Montavilla Celebrates the Portland-Detroit Nexus
L-R, Michael Kora, Ben Edmunds (photo), Dave Vohden, George Johnson, Shaun Kalis, Alex Ganum
For years I have been meaning to investigate a very weird phenomenon. It would float through my brain as I was visiting a brewery and notice a Tigers hat or Lions tee. For reasons no one can quite identify, a disproportionate number of brewers decamped from the Motor City to the Rose City. In one way that’s not surprising: the Midwest has always been a major source of in-migration to Portland. But that doesn’t explain why Detroit is so hugely overrepresented among our brewing talent. Chicago, Columbus and Cleveland, the Twin Cities, Milwaukee, Indianapolis are other big Midwestern cities, and I’m sure some of the brewers in Portland come from them. But Detroit stands out—particularly because this constitutes a pretty amazing group of brewers.
To celebrate Montavilla Brew Work’s 10th Anniversary, founder Michael Kora is putting a spotlight on this phenomenon with a multi-brewery collaboration. Check out this list of Detroiters (and another Michigander from outside the metro area):
Michael Kora, Founder & Head Brewer, Montavilla Brew Works
Ben Edmunds, Head Brewer, Breakside Brewing
Alex Ganum, Founder & Head Brewer, Upright Brewing
George Johnson, Founder, Assembly Brewing
Shaun Kalis, Founder, Ruse Brewing
Dave Vohden, Head Brewer, Oregon City Brewing (from Kalamazoo/Portage, MI)
In case you missed it, in the most recent Celebrate Oregon Beer newsletter, I included an article about Montavilla that’s worth a read. Montavilla’s lifespan exactly corresponds to the moment hazy IPAs were arriving on the national scene, followed by the most explosive growth in the industry. It was propelled by not just hazies, but smoothie sours, pastry stouts, and all manner of flavored experimentation. Montavilla was a bit out of step for those times, hewing to far more traditional beers—and to date, they’ve never made a hazy. But the focus on a core lineup and serving the neighborhood that gave them their name now seems inspired following the pandemic and industry decline.
Montavilla’s traditional approach got me thinking. It’s not just Michael; this collection of brewers has a decidedly traditional bent as well. Alex Ganum and George Johnson are famous for this, George working in the American and Alex in the European idioms. Ruse sort of seems like a more modern brewery swept up in the trends of the late aughts—but unlike many breweries that embraced experimentation, they also always had a strong lineup of classic ales and lagers. That’s true of Breakside as well, despite their efforts at constant evolution. Not for nuthin’, but Breakside was one of the early Portland breweries to put a pilsner in their core lineup. Midwesterners have a reputation for being steady and reliable, and that instinct is evident across all of these breweries.
Hittin’ the Mitten
The collaboration, named after the nickname for the state’s shape, has those hallmarks of tradition. Appropriate for a Midwest IPA, it has a bit of body, thanks to some Munich malt and flaked barley, but the most interesting component are the Michigan-grown Bergamot hops. Bergamot is a perfect name for the hop, too, because it’s a dead ringer for the orange citrus that flavors Earl Grey tea. Developed by Great Lake Hops, they were apparently nicknamed “OAF,” or orange AF, but it’s not just orange.
Montavilla’s 10th Anniversary Party and Detroit Beer Release
When: Saturday, July 12, 12–9 p.m.
Where: Montavilla Brew Works, 7805 SE Stark; all ages welcome
Food: Ro’s City BBQ (3 p.m. until sold out)
Music: DJ MD spinning vinyl all day Extras: Raffles, kids’ activities, and more
Maybe it’s the power of suggestion, but I was also getting something tea-like in the palate—a bit of astringency with that spice note, perhaps. The collaboration also employed Michigan-grown Chinook hops (in a 50-50 blend with the Bergamots in both the whirlpool and dry hop), so that may be part of it. Chinooks are also orangey, tending to spice. I had a glass from the tank, and it’s a very cool beer and quite an unusual one. It’s also pre-selling well, so even though it hasn’t been released, you may want to get down to the brewery for the party to try it.
The Detroit Connection
People have long believed that sacred, invisible paths connect places, so I was curious if these folks were drawn here by some unseen force. “All throughout the brew day, we talked about the music, soda pop, politics, camping, Lake Michigan—but we didn’t really talk about how we go here,” Michael said.
Ben: “I had never considered why we don't seem to have a contingent of brewers from other Midwest towns. It is pretty wild that all of us ended up here and brewing in Portland.” Alex was likewise stumped. “My head goes to the weather, which is spectacular here compared to Detroit. Winter feels like a blip in Portland; by the time spring hits in Detroit we've already had several flowering cycles here. But that's true across the Midwest, so Detroit specifically? Honestly I'm just blank on this one.”
Beer may have exercised the tiniest of influence. Shaun wrote, “My girlfriend at the time—now wife—was looking for a place to move with all the accommodations we love: like-minded people, outdoor recreation, food , music, drinking culture, etc…. Portland was it. She said: ‘Are you coming with me?’ I heard Portland had a great beer scene. I thought, ‘what the hell—Portland is known everywhere as being the beer Mecca of the US."
Does music have something to do with it? This may be the closest we’ll ever get. Michael, a one-time professional drummer, pointed out that Detroit—Motown—is one of the most musical cities in the US. Shaun was in a band in Detroit as well, and Alex named his brewery after music (jazz and the upright bass). “It’s like when you’re playing music,” Michael said of the collaboration. They had all fallen easily into decisions about what to include in the recipe, each brewer contributing an idea. “It’s like someone says ‘pick a tune’ and then everybody knows what to do,” he said.
If you’re free this Saturday, stop in, offer a congratulations to the folks at Montavilla, and have a pint of this collab beer. It should be a fun time.