Beer Birthday: Rob Widmer

November 5, 2024 By Jay Brooks

Today is Rob Widmer’s 68th birthday. Rob is, of course, one of the bros in Widmer Brothers. He and his brother Kurt helped found the Oregon Brewers Festival, created the style American Hefeweizen and are one of the few small brewers that have managed to retain their spirit and reputation as they’ve grown much larger. Join me in wishing Rob a very happy birthday.

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Kurt and Rob Widmer with ther wives at the Oregon Brewers Festival several years ago.

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Kurt and Rob after their win for Mid-Size Brewing Company of the Year at GABF in 2002.

Rob with the Ralph’s (Olson and Woodall) from HopUnion at the 15th Anniversary Party for the Celebrator Beer News.

Rob Widmer & Don Younger @ Wynkoop
Rob with the late, great Don Younger at Wynkoop during GABF in 2009.

Beer Birthday: Tyler Brown

November 2, 2024 By Jay Brooks

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Today is the 57th birthday of Tyler Brown, founder of Barley Brown’s Brew in Baker City, Oregon. I first met Tyler somewhere in Portland, some years ago, and his beers are amazing. Most recently, other GABF, I saw him at Belmont Station, and I thought I had a picture of him wearing the Belmont Crown. Alas, I could not find it. Join me in wishing Tyler a very happy birthday.

Tyler at me at GABF a few years ago.

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Tyler in the UK doing a collaboration beer with Banks’s Brewery in Wolverhampton.

Beer Birthday: Thomas Kerns

October 27, 2024 By Jay Brooks

Today is the 59th birthday of Thomas Kerns, who is the owner and brewmaster of the Big Island Brewhaus in Kamuela, Hawaii. He’s originally from Oregon, and started brewing commercially for a McMenamins Pub brewery. When I met him he was the head brewer for Maui Brewery, and he was there for over ten years before striking out on his own, which opened in 2008. I first got to know Thomas a bunch of years ago when we roomed together for GABF judging. Join me wishing Thomas a very happy birthday.

thomas-kerns-and-me — Visiting Thomas at his brewpub last August during a family vacation to Hawaii.

maui-brewers — Thomas with Garett Marrero when he was still at Maui Brewing.

Beer Birthday: Jessica Jones

February 29, 2024 By Jay Brooks

Today is the 40th birthday — the Big 4-O — of Jessica Jones, who’s the former COO of Ninkasi Brewing. Several years ago, she left Ninkasi and became the Chief Marketing Officer and Director of Strategy for Enjoy Beer, the startup founded by Rich Doyle after he left Harpoon, but as far as I know it never really caught on as they’d hoped, and the site is no longer active. Anyway, I haven’t talked to her in quite a few years, and last I heard she and her husband had moved to Eugene, Oregon and they’ve started a honey business, Queen’s Bounty Honey. But since she’s one of the few people I know born on leap day, I wanted to still post about her birthday this year.

When I first met Jessica, she was blogging at beer as the Thirsty Hopster and helped do some of the behind-the-scenes setup when I founded the Bay Area Beer Bloggers. She then put her education to good use by getting a job with Firestone Walker, and found that she liked working for a brewery. So she went back to school and got her MBA, before moving to Portland. Since 2011, she’s been keeping Ninkasi Brewing humming, and keeping Jamie in line. It’s been fun to watch Jessica’s evolution in the beer world, and how amazing she’d made Ninkasi. Join me in wishing Jessica a very happy birthday.

hard-liver09-08 — At the Hard Liver Barleywine Festival in Seattle, in 2009. Clockwise from left; Shitwig (a nickname, I believe), Jessica, her sister and her sister’s friend.

bestowest09-42 — At the end of the Celebrator Anniversary Party in 2009.

malheur-choc-08 — With Nicole Erny and, The Beer Chef, Bruce Paton, at his Beer & Chocolate Beer Dinner several years back.

sfbw-gabf08-6 — Jessica at the Falling Rock, along with her sister (bottom left) and friends, during an SF Beer Week event at the Falling Rock during GABF in 2008.

Jessica Jones a.k.a. The Thirsty Hopster & Scott Perkins — Jessica and Scott Perkins at GABF in 2009.

Beer Birthday: Abram Goldman-Armstrong

April 28, 2020 By Jay Brooks

Today is the 42nd birthday of Abram Goldman-Armstrong, a Portland-based beer writer who is the managing editor of the Northwest Brewing News and also writes online at Brewsville. Abe also is the organizer of the North American Organic Brewers Festival and by day works in construction. When Abe was writing for the Celebrator Beer News several years back, during GABF we spent an evening drinking out and about the city eventually ending up at the Denver Diner, during which time I discovered I’d spent the entire evening calling him by the wrong name — d’oh. Anyway, these days I can get his name right. Join me in wishing Abe a very happy birthday.

Abe Goldman-Armstrong as Beer Patrol Man
As “Beer Patrol Man” at the 2009 OBF Parade.

Abe & Ed Bennett
With Ed Bennett at the OBF Parade, also in 2009.

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Abe’s also a big fan of the local soccer team, the Portland Timbers, and recently appeared on a billboard for the team as they joined the MLS several years ago.

Deschutes Announces New Brewery In Virginia

March 22, 2016 By Jay Brooks

In the rumor mill for several months, today Deschutes Brewing of Bend, Oregon announced that they’ll be building a second brewery in Roanoke, Virginia. They’ve set up a separate page for information about the new facility in Roanoke. Here’s the press release:

Deschutes Brewery announced its much anticipated decision on an east coast location today at an event in downtown Roanoke, Virginia. The growing brewery, which was founded in Oregon in 1988 by Gary Fish, has explored hundreds of potential locations in the region over the last two years. The company selected Roanoke based on several criteria including a culture and community that fit well with Deschutes’ decades-deep roots.
“We started Deschutes Brewery when craft beer wasn’t burgeoning and led with a beer style that wasn’t popular at the time – Black Butte Porter,” said Gary Fish, CEO and founder of the brewery. “This pioneering approach was a key driver behind our decision to go with Roanoke, as that same spirit exists in this community and its fast-growing beer culture.”
The future Roanoke facility has been lovingly dubbed “Brew 4” as it takes its place in line after the original Bend, Oregon public house (Brew 1), the brewery’s production facility in Bend (Brew 2) and the Portland, Oregon public house (Brew 3). Brew 4 will be located at the eastern edge of Roanoke with construction on the site beginning in 2019. Eventually, a little over 100 new jobs will be created for the region, and the new brewery will produce approximately 150,000 barrels to start, with a design to increase capacity as needed. Deschutes expects to start shipping beer from the Roanoke location in about five years.
“Roanoke is honored to be chosen as Deschutes Brewery’s East Coast location after a very thorough review of several communities in the Southeast,” said Roanoke City Manager Chris Morrill. “It is a company with a strong culture of community engagement, recognized for its craftsmanship and will be a perfect fit for Roanoke’s vibrant outdoor lifestyle. We are thrilled to welcome Deschutes as we continue to build a diverse, resilient economy.”
Deschutes Brewery chose to add an east coast location after the company’s distribution footprint (which currently includes 28 states and the District of Columbia) reached the east coast. By having a production facility on the eastern seaboard, the brewery will be able to deliver beers – such as its flagship Black Butte Porter – to states east of the Mississippi quickly and more sustainably.
Michael LaLonde, president of Deschutes Brewery, who was an integral part of the east coast location selection team, said, “Although it was a tough decision – we loved so many of the communities that we visited over the past two years – we are very excited to be heading to Roanoke. We love the region and everyone we’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with during this process has been incredible. We have absolutely been blown away with how the community rallied around bringing us here and has given us such a warm welcome. #Deschutes2Rke we’re on our way and proud to be able to now call Roanoke our second home.”

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Consumers File Lawsuit To Stop ABI Buying SABMiller

December 3, 2015 By Jay Brooks

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In a particularly strange twist, 23 consumers — 19 from Oregon, 3 from California and 1 from Washington — have filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court, for the District of Oregon, Medford Division. The Plaintiffs are represented by two law firms, the Alioto Law Firm of San Francisco, California, and Cauble & Cauble, LLP of Grant’s Pass, Oregon. The lawsuit names both Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller as Defendants and the initial filing requests “Injunctive Relief to Prohibit the Acquisition of SABMiller PLC by Anheuser-Busch InBev, SA/NV as a Violation of Section 7 of the Clayton Antitrust Act, 15 U.S.C. § 18.” The 33-page complaint is available to read online as a pdf. The Oregonian is reporting on at least a few of the Plaintiff’s rationales for the lawsuit. “I don’t think it’s good for consumers, I don’t think it’s good for industry, I don’t think it’s good for the tax base, I don’t think it’s good for any of that,” states Plaintiff James DeHoog, who owns an air quality and environmental consulting business in Central Point, which is near where the case was filed in Medford, Oregon. Courthouse News Service also has an account of the filing.

It will certainly be interesting to see how far they get with this.

Court Gavel And Money

Kurt Widmer Announces His Retirement

October 12, 2015 By Jay Brooks

Kurt Widmer, the older brother in Widmer Brothers Brewing, announced today he will be retiring at the end of 2015 from the day-to-day work with the business he founded with his brother Rob in 1984, 31 years ago.

Here’s the press release from the Craft Brew Alliance:

Kurt R. Widmer, 63, co-founder of Widmer Brothers Brewing, announced today that he will retire from Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. (“CBA”) and will be leaving CBA’s Board of Directors at the end of the year. At that time, he will assume the honorary title of Chairman Emeritus. Mr. Widmer has served as Chairman of the Board since Craft Brew Alliance was formed in 2008 through the merger of pioneering Pacific Northwest craft brewing companies Redhook Brewery and Widmer Brothers Brewing. Previously, Mr. Widmer served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Widmer Brothers Brewing Company from 1984 until 2008.
Mr. Widmer will remain in his role through December 31, 2015 to support the transition as CBA’s Board of Directors engages in the process of selecting a new Chairperson.
“Since my brother Rob and I founded Widmer Brothers Brewing over 31 years ago, this extraordinary industry that we helped create has grown and evolved in ways I couldn’t even imagine,” said Mr. Widmer. “Many of us who set the foundation for today’s booming craft beer market are thinking about the next chapter in our lives, and my wife Ann and I have been discussing the fact that there’s still a lot we want to do. So while I’ll miss walking into my office at the brewery every day, I’m admittedly looking forward to more time with my family and doing more of what I love to do – whether it’s traveling around the world or home brewing in the basement.”
He continued, “In terms of timing, I feel really good about where CBA is today. Looking back on how CBA has grown from two craft beer companies to a powerful alliance of great beers, brands, breweries and partners, I couldn’t be more confident in the future. The focus, expertise, and vision of the leadership team, under the helm of Andy Thomas, are further proof that CBA, its people, and its shareholders are in great hands. People who know me will probably not believe that I’m stepping away from Widmer Brothers and CBA. As a Widmer Brother, I will always look forward to that next innovative collaboration or a chance to connect with Widmer fans over a pint of Hefe at a local account.”
Kurt and Rob Widmer co-founded Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, Oregon in 1984 with help from their father Ray. They are among a handful of brewers in the United States credited with creating a universally recognized new style in 1986 with Hefe, the original American-style Hefeweizen and the #1 selling craft beer in Oregon.
“I’ve been fortunate to meet a number of truly remarkable people in this industry, and Kurt Widmer is definitely at the top of the list,” said Andy Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, CBA. “From his role in creating the craft beer category, to his foresight and vision in bringing together CBA to secure his brands’ route to market — and the adversity he faced as a direct result — to the role he continues to play as an impassioned advocate of our industry, Kurt has made a profound impact on many of us. CBA wouldn’t be CBA without Kurt Widmer, and I am grateful for his support and confidence as we continue forward.”

Kurt (center) with Gary Fish and Fred Eckhardt at the Horse Brass for Don Younger’s memorial in 2011.

R.I.P. Fred Eckhardt 1926-2015

August 10, 2015 By Jay Brooks

I just learned from my friend, and Belmont Station owner, Lisa Morrison that legendary beer writer Fred Eckhardt has passed away. Apparently he died peacefully in his sleep this morning, with a few caregivers by his side.

Portland native Eckhardt was 89, and was a pioneer in writing about and defining beer styles with his early book on the subject, The Essentials of Beer Style, published in 1989. Annually in Portland, the FredFest beer festival has been held since his 80th birthday to honor Fred and his contributions to the modern beer and homebrewing scene. As Lisa observed. “He was one of the giants on whose shoulders we stand. What a life he lived, what he gave to us all.” He will be greatly missed. Join beer lovers everywhere as we raise a toast to Fred’s memory and to his enduring legacy tonight.

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Fred in 1969, from the back cover of his book, A Treatise on Lager Beers.