Eight Portland Area Breweries Face Off At Chili Con VI: Critical Bowl

You be the judge for the best brewery made chili and beer combos this Saturday, February 24th at Uptown Beer Co. at 6620 SW Scholls Ferry Rd. The fan favorite Chili Con is celebrating it’s sixth consecutive year from 3-6pm. Attendees will taste beer and chili from eight local breweries and vote for their favorites (and maybe even weigh in on if chili should have beans in it or not?) Tickets are limited and can be purchased for $45 at www.uptownbeer.co or at the pub. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Oregon Food Bank. 

Uptown Beer Co.’s Chili Con has invited eight Portland area breweries to bring a chili and beer pairing to be judged and voted on by ticket holders. Three titles will be awarded at the end of the event: Best Chili, Best Beer, and Best Pairing. This year’s competing lineup includes Block15, BinaryBrewing.co, Little Beast, Gigantic, TPK Brewing, StormBreaker, Level Beer, and Steeplejack. 

Chili Con IV: Critical Bowl will take place under Uptown Beer Co.’s covered patio and is ages 21+ only. The $45 ticket includes a commemorative pint glass, generous samples of all beer and chili entries, a pint of your favorite beer, and a donation to the Oregon Food Bank. There will be live music by Avi Haviv during the event. MidCity SmashedBurgers, named Big 7 Travel’s 4th Best Burger in America, will be showcasing their menu onsite as well. 

“I had such a great time at the Chili Con I went to five years ago, I got a job at Uptown as soon as I could,” says Uptown Beer Co.’s Beer Buyer, Robert Pouder, “It’s always so cool to see how the two ‘backs of house’ can come together and pair a beer with a chili.” 

Uptown’s Managing Partner, Josh Johnson exclaims, “As a giant nerd, it is always fun to put on Chili Con. Each year we up the ante of creating a memorable experience. The level of competitiveness between the breweries is getting higher and higher each year, I can't wait to see what everyone brings this year.”

Uptown Beer Co. is a pub and bottle shop built out of an old convenience store in SW Portland.  For over 12 years, it has offered a curated selection of thousands of craft beers, ciders, wines, and more. Their website, www.uptownbeer.co, keeps a live inventory of items for online purchase and pickup. With over 30 taps, 700 cans and bottles, ample dog friendly seating inside, and an all ages heated patio, Uptown Beer Co. is a neighborhood staple.