Brewing a nation

Along the Oregon Coast, nestled around the Yaquina Bay, sits the picturesque town of Newport. Any time of year, you’ll find plenty of activities to do here, indoors and out. And plenty of fantastically fresh—very delicious—seafood to enjoy as well.

But with every great plate of Dungeness crab or mouthwatering wild caught halibut you’ll savor, you owe it to yourself to pair your dining experience with another favorite local item: an ale from Rogue.

Doing things a little differently than most, Rogue Ales & Spirits has built quite a name for itself, winning countless awards since 1988. I mean that literally. I couldn’t count them. Their giant ceiling mounted scroll of awards no longer keeps track of Rogue’s most recently acquired honors—their success and popularity are that strong. And growing. Just how did I come by this bit of knowledge? By taking a recent tour of this would-be rebel nation…

Micro

Microbrew is a word that first entered our language in the mid 1980s. Simply put, it’s a beer produced in limited amounts, focusing more on quality rather than quantity. But what really makes a particular microbrew special is a combination of unique ingredients that result in a one-of-a-kind flavor —something truly delicious when paired with food, or enjoyed by itself.

Walking the production floor with Aaron (our tour guide), we quickly picked up on Rogue’s wildly inventive approach to crafting its prize-winning microbrew recipes. And an even wilder approach to naming them—for example, Rogue Yellow Snow Pilsner. No joke. (And it took silver in last year’s World Beer Championship.)

Food… all their menus feature absolutely fantastic pub grub. Prior to our tour, we enjoyed a beer flight and a basket of Pub Pretzels & Dips. Yummy stuff! The mustard dip—spiked with Rogue IPA—was my favorite.

Macro

Looking at the bigger picture, Rogue has expanded to include three locations in Newport, three in Portland, one in Astoria (where it all began for them) and one “up north” in Issaquah, Washington. They distribute their craft brews to all 50 states and to 54 different countries. Their bottling machine fills 300 bottles per minute, which helps keep up with the demand for more…

In the mood for a shot of whiskey? Or maybe a shot of gin? Rogue expanded their production in 2003 to include their own varieties of whiskey and gin—award winning, of course. Most impressive.

But what really impressed me is this company’s commitment to the local community. Take, for example, Newport’s skate park. When the staff at Rogue learned that local skateboard aficionados were making due with an abandoned swimming pool, this local brewery sponsored a construction project to build a real skate park. City park officials joined the party, and now skateboarders have a pretty cool place to roll.

Since 1989, Rogue’s community involvement has become extensive and far reaching. Back in the day, encouraged by local prominent business woman “Mo” Niemi, Rogue feeds the local fishing employees year round, especially between fishing seasons.

Mo was also Rogue’s first landlord, agreeing to rent out a small inn and bar to the up-and-coming brewer, provided they 1) continue to care for the local fishing community, and 2) hang a photo of her choice in every one of their bars. Only after agreeing to her terms did they discover that her photo of choice featured Mo herself sitting naked in a bathtub…

Looking to their future, Rogue—in conjunction with Oregon State University—takes on summer interns, many of who become full time employees after graduation. Sales from their Hot Tub Scholarship Lager help fund the Jack Joyce Scholarship (named after Rogue’s founder), which in turn helps OSU Fermentation Science students manage the costs of their education.

Solo

Their own farms. Growing and harvesting everything from hops to honey, Rogue’s Oregon farms produce flavorful local ingredients for their beverage—and pub grub—items. Honey is a key ingredient in Rogue sodas. I enjoyed sampling their root beer during the tour so much, I ended up purchasing two bottles. And I don’t drink soda!

Their own cooper. Yes, Rogue makes their aging barrels onsite, using—you guessed it—their own Oregon wood. Rogue’s own Rolling Thunder, established 2015, produces all of the barrels used for their brews and spirits. Just another commitment to quality that truly sets them apart from other similar brewers.

It’s own nation… almost. No, really! They tried! But that story is best heard during the tour…

If ever you find yourself in this beautiful region known as the Oregon Coast, I recommend making the drive to Rogue. Unique in every way, their brews, spirits and food are worth experiencing. I’m very glad we did. Cheers! J 🍻🥨