6A | SATURDAY, JULY 13, 2019 | SIUSLAW NEWS
BREW from page 1A
past few years in response to
the explosion of interest in craft
brewing. Market studies have
been initiated to determine the
costs and the potential return
on a brewing establishment
for Florence. However, in each
case, the numbers just don’t add
up to support a locally owned
and operated full-scale brewing
establishment.
The trend in Portland and
Eugene, which both have a
thriving beer culture, is to offer
customers a selection of differ-
ent venues and experiences in
which to enjoy a beer. These
brewpubs range from high-tech
establishments with state-of-
the art video screens and sports
packages to more basic presen-
tations based on the industrial
production roots of the beer
making process.
Unfortunately for beer drink-
ers in Florence, while there are
many craft beers available at
local restaurants and bars, these
establishments are not interest-
ed in producing beer — only in
selling it. The result of which
has led to no brewpubs current-
ly operating in the area.
There is one location howev-
er, The Beachcomber Pub, that
has fully embraced the beer
culture, offering the public 22
different draft beers to choose
from, as well as a wide variety
of bottled beers.
Scott Waiss is the owner of
the Beachcomber and his pas-
sion for the process of creating
and sharing beer with his cus-
tomers is apparent immediately
when asked to discuss the ever-
changing craft beer business.
“I’ve been involved and
around the beer business my
entire life. My father was part
of the beer business with the
Olympia Brewing Company.
As an adult, I was involved in
the wholesale beer and wine
business until I bought the
Beachcomber 15 years ago. So,
I have been involved in numer-
ous aspects of the industry my
entire life and I’ve seen a lot of
changes and twists and turns
in the business over the years,”
Waiss said. “Back in the ear-
ly ‘80s, there was talk that we
would be down to six or eight
breweries in the United States,
because the smaller, regional
breweries had continued to go
out of business.”
That scenario did not play
out as many in the industry had
expected for one simple reason:
The major breweries forgot to
listen to their customers and
the rise of craft brews began.
“The biggest reason for the
change was that large breweries
were not receptive to the con-
sumers and they were not pro-
viding the choices consumers
were looking for,” Waiss said.
“The light beers were all the big
brewers were giving people. For
a while, imports took off and
that really sparked consumer
interest in other styles of beer
— and you could see the con-
sumer was looking for some-
thing different.”
At the Beachcomber, there
are large electronic beer menus
at both ends of the bar that de-
scribe in detail the flavor quali-
ties and alcohol content of each
offering. These descriptions
read more like the information
often provided on the label of a
wine bottle.
There are also knowledge-
able staff at the pub that have
studied the brewing process
and can share their insights
and opinions on the craft brews
currently available. This focus
on understanding the under-
lying basics of the ingredients
and the proper timing needed
to make great beer are just some
of the topics discussed regularly
by Waiss and a small contingent
of local homebrewers.
These beer aficionados have
been working towards open-
ing some type of craft brewing
establishment for more than a
decade.
Don Patton is the “dean” of
the group, having worked pro-
fessionally as a brewer, and he
believes the current surge in
craft beer production and con-
sumption can be directly traced
to one man: Jimmy Carter.
“I started home brewing
in 1974, before Jimmy Carter
changed the law allowing peo-
ple to brew as much as they
wanted to brew at home. I
think the basis of craft brewing
started with those homebrew-
ers,” Patton said. “After Jimmy
Carter, what developed was a
whole level of people that were
making some really good beer
and they thought to themselves,
‘Maybe I should start a brew-
pub?’ So, this really came out
of the culture of homebrewing
and just started to grow across
the United States.”
Patton is now retired but one
of his favorite jobs during his
working years was, of course,
beer related.
“I started 25 years ago this
weekend working at Broadway
Brewing in Denver, Colorado.
We were a production brewery
and we produced about 20,000
barrels a year. … If you look at
the way brewing and brewpubs
are going these days, the ones
that are doing well are localized
and they have a strong local
base of customers that support
that brewpub,” Patton said.
“What is really saving craft
brewing in the United States is
we have enough local breweries
that people can go there and get
a beer that was brewed there.”
The call for a local brewpub
is one that Waiss and Patton
have been a part of over the
years, but the business-savvy
Waiss insists there are many
challenges and the expectation
of success is uneven at best.
“Our group has looked into
a brewery in a couple of differ-
ent ways — small to medium,
in a handful of locations and,
unfortunately at this time, it
just doesn’t make good finan-
cial sense,” Waiss said. “It’s easy
for everyone to say ‘our town
needs a brewpub,’ and I agree
that a brewpub would be awe-
some here. But for those of us
that have actually sat down and
written a business plan, it’s a
very expensive venture. And
yes, people will come, but will
they come to it in large enough
numbers to make it profitable
after the initial extraordinary
costs?”
The popularity of craft beers
has led to a significant increase
in the number of individuals
employed by the brewing in-
dustry nationally, rising from
just under 28,000 in 2001, to
more than 69,000 in 2017.
The Oregon Brewer’s Guild
reports that 31,000 Oregonians
are employed either directly
or indirectly by the brewing
industry and more than 9,000
people are employed in brew-
ing establishments.
According to Oregon Craft
Brewers Association data from
2018, there are currently 275
breweries in the state, operat-
ed by 225 different companies.
Nearly 2 million barrels of craft
beer were produced by these
companies, with 19,000,000
people visiting Oregon brewer-
ies last year.
Local beer aficionados have
seen a number of attempts,
in addition to those made by
Waiss and Patton, to start a full
scale, multi-variety brewhouse
in the Florence area over the
past decade, but for various rea-
sons none of these efforts have
been successful.
The Florence Urban Re-
newal Agency (FURA) re-
cently received a report from
Florence City Manager Erin
Reynolds updating the agency
on an exploratory study con-
ducted by a group of inves-
tors to determine the viability
of building and operating a
brewery in town. This study
suggested failure at this time
and the group indicated they
would not be pursuing the
idea further.
Another major change in
the industry is due in part to
the explosion of styles of beers
available that are now being
paired with food.
“In the past people looked
at wine as the beveridge you
had with food. But now I think
beer lovers have spoken, and
they say beer and food go well
together,” Waiss said. “I think
that’s because the beer of yes-
terday that was light and re-
freshing didn’t always go well
with hearty foods. But today,
we have such a variety of styles
of beer, we have a lot of choic-
es that we can pair with savory
foods or spicy foods.”
While the trend of pairing a
specific beer with a particular
dish is on the rise, so is the de-
sire of the customer to explore
styles of beer rather than a sin-
gle beer from a single brewery.
“When I bought this busi-
ness 15 years ago, 25 percent
of our sales were craft beers
and 75 percent were domes-
tic beers like Coors, Bud and
Miller,” Waiss said. “Today, we
are at 18 percent domestic and
the rest is craft beer. There will
be a customer that comes in
now and he will want to drink a
double IPA, as an example, and
he may not always drink the
same double IPA, but he comes
in looking for a double IPA. …
And there are other customers
that are going to want to move
around and try new things all
the time.”
One way that Waiss has
found to become more involved
in the actual process of brewing
beer is a unique approach to
collaboration.
“What we decided to do
is go to a variety of different
breweries and brew a beer
with their brewers. That way,
we can sell a beer that we had
a hand in designing and devel-
oping that beer exclusively for
our customers,” he said.
Humans have been drink-
ing beer for at least 13,000
years, with the earliest archeo-
logical evidence of fermenting
grains found in the Carmel
Mountains near Haifa, Israel,
dating from that time period.
The continued interest in the
fermentation of grains to pro-
duce alcohol is unlikely to end
anytime soon.
When discussing the future
of the beer business in Flor-
ence and the possibility of a
brewpub opening here, Waiss
offers some advice for poten-
tial owners and investors.
“Will Florence ever have a
brewpub? Probably, but it is
going to take someone to de-
velop a business plan that fits
the area we are in,” he said.
“So, we may not get a lavish
brewpub with lots of bells and
whistles. It may have to be
toned down a bit to be able to
fit our demographics.”
What’s happening in the Siuslaw region
July 13
Woahink Lake Association
Picnic in the Park
Annual Meeting and Barbecue
1 p.m.; open to public
Bring sides and desserts
Honeyman Group Meeting Hall Yurt
2nd Saturday Gallery Tour
3 to 5 p.m.; Open to public
Various locations around Florence
2ndSaturdayGalleryTour.com
Clay, Play & Sip with Carol
Mast
3 to 6 p.m.
Tickets required; 541-271-2485
Mindpower Gallery, 417 Fir Ave.
July 14
“Life and Songs of Woody
Guthrie: American
Balladeer”
Free Concert hosted by Adam Miller
and Siuslaw Public Library
2 to 3:30 p.m.; open to public
Siuslaw Public Library, 1460 Ninth St.
3 to 6 p.m.; open to public
Intersection of Bay and Kingwood
streets in Historic Old Town Florence
Siuslaw Diabetes/
Prediabetes Support
Group
Will not meet in July or August
Frank Huang Classical Solo For more info, call 541-902-6059
Piano Concert
Disabled American
Kathy Parson’s House Concert Series
Veterans Meeting
3 to 5 p.m.; reservations required
5 p.m.; Open to area veterans
RSVP to kathypiano@gmail.com for
Florence DAV Hall, 1715 21st St.
details
July 15
Florence Parent Coffee &
Chat
Hosted by Families Connected:
Families Network
9 to 10:30 a.m.; open to parents of
children with special needs
River Roasters, 1240 Bay St.
Florence Newcomers’
Dinner
5 to 8 p.m. Every third Tuesday
No-host dinner open to community
members and newcomers
Homegrown Public House
RSVP to 541-590-3944
Mapleton Lions Club
Breakfast
Siuslaw Chapter of the
Pancakes, Eggs, Ham and/or Sausage,
American Rhododendron
OJ 7:30 to 10:30 a.m.
“The Bikes of Wrath”
Society
Cost $7 for adults, $4 Kids
Documentary + Q&A
6:30 p.m.; open to public
Mapleton Lions Club, 88148
6:30 p.m.; tickets required
Riverview Ave.
City Lights Cinemas, 1930 Highway 101 Presbyterian Church of The Siuslaw,
3996 Highway 101
“Remembering Leah”
July 16
July 17
Benefit Performance with
Us TOO Florence Prostate
Nyah Vollmar
New York Dog Film
Cancer Support Group II
With guest performers Jason Wood,
Festival
With Dr. Roger McKimmy
William Owens and Jonah Vollmar
Sponsored by City Lights and Oregon
Noon to 1 p.m.; Open to public
2 p.m.; open to public
Coast Humane Society
Ichiban Restaurant
Donations accepted for the Friends of
6 p.m.; tickets required
541-999-4239
the Florence Events Center Leah
City Lights Cinemas, 1930 Highway 101
Goodwin Memorial Fund
Florence Farmers Market
Florence Events Center
Wellness Wednesday
From May 14 to Oct. 15
Hosted by Beauty By Delivery
Wellness Spa and The Mustard Seed
6 to 7:30 p.m.; registration required
The Mustard Seed, 509 Kingwood St.
Siuslaw Genealogical
Society Meeting
7 p.m.; open to public
Siuslaw Public Library
July 18
Pacific Dunes Shrine Club
Luncheon
11:30 a.m.; contact 541-997-3728
Chen’s Family Restaurant, 3630
Highway 101
Summer Reading All-Ages
Movie Matinee
Every Thursday in July
2 to 4 p.m.; open to public
Siuslaw Public Library District
Berkshire Hathaway Hosts
Business After Hours
5 to 6:30 p.m.; open to public
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
Northwest Florence, 1875 Highway
101
Siuslaw Talespinners
Toastmasters
5:30 to 6:30 p.m.; Open to public
Port of Siuslaw Office
Labor Singer George
Mann Concert
7 p.m.; open to public
Siuslaw Public Library
Coastal Writers Meet
7 to 9 p.m.; open to writers
Shorewood Residences meeting
room, 1451 Spruce St.
July 19
Florence Senior Center
Lunch Fundraiser
Soup, egg salad sandwich and more
for $5
11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. | open to all
ages
Florence Senior Center
City of Florence
Community Block Party
Featuring 5 Guys Named Moe
5:30 to 10 p.m.; open to all
On Bay Street in Historic Old Town
Florence
Florence Events Center
New York Dog Film
Festival
Sponsored by City Lights and Oregon
Coast Humane Society
11 a.m.; tickets required
City Lights Cinemas, 1930 Highway
101
Apollo Moon Landing 50th
Anniversary with Jeff
Phillips
1 to 2 p.m.; open to public
Siuslaw Public Library
Summer Bingo at Ada
Grange
Kitchen opens at noon; bingo starts
at 1 p.m.
Contact Nancy Flatley at 541-997-
2380
Ada Grange, 10 miles out Canary
Road
“Legends in Concert: Sir
Elton John” Starring
Jeffrey Allen
8 to 11 p.m.; tickets required
Three Rivers Casino Resort, 5647 Van Fans Ice Cream Social
Fundraiser for Friends of Florence
Highway 126
1 to 3 p.m.; open to public
Florence Events Center
July 20
9th annual Power of
Florence
8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; open to people and
organizations to volunteer
Begins at City of Florence
Sand Master Jam 2019
2 to 5 p.m.; open to public to watch
or participate
Sand Master Park
Oregon Cavy Breeders
Society’s annual Cavy
Show
9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; open to public
Paint and Sip with
Karylynn Keppol
5:15 to 8:30 p.m.
Tickets required; 541-271-2485
Mindpower Gallery, 417 Fir Ave.
A Weekly Listing of Community Events in the Florence Area
Submit all events information to PressReleases@TheSiuslawNews.com
Alva Bracey
MODEL TRAIN
ENTHUSIASTS
Broker
Your goals are my
top priority.
Let’s get together!
Over
ars
50 Ye ce!
rien
Expe
Call, Text or Email
Cell: 541-505-1180
Alva@CBCoast.com
CALL ME TO BUY, SELL OR TRADE!
I’M LOCATED HERE IN FLORENCE.
541-255-9822 - Larry
541-997-7777
100 Hwy. 101,
Florence, OR
landl316@live.com
COAST REAL ESTATE
Prostate Cancer Education
Support on the Oregon Coast
www.ustooflorence.org
• Tuesday Evening Group (2nd Tuesday)
5-7 p.m. - Ichiban Chinese/Japanese Restaurant
• Urologist Dr. Bryan Mehlhaff attends.
• Tuesday Lunch Group (3rd Tuesday)
12 noon – 1:00 p.m. – Ichiban Chinese/Japanese
Restaurant
• Urologist Dr. Roger McKimmy attends.
Contact Bob for more information:
(H) 541-997-6626 • (C) 541-999-4239
maribob@oregonfast.net
CUSTOM ENGRAVING
& CUTTING
Awards • Plaques • Name Badges
Gifts • Signage • Glassware
541-997-5691
541-361-9080
jmirvis@charter.net
Florence, Oregon
Since 1983
Us TOO Florence
County Transfer & Recycling
CTR provides solid waste
collection and recycling services
for both residential and
commercial customers in Florence,
Mapleton, Dunes City, Westlake
and Ten Mile Areas.
We offer big company support
and local company service.
For more information on how we
can serve you call us at
541-997-8233
Adopt a Flag today
LES SCHWAB TIRE CENTERS
Tires • Brakes • Shocks
Alignments
(on existing route)
Insect & Pest Removal
4325 Highway 101
Florence, OR 97439
541-997-7178
Trapping • Mole/Gopher
Dead Animal Removal • Honey Bee Removal
Crawl Space Cleaning • Exclusion Work
Fumigation of Antiques and Commodities.
(541) 997-4027
ESTATE JEWELRY AND
ANTIQUE FURNITURE!!!
Village
Grooming
Quality grooming
with a gentle touch
1379 B Rhododendron Dr.
541-305-5411
Signup today and
your annual fee of $30.00
carries over until October 2020!
Online: FlorenceKiwanis.org
Auto, Home, Life, Business
Flood, Antique Auto, RV’s
Medicare Advantage Plans
Medicare Supplements
Health Insurance
Phone (541) 997-9497
1234 Rhododendron Dr / Florence
We buy, sell and consign quality
estate/heirloom jewelry & furniture.
Gold, silver, platinum jewelry with
precious & semi precious stones.
Call 541-997-8104,
Florence Antiques
&
Coast Jewelers
