Back in ’79 it was tough for brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer to find beer that they enjoyed to drink. So, they took it into their own hands and began home brewing for themselves and their friends.
1984 – KURT AND ROB QUIT THEIR JOBS
Tired of working in the corporate world, Kurt and Rob decide to do what most people only dream of: quit their jobs and turn their beer hobby into a vocation. So, they scrounged up equipment from wherever they could, including a dairy tank turned mash tun, a shrimp cooker turned whirlpool and a 1970 Datsun pickup truck “borrowed” from their dad. Cobbling it all together, they built the Widmer Brewing Company in an industrial part of NW Portland, what is now the Pearl District.
1984 – WIDMER BREWING COMPANY OPENS
Widmer Brewing Company officially opens on April 2, 1984. Inspired by their German connections, the very first beer they perfect is Altbier, translated from German means “old beer.” Shortly after, the brothers follow up with Weizenbier, their interpretation of a filtered wheat beer.
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