Eugene brewery scene sees changes

QuickTake:

McKenzie Brewing Company has reestablished itself in its tasting room adjacent to Kennedy's Steakhouse, while Viking Brewing Company recently closed its Southtowne Pub location on Willamette Street after seven years of operation.

McKenzie Brewing Co., a staple of Eugene’s brewery scene since 1991, is pouring beers again in a room adjacent to Kennedy’s Steakhouse.

The steakhouse, at the corner of Pearl Street and Fifth Avenue, is located in what was formerly Steelhead Brewery, which was Eugene’s first full-service craft beer location with on-site brewing. McKenzie Brewing, which was established as a separate business in 2014, brewed the beer for Steelhead.

On March 10, 2024, Steelhead Brewing closed its doors after the owner sold it and the associated McKenzie Brewing to Mark Byrum, a restaurateur who also owns the Gordon Tavern and Carlita’s through his company Urban Restaurant Group.

McKenzie Brewing’s tasting room opened in December in the spot that was formerly seating for Steelhead.

“Kennedy’s Steakhouse is on one side, and then the McKenzie tasting room operates on its own,” said Paige Sarles, who provides concierge and event management for Kennedy’s and the restaurant group. “We’re keeping the McKenzie Brewing name alive by having this space and having the beer here. The beer is still brewed in the back, just like it was for Steelhead.”

bar and taps at McKenzie Brewing tasting room — The McKenzie Brewing tasting room has six beers on tap. Credit: Vanessa Salvia / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

inside the McKenzie Brewing tasting room at 5th and Pearl — The McKenzie Brewing tasting room has six beers on tap. Credit: Vanessa Salvia / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Visitors can expect an elevated tasting room experience, with the same white tablecloths and folded napkins that grace the tables in Kennedy’s Steakhouse set up here, too. Six taps pour McKenzie Brewing’s beers, from a light Mexican lager made with corn and fresh lime zest to the Twisted Meniscus IPA, a moderately strong IPA at 6.3% alcohol that gives a fresh pine and hop bite. Other beers on tap for early summer include a Hazy IPA, Raging Rhino Red Ale, and two summery sippers: Hazy Hefeweizen and Lyte Lager, which is brewed to be similar to Coors or Bud Light. Patrons can also get wines by the glass or bottle.

McKenzie Brewing is serving a more casual menu than Kennedy’s Steakhouse but includes some Kennedy’s items. For instance, Kennedy’s French Onion Soup is available at the tasting room, as is the Spicy Fried Shrimp with sriracha aioli.

Instead of the lobster mac and cheese available from Kennedy’s, diners at the tasting room can opt for a lobster and shrimp roll with hand-cut fries, or a wedge salad with Dungeness crab. Other items include Halibut Tacos and a Chicken Bacon Club on a challah bun with a chicken breast and candied pork belly.

chicken club sandwich from McKenzie Brewing tasting room — The Chicken Club sandwich from McKenzie Brewing’s tasting room. Credit: Vanessa Salvia / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

the bar and table at McKenzie Brewing tasting room. — The Chicken Club sandwich from McKenzie Brewing’s tasting room. Credit: Vanessa Salvia / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

The tasting room’s hours are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily, and the space is available for use in the evenings for private parties. Minors are welcome in the tasting room at all times.

“We’ll book it as a private space for people to have a dining experience in here, separate from Kennedy’s, or just as extra room within the restaurant if it’s a busy night,” Sarles said.

McKenzie Brewing is also offering a lunch and brewery tour led by brewer Mike Allen. Allen’s beers have won multiple awards.

Want to go?

McKenzie Brewing Co.
https://mckenziebrewing.com
199 E. Fifth Ave.
541-246-1718

Viking Brewing location plans to close

Viking Brewing Co. posted on its Instagram account June 9 that the last day of service at its second location, the Southtowne Pub at 2490 Willamette St., was June 21. The statement, from Viking Brewing owner Jonna Threlkeld, said, in part, “When we opened the pub in May of 2018, I could never have imagined what an epic journey lay ahead of us. We were Viking Braggot, a little warehouse brewery with a strange name and different style of brewing, excited to bring our brews to South Eugene and share our love of honey ales with the neighborhood.

Closure sign on the door of Viking Brewing. Credit: Vanessa Salvia / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Exterior of Viking Brewing — Closure sign on the door of Viking Brewing. Credit: Vanessa Salvia / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

When Viking Brewery first opened in an industrial outpost in west Eugene in June 2013, it was known as Viking Braggot, a nod to the type of beer it specializes in. Braggot is a style of beer that is made with honey, similar to meads, along with malted barley, similar to traditional beers. Vikings, those seafaring Norse folk from Scandinavia, surely did drink both beer and mead, and likely also combined honey and barley to make the braggot, which Viking Brewing owners maintain is one of the world’s oldest fermented beverages.

Viking Brewing’s original location at 520 Commercial St. will remain open.