Jamie Hale/The Oregonian

The Oregon coast remains one of the premier destinations in the Pacific Northwest, and in recent years it's also become home to one of the best beer scenes around.



Along 135 miles of scenic highway between Astoria and Newport, you'll find more than a dozen craft breweries, each carving out its own niche. There are decades-old institutions making world-renowned ales, and tiny operations making experimental brews. Each adds its own unusual – and often unexpected – tastes to the region.



Here you'll find surprisingly solid red ales, a few incredible stouts and a good number of barrel-aged ales and sours. And while nearly everybody does an IPA (this is Oregon after all), the ubiquitous style takes a back seat to other, more interesting kinds of beer.



If anything defines the northern Oregon coast beer scene, it's the need for balance. Summer days call for something refreshing, while darker beer is a necessity come winter. Most breweries make that balance a priority, but a stubborn few still like to sing their own tunes, making sure you'll find something new to try no matter how many times you make a road trip down the coast.

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BUOY BEER COMPANY

First opened in 2014, Buoy Beer Company has quickly established itself as one of the best and most beautiful breweries on the Oregon coast, perched on a pier overlooking the Columbia River as it rolls toward the Pacific Ocean. Tall windows make the backdrop as big a feature as the beer, which includes Buoy's well-known Czech-Style Pilsner and IPA, alongside successful experimentations like the cucumber-infused Benedict Cumberbatch Gose. A full food menu focuses on seafood and sandwiches, but like most Oregon brewpubs, the emphasis is on the brew.



Where: 1 Eighth St., Astoria

Contact: buoybeer.com; 503-325-4540

Offers: Spacious brewpub with scenic views and full menu; opens at 11 a.m. daily

Beers to try: NW Red Ale, Benedict Cumberbatch Gose, Two Axes White IPA, Barrel-aged Decapitator

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FORT GEORGE BREWERY

Housed on the site of the original Fort Astoria (renamed Fort George by the British), Fort George Brewery opened in 2007 and has only grown since, expanding into the neighboring Lovell Taproom in 2010. February is the best time to visit Fort George, when the brewery hosts the enormously popular Festival of Dark Arts every year to celebrate its affinity for dark beer. In fact, Fort George dubs all of February "Stout Month," releasing some two dozen experimental stouts. Among this year's offerings, the Matryoshka clearly stood out – an Imperial Russian Stout that was barrel aged with raspberries and cocoa nibs – as did the sweet and delicious Fluffernutter dessert stout.



Where: 1483 Duane St., Astoria

Contact: fortgeorgebrewery.com; 503-325-7468

Offers: Full menu in spacious two-story brewpub with wide assortment of beer; opens at 11 a.m. Monday through Saturday, noon Sunday

Beers to try: Matryoshka, City of Dreams, any experimental dark beers

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REACH BREAK BREWING

Astoria's newest brewery, Reach Break Brewing opened in 2017, the venture of former marine biologist Josh Allison with his brother Jared and friend Finn Parker. The tiny taproom in downtown Astoria doesn't seat many, but on nice days outdoor seating is ample on a patio that's circled by food carts and shared with neighboring Reveille Ciderworks. Reach Break's absurdly delicious Magic Juice sour is flavored with tangerine and guava juice, and is perfect for a sunny day. On the other end of the spectrum, their Solstice stout is a great winter beer, heavy on the vanilla and coffee flavors that blend perfectly.



Where: 1343 Duane St., Astoria

Contact: 503-468-0743

Offers: Wide selection of beer in cozy taproom with ample outdoor seating; opens at noon daily

Beers to try: Magic Juice, Evolution of an IPA, Solstice Stout

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SEASIDE BREWING COMPANY

The big brick building that once housed Seaside's jail and City Hall is today home to Seaside Brewing Company, which opened in 2012 as a gathering place for locals, tourists, families and craft beer fans alike. You'll find plenty of seating in each of the brewery's two floors, where patrons can order from a full menu that ranges from breakfast to barbecue. Seaside Brewing focuses on the classic beers, with light experimentation to mix things up. The Shoga Ace ginger blonde is one of the best, made with Japanese hops and fresh ginger root.



Where: 851 Broadway St., Seaside

Contact: seasidebrewery.com; 503-717-5451

Offers: Drinkable brews and a full menu in a spacious brew pub; openS at 8 a.m. daily

Beers to try: Shoga Ace, Full Rip Red, Feel the Darkness

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PUBLIC COAST BREWING COMPANY

Cannon Beach has long deserved a big craft brewery, and in 2016 it got two: a new offshoot of Pelican Brewing and Public Coast Brewing, opened by Ryan Snyder of Martin Hospitality, which also operates the Stephanie Inn, Surfsand Resort and Wayfarer Restaurant in town. Unlike most breweries, Public Coast has counter service, where guests can also order from a modest menu of pub fare. Their IPAs are good, but several of their other beers suffer from flavors that taste artificial and overpowering. Still, the potential is there, and the space is primed for success.



Where: 264 E. Third St., Cannon Beach

Contact: publiccoastbrewing.com; 503-436-0285

Offers: Counter service in a well-designed space with outdoor seating; opens noon Thursday through Monday, closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Beers to try: Coastal Haze IPA, NW Red Ale, Oswald IPA

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DE GARDE BREWING

Perhaps the most experimental craft brewery on the coast, de Garde Brewing specializes in spontaneously fermenting, barrel-aged beers that are about as Old World as you can get. Owners Trevor and Linsey Rogers started the brewery in 2013, operating out of a small tasting room in the farmlands of Tillamook until the end of 2017, when they opened a beautiful new brewery downtown. De Garde has since become a beer geek's paradise: When we stopped by in February it was packed with Portlanders who showed up for a taste of their Elements of Composition, a limited release collaboration that featured the sweet, funky taste de Garde is known for.



Where: 114 Ivy Ave., Tillamook

Contact: degardebrewing.com; 503-815-1635

Offers: Funky, fruity wild ales in a gorgeous new taproom with outdoor seating; opens 3 p.m. Thursday and Friday, noon Saturday, 11 a.m. Sunday, closed Monday through Wednesday

Beers to try: Nectarine Cuvee, Kriek Premiere, Muscat Premiere

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PELICAN BREWING

Pelican Brewing is one of the most decorated breweries in Oregon, earning hundreds of awards over the last two decades, including 44 from the Great American Beer Festival alone. The brewery started in Pacific City in 1996, opening a pub right on the beach looking out at Cape Kiwanda and the central coast's own Haystack Rock. It's since expanded to pubs in Cannon Beach and Tillamook, but the Pacific City pub is still home base, pouring a wide variety of well-brewed beer. You can buy most in bottles at the grocery store, but there's something special about drinking a Kiwanda cream ale on tap.



Where: 33180 Cape Kiwanda Drive, Pacific City

Contact: pelicanbrewing.com; 503-965-7007

Offers: A wide variety of award-winning beers in a beachside brewpub; opens 10:30 a.m. daily

Beers to try: Kiwanda Cream Ale, Tsunami Stout, Umbrella IPA, Beak Breaker Double IPA

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RUSTY TRUCK BREWING COMPANY

It feels strange that a town as prominent as Lincoln City has only one local craft brewery, but Rusty Truck Brewing does an admirable job holding down the scene on its own. With a full restaurant and tiny adjacent taproom, the 8-year-old brewery lacks the luster of some of the other coastal operations, but its beer certainly holds up. Most brews are either classics or slight tweaks of a classic, like the Moonlight Ride Blackberry Ale or Cherry Chocolate Baltic Porter. When we visited, Rusty Truck was experimenting with its taproom pizza, hitting it out of the park with a smoked salmon and capers pie.



Where: 4649 S.W. Highway 101, Lincoln City

Contact: rustytruckbrewing.com; 541-994-7729

Offers: Good, drinkable beer in an auto-themed pub and taproom; restaurant closed for renovations, taproom opens 4 p.m. Friday, 11:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday through Thursday

Beers to try: Fender Bender Amber, Moonlight Ride Blackberry Ale, Cherry Chocolate Baltic Porter

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BEACHCREST BREWING COMPANY

The newest brewery on the Oregon coast, Beachcrest Brewing opened at the beginning of 2019, holding down a spot at the small Salishan shopping center in Gleneden Beach. Owners Amy and Matt White, jazz musicians from Denver, decided to break from the brewpub model and instead establish a community gathering spot where they can serve their solid batch of interesting brews. Their Mayan Mole Stout is a standout, with a strong, chocolaty body and a complex taste with a spicy kick. Deck seating will open up in the summer, and a nearby trail leads down to the beach.



Where: 7755 Highway 101, Gleneden Beach

Contact: beachcrestbrewing.com; 541-234-4013

Offers: Interesting beer in a comfortable taproom; opens 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, noon Saturday and Sunday, closed Monday and Tuesday

Beers to try: Mayan Mole Stout, Hoppy Beach Pale Ale, Honey Saison, Sea Storm Stout

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DEPOE BAY BREWING COMPANY

Housed inside The Horn Public House, right at the bridge leading over the "world's smallest harbor," Depoe Bay Brewing Company is another newcomer that seems primed for success. Helmed by head brewer Chris Jennings, the brewery began pouring in 2017, and has now built up a good selection of beers, primarily sticking with the most popular styles. The Moby Red Ale might be the best of the bunch, well-balanced and just complex enough to stay interesting through a couple of pints.



Where: 110 S.W. North Coast Highway, Depoe Bay

Contact: depoebaybrewing.com; 541-764-6886

Offers: Good variety of beer in a spacious pub overlooking the ocean; opens at 11 a.m. daily

Beers to try: Moby Red Ale, Sea Wash Wit Bier, Star Fruit Fennel Cream Ale

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ROGUE ALES

With nine pubs around Oregon and nearly 2,000 awards to its name, Rogue Ales has become an institution. While you can drink their famous Dead Guy Ale from taps around the world, Rogue's headquarters is still at its big 1989 brewery on the south side of Yaquina Bay in Newport. A wooden walkway leads through the rough-around-the-edges facility to an onsite pub, which has classic and seasonal beers on 40 taps. With so many different brews, you're best off just going with your gut. You can also get a tour of the brewery detailing Rogue's colorful history.



Where: 2320 S.E. Marine Science Drive, Newport

Contact: rogue.com; 541-819-0202

Offers: A wide assortment of beer in a classic Oregon brewery and pub; opens 11 a.m. daily

Beers to try: Straight Outta Newport, Rolling Thunder Imperial Stout, any seasonal

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WOLF TREE BREWERY

With a small brewery in Seal Rock and an even smaller taproom in South Beach just south of Newport, Wolf Tree Brewery is about as small-time as it gets. You can try their beer on the second floor of the Wilder Corner Building, right next to a new residential neighborhood at the Oregon Coast Community College. Wolf Tree specializes in barrel-aged ales and sours, balancing sweet and funky flavors. Their flagship is the unfiltered Spruce Tip Ale, and those same flavors are echoed in the excellent Rake the Forest Sour.



Where: 4590 S.E. Harborton St., South Beach

Contact: wolftreebrewery.com; 541-223-5766

Offers: Barrel-aged ales and sours in a tiny upstairs taproom; opens 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday

Beers to try: Spruce Tip Ale, Anchors Down Amber, Rake the Forest Sour

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OTHER CRAFT BREWERIES TO VISIT

Astoria Brewing Company, Astoria

Yet another operation in Astoria, with two adjacent taprooms and a varied selection of beer.

Details: astoriabrewingcompany.com; 503-741-3040; opens 11 a.m. daily



Hondo's Brew Pub, Astoria

A brewing supply store that pours small-batch beers in a small taproom that also sells bottled beer and wine.

Details: hondosbrew.net; 503-325-2234; opens 11 a.m. daily



McMenamins, Gearhart and Lincoln City

McMenamins' beer is plenty widespread, available at their Sand Trap Pub at the Gearheart Hotel and Lighthouse Brewpub in Lincoln City.

Details: mcmenamins.com; Gearhart: 503-717-8159, opens 7 a.m. daily; Lighthouse: 541-994-7238, opens 11 a.m. daily



Bier One, Newport

A casual Newport taproom that brews its own beer and kombucha.

Details: 541-265-4630; opens noon daily



Newport Brewing Company, Newport

A new brewery in Newport, scheduled to open April 1, 2019, alongside The Anchor, a full restaurant.

Details: newportbrewingcompany.com; 541-270-2484; not open yet



--Jamie Hale | jhale@oregonian.com | @HaleJamesB