Portland’s Nano Brewing Scene is Thriving: 7 Breweries to Try
Originally published 9/15/2021:
If you read our recent article on Duality Brewing, you’ll know that there are exciting things happening in the Portland-area nano beer scene. To be fair, there have always been enterprising homebrewers who decide to up the ante by selling their beer in some form. But these days you can find an array of different models for bringing small batches of beer to the people as Portland’s nano scene is busier than ever. These range from homebrewers working out of their apartments and small operations at restaurants and pubs, to elaborate, professional-level operations in garages, and pretty much everything in between. In addition to Portland’s bustling beer scene that has seen a surprising number of new openings even in a pandemic year, small-time brewers are getting crafty both in the beers they are making and in how they get those beers to thirsty and curious sippers. Linking nearly all of these nano breweries is ambition and aspiration to grow operations, whether that is launching a brew pub or starting a full-fledged canning operation. All of this is possible because of the strong beer culture in the Northwest, with a tight-knit community and easy access to ingredient suppliers.
Knowing that they can be hard to find, we have profiled six nano breweries in the Portland area that are well worth seeking out. While this is by no means a complete list, each of these operations is taking a unique approach to the types of beers they are making and how they are getting those beers to the people. Obviously, the definition of a nano brewery is loose, but for the sake of this article, we define it as any operation brewing less than 250 barrels a year, that is working outside of a traditional pub or production facility.
Gateway Brewing
Joel Sheley has been brewing beer for close to three decades. Moving from home brewing to brewing school at the American Brewers Guild in Sacramento before landing at Nor’wester as a brewer, he eventually found his way to Widmer, where he worked for about fifteen years starting in the cellar and later into a production lead. It was at Widmer where he met his wife and future business partner, Karen, and together they started Gateway out of their garage in 2015 when the concept of a nano brewery was considered new. Launching with a 10 gallon all grain “home brew” setup, they quickly moved to a professional grade two bbl system and now work with a “nicro” five bbl system. Joel’s setup may be in his garage but it is more well-built and refined than many non-nano setups. Within the nano realm, Gateway is on the larger side but at this point it is still a small, one-man operation. This is reflected in the beers he brews, which run the gamut of styles, including experimental fare like a double IPA infused with gin botanicals to traditional brews like hefeweizen, to balanced and drinkable lagers. When he isn’t brewing his own beers, Joel also contract brews for other nanos around town.
Joel Sheley gives the rundown on Gateway…
Inspiration:
There were local breweries popping up around town, but there was nothing in the Gateway district. I grew up in this neighborhood and have lived here my whole life. Gateway Brewing was the first brewery in the Gateway/Parkrose area. To reflect our neighborhood roots, we name our beers after local landmarks: Exit 7 IPA, Parkrose Pilsner and Glendoveer Golden.
Why go nano:
Gateway Brewing is bigger than a nano brewery but smaller than a micro-brewery. We consider ourselves a neighborhood nicro brewery. I know that lots of breweries have started in a garage and that’s where our brewery is, too. But the first thing other brewers have said to me when they walk into our brewery is, “Wow!” We’ve been able to maximize the space and incorporate lots of equipment in a little over 700 square feet. We were able to set up a brewery in a very cost-effective way here. Plus, I’m always making improvements that have allowed us to improve processes and adapt to the COVID curveballs. For example, I was able to set up a canning operation quickly once the lockdown began in spring of 2020.
What beers they’re brewing:
Well, I guess you could call it Joel style, which doesn’t fit into an exact category. Basically, I brew what I want to drink. I don’t limit myself to any one style. At Gateway, we brew everything from ales to lagers, from light to dark, from barrel-aged to sours. Right now, I’m working on an American Lager and will be doing at least one fresh hop beer.
How to get their beer:
We are currently on tap at Spinella’s in Gresham, McGillacuddy’s, and Parwest Golf Shop in the Gateway area. We’ve had great support from bottle shops like Beer Bunker in Montavilla and 1856 in Sabin. Our Glendoveer Golden is available in cans at Glendoveer golf course in the proshop and on the hospitality cart. We also do home delivery of both draft and cans where people can order from our website: www.gatewaybrewingpdx.com
Plans for the future:
We are growing steadily even through the pandemic. We’d love to continue that measured growth in the months and years to come. Down the road, we’d love to explore the possibility of opening a brew pub if we could find partners that would make it feasible for our family. We don’t want to sacrifice too much of our family time for the family business. In the meantime, we are really happy to serve the Gateway neighborhood and the surrounding area with great, locally made beer.
War and Leisure Brewing
After moving to Portland in 2000, Warren Johnson immediately fell in love with the beer culture and it wasn’t long before he learned how to home brew and eventually joined the Green Dragon Brew Crew, a collective of volunteer brewers that produce unique, small batch beers using the nano system at the Green Dragon (now the Rogue Eastside Pub). Drawing his knowledge and inspiration from that experience, Warren built his own brewing setup in his garage in Northeast Portland using a small one-barrel, gas-fired brew system (“essentially a homebrew setup on steroids”) and a 2 bbl fermenter. The sparkling clean setup allows him to brew experimental batches as well as classic styles that he puts into kegs and crowlers, and he rarely brews the same beer twice. Recent beers sampled by this writer included a balanced and drinkable wheat beer similar to a light hef, a snappy Belgian pale, and a rich barrel-aged stout with huge body, chocolate roastiness, and just the right amount of bitter.
Warren Johnson gives the rundown on War and Leisure…
Inspiration:
There is an endless amount of outstanding beer available in Portland, but I wanted to really focus on hyper-local connections and building community. This is really a labor of love for me and a means to express myself through a creative outlet. I want people to feel connected to the beer that they drink and the people who make it. Good people make good beer…and beer can bring us together.
Why go nano:
At this point, I’m trying to establish a sustainable business model that allows me to be as creative as I want yet cover all my costs while I consider the future. This nano setup allows me to be completely hands on, experiment with new recipes, and doesn’t require much effort on part for distribution.
What beers they’re brewing:
I have a constantly changing lineup of one-off beers. I have made a couple repeat batches upon request, but I typically brew whatever excites me.
How to get their beer:
Our motto is “Look for it everywhere, but find it nowhere.” I have such small production that it is not always available. I usually have a different beer or two available for sale each month…but the retail locations change. These folks have been great supporters of War & Leisure beer and often carry my beer: Tacovore, Hollywood Theater, Rose City Book Pub, Raindrop Taphouse, and 13th Moon Gravity Well. In addition, I sell crowlers directly to consumers and I have an email notification list when new beers are available.
Plans for the future:
In the near-term, I'm hoping to sell pre-packaged crowlers at a farmers market at least once a month and may expand into smaller packing like 500ml bottles or 16oz cans. As for longer term plans, I’d eventually like to expand to a 5 bbl system and set up a tap room space at a different location.
Belica Brau Brewing
Belica Brau Brewing
Brewing out of Hillsboro’s Vertigo facility, Belica Brau is the brainchild of Dan Belica, who holds the lofty title of CEO, Brewmeister and head of Business Operations, and Joe Gledhill, President and head of National Sales and Distributions. Dan started home brewing in his kitchen in Chicago in 1993 and gradually worked his way up to an all grain 15-gallon false bottom gravity keg system. While in Chicago, thinking of future aspirations, he attended the Siebel Institute of Technology's World Brewing Academy in 2002. Fast forward to 2021 and the operation known as Belica Brau is producing a handful of styles, about six to twelve barrels per month, on unused capacity at Hillsboro’s Vertigo Brewing.
Dan Belica gives the rundown on Belica Brau…
Inspiration:
Numerous accolades, winning a few competitions, the repetitive fine tuning of those recipes and my partner Joe Gledhill's total confidence and ability to sell this product.
Why go nano:
Our investment model was to make them come (the clients) and then build it. There is so much more to the beer business than just beer. This was a safe way to install that confidence and learn the ropes without betting thy whole wad.
What beers they’re brewing:
I am strongly influenced by my European heritage in pursuing beers of solid malt profile. Our desire is to go back to drinkable refreshing beer styles that seemed to have been lost in the hop wars of recent times.
How to get their beer:
Our beer is currently served in some 25 establishments and growler stations within the Portland metro area and can be found by going to https://www.belicabrau.com/ and clicking on "Find out Where".
Plans for the future:
It was and still is our business plan (delayed by Covid) to build out our distribution utilizing our OLCC WMBW distributors license to sufficient levels to then support our own brewing facility.
Little Hop Brewing
Zak Cate started getting serious about homebrewing around 2010. By 2015 he knew he wanted to do it for a living but wasn't sure if he wanted to open his own brewery so he went through the PSU Business of Craft Brewing program. The experience gained there as well as his creative talents led to a gig with McMenamins running the Kalama Harbor Lodge brewery. The production experience was valuable and allowed Zak to learn more about the craft, including barrel aging and using a coolship for spontaneous fermentation. All along, Zak and his wife Lisa, co-owner of Little Hop, aspired to open their own brewery. The opportunity presented itself suddenly after Zak was laid off during the pandemic and in July 2020, they filed the LLC and the process to create Little Hop Brewing began. Now the dream has come to fruition and they have finally launched with a focus on farmhouse ales, lagers and whatever else can be conjured up using fresh local ingredients. Though Zak isn’t producing those lagers just yet, initial offerings have included an Oatmeal Pale Ale and a Farmhouse Honey ale with a nice sweetness and a touch of funk. Both of these beers impart a rustic simplicity and give a taste of what we can expect from Zak down the line.
Zak and Lisa Cate give the rundown on Little Hop…
Inspiration:
I really like making things and wanted to be my own boss, but this stage of LHB is really just a stepping stone for what is yet to come. We built our location from the ground up over the last several years and were able to have our hands in the entire development of our brewery, utilizing Zak's former skills as a carpenter and welder and Lisa's financial contributions and willingness to lend a hand.
Why go nano:
We own everything and we have no overhead, [but we’re] starting a business that doesn't make beer efficiently, meaning we can only make it in small batches, but has no debt or overhead is a huge help.
What beers they’re brewing:
Farmhouse ales and (soon) lagers using hyper local ingredients. Really, we would like to be making more lagers, but for maximizing the small system, ales are needed. Regardless if it be ale or lager, the proximity of ingredients is key. We use Mecca Grade Malt almost exclusively because of their proximity and Crosby Hops is thirty minutes down the road from us. Our honey comes from a beekeeper in Portland and we just harvested forty pounds of blackberries from two farms less than twenty miles away. Our spent grain goes to Zen Urban Farms, a local micro farm, to be composted.
How to get their beer:
As of now, we are doing online only orders with local delivery via a teal blue 1963 Dodge D100 that I have recently restored. We are trying to get into farmers markets and maybe some keg sales. People can follow us on Facebook or Instagram @littlehopbrewing or check out our website, www.littlehopbrewing.com.
Plans for the future:
Next steps would be to have a beer tap cart in a food cart pod and eventually the dream is a brick and mortar location with a disc golf course surrounding it.
13th Moon Brouwerij
If you have passed by the corner of 41st and Holgate in Southeast Portland recently, you may have noticed a flurry of activity. The gorgeous and historic building was once home to Ye Olde Town Crier, but as of late houses a coffee shop, mead bar, food carts, and the 13th Moon Gravity Well beer bar. This is where you can sample the goods from Ari Moss, the brewer behind 13th Moon Brouwerij, which is one of the more eclectic nano breweries in the Portland area. Ari caught the brewing bug with friend Darin Martin (Head Brewer of Unicorn Brewing) and was eventually the head brewer at Unicorn Brewing. He used his resources to brew historically-inspired beers and 13th Moon Brouwerij was born.
Ari Moss gives the rundown on 13th Moon…
Inspiration:
When I started brewing at 19, I would buy the ingredients at a homebrew shop in Olympia, WA from a family that had moved from Montana and had been brewing (father, daughter, son) for many years. The son became the head brewer of Dicks Brewing while I was of age and bringing my beers in for assessment. The fact of the matter is, I knew in my heart brewing and its practices were a love of physical and mental. Research, testing and improving. I knew brewing was my art, though until I saw my parents’ eyes go wide drinking my beer way too fast for people who previously did not drink, I wasn’t fully sure. The exact moment I decided I was to figure out how to open a brewery at all costs, I had just brought a few beers I had been working on diligently from the West Coast. The head brewer of Dicks Brewing and his family were impressed and saying I had something to add to the brewing community. However, after going around for a week with Brian Lawrence on private tours with the head brewers of five breweries in Philly, then drinking my beers next to the best beers in his cellar, I decided. I gingerly placed my glass down half slump in my chair in the a.m., looked at him and my people and exclaimed I would pursue this path and do what had been only previously suggested by others, and open up a brewery.
Why go nano:
This one’s easy! I have no money! The setup I am pursuing and the way I want to set up will cost me from one to two million. It is important to me to present the beer in the correct environments and glassware. These all greatly affect how the beer is received. This is why brewing, distributing and building the brand in a focused and more seasonal manner is the best and only path for 13th Moon Brouwerij.
What beers they’re brewing:
Rather than having a specific style (sours or milkshakes or ipas), the brewery concentrates on high quality, historically-inspired recipes following time-honored traditions from various brewing cultures. People would probably think of us for having more high alcohol beer styles, however, the first beer sold was 4.2% so I don’t really work within styles. We don’t sell any IPAs but you might see me make some unique and interesting hop-forward jawns. 13th Moon Brouwerij’s idea with brewing is that the industry for hundreds of years followed the trends of the drinker, guessing at it. We brew beer we believe you need to drink, most of these recipes have been worked on for over a decade. In the next year or two the idea is to have three year-round as well as four seasonal options.
How to get their beer:
13th Moon Gravity Well on 41st and Holgate in Southeast is the main place selling our beer. Right now, we have Barber Chair Stout on tap, which in keg is a one, two and three-month blended Russian Imperial Stout that has been keg conditioned, only used whole hops (instead of pellets) and was aged for a year and a half next to a barrel (barrel-aged adjacent, haha). I will be bottling three half barrels and releasing them with beautiful labels in the winter.
Plans for the future:
Soo sooo many!! 13th Moon Brouwerij would like to brew more consistently in town as well as collaborate with [other breweries] all over. The dream has always been to build up to a farm and barn brewery, and doing it in a sustainable and cyclical way. Lots of wild old styles to get into. Right now, the groundwork is being done so that when we do expand to a 15-barrel system, the beers won’t lose quality. For now, filling up more taps at 13th Moon Gravity Well, brewing more and distributing to incredible and unique places in town is the goal.
Entropy Brewing
Isaac Miller found his love for craft beer during a 2009 road trip after graduating from college. One fateful stop in Portland introduced him to beers from pioneers like Rogue, Deschutes and McMenamins, and when he got back to his home state of Ohio, he jumped headfirst into home brewing. Eventually Isaac made his way back to Portland and kept up his brewing before quietly starting Entropy Brewing. Working with a 10-gallon mash tun, Isaac can produce around 5 - 8 gallons of wort to ferment at a time while brewing in his apartment. His focus is on IPAs, big barrel-aged stouts and barleywines. Some of his latest offerings include a bourbon barrel-aged stout and an adjunct-laced version with coconut, vanilla and cocoa. These beers and his barleywine, with gorgeously detailed labeling, are the kind of beers that illicit trades. They are also ambitious for someone brewing in such a small space.
Isaac Miller gives the rundown on Entropy…
Inspiration:
I get a lot of satisfaction having people drink my beer and enjoy themselves. I like the idea of adding to that social aspect for people and providing a tasty beverage is a small but impactful way to do just that. I also enjoy the camaraderie that beer provides for people in the community and its ability to bring people together. A brewery acts as a great third space for people in their community. It’s also been a goal of mine to make a living off my passions.
Why go nano:
It gives me more flexibility and control over what I can brew and the overall quality of the beer. As a nano-brewer, it gives you a way to break in to the market and get your name out there while still being able to brew at a level you can afford and still keep your day job. It’s a good litmus test for brewers out there who are thinking of making the leap to professional to see if this is something they truly want to do.
What beers they’re brewing:
I wouldn’t say that Entropy is only going to specialize in certain styles of beer but there are three beer styles I find myself making the most: IPAs, big barrel-aged stouts and barleywines, and lagers. I’ve always been a fan of hops and enjoy making hugely aromatic IPAs. Any IPA brewer is pretty much a kid in a candy store throughout the past couple of years with the vast amount of hop cultivars being released. I’ve been brewing mostly New England IPAs and IPAs that I call hybrid IPAs, which still retain those resinous flavors and drier finishes of West Coast IPAss but still retain some fruit flavor and the softer mouthfeel of New England IPAs. Barrel-aged stouts and barleywines are fun beers to make because [they are styles] you can throw the kitchen sink at and use a variety of different ingredients and techniques and get away with it. These beers are long-term projects and watching them develop over months and years is satisfying. Blending these beers at the end of barrel aging is a lot of fun and adding different adjuncts to emphasize different flavors from the barrel help to turn these beers up to eleven. Last but certainly not least are the lagers. Going along with my affinity towards hops, I’ve been focusing on the more hop-forward Italian Pilsners and German Pilsners. The fermentation character left behind by most lager strains doesn’t play well with a lot of hops so it’s a fun challenge to figure out what works.
How to get their beer:
Through my Instagram account @entropy_brewing. I’m mainly doing giveaways on bottles and growlers through Instagram at this point.
Plans for the future:
The ultimate goal of mine is to have a brick and mortar location, but this is several years out. I’m currently in search of partners and investors to make this a reality. My more short-term plan is to find a bigger space where I can upgrade to a 1 - 2 bbl system. When this happens, I’ll pursue a brewers license and most likely can, bottle and keg my beer and self-distribute or possibly start a membership program.
Integrity Brewing
Jeff Maynard was an avid homebrewer who started brewing with his like-minded neighbor, Andrew, before they both quickly realized that they were making “phenomenal beers that could sell commercially.” Riding the wave of confidence, they decided to take a leap and in 2017 they established Integrity Brewing. They invested in a commercial brew system with the goal of producing consistent core recipes and establishing solid business processes. They started brewing on a 1BBL and in 2021 it became their pilot system when they scaled up their production through contract brewing that allows them to produce capacities from 3BBL to 60BBL.
Jeff Maynard gives the rundown on Integrity…
Inspiration:
Inspired by the truly great beers that I experienced on a trip to Germany, I started homebrewing and, as my passion grew, I got more active in homebrew clubs to collaborate and learn how to brew various styles. I knew then that I aspired to one day launch my own brewery.
Why go nano:
Nano is an ideal model for a licensed startup brewery requiring minimal investment and resources. We saw this as a logical first step to get established in the industry.
What beers they’re brewing:
We brew several traditional styles aiming to stay true to the origins (ie. Bavarian Hefeweizen, Bohemian Pilsner, Belgian Strong Blond Ale, American Brown Ale, Robust Porter). [Some] of our popular specialty beers are our Integrity Copper Ale and Raspberry DIPA (R2DIPA).
How to get their beer:
We have our beer on tap in over a dozen west-side tap houses mainly in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area. We recently started canning operations and will sell cans through tap houses, grocery stores, and direct to the consumers through our online store. People can find where our beer is available through the Integrity Brewing Tap Tracker at https://www.integrity-brewing.com/tap-tracker.
Plans for the future:
Although COVID caused us to pivot and halt plans for opening a brewery/pub in the summer of 2020, we achieved our 2021 roadmap of increasing production through contract brewing and increasing our sales channels through can sales. Our plans for 2022 are to open a brewery public house as our flagship location with long-term plans to open various tasting room locations in the region.
Want more nano? Check out these others…
