Pelican Pub and Brewery

I have been spending a great deal of time touring places on the Oregon coast of late.  Something to do with dating an oceanographer I suppose.  My most recent trek was Northward along the coast to Rockaway Beach, where we joined Greg's sister, brother in-law, and nephew in an amazing house overlooking the ocean.  We took several days walking on the beaches, and enjoying the quiet of this off-season beach town while sipping meads and beers you can't get in Canada.  This, of course, came along with some incredible cooking - chicken braised in wine, broiled pork salads with sweet potato fries, and french toast with homemade plum jam.  When we finally were ready to roll ourselves out the door, we trekked South to check out the Pelican Pub and Brewery in Pacific City.

Situated right near the water, the restaurant sports lovely views, and an amazing lineup of creative beers both on tap and in the bottle.   Our first round brought us a bottle of Grand Cru de Pelican (2011).  This beer was a deep red in color, and sported a malty nose.  The flavor was equally malty with a touch of sweet caramel.  The finish was lightly spicy - cinnamon and nutmeg - with a hint of booziness like a tart liqueur.  I enjoyed the creamy mouthfeel, and the thick texture. 

 Left to right: MacPelican's Scottish Style Ale, Grand Cru de Pelican, Tsunami Stout

Later I teed off to try to Tsunami Stout.  This beer was also creamy, and was incredibly dark in color.  I have never tasted so bitter a stout!  The flavor was dark dark chocolate (like the 88% cacao kind), with strong espresso flavor intermingled.  This stout lived up to its name, and for me was a really fun sipping beer.

Greg got himself a MacPelican's Scottish Style Ale to go with his  turkey sandwich and beer-battered fries.  Brilliantly red in color, this beer was crisp and clear with strong malt flavors.  There were just enough hops to keep me interested (drinking beer in the PNW has spoiled me), and a rounded nuttiness that brought character to the flavor.  The finish was lightly grapefruit.  I really enjoyed this beer, and would certainly drink it ice cold on a hot day.

Not only were the beers wonderful, but the food was tasty and pretty.  See below Jodi's Soy-Lime Grilled Chicken Salad.

 Even Caius wanted to get in on the action, taking the knife from his dad to dig into the house-made donuts.

Two thumbs up to the Pelican - we had a great lunch, with some lovely beers.  I'd definitely go back again!