It is a near impossible Herculean task to pick one Portland beer bar as the best. It might be impossible to pick the best beer spot on SE Division. What with Apex and Beer Mongers across from each other.

Why is it hard? There are just a lot of places to visit and to visit enough that you can get a good read as to the atmosphere, the type of list changes, the staff attitude and myriad other reasons.

That being said, here is my personal countdown of Top 3 Portland Beer Bars: (As of right now & subject to change)

3. HOP & VINE
Nice amount of taps with a wide style variety. Then they have bottles too. The atmosphere is laid back and casual. Very coffeehouse chic. But what sets them apart is the beyond awesome back patio. An oasis in the city where you can let the cares of the world pass by as you drink your beer.

2. SARAVEZA
The decor is the best. I absolutely love the use of bottlecaps in the bar and in the tabletops. Great design work that must have taken a long time. Like its Killingsworth neighbor, the list is small and varied. Always interesting and not static. Their bottle selection in old school ‘fridges is drool worthy.

1. BELMONT STATION
Why are they # 1? Choice. An abundance of choice. For example, I walked in on a July day and found a Nebraska brewed beer WHILE I was drinking a beer from Astoria, Oregon! The bottle selection is tremendous. If it was brewed in Oregon, Belmont has it. Then you can hoard your find at the bar next door and probably run into one of their many events.

There are a lot of beer websites out there. Some work better than others. Obviously, I prefer mine but pintley.com is an intriguing entry.

It is still in the beta phase but from the little bit of playing around that I have done it is quite addicting. I am impressed by the graphics though they could probably stand to add more beers to their list. (I say that of everything except the encyclopedic RateBeer and Beer Advocate sites)

Here is what they say about themselves: “Pintley is a new kind of beer website—one that only recommends beer you’re sure to love.
Unlike other beer sites, Pintley doesn’t just know beer; it also knows you. Pintley learns from your ratings and tasting notes to understand exactly what pleases your palate the most, so you can be your own beer expert.

Personalized beer recommendations, tasting notes, and a vibrant community are just a click away. It only takes a few minutes to get started, and best of all, it’s free.”

So check it out and let me know what YOU think of the site. Does it work for you?

Thanks to one of my college buddies, Erika and the magic that is Facebook, I can bring you this interesting article from the great craft beer state of Colorado. Click HERE. (NOW)

OK, now that you have read the little blurb and have returned back here, HERE is the link to the really cool and intense map of Colorado beer.

I will certainly be using it when I go to Boulder in November.

Thanks to the alertness of Edward Beckford, here is the website for the upcoming Long Beach craft beer spot.

Congregation Ale House will be pouring this late summer and is a welcome addition to the LA Beer Scene. Hopefully they will add something to the upcoming LA Beer Week.

Thanks to the kind folks at Lazy Magnolia, I had the pleasure of a their Southern Pecan beer.

36 down and 14 to go!

A great way to stay involved and up to date in the world of Craft Beer is to follow (either on FaceBook, if that’s still cool, or on internal blogs) the small brewers guilds and associations that look out for the financial and legislative well being of their members.

Since I am LA based that means following the California beer news from The Small Brewers Association of California. Most people just want beer news. Where is the next festival? What new brewery opened? But part of being a dedicated supporter of well made beer is to pitch in your voice at the non-drinking level too.

Here are your marching orders…

1. Click HERE
2. Vote for ME! Sean of the Beer Search Party

Your push could shove me into the best canned craft beer festival in the country, Canfest 2010 in Reno, Nevada.

The Beer Babe has announced the topic of The Session #43 (Sept. 3) and “Welcoming The New Kids” challenges bloggers “to seek out a new brewery and think about ways in which they could be welcomed into the existing beer community.”