Greetings from Alesong Brewing & Blending
Greetings from Alesong Brewing & Blending! The first in our new series of brewery profiles that function as a current snapshot of some of our favorite places - think of this series like the ultimate updated Wikipedia entry where you will find the latest stats, facts, and insights into some of the best breweries of the northwest.
Opened in: 2016 in Eugene, Oregon.
Founders: Matt Van Wyk, Doug Coombs, Brian Coombs
Former Oakshire Brewing brewmaster Matt Van Wyk got his start in Indiana brewing for Floosmoor Station. Brian Coombs was a brewer at Oakshire with a microbiology background that he tapped into first with he and Van Wyk’s budding obsession with oak barrel-aged beers, and then went even deeper with Alesong. Brian’s brother Doug joined the team, bringing a business acumen and understanding of the wine industry and direct sales. As of August 2025 Doug Coombs has stepped back from day-to-day operations and tasting room manager Cody Adams has stepped up to oversee operations including direct-to-consumer and club management.
Annual Production: 400-450 barrels made, 350-400 sold
First Beer Brewed/Released: On March 1st, 2016 Alesong brews their three initial base beers, an Imperial Milk Stout, Imperial Stout, and a Brett Saison. The first beers were released to the public in a relatively short period of time on June 1st 2016, since then the barrel-aging times have grown considerably.
“We knew we could finish out a Brett primary fermented Saison, so that's why we chose that. And we just figured a small amount of short bourbon aged beer would do the trick. We had to develop our cellar and our program. We've learned a lot in the last decade,” - Matt Van Wyk.
The first two Stout bases became Bourbon Prelude, Alesong’s first actual bourbon barrel aged beer release later blended to become Rhino Suit which was released in the summer of 16. After Dry-hopping the saison became became Touch of Brett, first released as a non-barrel-aged beer.
Process: Alesong has their own barrel-aging and blending facilities and taproom, but not their own brewhouse. Alesong brews at Lane County neighbor breweries, most recently at Ninkasi Brewing and off and on at Oakshire Brewing and Block 15 Brewing.
Several of Alesong’s beers are brewed in large batches and aged in different barrels and are given different 'finishes', such as Dry hopping, varied fruits, and different spices. The main “base” beers are Brett Saison, Blond sour beer, dark sour beer, and an Imperial Milk stout. Additional beer styles like Barleywine, Scotch Ale, Grisette, etc. and totally new beers are original one-off recipes at their core.
Barrel-Aging: Alesong specializes in barrel-aged beers and in-particular mixed culture fruited sour beers and big clean flavored stouts.
Alesong co-founders Matt Van Wyk and Brian Coombs set out to create an all barrel-aged brewery from the outset. Both were enamored with the Belgian lambic and farmhouse tradition and wanted to start something unlike what was most of the rest of the marketplace which would help them stand out for a unique product and incredibly hands on and slow considerate approach to beer. Built into the business model was a heavy emphasis on the Direct to Consumer model delivering direct to fans who had already bought in, subscribing or acquiring ahead of time and investing directly in the success of the brewery, not unlike a winery.
Beer Club: Alesong plans out their entire lineup one year in advance to allow for long-aging times. Typically they release 4 beers each quarter; one going to their Alesong Blender’s Circle club, one a tasting room exclusive, and the others self-distributed in limited bottles and draft.
Location: Alesong does not operate their own brewery but calls their beautiful taproom and blendery in Eugene’s countryside their home Base, situated on 5 acres of land that is open to the public and where they store many of their long-term barrel-aged beers. Alesong founders knew they wanted a 'rural commercial' zoned property with less restrictions then a metropolitan area and with a better view. To find this scenic location with views of farmland and the valley they used a consultant who knew the property which had one time been for sale but was no longer on the market.
“There aren't many of those out there, there aren't many for sale, and to find one close to where we lived in the Southern Willamette Wine country was just a blessing for us,” says Matt Van Wyk.
Beer + Wine & Cider:
In 2023 Alesong released their first cider and wine. After years of carrying guest products at the tasting room they decided to seize the opportunity to make their own, which also helps in diversifying their offerings out of the niche wild ales and barrel-aged beers that have a devoted but smaller following.
Alesong now makes three different ciders and three different wines primarily produced for the tasting room but occasionally found at discerning bottleshops and taprooms in Oregon.
Food Program: After about 6 years without a kitchen and relying on snack plates, pop-ups, food trucks, catering, or small bites prepared off-site Alesong acquired and opened their own food truck at the tasting room in 2023. They hired chef Brenden DeLeon from the fine dining restaurant at neighboring King Estate Winery and launched a highly seasonal farm-to-table style menu designed to complement the beers without being too challenging.
“It is really great because people have more reason to come out, and more reason to stay longer. With high alcohol beers, it's somewhat imperative. We use local farms as much as we can for our scratch kitchen. It also allows us to do dinners and pairings that we previously needed partners for,” - Matt Van Wyk.
Awards and acclaim: Alesong has won at least one medal at the most prestigious beer competition in the U.S. for 10 years running. That unbroken streak at the Great American Beer Festival is reportedly the longest run in the country. In 2024 Alesong also was named the Brewery of the Year (251-500 barrels) at GABF. Their wins span many many competitions including the international World Beer Cup, and nab medals at the Oregon Beer Awards each year, including small brewery of the year in 2021.
Challenges: Higher end beverages like the time-intesive beers that Alesong specializes in are struggling as more people cut back on spending and alcohol intake in general. Sour and funky beers have also seen a decrease in demand though devotees still lineup for the best. Using premium ingredients that continue to go up in cost, and with challenges delivering directly to consumers, Alesong focuses on their membership club and their destination tasting room to be sustainable.
On the horizon: Alesong is exploring options to purchase their own brewhouse to make their beer all in house offering greater flexibility and potential for more special releases.
“I'm excited that despite the challenging economic times, we still get to create and offer something that we truly love to make. And at the end of the day, there is a cold beer waiting. In addition, since we started making some draft lagers for the tasting room, we have seen that many of our core customers are encouraging us to make more non-barrel aged beer. Perhaps we will have some new beers in our future. That's exciting.” - Matt Van Wyk.