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Pelican Pub and Brewery opens on the oceanfront at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City
News-Times Newport, Oregon - June 19, 1996
Just 20 minutes north of Lincoln City, on the oceanfront at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City, is the coast's newest restaurant and microbrewery.
Within breath taking proximity of Haystack Rock, Pelican Pub & Brewery "is the perfect place to gather with friends after a day on the beach, or to watch the power of a winter storm".
Owned by Nestucca Ridge Development, Inc., the Pelican opened its doors on May 4 and "we hit the ground running," said Bob Houston, V.P. of Nestucca Ridge Development.
The establishment features a family dining area, a pub area and an in-house microbrewery. Outside patio seating is also available, and alongside the patio is a sand volleyball court.
Pelican Pub & Brewery is located in a 16 year old brick and wood beam building that has been, among other things, a pizzeria, a beach bike rental shop and a kite shop.
"It took a lot of remodeling," said Houston. While coastal weather naturally sandblasted the exterior of the building, workers were brought in to do the same to the 4,400 square foot interior. The process left sparkling clean brick and natural wood beams. The developers complimented this by leaving the original cement floors, retrofitting new windows and using cherrywood-stained furniture and trim with warm color accents.
Central to the pub is a long, gracefully curved cherrywood-stained bar, uniquely topped with etched copper and covered with clear epoxy. The bar can comfortably seat a dozen customers.
The pub area seats 70, and the family dining area, which has its own separate entrance, can seat 50. The patio can accommodate additional 30 customers.
In full view of the pub, beyond a curved glass wall, is the 15-barrel copper-clad brew house. According to the head brewer Darron Welch, the system was custom made for The Pelican by The Pub Brewing Company of San Francisco.
Unique to the Pelican Brewery is the cooling of the beer to near-freezing temperatures for periods of two to four weeks or longer. It is a method the Germans call lagering.
"It's what sets our beers apart from others," said Welch, "Our beers are spicier than the average lager, smoother than the average ale."
The Pelican Pub and Brewery's house brews include:
- Kiwanda Cream Ale - "Light in color with a spicy and floral hop aroma, a malty sweet flavor and a mild smooth finish."
- Heiferweizen - Wheat brew with "gentle, mellow flavor."
- MacPelican Scottish Ale - Coppery amber in color and features a rich, malty aroma; the malty flavor is balanced with Willamette hops and a touch of roasted barley to add a little 'snap' to the flavor and finish."
- Doryman's Dark Ale - "A brew to be savored; the sweetness of the ale and crystal malts blend beautifully with the assertive flavors of Cascade and Mt. Hood hops."
- Tsunami Stout - "Specially blended hops combine with flaked barley to give this brew a full body and dense creamy head; it'll "blow you over" with it's midnight black color and rich, dark-roasted aroma."
In addition, Welch is adding a sixth brew, "PelicanPilzner", a beer with the full-length lager treatment.
The house brews at the Pelican go straight from serving tanks to in-house taps. Pelican brews are available to take home in a "Growler", a one-liter bottle or in other containers by the ounce. The brews can be filled in kegs, and are served in many area restaurants and bars. Pelican brews are also available in 22 oz. bottles, which can be purchased at the Pelican Pub & Brewery and at local grocery stores.
The Pelican pub and Brewery also hosts several "guest" beers and a selection of Northwest wines.
Welch, originally from Eugene, is a self-taught, eight-year home brewer. He has worked at Appleton Brewing Company, a small microbrewery in Appleton, Wis., where he learned "all phases of production on a larger scale".
Welch calls his new position at the Pelican, "a dream come true for me; here I am, happily making beer."
Generous portions of lunches and dinners at the Pelican include snacks, appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches, burgers and "hand-crafted" pizzas. Notable, said manager, Kate Rau, are the house fish and chips, made from fresh ling cod caught by local dory fisherman.
Bob Houston, Vice President of Nestucca Ridge Development, Inc., said, "We wanted this to be the focal point of the growth here, to give people who come here somewhere to gather."
Along with the Pelican Pub and Brewery, the Development Company has also created nearby residential communities of Nestucca Ridge and Shore Pine Village, as well as plans for a new hotel, the Inn at Cape Kiwanda, adjacent to Pelican.
Asked about naming the pub and brewery after a pelican, magnificent though it is, "People are tired of 'the rock.' We wanted a name tied to the area, but one that was diverse and different."
The pelican "is something everyone can identify with" continued Rau, and the business itself "is comfortable, bright and friendly. I'm excited people are comfortable to come in here right off the beach."
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Brewery Tour
