In case you missed it, the folks behind Grand Fir Brewing have expansion plans—they’ll be opening Grand Fir Outpost south and east of Portland, in Damascus near Happy Valley. Founders Whitney Burnside (brewmaster) and Doug Adams (chef) call this seven-acre space an “outpost” of Grand Fir Brewing, hence the name. They are looking to open their doors there in late fall. Here’s what we know.
Who Is Grand Fir Brewing?
You can Grand Fir Brewing on SE Stark, kitty-corner from Revolution Hall—which means it’s a great option for food and drink on your way to a show. Their burger gets a lot of praise. There’s lots of wood paneling and plants in there.
Whitney is a Johnson & Wales alum, who loves fermentation, including making cheese and, of course, beer. She’s brewed beer over the years at places like Laurelwood Brewing, Upright Brewing, Elysian Brewing, Pelican Brewing, 10 Barrel Brewing, and now at Grand Fir.
Doug was a “Top Chef: Boston” finalist and a semifinalist in the James Beard Awards. I think the last time I saw him was amongst the melons at Rubinette’s Melon Ball at Providore this past summer. You may also know him as the guy who opened Bullard, Abigail Hall, and co-founded Holler Hospitality. He also worked at Imperial and the Woodsman Tavern.
They opened Grand Fir Brewing in 2022 (their 4th anniversary is next month), which is both a brewpub and a brewing space. They’ve garnered much praise and a number of awards (Oregon Beer Awards, Great American Beer Festival) for their beer. They also help run the Bitterroot Club, a supper club “tucked away” in the back of Grand Fir.
Why Open the Grand Fir Outpost?
So why open this place, and in this location? Personal and professional reasons: “I’ve always wanted to have Grand Fir near our home in Oregon City so this is a dream come true,” said Whitney. In an article on New School Beer, they couch it as,” a natural expansion of Whitney and Doug’s vision for a rural celebration of the outdoors centered around great food, drink, and company.”
She added, “I’ve had my eyes on this location for a long time. Driving our daughter to preschool in Happy Valley I would go that route coming down from our house in Oregon City and I’d pass by and think about how cool it would be for a taproom that fits our vibe of having a lot of outdoor space, fire pit, music—it checked all the boxes.”
More Beer, Too
And Grand Fir will be making more beer, so there’s more to go around, so why not add a new location. They’ve made 1,000 barrels of beer in 2025, expect 1,400 barrels this year, and 2,000 barrels in 2027. Helping with this expansion is award-winning brewer Jake Watt.
Basic Info for Grand Fir Outpost
- Location: Grand Fir Outpost will be located at 15252 SE Highway 224. This is where Clackamas Highways OR-224 and 212 meet at the edge of Happy Valley and Damascus.
- Previous Tenants: The space has been home to Bigfoot Growlers, with the most recent tenant Ruzzo’s Retreat, taproom for the Ruzzo’s hard citrus brand. Google Street View also indicates it was Natures Country Store there 10 years ago.
- Indoor Taproom: 1,100 square feet in size. It will get new paint, new TVs, and upgraded equipment. Speaking of TVs, they plan for a heated solarium with its own TV.
- Number of Taps: The taphouse has 30 draft lines—half will offer Grand Fir beer and the other half will offer their favorite beers from other breweries they like.
- Outdoor Beer Garden: 13,000 square feet in size.
- A New Smoker: Outside they have a smoker from East Texas (Doug grew up in East Texas) for barbecue and other smoked food.
- Other Use of the Space: On seven acres, they will have a big garden, indoor and covered event areas, live music, games, a kids play space, fire pit with Adirondack chairs. A grassy field will host drive-in-style movie nights, popcorn and folding chairs provided.
- Carver Park Proximity: They’ll be close to Carver Park, which is popular in the summer for swimming, floating, and picnics. Doug is excited to create a place you can enjoy being at after your time in the water.
- Abel’s Garden Center: This nursery is right there, so you can go plant shopping, too. I could see major collabs in the spring when it’s time to buy your vegetable starts.
- Parking: There’s plenty of parking in the front and the back.
Some of the aforementioned other food includes smoked chicken, crawfish or crab boils, and a steakhouse vibe like what they accomplish in the Bitterroot Club. The menu will also include BBQ sandwiches, clam chowder, chips and queso, custom sausages, and seasonal salads.
In case you were wondering, the food trucks will remain and offer their own options. So, the food scene there sounds interesting and varied. Matched with Grand Fir Brewing’s award-winning beer, it all sounds pretty rad.
Family Friendly
This place will be very family-friendly on this large parcel. “One of the main things for us is since we are parents is we would love to go somewhere in the area that is not so Chuck E. Cheese [sic],” said Wendy. “A place where we can have our daughter and she can have a good time and have a lot of stuff to do. This is going to be a really great location for people to bring their families while mom and dad have a beer.”
Doug added, “We really want the space to feel like you can just come in, get a beer, get food from a food cart or from us and sit down in the big beautiful beer garden and enjoy a pint, while the kids run around.”
Look for Grand Fir Outpost to open this fall, likely November or December. Many thanks to Ezra Johnson-Greenough for his help in sourcing the details and images for this story. I look forward to checking out the Outpost!
Grand Fir Outpost [projected opening fall 2026]
15252 SE Highway 224, Damascus
Grand Fir website | Instagram
Meg Cotner
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