Sitting in the heart of the Willamette Valley, Corvallis is home to an exciting craft beer scene. Over the years, numerous award-winning brewers have enrolled in the renowned fermentation sciences program at Oregon State University, for instance, with many of those graduates putting in time at breweries around town or eventually opening their own outposts around Corvallis. And local breweries routinely source ingredients—hops, wheat, and more—from nearby farmers and producers.
But our craft beer scene isn’t just about breweries; we happen to host several creative taprooms, as well, that pour tasty ales and lagers from producers all over the world. Within just a few blocks, for instance, you can enjoy a taste of Germany, sample some of Belgium’s best beers, and even get whisked away to the mythical Middle Earth while enjoying locally made suds.
So if you’d like to sit down with a pint in a fun environment, here are four creative taprooms that showcase the best of the vibrant craft beer scene in Corvallis.
When most of us watched the “Lord of the Rings” film trilogy or read the classic books by J.R.R. Tolkien, we not-so-secretly fancied a pint at The Green Dragon Inn (a boisterous pub featured in the “Lord of the Rings” books and films, as well as “The Hobbit”). Fortunately, the prayers of beer geeks and Tolkien fans alike have been answered with the arrival of Treebeerd's Taphouse in downtown Corvallis.
The pub opened in 2019 and pours roughly three-dozen beers, ciders, and even the occasional mead; most of those selections are produced in the Willamette Valley, and the rest are brewed throughout the Pacific Northwest. All the classic styles are accounted for here—from a heavy selection of stouts and porters in winter to crisp lagers and IPAs in the warmer months. The pub does its best to evoke Middle Earth with a wooden bar and tabletops, "Lord of the Rings"-inspired artwork, and even shrubbery to make you feel like you’re kicking back in the Shire.
Mere steps from the Willamette River, you'll find The Bière Library—which finds several creative ways to showcase a taste of Belgium.
First, the beer: At any given time, you'll find roughly 30 Belgian beers on tap or in the cooler—including Trappist and abbey ales, farmhouse ales, sour and wild ales, and more; this represents not just one of the largest selections of Belgian beer in Corvallis, but perhaps the largest anywhere in Oregon. And even if Belgian beers aren't your thing, you'll find plenty of lagers, IPAs, sour ales, and more from Pacific Northwest producers—alongside occasional offerings from throughout the United States or even Germany.
Hungry? The food menu features a variety of Belgian street-food favorites (including frites!), along with soups, stews, charcuterie boards, and more.
Block 15 Brewing is Corvallis’ most award-winning brewery—and is perhaps its best-known, thanks in part to its lupulin-heavy, citrus-tinged Sticky Hands IPA. So it’s only natural a brewery as well-regarded as Block 15 would host not one, but two must-visit taprooms around town.
In the heart of downtown is the Block 15 Restaurant & Brewery—housed in a building that dates back to 1926. The cozy spot invites visitors to enjoy locally sourced pub fare alongside Block 15's beloved beers—all served in glassware designed to maximize that specific style's flavor and aroma. Note that this is one of the most popular eateries anywhere in Corvallis—and that reservations are not accepted; try to time your visit to off-hours (on weekdays, if possible) for quick seating.
And in South Corvallis, you'll find Block 15's Brewery and Taproom. Here you can drink the freshest Block 15 beers in full view of where it was made; pub fare, snacks, and sandwiches are available from the on-site kitchen, as well. On a clear day, look west to enjoy views of Marys Peak, the tallest mountain in the Oregon Coast Range.
When it opened in early 2021, the Common Fields food cart pod was an immediate game-changer near the southern edge of downtown Corvallis. Housed in a former auto repair shop, the pod boasts four food carts (two of which are actually converted tiny houses) and a spacious taproom with a solid selection of local brews.
If you're hungry, you can choose among Mediterranean food, traditional New Mexican cuisine, and other fare, all of which pairs well with 16 beers on tap—each crafted by independent, Oregon-owned breweries—and a solid selection of cider, seltzer, mead, and wine. Part of what makes Common Fields so innovative is that every beer, regardless of size, is just $5; most come in 16-ounce pints, while heavier beers receive shorter pours.
While sipping those beers, visitors can play board games in the taproom, get cozy on covered (and, in winter, heated!) seats outside, let their little ones loose in the family play area, listen to live music, or even snuggle up in a massive barrel that’s been converted to a semi-private seating area.
Article by Matt Wastrasowski. Photo by Reed Lane Photography. Keep up with Corvallis news, events and happenings by signing up for our email newsletter.