This free to attend event will be an indoor/outdoor block party at Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom featuring a one-day closure of the street outside the taproom from 2-10pm on Saturday. Come get your first taste of breweries and cideries and that have just launched in the Pacific Northwest, a chance to try their beverages and meet-the-brewers and owners in-person from 4-7pm.

The New Breweries & Cideries Showcase is continuing our mission to highlight 12+ small breweries from all over Oregon and Washington. Each participant has a distinct creative vision and flavors, either creating new spaces in underserved areas or popular destinations, others reviving old spaces and defunct breweries to breath new life into them. Its an exciting lineup of newcomers coming to Portland, many of them for the first time outside of their hometowns and taprooms.

The very first New Oregon Breweries Showcase was held in 2015 at Bailey’s Taproom in downtown Portland with 10 brand new breweries to have opened in Oregon. The event continued every year as a tap takeover and meet-the-new-brewer event at Bailey’s, introducing such breweries as Great Notion, Wayfinder, Buoy, Ruse, and Alesong, to name just a few. The event moved to Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom in 2020 after Bailey’s Taproom closed, the new venue allowed the party to expand with a much larger outdoor area.

Featured New Breweries & Cideries:

Tall Trees Brew Lab (Hillsboro)

Homebrewers Dan Schlegel and Nathan Roszina have been making beer under the name Tall Trees Brew Lab since about 2019. Up until recently the Tall Trees beers were mostly shared in hushed circles of beer aficionados at bottle shares and brewfests, and in limited drops into an underground beer club. In 2025 Schlegel and Roszina made Tall Trees official by opening a taproom in Hillsboro and a commercial brewing partnership with ForeLand. Recently Tall Trees Brew Lab has been featured at Brujos 2nd Anniversary Fest, and Mikkeller Beer Celebration in Copenhagen, though they are still searching for a permanent brewing location.

Arcane Cider (Portland)

Evan Reedy and Brendan O'Connor, officially launched in October 2025 after changing their initial name from Pantheon Cider to Arcane Cider. Located in Clackamas, Oregon, Arcane Cider draws inspiration from a shared passion for fantasy novels and tabletop games, as well as the region’s rich agricultural heritage, all while embracing modern techniques and unexpected flavor profiles.

O'Connor previously served as head cidermaker at Portland Cider Company before deciding it was time to strike out on his own and bring his creative vision to life. Co-founder Evan Reedy, after spending time outside the industry, felt the pull to return and help build a brand rooted in quality, community, and bold ideas.

“Starting Arcane Cider was about reclaiming the joy of creation,” said Brendan. “I wanted the freedom to experiment, to push boundaries, and to make ciders that feel a little magical, something you don’t find every day.”

Reedy added, “We wanted to build a cidery that feels welcoming, imaginative, and unapologetically creative. Arcane Cider is about more than just great drinks, it’s about storytelling, connection, and rediscovering what made us fall in love with this industry in the first place.”

Bear Kat Brewing (Sherwood)

Husband and wife team of Shawn Bayer and Jill Katsis opened their 7-barrel Bear Kat Brewing in Sherwood, Oregon in September 2025 focusing on drinkable styles at relatively low abvs. Bayer most recently brewed at SteepleJack Brewing Hillsboro but before that the couple moved from Denver, Colorado where he brewed at Jagged Mountain Brewing and Woods Boss Brewing. Bear Kat tapped into Portland Community College Small Business Development Center(PCC SBDC) to develop a business plan and raise funds. The name BearKat is a play off of Bayer’s last name pronounced ‘bear’ combined with Jill’s last name Katsis aka BearKat. The couple, and the brewpub, is just as affable and friendly as the name and branding is. Less than a year old, BearKat beers have been primarily only available at their own location which is serving a busy underserved Sherwood neighborhood and already become popular in the Tualatin Valley. Read their full story here.

Human People Beer (Seattle)

Former Modern Times Beer San Diego brewers Tim Kamolz and Andrew Schwartz, and industry supply veteran and hop expert Mallorie King, opened Human People Beer in Seattle in fall 2024. Originally planning a brewpub on the waterway, in June 2025 Human People settled into a European cafe-esque taproom highlighting their quaffable lagers, and contemporary and bright hop driven pale ales, alongside Schwartz long-time hobby Tavern-style pizza. How did San Diego expats end up opening a spot in the Pacific Northwest?

“We all have family up here and have been itching to move to the pacific northwest for some time,” says brewer/co-owner Andrew Schwartz. “Personally, I had my formative beer drinking years in Oregon and learned to love and appreciate the unique and ranged beer scene and that was 15 years ago! Since then, every brewery has evolved or changed in some way or another. Seattle has become one of my favorite and most uniquely characterful beer cities in America. We are extremely excited to be here and have felt only warm welcome since arriving. We hope to add something special to a nicely developed beer scene in Seattle.”

Lotic Fermentation (Vancouver)

The newest brewery in the New Breweries Showcase is Lotic Fermentation, so new that the paint has barely dried after their June 2nd opening date in Vancouver, Washington. According to the Lotic website: “Lotic ('low-tick') is an ecological term that describes flowing water, such as rivers and streams. Using the term Lotic is our homage to water and its important role around the globe. It is the basis of life and of our beverages.”

Lotic Fermentation comes from industry veterans Levi Drake and Christopher Jennings. Drake is the Vice President of Glacier Tanks, a fermentation tanks fabricator based in Vancouver, before that he worked in the cellar at a winery, was a data analyst, and studied business. His partner Chris Jennings was one of the original mugs in Hillsboro’s Three Mugs Brewing and the Brew Brothers homebrew supply shop. Chris is also a previous guest at the New Breweries Showcase when he was the first brewer for The Horn Public House & Brewery in Depot Bay, Oregon.

Lotic is a taproom and restaurant at 1307 NE 78th St B10, Vancouver, WA, United States. Their plan is to make everything from wine and beer to soda pop, coffee, and kombucha.

Upp Liquids (Bend)

The most anticipated new brewery of 2025 turns one years old this June. UPP Liquids was founded by 10 Barrel Brewing brewers Tonya Cornett, Ian Larkin, Jose Ruiz and Ben Shirley, who were all laid off after the company was sold to Tilray Beverage in 2024. The new Bend, Oregon brewery was started in partnership with the former Immersion Brewing in Bend, and is now a popular brewpub with a huge breadth of styles. Cornett and company are arguably most known for sours and experimental beers, and they have promptly began winning awards for them straight out of the gate.

7Bev Brewery & Queen Orchard Cidery (West Linn)

The formerly named Willamette Valley Ale & Cider House is a downtown West Linn institution specializing in an old world European pubby atmosphere right at home inside a 100+ year old building with multiple bars, bottles hop, patio, and gardens. The Chay family has steadily grown the beverage and hospitality business from family friendly public house to artisanal cidery Queen Orchard Cider, and as of recently started brewing their own beers under the 7Bev label. Now with a food truck pod, a separate orchard and events venue, and beers, Italian bar, and many many more features this family run suburban hotspot is becoming a Clackamas county destination. Read our full story about them here.

Root & Rye Hop Farm & Brewery (Carlton)

Root & Rye is already one of the best places to take a beer break in Oregon wine country. Located in Carlton just across the road from the Abbey Road Farm & Winery, this farm-set brewery between Newberg and McMinnville is surrounded on one side by 15 acres of their own hop field and on the other by a private lake and pond, with a next door residential property set to become a bed and breakfast. Root & Rye was formerly Crowing Hen Brewery, a pandemic startup that lasted a handful of years before selling to Shelly Bigley the co-founder of Old Market Pub & Brewery as well as the Broadway Grill, both in Portland. I love this charming property that feels like a real discovery, outdoors appearing as a rustic farm and barn exterior, indoors a contemporary space with an open brewhouse floor plan. The back patio and beers garden may be the highlight and worth the visit. The New Breweries Showcase is an extremely rare opportunity to try their beers and meet-the-brewer in person in Portland.

Spotlight Brewing (Portland)

The brand new Spotlight Brewing space already has a storied history. The brewery and food hall is located in northeast Portland’s Hollywood neighborhood in the former home of the original Laurelwood Brewing, Old World Brewing, Columbia River Brewing, and briefly Pono Brew Labs. The building has been retrofitted, walls knocked down, the interior expanded to a big selction of micro kitchens, and the sunken brewery opened up forther and refurbished for head Brewer Kevin Hanny. Spotlight Brewing is part of the Zoiglhaus Brewing family, but with their own distinct beers from Hanny who hails from Trap Door Brewing, Migration Brewing and SteepleJack Brewing. Read all about Spotlight Brewing here.

Tiny Giants Brewing (Portland)

Portland, Oregon’s Tiny Giants Brewing opened one year ago, but only recently found a permanent home with their own brewery and taproom in the northeast Woodlawn neighborhood. Owner/brewer Steve Beaudoin is a veteran of Cascade Brewing, but was most recently the head brewer for Fracture Brewing before they shut down their brewing operations. Tiny Giants has a major debut, launching with cans and draft via Day One Distro and establishing a retro-pop culture like brand with eye catching colors. Check out our first look at Tiny Giants Brewing here.

Allgood Brewing (Portland)

AllGood Brewing opened at 2425 SE 35th Pl, Portland, OR 97214 in September 2025 but only recently received their brewing permits and released their first 3 house-brewed beers. Founded by Tiara and Derek Allgood, a former Fearless Brewing and Time Travelers Brewing veteran, AllGood is now open in the same space that once was the home to Division Wine Collective, and briefly Reverent Nat’s Hard Cidery, Logsdon Farmhouse Ales, and a Migration Brewing pop-up.

New Breweries & Cideries BLOCK PARTY

Saturday, June 20th 2-10pm, meet-the-brewer 4-7pm

Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom, 3090 SE Division St, Portland, OR 97202

When an anniversary comes around, you often hear people say, “I can’t believe it’s been that long,” or, “there is no way it’s been that long.” Barley Brown’s Beer falls into both categories. Imaging beer without them is impossible because of the impact Tyler Brown, the founder and every teammate he has had. The no fear attitude showed that balance in beer is good, but not a requirement because the hop forward beers Barley Brown’s present early on inspired others to do the same. 

Most people know Barley Brown’s for GABF gold medal winning Pallet Jack IPA, category defining Turmoil CDA, or criminally underappreciated Shredder’s Wheat.  Or maybe it’s the outright refusal to open a taproom outside of Baker City or put any of their beer into cans or bottles. Barley Brown’s is founder Tyler Brown, and Brown is Baker City. The story of how Barley Brown’s got started is all over the internet. Auto breakdown, medals, dark IPAs, small system, expansion, and all that stuff has been documented over and over again. Let’s learn something else this time, instead of rehashing it in a straigh-ahead bio, let's talk to the people who helped them make it to the iconic 25th anniversary milestone and how they have inspired others.

No matter what you take away from this article, the Most Important Message is to Visit Barley Brown’s in Baker City, OR

Tyler Brown is a longtime moto-cycle racing enthusiast, and has been an avid participant. Some time in the late 80’s or early 90’s he went to Yakima, Washington for “The Rimrock Grand Prix” and stumbled upon the legendary Bert Grant’s Brewing and was blown away that they were brewing beer on a little system in their restaurant. The race was held in the fall during hop harvest, which added to the romantic ambiance of the valley and nascent microbrew industry, and the trip sparked Brown’s interest in starting a brewpub. 

Years later…

Barley Brown’s Brew Pub was built in the former Gwilliams Bakery built in 1940, who added the garage (now the dining room) after World War II. It was called Gwilliams Bakery untill 1976.

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Shawn Kelso, current 10 Barrel Brewing R & D brewer and Barley Brown’s first hired head brewer joined the company in 2000:

 Kelso and Barley Brown’s then went on a massive medal-winning streak at the Great American Beer Festival that established the tiny eastern Oregon brewery as a national force to contend with, and one of the birth places of Cascadian Dark Ale (aka CDA aka Black IPA.) Though their beer was not available outside of the small town of Baker City, people started taking notice.

Carl Singmaster, co-founder of Belmont Station and prominent local brewery benefactor helped introduce Barley Brown’s to the young but ravenous Portland beer nerds in the early days.

Shawn Kelso recalls things slightly differently:

I had Barley Brown’s beer at Belmont Station for the first time like a lot of people. Later, they brought a Horizontal to town. The hoppy beers were amazing and I am one of the biggest Turmoil fans, even more so Chaos. At the time, Disorder was the cleanest stout I had tasted in my life. But a Horizontal, what? The same batch of Sledwreck winter ale was presented on different barrels and with different adjuncts. Nobody in Portland had space to do a Horizontal, so I had to see what was going on in Eastern Oregon. My first visit was 2009 or 2010. I have been there so many times that I don’t remember a count. Barley Brown’s apparel has always been part of my wardrobe. In 2014 I was at a craft beer bar in Atlanta, GA and was wearing a Barley Brown’s long sleeve tshirt. A guy offered me $50 for it. It was a gift from Tyler, so I didn’t want to take his money, so I said, “buy me a beer.” I had a hoodie to cover up, so I gave the guy my shirt. I later told Tyler the story and he said, “you should have taken the money.” This was not the only time I have given away Barley Brown’s apparel off my back.

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In 2012 Shawn Kelso departed Barley Brown’s to join the nascent 10 Barrel Brewing Co. before they Bend, Oregon based brewery was sold to Anheuser-Busch. Kelso was to head up their first out of state location in Boise, Idaho, just across the border from Baker City.

Often when a brewery loses someone as talented as Kelso, it can be a challenge to keep things to the same standard. Tyler Brown however, is a keen judge of character with untraditional methods. Knowing they had big shoes to fill, Brown landed on Marks Lanham, then a brewer at Boneyard Beer.

After a relatively short two year stint as head brewer, Marks Lanham departed to Denver, Colorado where he co-founded Comrade Brewing which has become an equally acclaimed brewery on a national scale. To replace him, Barley Brown’s promoted within elevating Eli Dickison to the role which he has stayed in now for the past 10 years. One of Barley Brown’s 25th anniversary beers is a collaboration between Dickison and Lanham. 

Barley Brown’s has only had 4 head brewers in 25 years:

• Shawn Kelso  11/2000 to 3/2012 

• Marks Lanham 2/2012 to 11/2013 

• Eli Dickison 6/2012 to current 

• Addison “Add” Collard 6/2012 to current

• Kyle Dickison 4/2019 to current 

Tyler Brown and Barley Brown’s now have an outsized reputation around the country, but their focus has always been on the local community first, often hiring from within the town.

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Brown’s investment in the community runs deep. When he is not volunteering his time on local community boards, he has also served as the President of the Chamber of Commerce, and as the President of Historic Baker City downtown business association. Currently he sits on the board of the Baker County Economic Development Commission, and is chairman of the County Transient Lodging Tax Committee.

Jeff Dense is a professor at Eastern Oregon University and active member of the craft beer industry, and a longtime champion of craft beer and Barley Brown’s brewpub.

Tony Lawrence, founder of Boneyard Beer, is also an old friend of Brown’s who has reteamed for a 25th anniversary collaboration. Both Lawrence and Brown share a love of motorcycles and understanding how things work, from the gears and spokes of a vehicle to the pumps and valves of a brewery. At first the two were connected professionally by their mutual wholesaler Point Blank Distribution and it’s owner the late Aaron Gardner. 

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Boneyard and Barley Brown’s new collaboration is called “38 Special” and commemorates both Boneyard’s recent 13th anniversary and Barley Brown’s 25th. 13 + 25 = 38 Special. The IPA is brewed with 100% Crosby Oregon estate grown hops Strata, Comet and Chinook at 4lbs per barrel with three separate dry hop days.

Kyle Stone-Chilla is the beer buyer for McMenamins 23rd Ave. Bottle Shop, a longtime industry veteran from the retail side of the business, and has a close relationship with Barley Brown’s.

Breakside Brewery brewmaster Ben Edmunds was first introduced to Tyler Brown by the latter’s former head brewer Shawn Kelso. 

After becoming fast friends, Edmunds and Brown collaborated to create what is quickly becoming a modern classic beer in WanderJack IPA. Even though it was meant as a one-off collaboration, it has now become a huge hit and frequent release at Breakside. But WanderJack’s creation is largely misunderstood even by its fans. 

Barley Brown’s has remained a draft-only brewery since its inception, not counting a brief flirtation with 12oz cans and 6-packs during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Even though demand was there, Barley Brown’s quickly quit packaging their beers to-go as soon as bars started opening back up. Perhaps that is because the brewery is all about drawing in the community, often to Baker City. And it has stayed very much a family operation, says Brown.

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Tyler Brown’s hospitality to all who make the trek to Baker City is legendary. 

From the accommodations to the imparted wisdom, everyone seems to have a very personal connection that goes beyond even the most beloved beer brands.

Barley Brown’s is celebrating their 28th Anniversary on June 12th and 14th 2026 with a block party, and even if you can’t make it to the brew pub in Baker City we encourage you to raise a pint and begin making your next vacation plans.

Seattle will host six matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup at Lumen Field beginning June 15, including four group stage games, a Round of 32 match on July 1, and a Round of 16 match on July 6. The city of SeaTac plans to greet visitors and provide multiple hubs for gatherings.

Stoup SeaTac City

18400 International Boulevard, SeaTac

Located in the Old Bank Building at 18400 International Boulevard, Stoup Brewing SeaTac City will serve as a central gathering place throughout the tournament. The site will officially open June 11th at 10am for the Mexico vs S. Africa match, and operate daily through at least July 19, with the potential to extend operations through the end of 2026!

The activation site, adjacent to the DoubleTree Hotel, will feature daily match viewings on a large screen, live entertainment, community-focused programming, and a lineup of local food trucks like Outsider BBQ on site daily.

With a capacity of approximately 250 guests, Stoup SeaTac City is designed to offer an inclusive, energetic environment for fans to come together and celebrate the world’s game.

Stoup at SeaTac will pour 12 beers on draft, plus cider, wine and non-alcoholic beverages. No hard alcohol, but craft wine based cocktails and slushies will also be available.

Stoup SeaTac City will also serve as the city’s primary Friday and Saturday hub during the World Cup period, with expanded programming and increased activity expected on those days. Por Vida NW, a Tacoma-based, Chicana-led cultural arts organization celebrating arts, music, and cultural traditions will be hosting additional activations every Friday and Saturday - everything from farmer's markets to pop up food vendors to live music. 

June 11 - Mexico vs S. Africa

• Cerveza Mule Slushy drink special

• $2off pints and coffee for pre-game 10am-12pm

• Our every day food truck, Outsider BBQ, will feature a nacho Special

June 15 - Belgium vs Egypt 12pm kickoff

• $2 off pints and coffee for pre-game 10am-12pm

• Outsider BBQ Food Truck - Frites special

• Drink specials

June 19th - USA vs Australia (BIG GAME) 12pm kickoff

• Por Vida Market Activation (every Friday/Saturday) + live music

• Outsider BBQ Food Truck

• $2 off pints and coffee for pre-game 10am-12pm

June 26 - Seattle Pride weekend - Egypt vs Iran 8pm kickoff

• We're staying open one hour later for the game (10am-11pm)

• Food from Outsider BBQ

• Por Vida Market Activation (every Friday/Saturday) + live music until late

• Jello shots in all the colors of the rainbow + Pride Match Day IPA with proceeds benefitting Outright International.

“Being part of this moment for SeaTac—and for the broader region—is incredibly meaningful to us,” said Co-Owners Brad Benson, Lara Zahaba and Robyn Schumacher. “We’re honored to create a space where community, culture, and soccer intersect in a way that reflects the spirit of this global event.”

Métier Brewing Company at Angle Lake — BullpenSite 

2825 S. 200th Street and International Boulevard, SeaTac  

Adjacent to the Angle Lake Station, the Bullpen site — recently acquired by the City and now in transformation — will serve as a cornerstone of SeaTac’s FIFA footprint. In partnership with Métier Brewing Company and Seattle Southside Chamber of Commerce, the site will feature community programming, food, and entertainment with programming on Sundays and Thursday. Capacity for about 180 people.

Métier Brewing Company at Angle Lake opens on Monday, June 15th

Hours of operations are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Thursday and Sundays: concerts, food trucks, and DJ's.

Free watch parties on a big screen:

• June 18: Switzerland vs. Bosnia at Noon. Canada vs. Katar at 3 p.m. Mexico vs. South Korea at 6 p.m.

• June 25: USA vs. Turkey at 4 p.m.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the City of SeaTac to activate public spaces, support local businesses, and welcome an international audience. Following the conclusion of the World Cup, the City plans to continue investing in these spaces, with long-term community development and programming envisioned as part of a post-FIFA legacy.

Leavenworth, Washington’s beloved Icicle Brewing Company has been sold after founders Pamela and Oliver Brulotte decided to retire. The new majority owners of Icicle Brewing are Shelley and Eric Desmarais of CLS Farms, a fifth-generation family-owned hop farm based in Yakima, Washington.

The ownership transition marks the culmination of a thoughtful succession plan designed to preserve the culture, independence, and values that have defined Icicle Brewing Company since its founding. The brewery will continue to operate as an independent company under the leadership of CEO Joel Martinez, VP of Wholesale Operations Jason Leal, and VP of Sales & Marketing Chris Danforth, all of whom will maintain their ownership interests and continue leading day-to-day operations.

“This is not a decision we came to lightly,” said Pamela Brulotte. “Icicle has never been just a business to us. It has been a purpose, a passion, a gathering place, and a shared labor of love. When we began thinking about retirement, our priority was finding people we trusted to carry forward what makes this brewery special. Shelley and Eric share our values, understand our industry, and care deeply about our people and community.”

The relationship between the Brulotte and Desmarais families spans generations. Oliver and Eric are second cousins, and their fathers were lifelong friends. Both families have deep roots in Washington agriculture and the hop industry. Over the years, CLS Farms and Icicle Brewing have collaborated closely through hop sourcing, brewery collaborations, charitable initiatives, and a shared commitment to supporting independent craft beer. Pam and Shelley have also worked together for many years on the One in Eight breast cancer fundraising initiative, supporting those facing breast cancer diagnoses.

“Long before ownership discussions began, there was friendship, trust, and a shared belief in the importance of family-owned businesses,” said Shelley Desmarais. “What attracted us to Icicle was not only the quality of the beer and the strength of the brand, but the people. The team has built something special. We are excited to support that success and help ensure Icicle remains a strong, independent brewery for generations to come.”

The ownership transition comes during a successful time for the brewery. Despite a challenging environment for independent craft brewers around the country, Icicle Brewing has achieved five consecutive years of double-digit growth in distribution. In addition, they have earned six World Beer Cup medals in the past four years and were named Large Brewery of the Year at the 2023 Washington Beer Awards.

“This transition is happening from a position of strength,” said Joel Martinez, CEO of Icicle Brewing Company. “Our team has worked incredibly hard to build momentum, expand our distribution footprint, and continue raising the bar for quality. What excites me most is that the things that matter most to our employees, customers, distributors, and community are not changing.”

“For our employees, distributors, retail partners, and customers, the most important message is that the team they work with every day remains unchanged,” said Chris Danforth, Vice President of Sales & Marketing. “The foundation of Icicle’s success has always been its people. We’re excited to continue building on that success alongside Shelley and Eric while staying true to the values and culture that brought us here.”

As part of the transition:

• Icicle Brewing Company will remain an independent brewery.

• Icicle will continue brewing beer in Leavenworth and operating from its existing brewery and taproom facilities.

• CEO Joel Martinez and the existing management team will remain in place.

• Employee ownership held by Joel Martinez, Jason Leal, and Chris Danforth remains unchanged, preserving leadership continuity across brewery operations, wholesale operations, taproom operations, and sales and marketing.

• Employee positions, compensation programs, and benefits remain unchanged.

• Distributor, retailer, supplier, and community relationships remain unchanged.

“Our role is not to change what is working,” said Eric Desmarais. “The brewery has a proven leadership team, outstanding employees, and a track record of growth and excellence. We believe in the people who have built Icicle into what it is today, and we are excited to support them as they continue writing the next chapter of the brewery’s story.”

Looking ahead, Icicle Brewing and the Desmarais family share a vision centered on innovation, quality, community, and long-term sustainability. Together, they will continue strengthening the connection between farmers and brewers while preserving the independent spirit that has defined both organizations for decades.

ABOUT ICICLE BREWING COMPANY

Founded in 2010 by Pamela and Oliver Brulotte, Icicle Brewing Company is an award-winning independent craft brewery and brewpub located in Leavenworth, Washington. Guided by its mission of inspiring connection and joy by crafting exceptional products and fostering meaningful experiences that respect our world and enrich our communities, Icicle remains committed to quality, sustainability, and community. Today, the company is proudly family- and employee-owned and remains dedicated to brewing great beer and creating memorable experiences for the communities it serves.

ABOUT SHELLEY AND ERIC DESMARAIS

Shelley and Eric Desmarais own CLS Farms, a fifth-generation, family-owned hop farm based in Yakima, Washington. Guided by a commitment to stewardship, innovation, and family values, they have helped build CLS into a leading supplier of premium hop varieties, partnering with breweries around the world to help create exceptional beer. Through their work in agriculture, brewing, and community involvement, Shelley and Eric remain dedicated to supporting the long-term success of independent brewing and the communities it serves.

Hop Valley Brewing Co. will return to Eugene, Oregon with a new pub opening in the 5th Street Public Market Alley mall at 550 Pearl St Suite 150. Hop Valley Brewing was acquired by Miller-Coors in 2016, and was subsequently sold to Canadian based Tilray Beverage in 2024. Tilray announced they would shut down the production facility in Eugene in July 2025 and then closed the taproom too in late 2025.

Expected to open in early August 2026, the new Hop Valley Brewing location will take over the former Heritage Distilling space in one of the city’s busiest pedestrian shopping areas in the 5th Street Public Market Alley outside The Gordon Hotel.

The pub will be a sports-forward brewpub and gathering spot, serving Hop Valley’s beers alongside a full food menu and plenty of screens for Ducks games. The tap list will feature fan favorites including Dang Green IPA, the official craft beer of University of Oregon Athletics.

“We’re thrilled to be opening a new Hop Valley pub in such a central Eugene location,” said Megan McKenna, Senior Brand Manager, Hop Valley Brewing. “We want it to feel like a true local hangout – a place to grab great beer and food, catch up with friends, watch the game, and be part of community events right here in the Alley. With Hop Valley’s longstanding partnership with the Ducks, bringing this to life in the heart of Eugene feels like a perfect fit.”

Founded in Springfield in 2009, Hop Valley has been part of the Eugene-Springfield community for more than 15 years. The 5th Street pub joins Hop Valley’s Springfield location and gives the brewery a downtown Eugene home-base for Ducks fans, craft beer lovers, and community events year-round.

• What: Hop Valley Brewing to open new Eugene pub location

• When: Expected to open early August 2026

• Where: 5th Street Public Market, 550 Pearl St Suite 150, Eugene, OR 97401 (former home of Heritage Distillery)

Two of Astoria, Oregon’s favorite brands have created special beverages to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the historic Astoria Column this July. Buoy Beer Co. has crafted a limited-edition Czech Pilsner in commemorative cans, and Astoria Coffee Company a Column Centennial Blend. This is just a few of the ways that the city is paying tribute to the landmark's 100-year legacy of guarding regional history and providing breathtaking views of the Columbia River.

The iconic Astoria Column is one of the Pacific Northwest’s most recognizable landmarks, will celebrate its centennial in July, 2026, marking 100 years since its dedication in 1926. Rising high above the Columbia River and the city of Astoria, the Column has stood for a century as a monument to the region’s rich and layered history. Completed in 1926, the Astoria Column was inspired by Rome’s Trajan Column and built to commemorate the pioneering spirit of the Pacific Northwest and the founding of Astoria—the oldest permanent United States settlement west of the Rocky Mountains.

Centennial activities planned for 2026 will honor the Column’s legacy while inviting new generations to engage with Astoria’s past. Visitors and locals will enjoy multicultural entertainment and food, community booths, arts and crafts, live music and more. A rededication ceremony will also occur at the base of the Column.

Astoria Column 100 Centennial Celebration

July 18th 11am - 4pm

Celebrate 100 years of community and honor the past and the future! Free to the public with activities for all ages. Heritage Square Parking lot on 12th and Duane Street. Enjoy multicultural music & food, arts & crafts, and more!

Astoria Column Rededication Ceremony

July 18th 2pm

100 years following the original dedication of the Column, we come together to honor the past and look towards the future.

Joining the celebration on the waterfront, Buoy Beer Co. is showcasing a special edition of its award-winning Czech Pilsner. Brewed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Astoria Column, this commemorative release showcases the award-winning qualities—classic, clean, and rooted in history. Crafted with traditional Pilsen malt and Czech Saaz hops, it carries notes of biscuit and fresh bread dough with delicate aromatics of black pepper, honey, and bergamot. A crisp tribute from Astoria, best enjoyed overlooking the river below.

Astoria Coffee Company, a small-batch roaster established in 1993, is releasing the Column Centennial Blend. Crafted by current owners Peter Aiken and Sara Moot, who took over operations in 2020, the blend features premium, mountain-grown coffees sourced from Latin America and Indonesia. The specific combination yields a rich, full-bodied cup with sweet and subtly spicy notes designed to match the enduring spirit of the monument. 

"We love sending tourists to the Column for the beautiful views and the opportunity to set balsa planes aloft from the top," said Peter Aiken, co-owner of Astoria Coffee Company. "Creating this Centennial Blend is our way of celebrating a landmark that defines the horizon and the history of the community we call home."

Both centennial products will be available locally in Astoria, Oregon throughout the summer. The Column Centennial Blend coffee will be featured at the Astoria Coffee Company retail storefront located at 304 37th Street and is available for shipment within the continental United States via their website. The special-release Czech Pilsner will be available on tap and in cans at the Buoy Beer Co. Taproom located at 1343 Duane Street in downtown Astoria, just blocks away from the celebration!

The public is invited to join in the Centennial Celebration in downtown Astoria on July 18th from 11am – 4PM. Enjoy live entertainment, food, cultural exhibits and more!

For more information about the Astoria Column Centennial and upcoming events, visit www.astoriacolumn100.org

About Astoria Coffee Company

Established in 1993 and operated by Peter Aiken and Sara Moot since 2020, Astoria Coffee Company is a small-batch coffee roaster located in Astoria, Oregon. The company roasts single-origin coffee beans from around the world and creates well-balanced blends. Products are sold at their brick-and-mortar location and shipped across the continental United States. 

About Buoy Beer Co.

Founded in Astoria, Oregon, Buoy Beer Company brews traditional European-style lagers and crisp Northwest ales on the bustling Columbia River. Dedicated to quality, history, and community, Buoy Beer serves fresh food and award-winning beer to locals and travelers alike from its downtown taproom.

About the Astoria Column
The Astoria Column is a 125-foot-tall monument located in Astoria, Oregon. Dedicated in 1926, it features a hand-applied sgraffito mural, the only one of its kind in the world,  illustrating significant events in Oregon and Pacific Northwest history, from Native American heritage to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Column is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and remains one of Oregon’s most beloved historic landmarks.

Prost! German tavern and Nike have teamed up for the Prost Soccer Haus debuting this Saturday 6/6/26 with official beer Schwüsch Pils from Breakside Brewery. The beer, and the games, will be taking over Prost! at 4237 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217.

“With World Cup around the corner and happening in our backyard, we are ready to set the tone making Prost headquarters for soccer all summer long. Prost has become a hub for international soccer over the years with this marking our 5th World Cup serving the Portland community,” says Prost! co-owner Dan Hart.

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Prost! has partnered with legendary Portland brand NIKE for the “Summer of Soccer” showing all matches all summer long on massive TV’s including a 10’x16’ ft. screen.

The pop-up begins this Saturday, June 6th at 10:30am with the USA vs Germany match. The celebration will include Tursi Soccer selling custom Nike kits, and the debut of Breakside Schwüsch Pils which will be pouring exclusively from Prost! outdoor bar Bloodbuzz during all the upcoming matches through July 19th.

“When we first met with Nike to start planning this special event the idea came up to have a collab beer to mark the event so we reached out to our friends at Breakside Brewing to gauge interest and they came back with a resounding “yes” and Schwüsch Pils was born. Nike and us thought the perfect beer for a summer full of soccer would be a light quaffable lager so texts were sent last minute to Brewmaster, Ben Edmunds who got beer immediately into production,” says Hart.

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Schwüsch Pils is a crushable low 4.6% ABV pilsner that riffs on Breakside’s Unbearable Lightness Helles lager by switching up the malt and hop bill, and adjusting the pH and final gravity to make it lighter and drier. This lager is designed to be drank by the liter and will come in a custom pint glass.

Prost!

4237 N Mississippi Ave, Portland, OR 97217

Pelican Brewing is betting on craft soda and variety to boost grocery store sales, and in-person experiencing taprooms to carry the good vibes and Oregon coast centered brands draft beer into their fourth decade. The iconic Oregon Coast craft brewery that started as a brewpub in sleepy Pacific City has been one of the most award-winning breweries in the world and inspired a generation of brewers and that legacy is at the forefront as they celebrate their 30th anniversary this year.

As a fan and observer of Pelican Brewing’s legacy since 1996, it has been fascinating to watch the brand go from hard to get destination location, to widely available grocery store best-seller. Pelican’s classic Kiwanda Cream Ale (now called just Kiwanda), Pilsner, mixed packs, and the extremely popular Beak Breaker Double IPA is often the best price to quality ratio deal in the store.

Pelican husband and wife founders Mary Jones and Jeff Schons didn’t just have the initial brilliant decision to open a location on an Oregon beach, they had to choose the right place, the right people, and continuously pivot or build their fortune. It didn’t just come to them.

“We have needed to evolve our business model from time to time, to ensure long-term sustainability. This is not an easy business (!) and finding ways to stay ahead of the curve is a necessity,” says Mary Jones.

The first of those pivotal decisions came with hiring of brewmaster Darron Welch, at the time an untested new brewer with only a few years of professional brewing experience. Welch and the Schons met at a conference in Portland, and Welch pestered them over and over until he got a meeting and sold himself. It turned into one of the longest tenures of any brewer and brewery in Oregon, let alone the United States. In 2024 Darron Welch was inducted into the Oregon Beer Awards Hall of Fame.

But the pub itself was not an immediate hit. Pacific City was small and quiet (and still is relatively so), and the Schons realized they had to bring the people to them. It wasn’t enough to have a good thing going and hope people found it, they had to let people know and make it easier for them to enjoy it.

“After of couple years of not having enough customers, we identified the issue of not enough overnight accommodations in our area to provide the customer base we needed,” says Jeff Schons.

Pacific City had less than 1,000 year-round residents in the 90s and virtually no lodging. It was also the 1990s and craft beer or “microbrew” was still extremely niche and not taken very seriously. This was a time when craft beer was still associated with homebrews, and most people had no idea what an IPA was.

“We designed and built the Inn at Cape Kiwanda, and its 35 rooms immediately started making a difference, not only for the Pelican, but for other businesses in Pacific City, particularly in the off-season,” says Jeff Schons. “It was a survival necessity to make that happen and fortunately we were able to find a way to get it done.  This is a great example of a pivot - needing to build a hotel when we had no intention of becoming hoteliers.”

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The Schons’ now own four properties in Pacific City: Headlands Coastal Lodge & Spa, Inn at Cape Kiwanda, Hart’s Camp and Cape Kiwanda RV Park. In 2024 they brought on boutique family-owned hotel brand, Noble House Hotels & Resorts, as a partner to help operate their vacation lodging.

Pelican Brewing began their expansion from a brewpub with very limited distribution to a Pacific northwest powerhouse of production when they opened a second brewery in Tillamook in 2013 and added a packaging hall in 2016. That same year they opened a new brewpub in Cannon Beach with it’s own pilot brewery. Before you knew it, Pelican’s 12oz bottles and 22oz bombers were widely available and business was booming.

In 2019 Pelican Brewing announced perhaps their most ambitious project yet with a new brewery and restaurant in Lincoln City perched over the Siletz Bay. The early renderings and previews of the project set the stage for perhaps Oregon’s glitziest brewery yet, a sure fire destination cementing Pelican’s reputation as the ultimate beercation-friendly brewery.

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The impressive 15,333 square foot brewpub, was designed to accomodate approximately 226 guests. Views of the bay and coastal wetlands abundant from every angle as the floor-to-ceiling windows to flood the expansive dining room with natural light. An upper mezzanine area with even better views of the bay and adjacent to new private group meeting or dining space. Outside the building, an expansive 2,600 square foot outdoor patio with an ocean breeze and multiple seating options. Even a seasonal fish market on the deck.

But then the pandemic. Pelican’s Siletz Bay project originally planned to open in early 2021 was pushed back and ultimately didn’t open until late 2022 when people were still only cautiously going back into restaurants. Pelican Siletz Bay opened to a different consumer, with less of the younger generation going out for the premium experience and instead looking for deals to drink at home if they drank at all.

Pelican Brewing was ready to meet the moment with ‘Sparkle Hops’ a non-alcoholic hop water brand infused with light fruit flavors. For a brewery that had then just turned 25 years old (ancient in craft beer years) Pelican has proved remarkably adept at predicting the incoming tide while avoiding the quick to dissolve industry trends.

Four years later and Pelican Brewing has turned 30 years old in 2026. The low or no-alcohol trend shows little signs of abating and even Pelican co-owner/co-founder Jeff Schons has had to give up alcohol for health reasons. Pelican brewmaster Darron Welch has risen to the challenge of diversifying the lineup with cider and craft soda.

In 2025 Pelican announced a lineup of 3 non-alcoholic craft sodas. Their house-made Root Beer available on tap at their pub since 1998, now available in 12oz cans for the first time along with a Cream Soda and locally-inspired Marionberry flavor. All three sodas are made with natural sugars and no artificial ingredients and have been well received in grocery and convenience stores, not to mention on the family friendly Oregon coast. While visiting Pelican Brewing ahead of their 30th anniversary celebrations we were able to preview two new interesting flavors: Ginger Soda, and a Coffee Cream soda.

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None of this is to suggest that Pelican Brewing isn’t still a classic beer oriented business. While most breweries would make an IPA, or maybe a pilsner or a collector connoisseur friendly barrel-aged Stout for their milestone 30th anniversary, Pelican went in with a Maibock. Developed in the style of strong pale German lagers suited for springtime sipping, the 30th Anniversary Maibock is a balanced, drinkable bock that pours a pale yellow. Bright floral, noble hop aromas are accented by slightly toasty malt nuances, while a soft, clean finish allows the crisp lager character to shine through. The 8.4% ABV brew is now available on draft in all Pelican locations.

“Our 30th Anniversary Maibock is a reflection of the German beers that kindled what would become a lifelong passion project and that served as an inspiration for Pelican Brewing Company,” adds brewmaster Darron Welch.

To mark the three decades of steady growth on the Coast, food menus are getting a subtle refresh. Fan favorites will continue on the roster, joined by imaginative new dishes capitalizing on the change in seasons and creativity of the culinary crew. New items include appetizers like Burrata & Crispy Prosciutto, featuring creamy burrata with roasted tomatoes, crispy prosciutto, fresh basil, balsamic pearls and warm focaccia, and Ahi Aguachile, featuring pasilla-coriander crusted ahi lightly seared and finished with cilantro-lime salsa, thinly sliced red onion, Fresno chiles and edible flowers. Entrees include Blackened Mahi Mahi, served over couscous with roasted vegetables, cilantro sambal and fresh mango pico de gallo. Read our deep dive on the new food menu and beer pairings with chef Sabrina Chapman.

Pelican Brewing is growing in other ways as well, back to their roots as a formative brewpubs and coastal destinations. The recently opened Pelican location in Rockaway Beach marked their fifth location and a sixth restaurant is coming soon in Yachats. But that’s not all, Mary Jones has revealed that the brewery is looking to add 4 or 5 more pubs to their roster over the next half-dozen years. That would put Pelican behind only McMenamins for the most locations of any one brewing company in the northwest.

“I can't imagine doing more than 1 or 2 per year, and likely there will be some years where we don't do any, because we either cannot find the right location, or because the model needs to change somehow to meet the needs of the customers,” says Jones.

“Likely on the coast is where we will continue to look,” adds Jeff Schons. “But we wouldn't rule out some other destination location - but it would have to be very special!  Competition is always a factor - we don't need to be located where there are others filling the customer needs just fine.”

While Pelican has grown beyond the single lonely destination brewpub on a beach in Pacific City, it’s still refreshing to see them seek out growth not only in the off-premise packaged market but also staying true to the brewpub model. So far, Pelican has only opened locations in coastal towns and cities in Oregon and plans to follow that path. How they select cities to come to in the future will be interesting as there are not too many iconic locations left (Astoria, Coos Bay, and Newport come to mind).

“It will depend on if the customers and the communities let us know it's something that resonates with them.  If the model proves to be successful, then we'll continue to work on finding locations that work in places people want to find Pelican,” says Jones. “One thing we've learned is that we can only grow as much as our team and other resources can fully support,  Growth for us is usually self-governing; sometimes we've gone a number of years without any growth, due to economic or other conditions. So it may be that we'll decide to stop at just a couple more.  Time will tell.”

The New School’s new ongoing series ‘The Brewers Kitchen’ investigates how breweries approach food, embracing creativity both in their offerings and in their business models. Today’s beer landscape sees everything from high-end gastropub-style brewpubs to food carts, pop-ups, and outsourcing the kitchen to third-party food vendors. Keeping the public as interested in the food is often as much of a draw as the beer itself, and is therefore an essential element of business for many breweries. This culinary world is often inhabited by chefs and brewers who are as passionate about their food as they are about the beer. 

In The Brewers Kitchen, we highlight the people making some of the most delicious and creative food to pair with our brews.

30 years ago, Mary Jones and Jeff Schons decided to purchase a scrappy building that sat practically right on the beach in the sleepy Oregon coast town of Pacific City. There wasn’t much going on in the town other than the dory fishing that culminated in the annual Dory Days event that drew tourists to watch the action and take part in the fish fry and the parade. Yet, the imposing and majestic Chief Kiawanda Rock sat directly offshore in perfect view, with the Cape Kiwanda State Park and its iconic dunes just a short walk down the beach, making this a scenic place to catch a sunset while sipping a beer. Realizing that last part might be pretty damn important to thirsty visitors, they soon connected with brewmaster Darron Welch and Pelican Brewing was born.  

Over three decades, no other brewery, besides maybe Fort George in Astoria, has reached the level of a destination that actually drives tourism up and down the coast while also expanding its distribution footprint. This is largely due to each location being within stumbling distance of the beach and Darron Welch’s beers - not to mention a lengthy list of talented alumni and later collaborators that includes Grand Fir’s Whitney Burnside and Gigantic’s Ben Love  - that have garnered an almost comical amount of medals (over 450 to be more exact) in beer competitions around the world. But it is also because, in this land of fish and chips, bacon-loaded clam chowder, and rubbery fried razor clams, Pelican has long served some of the highest quality and most thoughtful food on the coast. 

Much like the many brewers who have worked for Pelican over its 30-year existence, numerous chefs have come through the kitchen during their formative years before moving on to other successful ventures. These include Breakside executive chef and subject of our most recent Brewer’s Kitchen (and Pacific City native) Michael Blank-Delaney, and others. 

Since 2018, Sabrina Chapman has been leading the food program across Pelican’s five locations and, soon, six with a casual spot opening this summer in Yachats. The menu at Pelican has always included, and likely will continue to include, coastal staples like the aforementioned chowder and fried fish. Truth be told, these dishes deserve much of the credit for the lines that snake out the door on busy summer evenings. In a given year, the Pelican team preps 10,000 gallons of chowder and sells 55,000 pounds of cod and 140,000 burgers. What Chapman brings to the team is a uniquely Oregon sensibility that, combined with her experience working her way up and time spent in high-end cuisine, allows her to craft dishes that feel truly elevated above standard brewpub or seafood shack fare and also capture her love for fresh, local ingredients. 

“My roots are firmly planted in Oregon, particularly along the Oregon Coast. I spent my earliest years in Otis and have fond memories of fishing and trips to Newport and Silver Falls,” says Chapman, who found her way back to the coast after spending time in San Diego and Baja California before officially launching her culinary career in 2012. “That same year, I earned my career diploma in catering, which really started my culinary journey and fueled my excitement to get into professional kitchens and learn everything there is to know about being a chef.”

Much of her early experience came from her career in bustling environments at TC’s Pub at Tahoe’s Northstar Resort and at Bite Restaurant in Incline Village, where she worked her way up from prep cook to executive chef, managing a high-volume, scratch-made fine-dining program. Eventually, she was drawn back to Oregon after seeing an opportunity at Pelican. 

“By 2018, I was ready for a new challenge and was immediately drawn to Pelican’s strong core values after seeing their posting for a new chef. After a working interview at the Pacific City location, I fell in love with the opportunity and moved out a month later. Even though it meant a step back at the time, I was drawn to Pelican Brewing’s reputation, high volume, and continuous expansion. Today, I’m proud to be part of the teams across Pacific City, Cannon Beach, Tillamook, Siletz Bay, Rockaway Beach, and soon Yachats — all while my fiancé and I raise our 18-month-old twin boys in the coastal community I’ve always loved.”

Over seven years in, Chapman has sharpened her ability to balance the pressures of running several kitchens - many of which reach bonkers-level busy in the summer - with the demand to flex her creative chef skills through fan favorite specials like smoked oyster bruschetta or schnitzel with Madeira mushroom gravy, and Pelican’s long-running brewers dinners that feature multi-course tasting menus paired with beers. For Chapman, there is as much value in pleasing beer nerds and foodies as there is in feeding a family just looking for some fried seafood after a day on the beach. 

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“For me, being a chef is about so much more than what’s on the plate — it’s about the human connection shared while enjoying a meal and the memories families make during their time with us. We have the incredible privilege of being a cornerstone of people's vacations, milestones, and celebrations. There is something truly special about pairing world-class beer and exceptional food with the breathtaking setting of the Oregon Coast, and accomplishing that with consistency, at the high volume that we do, is a challenge that I find deeply rewarding,” she says.

To achieve the status of a respectable restaurant that is more than just another brewpub, Chapman and her team work to make each location special while keeping Oregonians' love for ingredient-focused food front and center. Chapman has developed a process that feels almost clinical, or perhaps like something we might see on Top Chef, in its preciseness. 

“Our menu development process begins with deep research — exploring new flavors, sourcing incredible ingredients, and asking, ‘What is our menu missing?’ For every single slot we look to fill, I develop 10 distinct ideas. I then narrow those down to the four best to present to our leadership team. We evaluate every dish on a ‘scorecard’ that balances brand fit, flavor and presentation. We’re making adjustments up until the last minute to make it perfect and considering whether the kitchen can execute the dish at high volume. Since we can’t keep adding new items indefinitely, choosing which well-loved options to remove is always the hardest part,” she says. 

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Part of this process also means ensuring each Pelican location has its own style or “personality” that captures the spirit of the local community and caters to the desires of tourists. While locations like Rockaway Beach and the new Yachats spot have more of a neighborhood pub-meets-fast-casual vibe, and Tillamook is basically a taproom that happens to serve food, other Pelican locations offer a more luxurious experience, at least by Oregon coast standards. Of course, plenty of people still flock to Pacific City (“The OG”) for its incredible ocean views accompanied by classics like the famous chowder and fish and chips, but Cannon Beach takes things a notch higher with fancy-ish dishes like Dungeness Crab Ravioli or 14-hour slow-smoked Tri-Tip. Perhaps the newest and most gussied-up Pelican is its Siletz Bay location, with its sprawling modern architecture serving as an ideal setting for seafood and Bavarian-inspired cuisine. 

“This is our showstopper for seafood lovers. Inspired by Jeff and Mary’s vision, we do a full crab boil here that is exclusive to Siletz Bay. It’s messy, fresh, and perfect for the view,” says Chapman. 

Balancing so many different menus and outposts is a challenge that Chapman happily accepts. This is partly because each location is led by an executive chef, an executive sous chef, and two additional sous chefs, providing Chapman with ample support and opportunities to collaborate on the menu.  

“One of the most rewarding aspects of my role is the ability to stay connected to the heart of each kitchen. Although I am based in Pacific City, I make it a priority to visit every location a couple of times a month. These aren't just check-ins — they are moments of true collaboration where I get to spend quality time in the kitchen alongside our incredible chefs and teams,” she says. 

With a perfectionist like Darron Welch leading the brewing, a big part of Chapman’s work as a chef is also ensuring her food is well paired with the beers. This often means getting super specific tasting notes on the beer, such as an acidic structure of a cider cutting through the rich, thick texture of a sauce or soup. This chemistry is best experienced at Pelican’s brewer dinners, where both Welch and Chapman - as well as collaborating chefs and brewers - get to walk through the flavors and pairing notes of each dish and its accompanying beer. 

“Working with our brewery team is one of the most inspiring parts of my job. It’s a true partnership where the food and the beer elevate one another to create something magical. We’ve learned through experience that the best way to create a harmony of flavors is to lead with the food, then find the beer that matches. Our process is simple and fun: we sit down together and taste everything. We love looking for what we call ‘flavor hooks’ — those special moments where a dish and a beer harmonize. It might be finding a raspberry sweetness in a beer to balance the richness of our crab mac, or choosing a crisp, clean brew to cut through the heat of a spicy dish,” she says. 

As part of Pelican’s 30th anniversary celebration, Chapman’s latest project has been to refresh the menu with a handful of special items. These include burrata and crispy prosciutto with roasted tomatoes and fresh basil served with focaccia, seared ahi aguachile crusted with Pasilla-coriander, and blackened mahi mahi served over couscous with roasted vegetables, cilantro sambal, and fresh mango pico de gallo, to name just a few. If that doesn’t sound like brewpub food, that is exactly the point.  

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“Our guiding light for this new chapter is a move toward a lighter, health-forward and "fresh-from-the-sea" feel. While our beloved pub staples will always have a home here, we are elevating them alongside sophisticated new additions. My goal is to ensure that our menu offers high-quality coastal cuisine that has something for everyone,” says Chapman. 

All of these changes have allowed Chapman to lean more into her love of working with the seasons and sourcing the highest-quality ingredients. As she looks into her own future at Pelican, this is what she is most excited about.

“My absolute favorite part of being an Oregon Coast chef is the rhythm of the seasons. When Oregon pink shrimp season hits, we dive headfirst into the local harvest to create specials like our shrimp roll. It’s a chance to celebrate a specific moment in time on the coast. We’re so lucky in Oregon. Every restaurant I’ve been part of aims to source the best ingredients, but not everyone can so easily find those in their backyard. In Oregon, and especially here on the coast, we are surrounded by a literal bounty, and I make it a priority to source from our neighbors whenever possible.”

Industry trade organization the Brewers Association has issued a rare correction to the results of their 2025 beer industry production survey that tracked the ups and downs of the small craft brewing industry. The BA has revised their production figures with post-release revisions on their April 14th 2026 report that are more extensive than usual, and are overall much more positive signs for craft beer.

These updates affect several key metrics, including overall craft beer production and its year-over-year change, regional segment production and year-over-year change, craft market share, craft retail value, jobs estimates, production volumes in four states (PA, TX, CA, and VA), and modeled economic impact figures for all states.

4/14/26: Total craft beer production declined 5.1% from 2024 to 2025 to 21,856,000 barrels.

6/2/26 Correction: Total craft production (22,034,000 bbls) fell 4% in 2025, with 60% of breweries reporting declines, 39% reporting growth, and 1% holding steady. 

Craft beer outpaced the overall beer category, which declined 5.7% by volume, highlighting relative resilience within a contracting market. 

4/14/26: Market share increased from 13.2% in 2024 to 13.3% in 2025.

6/2/26 Correction: Market by volume increased slightly from 13.2% to 13.4%, reflecting continued consumer demand for independent brewers despite overall category declines. 

4/14/26: Craft beer’s retail dollar declined 3.6% to $27.8 billion

6/2/26 Correction: Craft beer’s retail dollar value declined 2.8% year-over-year in 2025, to a total of $28.0 billion.

While reduced sales volume contributed to the drop, the impact on dollar sales was less pronounced due to higher average beer prices and a continued shift toward on-site consumption models such as taprooms and brewpubs where there is a higher unit price. As a result, retail value proved more resilient than volume trends alone might suggest. 

4/14/26: Employment declined 4% by about 8,000 jobs down to 189,000 jobs

6/2/26 Correction: The craft brewing workforce declined only 6,000 (-3%) year-over-year to 191,000 jobs.

4/14/26: Production Declines by Business Model:

brewpubs by 2.5%

Correction: -1.7% 

taprooms by 2.7%

Correction: -3.9% 

microbreweries by 4.4%

Correction: -8.9% 

regional breweries by 0.4%

Correction: -4.1% 

New brewery openings dropped sharply to 300 in 2025 (down from 518 in 2024), while closures also declined to 481 (from 591). The slowdown in openings signals a shift toward a more mature, competitive market with fewer untapped opportunities for new market entrants. 

Regional and Business Trends 

Performance varied across regions. The East North Central Census division posted the strongest trend, finding growth of +0.4%, followed by the Mountain division (-1.5%), both outperforming national trends. 

Breweries with strong brand identity and clear market positioning continued to outperform, with brands like Garage Beer and Outlaw (by Tivoli Brewing Company) among notable gainers. 

Hospitality-driven models, i.e., brewpubs and taprooms, remained comparatively resilient, particularly those offering differentiated value to budget-conscious consumers. 

Looking Ahead: Cautious Optimism 

Key trends shaping the future include a potential rebound in consumer attitudes toward beverage alcohol, continued momentum for strong and differentiated brands, and the growing importance of experience-driven brewery models that offer value beyond the product itself. 

“The industry outlook points towards cautious optimism, as shifting trends offer hope for a more stable path forward after several challenging years,” said Matt Gacioch, staff economist at the Brewers Association. “While it’s probably premature to say the industry has settled into a ‘new normal,’ there are many indications that we are moving in that direction. What’s nearly guaranteed is that success going forward will come down to creating something meaningful and memorable for consumers. Breweries that deliver consistent quality, human connection, and unique experiences will stand out.”

Top 50 Craft Brewing Companies

The BA relies on self-reported data from its annual survey and periodically identifies figures that require updates. The organization remains committed to publishing the most accurate industry data possible as new information becomes available.

Oregon’s Columbia Distributing is on a spending spree, taking advantage of the shake-up in the hard beverage industry post COVID to snap up Point Blank Distributing in January 2026, and RNDC wine distributor in April, and today announced an investment in Hayden Beverage Company.

Hayden Beverage Company is a family-owned beverage distributor based in Idaho. Previously, Columbia Distributing held a major stake in Idaho’s Scout Beverage distributor, which they sold to Hayden Beverage in summer 2025. This movie essentially foreshadowed the investment in Hayden Beverage announced today.

As part of the proposed transaction, the Hayden ownership group will also take an indirect ownership interest in Columbia, aligning long-term priorities and supporting continued regional growth.

The investment follows a series of strategic moves by both companies. In addition to acquiring 3 wine distributors over the past two years, on May 8, Hayden completed the purchase of RNDC’s equity interest in their Idaho joint venture. Columbia announced a separate agreement involving the acquisition of certain RNDC wine and spirits supplier rights in Oregon and Washington, along with related assets in Alaska. Together, these actions further build a scaled, leading total beverage platform across the Pacific Northwest.

The acquisition of RNDC resulted in the loss of atleast 320 jobs in Washington and South Dakota, 150+ in Oregon and more in Texas. The final result when it all shakes out could be as high as 2,800 jobs lost.

Point Blank Distributing had layoffs of around 177 people after they were acquired, and included the closure of the Portland, Eugene, and Bend, Oregon Distro hubs. Breweries, cideries, and other suppliers have also been forced to enter into new partnerships and/or lose distribution.

However, according to Columbia, there will be no immediate changes to day-to-day operations for Hayden Beverage and no lay-offs or employer changes. Both companies will continue to operate under existing leadership, banners, and licenses, maintaining their local market focus. 

“We’ve always worked well with Columbia, sharing information, solving problems, and pushing each other.  It feels like we are finally making an informal partnership a formal one,” said Dodds Hayden, Owner/Chairman of Hayden Beverage. “Our mission is to be the best executing distributor in the Northwest, and Columbia has always been our benchmark. This partnership combines a ton of expertise, capability, and strong cultures.”

“This is an exciting step for Columbia, Hayden, and our shared vision for total beverage distribution in the Pacific Northwest,” said Chris Steffanci, President and CEO of Columbia Distributing. “Hayden has built an exceptional business in Idaho with strong supplier relationships, a talented team, and a proven commitment to execution. Together, we are strengthening a true regional platform while maintaining the local relationships that drive long-term success.”

About Columbia Distributing

Since 1935, Columbia Distributing has helped build some of the best-known brands in the beverage business. Today, Columbia’s 2,800 teammates serve more than 24,000 retail customers across Oregon and Washington, covering nearly 170,000 square miles. With the planned expansion into Alaska, Columbia will add approximately 1,125 accounts and extend its reach to more than 835,000 square miles across three states. Columbia’s success is based on a deep-rooted tradition of delivering quality products, timely service and a genuine concern for customers’ needs. This is achieved by providing ongoing, sustainable opportunities and growth for its teammates, customers, suppliers, shareholders and communities. For more information, visit www.coldist.com.

About Hayden Beverage

Hayden Beverage, founded by John Hayden in 1970 and purchased by Dodds Hayden in 2006, is the leading Idaho-based beverage distributor.  Built on a multi-division model that brings specialized expertise across categories, channels, and markets, the company serves customers statewide with a portfolio spanning wine, beer, cider, non-alcoholic beverages, and other emerging categories. For more information, visit www.haydenbeverage.com.

Function, the Portland-born rotating brewery pop-up taproom concept revealed plans to expand to the Boise, Idaho area to the New School in March after announcing the closure of their original northwest Portland location. Leading up to the planned build-out of a new taproom, food hall, and lodging next to the river in Garden City, Idaho, Function is partnering with local brewery Western Collective to host 6 months of rotating guest brewery pop-ups.

The first featured brewery partner will be Fort George Brewery out of Astoria, Oregon, with the launch beginning Tuesday, June 2. The Fort George lineup will be featured alongside Western Collective’s house beers, ciders, slush, and  taproom staples. 

“This is exactly the kind of thing we wanted to start building before our own doors open in Garden City,” said Function  Owner Casey Armstrong. “Function has always been about bringing great breweries into a room in a way that feels  accessible, energetic, and thoughtful. Western Collective gives us a chance to start doing that here now - with a local  partner, in a neighborhood we’re genuinely excited about.” 

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Function first opened in Portland in 2017 and has operated its month-long brewery residency model since 2021, hosting  renowned breweries from around the country, including powerhouses like Monkish, Other Half, North Park and pFriem.  The model is built around a simple idea: give great breweries a temporary home in a new market, create a reason for  people to show up, and build a taproom experience that feels intentional and curated. 

The Western Collective collaboration brings together two different but complementary strengths: Function will bring its  rotating brewery model, tap curation, and marketing voice into the taproom alongside Western Collective’s beer, cider,  slush, and established Garden City presence. The partnership is built to make the taproom feel active, thoughtful, and  worth coming back to — whether guests are there for Western Collective, the rotating brewery partner, or the broader  Garden City beverage scene. 

“It’s about showing up early, adding value, and building the kind of momentum we think Garden City is ready for. We  want Function to be a future neighbor that helps raise the ceiling for what beverage culture can look like here,”  Armstrong said. “Cary is giving us the opportunity to work on that together, now.” 

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“Western Collective has spent years building a taproom that works for everyone - families on the patio, beer fans, slush  regulars, all of it,” said Cary Prewitt, Founder of Western Collective. “The next five years are about getting more  ambitious with what fills the room without losing that. Function is the first of a series of collaborations we’re rolling out  to bring renowned breweries and new experiences to Garden City, starting June 2 with Fort George. There’s a lot more  coming.” 

The June 2 launch with Fort George will introduce a focused lineup from the Astoria brewery alongside Western  Collective’s existing taproom offerings, with additional events, beer features, and activations to follow throughout the  month. 

For Function, the collaboration is also a preview of its larger Garden City vision: a hospitality campus built around  rotating brewery residencies, community events, curated beverage experiences, and a welcoming food and beverage environment that feels both considered and easy to enjoy.

For Western Collective, the partnership brings fresh activity into the taproom and creates a platform for bringing  respected regional breweries into Garden City in a way that supports the broader local scene. 

More details on the June 2 launch event, Fort George lineup, and upcoming taproom activations will be announced  through Function and Western Collective social channels. 

About Function Function is a rotating brewery taproom concept first opened in Portland, Oregon in 2017. Since 2021,  Function has hosted month-long brewery residencies featuring renowned breweries from around the country, creating a  curated but approachable taproom experience built around discovery, hospitality, and community. As Function expands  into new markets, the concept remains focused on bringing great breweries into great rooms — and making the  experience feel welcoming, energetic, and easy to enjoy. 

About Western Collective Western Collective is a Garden City, Idaho brewery and taproom located on 33rd Street,  known for its beer, cider, slush, and taproom experience. The brewery has become part of Garden City’s growing  beverage and hospitality corridor. 

About Fort George Brewery Fort George Brewery is a family-owned brewery based in Astoria, Oregon. Known for its  deeply rooted Pacific Northwest identity and broad lineup of beers, Fort George will serve as the first brewery partner in  the Function × Western Collective collaboration. 

Featuring Cideries and Breweries Sourcing Salmon-Safe Certified Apples, Hops and Barley

In honor of International Wild Salmon Day, Alchemy Cider Co. is hosting cidermakers, brewers and farmers to present the Wild Salmon Festival on May 31 from 1 PM to 5 PM in the parking lot of Alchemy Cider Co.’s tasting room in Southeast Portland. The fest is part brewfest’ and part farmers market, with something for everyone big or small.

“The beer, wine and cider at the Wild Salmon Festival was all made with purpose,” says Michelle McGrath the
Columbia Basin Program Director for Salmon-Safe. “These makers have sourced the finest ingredients, and you can taste the difference. These ingredients are Salmon-Safe certified meaning they were grown by farmers passionate about the land and the water that both farmers and fish need to thrive. These farmers model their practices around protecting the soil, pollinators and water, and by choosing their products, these makers are saying “Yes” to farming the Salmon-Safe way.”

Tickets are $10 in advance ($12 on-site) and include samples from participating beverage producers and a 4 oz. Alchemy Cider Co. glass. The event is family-friendly, and kids can attend for free. In addition to cider and beer, there will be vendors sampling and selling cheese, farm products, wild salmon and native plant starts. The Traveling Typist will be on-site for inspired poems on a topic of your choice, and Grayling Education will be demonstrating fly fishing casting at 2 PM.

This event is a benefit for Salmon-Safe, an Oregon based non-profit organization that works with farmers to support farmer-led efforts to protect wild salmon and healthy rivers. The beverage producers at the festival all have one thing in common—their cider or beers were all produced using Salmon-Safe certified ingredients: apples, hops and barley. Salmon-Safe certified farms are verified by a third party to enhance biodiversity, restrict pesticides harmful to aquatic wildlife, protect soil health, and preserve water quality. In Oregon, 80% of the hop acreage is Salmon-Safe Certified, making Oregon one of the most sustainable hop growing regions in the world. 

Participating vendors include:

• Alchemy Cider Co.

• Bauman’s Cider

• Heartland Ciderworks

• Kristof Farms

• Raw Cider Co.

• Allgood Brewing Company

• Hopworks Brewery

• Lazy Days Brewing

• Living Häus Beer Co.

• Tuff Talk Distillery

• Kenai Red Fish Company

• Westwood Farms

• Salmon-Safe

• Pleasant Valley Cider Apples

• Deck Family Farm

• A Friend in Cheese

• Pond Hag Natives

• The Traveling Typist

• Grayling Educatio

More information can be found on the event page: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/salmon-safe-wild-salmon-day-food-beverage-festival-tickets-1988350665365 or questions can be directed to michelle@salmonsafe.org.

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Alchemy Cider Co. opened in August of 2025 in inner SE Portland. Their taproom has a dark, mystical aesthetic that is unique, yet comfortable and inviting. They have hosted a wide range of community-focused events since opening late last year. Among their cider lineup are five ciders made with Salmon-Safe certified apples from Pleasant Valley Orchard in Sweet Home, Oregon. Learn more at https://alchemy-cider.com.

Salmon-Safe was founded in 1997 and has become one of the nation's leading ecolabels with more than 115,000 acres of farm and urban lands certified in Oregon, Washington, California, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, British Columbia and, most recently, Japan. Through peer-reviewed certification and accreditation program, they are leading the movement to implement farming practices and developments that protect water quality, maintain watershed health and restore habitat. Learn more at SalmonSafe.org.

Nate Rajski, was head brewer at StormBreaker Brewing where he has worked for the past 7 years, has accepted a newly created head brewer role at St. Helens, Oregon’s Crooked Creek Brewery. Rajski decided to make the move to be closer to his home in Scappoose and a change of pace. Crooked Creek owner and brewer Dave Lauridsen is handling the growing business as their restaurant and taproom gets busier and St. Helens becomes more popular and needed some help in the brewery.

“Crooked Creek keeps a very well rounded taplist these days, always having IPAs, hazy, stout, red etc on tap but also including Belgian styles and other European styles as well as naturally carbonated lagers in the lineup. Ultimately the goal is to brew intercontinentally style-wise but with as local ingredients as one can get. Most all of the ingredients come from the PNW if possible,” says Rajski.

Joel Sheley, former Bridgeport Brewing brewer who took over the head Brewer at Threshold Brewing from co-owner Jarek Szymanski 2 and a half years ago, has taken a job brewing at Migration Brewing Company. Sheley and his wife Karen operated successful nano brewery Gateway Brewing for 9 great years before Joel joined the team at Threshold.

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Gracie Nelson, a SteepleJack brewer from the Hillsboro production facility and former R&D brewer for Migration Brewing, has accepted the new head brewer role at Threshold Brewing replacing Joel Sheley. Nelson, who loves to cycle everywhere whenever possible, is passionate about historical styles and foraged ingredients, but is just as fond of a light and crushable American lager.

“Beer is special to me because of its connection to agriculture and the magic of fermentation throughout the history of civilization. Every beer brewed has the chance to tell a story of the maker, bring community together, and reconnect with history,” says Nelson.

Kevin Hanny, most recently a head production brewery at SteepleJack Brewing’s Hillsboro facility, has joined the Zoiglhaus Brewing team and is now the head brewer for the new Spotlight Brewing. The new brewery is actually the old Pono Brew Labs, previously Columbia River Brewing and Laurelwood Brewing before that. The space has been expanded into adjacent suites, and now has a full food hall. Spotlight Brewing is soft opened now, with a grand opening on May 30th.

“I really enjoy the community aspect of brewing.  It brings people together - Both the brewers that support each other and the consumer that enjoys the final product,” says Hanny. “Brewing is a physically demanding trade, and at the end of the day, I find it rewarding to see people gathered with friends and family enjoying what you worked so hard to create. I try to keep my beers balanced and approachable so people can explore different styles they may not have thought they’d enjoy.”

Anna Buxton, SteepleJack Brewing’s original head brewer since their opening in 2021, has accepted a new position at War Pigs Brewery in Copenhagen Denmark. Originally from Washington, Anna bounced around in outdoor recreation for a few years, landing in Wanatchee and into her first professional brewing role. Anna followed her passion to Rock Bottom in Long Beach, California where she learned the ins and outs of classic beers and recipe development, and became enamored with cask beer and experimental beer. When she heard Modern Times Beer was opening in Portland, she took the plunge and moved to town to brew there. At SteepleJack she was given the freedom to focus on low ABV beers and never treating malt as a back seat ingredient. She will be missed in Oregon.

Lara Hargrave, the lead production brewer at Great Notion Brewing, has taken Anna Buxton’s role at SteepleJack Brewing as the pub brewer at the flagship NE Broadway church pub. Hargrave was working in wine sales and hoping to become a winemaker before getting a job in packaging at Community Brewing Company in Dallas, Texas. In 9 months she transitioned into a shift brewer role. After 7 years at Great Notion Brewing, Hargrave is now brewing at SteepleJack in a very different front forward role.

“I’m most excited about creative freedom and all the components that come with that be it events, competitions, and overall networking,” says Hargrave about her new job at SteepleJack Brewing. “As a production brewer you’re not the face of anything. You work behind the scenes and keep things consistent and moving. Now I get to that plus be a bit more out front. I guess I need to learn to be more photogenic in the next few months….”

Aaron Copelin, a former ForeLand head brewer and most recently head brewer at Vice Beer, has accepted the head Brewer position at Great Notion Brewing. Between brewing at Vice, Copelin moved to Berlin to brew and study the art of brewing and came back with even more respect and appreciation for both German precision and American innovation.

“Before moving to Germany, I spent time brewing at Vice, so returning there felt like a natural fit. It was great to be back making beer with that team again. When the Head Brewer opportunity at Great Notion came up, it felt like the right fit for where I am professionally and for the experience I gained at the VLB in Berlin,” says Copelin.

Phil Pesheck, the multi-award winning Alpha King winner from Burke-Gilman Brewing in Seattle, is moving back to Washington after a few years in Hawaii at Howzit Brewing. Pesheck is taking over the head Brewer role at Vice Beer from Aaron Copelin. Pesheck was the 2020 Alpha King Champion for the hoppiest beer in the U.S. for his Fresh Hopotheosis Hazy Imperial IPA. Around the same time Burke Gilman Brewing Co. won a gold medal at the Great American Beer Festival in the extremely competitive Juicy or Hazy Imperial IPA category for The Hopsplainer. Also in 2020 he was the recipient of the Glen Hay Falconer Foundation’s competitive annual brewing scholarship.

Ancestry Brewing in Tualatin, Oregon is under new ownership. Aaron and Erika Wilcott are the new owners taking over for Jerry, Leah, and Suzanne as Jerry goes into retirement. Ancestry, which recently won a gold medal for their Irish Red at the 2026 Oregon Beer Awards, once had three different locations but now focuses on their main brewery and pub and distribution through Maletis Beverage. It will be interesting to watch for any future changes under the new ownership.

Kachka, Portland’s own famed Russian restaurant, bar and distillery, is welcoming New Orleans' famed sandwich shop Turkey and the Wolf for “The Summer of Sandwich” parking lot party. On June 14th, Kachka Fabrika, the new distillery location next to Rosenstadt Brewery (formerly Culmination Brewing) will welcome special guest Mason Hereford from New Orleans' famed sandwich shop, Turkey and the Wolf.

Kachka’s Executive Chef/Co-Owner Bonnie Morales crossed paths with Hereford participating in food festivals over the years, and since inviting him to Portland for a mash up dinner at Kachka for the restaurant’s INTERWOVEN dinner series in 2019, the Kachka team has been looking for a way to collaborate ever since. The opening of Kachka’s own distillery last year and expanded bottled infusions program sparked the idea of making a vodka together, resulting in Caraway Rye Toast Vodka, to be released on June 14th.

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EVENT DETAILS

Date: Sunday, June 14th, 2026

Time: 1:00-4:00pm 

Where: Kachka Fabrika and adjacent parking lot at: 2117 NE Oregon St., Portland, OR 97232

Tickets: A limited number of presale tickets for the Caraway Rye Toast vodka collab, a limited edition hat made for the party, and an exclusive Kachka x Turkey and the Wolf collaboration sandwich for $55 plus ticketing fees. 

RSVP: While entry to the event is free, guests are encouraged to RSVP through the ticketing link so that vendors can be prepared to have plenty of food and drinks.

Event URL: kachkapdx.com/events

Food: Tokens can be purchased on site for $8 each. Each sandwich will cost $8 and be a half-sandwich size, so guests are encouraged to try as many as they can, and stamp their bingo cards! 

Drinks: Cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages can be purchased from Kachka Fabrika’s bar. Beer can be purchased from Rosenstadt Brewing.

Bottle Sales: Bottles of the new collaboration vodka, as well as Kachka Spirits’ Classic, Horseradish, Pertsovka and Rhubarb Vodka can all be purchased at the event to bring home while supplies last. 

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About Kachka Fabrika Distillery & Zakuski Bar

Since opening Kachka in 2014, the restaurant has been on a mission to showcase the beauty and breadth of post-Soviet food and drink—especially vodka. Over the years, the house infusions became a signature of the restaurant, sparking curiosity and conversations at the table. But behind the scenes, Co-Owners Bonnie and Israel Morales always dreamed of something bigger: bringing distillation in-house. Fabrika is the realization of that dream. Inside Kachka Spirits’ own distillery (Est. 2025), they’ve taken years of tasting, serving, and educating on vodka and channeled them into spirits that are entirely their own. From beloved Kachka Horseradish Vodka to seasonal infusions, like Hood Strawberry, Kramambulya, Rhubarb, as well as a premium Classic Wheat Vodka—developed through careful trial and error in the Russian tradition and distilled with Portland’s pure water—every bottle reflects the craft and care that define Kachka. The adjacent cocktail bar was created as a place to celebrate it all: martinis made with house vodka, a seafood-forward zakuski menu, and the beauty of gathering together. It’s also located next door to our dumpling workshop, so there are pelmeni and vareniki on the menu there too. Fabrika Distillery & Zakuski Bar is open Thursday-Monday, 4pm-close, with $1oyster happy hour daily from 4-6pm, and late night happy hour on Fridays and Saturdays from 9pm to close.

kachkafabrika.com | @kachkafabrika

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Grand Fir Brewing and Von Ebert Brewing have collaborated on an American Lager, but this isn’t your normal light crackery lawnmower beer because ‘Sacred Stone’ weaves in elements from New Zealand and Japan. Your first chance to try it and pick up cans of Sacred Stone is Thursday, May 28th, but on Saturday, May 30th, Von Ebert Brewing is hosting Grand Fir and The Bitter Root Club owner/chef Doug Adams for a cookout Collab with BBQ truck HarBQ for the official release party.

“This isn’t our first collaboration with Grand Fir Brewing, but it’s definitely our most exciting! Coming off a couple of big American Light Lager medal wins, we wanted to find a partner this year to push the boundaries on what that style can be,” said Sam Pecoraro, brewmaster of Von Ebert Brewing. “Grand Fir is known for wielding a hammer and a feather interchangeably, so Whitney Burnside and her crew came to mind right away. Whitney and I both had beers recently with a New Zealand hop that screamed, ‘put me in something light and delicate,’ and thought Kohatu would be the perfect complement to some jasmine rice, our little evolution of the American Lager style we all know and love.”

Sacred Stone American Lager is 4% ABV with notes of pineapple, lime and water cracker malt. This collaboration lager will be available at all Von Ebert Brewing locations in draft and 16 oz cans, as well as in some Northwest retailers, restaurants and bars while it lasts.

Von Ebert N. Mississippi location critically acclaimed weekend food truck, HarBQ has teamed up with Chef Doug Adams of Bitterroot and Grand Fir Brewing on Saturday, May 30, with a special menu of barbeque and grilled items in the parking lot and adjacent beer garden.

In addition to HarBQ’s regular full menu with brisket chicken beef cheeks, pork belly etc. they will also be making:

• A pork black pepper garlic smoked sausage with the GF/VE Collab beer ‘Sacred Stone’ infused into it.

• Smoked brisket chili Frito pie.

• Doug Adams will Smoked and Charcoal Grilled Creekstone Ribeye, Costada Romenesco Salsa Verde, Chili + Lime Butter

Get there when they open at noon or risk them selling out before you arrive to celebrate the collaboration beer.

Von Ebert Brewing also now offers non-alcohol hop sparkling waters, hard seltzers with plans for hard teas and hard punches later this year for those who don’t drink beer. The new brewing facility at N. Mississippi allows Von Ebert Brewing production and distribution to go from 4,000 barrels per year to as much as 20,000 barrels per year and it’s more than halfway there. Von Ebert Brewing now sells more of its products in 12-ounce and 16-ounce cans and expanded its distribution throughout Oregon, Washington, Colorado, California and Japan.

Portland-brewed Oak Union Brewing has always had their heart in Milwaukie, now they will have a taproom there too.

More than three years after launching Oak Union Brewing, owner Trevor Lauman has found a permanent home in downtown Milwaukie for his mystical dark folkloric European and West Coast inspired beers and vision.

The future taproom and restaurant will open at 10909 SE Main Street, the former Collector’s Mall, putting Oak Union in the middle of Milwaukie's growing downtown scene that includes beer destinations like pFriem, Beer Store Milwaukie and the recently opened 1847 Food Park that’s anchored by Migration Brewing, with Breakside Brewery’s main brewery not far away either.

“We're the new up-and-coming brewery with something to prove. The hope is that when people think of Oregon beer, they also think of Milwaukie,” says Lauman about the quickly growing world-class beer scene in the Portland suburb. 

Back in 2023, New School covered Oak Union’s launch as an alternating proprietorship with plans to eventually put down roots in Milwaukie and next-door Oak Grove. 

Lauman, who grew up in Oak Grove, graduated from Oregon State University’s Fermentation Science program. While at OSU he received the Columbia Distributing and Rogue Ales Jack Joyce scholarship. After graduation, he was hired by Ancestry, at the time just entering the market, where he helped develop their beer recipes. 

“It’s scary to be responsible for a loan or a lease that you’re on the hook for for hundreds of thousands of dollars,” says Lauman, who co-owns the brewery with his wife, Brittany. “But at the same time, I’ve worked towards this for literally the past 15 years.”

He says the new space will total 2,651 square feet, including 1,750 square feet upstairs for the brewery and restaurant and another 900 square feet downstairs for storage, cooler space, and other back-of-house functions. 

The taproom and restaurant is part of the larger retrofitting of the Perry’s Pharmacy Building that will include multiple businesses, from a soda shop, bakery and comedy club, each with its own entrance and access to a shared interior corridor and restrooms. (Older locals also know the building as the drugstore soda fountain where JFK famously once sat.)

Lauman says many of the spaces he toured over the past three years required extensive tenant improvements upfront, but this location offered something different.

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Because the landlord is already redeveloping the building, Oak Union will be handed a “gray shell,” allowing Lauman to choose wall placement, plumbing, electrical, and kitchen infrastructure without having to shoulder costs at the start.

“We don’t have millions of dollars to invest right up front,” Lauman says. “We’ve seen what’s happening in the market and we don’t want to get tied down with so much debt that we can’t service it.”

Art & Community Focused Brewpub

Though Oak Union is a brewery at heart, Lauman says the new space will be more than a taproom and restaurant and will offer food and non-alcoholic options, minors allowed, and a space that doesn’t feel like a high-turnover restaurant but more like a neighborhood pub.

The vibe of the space will be consistent with Oak Union’s dark folkloric and ornate imagery.

“Our can art draws from ancient ritualistic cultures that were deeply bonded with their environment, and we're carrying that thread into the taproom through natural materials and design. The artwork itself will make an appearance, but exactly how is a surprise we're saving for opening,” says Lauman.

The atmosphere will be complemented by warm lighting and natural light from windows that wrap around the corner of Monroe and Main. Overhead an exposed-beam barrel vault ceiling arches above a long communal table in the center of the room. Behind the bar, a textured end-grain wood wall will frame a large blackened steel and backlit Oak Union logo. 

“It’ll be dark mixed with a lot of natural light during the day and warm light at night. Shou Sugi Ban (charred wood) elements at the bar, oak slab tops for the tables, natural elements, like hanging plants. A connection between light and dark, modern and the past,” Lauman says. 

The kitchen will offer gastropub quality burgers, salads, but Lauman also wants to bring in some central European fusion of flavors. One dish already planned is an Americanized Döner Kebab with sliced steak grilled with house seasonings, lettuce, tomato, thinly sliced onion, garlic, and a house sauce on a freshly baked Turkish-style flatbread sourced from the (soon-to-be opened) bakery next door.

“The menu will keep evolving from there to suit our community's needs and our chef's exploration of interests,” says Lauman, emphasizing that he wants someone who will continue to tweak recipes and rotate items for quality over staticity. “We’ll have a simplified menu to open up with, and then as time goes on, we'll have things our chef can add in for specials or for special events like Oktoberfest or whatever the occasion calls for,” he says. 

Day One Distribution partners

Even with a brick-and-mortar location finally on the way, Oak Union is powering growth and spreading the word via wholesaler Day One Distributon.

Lauman says he’ll continue brewing Oak Union’s standard line-ups, like the Shinbatsu Rice Lager, Green Idol, Oak King, and Hel's Garten at Zoiglhaus, where he will keep producing larger-volume beers in cans and kegs for distribution on their 10bbls system. He’s also entering into an alternating proprietorship with Spotlight Brewing, the former Pono Brewing space, that will provide him with a seven-barrel system that offers more flexibility for small-batch experimentation at the new location. 

Lauman now is focused on the buildout, with construction on the shell expected to begin soon and plumbing and electrical permits to follow with a late 2026 opening as the target. 

Oak Union will employ local people, he says, and of course, be run by one.

“We're the hometown brewer. We grew up in Milwaukie, we live in Milwaukie, we drink our beer in Milwaukie, and the taproom is being built by us, for our neighbors,” says Lauman.

“We plan to be deeply involved in the community, hosting our own unique events, such as Krampusnacht, and showing up for the ones our neighbors are putting on. Being smaller can be a great advantage for us. We can be nimble, collaborate with others on a dime, change plans, evolve our offerings, and stay accountable to the community rather than broad industry trends.”

Spring has sprung and is already starting to give way to summer in the Pacific Northwest. Cider news is abundant, arguably this being ciders biggest time to shine as last year’s harvest and winter slumber begins to show it’s bounty. Sadly the latest fresh pressing of cider news is is a good news and bad news story, with some exciting flavors, partnerships, and events coming up, but also a series of closures and consolidations.

La Familia Cider closes Portland taproom

La Familia Cider was founded in 2017 by the Gonzalez family, first-generation Mexican immigrants. La Familia offers distinctive hard ciders inspired by aguas frescas—fresh fruit beverages popular in Latin America. In June 2024 La Familia took over the former Portland Cider House location at 3638 SE Hawthorne Blvd operated by Portland Cider Co. and made it into their Portland satellite location. As of March 31st, La Familia closed this location as they shift the business teasing something new to come.

Portland Cider Co. Taproom/Restaurant Closes

Portland’s largest cidery, and the third largest in Oregon, has down-sized over the past few years from 3 taprooms to zero with the closure of their restaurant at their main production facility in Clackamas. Shortly after celebrating their 13th anniversary, Portland Cider made the tough decision to wind down the taproom to focus on making more cider and digging deeper into distribution and presence in the market.

The Place no longer a place

Portland’s go-to place for cider closed in February. The Place was a gathering spot for cider fans locally, and visitors for abroad. Known for their wide selection of ciders from across the world, and as a community Hub for fans and was a big hit for the industry. The Place replaced Bushwhacker Cider in the same space at 1212-D SE Powell Blvd. Bushwhacker was the first cider Bottleshop and taproom, and made their own cider, and The Place carried on that legacy. With the Portland Cider House closing a few years back, and the recent closure of Cider Bite, there aren’t many places to find a wide array of ciders from different providers.

American Cider Association announces new leadership and restructuring

There are big changes at the national cider industry trade group the American Cider Association. Longtime ACA leader Michelle McGrath stepped down to work in Salmon-Safe in late 2024 and the board launched a search for a new CEO, eventually hiring Monica Cohen from outside of the industry in January 2025. Only 15 months later, Cohen is out.

The ACA is transitioning into a staff-led operating model led by the board. “This transition includes a staff-led operating model with clear ownership across key areas, along with an updated approach to how we deliver CiderCon® to better meet the needs of our membership” wrote the ACA in a newsletter addressing the changes.

The operational changes will reduce cost during a time of hardship felt across the broader alcohol and fermentation industries as consumption declines. The ACA’s biggest event, CiderCon®, will also change “to better align with industry needs and ensure long-term financial sustainability. The event landscape is changing, and we are making meaningful updates to how CiderCon® is structured so it can continue to deliver value to members.”

2 Towns Ciderhouse

Big changes and wins for Corvallis, Oregon’s 2 Towns Ciderhouse are afoot.

• Seattle Cider Co. Acquisition

  You probably already heard the big news about Seattle Cider Company being acquired by 2 Towns but if not you can read the refresher here and we have a few updates. Seattle Cider has closed both their taproom and production in Seattle, most (all?) of the staff have been laid off as the production has moved to Oregon.

• Peel Out cider radler

  Peel Out is a limited-release grapefruit radler, a style that is typically associated with beers and is typically part lager and part juice or soda. In this case Peel Out is built on a base of fresh-pressed Northwest apples with bright grapefruit and a splash of California blood orange for a crisp, spritzy sipper just in time for summer. ABV: 6%, available in 16 oz cans (4-packs) and draft (½ bbl, ⅙ bbl)

Tieton Cider releases Imperial Pink Guava in 19.2oz cans

Tieton Cider Works, fruit growers and cidermakers from the east side of Washington’s Cascade mountains announce their latest release: Imperial Pink Guava, now available in 19.2oz cans.

Crafted from our own fresh-pressed apples and blended with guava puree, this tropical high-ABV cider contains no additives – just real fruit flavor.  The inspiration came from the Seattle Cider Summit’s 2025 Fruit Cider Challenge, where participating cideries experimented with fruit purees from Oregon Fruit Products. After rave reviews from festival goers, we figured it was time to bring a tropical fruit cider to a wider audience.

"Imperial Ciders are a major force in the Northwest,” says Kevin Marshall, Director of Sales. “Nearly half of all regional cider sales now come from higher-ABV offerings. This one has big flavor and strong category momentum.”

Now in our 18th year of cidermaking, innovation remains at the heart of what we do.  Imperial Pink Guava is our first tropical-inspired blend, crafted with the same farmer-first philosophy that defines every cider we make.

Lost Lake Cider Launches Limited Edition Cherry Tangerine for Spring

Lost Lake Cider, the Seattle-based craft cidery known for fruit-forward flavors has a new rotating series release available on draft and in 4-pack 16 oz cans at select retailers for a limited time.

At 6.8% ABV, Cherry Tangerine pours a slightly hazy, bright red hue and opens with an aromatic burst of tangerine, lemon, and orange layered with stone fruit and cherry notes. The flavor follows with mild sweetness, a light sour edge, and zero bitterness, keeping things crisp, refreshing, and wildly drinkable.

“Cherry Tangerine is exactly what we set out to create with Lost Lake in terms of something bold, refreshing, and just a little unexpected,” said Matt Lincecum, Owner and Founder of Lost Lake Cider. “It’s fruit-forward without being over the top, super drinkable, and made for those moments when you’re out chasing spring sun, grilling on a patio, or just finding quality time to enjoy the season with friends.”

Pandemic casualty Alter Ego Cider is back from the dead

The 2014 founded Portland cidery was a pandemic era casualty but has recently been revived under new ownership. Winemaker Anne Hubatch started Alter Ego as a side project to her Helioterra Winery, but Hubatch who moved home to Wisconsin in 2025 has sold it to two longtime fans and friends who are keeping the ownership female. Read more about the big transition and happy comeback story here.

West Linn Cidery and Pub announces new 65-acre apple orchard and brewery

2018 founded Willamette Ale & Cider House has been a popular pub in West Linn, Oregon known partially for their housemade ciders under the Queen Orchard brand. Recently the owners have rebranded to Ale & Cider House and expanded into their own brewery and house beers under the name 7 Bev, and launched their own 65-acre apple orchard. At their orchard, they have roughly 7,000 cider-specific apple trees with big plans for the future. Read the full story here.

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Son of Man Cider celebrates with new flavors, collaborations, and events

Its looking like a very big year for Cascade Locks, Oregon based Son of Man Cider which is rolling out more new flavors and collaborations then ever before.

• pFriem + Son of Man Extexo

  Son of Man has been the cider of choice at pFriem Family Brewers for years, so it was about time they went all in on an exclusive collaboration flavor.

• Extexo pFeast dinner at pFriem

  To celebrate pFriem and Son of Man's collaboration Extexo cider they will be throwing a pFeast at pFriem Milwaukie on Tuesday, May 26th! This will be a multi-course event with some plated dishes, some family style dishes, and many delicious beverage pairings featuring cider, beer, and cocktails. Tickets are $140 per person and available here.

• Champagne Reinette release party

  A new Sauvingon Blanc inspired cider flavor bursting with flavors of green grape, lychee, pear and green melon. No added flavors. No added sugar. No commercial yeast. No pasteurization. No forced carbonation. No velcorin. Just apples and time.

• Official Cider of Portland Pickles

  The Portland Pickles, the beloved collegiate summer baseball team and a cultural cornerstone of the Rose City, has partnered with the Son of Man Cider. Their Basque style ciders are light, bone dry and bright making them perfect for a ballgame. Throughout the summer season their premium, adjunct-free cider will fill the bleachers at Walker Stadium, quenching sunburned fans’ thirst. 

Bauman’s on Oak

• Expanded Spring hours

  Bauman’s Cider’s Portland taproom is now open 5-days a week with the return of Sunday hours. Now you can stop in for the diverse lineup of ciders and fresh food menu from 4-9pm Wednesday - Friday, 12-9pm on Saturday, and 12-7pm on Sundays.

• New Cocktail Menu

  Bauman’s on Oak has added apple and fruit forward spirits to their beverage list and a new menu of cocktails in addition to cider by the glass, bottle, or flight, as well as local craft beer and wines.

Alchemy Cider’s new flavors and partnerships

Portland, Oregon’s newest cidery has a witchy-magical tone that extends from their brand to their inner Eastside taproom and playful concoctions and events.

• Ginger Cult Leader collaboration with Ginger Cult hard ginger beer makers

  Alchemy’s spring/summer seasonal is a collaboration with local brand Ginger Cult on a cider made withfresh-pressed ginger juice and a bit of bright mango for a semi-dry but spicy and slightly tart crushable cider on tap and in 16oz cans.

• Queen of Cydonia bottle release

  This very limited edition special release cider comes from a blend of Brown Snout, Foxwhelp, early Russets, Somerset Redstreak and Yarlington Mill apples, this blend is backsweetened with foraged quince (Cydonia oblanga). It's bright and tart with punchy acidity and beautifully soft tannins.

• Jupiter Hotel partnership

  Alchemy has partnered with nearby Jupiter Hotel to offer their hard ciders in the rooms or from the front desk.

Salmon Safe Wild Salmon Festival

On Sunday, May 31st from 1-5pm Alchemy Cider is hosting the first annual Wild Salmon Festival featuring a list of local vendors of cider, beer, wine, food and spirits at a family-friendly event. Salmon-Safe is a fantastic organization promoting safer farming practices to protect our native waterways. Some of the activities include fly casting lessons, crafts for kids, and local food and sampling. Expect guest cideries Bauman’s, Raw Cider, Heartland Ciderworks, Kristof Farms, and breweries Living Haus, Lazy Days, Allgood. Plus local farms and Tuff Talk Distilling. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door with proceeds going to Salmon-Safe. Read all about the Wild Salmon Festival here.

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Yonder Cider’s Spring and Summer Seasonal Flavors

Seattle and Wenatchee, Washington-based Yonder Cider has some fresh seasonal cider flavors available.

• Phinneywood

  It’s not too late to get Yonder’s seasonal collaboration cider with Ken's Market - Phinneywood. This cider features bright and zesty lemon and juicy strawberry with subtle notes of basil for a balance of flavors designed to pair well with sunny and warmer spring days and nights. 6.9% ABV, available on tap, in 4pks to-go, and online

• Hot Yonder Summer

  Originally crafted as a small-batch collaboration with our buddies at Chucks Hop Shop (formally known as Hot Chuck Summer) we bring you a cider that's packed with the flavors of juicy peach, zesty lemon and refreshing mint, this cider is the ultimate thirst-quencher for those sun-soaked days. Tart and juicy all at the same time, this one has our favorite flavors of the season packed into one seriously fun can. ⁠6.9% ABV

Bull Run Cider releases fresh flavors

At Bull Run’s newish Forest Grove taproom shared with Pelagic Brewing they have new 16oz cans available for $69 a case and limited draft.

• Cherry Blush Cider is a co-ferment of sweet cherries and dessert apples. It has a kiss of cherry sweetness up front with a bit of bittering tannins on the mid palate and a crisp dry finish. Cherry Blush has a beautiful blush color to it. Their tip of the hat to rose style wine

• Brambleberry and Blueberry Lemon Ciders are two of Bull Run’s most popular releases with fresh batches out now.

L1 Certified Cider Guide™ in-person Certification and Sensory Workshop

Start your cider certification journey with the only global gold standard cider certification program, Certified Cider Professional™. Certified Cider Guide™ is the first level of certification in the program, and is a prerequisite for moving on to advanced levels of certification.

This immersive, hands on certification workshop includes Certified in-person training, an instructor-led tasting experience, a downloadable study guide, and the online certification exam fee. 

April 27th 1:00-5:00PM

Bauman's On Oak, Portland, Oregon

Price: $185 Non-members, $135 ACA members 

From Nuremberg, Germany the BarthHaas group has launched a campaign on producing non-alcoholic beer and published the first in a series of papers

Non-alcoholic beers are experiencing strong global growth. Health-conscious lifestyles, particularly among younger generations, along with a growing desire for moderate alcohol consumption have given demand a significant boost. What was once a niche category has evolved into a relevant and dynamic segment of the international beverage market.

As this beer style gains popularity, consumer expectations regarding quality are rising accordingly. Drinkers expect the same depth, balance and overall enjoyment they associate with alcoholic beers and are unwilling to compromise on flavor. This places increasing demands on breweries, as producing a truly excellent beer without alcohol is among the most technically challenging tasks in brewing. Without alcohol as a carrier of flavor, every ingredient, every process step and every decision in the brewing process is fully exposed.

Two white papers at the core of the campaign

To better reflect the growing importance of this category and to support brewers in achieving the best possible results, BarthHaas is now placing non-alcoholic beers at the center of a comprehensive campaign. Throughout the year, the company will regularly publish in-depth information on their production.

“We provide brewing know-how, sensory tools and dedicated hop solutions to deliver precisely what is often missing in non-alcoholic brewing,” explains Dr. Christina Schönberger, Product and Education Expert at the hop specialist BarthHaas.

At the heart of the primarily digital campaign are two in-depth white papers. Part 1, which has just been released, focuses in detail on flavor optimization and is now available as a free download from the BarthHaas website. Part 2, to be published in summer, will address dealcoholization technologies.

Flavor and mouthfeel often require improvement

“Non-alcoholic beers can taste sweet or unfinished. Without ethanol, bitterness, sweetness and aroma can quickly become unbalanced,” says Dr. Christina Schönberger, who will also appear regularly in expert interviews as part of the campaign. Such beers often stand out for a thin mouthfeel and poorly integrated aromas. In addition, the absence of alcohol as a stabilizing factor increases the risk of microbiological contamination, which is another common challenge in practice.

With Part 1 of the new white paper, How to Optimize Flavor in Low- and Non-Alcoholic Beers, BarthHaas provides its customers with a valuable, practice-oriented guide. It shows how to improve balance, body and aroma and how to optimize flavor, process control and stability in a targeted manner. The content is scientifically sound and firmly grounded in brewing practice.

Webinar offers practical insights

In addition to the white papers, BarthHaas will regularly distribute further materials via its LinkedIn campaign and related newsletters. On June 11, a free webinar entitled Modern Brewing: Flavor and Stability in Non-Alcoholic Beer will address this highly topical subject. The compact session provides a practical overview of the key success factors throughout the entire process. Topics include the development of a balanced aroma profile, ensuring microbiological stability and meeting regulatory requirements.

Comprehensive information on non-alcoholic beer and its production, access to the download of Part 1 of the white paper and registration for the webinar are available on the BarthHaas website: https://www.barthhaas.com/resources/non-alcoholic-brewing

About BarthHaas

BarthHaas is one of the world’s leading suppliers of hop products and hop-related services. The family-owned company specialises in the creative and efficient use of hops and hop products. As visionaries, instigators and implementers of ideas, BarthHaas has been shaping the market surrounding a unique raw material for over 225 years.

The new location - Claim 52 Bayfront - carries added significance as the oldest Rogue pub, as well as the first place legendary brewmaster John Maier brewed Rogue beer when they opened in Newport in 1989.

Claim 52 Brewing Bayfront public house officially opened to the public with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 20th, 2026.

This story was originally published on February 24th 2026, and updated on May 20th 2026.

The reclamation of the former Rogue Ales empire is well underway. With the recent reopening of Rogue’s Pier 39 Public House in Astoria and the everything-goes public auction of equipment and hard assets, we will continue to see more remnants of the craft beer pioneer preserved for new generations.

Claim 52 Brewing of Eugene, Oregon is one our industry’s current success stories. Founded as a nano brewing operation built around styles like Kolsch in 2012, the brewery grew in reputation as well as in breadth of styles by embracing Belgian-style ales and briefly operating an Abbey-inspired taproom in Springfield. A few years later Claim 52 became one of the first pacific northwest breweries to turn their focus to the NE-style Hazy IPA with “Fluffy IPA.” For the past 14 years Claim 52 has consistently stayed on top of trends like fruited and smoothie sour with their “Stuffed” and “Thicc” series, while never forgetting their roots in timeless European-classics. Under new ownership by early 2024, Claim 52 continued to dial in their flagships while developing new ones, and relocated from their kitchen and taproom on Willamette St. and began consolidating a new brew house with a new kitchen at 232 Lincoln St, 97401 in the Whiteaker neighborhood of Eugene.

Claim 52 Brewing owner Jeremiah Marsden is a veteran homebrewer and former owner of a chemistry and pharmaceutical manufacturing company from which he currently leverages his past successes into the noble pursuit of craft beer. Since taking over as owner, Marsden has brought on general manager Jeremy Zollman, and brewers Aaron Brussat and Breann Goulette. Partnering with acclaimed kitchen ‘Seasoned’ at their new location has brought a new level of food quality and tons of space for expansion with the in-the-works installation of a 10 barrel brewhouse.

Rogue Ales Bayfront Public House (748 SW Bay Blvd, Newport, OR, United States, 97365) was the first Rogue Brewing location in Newport, opened shortly after their original pub in Ashland, Oregon was washed out in a flood. Rogue first brewed here out of a small system in the back before they rented the larger property owned by the Port of Newport for their production facility. The Bayfront building is a landmark anchoring Newport’s bustling Bayfront strip where galleries, seafood markets, pubs, restaurants, and tourist attractions bustle with traffic. Mo Niemi (1912–1992), founder of world famous Mo’s Restaurants, was Rogue’s first landlord in Newport and surrogate mom. The Mo’s family still owns the property where the pub currently sits vacant but with occupied apartments above that are said to be haunted by Mo’s benevolent ghost.

“As soon as I heard the news of Rogue closing I contacted the building owner (the Mo's family) to see about expanding into that building. They were very happy to have a brewery interested in the spot since it serves the whole bayfront community,” says Claim 52 owner Jeremiah Marsden.

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Marsden has a life-long affection for the Oregon coast and specifically for Newport as his family has been visiting for decades and owns a home in town where they split life between Eugene and Newport. With the closure of both Rogue locations in Newport, as well as Newport Brewing Company’s almost simultaneous closure, there is a lack of craft beer options in town. The huge summer tourist season, and busy waterfront location, is also popular with locals and the space has enough room for events, live music, and more regular activities to activate the community.

Claim 52 Brewing has also been slowly working a nautical theme into their brand by coincidence. It started with the label art on Claim 52’s Fluffy hazy IPA depicting a giant octopus taking down a ship. More recently Marsden has been integrating the nautical elements in further, like the pirate ship on their flagship “Admiral Red” and the ufferfish on “Fluffiest.” You will also notice art like octopus light fixtures and bulbs all around the brewery’s pub in Eugene. The expansion to Newport almost seems like the unexpectedly perfect fit for Claim 52’s next evolution.

“Rogue has always had a special place in my heart as some the first craft beers I'd had from Oregon,” says Marsden. “It is actually a little surreal that I will be operating my own taproom out of the historic location. I also had a deep respect for John Maier and his creativity as a head brewer.”

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Rogue’s legendary brewmaster John Maier created their most iconic recipes like Dead Guy, Shakespeare Stout, Hazenut Brown Nectar, Brutal Bitter, and Old Crustacean Barleywine retired back in 2019 and settled in Eugene where he currently resides. Maier and Rogue have a deep connection with Eugene as well, as their 2014 closed brewpub was formative for a nascent community of budding beer nerds and homebrewers many of whom later went pro.

“Both Jeremiah and I joined the Cascade Brewers Society homebrew club around the same time - 2008-ish - when the monthly meetings were held at Rogue’s Eugene City Brewery / Track Town Ales location,” says Claim 52 head brewer Aaron Brussat. “Rogue, with John Maier as a member and friend of many in the club, was really generous to the CBS, going so far as to purchase a 1-bbl pilot system for us to use for educational purposes.”

Part of the appeal of the former Rogue location is that it is so turnkey and already has that lived-in brewpub atmosphere and clientele that Claim 52 hopes to bring back and cultivate even deeper roots in the community.

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“We want to maintain much of the original feel from Rogue. The taproom will have 3 connected dining areas and two areas for private events as well as the iconic bar,” says Marsden.

Claim 52 Bayfront will be the brewery’s first foray into a full cocktails and spirits bar with a curated selection of whiskeys, as well as real table service waitstaff and both adult 21+ and kid/family friendly areas. The pub has something for everyone: big screen tv’s and projectors in a game room with pool tables, and an enclosed open air beer garden. Claim 52 will also operate the kitchen themselves with familiar classic elevated pub food like burgers and sandwiches, classic Oregon coast specials like *Claim Chowder, and Fish & Chips. Pizza will also eventually be added on to the menu, and Claim 52 also hopes to turn back the clock to revive some of the favorites from their former Eugene Kitchen location.

The space has received a glow-up with fresh paint, new sunset murals, and an expansion of Claim 52 Brewing’s nautical theme, with some remnants of Rogue like an old flag that still hangs above the pool table and vintage bottles, that makes the pub already feel right at home in Newport. Claim 52 Bayfront soft opened to the public on May 16th 2026 which is 37 years to the month when Rogue Bayfront first opened in May 1989.

Claim 52 Brewing Bayfront Public House

748 SW Bay Blvd, Newport, OR, United States, 97365 claim52brewing.com/

Hours/Days: 11-9 Sun-Thurs and 11-10 Fri-Sat.

All-ages / family friendly, event space for live music and private events. 35 taps that include house beers, guest ciders, kombucha, and wine along a full bar with curated spirits.