Anyone remember Beer and Blog…? It’s totally okay if you don’t. It’s been gone for more than a decade. With a bit of a blip here and there. But it — like “the Pint” in the startup generation before it — played a formative role in the last generation of startups and open source technology in Portland. As a community gathering that brought disparate folks together in the same space on a regular basis. Like every single Friday.
So for many of us, it holds a nostalgic place in our hearts. And a flicker of hope that it might serve as inspiration for a new generation of the community in forming a touchstone event of their own.
But like so many things nostalgic, for better or worse, we’re inextricably drawn to revisit it from time to time. Not that it’s in need of resuscitation. Far from it. The Pint and Beer and Blog — like so many other events of eras gone by — are gone. As is the need to center every startup community event around happy hours.
But every once in a while you come across an opportunity so perfect that you just have to head back to the old high school umm college err reunion. And this is one such occasion. You see, this week WordCamp US is being hosted in Portland.
So? So what? Well, WordPress was one of the seminal elements that inspired Beer and Blog. When a few of us bloggers were all clamoring for help with our WordPress installs, Justin Kistner got fed up with dealing with all of our individualized whining and complaining and decided that it would be far easier to deal with that whining en masse. So he organized a Friday happy hour for a handful of people to get together and discuss WordPress. Maybe even to help one another.
And then, it just kind of grew.
Until every single Friday there were hundreds of folks showing up for happy hour. With very little concern for WordPress. Or blogging for that matter. But an absolute concern for the community that was forming. And the opportunity to connect with others from the nascent Portland startup community.
Even more importantly, it was an opportunity to direct new residents — startup and open source folks who had been drawn to Portland for whatever reason — to that group of existing community members. And an opportunity to connect folks from out of town with the folks in the community. Especially when events like OSCON or whatever were being hosted in town.
Which brings us back to WordCamp US.
For those of you who aren’t familiar, WordCamp US is the largest gathering of WordPress folks in the US — and potentially the world. Not to mention a special moment in time when bloggers and CMS users from all over descend on our fair city. Were this 2009, we’d be inviting them all to show up to Beer and Blog on Friday.
But Beer and Blog doesn’t exist in 2024. So we’ve rebooted it for a brief moment.
Back in the before times — when blogging was far more prevalent — the Portland startup community used to gather every Friday afternoon under the pretense of discussing blogging and often WordPress. When it was really just an excuse to see one another. And welcome both new transplants and visitors alike to Portland.
NOTE: Partaking in beer and/or blogging is neither expected nor required. We’re just looking for an excuse to get the broader Portland startup and tech community together.
Every Friday, Beer and Blog was the best place to meet and chat with the Portland tech community — as a community — whether you happened to blog or not.
With WordCamp US 2024 — which is being held in Portland, this year — coming to a conclusion on Friday, September 20, 2024, it seemed like an opportune time to bask in a little nostalgia and gather for another Beer and Blog. Just for old time’s sake.
So take off work a bit early and head down to Rogue in SE Portland (formerly known as The Green Dragon). You deserve it. Go spend some time getting acquainted with the Portland tech community you’re one event away from getting to know and love. Or reconnect with folks whom you haven’t seen in a long long time.
So whether you were part of the original event, you’re part of the new generation of Portland startups and tech, or you’re visiting our fair town for WordCamp US, we’d love to have you come hang out with us at the former Green Dragon to connect with community. Even if it’s just for a few minutes before you head to the UpStart Collective second birthday celebration or the WordCamp US 2024 after party. (Beer and Blog reunion, UpStart Collective’s gathering, and the after party are all close in on the Eastside within blocks of one another, so it’s practically like we planned it. Only we didn’t. I mean, who plans things…? Seriously.)
Come hang out. Please…? It would be good to see you.
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