Brewer Spotlight

Wild River Brewing, Grants Pass, Oregon

It isn't a stretch to say this place is an unknown for most of you, but if you find yourself in Southern Oregon you are going to want to find your way to Wild River Brewing Company for some afternoon grub and grog. Wild River brews mostly traditional European styled beers, such as their Kolsch, but also provide the public with an IPA we at PBN have enjoyed time and again. In December last year Rick made his first visit to the Grants Pass location and was treated to a brewery tour with the Head Brewer, Scott Butts. On this tour Rick was informed that the flagship Kolsch at Wild River is fermented with a yeast provided by Cologne's renowned Paffgen Brewery - the home of the Kolsch style.

According to the company website Jerry and Bertha Miller began brewing in 1990 and have continued to brew small batches (15BBL) of hand crafted ales and lagers. The food there is standard pub and pizza, of good quality, but I suggest you focus on the brews. We believe there are two noteworthy brewers in Southern Oregon (places worth the effort to seek out and spend time at): Caldera Brewing, in Ashland, and Wild River. We don't think you can go wrong in your beer ordering, they simply make fantastic beer.

If you travel here in heat of the summer you should focus on the lighter beers, like the before-mentioned Kolsch. This beer is light in body, clean finishing with a wonderful hop crispness. The hops, and the yeast, are German in character. The hops, with a peppery, somewhat earthy, profile come through clearly in the aroma and the flavor, while not lingering or overwhelming. In all, I would characterize this as one of our favorite Kolsch's brewing in the USA.

Of course, not everyone appreciates the old European styles. For those looking for a powerful American ale, they have the IPA that will not disappoint. This brew is dedicated to challenging the palates of west coast beer enthusiasts, presenting a powerful American hop aroma and overall profile - resinous, floral and quite clean. The bitterness is wonderfully powerful, balanced somewhat with the toasted malt backbone. Wild River has sold at least four cases of this IPA to the PBN crew, which is great for travelers like us who want to share with friends and enjoy in the future.

Besides the Kolsch and the IPA, Wild River also brews a German style Hefeweizen, Bohemian Pilsner, Nut Brown Ale, ESB, Imperial Stout, Weizen Bock (Spring), Blackberry Porter (Summer), Oktoberfest (Fall) and Old Ale (Winter). From experience, if you're there in the Winter you must find the Old Ale. I imagine, if you could get your hands on some bottled versions of this, you'd be doing yourself a favor by laying it down for a year, even though it doesn't need it.

So, next time you find yourself in Southern Oregon and wanting a good beer, stop by one of their locations in Grants Pass, Brookings, Cave Junction and (coming soon) Medford. When your there, tell them PBN sent you.

- Rick Sellers
Pacific Brew News
8/06