Rock ’n’ roll fans visiting the Morrison Hotel for the first time will grasp the significance of the bar’s name right off the bat, but for those not up on the classics, the reference is to the fifth album by the Doors. And though the first song on that record is the party-hearty anthem “Roadhouse Blues,” the mostly green-and-dark-varnished-wood interior of the newly opened canteen on SE Morrison St evokes a somber conference room more than it does a rowdy dive. The name is also a far cry from Purgatory, a title that Morrison’s proprietor Chris Joseph, who owns the Blue Monk on SE Belmont St, had hoped to bestow on his new bar until his landlord nixed the infernal idea. Even so, it’s a helluva fine place to drink beer.
As of this writing, more than 100 bottled beers are available at Morrison Hotel, along with four formidable drafts, including a cracking good amber ale from Ashland’s Caldera Brewing. While lounge-lizard lagers such as Miller and Pabst are represented, they’re easily overshadowed by a bevy of Belgian imports like the buttery and luxurious Delirium Tremens, three worthy Chimays and a trio of robust fruit lambics. Meanwhile, compelling craft beers from Colorado, California and Hawaii share cooler space with such Beaver State stalwarts as Bridgeport, Terminal Gravity and Rogue. Even an ambitious imbiber will need several visits to dent this menu.
Soak up some of those sips by nibbling on the Morrison’s “Mediterranean street food.” Offerings are scrawled across a chalkboard, but the menu generally includes some respectable garlic shrimp and a slow-cooked lamb dish that falls apart like pot roast. There’s also a signature drink list, but opting for a cocktail here is a bit like ordering vanilla ice cream at Ben & Jerry’s: With so many intriguing beer options, it’s certainly not very rock ’n’ roll.