Published Sep-22-2011
In 2010, eight breweries in Deschutes County reported taxable barrels of beer to the OLCC. Those eight brewers sold 106,115 barrels of beer, 27 percent of the total barrels sold in the state by Oregon breweries and brew pubs. In people terms, local breweries and brew pubs sold 222 pints per Deschutes County resident of legal drinking age in one year. This was more than six times the number sold by all Oregon breweries and brew pubs per Oregon resident of legal drinking age last year. Since 2005, Deschutes Brewery sold at least 20 percent of the state's total taxable barrels concocted by Oregon breweries and brew pubs.
In Oregon, there were approximately 3,000 jobs at the 94 breweries and brew pubs that reported taxable barrels of beer in 2010. Not all of the 94 businesses on the OLCC list reported employment last year, but 80 firms did report. The reported jobs made up just 0.2 percent of the state's total employment.
Deschutes County breweries and brew pubs reported 450 jobs in 2010. That is 15 percent of all of the brewing employment in the state. For a county that had 4 percent (one of every 25 jobs) of the state's total employment that year, one out of seven jobs in Oregon brewing is quite impressive.
Several breweries that have been announced in Deschutes County have not sold barrels of beer yet this year: GoodLife Brewing Co; Phat Matt's Brewing Co; 856 Brewing Co; and Ale Apothecary. Although they are brewing and selling beer, Old Mill Brew Werks does not appear on the OLCC list because their beer is reportedly brewed at Silver Moon's facility. Old Mill Brew Werks plans to take over the brewing facility to be vacated by 10 Barrel by the end of the year.
If the current ratio continues where each brewery in Deschutes County on average has 56 jobs, there's more than just more beer on the horizon for Central Oregon. There are future employment opportunities too.