OUR Brands
Highway 26 runs from Cannon Beach, Oregon all the way to Nebraska. Most of that stretch doesn't really mean a lot to us. However this western most stretch means a lot to us. Starting at the beautiful Oregon coast and running up to Mt. Hood with Portland as the perfect centerpiece, Highway 26 holds things near and dear to us. Oceans, mountains, and one of the best cities in the world.
We love the northwest and are incredibly grateful to call it home. We strive to make Northwest Style Beers for Northwest Lifestyles.
HOW WE CAME ABOUT…
Back in 2013 two friends who loved to brew started thinking about building a bigger brewing system so that they could brew bigger batches together. While researching that they came across Nano Breweries that not only broke even, but some that were actually able to turn a profit! So they started the process…
Turn the clock forward to today. While one of the founders stepped out of the operation, the other is plugging away. Not only have we grown, it’s successful. Small scale, small batches, high quality, and a pursuit of perfection in a pint glass.
Thank you for the support!
Cheers!
Freebridge Brewing is the dream of a fifth generation Oregon ranch family – Steve Light and Laurie Petroff-Light. On Laurie’s Matriarchal side, Great Grandma Matilda Hendricks walked into Fort Dalles Oregon as a young girl on the Oregon trail. Most likely over the Freebridge. Today, the Petroff family continues to farm wheat and run cattle in the Fifteen Mile Creek valley.
The story about the “Freebridge” goes that the "Moody" toll bridge charged 25 cents for each wagon crossing. The “Freebridge” over the Deschutes River just south... and built earlier where at first was an Oregon Trail ferry crossing... was as the name Implies, "free". This was until the Freebridge was “mysteriously” blown down...on fire. By the Moody’s? Today, there are no hard feelings just great folklore. Ohhh the wild west.
The story doesn't end there. Freebridge Brewing is located in the uniquely historical building known as "The Mint". When gold was discovered in Eastern Oregon in 1860, the gold had to be shipped to the San Francisco Mint for processing by pack train and sternwheeler through The Dalles. This was a dangerous task and prompted Congress and President Abraham Lincoln in 1864 to approve building a branch of the US Mint in "Dalles City". Despite several attempts to move the location to Portland, construction of The Mint actually started in 1869, but after construction delays and the Eastern Oregon gold rush ending, The Mint was never fully completed. Today, much of the buildings interior has been restored and is available for you to now enjoy the "liquid gold" that is being minted out of our brewhouse. Cheers!
One of the best things about opening a brewery is the smile people get when you tell them. Everybody wants great beer… especially in Portland, Oregon where beer flows like the Willamette, through the heart of the city. It was a pipe dream at first. Theo had been brewing beer as a hobby for about 6 years, but start a brewery? In our backyard? We talked about it for months. Then, while visiting Costa Rica with our family, we sat down and said “That’s it, no more talking–we are going to do it!” With three boys now under the age of 10, it has been a crazy ride full of late nights and long, unexpected obstacles… and laughter.
Theo is our CEO/President/Founder and responsible for all brewery operations. Theo also doubles as our “Master Brewer” and recipe development “team”, accounting, purchasing, shipping and receiving, muscle and more. He is also our keg washer, janitor, head of maintenance, and everything else.
Sonia Marie is our Co-Founder/Marketing Director/ Sales Executive/ Social Media Ambassador and preforms “other duties as assigned.” As assistant brewer, she is also responsible for finding creative ways to use spent grains, watering the hops in the yard and friendly customer service.
Our fruit is sourced and pressed in the Hood River Gorge farming region. The soil in the Hood River Gorge is nourished by the nutrient-rich Columbia River. Most of our cider and wine is fermented down to 1.000 specific gravity to make use of every last gram of sugar present inside of the fresh apples. This gives the Queen Orchard Apple Cider Wine its succulent taste which pairs perfectly with any meal. To begin with, we believe that in using fresh quality ingredients you will end up with a product that is unmatched by any that stand in comparison. There is no artificial flavor that can beat the flavor of a quality apple grown in and made in the Pacific Northwest. With most of our cider and wines, we do not use sulfites, back sweeten with processed sugars, or use artificial products in order to maintain the quality base ingredient of our apples.
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The heart of any neighborhood was always the corner grocery. It’s where people lingered, chatting with their friends and catching up on the latest gossip. In that spirit West Coast Grocery Co. is your corner brewery-a place that serves good food and good beer just the way the neighborhood likes it. A place where you’ll run into your friends. We have 12 beers on tap and a kitchen serving everything from sandwiches to meals. So please stop by, munch on some celery, drink a pint, and tell us what’s up. Or at least wave Hi through the windows. https://www.westcoastgrocerycompany.com