typical Unilocaler, this isn’t a tasting room I’d recommend over others like Hair of the Dog.

This place is the pits! I ordered the olives which is why I’m making this joke.
The beer here is awesome if you like the Saison beer style. They don’t have a kitchen and there isn’t a lot of seating. Also, they’re cash only. They’re also hard to find even once you’ve located the address, but for the quality of the beer they serve, I say suck it up. Walk down the back stairs, follow the brewery smell and stand around, have some great beer and olives and get to know the idiosyncratic history of this intriguing place.
The trademark is a hop bud with what looks like an apostrophe superimposed on it. It’s actually a base clef, as in music. The owner is apparently a huge music nerd. The space is infused with this: there’s a Frank Zappa drawing on one wall, vinyl all over the place and the music is on a turntable.
Yes, it’s hipster central. And what the fuck else are you in Portland for, ya dipshit? Get down here if any of this sounds good!

Upright makes awesome beers.
You can find them around town on tap and some varieties (4 – 7) in bottles in better bottle shops in Portland.
Their core, year ’round, line up are variations on saison/​farmhouse beers and are great, but their seasonals, one-​offs, and experiments are all at least very good too. In their numbered beers expect Belgian/​French farmhouse beer kind of flavors– clove, banana, pepper, fruity/​candy with varying degrees of flowery and hoppy.
They consistently have a lager on tap, and had a barleywine, 2 sour farmhouse ales (excellent, Four Play better than Rose), and a stout when we visited.
750ml bottles of 4 and 7 to take home were $ 8 each.
Hard to find in an area without much parking, one way traffic streets, little signage, and in a basement of a business building near the Rose Garden/​Moda Center, but worth the trouble to visit. You can check out the brewery, including barrel aging beers and fermentors, while you are there.

I really loved my visit to this little taproom. Their beer is really great and I can’t wait to try some from other local bars that carry it! My only complaint is that the clientele can sometimes be less than pleasant. Because of their very limited seating, we had to endure a group of drunk babyboomers shouting obscenities related to women and homosexuals. If there’s nowhere else to sit, you’re pretty much stuck.
Other than that the atmosphere was great and it was really fun and interesting to sit amongst the brewing equipment.

Wow, totally impressed with this place. Took a date here and we shared a sampler tray of all 9 brews on tap ($ 14). Amazing range of flavors, including barleywine and Belgian/​Abbey type flavors you wont really find elsewhere in town.
As others have said, this place is buried underground in this building, so prepare for a maze of sorts. Also, there isn’t a restaurant section, you basically sit among the big brewing kegs and equipment, which is an interesting experience. The only other tip to know is that it has weird hours, closed from Sunday to Wednesday, which is unfortunate.
Definitely bookmarking this for a return trip.

4 — Wheat Saison — Hint of banana clove makes this VERY drinkable
5 — Hoppy Saison — I get a strong roasted malt aftertaste making it a bit too butter for me
6 — Dark Rye Saison — OMG smooth and creamy with a great roasted malt fl
7 — Strong Saison — I must be a terrible beer taster because I thought it was similar to their Wheat Saison
Engelberg Pils — I don’t like pilsners… ever
Four Play — Soured apricot flavor but REALLY good. This is one of my favorite sours of all time… I said it
Smeirlap — Hop forward with a creamy aftertaste. I’m sure many people will like this more than I. Very drinkable IPA
Saison Osrsted — 4 & 7 with some acidity. Quite tasty and probably my second favorite!
Rose — slightly soured version of four play. This would be a great entry level sour for the masses!
Olives are great for resetting the palette when having the 5oz tasters

Upright is a great brewery. My first experience there involved my sister making me wait in a four hour line with her to get some special bottles. I’m not a super beer person, so I don’t understand the whole searching out beers thing. But I appreciate people who have the type of time and energy.
Upright does have delicious beer though! Also, the staff is super friendly and open to helping us novices understand more about beer.

All your friends that home brew? They suck. If you want to get the «drinking awesome beer in my friend’s basement» vibe while still… you know… drinking good beer, then get thee to Upright Brewing! This limited hours, cash only, hole-​in-​the-​wall of a taproom is just authentic and rad as hell.
First, find the basement of Leftbank. I’m sure this is super easy, but somehow my idiot self ended up taking a VERY long and windy path. Once you’re at the entrance, turn left and towards the back, and some friendly guy will just be pouring beers out of some taps coming out of a basement cinderblock wall. No bar, not much in the way of signage or tables or really anything that would make this look like an official establishment. In fact, it seems so unofficial that you feel as if you’re getting away with something just by being down there. There are tables smattered throughout the brewing equipment. Find a place, enjoy your beer and be happy, for you are in a special place.
Speaking of beer, they make good ones. I can’t tell you too much about them, as I got all liquor-​drunk after visiting this place and it zapped all my memories. But I do recall it being well above average, and at a reasonable price — particularly by the pitcher.
Upright Brewing is staying firmly planted in my bookmarks, as this is a place I plan to bring most any friend that comes to visit. It’s überPortland in the absolute best way possible. If you’re disappointed in this place, we probably don’t have much in common.

Definitely a must-​go brewery when visiting Portland. It was literally out first stop when we arrived, even before the hotel. ;)
BEER– awesome. Great selection and you can get the taster flight and try them all.
Parking– street parking or cheap lot ($ 1/​hr) across the street.
It’s in the basement of a building. You’d never know this from the outside. Take the elevator or stairs down and voila!
Very limited seating. We actually didn’t sit at first. Had our taster on a barrel and stood up, but eventually a small table opened up. Seems there may have been a wedding or gala in the building that day, because several people were dressed up and just getting a drink (a beer!) beforehand.
Would definitely go back!

In the land of IPAs, Upright is a blessing Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy IPAs and hoppy beers, but I much prefer European style beers and it get’s tiring to always choose between 3 IPAs, an IIPA, and a pale ale.
Upright can be a little hard to find. It is in the basement of an inconspicuous building, however it is well served by the CL line. Before entering the building you should know that it is cash only and the buildings lone ATM is perpetually broken. There is a 7 – 11 not too far on Weidler with an ATM that actually works. Once in the building head for the elevator and take it to the basement. Also note that the hours and seating are pretty limited.
So yeah Upright does have a lot of little annoyances, but they are more than made up for by the quality of the beer. This brewery is consistently brewing my favorite beers in town. They always have their 4,5,6, and 7 on tap. Those are $ 1.50 for a 5 oz taster or $ 3 for a 12oz pour. Be careful with the 7 because it is a beast. They also usually have a sour aged 4 called Fourplay that is slightly more expensive, but quite delicious.
Then there are the limited run beers. They will have anywhere from two to four limited run beers on tap as well. These range from the bizarre Captain Beefheart that was brewed with charred beef hearts to their take on an IPA, or a sour/​spicy/​fruity saison. I always try at least a taster of their limited run beers.
Also on the last Friday of the month they have the best oysters I’ve ever had and they only cost $ 2 a pop.

Came in for the beer, stayed for the Good times.
Had a Beer flight to start off, then i Stuck with the Farmhouse Ale.
Knowledgeable Brewmasters go along way.
I will be sure to stop in again.

Brewery in a basement? Who knew!
Honestly, I have to agree with the other reviewers: it’s an accomplishment if you can even figure out which building the brewery is in. Boyfriend and I had trekked over on foot from the North West region of Portland and we circled the block a couple of times before we found the sign that indicated that Upright was in the building. And then it still took us another 5 – 10 minutes to locate where the stairs/​elevator to the basement was.
Definitely a neat little setup, though seating is pretty limited. The tasters are $ 1.50 and it was only about $ 14 to get a taster flight of all the beers that they had on top at the time. I was particularly fond of the jasmine pils, and six as well. The other numbers all tasted fairly similar, though I suppose that makes sense because I think they’re variations of one another. The «four play,» a sour take on four is also pretty good — surprisingly, since I’m not a huge fan of sours normally!
All in all, a very chill spot to enjoy a few beers. Very hop-​driven, for those of you who are die-​hard IPA fans. And for $ 1.50 tasters, $ 3 pints and $ 12 pitchers, the prices are pretty decent too!

Delicious brews! And at $ 3 a pint, it can’t be beat!
Super small spot with good music and board games. Sorry sports fans, no TVs. You’re really there just to experience the beer.
It’s super hidden, so keep an eye out. Small street off Broadway, and it’s located in the building’s basement.