Widmer Brothers Brewing Company was founded in 1984 in Portland, Oregon by Kurt and Rob Widmer.
Portland is known as the locus of a local beer scene. The Cartwright Brewing Company founded there in 1980, four years later the Bridgeport Brewing Company and Widmer Brewing followed. Not everyone was keen to try the unfamiliar beers and the brothers struggled to get taverns to offer them. They only sold beer in kegs, believing flavor was degraded by the bottling process, so they were dependent on draft sales. To increase awareness and promote their beers, they formed the "Widmer Designated Drinker" program; the brothers and their friends rented vans (driven by nondrinkers) and traveled to bars where they ordered large amounts of Widmer beer. Fortunately, in future years they sold more than their friends and families consumed.
Kurt was introduced to a wide variety of beer styles while living in Germany in the 1970s, and brewed his own beer after he returned to the United States. He used a traditional strain of yeast obtained from the Brewing Research Institute in Weihenstephan, Bavaria, and later returned to Germany to fine-tune his craft at a brewery in Dusseldorf. The brothers wanted to open a brewery and raised more than $50,000 from family members and an outside investor. With their father Raymond, they set about assembling a small brewery at 1405 NW Lovejoy Street, in an industrial part of NW Portland now known as the Pearl District. At the time, the brewing industry was comprised of large, industrial-sized breweries, which meant this smaller microbrewery had to be creative when acquiring equipment. They purchased used dairy and restaurant equipment (a dairy tank turned mash tun and shrimp cooker turned whirlpool), and by fall began running test batches.
The first Widmer offering, Altbier (German for "old beer"), was offered for sale in early 1985, and the richly flavored brew was soon joined by Weizenbier, a lighter variety filtered wheat beer. They marketed the beer to taverns and pubs, often delivering kegs in the red 1970 Datsun pickup truck they borrowed from their dad. Their first year production totaled 400 barrels. The Dublin Pub was their first longtime account and served both Altbier and Weizenbier; in 1986, owners Carl Simpson and Katie Bullard wanted them to make a third beer. This was a challenge because they only had two fermenters and couldn’t afford to buy another. They decided to leave the Weizenbier unfiltered, use Cascade hops, and put it directly into kegs. The result was a uniquely cloudy beer, the first American-style Hefeweizen or Hefe, which translated from German means "yeast wheat." This style of "American Hefeweizen" and the custom of serving wheat beers with a slice of lemon spread widely. Also in 1986, the brewery released Festbier, a seasonal "winter warmer" beer brewed for winter months.
Annual production increased each year. By 1989, they reached maximum capacity on their brewing equipment and had to turn away new business. They bought two adjoining historic buildings in North Portland that were slated for demolition and planned to renovate them for a new brewery. The 100-year-old Smithson and McKay Buildings had Italianate and Romanesque Revival brickwork, a cast-iron storefront, and were on the National Register of Historic Places. The extensive interior work meant renovation costs were significantly higher than constructing a new facility from scratch. They increased production dramatically, but demand grew even faster. In 1992, they laid out plans for an expansion adjacent to the brewery that would, once again, double production. They continued to only distribute their beer in kegs, but in 1996, decided to begin bottling.
In 1995, they opened a pub and restaurant, the Widmer Gasthaus, and began work on the brewery expansion. In spring of 1996, the new $20 million brewery opened and its brewing vessels and utilities were connected to the older one through under-the-street tunnels. At that time, Widmer produced 11 different beers; this included year-round production of Hefeweizen, Widberry Weizen, Blackbier, Amberbier, Altbier, and Weizen and seasonal beers Doppelbock, Oktoberfest, and Winternacht. In 1997, they introduced new beers, including Widmer Vienna and Czech Pilsner, as well as a hard cider. They made seven year-round brews and the seasonals Golden Bock, Sommerbrau Kolsch, and Hop Jack Pale Ale. In early 2000, they unveiled redesigned packaging, which emphasized the "W" initial in the firm's name and featured more colorful graphics. In 2003, they started brewing Hefeweizen at the New Hampshire RedHook Ale Brewery plant. In 2004, they introduced a seasonal brew called Snowplow Milk Stout, which had been developed by the Oregon Brew Crew, a home brewers club to which the brothers belonged. In 2005, they launched the “W Series,” which showcased their brewmaster’s most innovative and creative recipes.
In 1997, they sold a 27% stake to Anheuser-Busch InBev for $18.25 million in order to gain access to their distribution network and strengthen the company financially at a time when many craft brewers were struggling. Anheuser-Busch InBev had already purchased a stake in Seattle's RedHook Ale Brewery. In 2007, RedHook and Widmer Brothers announced plans to formally merge, forming a new company called the Craft Brewers Alliance, It was renamed Craft Brew Alliance in 2012. By 2013 was composed of five beer and cider brands: Widmer Brothers Brewery, RedHook Ale Brewery (founded in 1981 in Seattle, Washington), Kona Brewing Company (founded in 1994 in Kona, Hawaii), Omission Beer (developed in 2012 in Portland), and Square Mile Cider (launched in 2013).
Kurt Widmer retired in 2016, the Gasthaus closed in 2019, and Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired the company in 2020.
These materials were donated to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center by Steven Hallstone in 2020.
Collection is open for research.
Widmer Brothers Brewing Collection (MSS Widmer), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
The Widmer Brothers Brewing Collection is complemented by several other collections.
The
Further information regarding the values, logistics, and goals of the burgeoning regional brewing community can be found in organizational collections like the
Collections linked to Oregon State University research, as well as other manuscript collections, are described on the
The Widmer Brothers Brewing Company records are arranged into eight series: 1. Brewing Records, 1985-1991; 2. News Clippings, 1984-2009; 3. Photographs, 1984-2011; 4. Marketing and Events, 1986-2010; 5. Office Files, 1990-2010; 6. Awards, 1989-2012; 7. Ephemera, 1990-2010; 8: Audio and Video, 1990-2013.
The Widmer Brothers Brewing Company Records includes brewing records, photographs, marketing materials, office files, ephemera, and audio/video content.
Series 1, Brewing Records, documents the early brewing and business operations at the Lovejoy Street facility. Included are the earliest brewing records for Weizenbier, Widmer Bock, Altbier, Festbier, and many other unnamed beers. Also included is an inventory of beer stock, ingredients, and equipment on hand, as well as documentation of expenses for items such as tap handles, beer lines, faucets, and valves. Documents are handwritten and most are on notebook paper.
Series 2, News Clippings, documents the company and their beers, as well as the evolution and changes of the brewing industry and brewers in the Pacific Northwest.
Series 3, Photographs, includes pictures of the opening events at the Lovejoy and Russell street breweries, staff and customers, facilities and brewing operations, the Gasthaus Pub, company parties, advertising campaigns, and pictures of Kurt and Rob Widmer. Of special note is a series of time-lapse aerial photographs of the building of the brewery on Russell Street. This series includes multiple formats (slides, photographs, negatives, digital files).
The bulk of the collection is in Series 4, Marketing and Events. There are files for individual beer styles, with materials such as labels and bottle necks, design documents, beer information sheets, promotional items, and packaging. There are also materials grouped by format or purpose, including bottle neck bands and labels, table tents, stickers and bookmarks, and coasters. There are various Widmer logos and poster designs, including some original artwork. There are materials related to tap handle design and pricing, which compliment a set of tap handles in Series 7, Ephemera. This series includes materials related to marketing campaigns, such as Third Brother (2000), Widmer Boys Mysteries (2001), Fishing With the Brothers (2005), and Brrrr Holiday Ale (2007). In addition to beer promotion, there are materials related to the company's sponsorship and involvement in the community, analysis of the craft brewery consumer market, branding and rebranding, expansion into new markets, and sales. This series includes oversized posters and packaging, as well as digital files of Widmer graphic design and art assets.
Series 5, Office Files, includes operational items such as building plans, project proposals, merger documentation, merchandising plans, press releases, presentations, and office documents. Of special note is a guest book (1996-2006) with names of visitors to the brewing facilities and their comments on experiences on tours.
Awards and other certificates of recognition are housed in Series 6. This includes ribbons and certificates for beer-related honors such as the North American Beer Cup, World Beer Cup, World Beer Championships, Great American Beer Festival, North American Brewers Association, California Brewers Festival, and various county fairs, as well as awards for sports teams and business contributions.
Series 7, Ephemera, includes tap handles from Widmer and RedHook, textiles, bottles, games, and other promotional items.
Series 8, Audio and Video, includes local radio advertisements for Widmer advertising campaigns, presentations from Anheuser-Busch related to company updates (2005, 2007), versions of the “From Grain to Glass” brewery tour (2005, 2013), and "Widmer Brothers Radio: Sly and Robbie." The videotapes include commercials and local television segments on new equipment, releases at the brewery, and a 1993 piece on brewing in the Pacific Northwest.
The brew and kegging logs record data about ingredients, temperatures, waste, and other measurements of the brewing process and when the beer is in storage.
News clippings are arranged chronologically and contain information about the company, their beers, and the brewing industry and brewers in the Pacific Northwest. For several years, the company employed a clipping service, which gathered articles from newspapers around the country.
Photographs include the opening party at original brewery on Lovejoy; facility, staff, and brewing operations at Lovejoy brewery; opening party, promotional photos, patrons, and staff at the Russell Street Gasthaus Pub and Restaurant; renovation and construction of the restaurant, brewery, and offices on Russell Street; events such as the Oregon Brewers Festival and company parties; promotional pictures of Kurt and Rob Widmer; ad campaigns; operations pictures of the bottling line, brewhouse, packaging, and employee offices. Some photographs have corresponding prints, slides, or negatives. Of special note is a series of time-lapse aerial photographs of the brewery on Russell Street being built. If there are multiple formats of the same picture or the pictures are not in a print format, that is noted in the description field. Digital folder content was transferred from original digital media, which was retained by SCARC for preservation purposes. This series contains approximately 1,450 slides, 1,000 photographs, 250 negatives, 875 digital image files.
Slides.
Prints.
Negatives.
Prints.
Negatives.
Color slides.
Color prints.
Negatives.
Negatives.
Slides.
Prints and contact sheets.
Slides.
Prints.
Prints.
Slides.
Prints.
Slides.
Negatives.
Color slides.
Color slides.
Contact sheets and slides.
Prints.
Prints.
Prints and negatives.
Prints.
Prints and negatives.
Prints and negatives.
Prints and negatives.
Prints and negatives.
Prints and negatives.
Negatives.
Prints and negatives.
Negatives.
Prints and negatives.
Negatives.
Prints and negatives.
Contact sheets.
Prints and negatives.
Prints, contact sheets, and negatives.
Slides.
Slides.
Includes company information, pictures of facilities and packaging. Slides.
Slides.
Includes time-lapse aerial. Slides.
Includes time-lapse aerial. Slides.
Photographs from 19th century, research conducted by Widmer Bros. Brewing Company staff in 2005.
Includes facilities, ingredients, Ike Manchester at Rose Garden brewery.
This series reflects the marketing and promotion of Widmer beers. This includes marketing campaigns and promotional materials, draft designs and original artwork, posters, market analysis, sales, advertising materials, beer information sheets, labels and bottle necks, stickers and coasters, tap handle design, packaging, correspondence, and press releases. Digital folder content was transferred from original digital media, which was retained by SCARC for preservation purposes.
Includes original artwork, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, original drawing, draft design, labels.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Includes press releases, marketing analysis, release calendar, design agreement, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Includes original artwork.
Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, pictures, press releases.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, invoices.
Includes beer info sheets, original artwork, draft design, labels.
Includes draft design, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials, awards.
Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, packaging, correspondence.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, awards, pictures.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, original artwork.
Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Includes beer info sheets, marketing documents.
Includes final files and graphic design files, 3 ½ disk.
Correspondence, beer information sheets, labels, table tents, label approval documents. Beers: Czech Pilsner, Winternacht, Vienna, Oktoberfest, Doppelbock, Wildwood Cider.
Spiral bound booklet with basic information about the company and its distribution.
Contest submissions, travel documents, correspondence.
Includes correspondence, promo materials, planning documents for Summer Never Ends marketing campaign.
Includes promo materials, planning documents, correspondence.
Brochures, handouts.
Promotional materials including draft posters, signs, coaster design, coasters, correspondence from “find him” contest.
Radio script, drawings, campaign evaluation.
Draft bottle design, design inspirations, invoices, project scope, correspondence, product and market research.
Draft design, invoices.
Correspondence, notes, promotional materials.
Proposals, signage, budget, correspondence.
Notes, presentations, sketches, correspondence.
Market analysis, notes.
Includes correspondence, permits, signage, maps, music, volunteer information, press, budget, notes.
In
Firms employed were Edelman and Maxwell.
Presentation, packaging, budgets, invoices.
Presentation, notes, plans for Kona Brewing.
Sales and distribution packets, promotional items, articles about the company, Oregon Liquor Control Commission and Washington State Liquor Control Board reports, order forms, distribution roster, beer sales data, worksheets, statistics.
Includes original artwork.
Story boards, posters, decals, original artwork.
Marketing, brochures, fact sheets, correspondence, draft advertisements.
Logos on bottles and apparel, annotated design sheets.
6-pack holder design, label, marketing ideas, designs.
Date of advertisement May 1, 2000.
Packaging for 6-packs and cases, posters, promotional materials, draft designs for bottles and other marketing, original Widmer artwork.
This series includes operational items like building plans, proposals, merchandising plans, press releases, and presentations. Digital folder content was transferred from original digital media, which was retained by SCARC for preservation purposes.
Includes tour script, 24 pictures from Guinness brewery tour, research documents.
The awards series includes ribbons, certificates, and plaques from local and global competitions, as well as in recognition of community involvement.
Includes North American Beer Cup, World Beer Cup, World Beer Championships.
Includes Great American Beer Festival, North American Brewers Association, California Brewers Festival, county fairs.
Includes Great American Beer Festival, US Open Beer Championship, California Brewers Festival, Northwest Brewing News, North American Brewers Association, International Beer Fest.
Includes recognition for sports teams and business.
This series includes tap handles from Widmer and Red Hook, textile items such as banners and t-shirts, souvenir and design prototype bottles, games, and other promotional items.
Widmer beer tap handles, including Prickly Pear Braggot, Oktoberfest, Galaxy Hopped Barleywine, Hop Jack, Blonde, Drifter Pale Ale, Sunburn Summer Brew, Raspberry Russian Stout, W Series Red Ale ‘06, Widberry. In various shapes, sizes, and materials. Wood, metal, acrylic resin, ceramic.
Widmer beer tap handles, including Hefeweizen, Brrrr Seasonal Ale, Snow Plow Milk Stout, W Series Red Ale ‘09, South by Northwest, Broken Halo IPA, Deadlift Imperial IPA, Upheaval IPA, Barrel Aged Brrrbon, Alchemy Ale.
Red Hook beer tap handles, including Wheat Hook, Nitro Black Hook Porter, Winter Hook, Volazzo, Chinook Ales, Sunday, Copperhead. Tap toppers with beer names on them.
Bottle mold prototypes in acrylic resin, new bottle packaging introduction in souvenir box, small pony keg, buttons, souvenir glasses.
15th anniversary bottles (4) presented to employees in 1999.
Promotional materials, including Hop Jack game, Nascar Widmer car model, and lighted acrylic beer glass.
The majority of the video content is of television segments announcing events or new products at the brewery; most were collected by media companies. Also included are informational videos produced by the company, radio commercials, and music mix tapes related to product launches. Digital folder content was transferred from original digital media, which was retained by SCARC for preservation purposes. This series contains 11 DVD and CDs, 38 VHS tapes, 19 cassettes.
Includes advertising campaigns and music. CKS Partners / Widmer Hefeweizen (1996); CKS Partners / Widmer Altbier (1997); CKS Partners / Widmer Bros Brewing “Lone Ranger” radio spot (1997); CKS Partners / Widmer Bros. Brewing “Figaro” radio spot (1997); Seahawks sponsorship radio (2000); Touchdown with Brothers (2000); Beer Voting on Election Day (2000); Widmer Brothers Brewery radio (2000); DB Cooper (2000); Widmer Boys Mysteries Radio (2001); Widmer Brothers Adventures (2001); Widmer Brothers radio (2001-2002); Widmer Blazers sponsorship radio (2003-2004).
Commercials, Anheuser-Busch company updates (2005, 2007), “From Grain to Glass” brewery tour (2005, 2013), “Lemon Your Widmer” viral video compilation (2008), Widmer Brothers radio “Sly and Robbie” (2001-2002).
Undated: German brewer visit, Kurt Widmer interview, bottling line (30 minutes), Collaborator Homebrew news story KOIN TV. 1990: “A Day at the Lovejoy Brewery” Widmer commercial for Northwest Reports. 1993: piece about brewing for Northwest Reports (25 minutes). 1994: news coverage (tape by Moba Media Knoll Dodge and Partners). 1995: Widmer 10th anniversary (4 minutes, includes footage of brewing and kegging); KOIN TV Gasthaus and award tour; Good Evening at the Gasthaus; KGW Good Evening; Widmer Summerfest. 1996: first annual employee meeting, includes presentations with company history, employee recognition, company sales, state of the industry, distribution, brand identification and marketing, styles, packaging, sales and projection for production. 1996 Moba Media bottling Hefeweizen. 1997: Moba Media distribution plan; Fox News about microbreweries. 1998 Moba Media Widmer as a Portland Public Schools program sponsor, Widmer and homebrewing, AM Northwest about Oregon Brewers Festival. 1999 Moba Media Golden Boch, new beers, Craft Brew Quality symbol, Irish stew, Super Bowl party snacks on KATU. 1999: Metropolitan Group library tape (13 minutes) Bridgeport 15-year anniversary and history of other breweries, Phil’s Follies sorbet beer wine smoothies, summer sorbet at Pioneer Courthouse Square. 1999: 3-minute video with clips from employees mixed in with frog commercial. 2000: Moba Media Widmer brothers argue over UO/OSU football rivalry, new bottle design, Blonde Betty and Spring Fest beer release. 2002 MOBA Media three new fermentation tanks added due to increase in demand. 2002: “From Grain to Glass” Widmer tour (2 versions).