Thinking of Moving to Oregon for beer. Looking for Advice

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ohill1981

ohill1981

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We'll i have been kicking around the idea of getting out of Alabama and moving out west and attempting to get a job at one of the many breweries out there. I was considering checkin out the portland area, only because i have a couple of friends out there and it would make it a little easier to move around a few folks i know. I am far from a beer expert and have only been home brewing for 5 months, but this new hobby as turned me on and i want to see what it looks like on a larger scale. So i figured if i could get a job at one of the breweries it would be a good start if not a mandatory task i would have to do to gain a better understanding of what it would take to possibly open my own brewery someday or at least make a living making beer for another brewery.

I was curious if any of you kind folks on this message board had any tips/advice on this crazy idea i have :) such as:

What breweries in Oregon would be nice to work at?
What kind of pay do the lower totem poll workers get?
What kind of hours would i expect to be working?
Is doing this full time possible?
Just anything that would give me some more info on what to expect/look for when i go out there at the end of July to scout out the place...


I figure nothing in life happens without you getting off you're ass to do it so sitting around talking about is only numbing my cheeks. So any advice at all would be great!!!!! :mug:
 
The best advice I can give you is don't do it! :)

Seriously though...competition is fierce out here and the jobs are limited. Be prepared to make minimum wage, MAYBE a few cents more. Also, be ready to do the grunt work, moving sacks of grain, cleaning and lots of it, etc. I'd look outside of Portland personally but who knows. Start contacting folks now. I had better luck getting yeast slurry from folks than I had trying to get a part time job mopping floors...
 
ohill1981 said:
We'll i have been kicking around the idea of getting out of Alabama and moving out west and attempting to get a job at one of the many breweries out there. I was considering checkin out the portland area, only because i have a couple of friends out there and it would make it a little easier to move around a few folks i know. I am far from a beer expert and have only been home brewing for 5 months, but this new hobby as turned me on and i want to see what it looks like on a larger scale. So i figured if i could get a job at one of the breweries it would be a good start if not a mandatory task i would have to do to gain a better understanding of what it would take to possibly open my own brewery someday or at least make a living making beer for another brewery.

I was curious if any of you kind folks on this message board had any tips/advice on this crazy idea i have :) such as:

What breweries in Oregon would be nice to work at?
What kind of pay do the lower totem poll workers get?
What kind of hours would i expect to be working?
Is doing this full time possible?
Just anything that would give me some more info on what to expect/look for when i go out there at the end of July to scout out the place...


I figure nothing in life happens without you getting off you're ass to do it so sitting around talking about is only numbing my cheeks. So any advice at all would be great!!!!! :mug:
Click to expand...

It's not out of Alabama, but you could move to Mobile or Huntsville and try to score a job at either of the breweries there. It would get you some practical experience in a brewery specific job and make you that much more qualified than some joe off the street when you want to step up. I doubt many breweries out there will consider homebrewing as practical experience even if they respect your passion for it.
 
We'll thanks for the info Oregonian, I kind of thought that it would be hard to land a job doing that out there for sure and im sure i have a better chance of landing a job at one in Alabama, but once again it is Alabama and i am pretty burned out on this place. I have a friend out there with a lot of connections so i was hoping she might help me get my foot in the door. So other than portland what town do you feel would give me my best chances of getting work at all?
 
I'd suggest keeping an eye on ProBrewer.com and their classified forum. There was an entry level position in Astoria that was posted last month. 2 or 3 years ago I responded to an add for a brewery near Olympia, WA and got an interview.

Or, if you're up for a challenge just move out here and start knocking on doors. That's basically what I did to get out here. I had enough of the east coast and packed up and left. No job, nothing. Be mindful though that OR has one of the highest if not the highest unemployment rates in the country right now. Finding ANY job out here is tough.
 
It will be definitely be hard , but if you want to be in the brewing industry, there certainly is a lot of it out here. The brewer at one of my local favorites (Lucky Lab NW) started behind the bar, then cleaning kegs, and a few years later he is the head brewer managing 20 or so taps at a time.

Even if you don't get into industry right away, you can probably wiggle your way in somehow, and there is a great homebrew scene out here.

Keep in mind though, that people are constantly moving to Portland while our unemployment rate is going up. There was an article about this in the WSJ yesterday: 'Youth Magnet' Cities Hit Midlife Crisis - WSJ.com

At least there are about 40 breweries you can drown your sorrows in...
 
Try Alaska. You get an incentive/stipend for living there and they have plenty of breweries and brewhouses. I can think of 2 or 3 in Anchorage alone. Beautiful place!
 
I grew up in SW Oregon and absolutely loved it. In fact, SWMBO and I looked at moving back but she changed her mind. We went in March and it was cold and rainy. Yeah, it does that in Oregon I reminded her. Beautiful state and the coast is absolutely gorgeous. Don’t know about the economy though. I’d suggest looking online for the newspapers and the help wanted sections. As I recall the big one was The Oregonian.

Good luck.

Edit: And I would think perfect summers for growing hops!
 
Thanks everyone for your responses I really appreciate it. I will check out all these links and keep an eye out for a position in a brewery Far away from Alabama :)
 
ohill1981 said:
Thanks everyone for your responses I really appreciate it. I will check out all these links and keep an eye out for a position in a brewery Far away from Alabama :)
Click to expand...

Oh c'mon! It's not that bad down here. I mean sure, homebrewing is illegal, beer over 6%ABV is illegal, beer in containers over 16oz are illegal, the house and senate never pass any bills because of the little loop-holes that remain in the constitution says they can fillibuster anything at anytime even if that topic means the salary of educators......

Ok. You're right. It pretty much sucks down here. But the scenery is nice!
 
I echo Kilted Brewer's comments exactly. I have a friend who's a master brewer at McMenamin's (a chain of brewpubs), and he loves brewing, but tells me that he often has to remind himself of that as he's doing the same thing, over and over. Professional brewing is not as rewarding as hobby brewing, from what I've learned. You and I, as home brewers, do this out of the love of creating new recipes and sharing the fruits of our labor with friends. When a batch goes off, you pour it out, and that's the breaks.

But when you're a pro, you gotta have the exact same results, batch after batch, and you're responsible for wasting hundreds of gallons at a time when one little infection or bad recipe ingredient causes you to have to pour it out. You're working for The Man, not for yourself and your friends. It's a slog, moving sacks upon sacks of grain, sanitizing fermenters that stand taller than you, mucking around in your workboots, and repeating the same recipes over and over because that's what's on the menu.

But that's just what I hear.
</end rant>
 
Yeah, I had to get out of Alabama as fast as I could after spending the first 26 years of my life there. I'm currently in the Atlanta area. There are at least a few good breweries in this area. It may not be as far away as you'd like to go, but it probably wouldn't hurt to look into them anyway. The three I can think of right off hand are the Sweetwater Brewing Company, The Atlanta Brewing Company, and the Terrapin Brewing Company (in Athens, about an hour away).

And to the naysayers, I both agree and disagree. I've considered applying for positions at breweries myself, even though it's not at all what I studied for in college. But if I were to take a job like that, it wouldn't be because I wanted to work at said brewery for the rest of my life. I'd do it so I could have hands on training in how to make beer on a larger scale and hopefully learn a few things that I can't learn on my own without help. Eventually, I'd like to have my own small brewery or brewpub. Which reminds me, perhaps you should look into a good brewpub as a possibility for a brewing job as well. It's a longshot, I know, and my dream may never happen. But sitting here working at my crappy tech support job without some thought of getting out of it is living death, so I'll hold onto it for now.
 
If you have experience in restaurant work, you can try getting a foot in the door as a line cook or as part of the pubstaff.

If you can pass a 10 year fingerprint check and don't mind weird hours, you could try applying for a job at rogue or laurelwood brewpubs in the Airport. It seems they are always hiring.
 
Unemployment is really high in Oregon right now. The seasonally adjusted rate for April was 12 percent, slightly higher than the revised figure of 11.9 percent for March. And that includes the Portland area, not just the rural counties.
 
I have a friend who's a UC Davis Brewing program grad living in Portland and having trouble finding volunteer work at a brewery while finishing his degree in biochem... just saying. :drunk:
 
I've seen ads for jobs at Pyramid in Hood River on Craigslist a couple of times in the past few months. But yeah, the unemployment thing is a bit out of control here, I haven't worked since October. :(
 
If you are really serious about it, your best bet would be to not set hopes on any specific city. Start in northern California and work your way north through Washington, stopping at every brewery on your way and saying, "Hey! I wanna work for you and brew beer!" First one that takes you, move out of your van, into an apartment, and start working!
 
+1 Maztec ... thoughts are things, never let anyone say or infer you can't do something. You can and will do anything if you want it bad enough. Yes the economy is in the toilet here in Oregon .... but speaking from experience, anyone that wants to succeed in their endeavor and comes in contact with anyone with passion you have displayed would be a fool not to take advantage .... and they will. Low pay, long hours and the most fulfilling experience you will ever have .......
 
SmugMug said:
Try Alaska. You get an incentive/stipend for living there and they have plenty of breweries and brewhouses. I can think of 2 or 3 in Anchorage alone. Beautiful place!
Click to expand...
I lived in Alaska for several years, and...with all due respect, that's the worst idea yet. The breweries there are thriving, but I doubt they're hurting for labor. The dividend is usually less than $2,000 per year per person...hardly an incentive for a move. Plus, the cost of living borders on ridiculous.
 
Yuri_Rage said:
I lived in Alaska for several years, and...with all due respect, that's the worst idea yet. The breweries there are thriving, but I doubt they're hurting for labor. The dividend is usually less than $2,000 per year per person...hardly an incentive for a move. Plus, the cost of living borders on ridiculous.
Click to expand...

There's always ice trucking and crabbing :ban:
Okay, I guess I watch too much tv...
 
Have you checked out GoodGuys brewing in Birmingham? They emailed me they had an intern position open right now.....
 
Yuri_Rage said:
I lived in Alaska for several years, and...with all due respect, that's the worst idea yet. The breweries there are thriving, but I doubt they're hurting for labor. The dividend is usually less than $2,000 per year per person...hardly an incentive for a move. Plus, the cost of living borders on ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Actually, property is fairly inexpensive and while some of the groceries and luxury items are a little steep (not a good thing to be a smoker up there), it's still better than living in DC, Boston, SF and Seattle from a budget stand-point. Not to mention they're used to transient workers from the lower 48 looking for permanent work. It's not the worst idea really. Especially if you're looking for a new scene and have an open mind and no firm/high expectations. I've looked at moving to Anchorage several times.
 
maztec said:
If you are really serious about it, your best bet would be to not set hopes on any specific city. Start in northern California and work your way north through Washington, stopping at every brewery on your way and saying, "Hey! I wanna work for you and brew beer!" First one that takes you, move out of your van, into an apartment, and start working!
Click to expand...

I really like this response ! I definitely am not afraid of some adventure!
 
Thanks to everyone who responded to my post i am glad to get so much info especially from the folks out west! I know the unemployment rate is high, but you know if it turns out i just can not get work in Oregon i will just keep going north until i find something. I have driven the AK HW before i know for a fact there are people up there that will pay me just to live in some of those places haha. But honestly my whole objective in getting into the business is strictly to learn how to build and run one of these small breweries from the ground up... I might be a dreamer, but to me it seems to make life a lot more exciting when you are dreaming instead of punching a time clock. I have been on both sides of the fence and im staying on the free side. I am going out to the Beer Fest in portland on july 23- 26 and i can guarantee one thing out of my trip out there. I will drink a whole lot of beer. So if i get lucky or not i still win !
 
I've tried getting a couple of brewing jobs around here, it doesn't seem like having years of homebrewing experience really means all that much especially when your competing with people that have degrees in brewing. Sure I bet if you do enough of the leg work your bound to get something but be prepared for a long hard road. Unemployment is high here so it's not going to be easy.
 
I did this actually, about 2 years ago. I was in a graduate program that wasn't making me happy, and I wanted to brew, but living in Northern Florida is about the same as living in Alabama, so I thought I would move. With no job. Knowing nobody out there.

I was deciding between Portland and Denver/Front Range. I chose the Front Range, moved within a month of making the decision (rather surprising, since I had a significant other of about 3 yrs at that point that I was living with, who completely supported my decision). I moved to Denver, found an apartment, got a job as a pizza delivery guy (since it is the easiest way to make $15/hr consistently, which is plenty to get by on living alone), and started job searching.

The job search was very slow at first. But here is how you job search in the brewing industry. You go to the local brewpubs/breweries, and you drink their beer, and you make friends with the brewers/bartenders. This is not to get THEM to get you a job (though that is certainly possible), but so they can tell you about the jobs they have heard about. Many of the jobs that you should be "applying" to seldom make it to the ProBrewer forums. Somebody starts asking around about needing an assistant, your buddies at X brewery/brewpub hear this, think of you and let you know.

I got extremely lucky, since I moved in November 07, and by January 08 I had an assistant job at a local chain brewpub. I heard about the opening from a buddy who owned another local brewpub, I called the brewer that day, set up an interview, brought a liquid resume (very important in my opinion, particularly if you are making good beer), and got hired on the spot.

Connections are everything in this business. Meet as many brewers as you possibly can. This is why the van/vagabond idea might not be the best. Sure, you open yourself up to many more breweries, but you will never really make many connections.

So, in my opinion, pick a place to move, set up shop with an easy, tip based job (like delivering pizzas, serving, bartending whatever you want/can get), and start looking. Start drinking at the local places, ask to speak to the brewers, get your name out there, make friends. These friends are the ones that will get you a job.

Oh, and homebrew the entire time. Homebrew a lot. Join the local homebrew club out there. Liquid resumes can be quite persuasive and can differentiate you from the others out there applying for the same entry level positions.

I, again, got very very lucky. I had a part time brewing job within 2 months, and within a year was running my own (very very small) brewpub.

If you are at the point in your life where you have fairly little to risk (no house, no kids, an understanding SWMBO), I say go for it. What is the worst that can happen? Brewing may or may not be for you, but if you are at this point in your life, this is the best way to find out.
 
ohill1981 said:
Thanks to everyone who responded to my post i am glad to get so much info especially from the folks out west! I know the unemployment rate is high, but you know if it turns out i just can not get work in Oregon i will just keep going north until i find something. I have driven the AK HW before i know for a fact there are people up there that will pay me just to live in some of those places haha. But honestly my whole objective in getting into the business is strictly to learn how to build and run one of these small breweries from the ground up... I might be a dreamer, but to me it seems to make life a lot more exciting when you are dreaming instead of punching a time clock. I have been on both sides of the fence and im staying on the free side. I am going out to the Beer Fest in portland on july 23- 26 and i can guarantee one thing out of my trip out there. I will drink a whole lot of beer. So if i get lucky or not i still win !
Click to expand...

If you are going to Portland in July...do not miss the Portland International Beer festival which is held the weekend before the Portland Brewers' Fest. It is really low-key, especially if you get there early in the day. Last year I went twice, once in Seattle and once in Portland the next week.

Portland International Beer Festival

Lots of great brews from the US and around the world.

Unemployment is indeed very high, but if your friend(s) can hook you up with any kind of job, that could be a start. The overall quality of life in this part of the country is very high, in my opinion. I moved here from TN 6 years ago, and I have a hard time thinking about leaving.
 
ChrisKennedy said:
Connections are everything in this business. Meet as many brewers as you possibly can. This is why the van/vagabond idea might not be the best. Sure, you open yourself up to many more breweries, but you will never really make many connections.
Click to expand...

Chris, I agree with everything you said, you have some great recommendations, except I do not think the van/vagabond idea is mutually exclusive from your suggestions. If you take it slow enough, you can meet people along the way, keep brewin' in the van (or whatever, hell couch surf), and make sure you get to know the people at each place. At the very least, by the end of the trip, you will have some awesome contacts and awesome stories. And odds are, if you keep in touch with all those people (networking - just like you suggested), one of them will give you a tip to get a job. So you might not make it on your first trip north, but you might find it on the way back through.

At least, that is how I think ;).

And yes, I was originally from Oregon. Love it, but man the unemployment sucks.
 
ChrisKennedy said:
I did this actually, about 2 years ago. I was in a graduate program that wasn't making me happy, and I wanted to brew, but living in Northern Florida is about the same as living in Alabama, so I thought I would move. With no job. Knowing nobody out there.

I was deciding between Portland and Denver/Front Range. I chose the Front Range, moved within a month of making the decision (rather surprising, since I had a significant other of about 3 yrs at that point that I was living with, who completely supported my decision). I moved to Denver, found an apartment, got a job as a pizza delivery guy (since it is the easiest way to make $15/hr consistently, which is plenty to get by on living alone), and started job searching.

The job search was very slow at first. But here is how you job search in the brewing industry. You go to the local brewpubs/breweries, and you drink their beer, and you make friends with the brewers/bartenders. This is not to get THEM to get you a job (though that is certainly possible), but so they can tell you about the jobs they have heard about. Many of the jobs that you should be "applying" to seldom make it to the ProBrewer forums. Somebody starts asking around about needing an assistant, your buddies at X brewery/brewpub hear this, think of you and let you know.

I got extremely lucky, since I moved in November 07, and by January 08 I had an assistant job at a local chain brewpub. I heard about the opening from a buddy who owned another local brewpub, I called the brewer that day, set up an interview, brought a liquid resume (very important in my opinion, particularly if you are making good beer), and got hired on the spot.

Connections are everything in this business. Meet as many brewers as you possibly can. This is why the van/vagabond idea might not be the best. Sure, you open yourself up to many more breweries, but you will never really make many connections.

So, in my opinion, pick a place to move, set up shop with an easy, tip based job (like delivering pizzas, serving, bartending whatever you want/can get), and start looking. Start drinking at the local places, ask to speak to the brewers, get your name out there, make friends. These friends are the ones that will get you a job.

Oh, and homebrew the entire time. Homebrew a lot. Join the local homebrew club out there. Liquid resumes can be quite persuasive and can differentiate you from the others out there applying for the same entry level positions.

I, again, got very very lucky. I had a part time brewing job within 2 months, and within a year was running my own (very very small) brewpub.

If you are at the point in your life where you have fairly little to risk (no house, no kids, an understanding SWMBO), I say go for it. What is the worst that can happen? Brewing may or may not be for you, but if you are at this point in your life, this is the best way to find out.
Click to expand...

You have to tell us what brewpub you own. Have to support! :rockin:
 
McMenamins in Portland is hiring Pubstaff for several of it's locations.
It's a foot in the door. If you want to chance it.


Just some advice.
I grew up there.
I went back last year for a contract gig with the hope to sell my condo in SF and move home. Then the economy tanked.

I am back in SF, back in restaurant work ( my fallback position ).
Portland Unemployment sucks. Apartment availability sucks.housing costs suck. Older homes are charming, and most will require TLC. this is realtor code for never maintained.

Portland is a beautiful and wonderful place. Not if you are unemployed.
or underemployed.


/bitter
 
I was there this past August for about 3 weeks on vaca. Went to Portland, Hood River, Pacific City, and a few other places. Had the Time of my life i didnt want to come home(NH).

Check out Hood River OR

Full sail brewing Co
Pelican Brewing Co
 
Stop in some of the Montana places as well. Have a buddy who did the same thing (moving without a job) and ended up staying in Billings. I don't think you could drag him out of there if it was on fire.
 
*checks to make sure the OP isn't in California*

OK good, I can let you move here. :D All the other Oregonians said everything I would have said, so I won't repeat it. Keep in mind minimum wage out here is 8.40 an hour, but there's also the standard of living to go with that....

If you do go to the beer festivals (and this goes for everyone, not just the OP) do NOT go on the weekend! Go on Thursday or Friday, when there's a lot smaller crowd and you can schmooze.
 

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