Beer, Wine & Spirits in Lake Oswego

Named Best Homebrew Store by Northwest Brewing News readers five times, FH Steinbart Co. has been outfitting aspiring homebrewers since 1918. A hops-hardened staff runs the oldest homebrew supply store in the country, connecting amateurs and experts with the raw ingredients and equipment to make smooth elixirs. Starter kits can spark a first attempt at fermentation, and resident draft experts can also help transform your fridge into a kegerator. FH Steinbart's extensive brewing classes teach students how ingredients affect the final product and let them witness the rare mating dance between hops and yeast as well as the stumbling walk of shame that follows.

Like a rainforest filled with still-undocumented species, Uptown Market stocks so many kinds of beers it feels like some of them haven't even been discovered yet. More than 850 varieties of beer are on display. The selection extends well beyond Oregon borders, with hundreds of microbrews from around the world available in kegs and bottles. Weekly visits from various breweries fill Uptown Market's calendar and customers' stomachs with complimentary tastings. On Sundays, the staffers host home-brewing classes. They have all the equipment required to start brewing your own beer, which is helpful since the government has decided to repeal the 21st Amendment next month.

In 2001, Thane Hawkins, an avid outdoorsman with an acute case of wanderlust, found himself absconding from a lucrative career in the visual-effects industry to the Willamette Valley, where the area’s signature pinot noir inspired him to start handcrafting his own red wines. Relationships with regional growers soon followed, as did a job backing fellow winemaker Chris Lubberstedt, who encouraged Hawkins to conjure his own robust creations. Born from a passion for Rhone- and Bordeaux-style varietals, Hawkins’ 2009 syrah, pinot gris, and sangiovese wines have won gold and silver medals from the Newport Wine Competition.

An emphasis on honoring each wine’s true character anchors the cellar's philosophy, and Hawkins only uses fresh, plump grapes from northwestern vineyards. This unwavering devotion ensures swirls and sniffs in the winery’s brand-new tasting room yield distinctive aromas informed by each wine's individual terroir.