Tap Handle #179: Bridgeport - Hop Czar Imperial IPA

I was intrigued by the tap, which features a hop-crowned scepter, so I obtained one for the collection. Not one of my more detailed taps, but the label is nice and helps make it pretty decent. I'm hoping the visit the Bridgeport Brewery in the near future.

Bridgeport was founded in 1984 by local winemakers Richard and Nancy Ponzi, and the brewery claims in their trademark to be "Oregon's Oldest Craft Brewery". The initial brewing facility, the Columbia River Brewery, had a 600-barrel per year capacity. They moved to a newer facility in Portland's warehouse-turned-trendy Pearl District, in a building that was once a rope factory. Bridgeport was acquired by The Gambrinus Company in 1995, expanding its capacity to 100,000 barrels by 2001. Bridgeport's beers are distributed in 18 states nationwide. Their beers have won numerous awards, including gold medals at the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup, not to mention the Brewing Industry International Awards.

Hop Czar is a double IPA brewed with three different malts and 4 hop varieties, with citrus and floral notes paired with extra bitterness. Recommended food pairings are grilled lamb, blue cheese, and creme brulee. Weighted average on ratebeer.com is 3.43 out of 5.

Fun Fact: the TV show Leverage on TNT has always been "set" in Boston but actually filmed in Portland. Season 5 saw the characters "move" to Portland. The Bridgeport Brew Pub in northwest Portland is used as a set for many of the show's Season 5 scenes, since one of the characters "owns" the pub. If you look closely at the background, in scenes that feature the Pub, you will see Bridgeport taps, including this tap...

Bridgeport Brewing Official Website