Located at 2730 NW 31st Ave., Portland Brewing Co. is in the industrial manufacturing area of Northwest Portland. Steps from Forest Park and the shops of the NW 23rd Ave, the brewery is a destination you’ll want to check out as part of your Portland craft beer education.

To be honest, I’d never been to Portland Brewing Co. before they agreed to host our first run of 2017. I’d see their beer around the city (in gas stations, Walgreen’s, grocery stores, etc.), but didn’t know much about them as a company.

In their official press release, they write,

“Celebrating 30 years of passionate brewing in the Rose City, Portland Brewing Co. looks ahead to a future of unwavering obsession over what our civilized world simply can’t live without: great beer. Founded in 1986, the brewery is one of Portland’s craft brewing pioneers and remains committed to the city for which it is named.”

Recently, I headed over to Portland Brewing Co. to chat with head brewer Ryan Pappe, to learn a bit more about this craft beer institution, as well as scope out the course, and sample the beer. Join us on January 7 for our first 5K fun run of 2017 at Portland Brewing Co., then sample their delicious beer for yourself!

A Brief History of Portland Brewing Co.

Portland Brewing Co. was originally located in the Pearl District. It was one of the first breweries in the city, along with Bridgeport, Widmer Brothers, and a few others.

Portland Brewing Co. has a bit of a complicated family tree. Founded in 1986 by Fred Bowman, Art Larrance, Jim Goodwin, and investor Robert Malcolm “Mac” MacTarnahan, Portland Brewing Co. has had a few name changes and numerous owners, yet remains committed to its Portland roots.

After falling on hard times in the late 90’s, MacTarnahan “purchased $3.5 million in debt in exchange for stock.” This is when the brewery began using MacTarnahan labeling. Then, in 2000, they merged with Saxer Brewing Company of Lake Oswego. Four years later, the 88 year old MacTarnahan sold the company to Pyramid Breweries in Seattle. “The Portland Brewing facility was renamed MacTarnahan’s Brewing Company, and continued its operation and product line.”

In 2008, Pyramid was acquired by Magic Hat Brewing, then bought by North American Breweries of Rochester, New York, and is now owned by a Costa Rican company, Florida Ice and Farm Co. In 2013, the brewery changed their name back to Portland Brewing Co., and the rest is history.

So, Who is Portland Brewing Co. Now?

When I sat down with Ryan Pappe, head brewer since 2008 at Portland Brewing Co., I asked him to tell me about the identity of the brewery. With so many beer lovers looking down on brewery acquisitions, I was curious how this plays out internally.

“It’s harder to talk about…at least we’re not owned by Budweiser!” He said jokingly. “For some people, in a lot of ways, we’ve sold out. People don’t really know who we are. We need to figure out what story we want to tell, but it’s cool to work someplace with so much history. Craft [beer] is pretty young.”

Most people identify breweries by their taprooms: the physical spaces, decor, food, etc. that they see when walking into a brewery. While not a bad assumption, it was interesting to learn how the tap room and brewery are separate.

“We’re really two separate companies, us and the taproom. It’s hard to say who we are exactly…we have this German aesthetic style in the brew pub, and a legacy through MacTarnahan of a Scottish heritage. In terms of how we define ourselves…I think we just try to make good beer! We’ve got an awesome group of 11 brewers who strive to make good beer. We’re more focused on the operations, and the [taproom] is focused on the hospitality.”

Other breweries we’ve talked to have a more distinct and deliberate style of beer they brew: Farmhouse, hop forward, or inspired by certain things in the environment. According to Pappe, Portland Brewing Co. doesn’t define itself based on one style. Because of their size (around 100,000 barrels in 2016), they don’t have the luxury of experimenting with as many smaller batch unique beers.

“We’re kind of just defined by the beer we make…there’s a lot of different styles, and we do them all well,” says Pappe. I love how the Portland beer scene is big enough to embrace all types of breweries: small and family-owned, niche-focused, and larger breweries that reach a larger audience. The people at Portland Brewing Co. (and Pyramid for that matter), are definitely committed to creating great beer, and a great beer drinking experience.

Join us on January 7

To visit this outpost of the Portland beer scene, join us on January 7, 2017, for our 5K fun run that starts and ends at Portland Brewing. Come for the run, and stay to same some of the many beers this brewery has to offer. We hope to see you there.

REGISTER NOW!