Widmer Brothers Brewery
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founder | Kurt Widmer, Robert Widmer |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon , United States |
| Parent | Craft Brew Alliance, Inc. |
Widmer Brothers is a brewery established in 1984 in Portland, Oregon by siblings Kurt and Robert Widmer. It operates under the umbrella of Craft Brew Alliance, Inc., which ranked as the 12th largest brewing enterprise in the United States as of 2017.
Details
Widmer Brothers launched their distinctive "Hefeweizen" beer in 1986—an American adaptation of the traditional Hefeweizen style. Departing from the original's characteristic yeast-driven flavor, their version is an unfiltered wheat beer brewed with Cascade hops. This innovation, termed "American Hefeweizen," along with the custom of garnishing wheat beers with a lemon wedge, has since gained broad popularity.
In November 2007, Widmer Brothers combined forces with Redhook Ale Brewery, creating Craft Brewers Alliance, which was rebranded as Craft Brew Alliance in 2012. Both brands continued to be marketed under the merged entity. Before this union, Redhook was responsible for brewing and distributing Widmer products on the East Coast. Anheuser-Busch maintained a minority ownership stake near 32% until divesting it to Tilray on August 8, 2023.
On January 22, 2019, Widmer Brothers ceased operations at their Portland taproom after serving customers for 22 years.
In April 2021, Widmer Brothers introduced official beers representing Portland’s professional soccer franchises: IPA 'Til I Die for the Portland Timbers and Slide Tackle Hazy IPA for the Portland Thorns, coinciding with the start of their 2021 MLS seasons.
Beers
Below is an overview of notable beers from Widmer’s lineup.
Year-round
- Drifter Pale Ale, Pale ale
- Drop Top Amber, a blend of Amber and Red ale
- Hefeweizen, an American style Wheat ale / Hefeweizen
- Upheaval IPA, an IPA
- Steel Bridge Porter, a classic Porter
Seasonal
- Brrr Seasonal Ale, a NW red ale
- Hefe Berry Lime, a variation of Hefeweizen
- Deadlift Imperial IPA, a robust Imperial IPA
- Hefe Hopfruit
- Hefe Twisted Citrus
Limited release
- Barrel Aged Brrrbon (Vintage), categorized as a Winter warmer
- Galaxy Hopped Barleywine, a type of Barleywine
- Kill Devil Brown Ale, belonging to the Brown Ale style
- Raspberry Russian Imperial Stout (Vintage), a variant of Russian Imperial Stout
- Rotator IPA Series
- SXNW: South By Northwest, characterized as a spiced ale