Bend, Oregon’s 23-year-old Silver Moon Brewing is joining forces with Portland’s Migration Brewing on a strategic partnership to pool resources and make use of excess capacity. It’s the latest sign that craft breweries are getting smarter about pooling their resources and creating synergies that make logistic sense for reduced costs and efficiency.

There is an interesting shuffle going on behind the scenes in Oregon, as Silver Moon Brewing recently sold their Redmond production facility where they brew the bulk of their beer to Avid Cider Co. who is closing their taproom and planning for expansion. Instead of shifting their brewing operations to their original brewpub location in Bend, Silver Moon is instead moving approximately 2,500 barrels of annual volume to Migration’s production facility in Gresham.

Migration and Silver Moon have established a relationship, working together on a number of recent projects, including the innovative Take Home Brewfest, and the 2023 Bend Bev Fest. In celebration of the announcement, the two organizations have teamed up to create Far Side of the Moon, a collaboration beer that will be available in their respective taprooms and in select retail locations.

"We are thrilled to partner with Migration" said James Watts, co-owner of Silver Moon Brewing. “Among the other joint efforts in discussion, the Migration team will assist with brewing our larger production batches in their Gresham facility. They are a talented team with countless awards under their belt, so we’re confident our existing favorites and new creations are in great hands.” Silver Moon is a longtime proponent of gaining efficiencies through shared services and have hosted production for several breweries at their two Central Oregon facilities over the past nine years. Silver Moon will continue to brew in their original downtown Bend brewery as well.

The two companies both distribute in their primary markets of Oregon and Washington through Columbia Distributing, and share success in the Colorado market through Colorado Craft Distributors. The partnership will further explore where efficiencies and economies of scale might provide additional regional distribution. It’s a natural fit” according to Eric Banzer-Lausberg, Sales Director and Co-Founder of Migration Brewing. “We have a shared value set in our approach to creating awesome craft beer experiences and high quality products. This partner brewing project is a great addition to Migration’s production portfolio and we look forward to working more closely with the Silver Moon team,” said Banzer-Lausberg.

Terms of the partnership were negotiated by Matt Barrett, President and Co-Owner of Silver Moon Brewing, and McKean Banzer-Lausberg, CEO and Co-Founder of Migration Brewing. “It’s a huge win-win relationship” said Barrett, “so many companies across many industries have capitalized on similar partnership efficiencies to grow their brands and expand their markets.” The sentiment was echoed by Banzer-Lausberg, adding “gaining market share is expensive right now, and this type of partnership allows us both to keep growing our production capacity with minimal infrastructure investments”.

The collaborative beer, Far Side of the Moon, will begin hitting the market the week of August 14, and the first production batch of Silver Moon products brewed under the new partnership will be released to retail in early September.

Silver Moon Brewing

Silver Moon Brewing is the third oldest craft brewery located in Bend, Oregon, known for their world class beers and commitment to the local community. Founded in 2000, Silver Moon Brewing has become a staple of Bend’s craft beer scene, offering a variety of year-round and seasonal beers, and delivering over 400 musical and philanthropic events each year. www.silvermoonbrewing.com

Migration Brewing

Migration Brewing started in 2010 when four friends came together over a passion for craft beer and a dream of opening a brewpub. With a lot of bootstrapping and a little luck, they have since opened four pub locations within Portland. As an award-winning brewery, the Migration team takes great pride in producing world-class beers that embrace innovation while respecting classic styles. www.migrationbrewing.com