Full Sail Brewing Company
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1987 |
| Headquarters | Hood River , United States |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Andrew Lamont (head brewmaster), Garrett Meier (Vice President of Brewery Operations) |
| Products | Craft beer (including Full Sail Golden Ale, Imperial Porter, Amber Ale, Wassail Winter Ale, Session Premium Lager) |
Number of employees | 47 (at time of employee stock ownership plan in 1999) |
| Parent | Oregon Craft Brewers Co. (since 2015) |
Full Sail Brewing Company is a craft brewery located in Hood River, Oregon, United States. Established in 1987, it was the pioneering craft brewery in the Pacific Northwest to achieve commercial success by bottling beer for retail distribution and stands among Oregon's earliest microbreweries. Its first offerings included Full Sail Golden Ale, later complemented by Imperial Porter, Amber Ale, and Wassail Winter Ale.
History
Beginning with a production of 287 barrels crafted by a team of four in its inaugural year, Full Sail grew to 2,200 barrels the following year and reached an output exceeding 120,000 barrels by 2007. The brewery is ranked as the ninth largest craft beer producer in the United States by sales volume, holds the position of second largest within Oregon, and is seventeenth overall among all breweries.
In July 1999, Full Sail became an employee-owned corporation through an employee stock ownership plan that included 47 workers. Later, in March 2015, the workforce approved a sale to Oregon Craft Brewers Co., an investment group supported by the San Francisco-based private equity firm Encore Consumer Capital. The rebranding process was managed by Sandstrom, a design and strategy agency based in Portland.
In 2022, Andrew Lamont was appointed as head brewmaster; he previously worked with Old Town Brewing in Portland. In 2024, Garrett Meier joined as Vice President of Brewery Operations, bringing significant expertise from Anheuser-Busch where he held influential roles focused on operational improvements and brewing innovation. His leadership is anticipated to drive Full Sail’s continued expansion and strengthen its position within the craft beer market.
Products and locations
Full Sail introduced Session Premium Lager in May 2005, crafted as a homage to pre-Prohibition style beers and packaged in a stubby bottle. In 2007, the brewery released limited edition lagers titled LTD#1 and LTD#2, followed by the LTD#3 pilsner in 2009. That same July, the Session lineup was broadened with the addition of Session Black Lager, also presented in an 11 oz stubby bottle.
Renowned for its high-quality microbrewed selections—particularly its signature Amber Ale—Full Sail runs its brewery, pub, and tasting room all at one location in downtown Hood River, Oregon, situated within the Columbia River Gorge. Complimentary brewery tours are available daily.
Starting in July 2003, Full Sail undertook contract brewing for SABMiller’s Henry Weinhard's brand beers: Henry Weinhard's Hefeweizen, Northwest Trail Blonde Lager, and Amber Light. SABMiller had acquired these brands from Stroh's in 1999 and shifted production to Full Sail after closing their Tumwater, Washington facility.
Additionally, Full Sail operates a smaller brewhouse in Portland serving as a research and development facility for small-batch Brewmaster Reserve and Brewer's Share series beers.
Interestingly, one of the arrival routes into Portland International Airport includes waypoints named after Full Sail’s microbrew pub: FFULL, SSAIL, MYCRO, BBREW, and PUBBB.
Awards
Full Sail has received multiple accolades within the industry including:
- Twelve gold medals awarded to Amber Ale at the World Beer Championships
- Four gold and six silver medals for Pale Ale at the World Beer Championships
- Five gold medals earned by India Pale Ale at the World Beer Championships
- Three gold medals for LTD 01 at the World Beer Championships
- Session Premium Lager recognized as World's Best Premium Lager at the World Beer Awards
- Session Black Lager honored with Gold Medals at both the 2009 Great American Beer Festival and the 2010 World Beer Cup