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You are here: Home / Birthdays / Historic Beer Birthday: Robert “Mac” MacTarnahan

Historic Beer Birthday: Robert “Mac” MacTarnahan

May 1, 2025 By Jay Brooks

portland-wh
Today is the birthday of Robert “Mac” MacTarnahan (May 1, 1915-October 25, 2004), one of Oregon’s most famous athletes. Mac was one of the original investors in Portland Brewing Co., which was later named MacTarnahan’s Brewing in his honor. I met Mac twice, once in Portland at an event at the brewery, and once he visited me in California when I was still the beer buyer at BevMo. I hope I have half the energy he did when I’m in my eighties. A couple of years ago, my friend and colleague John Foyston wrote a nice remembrance of Mac in The Oregonian, which included the obituary he wrote in 2004. Raise a glass today to Mac’s memory.

mac-1
Brewer Alan Kornhauser, Mac and Portland Brewing co-founder Fred Bowman.

robertmactarnahan
Mac’s Oregon Sports Hall of Fame photo. Here’s his entry:

Oregon’s most accomplished Masters Athlete, Robert “Mac” MacTarnahan is the first masters competitor ever chosen for induction into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. His athletic feats are amazing. Mac is a four-time Masters world record holder with a national record in the mile plus three world record holders in the 3000-meter steeplechase. In the steeplechase, he is a six-time AAU National Masters champion, two-time USA National Senior Olympic champion, two-time World Senior champion. Mac is also a five-time National Masters wrestling champion. The wiry Scot owns more the 50 Masters Gold Medals.

Filed Under: Birthdays Tagged With: Birthdays, Oregon, Portland, Sports



Comments

  1. Linda McManus says

    July 17, 2013 at 6:55 am

    Just a note to say that Robert’s older brother, John MacTarnahan is still alive and very well…and turning 100 on September 20, 2013. I have a great photo of the two brothers taken in 1916 when Robert was one and John almost three.

  2. Linda McManus says

    July 17, 2013 at 6:56 am

    An aside: the original spelling of his last name is MacTarnaghan.

  3. Dan Smith says

    May 1, 2014 at 2:28 pm

    It looks like they are drinking one of my old favorites, Haystack Black. I think that they stopped making it in 2005, replacing it with Blackwatch Porter, which was good, but not as good, IMHO.

  4. Wm Daily says

    November 29, 2018 at 2:35 am

    Mac owned the building of my employer in Beaverton. That was my first experience meeting him. He was an amazingly friendly man and in great shape. He added so much of his heritage to Oregon. So glad I met and knew an Oregon ledgend! I still drink his beer when I can find it and it is my favorite. RIP Mac.

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