EXHIBIT 10.23
                              CONSULTING AGREEMENT

     This  Consulting  Agreement  (the  "Agreement")  is made and  entered  into
effective as of November 1, 1999 by and between  PORTLAND  BREWING  COMPANY,  an
Oregon corporation (the "Company"), and R. SCOTT MacTARNAHAN ("Consultant").

                                     RECITAL

     Consultant  is a director of the  Company,  a director  of Harco  Products,
Inc.,  an  Oregon  corporation  and a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of the  Company
("Harco"),  and a former  officer  of  Harco.  The  Company  desires  to  retain
consulting services from Consultant and Consultant desires to provide consulting
services to the Company.

                                    AGREEMENT

1.  CONSULTING SERVICES

     Consultant  will advise and consult with the  management  of the Company on
all matters reasonably  requested of him, including (without limitation) matters
related to Harco or any other subsidiary or affiliate of the Company. Consultant
will comply with the policies,  standards, and regulations of the Company as may
be  established  from  time to time,  and will  perform  his  consulting  duties
faithfully, intelligently, to the best of his ability, and in the best interests
of the Company. The consulting services provided will not amount to more than 20
hours per calendar  month and will be provided on dates and at times  reasonably
convenient to both parties.

2.  STATUS OF CONSULTANT

     Consultant will act as an independent  contractor of the Company, and under
no circumstances  will Consultant be considered an employee of the Company.  The
Company  will  not  provide  any  insurance  covering  Consultant's   consulting
activities,  and Consultant will provide whatever insurance  Consultant believes
to be necessary under the circumstances to cover his consulting activities.  The
Company will not withhold any taxes from any  consideration  paid to Consultant,
and Consultant will assume full  responsibility  for the payment of all federal,
state and local  taxes or  contributions  imposed or required  under  employment
insurance, social security,  worker's compensation,  and income tax laws arising
by reason of the performance of  Consultant's  consulting  services.  Consultant
will defend,  indemnify,  and hold harmless the Company,  and its  shareholders,
directors,  officers, employees, and agents from and against any and all losses,
claims,  expenses,  costs, attorney's fees, demands,  damages, suits, judgments,
actions  and  causes of action  resulting  from or arising  out of  Consultant's
failure to pay or remit such taxes or contributions.

3.  CONSIDERATION

     The Company will pay to Consultant the sum of $2,500.00 per calendar month,
payable on the last day of each calendar  month.  Consultant will be entitled to
receive  consideration for his consulting  services  regardless of the number of
hours of  services  actually  provided  by  Consultant  in any  given  month and
regardless of whether the Company requests Consultant to provide any services at
all in any given month. The Company will reimburse Consultant for all reasonable
expenses necessarily incurred by Consultant in the performance of his consulting
services,  provided Consultant  complies with the reimbursement  policies of the
Company as may be established from time to time.

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4.  TERMINATION

     Either  party may  terminate  this  Agreement  upon 30 days' prior  written
notice to the other party.  This Agreement will terminate  immediately  upon the
death of Consultant.

5.  GENERAL

     5.1 No Assignment by  Consultant.  This Agreement is personal to Consultant
and Consultant may not assign or delegate any of his rights or obligations under
the Agreement without the prior written consent of the Company.

     5.2 Binding Effect.  Except as otherwise  provided in this Agreement,  this
Agreement   will  be  binding  upon  the  parties  and  their  heirs,   personal
representatives, successors, and assigns, and will inure to their benefit.

     5.3 Amendment.  This Agreement may be amended only by a written  instrument
executed by the party against whom enforcement is sought.

     5.4 Notices. All notices or other  communications  required or permitted by
this  Agreement  must be in  writing  and will be deemed to have been duly given
when  delivered  personally to the party for whom such notice was  intended,  or
upon actual receipt if sent by facsimile or delivered by a nationally recognized
overnight delivery service, or at the expiration of the third day after the date
of deposit if deposited in the United States mail,  postage pre-paid,  certified
or  registered,  return  receipt  requested,  to the  respective  parties at the
following addresses, or at such other address that a party may specify by notice
given to the other parties:

         To Consultant:                       To the Company:

         Scott MacTarnahan                    Portland Brewing Company
         11270 S.W. Lynnridge Avenue          2730 Northwest 31st Avenue
         Portland, Oregon  97225              Portland, Oregon  97210

     5.5   Counterparts.   This  Agreement  may  be  executed  in  two  or  more
counterparts,  each of  which  will be  deemed  an  original,  but all of  which
together will constitute one and the same instrument.

     5.6  Severability.  If any  provision  of this  Agreement  is  deemed to be
invalid or  unenforceable  in any  respect  for any  reason,  the  validity  and
enforceability  of any such  provision in any other respect and of the remaining
provisions of this Agreement will not be in any way impaired.

     5.7  Further  Assurances.  The  parties  agree to execute  other  documents
reasonably necessary to further effect and evidence the terms of this Agreement,
as long as the terms and provisions of the other documents are fully  consistent
with the terms of this Agreement.

     5.8 No Third-Party  Beneficiaries.  Nothing in this  Agreement,  express or
implied,  is intended  to confer on any  person,  other than the parties to this
Agreement, any right or remedy of any nature whatsoever.

     5.9  Nonwaiver.  The  waiver by any party of a breach or  violation  of any
provision  of this  Agreement  will not  operate and may not be  construed  as a
waiver of any other provision or any subsequent breach of the same provision. No
waiver  will be binding  unless  executed  in  writing  by the party  making the
waiver.

     5.10  Governing  Law. This  Agreement  will be governed by and construed in
accordance with the laws of the State of Oregon.

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     5.11 Attorney's Fees. In the event of litigation  arising out of, or in any
related to any term set forth in this Agreement,  including (without limitation)
any proceeding brought under the United States Bankruptcy Code, the losing party
will pay to the prevailing  party, in addition to any other relief awarded,  the
prevailing  party's  reasonable  attorney's fees, costs and expenses incurred at
arbitration, at trial, on appeal and on petition for review.

     5.12 Entire Agreement.  This Agreement sets forth the entire  understanding
of the  parties  with  respect  to the  subject  matter  of this  Agreement  and
supersedes any and all prior and  contemporaneous  negotiations,  understandings
and  agreements,  whether  written or oral,  between the parties with respect to
such subject matter.


     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Agreement as of the date
first above written.

                                     COMPANY:

                                     PORTLAND BREWING COMPANY


                                     /s/ CHARLES A. ADAMS
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                     Its:  President and Chief Executive Officer


                                     CONSULTANT:


                                     /s/ SCOTT MACTARNAHAN
                                     -------------------------------------------
                                     Scott MacTarnahan