Santiam Brewing

Well Spank my ass and call me charlie! What a gem Santiam is in a town with very few!
I came up to visit my dear ma who lives in Salem these days after cashing out of L.A. for a slower lifestyle (and she got it!). And being the beer enthusiast I am, i had santiam and gilgamesh on my radar, but sadly, last time i had come up, both were already closed for the day. This year, I was going to make it a point to not be lazy and find my way in. And believe me, I did!
The Brewery, like many breweries, is in an industrial park, its not that easy to find but on a sunday in an industrial park, my gut went with «go where you see other cars». Inside is nice, and simple, bar counter seating and some tables made with barrels in picnic style fashion. it’s cozy in there. Above the bar hangs the ol Union Jack to honor the heritage of some of the beers available (and possibly some of the brewers/​owners) and also a powerpoint menu that goes over the beers of the day, their style and abv etc. There was also a big jolly beertender which i assumed was one of the owners, nice enough guy, he knew his shit, thats all that matters. On to the beer
Power Cow — Milk Stout (in cask): Smooth and creamy stout, not too sweet. with coffee tones and a chocolate finish, easy to drink on a rainy day. 3.75÷5
Pirate Stout — Stout Aged in Rum Oak Barrels: Makes you wanna say ARGHHH! This whole thing is a nice balance of rum and coconut, i’d like to try this bottled and sit on it for a year and see what develops. ⁴⁄₅
Abbey Porter — BBA’d Porter: I would have enjoyed a little more aging on this but still a very well-​balanced, warm and boozey porter. 3.75÷5
Best Brewery in Salem, see you next visit!

Great selection of beer, can order terrific food from Black Sheep next door and have it delivered, real darts, and a TARDIS on the wall. What more could you want? In addition to a wide variety of keg beer, cider, and a couple of wince choices, they always have 4 cask conditioned beers on Beer Engine. Good variety of ale and lager fermented styles from NW favorite IPA’s to barrel aged stouts, saissons, and porters. Specialize in British styles, had a terrific Welsh Strong Ale the last time I was in, and am looking forward to their Wee Heavy that is next up. Definitely will be spending some time here.

Awesome place to go get a good brew and a good meal. And with a restaurant that delevers your meal right next door, this is a great place to frequent!

Outstanding beers. Sour was superb, IPA was solid, Pirate Stout very unique. Kinda hard to locate in the back of an industrial complex but worth the time. Cask beers as good as our brothers and sisters to the north in Portland. I shall return.

This is a comfortable place to hang out and enjoy a brew. They have darts and good company.

This is a great place to chill, drink beer, and hang out. There is ample parking but the place is a bit hidden behind what appears to be a strip mall.
The staff was friendly and knowledgeable about the beer selections. There are three dart board set-​ups with darts provided. there are two long tables and other seating throughout the tasting room.
Food is not provided by the establishment but you can order food from a catering company that receives orders via texting… that’s right… they receive orders via text and bring the food over. The food is okay but cant say I would highly recommend it.
Pretty chill place. I would come back for the beer and the ambiance.

Wife and I drove from Near San Francisco to visit breweries in Portland Oregon as we heard Portland was the beer lovers place to be. We ended up visiting about seven breweries in Portland and Salem and this was by far the best. The only place that knows how to not only brew and ferment a good cask ale but knows how to pour the perfect pour at the perfect temperature. Just beautiful attention to detail. The brewery is spotless and one of the owners took the time to answer questions and show us around. And he took the time to become a Certified Beer Server.
The young beer tender came over to ask us how we liked the beer and I couldn’t stop talking about the beer clean glass, the taste of the ale, and the perfect head of foam. So glad we came here. This was the only brewery where I decided to purchase merch and I will be talking up this spot for quite some time. Quite worth the drive from Cali.

Came memorial weekend and had the 10 flight of tasters for $ 10. Good price and good beers. I loved when they had the bbq food truck outside. It went well with the beer

Great beer. Perfect for after work. I love this low key place. Nothing fancy, just good beer.

The beers are really clean and well brewed. There are a wide range of beers to try. I would suggest the sampler to get a good overview of their brews. The bartender was great and really knows his beer. Nice tasting room. When I was there, they had 18 of their beers on tap. They also had cask conditioned beers — nice. It is worth find this brewery. I am from out of town (state) and glad I stopped in!

Came here trying to find a bar close to my hotel just by chance. Best damn beers I’ve ever had. They have a $ 12 taster flight where you choose 10 beers and all of them are just stellar. Coming from seattle I thought I was spoiled by microbreweries but these guys kill it. Will recommend it to all my friends.

This is the place you are looking for if you want a well crafted cask beer (four choices on the pull handles). No frills (like food for instance, although there is a food cart outside). But does have solid wood communal tables so that you can share your impressions with your neighbor. Tonight the place is packed at 5 on a Friday evening. The music is low and the conversation level is decent. You don’t have to yell to be heard. Oh, and there’s darts. Parking can be a problem. Santiam’s tasting room is located at the brewery– inside an industrial park. But if you like beer– come here.

A few of us rode our motorcycles in here on a Sunday afternoon a few weeks ago. It was very relaxing and fun.
First off, they don’t sell food on site, but they allow you to order from next door and they’ll bring it over. Except Sunday, the people next door aren’t open. Upon talking to the bartender (who was part owner) he said on Sundays they totally allow you to bring in your own food or food from anywhere else.
The beers we all tried were good, a friend even explained what she might like and got five or six samples before she found the one she wanted, and the guy at the bar was in no way upset at the continuous requests and questions. In fact he was ecstatic to help. When we asked about a tour (thinking of the future) he didn’t hesitate. He explained the whole story of how it’s owned and where they want to go next.
Excited to come round again. When I don’t have to get the motorcycle to go home.

Yet again, I wish Unilocal had a ½-​star option…
The cask selection here has become less English-​traditional and more northwest-​typical. Also, they would not honor the Unilocal $ 1 Off Your First Pint offer during happy hour…
I still like Santiam Brewing, and still stop in whenever I’m in Salem, but I don’t like them as well as I did two years ago when I first discovered them.

Nice Englishy atmosphere. Darts. Decent selection of brews, both their own and some guest taps. No food of their own, but a food truck is usually parked outside.

Came here on a slow Sunday afternoon for their cask beers and was not disappointed. The bartender let us sample just about everything before we made up our mind, but had to go with the cask ales since that’s why we came and is the best thing they brew.
The vibe is pretty cool and mellow. Its part cabin, part brewery, part British sports pub. The location is the only real draw back as it is in a kind of sketchy industrial area. Don’t be fooled though, its quite nice inside.

Not only is the regular craft beer good, but their cask selection is excellent! Usually have a food truck or the catering place a few doors down delivers to the taproom — see picture.

Since I make a point to Google «Breweries in…» whenever visiting somewhere, even the place of my childhood, it was only a matter of time before Santiam would pop up. A rather secluded new spot, but stands out for sure in Salem.
The cask brews are great, but also strong. I’ve tried them all, or at least what they have available in the summer, and have not had a bad one yet. Love the rustic pub setting surrounded by the casks themselves.
If you are looking for a delicious brew in a tucked-​away place, here you go.

FASNTASTIC! Stopped by on a Saturday. Was able to taste several different beers. Tasted great. Owners were awesome! We will be back.

Super nice people working here. When the bartender overheard me saying that I needed some extra growler caps, she came over a few minutes later and dropped three off at the table. Thank you! I used them last week.
Some of the beers we really liked, some weren’t as great. All decent. Space is in a great location, but the furnishings could be a little more fun. Like the retro photos on the wall.