In Portland alone, there are 30 breweries – more than any other city in the world, and elsewhere around the state, where the bigger microbreweries haven’t proliferated their pubs, there are plethora of tiny microbrews and neighborhood pubs that produce their offerings.
Needless to say, in Oregon there’s never a shortage of great beer no matter where you might find yourself in this Pacific Northwest state.
Oregon Brewers: Top Five Beer Producers in Oregon
According to the Oregon Brewers Guild, there are currently 63 brewing companies operating 88 brewing facilities in Oregon. Of the 63 brewing companies, 59 are members of the Oregon Brewers Guild.
The definition of a craft brewer according to the Guild is: “using all malted grains (and lots of them) to produce the brewing liquid. Craft beers are made to taste great using a blend of Old World traditions and Northwest interpretations of classic recipes.”
With so many great craft brewers in Oregon there a few that top the list. The following five Oregon-based breweries produce high-quality beer, have built brands and taste that have stood the test of time and are recognized internationally.
The best five craft beer brewers in Oregon include:
BridgePort Brewing
Based in Portland, Ore., BridgePort produces a variety of international style ales, including IPA. BridgePort’s ales are naturally conditioned in the bottle, keg, or cask from which they are served and never force carbonated. The natural conditioning creates ale that is smooth, naturally carbonated, and full of flavor.
BridgePort beers include India Pale Ale, Blue Heron, Ropewalk, Porter, Haymaker and Beertown Brown, among others.
BridgePort Ale House
3632 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Portland, OR 97214
503-233-6540
Deschutes Brewery
Deschutes Brewery, located in Bend, Ore has brewed handcrafted ales since 1988. Deschutes’ first beers were Black Butte Porter, Bachelor Bitter and Cascade Golden Ale.
Deschutes creates and experiments with specialty batches of limited beers like The Abyss and Hop Trip while brewing large quantities of Mirror Pond Pale Ale.
Deschutes Brewery’s beers include Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Obsidian Stout, Inversion IPA, Bachelor ESB, Cascade Ale, Buzzsaw Brown , Cinder Cone Red and seasonal beers.
Deschutes Brewery
901 SW Simpson
Bend OR 97702
541-385-8606
Full Sail Brewing Company
Based in Hood River, Ore., began brewing in 1987, it’s an employee-owned brewery on the banks of the Columbia River. Hand-crafted beers, it’s one of the few manual brew houses of its size in the country.
Full sail’s beers include an amber, IPA and Pale Ale, though the brewery also produces a brand called “Session," primarily a lager based on a early 20th century recipe.
Full Sail Brewing Company
506 Columbia St.
Hood River , OR 97031
541-386-2247
Rogue Ales
Rogue Ales, based in Newport, Ore., has been brewing since 1988, and is sold in all 50 States and in 21 countries. According to Rogue’s creed, it brews “handcrafted Ales, Porters, Stouts, Lagers and Spirits. “Over time Rogue has developed principles to guide what it considers to be a revolution in fermentation” known as the "Fundamental Agreement."
Brews include Dead Guy Ale, Shakespeare Stout, Mocha Porter, Kells Irish Lager, Chocolate Stout, dark rum whiskey, among others.
Rogue Ales
2320 OSU Drive
Newport, OR 97365
541-867-3660
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
Based in Portland, Ore., Widmer is most notably known for it’s internationally recognized, Widmer Hefeweizen, a wheat beer from the German culture. Two brothers formed this brewery, which has been brewing since 1984.
The beer offerings include Drop Top Amber Ale, the hefeweizen, pale ale and an IPA including some more adventurous seasonal beers.
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
929 N Russell
Portland, OR 97227
503-281-2437
Other Great Oregon Breweries
For a more complete directory of Oregon breweries, go to the Oregon Brewers Guild Web site.
For a great beer, go to Oregon.
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