Widmer Brothers Brewing Company Records, 1984-2013

Collection Overview

Title: Widmer Brothers Brewing Company Records, 1984-2013

Predominant Dates: 1984-2005

ID: MSS Widmer

Primary Creator: Widmer Brothers Brewing

Extent: 33.0 cubic feet. More info below.

Arrangement: The Widmer Brothers Brewing Company records are arranged into eight series: 1. Brewing Records, 1985-1991; 2. News Clippings, 1984-2009; 3. Photographs, 1984-2011; 4. Marketing and Events, 1986-2010; 5. Office Files, 1990-2010; 6. Awards, 1989-2012; 7. Ephemera, 1990-2010; 8: Audio and Video, 1990-2013.

Date Acquired: 00/00/2020

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The Widmer Brothers Brewing Company Records includes brewing records, photographs, marketing materials, office files, ephemera, and audio video content.

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company was founded in 1984 in Portland, Oregon by Kurt and Rob Widmer. Kurt Widmer retired in 2016, the Gasthaus closed in 2019, and Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired the company in 2020.

Born-digital materials, including the cassettes, CDs, and videotapes described in Series 8 of this collection, are available upon request.

Scope and Content Notes

The Widmer Brothers Brewing Company Records includes brewing records, photographs, marketing materials, office files, ephemera, and audio/video content.

Series 1, Brewing Records, documents the early brewing and business operations at the Lovejoy Street facility. Included are the earliest brewing records for Weizenbier, Widmer Bock, Altbier, Festbier, and many other unnamed beers. Also included is an inventory of beer stock, ingredients, and equipment on hand, as well as documentation of expenses for items such as tap handles, beer lines, faucets, and valves. Documents are handwritten and most are on notebook paper.

Series 2, News Clippings, documents the company and their beers, as well as the evolution and changes of the brewing industry and brewers in the Pacific Northwest. Newspaper clippings from Box 1 have been digitized.

Series 3, Photographs, includes pictures of the opening events at the Lovejoy and Russell street breweries, staff and customers, facilities and brewing operations, the Gasthaus Pub, company parties, advertising campaigns, and pictures of Kurt and Rob Widmer. Of special note is a series of time-lapse aerial photographs of the building of the brewery on Russell Street. This series includes multiple formats (slides, photographs, negatives, digital files).

The bulk of the collection is in Series 4, Marketing and Events. There are files for individual beer styles, with materials such as labels and bottle necks, design documents, beer information sheets, promotional items, and packaging. There are also materials grouped by format or purpose, including bottle neck bands and labels, table tents, stickers and bookmarks, and coasters. There are various Widmer logos and poster designs, including some original artwork. There are materials related to tap handle design and pricing, which compliment a set of tap handles in Series 7, Ephemera. This series includes materials related to marketing campaigns, such as Third Brother (2000), Widmer Boys Mysteries (2001), Fishing With the Brothers (2005), and Brrrr Holiday Ale (2007). In addition to beer promotion, there are materials related to the company's sponsorship and involvement in the community, analysis of the craft brewery consumer market, branding and rebranding, expansion into new markets, and sales. This series includes oversized posters and packaging, as well as digital files of Widmer graphic design and art assets.

Series 5, Office Files, includes operational items such as building plans, project proposals, merger documentation, merchandising plans, press releases, presentations, and office documents. Of special note is a guest book (1996-2006) with names of visitors to the brewing facilities and their comments on experiences on tours.

Awards and other certificates of recognition are housed in Series 6. This includes ribbons and certificates for beer-related honors such as the North American Beer Cup, World Beer Cup, World Beer Championships, Great American Beer Festival, North American Brewers Association, California Brewers Festival, and various county fairs, as well as awards for sports teams and business contributions.

Series 7, Ephemera, includes tap handles from Widmer and RedHook, textiles, bottles, games, and other promotional items.

Series 8, Audio and Video, includes local radio advertisements for Widmer advertising campaigns, presentations from Anheuser-Busch related to company updates (2005, 2007), versions of the “From Grain to Glass” brewery tour (2005, 2013), and "Widmer Brothers Radio: Sly and Robbie." The videotapes include commercials and local television segments on new equipment, releases at the brewery, and a 1993 piece on brewing in the Pacific Northwest. Born-digital materials, including the cassettes, CDs, and videotapes described in this series, are available upon request.

Biographical / Historical Notes

Widmer Brothers Brewing Company was founded in 1984 in Portland, Oregon by Kurt and Rob Widmer.

Portland is known as the locus of a local beer scene. The Cartwright Brewing Company founded there in 1980, four years later the Bridgeport Brewing Company and Widmer Brewing followed. Not everyone was keen to try the unfamiliar beers and the brothers struggled to get taverns to offer them. They only sold beer in kegs, believing flavor was degraded by the bottling process, so they were dependent on draft sales. To increase awareness and promote their beers, they formed the "Widmer Designated Drinker" program; the brothers and their friends rented vans (driven by nondrinkers) and traveled to bars where they ordered large amounts of Widmer beer. Fortunately, in future years they sold more than their friends and families consumed.

Kurt was introduced to a wide variety of beer styles while living in Germany in the 1970s, and brewed his own beer after he returned to the United States. He used a traditional strain of yeast obtained from the Brewing Research Institute in Weihenstephan, Bavaria, and later returned to Germany to fine-tune his craft at a brewery in Dusseldorf. The brothers wanted to open a brewery and raised more than $50,000 from family members and an outside investor. With their father Raymond, they set about assembling a small brewery at 1405 NW Lovejoy Street, in an industrial part of NW Portland now known as the Pearl District. At the time, the brewing industry was comprised of large, industrial-sized breweries, which meant this smaller microbrewery had to be creative when acquiring equipment. They purchased used dairy and restaurant equipment (a dairy tank turned mash tun and shrimp cooker turned whirlpool), and by fall began running test batches.

The first Widmer offering, Altbier (German for "old beer"), was offered for sale in early 1985, and the richly flavored brew was soon joined by Weizenbier, a lighter variety filtered wheat beer. They marketed the beer to taverns and pubs, often delivering kegs in the red 1970 Datsun pickup truck they borrowed from their dad. Their first year production totaled 400 barrels. The Dublin Pub was their first longtime account and served both Altbier and Weizenbier; in 1986, owners Carl Simpson and Katie Bullard wanted them to make a third beer. This was a challenge because they only had two fermenters and couldn’t afford to buy another. They decided to leave the Weizenbier unfiltered, use Cascade hops, and put it directly into kegs. The result was a uniquely cloudy beer, the first American-style Hefeweizen or Hefe, which translated from German means "yeast wheat." This style of "American Hefeweizen" and the custom of serving wheat beers with a slice of lemon spread widely. Also in 1986, the brewery released Festbier, a seasonal "winter warmer" beer brewed for winter months.

Annual production increased each year. By 1989, they reached maximum capacity on their brewing equipment and had to turn away new business. They bought two adjoining historic buildings in North Portland that were slated for demolition and planned to renovate them for a new brewery. The 100-year-old Smithson and McKay Buildings had Italianate and Romanesque Revival brickwork, a cast-iron storefront, and were on the National Register of Historic Places. The extensive interior work meant renovation costs were significantly higher than constructing a new facility from scratch. They increased production dramatically, but demand grew even faster. In 1992, they laid out plans for an expansion adjacent to the brewery that would, once again, double production. They continued to only distribute their beer in kegs, but in 1996, decided to begin bottling.

In 1995, they opened a pub and restaurant, the Widmer Gasthaus, and began work on the brewery expansion. In spring of 1996, the new $20 million brewery opened and its brewing vessels and utilities were connected to the older one through under-the-street tunnels. At that time, Widmer produced 11 different beers; this included year-round production of Hefeweizen, Widberry Weizen, Blackbier, Amberbier, Altbier, and Weizen and seasonal beers Doppelbock, Oktoberfest, and Winternacht. In 1997, they introduced new beers, including Widmer Vienna and Czech Pilsner, as well as a hard cider. They made seven year-round brews and the seasonals Golden Bock, Sommerbrau Kolsch, and Hop Jack Pale Ale. In early 2000, they unveiled redesigned packaging, which emphasized the "W" initial in the firm's name and featured more colorful graphics. In 2003, they started brewing Hefeweizen at the New Hampshire RedHook Ale Brewery plant. In 2004, they introduced a seasonal brew called Snowplow Milk Stout, which had been developed by the Oregon Brew Crew, a home brewers club to which the brothers belonged. In 2005, they launched the “W Series,” which showcased their brewmaster’s most innovative and creative recipes.

In 1997, they sold a 27% stake to Anheuser-Busch InBev for $18.25 million in order to gain access to their distribution network and strengthen the company financially at a time when many craft brewers were struggling. Anheuser-Busch InBev had already purchased a stake in Seattle's RedHook Ale Brewery. In 2007, RedHook and Widmer Brothers announced plans to formally merge, forming a new company called the Craft Brewers Alliance, It was renamed Craft Brew Alliance in 2012. By 2013 was composed of five beer and cider brands: Widmer Brothers Brewery, RedHook Ale Brewery (founded in 1981 in Seattle, Washington), Kona Brewing Company (founded in 1994 in Kona, Hawaii), Omission Beer (developed in 2012 in Portland), and Square Mile Cider (launched in 2013).

Kurt Widmer retired in 2016, the Gasthaus closed in 2019, and Anheuser-Busch InBev acquired the company in 2020.

Author: Tiah Edmunson-Morton

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 26 boxes, including 15 oversize boxes. 1,450 slides, 1,000 photographs, 250 negatives; 11 DVD and CDs, 38 VHS tapes; 5.96 GB with 1,625 files.

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: These materials were donated to the Special Collections and Archives Research Center by Steven Hallstone in 2020.

Related Materials:

The Widmer Brothers Brewing Collection is complemented by several other collections.

The Oregon Hops and Brewing Archives Oral History Collection (OH 35) includes interviews from industry professionals, journalists, and community members. The Fred Eckhardt Papers include photographs and research files for Widmer Brothers Brewery. There are periodicals and journals housed in various archival collections, the main source being the Brewing and Fermentation Research and Olympia Brewery Library collections. The Widmer Way: How Two Brothers Led Portland’s Craft Beer Revolution by Jeff Alworth chronicles Kurt and Rob Widmer’s journey from homebrewers to craft beer pioneers.

Further information regarding the values, logistics, and goals of the burgeoning regional brewing community can be found in organizational collections like the Heart of the Valley Homebrewers Records, Ninkasi Brewing Company Collection (MSS Ninkasi), McMenamins Brewery Collection, Portland Brewing Company Records, Rock Bottom Brewery Records, Oregon Trail Brewery Records, Fred Bowman Papers, Art Larrance Collection, and the Oregon Brewers Guild Records. The personal research collections of Denny Conn, Pete Dunlop, Abram Goldman-Armstrong, and Robert Daly contain additional information regarding the beer writing process and beer culture.

Collections linked to Oregon State University research, as well as other manuscript collections, are described on the Oregon Hops and Brewing Archives research guide. More information pertaining to the history of hop growing and brewing in Oregon can be found on the Oregon Hops and Brewing Archives website.

Preferred Citation: Widmer Brothers Brewing Collection (MSS Widmer), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Box and Folder Listing

Series 1: Brewing Records, 1985-1991

The brew and kegging logs record data about ingredients, temperatures, waste, and other measurements of the brewing process and when the beer is in storage. Box-Folder 1.03 has been digitized and is available upon request.

Box-Folder 1.01: Brewsheets, 1985
Box-Folder 1.02: Brewsheets, 1986
Box-Folder 1.03: Kegging records, 1985-1990
Box-Folder 1.04: Kegging records, 1991
Box-Folder 1.05: Inventory, 1986- 1991

Series 2: News Clippings, 1984-2009

News clippings are arranged chronologically and contain information about the company, their beers, and the brewing industry and brewers in the Pacific Northwest. For several years, the company employed a clipping service, which gathered articles from newspapers around the country. Newspaper clippings from Box 1 have been digitized.

Box-Folder 1.06: Notebook of news clippings, 1994-1996
Box-Folder 1.07: Clippings, Undated
Box-Folder 1.08: Clippings, 1984
Box-Folder 1.09: Clippings, 1985
Box-Folder 1.10: Clippings, 1986
Box-Folder 1.11: Clippings, 1987
Box-Folder 1.12: Clippings, 1988
Box-Folder 1.13: Clippings, 1989
Box-Folder 1.14: Clippings, 1990
Box-Folder 1.15: Clippings, 1991
Box-Folder 1.16: Clippings, 1992
Box-Folder 1.17: Clippings, 1993
Box-Folder 1.18: Clippings, 1994
Box-Folder 1.19: Clippings, 1995
Box-Folder 1.20: Clippings, 1996
Box-Folder 1.21: Clippings, 1997
Box-Folder 1.22: Clippings, 1998
Box-Folder 1.23: Clippings, 1999
Box-Folder 1.24: Clippings, 2000
Box-Folder 1.25: Clippings, 2001
Box-Folder 1.26: Clippings, 2002
Box-Folder 1.27: Clippings, 2006
Box-Folder 1.28: Clippings, 2007
Box-Folder 1.29: Clippings, 2008
Box-Folder 1.30: Clippings, 2009
Box-Folder 24.01: Laminated news articles, 1985-1993

Series 3: Photographs, 1984-2011

Photographs include the opening party at original brewery on Lovejoy; facility, staff, and brewing operations at Lovejoy brewery; opening party, promotional photos, patrons, and staff at the Russell Street Gasthaus Pub and Restaurant; renovation and construction of the restaurant, brewery, and offices on Russell Street; events such as the Oregon Brewers Festival and company parties; promotional pictures of Kurt and Rob Widmer; ad campaigns; operations pictures of the bottling line, brewhouse, packaging, and employee offices. Some photographs have corresponding prints, slides, or negatives. Of special note is a series of time-lapse aerial photographs of the brewery on Russell Street being built. If there are multiple formats of the same picture or the pictures are not in a print format, that is noted in the description field. Digital folder content was transferred from original digital media, which was retained by SCARC for preservation purposes. This series contains approximately 1,450 slides, 1,000 photographs, 250 negatives, 875 digital image files.

Box-Folder 2.01: Opening party Lovejoy Street, 1984
Box-Folder 2.02: Lovejoy Street facilities, staff, events, 1984-1985: Slides.
Box-Folder 2.03: Lovejoy Street facilities, staff, events, 1984-1988: Prints.
Box-Folder 2.04: Lovejoy Street facilities, staff, events, 1984-1988: Negatives.
Box-Folder 2.05: Company photos and events, circa 1986-1990
Box-Folder 2.06: Russell Street Gasthaus promotional photos, 1995
Box-Folder 2.07: Russell Street Gasthaus opening party, 1995: Prints.
Box-Folder 2.08: Russell Street Gasthaus opening party, 1995: Negatives.
Box-Folder 2.09: Russell Street Gasthaus opening party, 1995: Color slides.
Box-Folder 2.10: Russell Street Gasthaus bar and patrons, circa 1997: Color prints.
Box-Folder 2.11: Russell Street Gasthaus bar and patrons, circa 1997: Negatives.
Box-Folder 2.12: Russell Street Gasthaus renovation, circa 1996: Negatives.
Box-Folder 2.13: Delivering fermenters, 1996: Slides.
Box-Folder 2.14: Delivering fermenters, 1996: Prints and contact sheets.
Box-Folder 2.15: Fermenters, 1996: Slides.
Box-Folder 2.16: Fermenters, 1996: Prints.
Box-Folder 2.17: Installing fermenters, 1996: Prints.
Box-Folder 2.18: Time-lapse photographs of building brewery, 1996: Slides.
Box-Folder 2.19: Bottling line and brewing equipment, 1996: Prints.
Box-Folder 2.20: Bottling line and brewing equipment, 1996: Slides.
Box-Folder 2.21: Bottling line and brewing equipment, 1996: Negatives.
Box-Folder 2.22: Building exterior, circa 1996: Color slides.
Box-Folder 2.23: Brewhouse, facilities, and staff, circa 1996: Color slides.
Box-Folder 2.24: Brewhouse, circa 2000: Contact sheets and slides.
Box-Folder 2.25: Tour of unidentified facility, circa 2000: Prints.
Box-Folder 2.26: Building exterior and brewing facilities, circa 2000: Prints.
Box-Folder 2.27: International beer tasting dinner, 1989
Box-Folder 2.28: Oregon Brewers Festival, circa 1990: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.29: Bus trip, 1991: Prints.
Box-Folder 2.30: Employee event, 1993: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.31: Employees and sports, 1994
Box-Folder 2.32: Summerfest, 1994
Box-Folder 2.33: 300th Brew, 1994
Box-Folder 2.34: Fred Rowing Team, 1995
Box-Folder 2.35: Party, 1995
Box-Folder 2.36: Christmas Wrap, 1995: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.37: Rob Widmer at Rose Garden Brewery, 1996: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.38: KGON Widmer 10, 1996: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.39: Milwaukie Beer Festival, 1996
Box-Folder 2.40: Speakers at brewhouse event, 1996
Box-Folder 2.41: Party, 1996: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.42: Employee events, circa 1997: Negatives.
Box-Folder 2.43: Employee Headshots, circa 1997: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.44: Employee events, circa 1997: Negatives.
Box-Folder 2.45: Hoodoo Ski Bowl, circa 1997
Box-Folder 2.46: Employee event opening, circa 1997
Box-Folder 2.47: Portland Airport opening, 1997: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.48: Free sorbet at Pioneer Courthouse Square, 1998: Negatives.
Box-Folder 2.49: Employee parties, 1998: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.50: Employee events, 1988-2000
Box-Folder 2.51: Miscellaneous pictures, undated
Box-Folder 2.52: Employee and company events, 1995-2005
Box-Folder 2.53: Kurt and Rob Widmer, 1997
Box-Folder 2.54: Kurt and Rob Widmer headshots, 1996: Contact sheets.
Box-Folder 2.55: Kurt and Rob Widmer promotional, 1999: Prints and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.56: Promotional, 1985-2000: Prints, contact sheets, and negatives.
Box-Folder 2.57: Nothing Filtered marketing campaign, 1996
Box-Folder 2.58: Ad campaign installed on side of building, circa 1997: Slides.
Box-Folder 2.59: Packaging, circa 1997
Box-Folder 2.60: Hefeweizen award winning, undated: Slides.
Box-Folder 2.61: Company presentation, 1990-1998: Includes company information, pictures of facilities and packaging. Slides.
Box-Folder 2.62: Marketing and packaging, 1997: Slides.
Box-Folder 3.01: Russell Street building renovation, 1996
Box-Folder 3.02: Russell Street building renovation, 1996
Box-Folder 3.03: Russell Street building renovation, 1996
Box-Folder 3.04: Russell Street building renovation, 1996: Includes time-lapse aerial. Slides.
Box-Folder 3.05: Russell Street building renovation, 1996: Includes time-lapse aerial. Slides.
Box-Folder 12.01: Widmer sports teams, 1990-1993
Box-Folder 24.02: Brewers and brew house, circa 2005
Box-Folder 24.03: Photo album Russell Street facilities and staff, circa 2005
Digital Folder 1: Historic Portland photographs from Oregon Historical Society, 2005: Photographs from 19th century, research conducted by Widmer Bros. Brewing Company staff in 2005.
Digital Folder 2: Widmer bottling line and staff, 2000
Digital Folder 3: Widmer website photography, 2011: Includes facilities, ingredients, Ike Manchester at Rose Garden brewery.

Series 4: Marketing and Events, 1986-2010

This series reflects the marketing and promotion of Widmer beers. This includes marketing campaigns and promotional materials, draft designs and original artwork, posters, market analysis, sales, advertising materials, beer information sheets, labels and bottle necks, stickers and coasters, tap handle design, packaging, correspondence, and press releases. Digital folder content was transferred from original digital media, which was retained by SCARC for preservation purposes.

Box-Folder 3.06: Alt beer, circa 1995: Includes original artwork, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.07: Amber Bier beer, circa 1997
Box-Folder 3.08: B. Molock Heathman beer, circa 1995
Box-Folder 3.09: Big Ben Porter beer, circa 1998: Includes beer info sheets, original drawing, draft design, labels.
Box-Folder 3.10: Black Bier beer, circa 1998: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.11: Blonde beer, circa 1998
Box-Folder 3.12: Bock beer, circa 1999
Box-Folder 3.13: Broken Halo beer, 2006: Includes press releases, marketing analysis, release calendar, design agreement, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.14: Czech beer, circa 1998: Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.15: Doppel Bock beer, 1996: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.16: Dunkelweizen beer, circa 1996
Box-Folder 3.17: Fest Beer, 1991: Includes original artwork.
Box-Folder 3.18: Golden Bock beer, 1998: Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.19: Hefeweizen beer, circa 1994-2000: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.20: Hop Jack beer, 1999-2000: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, pictures, press releases.
Box-Folder 3.21: Kolsch beer, circa 1994
Box-Folder 3.22: Oktoberfest beer, 1996-2005: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, invoices.
Box-Folder 3.23: Pilsner beer, circa 1998
Box-Folder 3.24: Ray’s beer, 1998: Includes beer info sheets, original artwork, draft design, labels.
Box-Folder 3.25: Root Beer, 1998: Includes draft design, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.26: Snow Plow beer, 2004: Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.27: Sommerbrau beer, 1999-2000: Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials, awards.
Box-Folder 3.28: Spezial Amber beer, 1995
Box-Folder 3.29: Spring Fest beer, 2000: Includes beer info sheets, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.30: Sweet Betty beer, 2000-2001: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.31: Vienna beer, 1995-1997: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.32: W Signature Series beers, 2003-2007: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, packaging, correspondence.
Box-Folder 3.33: Widberry beer, 1995-2000: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, awards, pictures.
Box-Folder 3.34: Wildwood beer, 1995-2000: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials, original artwork.
Box-Folder 3.35: Winternacht beer, 1996-1997: Includes beer info sheets, draft design, labels, promo materials.
Box-Folder 3.36: Widmer Seasonal beers, 1986-2007: Includes beer info sheets, marketing documents.
Box-Folder 3.37: Design for "10 Years" anniversary campaign, 1994
Box-Folder 3.38: Bottle neck design proofs, 2006
Box-Folder 3.39: Bottle neck bands and labels, circa 2000
Box-Folder 3.40: Label design and graphics, 1999: Includes final files and graphic design files, 3 ½ disk.
Box-Folder 3.41: Miscellaneous beer info sheets, 2001-2009
Box-Folder 3.42: Price guides merchandise, circa 1999
Box-Folder 3.43: Table tents, circa 1999
Box-Folder 3.44: Promotional stickers and bookmarks, circa 1999
Box-Folder 3.45: Coasters, undated
Box-Folder 3.46: Widmer promo materials, undated
Box-Folder 3.47: Tap handle design and pricing, 2004
Box-Folder 4.01: Widmer logos, circa 1995
Box-Folder 4.02: Widmer logos original art, circa 1990
Box-Folder 4.03: Products binder, 1996-1997: Correspondence, beer information sheets, labels, table tents, label approval documents. Beers: Czech Pilsner, Winternacht, Vienna, Oktoberfest, Doppelbock, Wildwood Cider.
Box-Folder 4.04: Company History, circa 1993: Spiral bound booklet with basic information about the company and its distribution.
Box-Folder 4.05: Marketing campaigns, 2005-2007
Box-Folder 4.06: Marketing campaign for Brrrr Holiday Ale, 2007
Box-Folder 4.07: Marketing campaign for Fishing With the Brothers, 2005-2006: Contest submissions, travel documents, correspondence.
Box-Folder 4.08: Rotisserie chicken and 12-pack advertisements, 2003-2005
Box-Folder 4.09: Widmer and pizza advertisements, 2005
Box-Folder 4.10: Sunkist, 2002-2007: Includes correspondence, promo materials, planning documents for Summer Never Ends marketing campaign.
Box-Folder 4.11: Hop Jack Pale Ale photo contest, 1999: Includes promo materials, planning documents, correspondence.
Box-Folder 4.12: Marketing materials, circa 2004: Brochures, handouts.
Box-Folder 4.13: Marketing campaign for Third Brother, 2000: Promotional materials including draft posters, signs, coaster design, coasters, correspondence from “find him” contest.
Box-Folder 4.14: Widmer Boys Mysteries posters, 2001
Box-Folder 4.15: Marketing, 1997-1999: Radio script, drawings, campaign evaluation.
Box-Folder 4.16: Zip Zap Lemon Brew, 1999: Draft bottle design, design inspirations, invoices, project scope, correspondence, product and market research.
Box-Folder 4.17: Brewfest rebrand, 2005: Draft design, invoices.
Box-Folder 4.18: PGE Beavers and Timbers, 2006-2007: Correspondence, notes, promotional materials.
Box-Folder 4.19: Sponsorships, 2002-2007: Proposals, signage, budget, correspondence.
Box-Folder 4.20: Kettle Foods, 2002-2004: Notes, presentations, sketches, correspondence.
Box-Folder 4.21: Blue Moon, 2007: Market analysis, notes.
Box-Folder 4.22: Fermentation Celebration, 1997: Includes correspondence, permits, signage, maps, music, volunteer information, press, budget, notes.
Box-Folder 4.23: First anniversary article, 1986: In American Breweriana Journal.
Box-Folder 4.24: City guides and event booklets, 1992-2006
Box-Folder 4.25: Research for new beer names, 1999-2008
Box-Folder 4.26: Public relations plans, 2006-2008: Firms employed were Edelman and Maxwell.
Box-Folder 4.27: Market analysis: pale ales, 2008
Box-Folder 4.28: Market analysis: wheat beers, 2007
Box-Folder 4.29: Packaging survey: Hefeweizen, 2006
Box-Folder 4.30: Consumer analysis, 2007-2008
Box-Folder 4.31: Product placement analysis, undated
Box-Folder 4.32: Focus markets: Lunar Eclipse, circa 2007
Box-Folder 4.33: Market programs, 2004: Presentation, packaging, budgets, invoices.
Box-Folder 4.34: Market programs, 2007: Presentation, notes, plans for Kona Brewing.
Box-Folder 5.01: Widmer family rebrand, 2007
Box-Folder 5.02: CBA brands sales strategy, 2000-2008
Box-Folder 5.03: Widmer Wallscape, 2001
Box-Folder 5.04: Customer testimonials, circa 1988
Box-Folder 5.05: East Coast expansion, 1995
Box-Folder 5.06: East Coast expansion, 2007-2008
Box-Folder 5.07: Texas sales, 2006
Box-Folder 5.08: Sales, 1990-1995: Sales and distribution packets, promotional items, articles about the company, Oregon Liquor Control Commission and Washington State Liquor Control Board reports, order forms, distribution roster, beer sales data, worksheets, statistics.
Box-Folder 5.09: Sales, 2001-2002
Box-Folder 12.05: Marketing campaign for Half and Half, 1996: Includes original artwork.
Box-Folder 12.06: Hop Jack promotional materials and artwork, circa 1998: Story boards, posters, decals, original artwork.
Box-Folder 12.07: Art illustrations, labels, marketing, 1997-2000
Box-Folder 12.08: Miscellaneous labels and promotional materials, 1998-2000
Box-Folder 12.09: Bottle development and design schema, 1999
Box-Folder 12.10: Marketing sector informational diagrams, circa 2000
Box-Folder 12.11: Widmer logo for labels and bottle bands, circa 2000
Box-Folder 12.12: Brotherhood marketing campaign, circa 2000
Box-Folder 12.13: Marketing campaign Third Brother, circa 2000
Box-Folder 13.01: Company art and promotion, circa 1999: Marketing, brochures, fact sheets, correspondence, draft advertisements.
Box-Folder 13.02: Television advertising story boards, circa 2004
Box-Folder 13.03: Larry Jost original illustrations, circa 2004
Box-Folder 13.04: Barcall art, circa 2004: Logos on bottles and apparel, annotated design sheets.
Box-Folder 13.05: Unfiltered and Hefe marketing, 1996: 6-pack holder design, label, marketing ideas, designs.
Box-Folder 13.06: 6-pack holder design, circa 2005
Box-Folder 14.01: Miscellaneous Widmer marketing campaign posters, mounted, circa 2000
Box-Folder 14.02: Miscellaneous Widmer marketing campaign posters, mounted, circa 2000
Box-Folder 14.03: Widmer Boys Mysteries posters, mounted, circa 2001
Box-Folder 14.04: Two Brothers posters, mounted, circa 2000
Box-Folder 15.01: Miscellaneous product posters mock ups on the sides of buildings, undated
Box-Folder 15.02: Widmer Boys Mysteries final and draft posters, circa 2001
Box-Folder 16.01: Brrrr seasonal ale product posters, 2007
Box-Folder 16.02: Kazi marketing campaign, circa 2005
Box-Folder 17.01: Third Brother Advertising campaign posters, mounted, circa 2000
Box-Folder 17.02: 6-pack concept design posters, mounted, undated
Box-Folder 18.01: Half and Half: Nothing Filtered Out designs, 1996
Box-Folder 18.02: Branding design concepts, includes original sketches, undated
Box-Folder 19.01: Various beer promotional posters, circa 2005
Box-Folder 19.02: Various mounted beer promotional posters, circa 2005
Box-Folder 19.03: Various Craft Brewer Alliance (CBA) promotional and event posters, circa 2005
Box-Folder 19.04: Various metal beer promotional posters, circa 2005
Box-Folder 19.05: Wooden Hefeweizen sign, circa 2000
Box-Folder 20.01: Various cardboard 6-pack holders, circa 2005
Box-Folder 20.02: Various cardboard 12-ounce 12-pack boxes, circa 2005
Box-Folder 21.01: Various cardboard 12-ounce 12-pack boxes, 1990-2010
Box-Folder 22.01: Various cardboard 6-pack boxes, circa 2000-2010
Box-Folder 23.01: Various promotional and product posters, 1997 - circa 2005
Box-Folder 23.02: General Widmer logos original design and mounted posters, circa 2000
Box-Folder 23.03: Various mounted product posters, circa 2010
Box-Folder 23.04: Original product artwork and correspondence, 1994-2010
Box-Folder 23.05: Laminated product posters, circa 2000
Box-Folder 23.06: General Widmer logo plastic and metal sign, circa 2000
Box-Folder 24.04: Posters, brochures, bottle design, circa 2005
Box-Folder 24.05: Marketing campaign concept designs, circa 2000
Digital Folder 4: Blonde Ale, 2000
Digital Folder 5: CBAI packaging, 2010
Digital Folder 6: Gold medal beer and glass, 2000
Digital Folder 7: Hefeweizen, 1999-2000
Digital Folder 8: Hop Jack, 1998
Digital Folder 9: Oregonian advertisement for brewery, 2000: Date of advertisement May 1, 2000.
Digital Folder 10: Sweet Betty menu card, 2000
Digital Folder 11: Wailua on tap poster, 2008
Digital Folder 12: Widmer art assets, 2011
Digital Folder 13: Widmer graphics and artwork, 2000
Digital Folder 14: Widmer packaging, 2000
Digital Folder 15: Winternacht banner, 2000
Map-Folder 1: Marketing materials, circa 2005: Packaging for 6-packs and cases, posters, promotional materials, draft designs for bottles and other marketing, original Widmer artwork.

Series 5: Office Files, 1990-2010

This series includes operational items like building plans, proposals, merchandising plans, press releases, and presentations. Digital folder content was transferred from original digital media, which was retained by SCARC for preservation purposes.

Box-Folder 5.10: Brewers Digest brand buying guide, 1996
Box-Folder 5.11: Trademarks, 1999-2008
Box-Folder 5.12: Tours, 1990-1996: Includes tour script, 24 pictures from Guinness brewery tour, research documents.
Box-Folder 5.13: Sustainability, 2009-2010
Box-Folder 5.14: Encyclopedia of Beer correspondence, 1994
Box-Folder 5.15: Brand manager job, 2006
Box-Folder 5.16: Building plans, 1999
Box-Folder 5.17: Press releases, 1995-2005
Box-Folder 5.18: Russell Street opening invitations, 1990
Box-Folder 5.19: Holiday card, undated
Box-Folder 5.20: Widmer website, 2005-2006
Box-Folder 5.21: Flavor analysis packet, 2005
Box-Folder 5.22: Cross-merchandising and coupons, 2004
Box-Folder 5.23: 5L keg design, 2008
Box-Folder 5.24: Grab and Go proposal, circa 2005
Box-Folder 5.25: Anheuser-Busch, 2004-2007
Box-Folder 5.26: Merger with Red Hook, 2007
Box-Folder 5.27: Graphic designer pitch, 2001
Box-Folder 5.28: Insiders program, 2007
Box-Folder 12.02: Grand opening party planning and promo materials, 1996
Box-Folder 12.03: Certificates of appreciation, 1992-1998
Box-Folder 12.04: Blank cards and envelope, 2001
Box-Folder 24.06: Guest book, 1996-2006
Digital Folder 16: Red Hook presentation, 2000
Digital Folder 17: Widmer Western Oregon presentations, 2001

Series 6: Awards, 1989-2012

The awards series includes ribbons, certificates, and plaques from local and global competitions, as well as in recognition of community involvement.

Box-Folder 5.29: Miscellaneous awards, 2000-2009: Includes North American Beer Cup, World Beer Cup, World Beer Championships.
Box-Folder 5.30: Miscellaneous ribbons and awards, 2002-2010: Includes Great American Beer Festival, North American Brewers Association, California Brewers Festival, county fairs.
Box-Folder 5.31: Miscellaneous ribbons and awards, 1998-2012: Includes Great American Beer Festival, US Open Beer Championship, California Brewers Festival, Northwest Brewing News, North American Brewers Association, International Beer Fest.
Box-Folder 5.32: Miscellaneous plaques and awards, 1989-2010: Includes recognition for sports teams and business.
Box-Folder 24.07: Awards and certificates, 1997-2008

Series 7: Ephemera, 1990-2010

This series includes tap handles from Widmer and Red Hook, textile items such as banners and t-shirts, souvenir and design prototype bottles, games, and other promotional items.

Box-Item 6.01: Tap Handles, circa 1995-2006: Widmer beer tap handles, including Prickly Pear Braggot, Oktoberfest, Galaxy Hopped Barleywine, Hop Jack, Blonde, Drifter Pale Ale, Sunburn Summer Brew, Raspberry Russian Stout, W Series Red Ale ‘06, Widberry. In various shapes, sizes, and materials. Wood, metal, acrylic resin, ceramic.
Box-Item 7.01: Tap Handles, circa 1995-2009: Widmer beer tap handles, including Hefeweizen, Brrrr Seasonal Ale, Snow Plow Milk Stout, W Series Red Ale ‘09, South by Northwest, Broken Halo IPA, Deadlift Imperial IPA, Upheaval IPA, Barrel Aged Brrrbon, Alchemy Ale.
Box-Item 8.01: Tap Handles, circa 1990-2006: Red Hook beer tap handles, including Wheat Hook, Nitro Black Hook Porter, Winter Hook, Volazzo, Chinook Ales, Sunday, Copperhead. Tap toppers with beer names on them.
Box-Item 9.01: Ephemera, 1999- circa 2005: Bottle mold prototypes in acrylic resin, new bottle packaging introduction in souvenir box, small pony keg, buttons, souvenir glasses.
Box-Item 10.01: Ephemera, 1999: 15th anniversary bottles (4) presented to employees in 1999.
Box-Item 25.01: Textiles and banners, 1990-2010
Box-Item 26.01: Ephemera, 1990-2010: Promotional materials, including Hop Jack game, Nascar Widmer car model, and lighted acrylic beer glass.

Series 8: Audio and Video, 1990-2013

The majority of the video content is of television segments announcing events or new products at the brewery; most were collected by media companies. Also included are informational videos produced by the company, radio commercials, and music mix tapes related to product launches. Digital folder content was transferred from original digital media, which was retained by SCARC for preservation purposes. This series contains 11 DVD and CDs, 38 VHS tapes, 19 cassettes. These born-digital materials are available upon request.

Box-Item 10.02: Radio spots for Widmer Brewing Company, 1996-2004: Includes advertising campaigns and music. CKS Partners / Widmer Hefeweizen (1996); CKS Partners / Widmer Altbier (1997); CKS Partners / Widmer Bros Brewing “Lone Ranger” radio spot (1997); CKS Partners / Widmer Bros. Brewing “Figaro” radio spot (1997); Seahawks sponsorship radio (2000); Touchdown with Brothers (2000); Beer Voting on Election Day (2000); Widmer Brothers Brewery radio (2000); DB Cooper (2000); Widmer Boys Mysteries Radio (2001); Widmer Brothers Adventures (2001); Widmer Brothers radio (2001-2002); Widmer Blazers sponsorship radio (2003-2004).
Box-Item 10.03: Widmer DVDs and CDs, 2001-2013: Commercials, Anheuser-Busch company updates (2005, 2007), “From Grain to Glass” brewery tour (2005, 2013), “Lemon Your Widmer” viral video compilation (2008), Widmer Brothers radio “Sly and Robbie” (2001-2002).
Box-Item 11.01: VHS tapes, 1990-2002: Undated: German brewer visit, Kurt Widmer interview, bottling line (30 minutes), Collaborator Homebrew news story KOIN TV. 1990: “A Day at the Lovejoy Brewery” Widmer commercial for Northwest Reports. 1993: piece about brewing for Northwest Reports (25 minutes). 1994: news coverage (tape by Moba Media Knoll Dodge and Partners). 1995: Widmer 10th anniversary (4 minutes, includes footage of brewing and kegging); KOIN TV Gasthaus and award tour; Good Evening at the Gasthaus; KGW Good Evening; Widmer Summerfest. 1996: first annual employee meeting, includes presentations with company history, employee recognition, company sales, state of the industry, distribution, brand identification and marketing, styles, packaging, sales and projection for production. 1996 Moba Media bottling Hefeweizen. 1997: Moba Media distribution plan; Fox News about microbreweries. 1998 Moba Media Widmer as a Portland Public Schools program sponsor, Widmer and homebrewing, AM Northwest about Oregon Brewers Festival. 1999 Moba Media Golden Boch, new beers, Craft Brew Quality symbol, Irish stew, Super Bowl party snacks on KATU. 1999: Metropolitan Group library tape (13 minutes) Bridgeport 15-year anniversary and history of other breweries, Phil’s Follies sorbet beer wine smoothies, summer sorbet at Pioneer Courthouse Square. 1999: 3-minute video with clips from employees mixed in with frog commercial. 2000: Moba Media Widmer brothers argue over UO/OSU football rivalry, new bottle design, Blonde Betty and Spring Fest beer release. 2002 MOBA Media three new fermentation tanks added due to increase in demand. 2002: “From Grain to Glass” Widmer tour (2 versions).
Digital Folder 18: Widmer radio Sly and Robbie, 2002