Portland Brewing Company
 | |
| Industry | Alcoholic beverage |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1986 |
| Defunct | 2021 |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon United States |
| Products | Beer |
| Owner | Florida Ice & Farm Co. |
Portland Brewing Company was a brewery situated in Portland, Oregon, recognized as one of the early innovators in Portland's craft beer movement. Between 2004 and 2013, it operated under the name MacTarnahan's Brewing Company, before reverting to its original branding prior to closing in early 2021. At the time of its closure, it was owned by the Costa Rican corporation Florida Ice & Farm Co..
History
Established in 1986 by Fred Bowman, Art Larrance, and Jim Goodwin, with financial backing of $25,000 from investor Robert Malcolm "Mac" MacTarnahan, the brewery gained recognition through MacTarnahan’s Amber Ale, launched in 1992 as its signature offering. Facing financial challenges in 1998, MacTarnahan converted $3.5 million of debt into equity to stabilize the company, which led to the brewery adopting his name for branding purposes.
In 2000, Portland Brewing combined operations with Saxer Brewing Company based in Lake Oswego, Oregon. Four years later, in 2004, MacTarnahan sold the enterprise to Seattle-based Pyramid Breweries, which rebranded the facility as MacTarnahan's Brewing Company while keeping its existing beer lineup intact. After MacTarnahan’s passing that same year, Pyramid was acquired by Magic Hat Brewing Company in 2008.
Magic Hat was subsequently purchased by North American Breweries located in Rochester, New York in 2010. This company was then acquired by Costa Rica’s Florida Ice & Farm Co. in 2012. The brewery reclaimed its original Portland Brewing Company name in 2013.
On January 8, 2021, Portland Brewing Company declared it would discontinue all operations.
Beers
The brewery’s portfolio earned multiple accolades including gold medals at both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Championships, as well as a silver medal at the 2016 World Beer Cup. Among its distinguished brews were MacTarnahan's Amber Ale, Noble Scot Scottish-style ale, and BlackWatch Cream Porter.
Governator Ale
Governator Ale was an American-style Extra special bitter introduced in 2004 to commemorate Arnold Schwarzenegger's election as Governor of California. The beer was withdrawn shortly after release due to legal challenges initiated by Schwarzenegger's legal representatives.
Jerome Chicvara, who served as Portland Brewing’s CEO at the time, developed the beer as a "tribute" to Schwarzenegger, drawing inspiration from a widely used nickname that combined his Terminator film persona with his gubernatorial role. Unlike many novelty brews, this ale aimed to be a high-quality product rather than a mere marketing gimmick.
The Oregon-based brewery obtained federal approval for the label and produced 3,200 cases of 22-ounce bottles intended for distribution within California. The packaging depicted a generic male bodybuilder under the fictitious "Pumping Iron Brewing" brand to avoid using Schwarzenegger’s actual image. Nevertheless, Schwarzenegger’s attorneys asserted that his publicity rights had been infringed and demanded an immediate halt to production. After Portland Brewing was acquired by Pyramid Breweries, Inc., production ceased early in 2004.