Welcome to another installment of the Oregon Brewery Running Series Podcast; Inspiring Oregonians to Get Active, Have Fun, and Give Back. We host family-friendly, 5K fun runs that start and end at some of Oregon’s best breweries.
Today on the podcast, I sit down for a chat with John Frausto, one of the Pub Managers at Fort George Brewery in Astoria Oregon. In our conversation, John and I talk all about the ethos and culture of Fort George Brewery. As best I can tell, they’re really only about two things; the community and the beer. Everything else is secondary. We talk about what they’re doing to invest in the community of people at the brewery, which includes everyone from their team, residents of Astoria who frequent this fine establishment, as well as the thousands of tourists from all over the world who stop in for a beer. And of course anyone lucky enough to live in the radius where Fort George Beer is distributed. You might just learn a thing or two, so stick around.
Join us at Fort George Brewery in Astoria, Oregon!
A Brief History of Fort George Brewery
Fort George Brewery was started by Jack Harris and Chris Nemlowill and opened in March 2007. It is located in Astoria Oregon in the Fort George Building on Duane st, which was built in 1924 on the original settlement site of Fort Astoria. Fort Astoria was founded in 1811 and was the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. It’s in that pioneer spirit, of doing whatever it takes to survive, and relying on the community of people around you, that Fort George Brewery came of age.
John says that after Jack had worked for some other breweries, and Chris did several different jobs in town, and then
They went all in on starting a brewery here in town and they were digging trenches for the for the brewery. Downstairs they were you know making hotdogs on a little brick had earned a little barbecue on the downstairs to feed everyone
According to the Oregonian, in October 2009, Jack and Chris purchased the entire city block where the brewery sits. That includes the Fort George building and the Lovell Building, which used to be an auto dealership. This created a fantastic opportunity for the brewery to evolve into the community gathering space it aspired to be.
If you go to their home page, it says, “Fort George Brewery crafts original beers distributed only in the Pacific Northwest. Whether in cans or kegs, at our pub in Astoria or on your front porch, our beer brings people together in aromatic headiness and lupulin ecstasy.”
About Us
The Oregon Brewery Running Series is about inspiring Oregonians to Get Active, Have Fun, and Give Back. We host family-friendly, 5K fun runs that start and end at some of Oregon’s best breweries. Register for our next run here! Use promo code ‘FortGeorge5,’ and you’ll save $5 off your entry. Our theme music, the Oregon Song, is written and performed by James Hoffman.
