Like the tributaries for Oregon's many great rivers, the paths connecting brewers and conservationists to a mutual mission of watershed advocacy began at different places but ultimately joined together to become a great force. Over the years, the pairing of environmentalism and craft beer has become more commonplace, but this non-traditional partnership has its roots here in the Pacific Northwest.
Not long after our friends at Washington Wild launched their Brewshed® Alliance, an Oregon coalition was already growing. Seven charter brewery partners signed their names onto an initiative centered on education and outreach to the Oregon craft beer community about the importance of protecting our watersheds and public lands. Since this humble beginning, 50 more businesses have joined as partners to support the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance mission and Oregon Wild's conservation work!
This past spring, we celebrated with two of our annual Brewshed Brewfests. Our second annual Eugene-area Brewshed Brewfest with Claim 52 Brewing and 14 total brewery partners brought 150 attendees to the Sprout! Marketplace in Springfield to support conservation and enjoy
beer and cider. In May, our third annual Oregon Brewshed Brewfest at McMenamins Kennedy School (generously sponsored by The Caputo Group and Crosby Hop Farm) hosted 39 partners and over 300 attendees. Collectively, both fests raised over $8,000 in support of Oregon Wild's conservation efforts! Thank you to all who made this possible through your donations, contributions, and attendance!
This year's Portland-area Brewfest also featured a Wild & Scenic Rivers collaboration challenge, with 10 partners pairing up to create unique beers and ciders inspired by our Wild & Scenic Waterways. All three of the 2018 Brewshed Best winners (voted on by attendees) were Wild & Scenic beers:
- 1st Place – Coalition Brewing and Royale Brewing for their Marion Spring Pale (inspired by Marion County watersheds)
- 2nd Place – Hopworks Urban Brewery and Crosby Hop Farm for their Rainy Falls River Beer (inspired by one of the first Wild & Scenic Rivers - the Rogue!)
- 3rd Place – Migration Brewing and Wolves & People Farmhouse Brewery for their Riverain Grisette (inspired by riparian areas)
Looking forward, the Oregon Brewshed Alliance will be engaging in deeper advocacy work, building a stronger voice to watershed protection statewide. From Brewshed to Brews hikes and workshops to lobby days, we're excited for the path ahead for the Alliance and the greater impact we can have to benefit forests, waters, public lands, and our local communities.
Want to get some hands-on experience protecting Oregon's watersheds? Join us and the Eugene-Springfield community for a Middle Fork Willamette River Cleanup with the Oregon Brewshed Alliance and
SOLVE on Saturday, September 29th! RSVP here today - family friendly, pre and post-cleanup refreshments provided.
Read more about Oregon Wild’s forest campaigns here.
Read more about Oregon Wild’s water campaigns here.
Cheers to clean water and great Oregon craft beer!
