Nice Article About Oregon Beer Industry

John Foyston, the Oregonian's beer correspondant, has an involved business story in today's Oregonian that's worth checking out. The upshot? Times are good for Oregon breweries:

Craft brewers in the state made 3.5 million gallons more beer last year than in 2005, a 16 percent increase and the third year in a row of double-digit gains. This at a time megabrewers such as Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Miller Brewing Co. have struggled to maintain their revenues and market share.

According to figures released this month by the Oregon Brewers Guild, the state's 79 breweries produced about 792,000 barrels of beer in 2006, or 24.5 million gallons. That's up from 21.1 million gallons a year earlier, and makes Oregon one of the leaders in a craft beer segment growing faster than any other part of the U.S. alcoholic beverage market.

He also details the new and expanding brewpub scene across the state--an early head's up for what we can look forward to in the coming year:

New Breweries

• Beer Valley Brewing: Will start brewing in Ontario in early 2007 with a pub to follow thereafter.
  
• Double Mountain Brewing: Will open this year in Hood River.
  
• Fort George Brewery and Public House: A new brewery that should be open soon in Astoria's historic Fort George Building.
• Hopworks Urban Brewery: Brewer Christian Ettinger's new brewpub should open this spring on Southeast Powell Boulevard.
  
• Karlsson Brewing Co: This brewpub/restaurant recently opened in Sandy and is a family business.
• Max's Fanno Creek Brew Pub: Brewer Max Tieger brings great beer to Old Town Tigard with a brewpub scheduled to open this spring.
  
• WildFire Brewing: Central Oregon's sixth brewery opens soon in Bend.
  

Expansions/Moves

• Deschutes Brewery: Just announced, the pub is planned for the Pearl near the Armory.
  
• Laurelwood Brewpub: The old Sylvia's restaurant building is being reworked into a new flagship brewery/restaurant for Laurelwood. The brewery will open first, probably sometime early this spring.
  
• Ninkasi Brewing: Moves soon to permanent quarters in Eugene with a tasting room.
• Rogue Ales: A new pub just opened in Astoria's Hanthorn cannery building.
• Wild River Brewery: Wild River just added a Medford pub to its four other Southern Oregon locations.