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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1987)
B1R1EW )PtU)B fKCSH. LOCAL \ K mBm *k ! r 1 13 m m JM BE RSKSSaPW*"^' A Sign of Good Taste Microbreweries offer beer drinkers a quality quaff Many consider the Northwest interior to its eastern counterparts in culture and diversity But while Portland may lack the si/e and tradition of many hast Coast cities, it redeems itself with the quality of beer it produces. Portland boasts the home of three respected microbrcwcries. bringing a diverse selection of beers to the area From the traditional English-. Scottish- anti Irish brewed ales and stouts brewed at the Col umbia River Brewing Co and Portland Brewing Co to the top fermented. German-style altbiers made at the Widmir The Portland Cordage Building houses the Coluinhia Kiur Brewing Co., makers of BridgePori Ale. The building was con structed in IKK* (top left). The Bridgeport Brew Pub showcases the brewer) and ofTers its product on tap or to go (aboxe). A pitcher of Widmir Wei/en. a fine <>erman-st>le althier made at the Widinir Brewing Co., awaits a thirsty throat (top right). Head brew master Karl Widmir stands next to a fermentation tank at his brewery. Brewing Co., the city revels in the ancient practice. The West Coast, with its pure water, its internationally known Cascade hops and quality malting barley, provides the raw in gredients for the newly emerging sophisticated beer-drinking market and for for microbreweries, which are defined as breweries that produce less than 10.(XX) barrels of beer annually. The Northwest reflects, in part, a Euro pean attitude of high reverence toward quality, says Kurt Widmir. the head brewmaslcr for the Widmir Brewing Co. The number of high quality coffee shops, bakeries, wine shops and restaurants have increased in the last 10 years Likewise, the consumption of quality beer also has risen, he says “Oregon and the Northwest has been a very sophisticated market, and sales have always been very high in draft beer," he says. Portland’s consumption of draft beer is among the nation's highest at 20 to 25 percent. 10 times the consumption perccn tage of “the California bottle babies” who consume a mere 2 percent ol their beer on dratt. he says. The tough drunk driving laws are forcing people to be more responsible drinkers, Widmir says “Now if people are going to have only two or three beers, they are go ing to be really good beers." he says. Brewer Karl Ockert of the Columbia River Brewing Co agrees there has been a revival in the small, traditional brewing houses and pubs, noting most towns used to have their ow n brewery "We are rev iv mg something that is prevalent all over the world." he says Beer is big money in the United States In ldS5 alone. Americans drank 5.5 billion gallons ol what Seattle Post Intelligencer beer columnist Vince Cottonc calls "In dustrial Brew," mass produced, mass marketed beer "We really don't compete with the na tional advertisers I'm sure we get some Bud drinkers to the ranks." he says. Instead, competition comes from the Guiness and Becks drinkers who enjoy quality. Ockert says. “The American market is like Red China to us — it is just endless." The three Portland microbreweries com hmed produce three-quarters of I percent of the beer produced in Portland. Ockert and Widmir bring their own style and beliefs to the profession Both are soft spoken, articulate and patient; each reflect the pride of the beer's national origin Ockert. with a formal degree from the University of Califoria at Davis in fermen tation sciences, brings modern techniques to traditional brewing. In addition, Ockert toured English breweries to gather firsthand information about the craft. With his agricultural boots, jeans and plaid shirt, Ockert speaks highly of the brewery. Located in the former Portland Cordage Building built in 1KX6. the Coluni bia River Brewery operates independently of the Ponzi Vineyards and owner Dick Pon/i. allow ing Ockert the luxury of finan cial stability. The brewhouse and adjacent pub. com plete with exposed pipe, brick and brass decor and dart board, operate with a staff of II, an increase from last year’s stall ol three. I he largest of the three breweries. Col umbia River produces 5b() kegs a month, which is about X,5(X) gallons an amount less than one day 's beer production at a 111a jor brewery Producing near maximum output capacity, there is always a tempta lion to automate and increase output, he says, but it is the small si/e of the brewery that gives it a personal touch. Microbreweries' saving grace is ver satility, Ockert says. “We only have to sell lb kegs to make some money. This gives us variety never seen before in or out of the US" The company came out with its first pro duct, Bridgeport Ale. in November ldX4 Widmir on the other hand took a hobby of five years and made H into his proles sion A 1974 University graduate with a degree in psychology, Widmir traveled to Dusseldorf. West Germany, to learn about altbier, the German equivalent to the British ale. He returned with the knowledge ol a skilled German brew master. and more im portantly, the yeast of /um lurtge homebrew house to open a family brewery in April of 1985. He says he has learned more in six months of operation than a lifetime of studying and a halt completed master’s degree in the College of Business Administration. Sporting a leather apron, gold rimmed octagon glasses and gold watch. Widmcr talks about the operation as a lather talks about his son or daughter, a glass ot Weizen w heat beer in hand "When your entire life savings is in vested, you don't just get out of bed in the morning you spring out ol bed." Wid mir says The typical day requires about 12 hours work. Still Widmcr says he is satisfied, having reached near maximum capacity for the brewery. Kurt and his brother brother Rob. an Oregon State University alumnus, with the assistance ot their father Kay. have been churning out beer daily for better than two years. Widmir Brewery now has tour full time employees with part time assistance from Ray. The Portland Brewing Co., the most recently formed Portland microbrewery, began production m Pebruary ot I98h Like Columbia River, the brew house is visible from the pub, which sjmrts live |a// and blues plus local brewed Portland Ale and Grant’s Ale The process of making beer is relatively simple and requires three ingredients malted barley , hops and water I he brewer steeps crushed barley in hot water, produc ing a liquor base called wort The wort then is transferred into brew kettles and boiled, while brewers add hops. The boiling process sterilizes the wort before being cooled and screened They then .util yeast and I ran*, ter the beer to fermentation tanks before the beer is capped and placed in storage tanks The storage time lor the beers vary, from as little as si\ days for some ales to the more traditional 12 to 2b days tor the altbicrs and ales Because it is not pasteurized, the beer literally is alive as the yeast re mains dormant Temperature also is a large eon sideration I he light and pale ales should be served at 45 50 degrees with the more full bodied ales at 55-60 degrees The German altbicrs should be served at a temperature between 4H and 52 degrees there is no typical consumer lor microbrewed beer, (Xkcrt vtys, noting most consumers range from retired military servicemen who miss the flavor of good foreign beers to the upwardly mobile and (list those looking lor something new and local Wtdmir Brewery's biggest obstacle is public awareness, both m terms of Widmir as j product and specialty beers, Rob says The company distributes about 60 per cent of its beer and hopes to expand its Washington. Oregon and Idaho market into Montana and Colorado by the end of the year Story by Stanley Nelson Photos by John Giustina poppi/ CREEK T A V E R N A 675 E. 13th St. 343-0846 11:30 am to 10:30 pm DAILY CLOSED TUESDAYS university SUNNY SERVICE Foreign & Domestic Cars Specializing in Volvo and Volkswagen • Major & Minor Repairs • ASE Certified Technicians 1905 Agata St. • 344 0869 Just a tew blocks from campus on the corner ot Agate and 19th RESUMES Give your resume a professional look by having it lypesel al the Oregon Daily Emerald s lefSec Perfect Qrtphict located in Suite 300. EMU. or call 686 5511 PHOTO FINISHING • One Day Service • C41 | 'j;' • Lowest Prices Guaranteed YOGURT MILL nit I t IIMMI IHII/IS YtHUmt 2001 Franklin Blvd. FREE FROZEN YOQURT With purchase of any other rWire serving with coupon (Tiny Serving, value <'!><) Mr ■ sho accept coupons ottered hv »<he* yogurt votes Mot vaW with any other otter f»p»es V27I87 fCAUlfWIQ HOMEY HILL FARMS PTVXXXT^ DRINKING AND DRIVING CAN KILL A FRIENDSHIP Tape duplication instant cassette copies! Quality stereo or monaural duplication Check the prices today at your Bookstore i in p^okstore— BOOK VIEWS l.iU-rature Krvicw Strega by Andrew V«ichv» Allred kmipl. Srv* VocA 1*17 Inirwni t» I. Borrn Ifetective fiction fans who missed Andrew Vachss's lirst novel have .1 double treat in store with the ap pearance of StrvKii. Vachss is the most rei cut writer to send a detective down those mean streets first described by D.ishiell Hammett and Kay mond Chandler, and the for mula elements are all here in their latest forms a one name detective (liurke) with a knac k for meeting dangerous, exotic women: .1 mute Mongolian professional killer named Max: a criminal entrepreneur running .1 Chinese restaurant as a front (Mama Wong); Michelle, a transvestite pro stitute saving money for the $18.95 operation which will m<ikt* ■■lior" a transsexual prostitute; a street-wise con who speaks in doggerel verse (the Pro phet): .1 junkyard-dwelling. Nazi hating electronics wizard 11In* Mole): •md Hurke’s lap dog. a lethal. HO pound Neapolitan mastiff misnamed Pansy If this is not enough, there's the setting a New York City described in terms so sleazy you'll want to wash your hands after reading The villains in both novels are the i Inhl molesters and child per nog rap hers who have slithered into American ( ou st musness in recent years, and llurke is on a crusade If graphic, squalid, sexual descriptions offend you. you may not like these novels, but Vachss is not one to paint a pastel portrait of child por nography In .Strega, Vachss's fir.lion captures the repulsive reality ot a six iely devouring its children. 1310 » Kincaid MF r JOS 30 SAT 10 004 00 WUII
