Founders & The Pacific Northwest

Would like to see Smuttynose, Troegs, (a return of) Allagash, Brooklyn (which is available in BC), and a few others from my old stomping grounds. We do get Genny for when the rare nostalgia beer mood hits, so it doesn't hurt to not get Yuengling. Although, I do occasionally jones for some cans of Black & Tan.

 

founders is good(for dark beers), but like you said we just have way too much good beer to drink and discover locally to worry about founders or other breweries, i doubt people would pay much attention to any of those breweries. many people in portland and the northwest dont even know what beer advocate is, there for they dont know or care about the hype that comes with those breweries. that being said I do enjoy dirty bastard and backwoods bastard quite a bit.

 

But those aren't local, man.

 

Not from the Pacific Northwest but talk to anybody who doesn't travel or frequent sites like BA and founders is 100% foreign. If you think about it how else would somebody is Oregon, Washington know about a brewery that doesn't distribute to their state. Heck, there are so many breweries that are available it's hard to keep up with that.

I have plenty friends who drink "craft" beer over bmc but don't use BA and don't have a clue about founders or 3 floyds, Great Lakes, new Glarus, etc. they didn't know about bells until they starting distro here in CA.

The vast population isn't concerned with the plethora of brewers that sell out their area.

 

Founders was here in Portland for the Craft Brewer's Conference earlier this year and their events were very popular. There was a lot of talk about whether they would come into Oregon and the general thought was "too crowded already". I'm inclined to agree, though Washington might be a little easier to break into. Seattle is a larger city, and while still obviously a great beer scene it isn't quite as saturated as Oregon (yet).

 

I'd bet Smuttynose will make its way to the PNW soon, it's up here in BC.

 

Brooklyn has been up there quite awhile, and we don't see it down here. One has hopes though, one has hopes.

 

Poor smuttynose would be a perma-terd here. Founders is just Spanish schwill anyway.

 

Anyone have any idea how Six Point is doing here? Different from the Midwest stuff, but that might be a good gauge. They had a pretty good push when they first hit the market and I've been enjoying their offerings.

 

I'm of the mind that there can never be too much good beer in an area; and Founders makes good beer. I can understand their not wanting to go to the trouble of distributing to a region they feel is already over-saturated, but my hope is that they will eventually decide in favor of limited allocation in key NW markets. They could sell that much more beer, and we'd have that much more to choose from and enjoy. Win win.

 

The same thing could be said about our breweries and why people other places don't know about them.

If Founders came here, people would respond just like regions where Deschutes has recently started distribution: Initial excitement, then shelf turding and "when's the next limited release coming out?"

Also, Surly has a distribution license for WA. They can send stuff whenever they'd like, but only do it for random events at Brouwers and Toronado.

 

Yes, what the Midwest and South are to BBQ, the NW is to craft beer. As a vegetarian and beer-lover, I'm perfectly happy with the situation. Maybe, as a carnivore, it will improve for you in time. For now, at least, you have good beer in abundance to soften your disappointments. That ain't too bad.

 

It would only give the multitude of comparable local breweries an excuse to raise their prices to match the imported stuff.

 

You may be right, and I can only (as always) speak for myself; but if Founders was here, I'd buy their Imperial Stout, Porter, Breakfast Stout, and more limited releases (like KBS and Backwoods Bastard) whenever I saw them. I'd also at least try all the other beers from them I've yet to have.

 

Just wait...after barely a year here, for me, CA seems like worlds away...I try some local WA faves just to have some imports.

 

Having moved to the PNW only a few years ago, I too miss being able to get Founders regularly (also Jack's Abby, Ithaca, Captain Lawrence, Maine, Tree House, Allagash, Troegs, etc).

While it is true that there is an abundance of great beer in WA, I have not found anything that compares to Breakfast Stout. Although the fresh Cowiche and KDS will just have to do.

 

KC style BBQ food truck sets up at Chuck's CD every Thursday.

 

Ive seen a few East coast /midwest brewers try to break into Oregon over the years.
Its hard as their stuff seems to be a good few dollars more than the PNW beers for the same kind of beer.