More Oregon Breweries For Sale
In these troubling times it can be sink or swim, but with great hardship comes great opportunity. In the past year we have reported on 4 different Oregon breweries for sale (Klamath Basin, Modern Times PDX, Standing Stone Brewing, Lookingglass) and one in Vancouver, now we have two more to add to the list looking for potential suitors.
Portland U-Brew and Unicorn Brewing is a dual business model that comprises a homebrew supply shop and brew-your-own facility as well as an in-house nano brewery and taproom. Opened in southeast Portland’s sellwood neighborhood in 2011, U-Brew and Unicorn Brewing have some history, including making house brands and beers for local establishments such as Scout Beer. In 2017 U-Brew/Unicorn co-founder Jason Webb sold the business to homebrewer and career teacher Zach Vestal who left his day job to enter the beer industry. Vestal made improvements and investments in the business that were showing signs of progress before COVID-19 hit. Needless to say it’s been a rough few years, but U-Brew has powered through the pandemic and put the business back on track and primed for future success. But the enormous work load of saving and building a business back up has burnt him out and he is now hoping to get back to his family.
“The business is back on solid footing and has a bright future, but frankly, I'm spent,” says Vestal. “I will almost certainly go back to my teaching career.”
Zach Vestal had a buyer lined up for the business, but at the last minute one of the investors backed out. Now he is taking the search to the public in hopes of finding new owners for the turn-key business for only $150k. This is including the homebrew shop and it’s inventory, the pub/taproom, and the brewery itself with the total business about 4,000 square ft, with 2,000 of that being in the basement production space.
The brewhouse is designed for small batch brew-your-own beers, featuring six separate 20 gallon kettles and mash tuns, with a boiler and tankless hot water. There are nine 1.5bbl jacketed conical fermenters and a glycol chiller, 2 walk-in coolers, a keg washer, and approximately 100 kegs.
Not only is U-Brew a homebrew and commercial brewery, the Unicorn brew pub portion of the business rotates eight housemade draft beers and one cider. A small food menu of snacks and sandwiches is offered and outside food is always welcome. The corner location on Milwaukie Ave is a highly walkable area within the Sellwood Moreland community. Located three miles south of downtown Portland at 6237 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland, OR 97202.
Contact pdxubrew@gmail.com for more info.
Evasion Brewing might not be on every beer drinkers radar, but it is for celiacs and gluten intolerant folks who are devoted followers of this McMinnville, Oregon brewery. Like other modern 100% gluten-free dedicated breweries Evasion uses an alternative-grains approach, using millet, rice, buckwheat, and other low-gluten or gluten-free grains to create a beer that has a close - sometimes, nearly indistinguishable - resemblance as possible to conventional beers brewed with malted barley, wheat, rye, and other grains with gluten. They are proficient enough at this to have won a medal at Great American Beer Festival in 2019. But all good things come to an end.
“Today, we have a loyal following, a successful business, and a modest but respectable foothold in the national beer market,” wrote Evasion Brewing on their recent decision to seek new ownership. “It’s time to pass the business on to someone new. Someone with the passion to continue Evasion’s growth and legacy. Why? We are a small business with a small team, and we just don’t have the time we used to.”
Evasion Brewing is a family business, the father Craig Lapp has made the decision to retire, his son Erik Lapp just had a baby which will require more of his time, and Evan Lapp got married and is moving abroad. “Because of this we’ve decided to sell Evasion Brewing. And if it doesn’t sell soon, we will be closing our doors permanently” they say in an announcement.
The entire business is priced for a quick sale to keep the business alive at $398,000 and it includes a 7bbl brewhouse, 5x 15bbl fermentation tanks, 2x 15bbl brite tanks, a wild goose canning line, in a 3,230 sq. ft. space with already established branding and distribution in OR, WA, CO, and NY. Contact evan@evasionbrewing.com
