Pacific City is a tiny place. Honestly, if you blink while driving down the Three Capes Scenic Route, you might miss the turnoff that leads you straight to the sand. But it’s here, tucked right against the base of Cape Kiwanda, that Pelican Brewing Company transformed from a local dream into a massive pillar of Pacific Northwest craft beer culture.
The view is ridiculous. You’ve got Chief Kiwanda standing tall, the massive Haystack Rock (the other one, not the Cannon Beach version) jutting out of the water, and dory boats launching through the surf. It’s a lot to take in. Most people show up for the scenery, but they stay because the beer is actually, well, world-class.
Back in 1996, the idea of a beachfront brewpub in a sleepy dory-fishing town seemed risky. Maybe even a little crazy. Founders Mary Jones, Jeff Schons, and Darron Welch basically bet everything on the idea that people wanted more than just a cheap lager after a day at the beach. They wanted something bold.
The Reality of Pelican Brewing Company and the "Beach Office" Culture
If you walk into the original Pacific City location on a Tuesday in the middle of January, it feels different than it does in July. In summer, it’s a madhouse. Kids are running around the sand patio with root beer moustaches, and the wait times for a table can hit two hours. But in the winter? That’s when you see the "Beach Office" in full effect.
Locals and beer nerds from Portland hunker down with a Kiwanda Cream Ale. This isn't just a beer; it's the soul of the place. While most breweries were trying to out-hop each other in the late 90s, Darron Welch—one of the most decorated brewers in the country—was perfecting a pre-Prohibition style cream ale. It’s crisp. It’s floral. It’s won more medals than most breweries have employees.
The magic isn't just in the brewing, though. It's the physical space. Pelican is one of the only breweries in the United States where you can literally sit with your toes in the sand while a server brings you a burger. That proximity to the ocean creates a unique challenge for the equipment. Salt air is brutal on stainless steel. It eats everything. The maintenance required to keep a brewery functional ten feet from the high-tide line is a logistical nightmare that most people never think about while they’re sipping a Tsunami Stout.
Why the Beer Actually Wins Awards
We have to talk about Darron Welch. He’s not a guy who follows trends. When the rest of the world went crazy for "Hazy IPAs" that looked like orange juice, Welch stuck to his guns on clarity and balance. He’s been known to say that if a beer isn't balanced, it isn't finished.
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Take the Tsunami Stout. It’s a heavy hitter. We're talking roasted malts, dark chocolate notes, and a dryness that keeps it from being cloying. It has won gold at the World Beer Cup more times than is arguably fair.
- Kiwanda Cream Ale: The flagship. It’s light but has a surprising depth of flavor from the Mt. Hood hops.
- Beak Breaker: Their take on a Big IPA. It’s 9% ABV, so you gotta be careful, but the tropical citrus notes make it go down way too easy.
- Bad Santa: A seasonal favorite. It’s a brown ale that smells like Christmas and hits like a ton of bricks.
The brewing team uses a precise combination of traditional methods and modern tech. They aren't just throwing ingredients in a tank and hoping for the best. They analyze water chemistry to mimic specific European regions. They obsess over hop pellet quality. This level of technical "nerdery" is why Pelican Brewing Company has over 450 industry awards. That’s a staggering number.
Expanding Beyond Pacific City
Growth is a double-edged sword. For a long time, Pelican was just Pacific City. Then came the Tillamook production facility. It allowed them to bottle and can on a scale that put Pelican on shelves across the West Coast. But some fans worried the "soul" might get lost in the stainless steel forest of a large-scale factory.
Then came Cannon Beach. It’s a different vibe—more polished, a bit more "touristy," but the beer stayed consistent. Then Siletz Bay in Lincoln City opened, and that changed the game again.
The Siletz Bay location is a masterpiece of architecture. It’s built on a site that was once a derelict eyesore, and now it features a massive outdoor area overlooking the bay. It’s where you go to watch the tide come in. They even have a "Philsner" (a pilsner named after co-founder Phil) that fits the bay-front atmosphere perfectly.
Each location has a slightly different menu, but the clam chowder is the constant. It’s thick, loaded with clams, and served with a side of sourdough that’s usually warm. Is it the best chowder on the coast? That’s a heated debate in Oregon, but Pelican is always in the top three.
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The Dory Boat Connection
You can’t talk about Pelican without talking about the dory fleet. Pacific City is home to one of the few places in the world where fishing boats launch directly from the beach into the surf. It’s chaotic and beautiful.
Pelican has leaned into this heritage. Their branding is soaked in it. The "Doryman’s Dark Ale" isn't just a name; it’s a tribute. On any given morning, you can watch these boats head out into the breakers, and by the afternoon, those same fishermen are often sitting at the bar. It creates a sense of place that you just can't manufacture in a suburban strip mall brewery.
The brewery also plays a massive role in the local economy. Tillamook County relies heavily on tourism, and Pelican is one of the largest private employers in the region. They’ve invested heavily in employee housing—a massive issue on the coast where Airbnbs have driven up rents so high that service workers can't afford to live where they work. Pelican actually bought and built housing for their staff. That’s a level of commitment to the community that often gets overlooked in favor of talking about IBU counts.
What Most People Miss
People think Pelican is just for tourists. That’s a mistake.
If you look closely at the tap list, you’ll find "The Mother of All Storms." This is a barleywine aged in Kentucky bourbon barrels. It’s released once a year, and people lose their minds over it. It’s 14% ABV and tastes like toasted marshmallow, oak, and dark fruit. It’s a beer meant for sipping by a fire while the Oregon rain lashes against the window.
This is the side of Pelican that the casual beach-goer misses. Beyond the fries and the views, there is a deep, almost religious commitment to the craft of barrel-aging and sour beers. They have a program called "Lone Pelican" where they experiment with small batches that never make it to the grocery store shelves.
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Dealing With the Oregon Weather
Let's be real: the Oregon Coast has "moods." One minute it’s sunny, and the next, you're being pelted by horizontal rain. Pelican was designed for this.
The Pacific City pub has these massive glass windows. You can sit inside, stay bone-dry, and watch the storm surge batter the shore. There is something incredibly cozy about being in a warm pub with a pint of Tsunami Stout while the Pacific Ocean is trying to reclaim the coastline outside.
In the summer, they open up the "Sparky’s" side—a walk-up window for beer and snacks so you don't even have to put on shoes to get a drink. It’s that versatility that keeps people coming back. It’s a high-end restaurant, a local dive, and a beach shack all rolled into one.
How to Do Pelican Like a Pro
If you're planning a trip, don't just show up at 1:00 PM on a Saturday and expect a seat. You’ll be waiting forever.
- Go Early: If you want that iconic view in Pacific City, get there when they open.
- The Tillamook Taproom is a Secret: If Pacific City is too crowded, head to the production facility in Tillamook. It’s more industrial, but the beer is just as fresh, and the food is great. Plus, you can see the massive fermentation tanks through the windows.
- Try the Sampler: Don't just commit to one. Get a flight. Their range is huge, from the light, bready cream ales to the resinous, piney IPAs.
- Check the Seasonal Taps: They often have "pilot" beers that are only available at the pubs. These are usually experimental recipes that Darron and his team are testing out.
The reality is that Pelican Brewing Company helped put Oregon on the map as a beer destination. They didn't do it by being flashy or following Instagram trends. They did it by making incredibly clean, technically perfect beer in a location that most people would give their left arm to live in.
It’s about the intersection of nature and craft. When you’re sitting there, watching the sun set behind Haystack Rock, and you take a sip of a beer that was brewed literally fifty feet away, it all makes sense. It’s not just a pub. It’s a landmark.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Check the Live Cam: Before driving out, check the Pacific City surf cam. If the tide is high and the weather is wild, it’s the best time for storm-watching from the booths.
- Download the App: Use their loyalty app if you plan on visiting multiple locations; the points actually add up to free food pretty quickly.
- Book Local: If you want to drink the heavier barrel-aged stuff, stay at the Headlands Coastal Lodge right next door so you can walk home.
- Look for the "Pelican Picker": In local bottle shops, look for the fresh-hop releases in late September and October. These use hops harvested within hours of being put into the brew kettle and are some of the best beers they produce all year.