Woodstock Wanderings is Reviewing Breweries (Even Though They’re Not Legal Drinking Age)

Double Mountain Woodstock Taproom, located at 4336 SE Woodstock Blvd, is a welcoming, wholesome brewery open to all ages! While I enter Double Mountain weekly during Questribution, it took me trying desperately to find a place with good heating during the Snowmageddon of mid-January for me to sit down and dine. 

Inside Double Mountain is a dimly-lit, but open space that – on the Friday afternoons I tend to come in – is lively but not too lively. The buzz of conversation is drowned out by their vinyl records, which tend to play older rock classics, ranging from Nirvana to The Human League. 

The handful of servers at Double Mountain are always dashing around the room, checking in on every table with remarkable efficiency. They are all super friendly and love to talk about the process that goes into making their famed “Oh Man! Draft Root Beer” or ginger ale. When the restaurant isn’tbusy, I’ve gotten checked on eight times an hour and receivedso many water refills that I felt like I was the most hydrated person in Portland.

It is absolutely essential that any regular Double Mountain visitor try both the root beer and ginger ale. Each one is $4 for a glass (with no refills), but it is more than worth it. Every small hint of spice in the root beer zaps your tongue – within seconds you’ll be able to make out the cinnamon, hops, honey, and sarsaparilla. The ginger ale – which I was originally on the fence about trying until a kind server insisted I have a free sample – is an experience like no other. The ginger root makes fresh osmosis with your soul as you drink the pure essence of the Hood River. The Simcoe hops in the ginger ale come with a twinge of bitterness that will leave you anything but bitter. 

When it comes to the food, the $15 sandwiches are very satisfying and filling. My personal favorite is a French dip – you can’t go wrong with caramelized onions and au jus sauce. Do I know what’s in au jus sauce? No, and I honestly don’t think anyone does, but it’s good. There’s nothing like slightly moist French bread with roast beef that will make your stomach put in PTO hours until next Wednesday.

I most recently tried the Fire on the Mountain pizza – a bit pricey at $18 – but certainly an enjoyable experience. It’s a good way to experience chicken wings without having to chew something off of a bone. What makes the pizza great, though, is the combination of a good char on the crust and a reasonable amount of blue cheese. 

Overall, Double Mountain is something that I look forward to every Friday, and I can’t even order their beer yet. My beer connoisseur expert source (my dad), however, gives them high marks in that regard, and I promise a follow-up review when I turn 21.