Short Snout Brewing, a Milwaukie home-based nano-brewery, is looking to expand its production and eventually open a brewpub in Milwaukie. They are raising funds through a campaign on the fundraising site Kickstarter.
Brewmaster and proprieter Brian VanOrnum says Short Snout Brewing will “focus on delivering high quality, hand crafted, unique and flavorful beers. American style ales with a heavy NW influence.” He says he plans to have a Cascadian Dark Ale in regular rotation, as well as a hoppy Amber/Red ale. VanOrnum also has some more adventuresome brewing ideas and wants to create “well thought out, unique flavor combinations that accentuate the drinking experience.” He says he plans on utilizing unique ingredients like full leaf teas, herbs, and spices. One of his more unique ideas is an American Wheat blended with Riesling juice. Fortunately, he also works for a winery that produces mostly Riesling. He says that “the winemaker was so impressed with it that we actually shopped around a little bit to see if we could get the brew commercially produced. Hopefully that will be one of our first releases!” That sounds like a brew the craft beer community would be excited to try too.
The brewery’s first phase is to expand into a 1.5 barrel operation. The ultimate goal according to VanOrnum is to have a “Brewery/Pub/Concert venue (a la the former Wild Duck in Eugene). Though that dream still exists we’ve pulled back a little on that and decided starting the brewery portion of that first was an best route to take.”
Short Snout’s name comes from the VanOrnum’s two pugs, Buster and Bella. “These two pugs just want to be loved and paid attention to, just like that pint I pour after coming home from a long day,” says VanOrnum, “They don’t judge and return our love unconditionally. And best of all they’re just great fun and a joy to be around.” VanOrnum wants the brewery to be community focused, and says that with the Kickstarter campaign, Short Snout will be a truly community funded brewery. He is also working with community organizations and charities: “I’m still working out details but have been talking to a few local non profit organizations (canine focused for now) on how we can help each other out.”
With Portland proper filled with breweries of all sizes, Short Snout would bring a much needed craft beer presence to the up-and-coming Milwaukie, Oregon area. VanOrnum says he wants to “expand the “beer border” that seems to exist between Portland proper and the surrounding suburbs. “Though not ignoring Portland there will be a heavy focus on the surrounding area,” he says. “The ultimate goal would be to have a pub opened up in Milwaukie. With the Max extending out to the city, a push to bring baseball back to the city, and a general revitalization of the downtown area I think there’s a great opportunity there. Beer geeks live in Milwaukie too!”
Getting this project kick started has been a craft-beer community effort. Some of VanOrnum’s biggest supporters are the newly formed/founded group PDX Beer Geeks (www.pdxbeergeeks.com). VanOrnum says the group is “in existence to really make the craft beer ‘scene’ more of a community and less intimidating for everyone. The support they’ve shown not only to myself but with the Kickstarter campaign and my quest to have Short Snout Brewing become a reality has been intense to say the least. I held an informal tasting party this past July attended by around 75 people, more than half of which are now members of that group. They’ve been my strongest and loudest cheerleaders for sure.”
To find out more about Short Snout and their kick starter campaign, check out their campaign page, and find them on Facebook and Twitter.
Posted under beer news, brewpubs, Oregon beer
This post was written by Aaron on October 19, 2011
