Brewing in Oregon
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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. [2]
- 1914 - Five years before national prohibition was established, the voters of Oregon approved a state-wide ban on the manufacture, sale or advertisement of intoxicating liquor. [3]
- 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.[4] 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, OR (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 with Full Sail Brewing Company.
Notable brewpubs
- Hair of the Dog Brewing Company, Portland, 15,000 barrels per year in 2009, (featured on Beer Geeks.)
- 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.[5]
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. [6]
See also
- Beer in the United States
- List of breweries in the United States
- List of microbreweries
- Alcohol in Oregon
- Oregon wine
- Controlled substances in Oregon
- List of companies based in Oregon
- List of lists about Oregon
References
- ↑ Craft Brewing Industry Statistics
- ↑ Oregon History Project
- ↑ Oregon State Archives
- ↑ Oregon beer facts, Oregon Brewers Guild, updated 08/01/2008
- ↑ "Hip Hops in Oregon", VIA Magazine, July 2002
- ↑ "Gold Beach Brewfest", 'Gold Beach Brew & Art Festival, May 2013
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
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