In The Groove: Portland Brewing’s Latest “Keep Portland Weird” Collab with Terry Currier

There are very few iconic phrases or landmarks in Portland that can rival those created by Terry Currier. He coined the term “Keep Portland Weird,” owns one of the nation’s best regarded record shops in Music Millennium (celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary), co-founded Burnside Distribution (record distro), and co-founded the Oregon Music Hall of Fame. And now has a new title – craft beer collaborator.

As part of Portland Brewing’s “Keep Portland Weird” series, they’re releasing a collaboration beer brewed with Terry, the aptly named In The Groove Black Vinyl Lager. “The first time we sampled this beer we were actually upstairs in the record shop, surrounded by the blues and jazz vinyl collection,” said Currier. “After just a sip, I knew that Portland Brewing had put a lot of great effort into making this beer. It’s easy drinking and also has a lot of subtlety to it.”

From the outset of the collaborative process, Currier asked that the beer be easy drinking, and not overly bitter or hoppy. The result is a dark lager, which presents soft roasty flavors of chocolate and caramel, but still cleary comes across as a lager. The beer is refreshingly light, finishes dry and crisp, and drinks as smooth as one would expect from any summer thirst quencher.

“After decades of tireless work supporting regional and local musicians we thought it was time for Terry to have a beer!” said Ryan Pappe, Head Brewer at Portland Brewing. “Creating a beer for a legend is no easy feat, but I knew I had to stick with vinyl records for inspiration. Records are smooth and vibrant black, and the sounds that come from my favorite albums are textured, warm, and always familiar.”

Portland Brewing will donate $4,500 of In The Groove’s proceeds to the Oregon Music Hall of Fame (OMHF), an organization that honors Oregonians who have made outstanding national, regional, or local contributions to the evolution and perpetuation of the music industry. OMHF also provides scholarships to college-bound high school seniors studying music, awards an Oregon-based artist of the year and album of the year, and annually selects bands, artists, and players for induction into the Hall of Fame.

It’s not easy following up their initial “Keep Portland Weird” beer, Unipiper Hazy IPA – a collaboration with Brian Kidd, founder of Weird Portland United, though it only seems natural to work alongside Currier who’s become such a central figure in Portland’s overall cultural scene.

In The Groove releases on draft to the public this Saturday, August 10, from 11:00am-6:00pm at Music Millennium’s 27th annual Customer Appreciation BBQ. Guests can enjoy complimentary beverages and food while enjoying live music from seven artists and bands. In The Groove will pour at the outdoor BBQ and music space, and on tap inside the record store. The canned version of the collab with be available later this month.

Learn more via the facebook event page, the Portland Brewing website, and the Music Millenium live shows page.