Brewing in Oregon

In 2008 Oregon ranked 3rd nationally in craft breweries per capita.

The U.S. state of Oregon is home to several breweries that produce a large variety of beer.

History

• 1852 - Henry Saxer established the Liberty Brewery in Portland.
• 1862 - After working at and later owning several smaller breweries, Henry Weinhard purchased and expanded Liberty Brewery which was later renamed City Brewery.
• 1914 - Five years before national prohibition was established, the voters of Oregon approved a statewide ban on the manufacture, sale or advertisement of intoxicating liquor.
• 1933 - Oregon and the nation ratified the 21st Amendment.
• 1985 - Oregon Legislature legalized brewpubs.

In July 2011, representatives from the Oregon Brewers Festival declared Portland had 40 microbreweries located within the city limits, more than any city in the world and greater than one-third of the state total. Many have won nationwide and international acclaim. There are also many nanobreweries in Oregon such as Pale Horse brewery in Salem, Oregon which is expected to produce approximately 1,440 barrels in 2011. According to the Oregon Brewers Guild, there are an estimated 159 microbreweries in Oregon (2011).

Breweries

The following are some Oregon-based breweries and microbreweries. The larger volume breweries and microbreweries in the list include the number of barrels sold using information from the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC), 2004. Caldera Brewing Company of Ashland, Oregon (3,300 barrels brewed in 2009), Barley Brown Brewery, Bend Brewing, Deschutes, Full Sail and Widmer Brothers won gold in 2010 at the World Beer Cup. In the same competition, Upright Brewing and Hop Valley Brewing won Bronze; while Pelican Pub & Brewery, Hopworks Urban Brewery, and Rogue Ales won Silver.

Large producers

The largest producers in Oregon, all of which are high-volume American breweries, are (per production quantity):

• Widmer Brothers Brewery, Portland 450,000 barrels
• Deschutes Brewery, Bend, 225,000 barrels
• Full Sail Brewing Company, Hood River, 130,000 barrels (in 2007)
• BridgePort Brewing Company, Portland, 100,000+ barrels (2007)
• Rogue Ales, Newport, 66,000 barrels
• Ninkasi Brewing Company, Eugene, 50,000 barrels

Henry Weinhard's, formerly of Portland, is now owned and brewed by SABMiller, although some beers are brewed under contract by Full Sail Brewing Company.

Notable brewpubs

• Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, Portland.
• The McMenamins brewpub chain, with locations scattered throughout Oregon and Washington, produced 17,896 barrels in 2004.

Festivals

The Oregon Brewers Festival the largest gathering of independent craft brewers in the United States.

The Gold Beach Brew & Art Festival is always held the Saturday after Labor Day. It is the oldest brew festival in southern Oregon and on the Oregon Coast.

See also

• Alcohol in Oregon
• Beer in the United States
• Controlled substances in Oregon
• List of breweries in the United States
• List of companies based in Oregon
• List of lists about Oregon
• List of microbreweries
• Oregon wine

External links

• Metro US article on Portland breweries
• Labels from pre-prohibition breweries, from Oregon State Archives
• Oregon Brewers Guild
• Video on the history of Oregon Brewing from Oregon Public Broadcasting