Top 10 Stories of 2022
It’s been an incredible year, full of highs and lows, recovery and failures, success and devastation, all of which were reflected in our top 10 most read articles of 2022. When looking back at the year, it’s strange to think some of this happened so recently, while others feel fresh on our minds. You may even find an undiscovered article, or create a new memory.
Counting down the Top 10 articles published on New School Beer + Cider in 2022:
Rest in Peace Oregon hop farmer, homebrewer, Austin Smith
#10 Oregon Hop Farmer with brewery in planning killed in St. Paul Barn Fire Explosion
Our top 10 most read articles on NewSchoolBeer.com for 2022 begins and ends with grim stories that nonetheless celebrate the lives of important figures in the industry we hold so dearly. Back in February I was doom scrolling social media when I came upon a news story about a volunteer firefighter tragically killed in an explosion in St. Paul, Oregon. The photo looked familiar, on deeper investigation we learned that hero was award-winning hop farmer Austin Smith. I had the pleasure to meet Austin once and made a video with him, and had talked off and on with him over years about his work as manager of St. Paul, Oregon’s B&D Farms, his passion for homebrewing, and his plans to open a brewery on the hop farm. Though we tragically lost Austin suddenly on an unexpected fire related explosion, many of his dreams and his impact are still coming to fruition.
#9 John’s Marketplace opening bottle shop and taproom in Beaverton
The New School exclusively reported that one of Oregon’s (and the country’s) best bottleshops, John’s Marketplace, would open their third location in the exploding Beaverton suburb in 2023. John’s is known for their beer hall/craft beer grocery store selection and layout and their burger pub in Multnomah Village and food truck pod and beer bar in SE Portland. With the upcoming Beaverton location they will drill down on the elements they think work best from both of their previous locations, as well as adding some new features.
#8 Acclaimed brewer Whitney Burnside and chef Doug Adams to open Grand Fir Brewing
We were delighted to have the scoop and break the news on our good friends Whitney Burnside and husband Doug Adams now open project Grand Fir Brewing. The quick turnaround from the closure of West Coast Grocery, to Whitney and Doug rebranding the space and bringing in their signature Texas-inspired eats and food friendly beers is already complete, now open, and currently enjoying massive popularity. But our original article goes deep on their backgrounds, how they merged their two creative visions, and what drove them to leave their other successful gigs to start a more risky operation on their own.
#7 SteepleJack Brewing Pizza & Beer Tavern coming to Hillsdale
SteepleJack had only been open about 6 months when we broke the news that a second location focusing on pizza was coming to the Hillsdale area of SW Portland. The Portland-based brewpub purchased the entire building that was formerly IBU Public House and turned the large property into a gorgeous family friendly pizza hall with private rooms, 3 levels of seating, and an outdoor patio with Tavern-style pizza and it is now open and doing great business.
#6 Oregon Beer Awards 2022 Winners
As an organizer of the Oregon Beer Awards behind-the-scenes we had the inside line on the making of this annual ceremony and a breakdown of all the winners of the most prestigious awards in the state. More than just a list of accolades, our recap is the only place to find opening sketch videos skewering the industry and beloved personalities, but also the hall of fame tribute video recognizing important luminaries.
This might have been the most shocking local brewery story of the year, when Astoria, Oregon’s Buoy Beer suddenly partially collapsed into the Columbia River. The cause of the accident still has not been confirmed publicly, but the brewery has announced that luckily no one was hurt in the collapse but the structure held the restaurant, small batch brewery, brite tanks, lager tanks, and canning line. Luckily, the main production and packaging was moving across the road to a larger expansion warehouse, and this has kept the company from completely shutting down. Along with contract brewing and a temporary new restaurant/taproom at the Astoria Food Hub, we are happy to report Buoy Beer is still chugging along, even though the longterm effects are still unknown.
#4 Most Anticipated Upcoming Oregon Breweries & Taprooms of 2022
A perennial favorite, the New School’s annual preview of the new Oregon breweries and satellite pubs that we are most looking forward to in the new year. Published every January, this inside look profiles and updates upcoming projects you may have heard of, and breaks the news on brand new breweries you have never heard of and can’t wait to try. We have been lucky enough to feature some now well known breweries like SteepleJack, Fracture Brewing, Ruse Brewing, and many others for the first time. When looking back at this preview from a year ago, most of those highlighted have opened, but there are always a few that become so delayed they spill into the following year and we are still eagerly awaiting. Stay tuned for our 2023 preview of our most anticipated openings coming next week.
Arguably the most shocking closure of the year, was the spectactular downfall of Modern Times when the empire began to crumble and the first dominoes fell with the sudden shuttering of the Portland, Oakland, Santa Barbara, and LA locations. It’s weird to think that this just happened earlier this year, as a new brewery called Living Haus already opened and is doing well in their former Portland location. The drama continued to unfold throughout the year with the company being acquired by Maui Brewing after months of back and forth. And the Modern Times former two level taproom in SE Portland with a rooftop on the opposite corner of the brewery is currently still available for lease….
#2 Queer/Women-of-Color owned TPK Brewing to be first tabletop roleplaying game brewery in Portland
Undoubtedly the most buzzed about brewery in Oregon that is still yet-to-open is the game-changing TPK Brewing coming to SE Portland in 2023. The New School was the first to report that PDX would be home to the first ever (that we know of) dedicated tabletop roleplaying game brewery, which will also be one of the very few breweries with queer and women-of-color ownership. Combining Dungeons & Dragons style tabletop roleplaying games with a customized storyline, carefully crafted characters and an original world, patrons will be welcomed into group or private gaming sessions, or just to come in for a pint and a new restaurant called HapaBarkada with Filipino and Hawaiian food. Like craft beer, tabletop gaming is inherently social and appeals to a devoted niche crowd, TPK Brewing will try to expand the fans of each, by welcoming in all walks of people and those underrepresented in both communities.
#1 In Memoriam of Ex Novo head brewer Ryan Buxton
Nothing was more difficult to cover this year than the story of Ex Novo Brewing head brewer Ryan Buxton who tragically took his own life in May, leaving behind two sons, a wife, more friends and family than even he knew. There is no way that we did Ryan’s story justice, but we tried our best, to give words to a person who touched the industry with his heart and passion for beer. Ryan’s story is complicated, heartbreaking, and triumphant. His legacy is secure, his loss certain to have long lasting implications on those that knew him and those who never met him. The craft beer industry is great, and flawed, and will never be the same.