Oregon Travel Council | Page 8

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OREGON CRAFT BEER
The

history of craft beer in Oregon began when Ger-

Over the years, a new generation of craft brewers emerged.

man brewer Henry Saxer arrived in 1852. Upon tasting the

Oregon is now home to over 165 breweries, all of which offer

clear and untainted water from the mountains, he recognized

unique, individualistic beers that cater to every palate. Over

the potential for the growth of hops and barley, and started

200 outlets carry beer which is brewed in-state by Oregon

brewing. Soon after, fellow immigrant Henry Weinhard opened

breweries. •

a brewery in Portland, and for 50 years, Oregon residents enjoyed traditional German lagers.
It was not until 1980, when national food and drink were being processed and industrialized, that Oregon brewers recognized the demand for craft beer. Oregon’s first craft brewery
was opened, and in 1985, when the state legislature made
brewpubs legal, others were opened as well. A micro-boom in
microbreweries followed, and the first Oregon Brewers Festival in 1988 drew 15,000 people ready to sample 16 beers from

Oregon is home to over
165 breweries, all of
which offer unique,
individualistic beers that
cater to every palate.

13 different breweries. By 1990, with more craft breweries per
capita than any other city in the U.S., Portland became known

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as “America’s Microbrew Capital.”

OREGON TRAVEL AND RECREATION GUIDE