John Foyston

History by the glass: Mike McMenamin, Alan Sprints, Brian McMenamin. Photo: John Foyston BOLD DECEIVER, the IPA brewed for the 39th anniversary of McMenamins Barley Mill Pub on June 25, contains no fewer than 57 ingredients – 63, actually, should you be a stickler and count barley, hops, yeast and water, the only four allowed by Reinheitsgebot, the ancient Bavarian beer purity law.

Oregon’s brewing industry is robust and growing, with nearly 300 breweries, hundreds of pubs and taprooms, and legions of fans thirsty for its hoppy, craft-brewed beers. But all that great beer had to start somewhere, so it’s instructive to put that pint down for a while and tour the new exhibit at the Oregon Historical Society that details the 200-year history of Oregon brewing.

John John Foyston is Oregon's longest serving beer writer, and wrote a weekly beer column for The Oregonian until just recently. His work has appeared on CNN, and in Beer Connoisseur, Celebrator Beer News, Oregon Beer Growler, Mix Magazine and other publications and will occasionally appear on these pages, at least until Angelo and DJ get tired of him too...He can be followed on Twitter at @beerherejohnny.