Block 15 Brewing’s wholesale business Block 15 Distribution is partnering with Eugene, Oregon’s ColdFire Brewing Company to help make their acclaimed beers easily accessible across the state. ColdFire has long been a Willamette Valley favorite, recently racking up medals at the Oregon Beer Awards, and just last week at the prestigious World Beer Cup. With the completion of a new production brewery in Junction City, ColdFire is ramping up production with new veterans like head brewer Shawn Grover (formerly of pFriem Family Brewers), and Dave Marliave, the creator/brewmaster of Flat Tail Brewin ..read more

The 2024 Craft Brewers Conference in Las Vegas takes place during a tumultuous time for the craft beer industry: Sales are down, costs are up, people are drinking less alcohol, and Gen Z by-and-large apparently prefers other types of beverages. However, as Brewers Association Chief Economist Bart Watson pointed out during his state of the industry address, the news isn’t all doom and gloom – after a period of rapid growth and adoption from 2006-2016, the industry went through a period of incremental growth through the beginning of 2020, and then COVID hit. The post-COVID landscape is a challe ..read more

Portland, Oregon’s Gigantic Brewing is celebrating another milestone in what has already been a momentous year as the brewery shifts to canning for the first time and debuted a new lineup of year-round beers. On Saturday, May 4th, Gigantic Brewing will commemorate their 12th anniversary at their original location at 5224 SE 26th Ave. and bring back one of their earliest seasonal releases from the early days when the lineup of beers were 100% rotating seasonals other than the flagship IPA. Since its inception in May 2012, Gigantic Brewing has remained steadfast in its commitment to crafting e ..read more

Crux Fermentation Project is selling the property that has served as the brewery’s iconic Bend tasting room since 2012, with the intention of leasing it back from the new owners. Listed by Bend’s Compass Commercial Real Estate Service for $5.5 million, the sale of the building at 50 SW Division Street in Bend will generate resources that will reinforce Crux’s current growth and continue to invest in innovative new products, including its expanding portfolio of non-alcoholic and unique craft beers. Crux aims to establish a long-term lease agreement to ensure the sustained presence of their ic ..read more

Von Ebert Brewing will close its Pearl location to focus on brewery operations and opening of new N. Cook Street taproom At the end of April 2024, Von Ebert Brewing will close its NW Portland, OR Pearl district location to focus on its brewery operations and the opening of the new production brewery and taproom on N. Cook Street in the former Ecliptic Brewing mothership. Employees from the closing location have been offered jobs at the other taprooms and restaurants.   “For six years, Von Ebert Brewing called the Pearl home, brewing many award-winning beers there. It’s with a heavy heart ..read more

Oregon, and especially Bend, OR breweries, did exceptionally well at the 2024 World Beer Cup taking home 29 medals The prestigious World Beer Cup awards were announced at The Venetian Las Vegas on April 24th, 2024. The Brewers Association developed the World Beer Cup Competition in 1996 to celebrate the art and science of brewing internationally. Unlike the other big BA beer competition the Great American Beer Festival, the World Beer Cup awards beers from across the world not just in the U.S., with an international set of judges at what is referred to as “The Olympics of Beer Competitions ..read more

When Michigan’s Blake’s Hard Cider purchased Bend, Oregon’s Avid Cider (formerly Atlas Cider) in 2022 it seemed inevitable we would see Blake’s ciders in Oregon at some point. It’s taken a few years, but that projection is becoming a reality as Blake’s Hard Cider is now producing their best-selling lineup of sweet fruit-forward flavors in Bend and launching them across the pacific northwest for the first time. And with the November 2023 acquisition of Austin Eastciders into the family of brands along with Blake’s and Avid, we will likely see that Texas based brand also land in the pacific no ..read more

There is a new single-fruit varietal highlighting mini-beer festival in Portland, as this Saturday for 4/20, Imperial Bottle Shop & Taproom will host The Pineapple Express Pineapple Beer Fest inspired by New Zealand’s favorite fruit. The lineup includes 10 beers and 1 cider, gathered together for and by local Kiwi and beer aficionado John Lovegrove for his 50th birthday celebration. Check out our 2020 feature on the rise in popularity of tropical fruit in beers, specifically pineapple. Starting at high noon, expect a tropical paradise of pineapple-infused flavors on tap at Imperial for a ..read more

Andrew and Holly Muckerman There is a fun new Eugene, Oregon experience called PLAY, from friends of The New School and industry veteran Holly Emery-Walen Muckerman and her husband Andrew. Part beer hall, part family and adult game center, with curated food trucks, an extensive taplist, and a 21+ lounge with a full bar, PLAY is the new place to play in central Eugene. Adults activity bars are already a popular business model as proven by places like the Birdie Time Pub in Portland, or the Flatstick Pub chain all over Washington state. The difference with Play, is the incorporation of both ph ..read more

Jobs, on-premise sales, and the number of operating craft breweries continue to grow Small and independent craft brewers trade group the Brewers Association announced their 2023 market report revealing the Top 50 Brewing Companies in the United States. Based on the 2023 annual production figures from American craft brewers, the Brewers Association report offered somewhat positive news that somewhat dispels or atleast softens the overall dim outlook that national media has cast over the craft beer industry as a whole over the last few years. According to the Brewers Association and their chie ..read more