Claim 52 Brewing relocates to former Wildcraft Cider Works location
Eugene, Oregon favorite Claim 52 Brewing is rebooting into the former Wildcraft Cider Works location in the popular artsy Whiteaker neighborhood. The move will consolidate the brewing activities and the taproom and restaurant into one space for the first time since Claim 52’s inception and launch in 2012. This is the latest in big changes for the brewery which came under new ownership in 2024.
In their early days Claim 52 Brewing was a nano that was brewing one barrel at a time in classical European-styles like Abbey ales, kolsch, and of course some Pacific Northwest IPA. In 2016 with the rising popularity of northeast hazy beers, Claim 52 Brewing was among the earliest adopters in the northwest and quickly mastered the style. From there the brewery followed with their popular Thicc and Stuffed series of desserty fruit sours and decadent pastry beers. The brewery’s Eugene-area fans know that Claim 52 never stopped making those perennial crowd-pleasing styles either, and today strikes a balance between malt and yeast driven balance and extreme intensity of the now.
"This move represents an exciting evolution for Claim 52," said owner Jeremiah Marsden. "As a beer enthusiast and craftsman at heart, I'm thrilled to create a space where our brewing operations and hospitality experiences can coexist and complement each other. This new location will allow us to better serve our community while continuing to push the boundaries of our brewing program."
Former New School Beer contributor Aaron Brussat joined the Claim 52 Brewing brew team last May when his longtime friend Jeremiah Marsden became the new owner. Already Claim 52’s head of brewing innovation, Brussat was recently named the winner of the prestigious Glen Hay Falconer American Brewers Guild scholarship, and will now become the head brewer as the current person in that role departs. Breann Goulette, herself a 2020 Glen Hay Falconer Scholarship recipient, is joining the brew team.
Brussat and Goulette will keep Claim 52’s core lineup of beers and steady rotation of smoothie sours the same. But one of their goals has been to bring back a couple Belgian-style ales to the draft list as a nod to where the brand originated. With a one-barrel pilot system, they will have room to try new things and have fun without rocking the entire boat.
“Part of my mission as a brewer is to constantly analyze every beer as it goes from grain to glass, and make tweaks to ingredients and processes as necessary,” says Brussat about any potential changes in their beers. “That is standard brewer stuff, and imperative for year-round offerings; consistency is important.”
Before they can really cut loose they will need to stock up on beer before the brew house goes off-line to be relocated to the New building. Claim 52 will move their entire 10bbl 3-vessel Practical Fusion system with 5x 10-bbl FVs, 1x 20bbl FV, and 2x 30bbl FVs, and their 6-head canning line and depalletizer. The larger building will give them room to expand and they are seizing on the opportunity to add two 30-bbl brite tanks with the move.
Having the brewery on-site at the same location as the taproom is a bigger deal then you might think, strengthening their connection to their customers and quite possibly influencing the tastes and thus brewing’ habits of the team and vice versa.
"Bringing our brewing and serving operations under one roof creates an incredible opportunity for education and engagement," says Brussat. “I also really enjoy connecting with customers, friends, and other brewers in the place where the beer is brewed. It'll also make it infinitely easier to educate staff, which is something I've always done. When you can see the work going on, and, you know, talk to a sweaty brewer, it's easier to connect the process with the beverage.”
Claim 52 Brewing’s relocation into the former WildCraft Cider Works building at 232 Lincoln St, Eugene, OR 97401 marks the third iteration of the brewery’s public facing space. In 2014 they had a more Belgian-focused bar in Sprigfield called The Abbey by Claim 52, they moved to the current Claim 52 Kitchen in 2018 as the brand rebooted to emphasize more trending styles and flavors and an Asian-inspired food menu. It is too early to say how the new location will change the food menu, but it will be a refresh of current offerings and remain family friendly.
The new location has a much more wood-laden rustic charm of a traditional ranch-style brewpub. With twice as much square footage as their current taproom, they will have room for more community events, plus live music, and pub games. Some of the brick-and-mortar features will be a game changer for hosting people, like a covered outdoor deck and parking lot, and upstairs loft with a balcony and its own small bar with a handful of taps.
The new Lincoln Street location places Claim 52 in Eugene's fermentation district alongside some of Eugene’s best craft beverage producers, including The Wheel Apizza Pub, Oregon Wine Lab, and Oakshire Brewing, further strengthening the Whiteaker neighborhood's reputation as a destination for craft beer and wine enthusiasts.
Claim 52 Brewing will continue operations at its current location at 1203 Willamette Street, Suite 140, Eugene, OR until the move to 232 Lincoln St, Eugene, OR 97401 is completed meaning there should be little or no interruption in taproom service.