Claim 52 Brewing revives Rogue Ales first Newport location on bayfront
Rogue Ales Bayfront Public House will become Claim 52 Brewing Bayfront, the second location from the growing Eugene, Oregon brewery. The new location carries added significance as the oldest Rogue pub, as well as the first place legendary brewmaster John Maier brewed Rogue beer when they opened in Newport in 1989.
The reclamation of the former Rogue Ales empire is well underway. With the recent reopening of Rogue’s Pier 39 Public House in Astoria and the everything-goes public auction of equipment and hard assets now begun, we will continue to see more remnants of the craft beer pioneer preserved for new generations.
Claim 52 Brewing of Eugene, Oregon is one our industry’s current success stories. Founded as a nano brewing operation built around styles like Kolsch in 2012, the brewery grew in reputation as well as in breadth of styles by embracing Belgian-style ales and briefly operating an Abbey-inspired taproom in Springfield. A few years later Claim 52 became one of the first pacific northwest breweries to turn their focus to the NE-style Hazy IPA with Fluffy IPA. For the past 14 years Claim 52 has consistently stayed on top of trends like fruited and smoothie sour with their Fluffy and Thicc series, while never forgetting their roots in classic European-classics. Under new ownership by early 2024, Claim 52 continued to dial in their flagships while developing new ones, and relocated from their kitchen and taproom on Willamette St. and began consolidating a new brew house with a new kitchen at 232 Lincoln St, 97401 in the Whiteaker neighborhood of Eugene.
Claim 52 Brewing owner Jeremiah Marsden is a veteran homebrewer and former owner of a chemistry and pharmaceutical manufacturing company from which he currently leverages his past successes into the noble pursuit of craft beer. Since taking over as owner, Marsden has brought in general manager Jeremy Zollman, and brewers Aaron Brussat and Breann Goulette. Partnering with acclaimed kitchen ‘Seasoned’ at their new location has brought a new level of food quality and tons of space for expansion with the in-the-works installation of a 10 barrel brewhouse.
Newport, Oregon bayfront
Rogue Ales Bayfront Public House (748 SW Bay Blvd, Newport, OR, United States, 97365) was the first Rogue Brewing location in Newport, opened shortly after their original pub in Ashland, Oregon was washed out in a flood. Rogue first brewed here out of a small system in the back before they rented the larger property owned by the Port of Newport for their production facility. The Bayfront building is a landmark on Newport’s bustling Bayfront strip where galleries, seafood markets, pubs, restaurants, and tourist attractions where it anchors a central area of the Bay Street strip. Mo Niemi (1912–1992), founder of world famous Mo’s Restaurants, was Rogue’s first landlord in Newport and surrogate mom. The Mo’s family still owns the property where the pub currently sits vacant but with occupied apartments above that are said to be haunted by Mo’s benevolent ghost.
“As soon as I heard the news of Rogue closing I contacted the building owner (the Mo's family) to see about expanding into that building. They were very happy to have a brewery interested in the spot since it serves the whole bayfront community,” says Claim 52 owner Jeremiah Marsden.
Marsden has a life-long affection for the Oregon coast and specifically for Newport as his family has been visiting for decades and owns a home in town where they split life between Eugene and Newport. And with the closure of both Rogue locations in Newport, as well as Newport Brewing Company’s almost simultaneous closure, there is a lack of craft beer options in town. The huge summer tourist season, and busy waterfront location, is also popular with locals and the space has enough room for events, live music, and more regular activities to activate the community.
Claim 52 Brewing has also been slowly working a nautical theme into their brand by coincidence. It started with the label art on Claim 52’s Fluffy hazy IPA depicting a giant octopus taking down a ship. More recently Marsden has been integrating the nautical elements in further, like the pirate ship on their flagship “Admiral Red” and the ufferfish on “Fluffiest.” You will also notice art like octopus light fixtures and bulbs all around the brewery’s pub in Eugene. The expansion to Newport almost seems like the unexpectedly perfect fit for Claim 52’s expansion.
“Rogue has always had a special place in my heart as some the first craft beers I'd had from Oregon,” says Marsden. “It is actually a little surreal that I will be operating my own taproom out of the historic location. I also had a deep respect for John Maier and his creativity as a head brewer.”
A view from Rogue Ales Bayfront Public House in Newport, Oregon
Rogue’s legendary brewmaster John Maier that created their most iconic recipes like Dead Guy, Shakespeare Stout, Hazenut Brown Nectar, Brutal Bitter, and Old Crustacean Barleywine retired back in 2019 and settled in Eugene where he currently resides. Maier and Rogue have a deep connection with Eugene as well, as their 2014 closed brewpub was formative for a nascent community of budding beer nerds and homebrewers many of whom later went pro.
“Both Jeremiah and I joined the Cascade Brewers Society homebrew club around the same time - 2008-ish - when the monthly meetings were held at Rogue’s Eugene City Brewery / Track Town Ales location,” says Claim 52 head brewer Aaron Brussat. “Rogue, with John Maier as a member and friend of many in the club, was really generous to the CBS, going so far as to purchase a 1-bbl pilot system for us to use for educational purposes.”
Rogue Bayfront Public House will be renamed the Claim 52 Brewing Bayfront when it reopens in late Spring. Part of the appeal of the space is that it is so turnkey and already appeals to a brewpub atmosphere and clientele that Claim 52 hopes to bring back and cultivate even further.
“We want to maintain much of the original feel from Rogue. The taproom will have 3 connected dining areas and two areas for private events as well as the iconic bar,” says Marsden.
Claim 52 Bayfront will also be the brewery’s first foray into a full cocktails and spirits bar with a curated selection of whiskeys, as well as real table service waitstaff and both adult 21+ and kid/family friendly areas. The pub has something for everyone: big screen tv’s and projectors in a game room with pool tables, and an enclosed open air beer garden. Claim 52 will also operate the kitchen themselves with familiar classic pub food and pizza, and also turning the clock back to some of the favorites from their former location when they originally ran the food program.
The space will only need a minor refresh with fresh paint, new murals, and an expansion of Claim 52 Brewing’s nautical theme that should make it feel right at home in Newport. Claim 52 - Bayfront is aiming to open in May 2026 which would be 37 years to the month when Rogue Bayfront first opened in May 1989.
Claim 52 Brewing - Bayfront (coming soon)
748 SW Bay Blvd, Newport, OR, United States, 97365