Oregon’s Oldest Breweries; A Brief History
Oregon is now known by some as the craft beer capital of the United States, if not the world. Oregon’s beer legacy didn’t start as early as those of the east coast, nor do we have anywhere near the oldest still operating breweries in the U.S. But as of 2025 there are 13 Oregon breweries that have been operating continuously for 30+ years. Each iconic in their own way, some of those breweries are the big names you know and others you may have never even heard of.
The first brewery in Oregon was the Portland Brewery and General Grocery Establishment that got started in 1854, despite unverifiable claims that Henry Saxer had opened his Liberty Brewery in 1852. According to Oregon State University’s Hops & Brewing Archives, by 1859 there were breweries in Jacksonville, Oregon City, Portland, and The Dalles. Unfortunately all of these early pioneers were short-lived besides Henry Weinhard’s. Saxer sold his Liberty Brewery to German immigrant Henry Weinhard in 1862, who then obtained the first liquor license in Portland to open what was originally titled the City Brewery. Weinhard died in 1904, and his company merged with the Portland Brewing Company in 1928 to become the Blitz–Weinhard Company. It was later bought by Miller Brewing Company, and the Henry Weinhard’s tavern sat on the historic brewery blocks in NW Portland before its parent company closed it in 1990. The Henry Weinhard’s brand lives on today with a 2022 revival of Henry Weinhard’s Private Reserve contract brewed at Hop Valley Brewing, Henry Weinhard’s Root Beer and Cream Soda, and the licensed Henry’s Taverns locations in the Portland International Airport and Denver, Colorado.
Workers at Henry Weinhard Brewery, circa 1910.
Oregon Historical Society / #OrHi 50626
Oregon’s big craft beer renaissance started in 2010 with atleast ten new breweries opening each year for the proceeding 5+ years. But experts and beer veterans know the first golden age of Oregon microbrews was in the 80’s after the landmark Oregon Brewpub Bill was passed in 1985 making it legal for breweries to own and operate restaurants. We have lost some of those original brewpubs with a few of the most iconic closing in just the last few years (Bridgeport Brewing ‘19, Portland Brewing ‘21, Cascade Brewing ‘24.) Too often in this industry we value perceived freshness and shiny newness, figuratively sending the older brands out to pasture before their times in the name of relevance. But relevance is subjective and can’t be measured by age or trends, and what is old often becomes new again.
Oregon’s 13 Oldest Operating Breweries:
1984 - Widmer Brothers Brewing
Brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer quit their corporate jobs to start a brewery. With a dairy tank turned mash tun, a shrimp cooker turned whirlpool, and a 1970 Datsun pickup for keg deliveries, Widmer Brothers opened April 2, 1984, in gritty industrial NW Portland that would later become the pearl district. Inspired by their Düsseldorf family history, the very first Widmer beer was a German-style Altbier. It did well, but was often considered a niche dark beer style even though it only had a mild amber hue. They followed that up with a filtered Weizenbier, but because their equipment was so rudimentary and techniques so unrefined, it would sometimes come out looking hazy and kegs were constantly being returned. The Dublin Pub on Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy was one of the brothers best accounts, and they were selling an unfiltered hefeweizen in bottles and suggested to the Widmer’s that they try holding back a few kegs of Weizenbier from the filter to create something similar on draft. In 1987 the Widmer Hefeweizen was an instant hit that would make the brewery famous, and set the standard for a new style of beer that would come to be known as American Wheat. Perhaps their most ingenious move was garnishing glasses of “Hefe” with a lemon slice, years before Coors’ Blue Moon brand would rip this off with garnishing a Belgian wheat with an orange slice. In 1990 Widmer moved to N. Portland, and built a 40-barrel brewing system at their still current homebase. In 1996 they opened the Widmer Gasthaus, a full German-style restauraunt at the brewery with their latest big upgrade to a state-of-the art 250-barrel brew house. In 2013 Widmer Brothers sold a minority 32% stake in the company to Anheuser-Busch, and in 2019 (A-B) purchased the entire Craft Brew Alliance which Widmer was apart of a long with RedHook Brewery and Kona Brewing. This angered beer fans and led to cutbacks which ultimately resulted in A-B offloading Widmer to Tilray Beverage in 2023. The founding Widmer Brothers are now retired, but the final chapter of Oregon’s ultimate legacy brewery has still not yet been written.
1985 - McMenamins Brewing
The McMenamins brothers had opened their first pub, the Barley Mill, in 1983, predating Widmer. But it wasn’t until after Senate Bill 813, known as the Oregon Brewpub Bill, passed, that they were allowed to open a brewery. The first of them was at McMenamins Hillsdale pub, a former Skippers Fish & Chips location that they outfitted with a brewhouse nicknamed “Captain Neon's Fermentation Chamber.” Their first beer was now defunct brew Hillsdale Ale, but it quickly ushered in a series of iconic beers still being made today; Terminator Stout first crafted in 1985, and Ruby Ale and Hammerhead in 1986. McMenamins opened the Mission Theater as the first theater pub in the state in 1987. Between 1989 and 1991 the McMenamins empire had began with the opening of atleast 8 locations including the Edgefield Brewery & Hotel and the Bagdad Theater. At last count, McMenamins operated 56 locations (46 in Oregon and 10 in Washington) and is probably the most influential brewpub business in the country.
1987 - Full Sail Brewing
Full Sail Brewing, originally called Hood River Brewing, opened in the old Diamond Fruit Cannery in 1987. Just 2 years into the biz, Full Sail was already an industry leader becoming employee-owned in July 1999 through a stock ownership plan with their 47 employees. Full Sail was the first brewery in Oregon to find success in bottling their beers, earlier attempts by Cartwright Brewing had failed at quality controls. The Full Sail Amber became their flagship and best-selling beer, and won a gold at the 1989 Great American Beer Festival. In 2005 Full Sail introduced Session lager, a contemporary pre-prohibition pilsner that became a best-seller as one of the first mass appealing packaged craft lagers not made by a macro brewer. In March of 2015 the company changed, when employees voted to sell to a San Francisco-based private equity group called Encore Consumer Capital. Full Sail still operates their original location and popular tasting room with a view of the Columbia River Gorge in downtown Hood River, Oregon.
1987 - Oregon Trail Brewing
The classic Oregon brewpub Oregon Trail Brewing is a Willamette Valley institution. Founded by Jerry and Nancy Shadomy inside of a vintage little shopping plaza called the Old World Center in old downtown Corvallis. The funky OTB brewhouse is a three story gravity fed system, that utilizes vintage brew kettles purchased from Hart Brewing (which became Pyramid Brewing). In 1993 OTB was purchased by hop broker and farmer Dave Wills, who made the brewery famous for one of the first bottled barrel-aged beers their Imperial Bourbon Barrel Porter. Over the years, OTB has been a training ground for young brewers coming out of Oregon State University’s fermentation sciences program. In 2021 J.D. Pickett, a former OTB brewer in his younger years, and his brother Waylon, became the new owners. They currently keep the classic beer recipes alive, and have refreshed the brewhouse and the onsite Old World Deli, as a popular venue for live music and locals.
1988 - Rogue Ales
The famed coastal Oregon brewery Rogue Ales was actually started in a southern Oregon basement in 1988. Nike, Inc. executives: Jack Joyce, Rob Strasser, and Bob Woodell. They were convinced to open a brewpub by Woddell’s accountan Jeff Schultz, who was into homebrewing as a hobby. Because the Rogue Ales brand is so closely associated to their homebase on the Oregon Coast, many don’t know that the original Rogue was a 60-seat pub next to the Lithia Creek in downtown Ashland, Oregon. The brewpub had a 10 barrel brew system that launched classic beers American Amber Ale, Oregon Golden Ale, and Shakespeare Stout. Rogue Ales moved to Newport, Oregon in 1989 and recruited brewmaster John Maier from Alaskan Brewing, who helped put the brewery on the map winning worldwide acclaim and a matching fanbase.
1988 - Deschutes Brewery
Like most long-running Oregon breweries, Deschutes Brewery was founded as a simple brewpub in the wake of the landmark 1985 Oregon brewpub bill. Gary Fish and his wife moved to Bend with the bright idea to get in on the ground floor of the nascent microbrew scene by opening up a restaurant and brewery in a struggling former timber town. Their first beer was Cascade Ale, a light beer that was cheap to make and easier to sell to locals who couldn’t believe there wasn’t Bud Light available. Bachelor Bitter was another of those initial brews, and it’s still on tap at the original pub today. The third beer is what really put the brewery on the map, created by original full-time Deschutes brewer John Harris, Black Butte Porter was created to dominate the dark beer category and quickly did so raking up a massive fanbase that made it the best-selling porter in the U.S. Mirror Pond pale ale was the next big hit, for decades every restaurant and pub kept Black Butte and Mirror Pond on tap as their only craft beer offerings. The brewery outgrew the brewpub, and eventually they settled on purchasing a piece of land across the river where the corporate headquarters and large scale brewing operations have been based since 2003. Deschutes released The Abyss in 2006, this oil black blended barrel-aged Imperial Stout proved to be a sleeper hit, by the time the second annual vintage was released it became one of the most sought after beers in the world. In 2008 Deschutes opened their Portland Public House, a popular Pearl District brewpub with it’s own showpiece brew house that has been a training ground for future brewmasters to hone their skills. Deschutes Brewing company has never sold out or partnered with another holdings company, to this day Gary Fish remains the controlling partner of what is now Oregon’s largest independent brewery and the 12th largest in the United States.
1991 - Steelhead Brewing / McKenzie Brewing
Cordy Jensen, opened the first major brewery in Eugene in 1991 with the original Steelhead Brewery restaurant in the downtown 5th Street Market corridor. The brewpub was an early hit, the restaurant a popular attraction, and the brewery helped kickoff long careers for young Brewers like Teri Fahrendorf who went on to found the Pink Boots Society, and Jamie Floyd who went on to co-found Ninkasi Brewing. Along with awards came popularity for the beers, when Jensen decided to ramp up production and begin bottling and distributing Steelhead beers in 2014 he was forced to change the beer brand name to McKenzie Brewing to avoid confusion with Mad River Brewing’s beer Steelhead Extra Pale. Jensen decided to retire in 2024 and sold the brand to the Urban Restaurant Group in summer of 2024, the same company that owns BRIX Tavern in Portland, Gordon Tavern, Carlita’s Rooftop, 86 Speakeasy in Eugene. The original Steelhead brewpub has been converted to a steakhouse, but the McKenzie Brewery lives on with a standalone tasting room that reopened fall of 2024 next to the original location.
1992 - Mt. Hood Brewing Co.
Not to be confused with the original pre-prohibition era Mt. Hood Brewing which operated in Portland from 1905 to 1913, the Government Camp-based Mt. Hood Brewing was founded in 1991 by R.L.K. and Company, the same owners as the famed Timberline Lodge since 1955. For more than three decades the Mt. Hood Brewing Co. has been a favorite destination for skiers, snowboarders, and outdoorsmen visiting Oregon's scenic Mt. Hood.
Mt. Hood Brewing released their first beers in 1992 from a new 10bbl brewhouse under original brewmaster Jon Graber. Mt. Hood Brewing flourished as one of the region's first best breweries that offered strong styles of the time like the flagship Ice Axe IPA, and smoky and bold Pittock Wee Heavy. Mt. Hood Brewing tap handles like Hogshead Oatmeal Stout were staples at the early Portland beer bars such as Horse Brass Pub and Produce Row, often they were the only craft beers available and prized among discerning beer nerds. Neither massive snow banks nor wildfires have stopped Mt. Hood Brewing from staying open, weathering changing tastes and modern styles to keep classic and timeless beers on tap.
2018 was a big year for Mt. Hood Brewing, their parent company, decided to refocus the brand on draft beer sold through their own establishments such as Timberline Lodge and a brand new Mt. Hood Brewing satellite taproom in Portland at the Tilikum Crossing. The brewery itself was also scaled up to double production, with a new buildout onto the existing brewpub where they added two fermentation tanks, brite beer tanks, dry and cold storage. Mt. Hood Tilikum Station is an intimate location near OMSI and the train tracks with part of the dining room inside of two converted rail cars. Tilikum has its own identity that stands out from the original pub in Government Camp, in Portland they sling Neapolitan-style pizza with NW grown wheat flour and dough that's fermented for 24 hours and cooked to char in a wood-fired oven. Both locations retain a devoted following to this day.
1993 - Golden Valley Brewing
Golden Valley Brewery was originally going to be a Portland brewpub on 2nd and Yamhill before husband/wife owners Peter and Celia Kircher lost the lease. Instead they moved the concept to McMinnville in the heart of wine country, where they had already established a vineyard in 1989. The Golden Valley Wine brand launched in 1992, one year before the brewery launched in ‘93 and became the 12th post-prohibition micro brewery in the state of Oregon. By ‘98 the Kircher’s sold the vineyard to Domaine Serene to focus on the brewpub. Golden Valley was famous for their black angus burgers and beef that was raised from their own 76-acre farm established by the Kircher’s in 2003, but that program ended in 2024. The brewery is most known for beers like Red Thistle ESB, and classic winter warmer TannenBomb, both beers used to be available in bottles across the state but now primarily from their two locations. In 2012 Golden Valley Brewing opened a Beaverton location, and expanded their brewhouse from 7bbls to 15bbls in 2015. By pulling back to their brewpub roots, Golden Valley has remained a staple of the valley and assured a long lifespan.
1994 - Lucky Labrador Brew Pub
The charmingly rustic, pubby, and dog friendly Lucky Lab pubs have been a fixture of Portland for 30 years since owners Gary Geist and Alex Stiles opened the first on SE Hawthorne Blvd. The industrial beer hall vibe of the ‘lab is heavy on wooden beams and tables, paintings of beloved pups, and a large covered patio. The simple concept of house brewed beers in mostly old school British and American style of ales, has proved popular in English-style pints with bowls of peanuts, and slices of pizza. They expanded in 2000 to a location in Multnomah Village, and in 2006 opened an even larger location in northwest Portland with a larger brewhouse partially powered by solar energy. Lucky Lab does not distribute their beers, and rarely bottles or cans, preferring to keep their product in-house and served at pubs which have a remarkable track record of success - over 30 years Lucky Lab has opened 4 locations and only closed 1. Lucky Lab’s secret sauce is low overhead and simple charms, pubs with counter service and small staffs before that became the norm over COVID. Also, Geist and Stiles own their buildings and cannot be forced out of leases, so Lucky Lab has been able to chart their own independent course from the very beginning.
1994 - Old Market Pub & Brewery
You could be forgiven for not knowing about Old Market Pub & Brewery, the brewpub keeps quiet to themselves in the SW Garden Home area of Portland that is a bit off the beaten path for most Portlanders. Their beers are kept in-house outside of the past appearances at the Oregon Brewers Festival. Founded by Andy Bigley and his wife Shelley Bigley, the brewpub was partially inspired by McMenamins breweries where Andy worked when he was younger. Old Market used to harbor designs on distributing their beers, but settled into brewpub life and being known more as a public house then for their beers. But the brewery has given brewers like Ruse Brewing co-founder Shaun Kalis, and Culmination Brewing founder Tomas Sluiter, their starts. In 2006, Old Market opened a second in the NE Portland Sullivan’s Gulch location near the Lloyd Center mall, and do well selling all their beer over meals at the two locations.
1994 - Cascade Lakes Brewing
Founded in Redmond, Oregon on a 4 barrel system by brothers Steve and Dave Gazeley, Cascade Lakes has been continuously reinvented over its 30 years. As one of the breweries to establish central Oregon as a brewing destination, Cascade Lakes has had immeasurable impact as a popular stop for visitors enjoying the outdoors. At one time the Cascade Lakes beers were staples on tap handles and in grocery stores, but over the course of ownership changes and the boom in competition has pulled back into primarily self-distributed packaged beers and contemporary pubs. The original owners sold it in 2008 to Rick Orazetti and Doug and Ron Kutella, who refreshed the brands look and beers and turned their west Bend pub into the flagship. Cascade Lakes was sold again in 2018 to the Rhine family, who brought on accomplished Deschutes Brewery brewmaster Ryan Schmiege to overhaul the beers. In early 2024 they closed the Bend brewpub in favor of a brand new purpose built restaurant and rooftop beer garden on the east side of town on Reed Market. Significantly, Cascade Lakes moved to a not-for-profit business model in 2023, this is not a formal tax-exempt status, but is instead a promise that the Rhine family will donate Cascade Lakes’s entire net profit to a wide range of causes in Central Oregon and beyond.
1995 - Bend Brewing
Bend, Oregon’s second oldest brewery was established by businessmen Dave Hill and Jerry Fox. Within a year, Fox had bought out Hill, and brought in his daughter Wendi Day from Seattle to run day-to-day operations making significant decisions and eventually taking on an ownership role. In 2002 Day hired Tonya Cornett as brewer, by 2005 Cornett had put their beers on the national platform by winning a GABF gold medal for HopHead Imperial IPA, and a silver the next year for Outback X. In 2008 Bend Brewing was crowned “Champion Brewery and Brewmaster award in the “Small Brewpub”” category at the international World Beer Cup. Cornett’s stamp of quality and innovation extended to Bend Brewing’s Ching Ching pomegranate sour which helped kickstart quick fruited sours in American craft beer. In 2011 Cornett left to take a R & D role with 10 Barrel Brewing. In 2015 Bend Brewing was sold to Packy and Leslie Deenihan, who have begun modernizing the brewpub with an overhaul of the space and opening a second production facility to keep up with demand. The brewery has consistently continued to win medals with many other great Brewers having stints at the kettle. Today Bend Brewing has a second location called “The Waypoint” and is known for their prime riverfront brewpub with large grassy hillside beer garden.
The next oldest breweries still operating in Oregon include:
1996 - Caldera Brewing
1996 - Pelican Brewing
1997 - Bill’s Brew Pub
1997 - Terminal Gravity Brewing
1993 / 2006 - Calapooia Brewing (formerly Oregon Trader Brewing)