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Portland brewing industry pioneers, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced Hefeweizen to America, this Saturday, May 18th is the 4th annual Hefe Day. Widmer Brothers Brewery is opening their recently closed brewpub/taproom for the occasion with food carts, swag and closeout specials on old merch at the party which runs 2-8pm.

More from a press release:

In addition to plenty of fresh beer on tap, Widmer Brothers will have local BBQ purveyor Pig Sauce Co. on-site and a garage sale featuring classic Widmer Brothers swag. Widmer Brothers is also partnering with Oregon Food Bank; those who donate to Oregon Food Bank at Hefe Day will be entered to win a private event in the Widmer Brothers pub space.

In 2016, The City of Portland declared May 15 as Hefe Day, to honor the 30^th Anniversary of the first-ever delivery of Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen (Hefe), and recognize the important role the beer has played in building the city’s booming beer industry.

For one day only, beer fans can enjoy 12-ounce pours of the nine-time Great American Beer Festival medal winner for a single dollar.

The Hefe Day celebration is open to all ages.

A Brief Hefe History

In 1986, the owners of the Dublin Pub, Carl Simpson and Katie Bullard, were proud supporters of Widmer Brothers and carried the brewery’s first two beers, Altbier and Weizenbier. They were fans of the two beers Kurt and Rob Widmer were making, and asked if they could make them a special third beer. This posed a problem, as the Widmer’s cobbled-together brewery had only two fermenters. To save space and time, Kurt and Rob decided to experiment and leave their Weizenbier unfiltered.

This unfiltered experiment resulted in a gorgeous, hazy beer, what they dubbed “Hefeweizen,” which has been shortened to Hefe since.

Kurt and Rob created an entirely new beer style with Hefe, American-Style Wheat, which is officially recognized by the Beer Judging Certification Program (BJCP). Over the years, Hefe elevated Widmer Brothers Brewing to national acclaim, with the beer winning twelve Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup medals over the years. It most recently won back-to-back gold medals at the Oregon Beer Awards in 2016 and 2017, and is still the top-selling craft beer in Oregon.

For more information on Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit widmerbrothers.com or see what the brewery is up to on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Hefe Day Event Details

Where: Widmer Brothers Brewery, 955 North Russell Street

When: May 18, 2019, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Who: Widmer Brothers

What: Hefe Day is a celebration of one of the defining American craft beers. To celebrate, Widmer Brothers is hosting Hefe Day at its pub and beer garden on May 18 with dollar beers and a swag sale.

About Widmer Brothers Brewing
Widmer Brothers Brewing helped create the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement in 1984 when founders Kurt and Rob Widmer, then in their 20s, began brewing unique interpretations of traditional German beer styles. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the original American-style Hefeweizen, which elevated the brewery to national acclaim. Since then, the brewery’s iconic Hefe has grown to become Oregon’s favorite craft beer. For more than three decades, Widmer Brothers has continued to push the boundaries of craft beer. Based in Portland, Oregon, the brewery currently brews a variety of beers including Hefe, Juicy Sunrise, Upheaval IPA and seasonals like Brrr. For more information about Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit http://www.widmerbrothers.com/.