Cheers to 25 years of Widmer. Thanks to jmascio on Flickr for the photo.

Cheers to Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland, OR for their upcoming 25th anniversary. They’ve been a key piece of the growth of the craft beer industry in the NW, and I’ll look forward to another 25 years of beer from them. They will be releasing a 9.8% ABV double alt by the name of “84/09” in May, with a very reasonable SRP of $5.99/22oz bottle for such a high alcohol beer.

WIDMER BROTHERS BREWING PROSTS 25 YEARS OF GREAT BEER
– Brothers’ quarter-life crisis venture hits its own quarter-life mark –
 
PORTLAND, Ore. – March 3, 2009 – On April 2, two ordinary brothers from Portland, Ore. who set out in 1984 to brew beers that people loved as much as they did will be celebrating the 25th Anniversary of their dream – Widmer Brothers Brewing – which has become an established and revered name in the world of craft beer.  The company’s humble founders, Kurt and Rob, have been instrumental in shaping the American craft brewing industry and earning Portland the well-deserved nickname “Beervana.” Here are just a few of the contributions they have made over the past quarter-century:
 
Widmer Hefeweizen: In 1986, Kurt and Rob took a risk and created the first unfiltered beer in the US, creating a new beer style – American Hefeweizen – and introducing what would become the company’s signature brew.  Today, Widmer Hefeweizen remains one of the best selling wheat beers in the country and the standard by which all other American-style Hefeweizens are judged.
 
Seasonals: Widmer Brothers was the first US brewer to launch a seasonal offering when Festbier was introduced in the winter of 1985. Building upon its success, Widmer became the first US brewer to produce a year-round line up of seasonal beers, a practice which is now commonplace.
 
Oregon Brew Fest: In 1988 the Oregon Brewer’s Guild, of which Kurt and Rob were founding members, launched the Oregon Brewer’s Festival.  Today, the event is the largest outdoor craft beer festival in the country, drawing more than 70,000 attendees.
 
After 25 years, Kurt and Rob Widmer continue to be hands-on in the creation of beers and the brewery’s day-to-day activities.  In addition, the brothers have been supporting home brewers through the Collaborator Project for more than a decade.  Each year they identify the best Oregon-made homebrew, then allow the creator to produce it at the Widmer brewery and sell it on tap at a number of Portland-area bars, including the Gasthaus.
 
To celebrate its milestone, Widmer Brothers will be releasing a commemorative 25th Anniversary limited-edition brew, a double alt dubbed 84/09. Though inspired by the brothers’ very first offering, Widmer Alt, 8409 will provide drinkers with a whole new beer experience at a whopping 9.8% ABV.  The 25th Anniversary 22 oz bottle will be available in 12 select West Coast markets* in May, with an SRP of $5.99. 
 
About Widmer Brothers Brewing
What started as a dream for two ordinary brothers who just loved beer has now become a reality for two ordinary brothers who still just love beer. Kurt and Rob Widmer helped lead the Pacific Northwest craft beer movement in 1984 when, in their twenties, they dreamed of brewing American interpretations of authentic European style beers. In 1986, Widmer Brothers Brewing introduced the first American-style Hefeweizen; today, the unfiltered cloudy beer is the company’s signature brew and one of the best selling wheat beers in the country. Based in Portland, Ore., the brewery currently produces a variety of beers including Drop Top Amber Ale and Broken Halo IPA. For more information about Widmer Brothers Brewing, visit www.widmer.com.
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*Look for Widmer’s 8409 on shelves in AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, OR, NM, NV, TX, WA and WY.