Duality Brewing is one of our most anticipated openings of 2022, and a highlight of Portland’s nano brewery circuit.

5/15/2023 Update: Duality Brewing is now open to the public in NE Portland!

Just over a year after jumpstarting the nano-brewery Duality out of a repurposed shipping container in Northwest Portland, Michael Lockwood is getting ready to take his operation to the next level with the opening of a new brewery. This comes after a year of brewing up small batches of beers ranging from classic lagers and ales to hazy IPAs, to more unique beers that draw from his culinary background. Handling the brewing, packaging, and delivery, Lockwood’s highly creative beers have been well-received by the Portland craft beer community. 

Though he didn’t expect to open a full-scale brewing operation so soon, Lockwood is excited to seize the moment and take Duality to its next phase along with his wife and partner Alyssa LeCompte, who is the main creative brain behind the branding/labels and anything else visual. “I just wanted to get the project off the ground and see how it evolved. Once the summer hit, it became clear that I wanted and needed a larger space to give this thing a proper go.”  

At the moment there is no set open date, but Lockwood has secured a space in the Kerns neighborhood at 2555 NE Sandy Blvd and hopes to be serving and hosting people by late spring or early summer this year. The warehouse space will be divided up into mixed-use businesses with Duality positioned on the southeast corner.

“We had our eye on a couple of other spots in Kerns, one of which had been formerly rented by a friend and was managed by Guerilla Development. That space ended up not working out, but we met Kevin at Guerilla through the process, and he offered us a space in this new building they had just started working on. He had envisioned a brewpub going in this beautiful corner spot that checked all our boxes, so it felt like some sort of luck or divine timing,” says Lockwood. 

The 800-square-foot, four-barrel brewhouse will have seating for twelve people inside and about twenty outside, making it a spot destined for summer drinking. “I think the thing I am most excited about in the new space is the seamless flow between inside and outside. Lots of big windows and a large glass roll-up door will open up to a wooden deck,” says Lockwood.

Having worked as a professional chef at high-profile Portland restaurants like Kachka and Eem, Lockwood is planning to cook up a menu of small plates made with local ingredients that he describes as “low-maintenance but fresh and tasty. Rotating and affordable.” He is also planning to host dinner pop-ups once things get rolling.

As for the beer, Lockwood plans to keep producing the beers that have quietly made him one of the more exciting and adventurous brewers in Portland. Those who have been following Duality since it started have seen Lockwood dialing in his skills and continuing to improve. This includes his interest in fermenting and aging beer in barrels, which he plans to continue despite it being a modest space. 

In the meantime, you can follow Duality Brewing on Instagram to learn about new releases and get progress updates on the brewery opening. In addition to ordering beer directly, you can find Duality at select bottle shops around Portland. 

Read more about Duality Brewing: Duality Brewing keeps it Nano with DIY Approach to Culinary-inspired Beers