If you live in Portland, there probably aren’t many reasons you would find yourself in the little town of Sherwood (population just over 19,000). That may be changing though, as the town – located about forty minutes southwest of Portland – seems to have a burgeoning beer scene. One of the newest members of that scene is Smockville Brewhouse, which opened this past November in Old Sherwood, right across the street from Cannery Square. If you’re wondering about the name, it comes from Sherwood’s original town name, coming from its founder James Smock. The town put itself on the map by producing many of the bricks that would be used to built up Portland. Smockville was opened as a partnership between local chef Shannon Johnson, who also owns Tree's Restaurant and Catering, and husband and wife Keith Laber and Erin Koenig. While Shannon brought her experience to curating a menu, Keith put his 16 years of homebrewing experience towards the beer. Currently, the brewery is “kind of a hybrid between home brewing and legitimate brewing,” according to Keith, who describes it as his “hobby gone wild.” He still maintains a day job while brewing beers on the nights and weekend. Interestingly, the brewery itself is a separate LLC named 12-11 and Smockville is sort of the exclusive carrier of its beer, at least for now. “My buddy Matt and I shared the same birthday, December 11, and years ago we always used to joke around about how cool it would be to open a brewpub and call it 12-11. The way that this place is structured is basically Shannon has her LLC and we have our LLC. I'm making the beer, so if we distribute, it would be under 12-11 Brewing. So it's basically 12-11 Brewing at Smockville Brewhouse,” says Keith.The brewery only started producing their own beer a few weeks ago and the lineup so far is fairly straightforward.“I like Northwest beers, I like the clean profile of Northwest beers. As far as any European beers, I'd probably do a Bavarian style or something like that. Otherwise I'm just such a Northwest kind of ale guy,” says Keith. The Flooded Basement Pale – a reference to Keith’s homebrewing days – is basic take on the style brewed mostly with Citra hops, with Centennial used as well. With Citra, Mosaic, Columbus and Cascade hopes, the Go Time IPA is tasty and crushable. The two wheat beers – Wee Bitta Wheat and the Courtside grapefruit wheat – are light and balanced with a touch of sweetness, while the light-bodied porter carried a nice smoky malt flavor. Besides brewing his own beer, Keith also seeks to enlighten his community to other Northwest breweries by curating a taplist that includes favorites from the likes of Breakside, Gigantic, Barley Brown’s and Sunriver among others.While the food menu mostly sticks to classic brewpub fare, Chef Shannon has elevated the offerings with an emphasis on local ingredients, which she says she will do even more as Smockville continues to grow into its own. The chili is classic and flavorful with a nice dollop of sour cream nestled right in the middle. One of the standout appetizers is the Filberts Hazelnuts, locally sourced and roasted and covered with a sweet and spicy rub. The appetizers on Smockville’s menu are notable for their simplicity yet big flavor. You can order a pint of bacon – literally bacon in a pint glass that comes smoky, peppered or candied, or savor other starters like the Golden Blue Mushrooms (plain and blue cheese stuffed), pickle spears (garlic or jalapeno), or bacon wrapped Brussels sprouts and beets, among others.

The menu is loaded with sandwiches like the pastrami, The Nibbler (smoked turkey, swiss, tomatoes on toasted Texas toast), smoked salmon, and sausages. On this writer’s visit the Smockville Burger was a major highlight. The patty was super juicy, sitting below a pile of caramelized porter onions, thick smoky bacon, and oozy sharp cheddar sauce served with housemade French fries.“We run through burgers faster than anything else here,” attests Keith.They also serve up more decadent entrees with a nice tinge of Northwest flavor, like N.W Cioppino (clams, mussels, shrimp, smoked Salmon, white fish in a spicy red broth with peppers and onions), smoked salmon, and fish and chips.Besides the food and beer, there is also an expansive patio that looks like it will be a proper hang in the summertime. Keith is excited about this and is quick to point out that the team has some plans. “In the summer we'll open up the patio. Shannon will be behind the grill and I'll be pouring up beers and we'll talk to people about food and beers. We'll also have some events out here.” Smockville is a new business that shows strong potential both in the food and the beer. There’s a good chance you’ll hear Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird”, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Gwen Stefani piping out of the speakers over the course of your meal, serving as a nice reminder that this ain’t Portland. But the unpretentious and laid back atmosphere is comfortable and casual. If you’re making a day out of it and hitting nearby breweries like Ancestry, Two Kilts, and Xylem Cider, Smockville is a worthy destination to stop for lunch and beer.Smockville Brewhouse, 22793 SW Pine Street, Sherwood, OR 97140