The Widmer Way: How Two Brothers Led Portland's Craft Beer Revolution

The story of Portland, Oregon's now internationally-famous craft beer scene, told through the lens of brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer. Their journey from humble homebrewers to craft beer pioneers and purveyors of the iconic Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen is a great business case study and inspiring tale of turning a passion into a movement. Alworth also dives deep into Portland’s history, setting the scene for Widmer’s rise in the city now known for its exquisite beer. Drawing from tons of interviews and archival research, Jeff Alworth delves into the Widmer family’s beer history, the brothers’ German influence, the brewery’s distribution deal with Anheuser-Busch, the company's community involvement, and the formation of the Craft Brew Alliance, one of the largest craft brewing companies in the United States.