Arch Bridge Taphouse 11th Archiversary of the Oregon City craft beer renaissance
Arch Bridge Taphouse that helped revive Oregon City’s craft beer scene, is turning 11.
Beer bars and bottle shops can be found pretty much everywhere around the Pacific Northwest, but it takes a certain level of comfort, curation, community, and culture to make a truly great one. You could call this the 4-C formula of a great beer bar and bottle shop. There are loads of places that possess one or more of these. However, only a select handful truly exemplify all of four Since opening in 2015, the little beer bar and bottle shop named after the signature bridge that crosses over the mighty Willamette River just feet from its door has brought all of the Cs together.
Beer lover Gene Gilgorea established Arch Bridge Taphouse in Oregon City’s historic Bank of Commerce building with the intention of bringing some of their favorite beers to their small town in Portland’s backyard and hopefully making it past the one-year mark. “We were so new to this, I think we were just hoping to make it through our first lease! Most of our expectations revolved around breweries we wanted to get on tap, and what we could do to make that happen. I remember getting [Block 15] Sticky Hands was high on the list,” reflects Gilgorea, who originally opened Arch Bridge with Todd Gienger before assuming sole ownership in 2023.
Todd Gienger (left) and Gene Gilgorea (right)
Now, over a decade in, Arch Bridge is gearing up to celebrate their eleventh anniversary. During that time, their small and cozy bar has become not just a local mainstay, but a favorite for beer lovers around the state who consistently stop in. This may be due to the laid back vibe, friendly bartenders, the always-spinning vinyl records that give the bar its soundtrack of punk, indie and classic rock,, or the fact that one of only four municipal elevators in the world is stumbling distance from the bar (and it sure is fun to ride after a couple of beers). This is the kind of place where you want to sip a beer while watching the rain fall on a gray winter day or kick back on a lazy Sunday afternoon while the summer sun washes over the tap room. You get comfortable and next thing you know, hours have gone by, and you find yourself thinking how freaking nice it would be to live just around the corner. The regulars who stop in each day as well as those of us who go out of our way to stop in can all attest to this. These are the hallmarks of a top-notch beer bar.
At the core of Arch Bridge’s magic is a taplist and to-go selection that consistently wows, the result of a passion and obsession on the part of collective curation by Gilgorea, and bartender and “taplist artist” Franny Lewis. There may not be an exact formula to pulling off a taplist that consistently excites all kinds of beer drinkers, but it takes a deep knowledge and dedication. This has been one of the biggest draws for Arch Bridge throughout the last eleven years.
“I probably spend too much time thinking about it and tweaking lineups, but it’s really important to me to have a taplist that is exciting, and has something for everyone,” says Gilgorea before adding, “Ideally I want to have some balance to my list. Of course you need lots of hoppy things, and we are known for having a nice sour selection so we keep a few of those on, but for the other spots on the tap list, that might be the only thing representing that flavor profile so I need to make sure they are outstanding beers. Honestly there is no secret, I just find breweries I really like, and buy whatever they make.”
If you’ve never spent time at Arch Bridge, a quick look at their Instagram confirms that this isn’t your average beer bar but rather one that is run by true beer nerds. On any given day you will find an almost perfect balance of hazy and west coast IPAs, crispy lagers, classic styles, and rare barrel-aged offerings from Oregon and beyond. So much variety seems like an easy sell with today’s craft beer drinkers, but that wasn’t the case when Arch Bridge opened eleven years ago and Gilgorea knew there would be some risks involved. It was here that he cultivated the vibe and community of Arch Bridge.
“When we opened, we knew that we would be introducing styles and breweries that not everyone in this community was familiar with, so we wanted to make sure we took time to answer questions, give samples and create an environment that encouraged people to push the boundaries of their craft beer journey. Another challenge we faced coming in as a couple of industry nobodies, it took a while before we could even get the beer we really wanted. Luckily we found some folks along the way who believed in what we are doing and helped us get our hands on some pretty incredible beers early on.”
During its eleven years, the bar has become a part of the community, one that has grown both in population and in terms of eclectic brewery offerings. Just down the street you can find the bustling Oregon City Brewing Company.While Arch Bridge becoming a destination beer bar has certainly been a contributor to Oregon City’s beer scene, Gilgorea sees it as a rising tide lifting all boats. “The beer scene here has grown incredibly in the last eleven years. In addition to the new breweries and taprooms that have opened, I see more craft beer on taps at neighborhood bars and restaurants as well! There are also a wider variety of styles being served all over. I recall early on we were known around town as the place that had those weird sour beers, and now the folks down the road at Oregon City Brewing have won multiple awards for their sour program.”
Arch Bridge has always made some significant and welcome changes recently, most notably with the expansion of their taproom to include additional seating, darts, and space that is often occupied by local bands playing bluegrass, Grateful Dead tunes, and other music. The bar has also taken food matters into their own hands, initially launching with a small menu of smash burgers, fries, and tots before adding a handful of sandwiches made with high-quality ingredients. Gilgorea is especially proud of the smashburger made in-house with an attention to detail that is earning it a strong cult following. There will even be a special sandwich for the party with a housemade chicken patty slathered in red and green pesto.
As is tradition, the Arch Bridge team worked with one of their favorite breweries (helmed by proud Oregon City residents, no less!) to create a speical anniversary collaboration. The Grand Fir Brewing beer is a 7.3% West Coast IPA with Simcoe, Citra and Nectaron and dry-hopped with Simcoe Cryo, Citra Cryo and Nectaron.
“We decided to call it Cornucopia because it turns out group of slugs is called a cornucopia of slugs. Whitney and I are both big fans of banana slugs, so it just seemed to fit. The brew day and dry hopping smelled incredible and I really can't wait to try the final product,” says Gilgorea. “They are making such outstanding beer, and their IPAs in particular are on a different level right now. Whitney and Doug are just the best people you could ever meet, and they have always been so kind and supportive of our silly little taproom.”
When looking back on the last eleven years, Gilgorea is quick to say it has been a blur before showing his true colors as a beer nerd. “I mostly remember ‘beer milestones’ like our first Cantillon keg (Fou’ Foune), getting Pliny the Elder for the first time was a big moment. I remember our first big pre-opening line for Bourbon County Rare was a pretty cool feeling. Archiversary 3 when we had a line clear to the elevator was awesome (and stressful).”
On Saturday, April 25th, Arch Bridge will celebrate yet another beer milestone with its Archiversary blowout featuring a massive taplist of sought-after brews. If you can’t pick up on the team’s excitement from the Spinal Tap-themed posters (photoshopped posters are a favorite way to get the word out about events at Arch Bridge) plastered around their taproom and social media feed, Gilgorea shares his own thoughts on what to expect.
“The biggest challenge in throwing these events every year is trying to top the taplist from previous years. I don't know if this one is "better" than last year but it's pretty epic already, and there are a few beers I am giddy about!!,” says Gilgorea.
This year they will also have a bottle pour station with some ridiculous pours Like; Quadruple Barrel ADWTD, Double Barrel Darkstar, Rusty Nail & BBOMB, Cantillon, Drie Fontenin, de Garde, and whatever else they can find in the cellar that excites them.
Arch Bridge Taphouse 11th Archiversary
Saturday, April 25th, 2-10pm
Arch Bridge Taphouse, 205 7th St, Oregon City, OR 97045
