Our Top 10 Stories of 2023
The New School’s Top 10 articles published in 2023 in terms of visitors to each story is a tale of triumph and failure. Many of what we would normally anticipate being the most read articles didn’t make the cut, as more dramatic stories dominated the news cycle as the beer industry faced the strongest headwinds since prohibition. The top 10 articles gathered tens of thousands of visitors primarily based around local interest features.
#10 Grains of Wrath Brewing closing Portland brewery and taproom
Camas, Washington based Grains of Wrath Brewing closed their highly award-winning smaller batch brewery and taproom in Portland in July. The location which replaced the former Lompoc Brewing brewhouse and Sidebar taproom in the same space, had allowed GOW to have an even bigger presence in Portland and official recognition as an Oregon as well as Washington brewery. The closure was partially to shift resources to an upcoming GOW expansion to a primarily brewing driven location in Washougal.
#9 Oregon Beer Awards 2023 Medal Winners & Recap
The premiere beer competition in Oregon and one of the top dogs for professionalism and influence on other similar events celebrated a successful full return to a ceremony and entries similar to those before the pandemic. It was the most competitive Oregon Beer Awards yet, and possibly the most diverse in terms of winners and overall quality of beers. Some real success stories both big and small emerged from the winners which we will probably see continue to play out in the years to come.
#8 Reverend Nat’s Hard Cider announces Closure
Arguably Portland’s most well known cidery announced a surprise and sudden closure in September. Reverend Nat’s helped reinvigorate the hard cider industry in Oregon with serious and seriously playful ciders that could be traditional or totally batshit crazy flavors and combos. Nat’s had big name recognition and influence, and their recent relocation into a taproom and adjacent food truck pod on SE Division seemed extremely promising, making their closure all the more of a gut punch.
#7 Gorges Beer Co. has laid off brewmaster/co-owner Bryan Keilty
Behind-the-scenes drama and a lack of transparency in business and operations is contributing to a once promising startup brewery’s downturn. The fraught and controversial and unilateral decision by one majority business partner to eliminate the position of the lead and founding brewer and co-owner without offering any justification adds to the heap of mystifying business choices of Gorges Beer Co. that we suspect will continue to unfold in 2024.
#6 7 Portland area Breweries and Taprooms Closed or announced Closures in the last 30 days
The writing was on the wall for many small breweries that were struggling, with the number of brewery closures annually ticking up along with the number of openings. But for many of us it was the shock of seeing 7 different breweries and taprooms all closing or announcing pending closures in a very short period of time in what should be the busy season (July) that instilled a real fear of the future. On a more uplifting note, one of the seven has pivoted to expand elsewhere, and another has managed to stave off closure pending TBA business changes that may or may not involve new ownership.
#5 Most Anticipated New Oregon & SW Washington Breweries & Taprooms Opening in 2023
Almost always our favorite annual article of the year is also the most uplifting of this year’s top 10. Our most anticipated new breweries and taprooms is hope for the future, and a reminder that it’s not all bad news and closures as entrepreneurs and craft beer lovers, artists, and other creators and visionaries forge new businesses and business models that will keep this beervana for many years to come.
#4 Breakside Brewery opens Beaverton Beer Garden and Food Truck Pod with full bar coming soon
The New School broke the news that Breakside was planning to open a Beaverton taproom, beer garden, and food truck pod back in 2020. The next 3 years were of painful delays and anticipation for what most westside suburban beer fans deemed the most exciting new craft beer project in many years (maybe ever?) In July their dreams finally came true as Breakside Beaverton opened phase one of the ambitious project delighting Beavertonians with new indoor and outdoor spaces, fun new food options, an event space, and acclaimed award-winning beers. A permanent outdoor bar and kitchen is still in the works.
#3 Three Brewery Closures in Eugene, One Reopening
Eugene, Oregon experienced its own industry inflection point when on nearly the same day Ninkasi Brewing announced they were closing the beloved Better Living Room brewpub and Alesong Brewing announced the closure of their downtown 5th Street Public Marketplace taproom. Combined with the also sudden closure of Old 99 Brewing’s Eugene location, and local beer bars like Tap & Growler shutting down, some felt that the Eugene craft beer scene is in crisis. The New School worked to shed light on the causes of these closures, by talking to the people behind them and offering some new industry insights.
Perhaps the most stomache turning local craft beer story was that of Flat Tail Brewing and founder/brewer Dave Marliave. We knew about Flat Tail Brewing being forced to shut down in 2020 in what was already infuriating circumstances, but earlier this year we learned the untold story of embezzlement, lies, deceit, and downright back stabbing and illegal activities perpetrated by co-owners and business partners that forced the company and Marliave into massive debt and ruin. The story is as difficult to hear as it is important to read.
#1 Anheuser-Busch Sells Off 10 Barrel Brewing, Widmer, Redhook, Shock Top and 4 more brands
We are relieved and surprised that the most viewed article on New School in 2023 is potentially a positive story with atleast a note of optimism. Craft beer fans were taken aback when 10 Barrel Brewing sold to Anheuser-Busch in 2014, and Widmer’s relationship existed much before that but was solidified in 2020. The sudden news that AB had unloaded both 10 Barrel and Widmer, as well as 6 other notable breweries and brands from the northwest and abroad was met with a similar level of surprise. The change in ownership means that those breweries can now be considered “craft” once again by Brewers Association and Oregon Brewers Guild terms, even if they are just changing one corporate overlord to another. Tilray Brands is their new owner, and the Canadian founded Cannabis company is making huge moves to become immediately one of the largest craft brewing companies in the country. While many people are still skeptical about Tilray’s intentions and the future of these brands, others are hopeful that this could be a positive step for not only those companies and employees but the quality and future of the broader industry as well.