Paul Arney Oral History Interview

Paul Arney is the owner and founding brewer at Ale Apothecary. In this interview, Arney talks about growing up in Everett, Washington; his family lineage of pharmacists; and his early interest in science. He also talks about his schooling at Western Washington University in Bellingham, his coursework in Geology, and homebrewing. He shares how meeting a Seattle-based brewer while working at a coffeeshop led him to UC Davis for Brew School; his move to Bend to work at Deschutes Brewery (1996-2002); and his 18 months away from Bend to travel through the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Arney returned to Bend and Deschutes Brewery in 2004, and he reflects on how the company changed while he was away, specifically its change to an expanded production brewery. Arney left Deschutes in 2010 to open his own brewery, Ale Apothecary, and he talks at length about how he created a company that reflected his values, as well as his interest in creative, historic, and traditional brewing practices. Specifically, Arney talks about the importance of location, using local ingredients, and how his experiences at Deschutes provided him with the knowledge and skills to establish a brewery that uses wild fermentation and a Scandinavian style of brewing. The interview concludes with Arney talking about his collaboration brew with Deschutes for their 2018 30th anniversary celebrations.