On our way back from Bandon a couple of weekends ago we were passing through Eugene and Springfield and through sheer chance found ourselves literally across the street from Hop Valley Brewing Company. (We had stopped for cheaper gas and were ostensibly planning to swing into Eugene proper to check out Ninkasi as well.) It’s located in Springfield just off the I-5 freeway at exit 195A, and since we didn’t know when we’d be back through the area we decided to stop for a brief visit.

Hop Valley occupies a corner lot with plenty of parking and the brick building that often typifies the newer Oregon brewpubs. Inside is much as you’d expect—windows viewing the brewing equipment, a dining area with plenty of seating, and a nice bar at the back, where we chose to sit.

I did like the accent wall you pass to reach the bar:

Once seated, I ordered up a sampler tray of their beers, and we decided to split the pulled pork sandwich, with fries. The sampler came with an impressive nine beers:

I took short notes for each beer on my phone:

• “The” Heff: creamy, crisp, nice light hop bitter bite with a touch of spice.
• 541 Lager: light, nice bitter char on sides of tongue, crisp, drinkable.
• Double D Blonde: very light with nice quenching touch of wheat in the body.
• Pollination Honey Ale: seasonal. 6%. Dank hop, a bit of a punch, honey is noticeable but dry. Ok but doesn’t wow me.
• Impeller Pale Ale: standard APA; mellow bitterness, easy drinking.
• Stepchild Red: malty with a touch of roast, moderately hoppy. Lighter body.
• Vanilla Porter: really nice vanilla note in lighter porter that finishes a bit astringent and thin.
• Alphadelic IPA: nicely done, sticky bitterness full of resin and greens. Malty but light enough to be very drinkable.
• Natty Red (imperial): malt balanced with hops coming in later, very slightly boozy without being obnoxious. Thicker mouthfeel without being sticky.

For additional details like alcohol and the “official” beer descriptions, I snagged a picture of their beer menu, which you can sort of see:

The pulled pork sandwich was decent and the half portion hit the spot for an unplanned visit (and to help soak up the nine samplers of beer). The rest of their menu has pretty standard brewpub fare but would definitely be worth checking out for future visits.

All in all, Hop Valley is worth the stop, particularly with its convenience to the freeway; it’s a pretty standard northwest brewpub, which means you will reliably find decent beers and above-average (pub) food. Definitely worth the visit if you’re in the Eugene-Springfield area with beer in mind.