Mikkeller Portland pops open to overwhelming crowds at ex-Burnside Brewing home

Denmark’s Mikkeller brewery received a rousing welcome to Portland on Saturday, as more than 600 craft beer enthusiasts packed the former Burnside Brewing Co. space in the city’s central eastside to quaff beers such as Chill Pils, Ripple Effect IPA and Beer Geek Maple Vanilla Shake BA Bourbon Stout.

The brewery, regarded as one of the globe’s top – and most inventive -- makers of craft beer, has set up shop in Portland, at least temporarily. Mikkeller is teaming with Portland restaurant group Chefstable to open the pop-up beer bar and restaurant. Mikkeller founder Mikkel Borg Bjergso and Chefstable owner Kurt Huffman eventually hope to make the spot permanent – and add a brewery.

Saturday’s opening also served as the official kickoff to Portland Beer Week, an event-filled 10 days with open-to-the-public offerings such as a chocolate and beer festival, a brewers’ burger battle and a food-and-beer pairing competition.

“It was the biggest opening ever for Portland Beer Week, and thanks to amazing weather we had a huge day,” Huffman said. “Mikkel was really excited about Portland’s turnout for the pop-up. This will be a really fun summer.”

The grand opening also provided the first peek at chef Shaun King’s vision for Mikkeller Portland’s food, as he set up a smoker amid the parking lot festivities and doled out a limited (for now) menu of short rib steam bun sliders, spicy cucumbers and shishito peppers. King is the chef who helped grow the 350-seat Momofuku Las Vegas into an $18-million-a-year juggernaut and one of the jewels in celebrity chef David Chang’s crown.

King said the Mikkeller Portland menu is still taking shape, but he envisions “straightforward classic barbecue fare with an Asian twist.”

His wife, Jamie King, is the force behind the bar programs at chef Michael Symon’s Las Vegas restaurants. Inside Mikkeller Portland, she was busy working as general manager and overseeing beverages at the pop-up, which features a full bar. The couple have moved to Portland to raise a family and eventually open their own restaurant.

The beer and food operations – what Huffman calls “a pop-up within a pop-up” – will run until December then shut down. In the meantime, Huffman and Bjergso – who was traveling and couldn’t attend the opening -- are working to bring the foreign brewery into Oregon with an eye toward a permanent restaurant and pub.

Bjergso started Mikkeller in Copenhagen more than a decade ago. Originally a homebrewer, he became a “phantom” brewer -- having no facility of his own but creating innovative beer recipes he employed other breweries to produce for Mikkeller. Bjergso draws inspiration from nontraditional sources -- chefs, coffee roasters or winemakers, for example – and the brewery’s beers are sought for their use of bold and unexpected ingredients, such as seaweed, licorice or truffles.

On Saturday, the turnout showed that Portland is curious – and excited. A line of people wrapped around the block before the 4 p.m. opening, and organizers had to turn many away at the door.

But for those who got in, it was worth the wait. Amelie Semechal and husband Tommy Poulin of Montreal were in Portland on vacation and heard about the opening. Poulin said he is a big Mikkeller beer fan, but this was his first time at a Mikkeller bar.

“It’s what you’re looking for in a beer,” Poulin said. “From what I’ve tasted, yeah, I can see why they’re considered some of the best beers in the world.”

IF YOU GO

After Saturday night’s grand opening, Mikkeller Portland is closed today then officially opens Monday. Hours are 5 p.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday; 5 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday; noon-1 a.m. Saturday; noon-midnight Sunday. Minors allowed until 9 p.m. Check the Chefstable website for more details.

WHAT’S ON TAP

Mikkeller Portland will have 16 Mikkeller taps and seven guest taps, including collaborations with area breweries such as Gigantic and Wolves and People. On Saturday, it had these 15 beers on tap, all brewed at Mikkeller’s San Diego brewery:

  • Passion Pool Sour
  • Chill Pils
  • Ripple Effect IPA
  • Sticky Times Cinnamon-Maple Hazy IPA
  • Building Blocks Kellerbier
  • Extra Yum Berliner Style Weisse
  • Gold Molars Belgian Strong Golden
  • Staff Magician Hazy Pale
  • Wicked Sik Spells IIPA
  • A Friend With Wheat Wheat [KG1] Wine
  • Beer Geek Brekkie Coffee Stout
  • Beer Geek Breakfast Oatmeal Stout
  • Beer Geek Brunch Stout
  • Beer Geek Maple Vanilla Shake BA Bourbon Stout

Check out Andre Meunier’s reviews of some beers pouring at Mikkeller Portland on Untappd and more content on Instagram.

PORTLAND BEER WEEK EVENTS

Now in its ninth year, Portland Beer Week features numerous events each day of its run. In addition to the kickoff party, some of the more prominent include:

  • Bean to Bar chocolate and beer fest. 1-5 p.m. Sunday, June 9; Iron Fireman Collective Building (4784 S.E. 17th Ave.); $25
  • Brewers Burger Brawl. 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., 1:30-3 p.m. Wednesday, June 12; Wayfinder Beer (304 S.E. Second Ave.); $35.
  • Snackdown, a competition pairing 10 chefs with 10 brewers. 1-4 p.m. Sunday, June 16; The Evergreen, above Loyal Legion (618 S.E. Alder St.); $49-$59.

Details: Venues, times and prices vary widely; some event tickets available at merctickets.com, others, as well as more details, available at pdxbeerweek.com.

-- Andre Meunier

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