New School Beer + Cider

Brewed by Gnomes & Faeries old world kitchen and brewery opens on southeast Hawthorne

Neil Ferguson — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 09:57:25 +0000

Brewed by Gnomes owner Shay Hosseinion on the steps of his new restaurant Gnome & Faerie

When the gnomes speak, it’s best to listen. Since he started brewing under the fitting name Brewed By Gnomes nearly a decade ago, Shay Hosseinion has listened to what the gnomes tell him to do. Now, those gnomes have guided him to take his nano, somewhat nomadic brewing operation to the next level with the newly opened Gnome & Faerie on Portland’s bustling Hawthorne Boulevard. Described by the gnome-obsessed brewer (more on that later) as an old World Restaurant and Botanical Taproom, the gorgeous old Victorian home that previously housed Tarboush Lebanese Bistro is an ideal space for Hosseinion to showcase his elixir-inspired beers, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages alongside a menu of drinking snacks that fuses his Persian heritage with wife Eva’s Czech roots and the culinary prowess of chef José Sabas.

Gnome & Faerie held its soft opening in April of this year and has since been operating on a somewhat low-key basis as Hosseinion gets his brewing operation dialed in and chef Sabas refines the menu. Visitors during the last few months may have found one or two Brewed By Gnomes beers available alongside several guest taps. On Saturday, July 11th, the business will hold its grand opening party, complete with a new beer release and a costume party. And yes, dressing as a gnome or a fairy is highly recommended.

For roughly 15 years, Hosseinion has been brewing his own beer and kombucha. Sometimes he has done this with others, including putting in time as an intern at the Commons Brewery working under people like Sean Burke. This was where he fell in love with saison and farmhouse beers, and may have discovered what became both a passion and a career in working with plants.

“Even though I did the traditional [brewing] training, whenever I made beer for myself, it always had herbs in it. There was a beer called Fleur de Fern [at the Commons]. It was a dark farmhouse ale, and it had lavender in it [with hibiscus and chamomile]. They were doing their own botanical experiments even though their flagship was just the urban farmhouse ale. As a homage to them, I'm using that yeast in my first beer,” says Hosseinion, who managed to hold onto the Commons yeast and is brewing his own dark farmhouse ale with it.

He put in time brewing at Max’s Fano Creek Brew Pub (now Cooper Mountain Ale Works) and devoted himself to studying the craft. Starting his own project known as Brewed By Gnomes over a decade ago allowed him to combine his creative approach and obsessive focus on plants and herbs with brewing while also leaning into his lifelong love of gnomes. His “gnome ales” continued to evolve as he brewed beers like a honeysuckle hazy IPA and a linden flower unfiltered lager.

“Whenever I made my first homebrew beer in 2011, for some reason, it was a no-brainer. I was like, which herbs am I gonna put in it? So I was kind of thinking already, and I put some fennel, and I think I made a fennel and a rose hip blond ale,” he says. “The botanical aspect really stuck with me.”

While Brewed By Gnomes has been a fairly low-key affair in the last several years, with beers occasionally appearing on tap at a handful of local bars and Hosseinion even hosting a pop-up at Tabor Bread (when it was located in what is now TPK Brewing), it has mostly flown under the radar. This may be partially due to the fact that Hosseinion doesn’t have his own facility and these days brews intermittently out of Leikem Brewing, but also due to the fact that Hosseinion’s day job is working as a doctor out of the same house that is now home to his taproom. Yet, through it all, Hosseinion felt like there was enough interest in his weirdly delicious brews to go all-in on a taproom where he can provide Portland with a regular destination to drink them.

By his own account, he says the “gnomes made us hibernate until it was ready to launch.” This meant waiting out the lease for the restaurant tenant while operating his medical practice Elderflower Medicine out of the upper floor of the building and working as a pediatric and adult health practitioner specializing in, you guessed it, holistic medicine, herbal remedies, and elixirs. For Hosseinion, his chosen profession as an herbal family doctor directly informs and inspires his work as a brewer and, now, his second profession as a restaurateur. He sees similarities between the way he doses herbs for ailments and how he uses them to craft a flavor profile for a beer. This is especially visible in the menu of cocktails and non-alcoholic elixirs, including his kombucha made with honey instead of sugar and featuring rose petals and hops, and the “Faerie Baddie Potion” made using dry cider, port wine, and cherry tarragon cardamom shrub.

When it comes to the beer, Hosseinion has no plans to install a full-on brewery in the current space and aims to continue brewing out of Leikem. This is where things get interesting. “I'm going to brew there, and then I've got two tanks; one tank is in the basement here, and it's gonna be kind of like a mobile tank I can either use as a fermentation tank or a bright tank. It's like kind of fermenting it, rolling it into the walk-in cooler, and then have it become a bright tank and just serve right off of it,” he says, noting that he plans to drive the tanks from Leikem’s brewhouse back to Gnome & Faerie.

With his beers, Hosseinion aims to strike the balance between weird and approachable. Even classic styles that contain herbal additions can be enjoyed by less adventurous beer drinkers, or at least that is the goal. In the past, this has meant beers like a cherry blossom pilsner, elderflower elderberry IPA, lemon balm infusions, and mugwort and cardamom dark ales. Hosseinion is especially excited to release “For The Love of Orange,” a barrel-aged spiced ale brewed with fresh strawberries and cardamom, similar to a tart farmhouse ale, as well as a herb-laden dunkel.

Much of the magic that Gnome & Faerie aims to cultivate centers around their culinary program helmed by José Sabas, a talented chef who has studied in places like Berlin, put in time at Los Angeles’ supremely hip brunch spot SQRL, and worked at acclaimed Portland spots like G-Love as well as the short-lived but highly underrated wine and tweaked-out tapas bar Grape Ape. Hosseinion originally envisioned Gnome & Faerie as hosting chef residencies that would change after a certain length of time, but after meeting Sabas, he decided he would bring him on as the main fit after they bonded over a love of the kind of old-world European food Hosseinion enjoyed while visiting the Czech Republic.

“Monday we talked, Tuesday we agreed. Wednesday he made the menu. Thursday, he prepped, Friday, we opened,” he says.

The menu at Gnome & Faerie is aimed at being on the snackier side, with dishes well-suited for sharing and crafted to be complementary to beers and elixirs. Each offering fuses Hosseinion’s Persian background, Eva’s Czech roots, and chef Sabas’ love for both local, seasonal ingredients and old-world cuisine. Initially, he thought he might be able to execute the menu on his own, but Sabas helped him dial it in and get it to a place that is both delicious and works remarkably well with the beverage menu.

“I was like, Eva's Czech, she'll make goulash. I'm Persian, I'll make Persian kebabs. I was like, we'll make Persian kebabs and goulash. as the food. Worst case scenario, we'll get a cook to execute the simple menu. I told that to Jose; he's like, ‘the concept is interesting. I like the idea of leaning into your cultural background and then making it Northwest style, seasonal, sort of like farm to table,’” he says.

This concept shines on dishes like burrata served over luscious apricot butter and seasoned with dried black lime and walnut dukkah, or a refreshing little gem salad with the unexpected addition of crunchy hakurei turnips, sweep snap peas, and a tahini-based dressing, or a hearty sausage dish featuring kielbasa over a bed of plump and flavor-packed barlotti beans and fennel that is a fun riff on dishes like currywurst. The dessert is a major standout as the chef offers his take on the Persian saffron rice pudding known as Sholeh by serving the electrifying yellow dish with hazelnuts, fermented strawberries, and mint leaves to make for an immensely satisfying and not cloyingly sweet finisher.

Hosseinion can often be seen walking around the taproom in his signature pointy red hat that is not unlike what many of us associate with the stereotypical white-bearded gnome that adorns lawns and gardens. The space at Gnome & Faerie is painted in a vibrant yellow and is decorated with fantastical art that serves as a homage to gnome love as well as the fairies that sometimes come into these worlds. There is a gorgeous art piece by his wife that evokes picturesque nature, and even the name is something of a nod to their relationship. If you look around, you will spot little gnome doors tucked in the space’s corners. Gnome & Faerie is also ramping up events, playing host to Timba dancing and providing a space for a group turning fluffy wool into mushrooms, berries, bugs, creatures, and gaming.

Once his operation is fully up and running with a regular brew schedule, Hosseinion hopes to have around six to eight taps of Brewed By Gnomes beer available at all times. For now, he is keeping his day job and is sticking to the weekend-only hours of being open, but that could change in the future. Nonetheless, Gnome & Faerie makes a fascinating addition to the Portland beer and food scene with offerings that go well beyond tradition. For Hosseinion, that has always been the point. When the gnomes speak, he listens.

Gnome & Faerie, 3257 SE Hawthorne Blvd Portland, OR 97214

Friday – Sunday 4pm – 9pm

Oregon Breweries For Sale or Lease

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 08:37:27 +0000

Annual Oregon brewery closures peaked in 2024 and have begun leveling off. In Oregon there is a remarkable churn of closures to reopenings as many spaces don’t go vacant for long. Failure -or change- breeds opportunity and the chance to rejuvenate a former brewery or taproom that could still be successful. Many of the following examples of breweries or brewing and taproom spaces for sale or lease are currently still in business, some have permanently closed, and others have simply relocated.

Assembly Brewing

Price: $2,100,000

Location: 6112 SE Foster Rd Portland, OR 97206

Oregon’s first and only black-owned brewery closed in 2025 leaving behind an influential legacy. At the time of closure we heard the brewhouse equipment was being sold off piece-by-piece but recently learned most of it is still in place and back on the market along with the building. In 2019 the building was redesigned by Steelhead Architecture and renovated by Lorentz Bruun Construction specifically to become Assembly Brewing. The renovations featured three walk-in coolers, a commercial kitchen with an approximate 20' class A hood, a full brewery, seismic retrofit, a new roof, 12 parking spaces and a dynamic floor plan capable of serving a single owner/user or multiple tenants/subtenants.

In the back brewhouse/production area we managed to track down an inventory of existing equipment that would be included in the current sale price. Brokers tell us this is all available “as is” with a sale or it could be removed for a price reduction:

3x Fermentation tanks
Conical Bottom Vertical Fermenters (10 bbl???)
Hot Liquor tank (massive 152”) ("liquor" is brewers term for h20)
2x Brite Tank (16 bbl each) Labeled BT1 & BT2.
32 bbl Brite Tank
2x CO2 storage systems
Chart Carbo-Max 750
High-performance, stationary bulk CO2 storage system
Mash Tun (9’6”) 588 gal capacity (19 bbl?)
Boil Kettle (wiring stripped and may be destroyed) (21.5 bbl) 8’9”
44 kegs (1/4 bbl)
59 kegs (1/2 bbl)

ForeLand Beer’s McMinnville location

Price: For lease $18.00 /SF/YR

Location: 777 NE 4th St McMinnville, OR 97128

ForeLand Beer is moving to Portland into the former Upright Brewing space at 240 N. Broadway. The home of ForeLand Beer’s brewery and tasting room in McMinnville is up for sale, the property and the building, and the entire brewhouse if someone would like a turnkey operation. This is a 5,855 sq ft commercial property one block from McMinnville's popular Third Street shops and plaza. The existing build-out is perfect for a brewery or a winery, and has a spacious parking lot that can be a beer garden or food truck pod, and interior rooms for a taproom or retail.

Bridge 99 Brewing

Price: $3,900,000

Location: 63063 Layton Ave, Bend, OR 97701

Homebrewer Trever Hawman opened Bridge 99 Brewing in 2013 after going from his garage to pro and expanding from a nano 2-barrel brewhouse into a 15bbl. Located in the north Bend industrial area very close to Van Henion Brewing, 10 Barrel Brewing’s East Side Pub, and Terranaut Beer, the Bridge 99 Brewing location is for sale as a turnkey taproom and production facility. The brewery and taproom remain open and have a well established customer base that could stick around under new ownership.

Situated on 0.66 acres and encompassing approximately 8,968 SF across four buildings. The campus includes dedicated production, retail, office, storage, mechanical, and cold storage areas, creating an efficient workflow between manufacturing and customer-facing operations. Bridge 99 Brewery’s production and taproom equipment are available for acquisition independent of the real estate.

Xicha Brewing’s original West Salem location

Price: 3 suites individually for lease

Location: 576 Patterson St NW Salem, OR 97304

The original Xicha Brewing location in West Salem that launched Oregon’s first latino-owned brewery is back on the market. While Xicha Brewing is doing well at their larger new location in North Salem at 2195 Hyacinth St NE #162, Salem, OR 97301 and with a satellite taproom in Eugene, the original space is available. Over multiple suites for brewing, restaurant, and office, this location has it all. Suites 140/200 are built out as a full restaurant and brewery space. The restaurant is approximately 2,223 SF and features a large bar with a 10 ft roll up door for indoor/outdoor seating with a large patio, perfect for outdoor entertainment and games. The kitchen includes a hood, a walk-in cooler and many sinks/drains. Two private Restrooms. Also included in the total SF is a 548 SF office upstairs above the restaurant for a total of 2,771 SF. Brewing space is approximately 3,042 SF and is set up for your brewing with 3 bay sink, drains, huge walk in cooler and an 8 ft roll up door.

Rogue Ales Eastside and Rogue Hall at PSU

Price: Negotiable lease options: Rogue Eastside, and Beer Hall at PSU

Location: Rogue Eastside, 928 SE 9th Ave, & Rogue Beer Hall at PSU, 1717 SW Park Ave, Portland, OR

Most of Rogue Ales crumbled empire had already been reclaimed by the sea of Oregon beer and the constant churn of death and rebirth. Rogue Ales old Astoria Pier location is back in action, so is their Newport Bayfront, even the newer Salem pub is coming back to life. For whatever reason Portland has not shown their in town locations so much love, as the Rogue PSU Beer Hall location is vacant as is their Eastside Public House which was once home to the Green Dragon Pub.

Rogue Eastside Pub still contains most of the infrastructure including a 15 barrel brewing system. There is a range hood and dishwashing area in the kitchen. A large walk-in cooler is available and lots of storage in the warehouse area. The building has vaulted ceilings with skylights and a Belmont street facing patio beer garden that could also be great for food trucks.

Rogue Beer Hall at PSU is for lease at 4,400 sq. ft. indoors below The Vue apartments and 1,310 sq. ft. of patio space. There is a full restaurant/kitchen build-out, full bar, plenty of seating, and a great location basically on the Portland State University campus, and near the southeast park blocks, and Portland Art Museum.

Barsideous Brewing

Price: $515,000

Location: 644 Main St Lebanon, OR 97355

Barsideous is the second oldest brewery in Lebanon, located near Corvallis between Salem and Eugene. Brewer Bill Bartman and Aaron Franks, Brian Franks and Joel Bartman opened Barsideous Brewing in 2017 in the historic Lebanon Gem Theater (originally the Empire Theater, then the Kuhn, and finally the Gem; with the new Kuhn next door.) The impressive space with 14” ft ceilings, a glorious bar, mezzanine overlook and back room theater stage and event space has become a community hub with a nano-size 3-barrel brewing system and canning equipment. The full service restaurant and bar remains open, and Barsideous Brewing is available as a turnkey operation that could be opened under new ownership with minimal interruption for $515,000 ($201.57/SF).

Hair of the Dog Brewing

Price: $3,000,000 including land

Location: 61-67 SE Yamhill St Portland, OR 97214

Words like “iconic” and “legendary” get thrown around, but are truly warranted when used to describe the late-departed Hair of the Dog Brewing. Alan Sprints transformed the industry when he opened Hair of the Dog in 1993, helping introduce and change the way people thought about big beer, barrel-aged beer, cellared beer, and what “beer” even is to begin with. In 2010 Alan Sprints bought the building at 67 SE Yamhill and relocated Hair of the Dog there with a taproom and restaurant that was quite popular before the pandemic changed everything. In 2022 Alan Sprints officially retired though still occasionally brewed collaborations and released vintage beers. For a brief time the space was occupied by Labyrinth Forge Brewing before they also closed. Since then the building has been up for sale. Sprints still has a workshop in the building and even some beers and barrels, though brewing no longer takes place.

The entire building is for sale, all 3,000 sf restaurant/bar space with kitchen/hood; commercial dishwasher; Full HVAC, and seating for up to 100. The additional 7,0000 sq ft. back space is set up as a brewery with all the infrastructure and brewing equipment it could be repositioned and used for a variety of food/beverage manufacturing and retail/tasting room. Other characteristics are 18' ceilings; 2 grade loading doors; Substantial 3 Phase power; Skylights; Floor drains with a new roof installed last year.

Newport Brewing Company

Price: $1,695,000 all included

Location: 1118 SW Canyon Way, Newport, OR 97365

The 2019 opened Newport Brewing Company has been on the market atleast 4 times by our count. The brand new construction on a .54-acre lot was partially designed to be an alternative to Newport’s most famous brewery - Rogue Ales. Newport Brewing permanently closed within days of Rogue Ales closure last November and they both have been vacant since. Newport Brewing has the benefit of an elevated view, 10 parking spaces, a full kitchen and brewhouse in a new 5,200 sq. ft. building, and even all the hook-ups including power and water for 7 food trucks. The whole kaboodle is now on the market for more than $1.5 million but I bet owner Brodie Becksted who is also a broker and developer, may be willing to haggle.

Hondo’s Brew & Cork

Price: $805,000 including land

Location: 2703 Marine Dr, Astoria, OR 97103

Hondo’s started as a homebrew supply shop that eventually expanded into a taproom and nano-brewery in 2011. As one of the oldest breweries in Astoria, many a brewer and beer nerd nurtured their passions at Hondo’s. The turnkey opportunity to take over this long-running and still currently operating bar that includes a retail store for home brews is a unique one. There are 19 taps, a custom wood bar, indoor and outdoor seating, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a walk-in cooler. The sale includes the land, building, and business in a 2,588 square foot building.

Original Porter Brewing location in Redmond

Price: For lease at $11.40 /SF/YR

Location: 611 NE Jackpine Ct Redmond, OR 97756

Bend, Oregon’s all cask English-style brewery got their start in Redmond in this small production space that also held their taproom. In 2023 Porter Brewing opened The Cellar in a historic basement in downtown Bend, and has now shifted all of their operations there and brewing elsewhere. The amenities at the Jackpine Industrial Park where the space is located: 14' roll-up door, mezzanine area/private office/warehouse with 14 foot roll up door and floor drains, 1" water line, permitted for food production/brewery, 200 amp electrical panel, roof top solar panels to offset electrical expenses, 8'x10' cold storage room, tasting room with separate entrance, utility connections for dishwasher, refrigerators, electrical hookups, outdoor fenced & graveled area for outdoor events & gatherings

Lookingglass Brewery

Price: $1,650,000

192 SE Main Street Winston, OR 97496

The Lookingglass brewery has been on the market since atleast 2022 but has never closed, and operates a second location in Roseburg while the original in Winston, Oregon is open but for sale. In 2020 the Lookingglass Brewery got a huge upgrade with a 10-barrel brewhouse, jacketed unitanks, 15 CPM canning line, CIP cart, keg washing, and more in the back-of-house production. The taproom has a custom bar installation, performance stage, retail beer cooler, and dual patio areas with outdoor heating systems and walk-in cooler with 18 draft lines. All in with 26 on-site parking spaces the Lookingglass property encompasses 4,000 square feet of commercial space configured as four 1,000-square-foot units on 0.49 acres.

Homegrown Public House & Brewery

Price: $259,000 (Business ONLY, Building/land not included)

Location: 294 Laurel St, Florence, OR 97439

Ever wanted to move to the Oregon coast? Homegrown Public House & Brewery in Old Town Florence, Oregon is for sale. The restaurant, located at 294 Laurel St was established in 2012 and offers 2,400 sq. ft. with two indoor dining areas and outdoor dining, a full bar, and a fully equipped kitchen.

The brewery, located nearby at 1458 1st St, features 2,000 sq. ft. of space with brand-new equipment and great potential for expansion.

Fracture Brewing / Burnside Brewing Co.

Price: ???? lease negotiable

Location: 18 NE 7th Ave Portland, OR 97232

Formerly the brewing side of the Fracture Brewing operation, and over a much longer period of time the Burnside Brewing Co. production space, is on the market. Between Burnside Brewing and Fracture, this brewhouse made batches of beer for KEX Brewing, Ross Island Brewing, and almost became a Mikkeller Beer. The pub side of what was Burnside Brewing and for about a year Mikkeller, is now the long-term home of Dimo’s Apizza but the back warehouse area with floor drains, electrical, a loading dock, and roll-up doors onto Couch Street is available.

Japan/Oregon Collaboration Beer Fest ‘Fuji to Hood’ returns to Portland

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Tue, 30 Jun 2026 10:13:26 +0000

Featuring: Japan/Oregon Collaboration beers and ciders, a Japanese-American Tabemono (食べ物) Food Festival, and Ichiba (市場) marketplace of craft vendors, and live music and performances from Taiko drummers, Kendo, Judo, and Sumo dojos.

It has been 2 years since the last cross-cultural international beer fest ‘Fuji to Hood’ was last held in Portland, Oregon. The Japan and Oregon collaboration brewfest is held biennially, with off years taking place in Tokyo. Fuji to Hood has become a premiere Oregon and Japan beer events with 25 breweries and cideries in each country participating, and around 2,500 attendees expected on July 18th, 2026 at The Redd on Salmon events venue at831 SE Salmon St, Portland, OR 97214.

International collaboration festival FUJI TO HOOD is bringing Japanese breweries, cideries, food, arts, music, community, and culture to Portland, Oregon on July 18th, 2026. The biennial event is held in Japan and Oregon every other year and is returning to Portland for the first time since 2024 with more artisans, craft, and culture than ever before.

This year, 25 small craft breweries and cideries will travel from Japan to debut original beverages made in collaboration with Oregon makers, each using a special ingredient from Japan. Forming brewer/cidermaker teams between each unique culture yields fun, tasty, and surprising beverages like a lager with peach smoked malt, yuzu fruit, and sansho pepper, a light wheat beer with Hatcho red miso, a red rice lager with sake koji, and IPAs with matcha, and soba noodles.

Japanese-American made wine, saké, whiskey, and a cocktail bar enhance the craft beverage experience. But Fuji to Hood is much more than a drinks festival; it comprises music, performances, arts & crafts, local vendors and tradesmen, incredible food, and something for all-ages and backgrounds to experience and enjoy.

Fuji to Hood is a festival built around the belief that sharing beer, food, and drink can be catalysts for lifelong friendships and better understanding. Organizers believe in person-to-person social interactions as a way to break down barriers and share cultures.

‘Beer Friends’ a 501(c)(4) nonprofit and organizers of Fuji to Hood and sister fest MXPDX Mexico/Oregon collaboration Fiesta de la Cerveza, expect the largest participation yet from brewers, artists, musicians, chefs, performers, and artists of all kinds from Kendo and Judo martial arts to Sumo wrestling and Taiko drumming groups. Attendees are traveling from as far as all corners of Japan to experience the indoor/outdoor cross-cultural event of the year at The Redd on Salmon (831 SE Salmon St, Portland, OR 97214).

COLLABORATION BEERS & CIDERS:

Every beer or cider at Fuji to Hood uses at least one special Japanese ingredient that can add an inspirational flourish, or a touch of mystery and ethereal magic to the final results. This year, our makers used ingredients such as Japanese cedar, Osmanthus flowers, kabosu citrus, haskap fruit, and Japanese-grown hop variety Sorachi Ace.

OREGON x JAPAN

Away Days Brewing x Black Tide

Baerlic Brewing x Groundtap Brewing

Bauman's Cider x Himitsu Beer

Binary Brewing x Repubrew

Block 15 Brewing x Y. Market Brewing

Boneyard Beer x Ise Kadoya Brewery

Breakside Brewing x Yoho Brewing

Buoy Beer x Baeren Beer

ColdFire Brewing x Spring Valley Brewing

Deschutes Brewery x Minoh Beer

Fort George Brewing x West Coast Brewing

Gigantic Brewing x Uchu Brewing

Heater Allen Brewing x Heiwa Craft Brewing

Hopworks Brewery x Fukuoka Craft

Level Beer x Fujizakuara Kogen

Little Beast Brewing x Kyoto Brewing

Little Hop Brewing x Yokohama Beer

Migration Brewing x Shonan Beer

Obelisk Beer x OK, Adam Hard Cider

Portland Cider Co. x Son of the Smith Hard Cider

Ruse Brewing x Namachan Brewing

SteepleJack Beer x Harvest Moon

Threshold Brewing x Teenage Brewing

Von Ebert Brewing x Totopia Brewery

Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery x North Island Beer

WINE/SPIRITS/SAKE

Wine: Shiba Wichern Cellars - a small-batch boutique winery that strives to make balanced and subtle wines with Oregon ingredients from co-owner/head winemaker Akiko Shiba.

Spirits: Stone Barn Brandyworks - A small-scale SE Portland distillery specializing in fruit brandy and liqueurs inspired by the European tradition with a single-barrel whiskey program that treats grain and oak with that same attention to provenance and quality.

Sake: SakéOne - Forest Grove, Oregon producer of some of the highest quality craft sakés in the United States by utilizing the unmatched water from the Willamette Valley and top-notch rice grown in the renowned Sacramento Valley.

Cocktails: Spirit of Sage - Khmer and Korean-owned, Spirit of Sage Mobile is a passion project blending creativity, expertise, and experience from the service industry. They are deeply passionate about the artistry and craftsmanship behind high-quality alcohol beverages, reveling in the myriad food pairing possibilities with meticulously crafted creations that blend chemistry with creativity.

FOOD/SNACKS/DESSERTS:

Senyo by Ramen Ippo - Portland food truck dedicated to bringing you exquisite authentic Japanese-style ramen noodles of both traditional and modern recipes.

SHO Sushi - Authentic family owned Japanese restaurant. Serving Hawaiian style poke donburi with tuna or tofu, and Hamachi sashimi with marinated Ikura with chef's special sauce at Fuji to Hood.

Oyatsupan Bakers - Traditional Japanese bakery in Beaverton serving breads, pastries, and curry doughnuts.

Soen - Cafe known for Japanese comfort food and sweets, specializing in shaved ice called Kakigori, also serving small plates of onigiri and inari.

Aji Fish Butchery - Serving dry-aged fish bratwurst on a bun with miso kewpie mayo, dry-aged local albacore sashimi with citrus oil and flake salt, and a dry-aged tuna burger with kimchi jam and cheese.

HeyDay - Expressive pastry chef and baker Lisa Nguyen creates experiences through food. Drawing from her Vietnamese heritage and upbringing. Lisa’s creations are rooted in memory, intention, and a desire to spark meaningful connections. HeyDay will have mini baked rice flour doughnuts, miso chocolate chip cookies, hojicha banana bread, yuzu olive cake, rice flour chocolate brownies, and pandan rice flour cakes for sale at Fuji to Hood.

Sumomo - Homestyle Japanese food pop-up will be serving Japanese-style curry rice.

Obon Shokudo - Feel-good, plant-based Japanese comfort food restaurant will be serving vegan kakiage, croquettes, grilled tofu, mushrooms, and vegetables at Fuji to Hood.

Behind The Museum Cafe - Japanese cafe near the Portland Art Museum will be serving matcha, onigiri, edamame, and brownies at Fuji to Hood.

Edible Art by Natsuko - Handcrafted Japanese confectionery known as Wagashi will be serving flavors such as strawberry mochi daifuku and crunchy crystal gummies.

Ikoi No Kai - A volunteer-run lunch program that has been serving primarily senior Japanese Americans for more than 40 years and will be making pork and tofu katsu sandwiches at Fuji to Hood.

Jorinji Miso - Premium hand-crafted Miso pop-up in Portland, OR since 1995. Serving 3 varieties of chilled miso soup aka Hiyajiru, and amazake for Fuji to Hood.

Smith Teamaker - Loose leaf blends and varietals handcrafted in Portland, OR. Presenting Matcha Specialty Beverage service and selling Japan-sourced teas/collections including high-quality Matcha at Fuji to Hood.

PERFORMANCES:

Obukan Kendo Club - The Obukan Kendo Club is an outgrowth of the Obukan Judo Dojo. Following the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles, Dr. Jigoro Kano, judo’s founder, visited Oregon while touring the United States and insisted that the Portland club call itself “Obukan” (央武館). The “O” (央) refers to Oregon; Oregon was called “O-shu” or O-state by Japanese immigrants. The “Bu” (武) means martial training. And the “Kan” (館) means building or training hall.

Takohachi - Japanese Taiko drum group with a repertoire including songs in the modern Kumi Daiko style, popular amongst Taiko troupes in the US, as well as many songs in the traditional Dentou Geinou style of ancient Japan.

Portland Sumo - Portland Sumo is a group of sumo enthusiasts practicing the art of sumo in Portland, Oregon.

Obukan Judo - Obukan Judo is a 100-year-old Judo Dojo established in 1926 in Portland, Oregon. They teach traditional Kodokan Judo and will be showcasing their skills at Fuji to Hood.

CRAFTS/VENDORS:

Erika Harada - Japanese-American textile artist with a focus on katazome, a traditional Japanese textile printing process which involves the dyeing of fabrics or paper by laying down rice paste as a resist, using handcut stencils.

Wacom - For over 40 years, Wacom’s creative tools and pen technologies have been integral to a wide range of industries. From production studios to the classroom, Wacom’s tools have supported artists in bringing hand-drawn expression into digital workflows, helping bridge traditional techniques with evolving production methods. As technology continues to advance, Wacom remains committed to the development of artists and creatives, across all ages and skill levels.

Innokenty Meshchakov Tattoos - Japanese tattoos by machines/Tebori.

Seisuke Knife - Dedicated to sourcing authentic, handcrafted Japanese kitchen knives. More than just a tool to cut food, we believe a kitchen knife is a piece of art into which a craftsman forges their heart and soul.

Kiiroya Pottery - Handcrafted pottery inspired by nature and my Japanese roots. Organic forms, earthy texture, and pieces meant to be felt as much as seen.

Cataround Stamps - hand-carved stamps inspired by traditional Japanese New Year’s greeting postcards called Nengajo (年賀状) and featuring your favorite furry friends!

East Winds Co. - Unique and well-designed quality handmade gifts, like earrings, bags, keychains, and crafts for everyday use.

Stumptown Otaku - SW Portland shop has an ever-expanding collection of Geeky and Nerdy goods. For all your anime figurines and collectables needs.

Korokoro Workshop - sustainable handmade gifts for parents and children.

Astari Designs - Origami art and greeting cards handcrafted with intention.

Thirty-Six Views of Mt Fuji vs Mt Hood - Wall art, calendars, magazine depicting Fuji and Hood side by side.

SOMUCHLOVE - Japanese-American Streetwear.

Mizu Head Spa - Japanese head spa info to educate the community.

Bethi Kat Art - Local manga artist presenting original posters, stickers, greeting cards.

Reggie’s Cafe & Manga Shop - Portland All-ages cafe and manga shop with a kissaten-inspired menu will have 8 Gacha machines, stationery, and packages of Japanese Snacks at Fuji to Hood.

Izakaya Impressions - Japanese t-shirts and apparel inspired by saké, Designed for Life.

JP TOKYO-STYLE SHOP - Clothing and accessories.

Kureipan - Japanese & Western-Inspired Bakery/Cafe food art.

Liminal Music Record Shop - Curated imported Japanese vinyl and CDs, books, and toys fostering connection + community.

JASO (Japanese-American Society of Oregon) - a private, nonprofit membership organization promoting business, education, and culture between Japan and Oregon.

Instagram: @fuji2hood https://www.instagram.com/fuji2hood/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fujitohood

Iconic Horse Brass Pub Celebrates 50th Anniversary Milestone w/ opening of Pony Room, Collaboration Beers, & Bands

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 10:14:58 +0000

The iconic Horse Brass Pub (4534 SE Belmont St) is celebrating their 50th anniversary and the opening of the new Pony Room. The classic Portland, Oregon pub marks a half-century as a craft beer landmark with collaboration beers from near and far, live music, longtime regulars, Oregon luminaries, and nightly celebrations from July 10–16th, 2026.

The 50th anniversary celebration kicks off on Friday, July 10 with the tapping of a series of special anniversary collaboration beers and cider brewed or blended with friends of the pub. The lineup includes an exclusive new Russian River Brewing beer, and collaborations with Double Mountain, Solera, Everybody’s Brewing, Ninkasi, Ecliptic, Gigantic, Fort George, Lompoc, Breakside, Sunriver, Bauman’s Cider, McMenamins, Widmer Brothers, Migration, Puff Coffee, and Georgetown, among others. Beers will rotate throughout the week, with the newly opened Pony Room available for overflow.

Founded in 1976 by Oregon Beer Awards 2017 posthumous Hall of Fame recipient Don Younger, Horse Brass played a vital role in shaping Oregon’s beer culture. Long before the city’s craft brewing reputation turned it into a beer-lovers’ destination, Horse Brass was pouring imports, cask ales, and the earliest Oregon microbrews. It gave fledgling local breweries a place to be discovered and provided brewers, drinkers, writers, regulars, and future publicans a place to talk shop and bond over a few pints.

Younger’s legacy is inseparable from the story of Oregon beer. He is remembered as one of the great American publicans and a vital early supporter of the region’s emerging microbrewery scene. Horse Brass is widely credited as a place where Oregon brewers found an audience, and where the industry-changing 1985 Oregon Brewpub Bill was discussed among key industry figures.

For five decades, the pub has remained a destination and one of the city’s greatest equalizing rooms, with old-timers seated next to newcomers, brewers next to bartenders, and industry legends next to someone walking in for their first proper pint. The dark wood, darts, fish and chips, cask ale, and history displayed on every wall evoke a singular blend of old Portland and old England.

Horse Brass’ current owner/Steward Jerry Fechter was inducted info the Oregon Beer Awards Hall of Fame in earlier this year in 2026, and is proud to carry on the legacy of the late-great-legend Don Younger.

“When most people think of Horse Brass, they think of the beer first. But for me, it’s the people,” said Horse Brass co-owner Jerry Fechter. “The brewers, our staff, our regulars, the musicians, the spirit of Don, and everyone who has stepped through our doors. For fifty years we’ve been transporting people to an English pub in the heart of Portland, and this celebration is for every one of them.”

The Pony Room

4534 SE Belmont St

More than a year in the making, Horse Brass’ The Pony Room has opened across the public breezeway hall that runs through the historic brick building they call home. The Pony Room may be familiar to veteran beer enthusiasts as the original location of Belmont Station, answering the question to why the current location of the bottle shop and beer bar is on Stark Street and not on Belmont. Since 2007 when Belmont Station vacated their original location at 4534 SE Belmont St the space has been the home for Horse Brass’ office, storage, and walk-in keg cooler which are still separated in the back. Through double glass doors along Belmont the Pony Club occupies what was the Belmont Station public retail area for browsing the bottle selection, now it serves as a private event and spillover space open during Horse Brass Anniversary celebrations and U.S. World Cup games.

The Pony Room, much like the Horse Brass, is filled with vintage memorabilia from breweries past and present, old photos, art, heirlooms, and rare items that commemorate the legacy of Oregon craft beer and Don Younger. It’s also equipped with it’s own intimate bar with a handful of dedicated taps and spirits, and a brand newly completed stained glass window handmade by living legend Alan Sprints, founder of Hair of the Dog Brewing.

Horse Brass Pub 50th Anniversary Beers:

Russian River Brewing : Don the Younger

Double Mountain + Solera Brewing + Everybody's Brewing : "It's About the Beer"* West Coast IPA

Ninkasi Brewing + Ecliptic Brewing : Younger Special IPA (West Coast IPA)

Gigantic Brewing + Fort George + Lompoc : Don of IPA 2005 (West Coast IPA)

Breakside Brewing + Sunriver Brewing : MadHatter IPA** (West Coast IPA)

Bauman's Cider : Special Dry Blend (Cider)

McMenamins Breweries : Sunflower IPA

Widmer Bros. Brewing : Wheat from Beyond (Dunkel Alt)

Migration Brewing + Puff Coffee : Clem's Coffee Cream Ale

Georgetown Brewing : The Bitter Horseman (ESB)

* Don Younger was known for his quote, “It’s not about the beer. It’s about the beer.”

** Named after one of Don Younger’s earlier bars

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Horse Brass Pub 50th Anniversary Events Schedule:

Friday, July 10

Collaboration Release Day featuring anniversary beers and cider brewed or blended with friends of Horse Brass. Pony Room open.

Saturday, July 11

Horse Brass will will honor what would have been Don Younger’s 86th birthday with cake and a special toast at 5 p.m. Younger’s presence lives on in the pub’s character, beer list, and sense of humor.

Sunday, July 12

Tom May & Friends at 2 p.m. May, now 78, has been performing his folk music at Horse Brass since its first year.

Monday, July 13

Celebrate the birth of punk rock, also 50 years ago! The Punk Rock Review begins at 8 p.m., featuring Renegade Leathers, Velvet Merkin, and Stumblebum.

Tuesday, July 14

The Buds of May Revival band featuring legendary Portland brewery John Harris from 8 to 10 p.m., bringing bluegrass and psychedelic jam rock to the anniversary week.

Wednesday, July 15

Wednesday, July 15 is Craft Industry Night, with Ben Love of Gigantic Brewing spinning the sounds of ‘76 from 8 p.m. to midnight. Brewers, cidermakers, and industry friends from across the Pacific Northwest will gather for a night honoring the pub’s deep ties to the regional beer community. A group photo is planned for 9 p.m., and the Pony Room will be open with historic photos laid out for guests to help identify the people, moments, and memories captured over the years.

Thursday, July 16

Last call for the first 50 will be Thursday, July 16 with The Rolling Tones, a Rolling Stones tribute band, playing from 8 to 11 p.m.

Horse Brass Pub (4534 SE Belmont St)

Founded in 1976, Horse Brass Pub helped introduce Portland drinkers to the depth, range, and community spirit that would come to define Oregon craft beer. For 50 years Horse Brass has served as a gathering place for brewers, beer lovers, musicians, regulars, and visitors from around the world.

With its classic English pub atmosphere, deep tap list, and long-standing connection to the region’s brewing industry, Horse Brass became a place where beer history was made one pint, one conversation, and one song at a time.

Tickets on sale for Great American Beer Festival’s new location

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Mon, 29 Jun 2026 08:38:32 +0000

Tickets are on sale for the nation’s premier craft beer festival held in Denver, October 10-11, 2026

The Brewers Association (BA) has announced that tickets are now on sale for a reimagined Great American Beer Festival ® (GABF™), happening at Levitt Pavilion in Denver on October 10 and 11, 2026.

GABF has been the heartbeat of American craft beer culture since 1982, and this year, it's getting a serious glow-up. Expect a brand-new venue, a revamped layout, and a renewed focus on what makes this festival so special: the beer, the brewers, and the people who love both. Most pours will come straight from the award-winning breweries themselves, so the magic of "Meet the Brewer" isn't just a corner of the room anymore, it is the room.

For seasoned hopheads and first-time explorers alike, this year's festival was built for all experience levels. Sessions run Saturday and Sunday from 12–4 p.m., leaving plenty of time to wander and sip. Live music, stage entertainment, food trucks, stein hoisting, and fresh Colorado air round out the weekend. Now with a more accessible price point with tickets starting at just $60, there's never been a better time to show up and taste what American brewing is all about.

Hungry for more? PAIRED is back for both sessions. The fan-favorite culinary experience where nationally celebrated chefs craft irresistible small bites, and award-winning brewers pour the perfect beer to match. Tickets are $159 ($170.38 including taxes and fees) and include full festival access.

The GABF Competition awards ceremony returns to the festival floor and is open to the public, taking place during the Sunday session on October 11. Watch in real time as the best beers in America are crowned. Learn more about the annual GABF Competition here.

GABF encourages everyone to take public transit, grab a rideshare, or add on a shuttle service to your ticket purchase. Designated driver tickets are available for $29, plus taxes and fees.

Single-day festival tickets are available starting at $60 or grab a two-day festival pass for $109 (all-in ticket price is $66.53 and $120.93 respectively, including taxes and fees) at greatamericanbeerfestival.com. You must be 21+ to attend. Bring your crew and come ready to discover your new favorite beer.

About The Great American Beer Festival

The Great American Beer Festival® (GABF), hosted annually by the Brewers Association since 1982, is the longest-running, premier beer festival in the United States. GABF offers consumers thousands of beverage samples from producers across the country, along with countless opportunities to discover both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

The Great American Beer Festival Competition is the nation’s largest professional brewing competition , where beers and ciders are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, recognized around the world as symbols of brewing excellence. 

2026 NW Cider Cup Award Winners & Recap

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 18:26:56 +0000

The 13th annual 2026 Northwest Cider Cup awards were announced at a ceremony at Portland, Oregon’s Holocene on Thursday, June 25th. Founded by cidermakers, the regional awards organized by the Northwest Cider Association celebrates the best ciders and perries from across the Pacific Northwest.

Accepting commercial entries from Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and British Columbia, the range of ciders and perries competing this year reflects the depth and diversity of Pacific Northwest cider culture. Each entry is evaluated by trained industry professionals on appearance, aroma, flavor, and mouthfeel — with gold, silver, and bronze medals awarded to the best in every category.

BEHIND THE MEDAL

Every entry is evaluated through a rigorous blind tasting process by a diverse panel of trained judges, more than half of whom are American Cider Association Certified Cider Professionals. Judges assess appearance, aroma, flavor, mouthfeel and overall balance to identify truly exceptional ciders and perries. The resulting medal winners showcase the remarkable diversity of the Pacific Northwest’s vibrant cider culture, spanning from classic all-apple ciders and single varietals to wood/oaked and botanically infused, from fruit forward and low/no ABV to innovative specialty styles.

By the numbers

236 entries submitted, only 25% of ciders entered won

60 medals were awarded in 19 categories to 51 cideries

Winners: 25 from Washington, 31 from Oregon, and 4 from British Columbia

The 236 entries reflect what cidermakers across the region are seeing in consumer demand — a real-time snapshot of what will be in glasses across the Northwest. This year's trends include:

Low-alcohol ciders continue to rise. The Low Alcohol and Alcohol Removed category (4.5% ABV and below) keeps growing — and this is the first year two low-ABV ciders won medals outside of the Specialty Low Alcohol/Alcohol Removed Category.
New cideries are entering the market. Nine new cideries competed this year, all having opened throughout the Northwest since April 2025. That growth mirrors cider's broader momentum across the craft beverage industry: According to a study done by market research firm Circana, cider is growing more than eight times faster than beer in the Pacific Northwest. That same study found that Oregon, Washington, and Idaho account for 24.8% of all U.S. cider sales, while these three states represent just 4.2% of the U.S. population.
Beyond fruit-forward: emerging styles are making their mark. While ciders with fruit additions remain a leading category by volume, standout trends are emerging in what rises to the top:
- Red-fleshed apples had a spotlight moment this year. Their naturally striking color produces a red hue without any added fruit flavors.
- Single-varietal ciders surged, with 30% more entries than in previous years. Much like wine drinkers seeking out specific grape varieties, cider drinkers are gravitating toward individual apple varieties — Kingston Black, Golden Russet, and others gaining real momentum.
- Low-Tannin Ciders claimed the top prize for the first time. Dry and approachable, these ciders are made with everyday eating apples rather than cider-specific varieties — the most common non-fruited style, and now, finally, a Cider Cup winner.

LOW-TANNIN CIDERS (DRY)

Gold - 15th Anniversary, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

Silver - Dryabolical, Schilling Cider (WA)

Silver - 2024 City Fruit, Seattle Cider Company (OR) (Credit to Seattle-Based Cidermaking Team)

Bronze - Cowichan Dry, Merridale Cidery & Distillery (BC)

Bronze - Dry, Finnriver Farm & Cidery (WA)

LOW-TANNIN CIDERS (SWEET)

Gold - Original Cosmic Crisp, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

Silver - Local Legend, Schilling Cider (WA)

Bronze - Honeycrisp, Seattle Cider Company (OR)

HIGH-TANNIN CIDERS (DRY)

Gold - Orchard Cuvee No.1, RAW Cider Co. (OR)

Silver - Endless Harvest, Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)

Silver - King’s Ransom, Alchemy Cider Co. (OR)

Bronze - Excelsior Imperial Hyper Dry, Schilling Cider (WA)

Bronze - Frequin Rouge, Raw Cider Co. (OR)

HIGH-TANNIN CIDERS (SWEET)

Gold - Brut Cider, Kristof Farms (OR)

Silver - Scrumpy, Greenwood Cider (WA)

Bronze - Excelsior Imperial Apple, Schilling Cider (WA)

FRUIT (CO-FERMENTED)

Gold - Apple Pear, Puget Sound Cider Company (WA)

Silver - Pinot Noir Hard Cider, 19 Acres Cider Co. (OR)

Bronze - Made Marion, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

FRUIT (POST-FERMENTATION ADDITION DRY)

Gold - Inversion, Empyrical (WA)

Silver - Cran-Cucumber, Endless Orchard Cider (WA)

Bronze - Blackberry, Puget Sound Cider Company (WA)

POST-FERMENTATION ADDITION SWEET

Gold - Peach, Offset Ciderworks (WA)

Silver - Golden Lime Cosmic Crisp, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

Silver - Guava Get Down, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

Silver - Pear Lychee, Portland Cider Co. (OR)

Bronze - Excelsior Imperal Blackberry, Schilling Cider (WA)

Bronze - Blueberry Cider, Abandoned Orchards (WA)

SINGLE VARIETAL

Gold - Kingston Black, Finnriver Farm & Cidery (WA)

Silver - Roxbury Russet, Rootwood Cider Co. (WA)

Bronze - Kingston Black (2025), 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

RED-FLESHED CIDERS DRY

Gold - Robert’s Red, Union Hill Cider Co. (WA)

Silver - Mountain Rose SV Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)

Bronze - Irene Rose, Double Mountain Brewery & Cidery (OR)

RED-FLESHED CIDERS SWEET

Silver - Eve, Heartland Ciderworks (OR)

Bronze - Nootka Rose, Alpenfire Cider (WA)

PERRIES (LOW-TANNIN)

Gold - Perry, Raw Cider Co. (OR)

Silver - Pear, Abandoned Orchards (WA)

Bronze - Ridge Reserve Perry, Nashi Orchards (WA)

PERRIES (HIGH-TANNIN)

Gold - Estate Sparkling Perry, Raw Cider Co. (OR)

Silver - Barrel-Aged Estate Perry, Blossom Barn Cidery (OR)

Bronze - Pyriform, Empyrical (WA)

BOTANICAL (HERBED)

Gold - Basil Mint, Seattle Cider Company (OR)

Silver - Laurel, Collaboration with Grand Fir Brewing Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)

Bronze - Lavender, Honey Tieton Cider Works (WA)

BOTANICAL (HOPPED)

Gold - Alora!, Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)

Silver - Mo’Moro, Merridale Cidery & Distillery (BC)

Bronze - Coastal Hop, Olympic Bluffs Cidery (WA)

BOTANICAL (SPICED)

Gold - Ginja Ninja, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

Silver - Genji’s Goji Berry Cider, Taves Estate Cidery (BC)

Bronze - Cranberry + Spice, Offset Ciderworks (WA)

WOOD/OAKED

Gold - Scrumpy, Merridale Cidery & Distillery (BC)

Silver - The Bad Apple, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

Bronze - Pear Co-Ferment, Bauman’s Cider Company (OR)

SPECIALTY (LOW ALCOHOL/ALCOHOL REMOVED)

Gold - The Little Rose, Heartland Ciderworks (OR)

Silver - The Isles, Madrone Cellars (WA)

Bronze - Non-Alcoholic Guava Get Down, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

SPECIALTY (FORTIFIED)

Gold - 2022 Pommeau, 2 Towns Ciderhouse (OR)

Silver - Pommeau, 19 Acres Cider Co. (OR)

Bronze - Pommeau, Finnriver Farm & Cidery (WA)

NEW CIDERY OF THE YEAR

Abandoned Orchards

SMALL CIDERY OF THE YEAR

RAW Cider Works

MEDIUM CIDERY OF THE YEAR

Bauman’s Cider

LARGE CIDERY OF THE YEAR

2 Towns Ciderhouse

GOOD APPLE AWARD

Ashley Lindsay, Pleasant Valley Cider Apples

SIP YOUR WAY THROUGH THE WINNERS

Use this guide to discover exceptional cider, explore a wide range of styles and taste the best the region has to offer. Plan your trip to visit these medal-winning producers using the Northwest Cider Association’s cider map or shop a curated selection of stand out ciders and perries from online cider retailer, Press Then Press, available for delivery nationwide.

Report: Untitled Art Craft Beverage Co. shutting down

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 17:49:19 +0000

Untitled Art is shutting down their beverage business according to internal sources and memos circulated around the company employees and partners. The Wisconsin based brand turned 10 years old this year, and over the last decade has become one of the most innovative and flexible craft breweries in the U.S. making everything from full-flavored non-alcoholic brews, decadent stouts and sours to all-natural hemp beverages in their Florida Hard Seltzer, FLVR! NA, Goodwell CBD Water, and Mystic Orbit THC drinks brands.

In Oregon the Untitled Beverage brands Florida Hard Seltzer and FLVR! non-alcoholic are best-sellers both off-premise in bottle shops and grocery stores and as supplemental offerings at taprooms all over the state. The colorful cans are likely familiar, even if you haven’t engaged with their often fruit and tropical forward flavors. Non-Alcoholic beer and Hard Seltzer fans often swear that Untitled Art’s are the best around, the closest approximations to the fresh and hyped flavors of contemporary full flavored craft beers. They are currently available through Day One Distribution, which still has a limited stock in warehouse, but are hoping for a final shipment.

By collaborating with brewers, visual artists, and photographers, Untitled Art craft unique bold beverages with colorful and equally bold art. Untitled Art was founded by Levi Funk of Madison, Wisconsin’s Funk Factory Geuzeria and Isaac Showaki of Octopi Brewing. There is no brick-and-mortar location of Untitled Art, they brew at Octopi Brewing in Waunakee, Wisconsin on a large scale, and distribute their products in 35 states.

The closure of Untitled Art is related to the 2024 acquisition of their partners Octopi Brewing by Japan’s Asahi.

Wisconsin-based Octopi will become part of Asahi Beer USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Asahi Europe & International. Nikkei Asia reports Asahi targets roughly 700,000 cases (50,800 barrels) of production at Octopi. In the most recent estimates from the Brewers Association (BA), Octopi produced 220,000 barrels of beer alone in 2022 as the 13th largest U.S. craft brewer. - Good Beer Hunting, 1/5/24.

Word is that Untitled Art is losing their contract brewing arrangement with Octopi Brewing, leading to the shut down of the brand. The New School reached out to Untitled Art’s media representative and Untitled Art and Octopi owner Isaac Showaki for comment, but have not received a response by time of publishing.

Norte Brewing and Food Hall opening in Wilsonville

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 07:52:17 +0000

Cerveceria Norte, a 2023 launched Hispanic beer brand, will open their first brick-and-mortar location in Wilsonville, Oregon as part of a mini food hall in a new apartments and mixed-use development.

Norte Brewing launched in 2024 as the brainchild of Zoiglhaus brewer Nick Velasquez and brewmaster Alan Taylor. Norte was always intended to be it’s own thing, an expression of a community and a flavor sensibility quite separate from Zoiglhaus’s German and American beers. The creative direction largely came from Velasquez, who tapped into his Hispanic background to make beers that may fill a growing whole in local craft beer for the Latino community. But ultimately the relationship didn’t work out between Velasquez and Zoiglhaus, so they went back to the community for help and partnered with the Latino Network.

“We are working on some stuff to keep it focused on the hispanic heritage behind the brand,” says Zoiglhaus brewmaster/co-owner Alan Taylor. “Getting a taproom and a place where we can highlight it as its own thing, these are not Zoiglhaus beers these are beers brewed explicitly as Norte Brewing.”

Norte Brewing’s beers center on South American-inspired flavors and ingredients with plenty of northwest-style hops as well. The flagships are both light and dark Mexican-style lagers and a contemporary IPA. Seasonals lean into fruit and spice: Watermelon Hibiscus Sour, Summer Lager with Passion Fruit, Margarita Sour, a pumpkin porter, and a Mole Stout brewed dried fruits, and spices including guajillo chiles.

Vuela mixed-use development

The Norte Taproom and food pods will go into the ground level of the nearly completed Vuela (formerly Wilsonville TOD) at 9699 SW Barber Street. This is a mixed-use development with 121 affordable housing units on floors 2-5 restricted to households earning between 30% - 80% of the area median income (AMI), including 35 units reserved for households making 30% of AMI or below. The units will be a mix of studio, one, two-, and three-bedroom units. Building amenities include on-site management offices, social service offices, parcel lockers, fitness room, multi-purpose community room, bike room and laundry room.

The project will pursue an Earth Advantage sustainability certification. Sustainability features include a rooftop photovoltaic solar system for common area electricity. Enhanced insulation and high-performance windows, LED lighting, Energy Star appliances, and smart thermostats will provide energy-efficient units for residents.

Transit Center

One of the primary draws of the location is being right next to a new Tri-Met transit station with a mix of on-site and shared parking. Tri-Met operates the WES Commuter Rail (Westside Express Service) serving Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Wilsonville. WES runs on weekdays during the morning and afternoon rush hours, with trains every 45 minutes.

Norte Brewing Taproom & Food Hall

On the ground floor will be community amenities such as, the SMART transit welcome center, Wilsonville Community Sharing food bank, and a commercial space. The commercial space is where Norte Brewing will open a taproom and a coffee shop with a focus on commuters, area employees, and neighborhood residents within walking or biking distance. Another major bonus for the beer, coffee, and food pod tenants, is direct access to the landscaped outdoor plaza. The design uses native water-smart plants, and elsewhere around the nearby exterior will be a children’s playground, sports court, covered picnic tables, outdoor patio spaces, and EV charging stations.

Palindrome, the lead developer of Vuela, and the parent company of Zoiglhaus Brewing, Spotlight Brewing, Ascendant Beer, Ponderosa Brewing, and now Norte Brewing, has tapped Latino Network to provide outreach services during the pre-development period to inform design and programming, referral services to the property management agent, and programming at the new apartment community.

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We are beyond excited to join the Wilsonville community this year with our new taproom and food .jpg

Norte’s taproom is designed as a modern mixed-use gathering space for the residents at Vuela as well as commuters transferring from the neighboring transit station.

So far we know that popular food truck Nino’s Birrieria will open a new location at the Norte food hall serving their authentic Mexican food. In 2025 Nino’s made public their desire to work with local craft breweries:

“This year we have made it our goal to bring our kitchen expertise into a brewery so we can work along side and run kitchen operations. If you guys have a brewery in mind that you think would be a great fit! Tag them down Below! & we will reach out! We would truly appreciate a share so we can get the word out there!” - Nino’s Birrieria posted on 2/6/2025

That came to fruition first with their food truck finding a permanent home at Upright Brewing Beer Station remains popular and isn’t going anywhere. Also earlier this year Nino’s opened another truck at SteepleJack Brewing’s the Union on Hawthorne, but that location has now closed while they move into their first brick-and-mortar in Wilsonville.

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A post shared by Niños Birrieria (@ninos_birrieriapdx)

Palindrome has filled 3 out of 4 food stalls and is still looking for one more chef, restaurant, or food truck for a brick-and-mortar kitchen, and that want to be part of the shared space. The leasing agent mentions BBQ, Asian street food, sandwiches, pizza, desserts or something completely unique, as desired concepts to complement the already confirmed lineup.

Monthly Rent: $1,950

All Utilities Paid

Common Area Dishwashing

Walk-in Cooler Space

All Bussing Provided

Flexible Lease Terms

Send inquiries to: sweaver@palindromecreates.com, or call 503-288-6210 ext. 333

Vuela Development and Norte Brewing, 9749 SW Barber St, Wilsonville, OR 97070

Highland Park Brewery opens pop-up Washington taproom

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 10:01:19 +0000

Highland Park, the popular and award-winning Los Angeles brewery, is opening a pop-up taproom on Orcas Island in Washington this summer. From July 1st through atleast August 31st, Highland Park owners Bob Kunz and his partner Tiff will be running a Highland Park beer garden at the Lone Pine Larder restaurant and market.

“I’ve always dreamed of bringing my love of the Pacific Northwest together with my passion for Craft Beer. Well, we’re finally making it happen as we’ve put together plans with our friends at Lone Pine,” says Kunz.

In 2024 Highland Park had one of the most impressive showings of all-time at the prestigious Great American Beer Festival where they won four gold medals in some of the most highly competitive categories: American-style IPA, contemporary American-style lager, American-style pale ale and juicy/hazy imperial IPA, and Brewery Group of the Year. But Highland Park is probably best known for their hoppy pilsner called Timbo Pils, the beer that is said to have originated the West Coast Pilsner style that is currently dominating taplists across the world.

The pop-up is both a homecoming and a reunion for Kunz and Tiff, who grew up north of Seattle in Edmonds and Mukilteo, and then went to college at Western Washington University in Bellingham. While living in LA, they got to know Spencer and Sabrina Bezaire, owners of two of their favorite restaurants L&E Oyster Bar and Ezsett. Spencer helped Highland Park open the kitchen at Highland Park’s Chinatown facility, and then a few years ago they sold their house and restaurant and moved to Orcas Island to open Lone Pine Larder.

“We’ve visited them every summer (we LOVE it there) and they kept nudging us to come up and do this with them and we finally said, 'what the fuck! Let’s do it’, and here we are. HPB Beer Garden on Orcas Island. It’s a bit wild and loose, but should be very fun,” says Kunz.

The Highland Park Brewery beer garden will basically operate as a 2 month pop-up operating Wednesday through Saturday from 12 to 7pm, and Sundays from 12 to 3 pm. They will be pouring six HPB beers on draft, plus they will have can pours of other special beers available on-site or to-go.

“Essentially what’s fresh, we’ll be rotating and pouring,” says Kunz, noting that they will have a new beer shipment coming in weekly. “We plan to have Timbo (West Coast Pils) and Baseball (rice lager) pouring the whole time and then rotate through west coast hoppy beer and hazy hoppy beer. We’ll probably rotate through a fair amount of hoppy beer through the two months.”

Both Kunz and Tiff will actually be living on Orcas Island and pouring the beers in the garden themselves. They’ve also found time to make a few special collaboration beers with Hood River, Oregon’s pFriem Family Brewers and Yakima, Washington’s Single Hill Brewing.

The HPB Beer Garden will be in a big grassy lot surrounded by trees just below the main Lone Pine Larder restaurant in the middle of East sound.

“We’ll have the beer pouring at a beer bar outside all day. Spencer has a fresh summer menu with some seafood (fish sandwich!), some wood grilled items, wings, etc. It’s gonna be awesome! His food is incredible” adds Kunz.

The Highland Park Brewery Beer Garden will run at least from July 1st through August 31st, with the potential to run a little longer.

Lone Pine Larder,
18 Urner St, Eastsound, WA, United States, 98245

Craft Brewers Conference and CiderCon® team-up in 2027

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Mon, 22 Jun 2026 04:44:05 +0000

Brewers Association and American Cider Association Announce Co-Location of CiderCon® and the Craft Brewers Conference® in 2027

Independent Beverage Alcohol Communities to Gather Together in San Antonio, April 5–7, 2027

Boulder, Colo. (June 16, 2026) — The Brewers Association (BA) and the American Cider Association (ACA) today announced that CiderCon® and the Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America® (CBC ®) will co-locate in San Antonio, Texas, April 5–7, 2027.

The collaboration brings together two leading gatherings for independent beverage alcohol producers while maintaining the distinct identities, communities, and educational experiences that attendees value most.

“Independent beverage producers are navigating many of the same opportunities and challenges, from evolving consumer preferences to operational pressures and innovation across categories,” said Bart Watson, president and CEO of the Brewers Association. “By bringing these communities together under one roof, we can create more opportunities for learning, connection, and business growth while preserving the unique culture and purpose of each event.”

CBC will continue to serve as the premier gathering for craft brewers, featuring world-class education, North America’s largest brewing trade show, and opportunities to connect with peers and suppliers from around the world. CiderCon will continue to provide dedicated cider-focused education, networking, and community-building tailored specifically to the needs of independent cider producers.

“This partnership reflects the increasingly collaborative nature of the independent beverage alcohol industry,” said Christine Walter, president of the American Cider Association Board of Directors and owner of Bauman’s Cider in Gervais, Oregon. “Co-locating CiderCon with CBC creates exciting new opportunities for cidermakers through expanded networking, educational resources, and trade show access, while still preserving our cider-specific technical education tracks, Cider Share, and the traditions our community has built over the years that make CiderCon so special.”

The co-location is expected to deliver expanded value for attendees, exhibitors, and sponsors alike by creating broader networking opportunities, increased exposure to new products and services, and enhanced educational experiences across adjacent beverage alcohol segments.

Additional details about programming, registration, special events, and how both conferences will operate together will be announced in the coming months.

About the Craft Brewers Conference® and BrewExpo America®

The Craft Brewers Conference® & BrewExpo America®, hosted by the Brewers Association (BA), is the nation’s premier gathering for beverage alcohol professionals and the largest beverage alcohol conference and trade show in the U.S. The Craft Brewers Conference features exceptional educational seminars and keynote addresses critical to running a successful business. BrewExpo America hosts hundreds of exhibitors displaying the latest and greatest product innovations, supplies, and services. The World Beer Cup ®, the most prestigious beer competition in the world, is held annually in conjunction with the Craft Brewers Conference.

About the Brewers Association

The Brewers Association (BA) is a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their beers, and the community of brewing enthusiasts. The BA represents 9,500-plus U.S. breweries, and its independent craft brewer seal is a widely adopted symbol that differentiates beers from small and independent craft brewers. The BA organizes events, including the World Beer Cup ®, Great American Beer Festival®, Craft Brewers Conference™ & BrewExpo America®, and American Craft Beer Week®. The BA publishes The New Brewer® magazine and Brewers Publications® is the leading publisher of brewing literature in the U.S. Beer lovers are invited to learn more about the dynamic world of craft beer at CraftBeer.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

The Brewers Association is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, or marital/familial status. The BA complies with provisions of Executive Order 13672 and the Secretary of Labor's rules, regulations, and appropriate orders.   

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About the American Cider Association

The American Cider Association is the national trade organization supporting the U.S. cider industry through advocacy, education, and community building. The ACA organizes CiderCon®, the premier conference for cider professionals and industry partners.

The New School’s New Breweries & Cideries 2026 Block Party

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Tue, 16 Jun 2026 17:12:22 +0000

The New School’s annual New Breweries & Cideries Showcase is back this Saturday, June 20th after taking a one-year hiatus.

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

The Oral History of Barley Brown’s Brew Pub on their 28th Anniversary

Nicole Kasten — Fri, 12 Jun 2026 09:01:16 +0000

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…

“I don’t recall the year, but I was racing motocross in Boise Idaho at the Owyhee Motorcycle Club (which was founded in 1935 and in 2022 was the first motorcycle club and race track be listed on the National Register of Historic Places.) I stopped at home brew supply shop a purchased everything I needed to brew beer, including the Complete Joy of home brewing book. I never actually brewed at home, just brought it to the restaurant and brewed on slow shifts… which were frequent. The health inspector didn’t like that, but let it slide.”

— Tyler Brown, founder of Barley Brown's

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.

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

“I moved back to Baker City where I was born and raised to open a bakery with a high school friend at the end of 1999. Barley Brown’s had been open for about a year and a half at that point. I knew Tyler from grade school and through high school. I had homebrewed a few times when I lived in Colorado years before and got back into it after moving back to Baker. I would bring samples to Tyler to taste. He would always just respond to me that it tastes like beer. After a couple of conversations about beer he asked if I wanted to come in and clean kegs. I came in and cleaned kegs and watched him brew. I did this for about 8 months and after I left the bakery I asked if I could get paid. He said sure and I brewed for Tyler for the next 11 years.”

— Shawn Kelso, original Barley Brown's head brewer

Shawn Kelso (left) and Tyler Brown (right) at Bailey’s Taproom in Portland, OR

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.

“In 2006 as my wife Amy and I were driving across country…we naturally stopped at brewpubs along the way, our last stop being Barley Brown’s in Baker City. We had a couple beers, most notably a wonderful hoppy pale ale. After buying the majority ownership of Belmont Station (impulsively about a week later) I was surprised that many beer people here had a less than positive take on Barley Brown’s beers. Thus when I saw Shawn Kelso at an Oregon Brewer’s Guild meeting a year or more later I asked if we could get some Barley Brown’s to pour at Belmont Station. On his (or Tyler’s) next trip to Portland they called and I ordered the Pale Ale (I think it was Tumble Off) and I believe a Brown ale as they had no other hoppy offerings (PDX craft beer people were very hop obsessed).”

“Of course they were well received and from there we ordered beer whenever they came to Portland. Shawn was brewing on a tiny system in the restaurant, long before the new brewery was built so they had very little beer to spare. Again, Shawn may remember better but that’s at least close to what happened.”

— Carl Singmaster, former owner of Belmont Station

Shawn Kelso recalls things slightly differently:

“I hate to correct Carl but I believe it was more 04 or 05. I say this because I remember meeting Darren Welch [Pelican Brewing’s founding brewmaster] at that same meeting and he suggested we enter beers at the North American Beer Awards. We hadn’t entered a beer competition yet and 05 was the first year we ever entered NABA which we won a hand full of medals. When I met Carl he told us about Belmont Station and asked if he could buy some of our beer to put on tap the next time we come to Portland. I asked him what beers he would like and I went down the list of what we had available. I would say the beer name and style and he would just say yes. I believe we sold him six or seven kegs. Two being Tumble Off Pale Ale. I thought it was so much because brewing on a 4 bbl system you only get 8 ½ bbl kegs at most. Belmont Station was the first place to pour our beer outside of the Barley Brown’s Pub. I owe a ton of thanks to Carl and the Belmont Crew for introducing our beer to Portland and Tyler and I really.”

— Shawn Kelso

Barley Brown’s, Boneyard, Grains of Wrath, Melvin Brewing, Breakside Brewing all at Belmont Station

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.

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.

“I owe him [Tyler Brown] so much gratitude for bringing me into the beer industry and never limiting me. He allowed me to hone my craft and learn by trial and error. He’s an amazing boss and even better person. Working for the Brown family at Barley Brown’s will always be a huge highlight in my life and I enjoyed every day of it.”

— Shawn Kelso

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.

“Tyler is one of the coolest, chillest guys in the business. My interview with him…consisted of drinking beer all afternoon and closing down the pub. After a couple of weeks working there, Tyler walks into the tiny brewery at the pub and tells me, ‘Hey man, buy whatever ingredients you want, I don’t care how much they cost, I’ll pay for them. Just try to keep 10 beers on tap and make whatever you want.”

“After that, we (myself and current Head Brewer Eli Dickison) went on a two year, nine medal streak at GABF that included Very Small Brewing Company of the Year. We also won the Brewing News National IPA Championship in 2013. Those were great times.”

— Marks Lanham, Comrade Brewing founder/ former Barley Brown's head brewer

Comrade Brewing and Barley Brown’s celebrate medal wins at the Great American Beer Festival

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.

“In 10 years with the production brewery going, we’ve had only a couple non-local people working in back. Our current crew is entirely made up of guys that grew up in Baker and started in the kitchen at the restaurant. I graduated in 2012 (OSU Fermentation Sciences) and the timing couldn’t have been better…the (brewery) expansion was just getting started. Marks Lanham and I worked together at the old system and got the new one up and going.”

— Eli Dickison, Barley Brown's head brewer

Eli Dickison and Tyler Brown

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.

“Supporting local without question, is important and vital to the community and to me. I’m absolutely blown away every day by the passion these guys have, and by what they add to our local culture even when not at work.”

“With the exception of Mark’s Lanham… the rest of us graduated from Baker High School and have never worked at any other brewery. We’ve had some other notable cool cats that worked in the brewery through the years like our OSU intern -Bobby “Bobcat” Buckman who we gifted to our good friends at Bale Breaker brewing - Bobby is their brewer at the Ballard location. ”

”All of our current brew team also worked in our pub kitchen before working in the brewery, Add and Kyle also were also bartenders for us.”

— Tyler Brown

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.

“Having known Tyler, aka The Hopfather, for many years, I keenly understand he is more than a brewery operator and brewer. That may be what the public and many in the brewing community know. To me he is first and foremost a devoted husband to Corrina, fabulous father to Tori and Sidney, and now, the icing on the cake, a doting grandfather. In addition to his family responsibilities, he is fully engaged in his community, performing a range of civic duties, always ready to contribute to the betterment of Baker City.”

— Jeff Dense, professor at Eastern Oregon University

Tyler Brown (left) and Jeff Dense (right)

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.

“For our first collaboration we all met in Baker City, the Boneyard and Point Blank team. It was the late great Aaron Gardner’ss and [Boneyard co-founder]Clay Storey’s birthdays. Jokingly we called the beer “Allocation” as the Point Blank team was serious about how they would deal with selling this beer because everyone wanted to purchase it. Allocation IPA was born.”

— Tony Lawrence, owner/founder of Boneyard Beer

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.

“My first memory of Tyler Brown was at a N.W.I.P.A. [the beer bar in PDX] event. He was there handing out swag etc., but what I remember most about it was that there was a life-sized cardboard cutout of him that eventually moved into the restroom. That cut out lived in the bathroom for years.”

— Kyle Stone-Chilla

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

“I remember thinking that he [Tyler Brown] was really quiet and soft spoken. Ha! What a misread!”

— Ben Edmunds, brewmaster Breakside Brewery

Left to right: Tyler Brown, Jeff Dense, and Ben Edmunds

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.

“When we sat down to brew a beer together for Breakside’s 10th anniversary in 2020, we knew that we wanted to brew something hop-forward, and making a ‘strong single’ West Coast IPA was a no-brainer. I think a lot of people look at the name of that beer and think that it’s a mashup of the Wanderlust and Pallet Jack recipes, but it’s not that at all. The idea behind Wanderjack was to create a beer that would be the flagship IPA you’d design if you were opening your brewery today and didn’t have existing brands or recipes to consider.”

— Ben Edmunds

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.

“My wife and Corrina and I raised two awesome daughters. They’re kind, compassionate, and love helping other people. They both have entrepreneurial minds, Tori and her husband Zach just purchased a True Value hardware store in Ontario, Oregon that they’re converting to an Ace Hardware. Tori was Barley Brown’s marketing and office manager until she went on maternity leave at the beginning of Covid. She now has two kids Gracie 3 years old, and little brother Reese is 7 months. Tori’s departure is the reason that our website, social media, etc are all in disrepair… I’m not real savvy in that department. Our other Daughter Sidney lives in LaGrande, and works as a cosmetologist, but also travels to Ontario to help her big sister at the hardware store. Besides raising kids, and being blessed with awesome co-workers.”

— Tyler Brown

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

“At some point I ended up on a Brewvana Brewery Tours bus to Baker City. We drank our way there, had a great dinner at the pub, then closed down the tap room. I am pretty sure I played guitar for a while, but that part of the night is a little fuzzy. The next morning, we all checked out of our hotel rooms only to find out that the Bus wasn’t starting. Tyler let us all stash our luggage in the brewery, then he ferried us to a place for breakfast in his truck. We spent the rest of the day drinking Headshake off the server and wandering around Baker City.”

— Kyle Stone-Chilla, GM of McMenamins 23rd Ave Bottle Shop.

“Every Oregon brewer (really any brewer period) should make a pilgrimage to Baker City at some point to see what Tyler has built first hand. We all are so familiar with the iconic beers that Barley Brown’s makes, but I don’t think many folks know just how beloved a community hub Tyler’s restaurant and taproom are.”

— Ben Edmunds

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

“It’s difficult for me to isolate one beer-related story to encapsulate our friendship, there are SO many for which I am eternally grateful to be along for The Ride. The most meaningful for me are our morning conversations over coffee which seldom have anything to do with beer. This guy is DEEP.”

— Jeff Dense, Professor, Eastern Oregon University

“The Oregon beer scene helped create this beautiful collision of friendship and HOPS with Tyler and Barley Brown’s. We were drawn to each other.”

— Tony Lawrence, of Boneyard Beer

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.

Stoup Brewing and Métier Brewing’s new SeaTac bars open for FIFA World Cup celebrations

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 10:14:14 +0000

With the FIFA World Cup coming to N. America this year, Seattle has announced new partnerships for pop-up activations around SeaTac that includes taprooms and beer gardens operated by Stoup Brewing and Métier Brewing.

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.”

UPDATE- Metier will have its grand opening on Monday, June 15. Activities for June 11 have been .jpg
World Cup Watch Parties at Stoup SeaTac City THIS FRIDAY!! ⚽ Join us at the Old Bank Building as.jpg

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.

Icicle Brewing sold to Yakima hop farmers

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:05:31 +0000

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 returns to Eugene with a new pub

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 17:42:35 +0000

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)

Buoy Beer and Astoria Coffee commemorative releases celebrate 100th anniversary of the Astoria Column

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:24:30 +0000

Buoy Beer and Astoria Coffee Launch Centennial Blends to Honor The 100th Birthday of the Astoria Column

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.

The Astoria Column, located atop Coxcom Hill, in Astoria, OR. Camden Benesh/PSU Vanguard

Astoria Column 100 Centennial Celebration

July 18th 11am - 4pm

Cele brate 100 years of com munity and honor the past a nd the futur e! Fr ee to t h e 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! & Breakside debut Schwüsch Pils for “Summer of Soccer” events with Nike

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 23:33:19 +0000

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.

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.

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

30-year-old Pelican Brewing looks to non-alcoholic beverages and new locations for expansion

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 21:06:01 +0000

Pelican Brewing owners Jeff Schons (left) and Mary Jones (right) with brewmaster Darron Welch (center)

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.”

Inn at Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City Headlands Lodge and Resort Pacific City

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.

Pelican Brewing on Siletz Bay in Lincoln City, Oregon

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.

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 Yachats rendering by Jones Architecture

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.”

A pint of Pelican’s classic Doryman’s Dark Ale at the Pacific City brewpub

In the kitchen with Pelican Brewing chef Sabrina Chapman

Neil Ferguson — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 17:15:03 +0000

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.

Pelican chef Sabrina Chapman

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.

“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.

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.

“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.”

Major Revisions to the Brewers Association’s 2025 Industry Production Report

Ezra Johnson-Greenough — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 18:15:37 +0000

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.