Which breweries are in Hood River?

Several taprooms and brewpubs sit on the small waterfront and in the compact downtown, and more pour in the orchard villages up the valley. Call ahead for hours and menus, and rate the dish you order with the beer.

Is there a cider trail near Hood River?

Yes. A Columbia Gorge cider tour is published by the Northwest Cider Association, and the valley's orchards feed a cider tradition alongside the beer. Pair Gorge cider with pork, cheese and fruit desserts, and ask the taproom what apples go into the cider you are tasting.

How can I share my favorite Hood River taprooms with friends?

Mosey is a food app for sharing places to eat with friends, finding new ones and rating each dish. Rate the Hood River taproom, name the dish you ate with the beer, tag it Taproom or Brewpub, and put your favorites in a list that friends can add to.

Do Hood River taprooms serve food?

Some Hood River taprooms have kitchens or pizza ovens, and others use food carts. Check before you go, since a taproom that focuses on the beer may not serve a meal. A beer garden at five o'clock is normal in Hood River, and food carts often sit beside it.

Are dogs allowed at Hood River taprooms?

On many patios, on a leash. Look for the Dog-Friendly tag in the Mosey app, which raters add after a visit, and call ahead to confirm, since policies change. Dogs are not allowed in indoor dining rooms except service animals, so plan to sit outside.

Neighborhood guide

Hood River Breweries and Ciders: Taprooms on the Gorge

Mosey · November 11, 2026 · 4 min read

Hood River breweries cluster on a small waterfront and a compact downtown. Beer is the waterfront's pride, and the Columbia Gorge cider tour covers the orchard side. Call ahead for hours and look at a recent post to see what is on tap.

The Gorge's wind makes athletes thirsty and the orchards feed a cider tradition, so a beer garden at five o'clock is as normal as a windsurfing lesson at ten. Match the drink to the food, and a rating that names the dish helps the next visitor.

Which Hood River breweries are best known?

Brewers work along the Columbia waterfront and in taprooms downtown, and one or two pour with a brick-fired pizza oven beside the bar. Farther up the valley, small brewers pour in the orchard villages. Look at a recent post to see who is pouring this week.

Where is the Hood River cider trail?

Across the valley's orchards and farms. A Columbia Gorge cider tour winds past tasting rooms on farms at the base of Mount Hood, and farm stands pour in the valley too. Cider here is made from the same apples and pears that fill the fall markets, so a tasting is a kind of orchard tour. See the fruit calendar.

What are Hood River taprooms like?

Friendly, outdoorsy and family-run, with a big patio when the weather allows. A taproom may have a full kitchen, or share a wall with a pizza oven, or rely on a food cart. Dogs are common on patios, and children are welcome at many. Windy afternoons turn a sheltered corner into prime seating.

Is beer after windsurfing a thing here?

Yes, it is a ritual. After a session at the waterfront, riders walk to a taproom with salty hair and damp towels, order a pint and a plate and compare gusts. The staff do not mind. Carry a dry shirt, bring a sweater and let the day settle with a snack. The windsurfing guide covers quick meals.

What is Gorge beer and food pairing?

Light beers suit fish tacos and salads, hoppy beers suit burgers and spicy dishes, dark beers suit barbecue and roasted vegetables, and ciders suit pork, cheese and fruit. A wood-fired pizza goes with almost anything. If you are tasting a flight, ask for a bite that cleanses the palate, such as bread or pretzels. A table of four can order one of everything.

Why does a dish rating help at a taproom?

A brewery's beer and kitchen are two things, and a single score hides it. A rating that says "the margherita with a lager, thin crust, patio, a windy Friday in June" tells the next visitor what to order and where to sit. Add tags: Taproom or Brewpub, Dog-Friendly, Family Friendly, Outdoor seating (shown as Patio on a US phone), Live music. Those are the filters people use before they walk in.

How do you keep your tasting notes?

Open the Mosey app, rate the dish and write the beer or cider beside it. Save the stop to a list called Gorge pints, and sort it into Beer, Cider and Food. If you rate five different taprooms or brewpubs, you reach the first level of the badge for that kind of place, Sampler, and your ratings carry a small mark beside your name. Follow friends who travel the Gorge and Home shows what they rated this week.

What practical points are worth knowing?

Designate a driver, since the roads along the river are winding and the wind is strong. Many taprooms close by nine. Parking near the waterfront fills on summer weekends. See the US food guides for more beer towns.

How does the wind shape the beer scene?

The Gorge's wind brings riders from all over the world, and the town's breweries serve a crowd that is hungry, thirsty and international. A taproom may welcome a Dutch kiteboarder, a Portland family and a local orchardist at the same table. That mixture shapes the menus: beer-friendly food with broad appeal, patios built for lingering and staff who can recommend a lager in three languages.

What should first-timers order? Ask for a flight, which gives you four small pours of different styles. Choose one light, one hoppy, one dark and one house specialty. Order a pizza or a pretzel to share. If you like what you taste, order a full pint of your favorite and ask what is on tap next month. Take notes so that you can rate them honestly afterward.

Can children join a tasting? Many taprooms welcome families, with root beer or sparkling cider on offer. Orchard tasting rooms often pour fresh juice. Plan a daytime visit, and ask about a kids menu.

This is one of many Oregon guides, and the Food in Oregon page lists them all by town.

Rate five different places of the same kind and the Mosey app starts handing out badges, so a few weekends of taprooms and cider houses leave a visible trail of what you have tried.

After your last pour, download the Mosey app, rate the best plate of the day by name and share the list with whoever planned the trip.

Questions

Common questions

Which breweries are in Hood River?
Several taprooms and brewpubs sit on the small waterfront and in the compact downtown, and more pour in the orchard villages up the valley. Call ahead for hours and menus, and rate the dish you order with the beer.
Is there a cider trail near Hood River?
Yes. A Columbia Gorge cider tour is published by the Northwest Cider Association, and the valley's orchards feed a cider tradition alongside the beer. Pair Gorge cider with pork, cheese and fruit desserts, and ask the taproom what apples go into the cider you are tasting.
How can I share my favorite Hood River taprooms with friends?
Mosey is a food app for sharing places to eat with friends, finding new ones and rating each dish. Rate the Hood River taproom, name the dish you ate with the beer, tag it Taproom or Brewpub, and put your favorites in a list that friends can add to.
Do Hood River taprooms serve food?
Some Hood River taprooms have kitchens or pizza ovens, and others use food carts. Check before you go, since a taproom that focuses on the beer may not serve a meal. A beer garden at five o'clock is normal in Hood River, and food carts often sit beside it.
Are dogs allowed at Hood River taprooms?
On many patios, on a leash. Look for the Dog-Friendly tag in the Mosey app, which raters add after a visit, and call ahead to confirm, since policies change. Dogs are not allowed in indoor dining rooms except service animals, so plan to sit outside.