The Oregon Brewshed® Alliance
PROTECTING OREGON BEER AT ITS SOURCE.
Here in Oregon we enjoy recreation on pristine wildlands and impeccable craft brews – sometimes both simultaneously. But without protected watersheds and clean water, neither the wild landscapes nor the hoppy, malty beverages we enjoy could thrive.
Beer is over 90% water, and that water is a product of the land it flows through, so our Northwest microbrews and ciders are intimately connected with our Northwest land. Great beer doesn’t start at the tap…
GREAT BEER BEGINS WITH CLEAN WATER.
The water drawn from the taps of two-thirds of Oregonians comes from our state’s rivers, streams, and lakes. Our cleanest water comes from waterways flowing through unspoiled public forest lands. Unfortunately, many of our waterways have been degraded by pollution, dams, logging, and other development over the last century.
The good news is that by protecting and restoring Oregon’s forests and rivers, we can safeguard our clean water, sustain our economy, and maintain a thriving brewing industry. Recognizing the synergy between the mission of brewing great beer, protecting the rivers and watersheds that make it possible, and the value of good brews and a healthy environment to Oregonians, Oregon Wild has created a partnership between brewing-based businesses and conservationists who are committed to protecting the forests, wildlands, and waters that make our state such a great place to live, work, and enjoy great beer. We call it the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance.
A COMMITMENT TO OREGON COMMUNITIES, CONSERVATION, AND EXCEPTIONAL BEER.
Announced in April 2015, the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance is a coalition of brewers, craft brew community partners, and conservationists advocating for the protection of forests and watersheds. Oregon Wild’s connection to supporting the brewing industry isn’t just based on our staff’s love of craft beer and cider. As a statewide environmental advocacy organization, Oregon Wild has long championed protections for the wildlands, forests, and waters that are so important for the craft brewing industry to thrive. Whether working to protect the headwaters of some of Oregon’s most important rivers through Wilderness and Wild & Scenic River legislation, or working to end logging of our few remaining mature and old-growth forests that help provide clean, cold water to your taps, Oregon Wild is committed to keeping Oregon a great place to live, work, play, and enjoy locally-sourced beer and cider. Learn more and take action for some of these campaigns here (link).
THINK WILD, DRINK WILD.
Oregonians care about what they buy and consume – we’re a values-based community that invests in the quality of what we drink and how it’s made through our consumer choices. So speak your values through each pint; speak up for great beer and the clean water required to make it. When you drink beer crafted by Oregon Brewshed® Alliance member breweries, you’re protecting the beer you love by protecting its source. You’re protecting forests and watersheds and protecting Oregon as a craft brewing icon. When you go out for your next pint, don’t take your beer for granted. Think wild, drink wild (responsibly of course) by supporting Alliance partners and their pledge to protect their brewshed® and craft beer.
WATCH OUR VIDEO AND LEARN MORE
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What is a brewshed® and why is the word trademarked?The term “brewshed®” refers to the watersheds where brewers and breweries source their water to brew craft beer or grow their crops. Beer is over 90% water, so the quality of this essential ingredient is paramount to the quality of the microbrew. Our purest, best-tasting water comes from rivers and streams flowing through unspoiled public forestlands. By protecting and restoring these forest watersheds, we’re protecting the source of Oregon craft beer, cider, and their ingredients. Brewshed® is a trademark of Washington Wild. Our colleagues are working to protect the wildlands and waters in Washington State that allow Washington’s craft brewing industry to thrive through their initiative, the Washington Wild Brewshed® Alliance.
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Who is a part of the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance?Many breweries and related brewing industry businesses and organizations have been a part of the Brewshed® Alliance since it began in April 2015. Current Brewshed® Alliance partners’s logos and information can be found on this site. The Alliance launched with the following partners: Oregon Wild Widmer Brothers Brewing, Portland Migration Brewing, Portland Hopworks Urban Brewery, Portland Claim 52 Brewing, Eugene Elk Horn Brewery, Eugene Fort George Brewery, Astoria GoodLife Brewing, Bend Beers Made By Walking
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What’s the connection to Oregon Wild?Recognizing the synergy between the mission of brewing great beer, protecting the rivers and watersheds that make it possible, and the value of good brews and a healthy environment to Oregonians, Oregon Wild created the Oregon Brewshed Alliance in 2015 as a partnership between brewing-based businesses and conservationists who are committed to protecting the forests, wildlands, and waters. As a statewide environmental advocacy organization founded in 1974, Oregon Wild has long championed protections for the wildlands, forests, and waters that are so important for the craft brewing industry to thrive. Whether working to protect the headwaters of some of Oregon’s most important rivers through Wilderness and Wild & Scenic River legislation, or working to end logging of our few remaining mature and old-growth forests that help provide clean, cold water to your taps, Oregon Wild is committed to keeping Oregon a great place to live, work, play, and enjoy locally-sourced beer and cider. All funds raised through Oregon Brewshed® Alliance directly support Oregon Wild’s conservation efforts to protect forests and watersheds across the state, as well as Alliance outreach and education efforts.
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What does it mean to be a part of the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance?Alliance partners, whether breweries, cideries, or other brewing industry affiliates, recognize the connection between brewing great beer and protecting the forests and watersheds that make it possible. Partners sign up to support Oregon Wild in a variety of ways - from hosting events to making financial contributions to speaking up for conservation campaigns. As Brewshed® Alliance partners, craft breweries demonstrate their long-term commitment to the brewing of exceptional beer with pure, protected, locally-sourced water. Actively promoting its partners to consumers throughout Oregon, the Oregon Brewshed® Alliance is designed to resonate with those who love Oregon, care about the environment, support local businesses, and love good beer. Find out more about what being a Brewshed partner is all about.
