Bailey's Taproom

Bailey's Taproom was a beer bar in downtown Portland, Oregon, United States. The bar, which was established by owner Geoff Phillips in 2007, was a popular destination for craft beer tourism and garnered a positive reception. The bar had a second-floor sibling establishment called The Upper Lip, which was also known as Bailey's Upper Lip.[1][2] Both establishments closed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bailey's Taproom
Black and white illustration of a logo with the text "Bailey's Taproom"
Photograph of the exterior of a building
The bar's exterior, 2016
Restaurant information
Established2007 (2007)
ClosedFebruary 2021 (2021-02)
Owner(s)Geoff Phillips
Food typeBeer
Street address213 Southwest Broadway
CityPortland
CountyMultnomah
StateOregon
Postal/ZIP Code97205
CountryUnited States
Coordinates45.5225°N 122.6781°W / 45.5225; -122.6781
Websitebaileystaproom.com

Description

Bailey's Taproom was a beer bar in Southwest Portland's Trident building.[3] According to the travel guide Frommer's, Bailey's Taproom had large windows and prioritized Oregon beers. The space had a "handsome", minimalist decor[4] and hosted board games, darts, and regular events.[5] In her 2011 book "Cheap Bastard's Guide to Portland, Oregon", Rachel Dresbeck said the open space had an "industrial-chic feel" and allowed for "cheap and interesting" dates.[6] The bar offered 24 rotating taps and growler fills,[7] and allowed food to be ordered from nearby eateries.[8][9][10]

History
Photograph of the interior of a bar
The bar's interior in 2010

Bailey's Taproom opened in downtown Portland in 2007.[11][12] Owner Geoff Phillips drove to craft breweries to source unique kegs for the bar.[13] The formula was popular with locals and tourists.[13] The magazine GQ noted that it had a keg-tracking system that "ensure[d] you never get the dregs of the Northwest's best hops bombs."[14] Bailey's emphasis was on local and Oregon beers but also served some rare and unusual beers from California and Washington.[1][15] The business installed a beer engine in 2008.[16]

Bailey's began hosting CellarFest in 2010.[17] The bar also hosted a yearly Belgium-themed event called Belgianfest, and used the 2016 event "to launch the first of its Hausbier releases, a year-round series which begins with a Belgian lager from The Commons".[18] In 2017, Bailey's Taproom hosted the New Oregon Breweries Showcase, which featured eleven new Oregon breweries.[19] The bar also hosted Killer Beer Fest, the final event of Brewpublic's 9th Annual Killer Beer Week, which was held at various locations in the area.[20][21]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bailey's Taproom operated in Ankeny Square and via food delivery services.[22] In February 2021, Phillips announced the closure of Bailey's Taproom and The Upper Lip,[11][23][24] attributing the closures in part to the pandemic.[25] Bailey's had closed indefinitely in September 2020.[26] Christopher Bjorke of the Portland Business Journal called the business a "victim" and wrote,[27] "The popular pub known for the excellence of its beer selection could not survive the extended closure in a downtown area turned desolate by the pandemic."[28] Phillips sold the building[29] and reused some of the bar's furniture when he opened another bar named Level 3 later in 2021.[30]

Reception
Photograph of a beer in a glass
Pranqster Belgian Style Golden Ale

Julian Smith of travel guide Frommer's rated Bailey's Taproom with one star out of three, and said the bar's "constantly changing taps with an amazing range of brews helps rank this place above most Portland beer bars".[5] Portland Monthly said the bar was staffed with a "chipper cast of beer nerds" who could offer helpful suggestions; the magazine recommended the five-beer sampler tray and included Bailey's Taproom in a 2017 list of 20 "essential" Portland bars.[31][32] Michael Russell included both Bailey's Taproom and The Upper Lip in The Oregonian's 2014 and 2016 lists of the city's 10 best beer bars and 21 essential bars, respectively.[33][34] In his 2015 book The Best Beer in the World, Mark Dredge described Bailey's Taproom as "modern and cool" with a "superb" beer list.[35] Nathan Isaacs included Bailey's Taproom in U.S. News & World Report's 2017 list of seven "great" bars in Portland and said it "aims to cater to beer connoisseurs as well as uninitiated beer drinkers".[36]

Photograph of bottles lining window sills
Bottles lining the window sills, 2010

The Willamette Week named Bailey's Taproom one of the best bars in Portland on several occasions.[16][37] The business was a runner-up in the Best Beer Selection on Tap category in the newspaper's annual readers' poll.[38] Willamette Week also included Bailey's Taproom in a 2017 list of the "best Portland bars for hardcore beer geeks", citing it as downtown Portland's most-popular establishment of its type.[39] Martin Cizmar of the same outlet called the bar "vaunted",[40][41] and Matthew Korfhage included the bar in a 2018 list of "the 10 best and most iconic" beer bars in Oregon.[42]

Thrillist described Bailey's Taproom as a "well-worn PDX favorite".[8] The website's Alexander Frane included Bailey's Taproom in a 2017 list of the city's best beer bars, and wrote, "It's cramped and busy, especially on weekends, but Bailey's is the best beer bar downtown, with great beers and excellent service."[43] Pete Cottell included the bar in Thrillist's 2018 "beer drinker's ultimate guide to Portland" and wrote, "you simply won't find a bigger or better list of beers that are guaranteed to surprise even the most hardened beer snob."[44] Frane also included Bailey's Taproom and The Upper Lip in Eater Portland's 2019 list of 13 "stellar beer bars to hit in Portland".[45] In 2022, Janey Wong of Eater Portland called Bailey's Taproom "one of the city's best beer bars".[29] In 2020, Andy Giegerich of the Portland Business Journal called the bar a "Portland craft beer mecca" that he said was "known for its customer service, which included early adoption of the DigitalPour board".[46][lower-alpha 1]

See also

Notes
  1. Bailey's was the first bar to install the software DigitalPour.[47][48]

References
  1. DeBenedetti, Christian (26 April 2016). The Great American Ale Trail (Revised Edition): The Craft Beer Lover's Guide to the Best Watering Holes in the Nation. Running Press. ISBN 978-0-7624-6102-8. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  2. "Bar Guide 2014: Bailey's Taproom and Upper Lip". Willamette Week. 9 April 2014. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  3. Fehrenbacher, Lee (13 August 2012). "Former Church of Elvis Building in Portland has space for lease". Daily Journal of Commerce. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022. Over the years, the Trident has experienced many changes. It held the Nugget Restaurant beginning in 1939, the Nugget Beer Parlor beginning in 1943, and the Nugget Tavern beginning in 1953. The building was renovated in 2006 and now houses Bailey's Taproom on the ground floor.
  4. Dresbeck, Rachel (18 March 2014). Insiders' Guide® to Portland, Oregon. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-1-4930-0781-3. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  5. "Bailey's Taproom in Portland OR - Nightlife | Frommer's". Frommer's. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  6. Dresbeck, Rachel (22 November 2011). Cheap Bastard's® Guide to Portland, Oregon: Secrets of Living the Good Life--For Less!. Rowman & Littlefield. ISBN 978-0-7627-7578-1. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  7. "Where to Get Crowlers in Portland". Willamette Week. March 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  8. "Bailey's Taproom". Thrillist. 5 October 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  9. McCollom, Hollyanna (14 May 2019). Moon Portland. Avalon Publishing. ISBN 978-1-64049-368-1. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  10. Cioletti, Jeff (1 August 2016). Beer FAQ: All That's Left to Know About The World's Most Celebrated Adult Beverage. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 978-1-61713-675-7. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  11. Goldberg, Jamie (6 February 2021). "Bailey's Taproom, one of Portland's best beer bars, closes for good". The Oregonian. Advance Publications. ISSN 8750-1317. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  12. "Bar Guide 2013: Listings A-Z". Willamette Week. 24 April 2013. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
  13. Bernstein, Joshua M. (8 November 2021). "Last Call for the Beer Bar?". The New York Times. ProQuest 2595305662. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2022 – via ProQuest. Geoff Phillips founded Bailey's Taproom in downtown Portland, Ore., in 2007, driving to breweries to bring unique kegs to the bar. His extra-mile effort drew locals, tourists and neighborhood workers, but the pandemic turned the area into a ghost town, Mr. Phillips said. Uncertain of the neighborhood's recovery, he sold the building, permanently closed Bailey's last fall and is focusing on Level Beer, a Portland brewery that he helped open in 2017.
  14. DeBenedetti, Christian; Bostwick, William; Sullivan, Eric (October 2012). "The Pursuit of Hoppiness". GQ. Vol. 82, no. 10. ISSN 0016-6979. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022 – via EBSCOHost.
  15. Morrison, Lisa M. (2011). Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest: A beer lover's guide to Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 36. ISBN 9781604690897. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  16. "Where to Get Proper Cask Ales Inside and Outside Portland". Willamette Week. 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  17. Yaeger, Brian (1 December 2014). Oregon Breweries. Stackpole Books. ISBN 978-0-8117-1211-8. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  18. "Beer Hall: Fire and Brimstone, Belgian Fest, and the Bodhizafa Victory Lap". Willamette Week. 11 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  19. "Six highlights from beer week". The Oregonian. 10 June 2017.
  20. "Strip Club Haunted House, Killer Beer Fest and 12 Other Things To Do the Week of October 25–31". Willamette Week. 25 October 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  21. Cotner, Meg (18 October 2017). "Portland Area Food Events, October 19–26". Bridgetown Bites. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  22. Nanbu, Seiji (31 March 2020). "How to Get Booze Delivered to Your Door in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 23 November 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  23. Prewitt, Andi (5 February 2021). "Bailey's Taproom Has Permanently Closed Its Doors Following a Temporary Closure". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 9 February 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  24. Bjorke, Christopher (8 February 2021). "Longtime downtown beer hall makes pandemic shutdown permanent". Portland Business Journal. American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on 8 February 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  25. Jackson-Glidden, Brooke (14 September 2020). "Elephants Delicatessen's Specialty Market Pioneer Elaine Tanzer Has Died". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  26. Prewitt, Andi (14 September 2020). "Beloved Downtown Beer Bar Bailey's Taproom Has Closed Its Doors Indefinitely". Willamette Week. Archived from the original on 6 April 2021. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  27. Bjorke, Christopher (15 September 2020). "Five Things for Tuesday, including grounded flights and a big layoff". Portland Business Journal.
  28. Bjorke, Christopher (8 February 2021). "Five Things for Monday, including a beloved beer hall is gone for good". Portland Business Journal.
  29. Wong, Janey (20 January 2021). "Portland's Restaurant, Bar, and Food Cart Closures". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  30. "Level Beer Holds Grand Opening for a Buckman-Kerns Location". Willamette Week. 15 October 2021. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  31. "Bailey's Taproom". Portland Monthly. ISSN 1546-2765. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  32. "20 Essential Portland Bars". Portland Monthly. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  33. Russell, Michael (23 September 2014). "Portland's 10 best beer bars: Bar Tab". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  34. Russell, Michael (26 August 2016). "Portland's 21 essential bars". The Oregonian. Archived from the original on 6 March 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  35. Dredge, Mark (8 October 2015). The Best Beer in the World: One man's globe search for the perfect pint. Ryland Peters & Small. ISBN 978-1-911026-35-8. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  36. Isaacs, Nathan (8 September 2017). "7 Great Bars in Portland". U.S. News & World Report. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  37. "A Portland Walking Tour of "My Own Private Idaho"". Willamette Week. 11 October 2016. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  38. "Best of Portland Reader's Poll 2016: The Complete List of Winners". Willamette Week. 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 6 January 2019. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  39. "The Best Portland Bars for Hardcore Beer Geeks". Willamette Week. March 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022. Bailey's Taproom is still the best and most popular beer bar in downtown Portland, with 25 hand-selected taps stocked with the rarest, newest and most-desirable pours. Explore during off-peak hours—that's when the knowledgeable staff have time to lead you to the right pour on the digital taplist, and when you won't have to box out newcomers eyeing your table for the burritos delivered from Santeria across the alleyway.
  40. "East Portland Now Has a Huge Barn Brewery, Greenhouse and Beer Patio". Willamette Week. 26 July 2017. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  41. "The Massive Covered Patio at East Portland's Level Beer is the Best Place to Be on a Sunny, Chilly Day". Willamette Week. 12 March 2018. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  42. "The 10 Best and Most Iconic Beer Bars in Oregon". Willamette Week. 2 March 2018. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  43. "The Best Beer Bars in Portland". Thrillist. 9 April 2014. Archived from the original on 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  44. "The Beer Drinker's Ultimate Guide to Portland". Thrillist. 12 September 2018. Archived from the original on 3 December 2021. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  45. Frane, Alex (22 March 2019). "13 Stellar Beer Bars to Hit in Portland". Eater Portland. Archived from the original on 22 December 2022. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
  46. Giegerich, Andy (14 September 2020). "Bailey's Taproom, a Portland craft beer mecca, to close through the pandemic". Portland Business Journal. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  47. "Best Up-to-the-Minute Craft Beer Menu". Chicago Reader. 25 June 2014. ISSN 1096-6919. Archived from the original on 11 January 2023. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  48. Bernstein, Joshua M. (29 April 2015). "Craft Beer Trends to Look Out for in 2015". Bon Appétit. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
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