Did we really make it? The last day of the 50 in 50, and we visit our 50th brewpub? Yes. Yes, we did!
A few months ago, with about ten pubs left to go, we decided we should make sure we prioritized special pubs in the time that was left. Of course, there was also the reality of limited travel and accessibility due to Covid, so we figured we'd focus on places within an hour of home. Finally, we thought we should choose a memorable or favorite place for #50, so we planned to go to Gilgamesh in Salem, a favorite for its beer and ambiance, with a patio overlooking Pringle Creek.
Apparently it had been some time since we were there, though, and in our preliminary research, we realized they now had an outpost in West Salem (that served brunch!) as well as one in Independence, which is about halfway between Corvallis and Salem.
So we had to decide between (1) returning to an old favorite, (2) getting brunch, or (3) a shorter trip. Brunch won the day.
We also planned to meet up with our friends Heather and Mark, who had recently been overtaken in the Friends of the 50 in 50 challenge by Vicki (5 to 4). This visit meant it ended in a three-way tie with five visits each. Well done, all!
While "The Woods" is a gross misnomer, situated as it is in a shopping center at the corner of two busy roads, even a bland, commercial patio couldn't distract from the superb brunch food and incredible beer selection they had. Websites don't always have the most up to date tap list, and in this case, I was just as glad they didn't. For although I like Gilgamesh's creative tea-based beers (Mamba, with black tea and bergamot, and DJ Jazzy Hef, with Jasmine tea), I was overjoyed to see three intense stout options: Hobo Cake, with German Chocolate cake and caramel flavors, covered with about a half-inch of thick whipped cream, and topped with an amerena cherry (smaller, more intense, and way better than a maraschino); I Did it all for the Cookie, a Gingersnap cookie Milk Stout; and Shalom Y'all Coffee Stout, with Turkish coffee, vanilla, and cardamom (made for an excellent Israeli street food hole in the wall in Portland).
I got the Hobo Cake and C got the Cookie (also very tasty, with a great balance of the ginger and chocolate flavors). I liked it so much, and hey, it's my pre-birthday celebration, that I decided to get another, even though (or possibly because) it was 13.9% alcohol. (No, I didn't drive home.)
For brunch I got the Red Cedar Scramble, with bratwurst, red peppers, tomatoes, and eggs, and C got the Tree Hugger Toast, a souped-up avocado toast, with bacon and poached eggs. It was quite chilly outside, but we were able to be in the sun most of the time, and dressed very warmly.
I've told a number of people now that Hobo Cake may be the best beer I've ever had. That may not be strictly true, but it's certainly in the top 5 of most memorable.
Speaking of rankings, we're likely to have a few more posts going forward summarizing our experiences and identifying our favorites. We also still need to document our hiking miles. But the goal(s) have been achieved! Now we can just chill.
https://www.gilgameshbrewing.com/thewoods
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