Oregon Brewers & Hop Growers Partner on Wild & Scenic Earth Day Collaboration Series

With Earth Day just a few days away, the Oregon brewing industry has come together on a new Wild & Scenic Earth Day Collaboration Series. The Oregon Brewshed Alliance has brought together six Oregon breweries along with Coleman Agriculture and Yakima Chief Hops on these six new beers that have been released this week.

Coleman Agriculture and Yakima Chief Hops have generously donated Citra®, Mosaic®, and Simcoe® hops to the six participating breweries who in turn are brewing special beers to honor their respective brewsheds and raise awareness about the need to protect Oregon’s rivers.

Participating breweries include pFriem Family Brewers, Sunriver Brewing Co., Deschutes Brewery, Cascade Lakes Brewing, Binary Brewing, and Leikam Brewing.

Oregon’s brewing community knows better than anyone that“Great beer starts with clean water!” This is why the community is on board with the River Democracy Act from U.S. Senator Ron Wyden.

The River Democracy Act proposes a bold expansion of new river protections across Oregon. This historic legislation calls for protecting over 3,200 miles of Oregon’s waterways as federally designated and protected Wild & Scenic Rivers.The River Democracy Act is the result of a groundbreaking grassroots river nomination process, multi-years of vetting, and the work of hundreds of activists and river enthusiasts advocating for their backyard rivers, drinking watersheds, fishing holes, hiking trails, kayak routes, and love of the wildlands and rivers of Oregon. Over 15,000 river nominations were received from the public. Additionally, over 50 Oregon breweries sent a letter to Senator Wyden voicing their strong support for protecting Oregon’s rivers, creeks, and streams.

“From growing, to processing and brewing; I think the central importance of water across the beer industry is a really cool connection point we all share and can enthusiastically get behind,” said Coleman Agriculture’s Program Manager Garrett Weaver. “We are thrilled to be working in collaboration with YCH and the Brewshed® Alliance along with several breweries on the Wild & Scenic Beer Series this year!”

“Seeing the snow-capped peaks just beyond the hop fields reminds us how lucky we are to have access to such pristine water,” says Levi Wyatt, YCH’s Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility. “It is also a reminder that we have the responsibility to protect these river systems, not just for the next harvest but also for the next generation. We don’t just grow hops in the Pacific Northwest, we live and recreate here. Scenic and healthy waterways are an important part of our lives. We are thrilled to partner with our friends at Coleman Agriculture to support the environmental advocacy work of the Oregon Brewshed Alliance.”

“Supporting the passage of the River Democracy Act should be a top conservation priority for anyone who values clean water and Oregon’s amazing brewing community,” said Oregon Wild’s Jonathan Jelen.

The watersheds that these breweries utilize are listed below with details on each of the beers in the Wild & Scenic Beer Series…

Tumalo Creek / Bridge Creek Brewsheds
The namesake Tumalo Creek as well as the headwater streams like Bridge Creek are some of the waterways in this brewshed that stand to gain new protections via the River Democracy Act.

Bridge Creek Brown IPA (6.3% abv, draft in Bend tasting room), Deschutes Brewery – Citra®, Mosaic® and Simcoe® hops bring citrus and pine notes to balance a sturdy malt backbone with notes of caramel and dried fruit.

“Our amazing watershed in Bend is one of the biggest reasons that our city is home to so many top-quality breweries. Our water is pristine, making it ideal for brewing. The importance of protecting this precious resource goes well beyond making great beer, but it’s also one aspect that I appreciate.” – Robin Johnson, Head-brewer, Deschutes Public House

Cascade Earth IPA (7.0%, available in draft at Bend & Redmond pubs), Cascade Lakes Brewing – A light, approachable malt body punctuated by the fruity dankness of Simcoe® hops!

“Clean water is essential for life. Clean water is also essential for excellent beer. Some of us would argue that excellent beer is essential to an excellent life. Let’s all work together for clean water.” – Ryan Schmiege, Cascade Lakes Brewmaster

Upper Deschutes Brewshed
Fall River and key tributaries of the iconic Metolius River both stand to gain new protections via the River Democracy Act.

Alluvial IPA (7.0%, on draft & in cans at their pubs), Sunriver Brewing Co. – Alluvial is a collaborative IPA brewed with Oregon Wild, along with our friends at Coleman Agriculture and Yakima Chief Hops. Hopped exclusively with Oregon-grown hops sourced directly from Coleman’s fields, this beer features the brightest varieties available to a brewer. Alluvial throws big notes of mixed berries, candied grapefruit, evergreen, and passionfruit.

“At Sunriver Brewing Company we pride ourselves on the quality and consistency of our beer. A big part of that profile comes from our water sources in the Upper Deschutes watershed. As a brewer, once you’ve experienced brewing with water from a high-quality watershed, you’ll never again take your water for granted. In my opinion, it’s the single most important ingredient in making great beer.” – Brett Thomas, Sunriver Brewing Director of Brewing Operations

Tualatin River Brewshed
Critical drinking watershed for the community of Beaverton.

R.I. / Riparian Intelligence IPA (6.0%, draft), Binary Brewing – Riparian Intelligence is a modern West Coast IPA. With just the right amount of bitterness and lots of late hop additions to accentuate the aromas and flavors of the Citra®, Mosaic®, and Simcoe®hops, R.I. is a drinkable refreshing quaff to celebrate the coming of warmer weather and the Tualatin River.

Bull Run Brewshed
Oregon Wild and partners helped to increase protections for Portland’s drinking water in 1996 and further protected it in 2001.

Third Stone From the Sun Pale Ale (6.0%, draft & cans), Leikam Brewing – A hoppy pale ale with Coleman-grown Mosaic®, Citra® and Simcoe® hops.

“Clean Water = Good Beer. We know Bull Run is the best watershed in Oregon and makes the best beer.” – Sonia Marie Leikam, Owner

Hood River Brewshed
The West Fork Hood River and Cold Springs Creek (Tamanawas Falls) are two of the waterways in this brewshed that stand to gain new protections via the River Democracy Act.

pFriem + Oregon Wild IPA (7.0% abv, available on draft), pFriem Family Brewers – You can’t brew great beer without great water! This IPA was brewed in partnership with Oregon Wild to celebrate Earth Day, and features Salmon Safe malt from LINC Malting and experimental hops from the USDA public breeding program; all grown in the Pacific Northwest. The result is a bright, fruit-forward and citrusy IPA!

“We always say, “you need great water to make great beer”. We are lucky to live in a watershed abundant with beautiful, clean, crisp water. Water is the primary ingredient in beer, and all brewers should be obsessed with protecting this irreplaceable natural resource.” – Rudy Kellner, CEO, pFriem