Jon Bier Oral History Interview, September 10, 2018

Partial Transcript: Go ahead and introduce yourself...

Segment Synopsis: Jon was born in Corvallis, Oregon in 1970. Growing up he and his brother were very involved in athletics, they played baseball, basketball, and soccer but ultimately only played soccer in High School. In school Jon was very mathematically inclined, noting that he finished the majority of his high school math requirements while still in middle school. In college he spent his first two years undeclared, so his junior year he decided to study English. He reflects on some of the bonds he created in his childhood with his friends, explaining that they have become so close over the years that when his parents come to visit Jon in Bend they often stay with friends of his because they have the extra space.
Jon moves forward to explain his decision to enroll at the University of Oregon. After living in Corvallis his entire life, the driving factor was getting out of town to experience something new. Some of his most vivid memories of Eugene was how politically inclined the student body was on campus, as well as all the good fun he had as a college student moving away from home.

Partial Transcript: What do you remember about music, places you liked to eat, places you liked to hangout...

Segment Synopsis: Jon further elaborates on his time in Eugene, explaining that he is a big music fan which led him to attending many shows and other bars that hosted live music. Immediately after he finished his last final he had his van packed and he headed out of town to Ketchum, Idaho because a friend of his had moved there and recommended it to him. Jon has always been an avid outdoors man, explaining that the wilderness is his focus and passion in life, and when he moved to Ketchum he picked up fly fishing as a hobby which he has continued throughout his adulthood. Due to his career in the service industry he is required to be very attentive and in tune with the guests he interacts with, so when it comes to his outdoor activities he appreciates the solitude that comes with being in the woods.
While in Sun Valley Idaho, Jon had met a woman which he wound up following out Vermont to pursue the relationship. He gave himself a year to determine whether or not Burlington, Vermont would work for him long term, but eventually he came to the realization that he couldn't bear living all the way across the country from his family.
He shares that halfway through his college career he had decided to take a year off from college, and in this gap year he had moved to Bend, Oregon and spent the year on the mountain. So when he decided to leave Vermont, he elected to move back to Bend.

Partial Transcript: So how did you end up with your job at Deschutes?

Segment Synopsis: When Jon moved to Bend he was trying to figure out what he wanted to do, and he knew a friend from Sun Valley who currently worked at Deschutes and he put in a good word, and ultimately they hired him on. Deschutes was still relatively new, as it was only 8 years old when Jon was hired and he explains how it was a very intimate and family based company. At the time of his hire the beer industry was a lot simpler than it is now. Deschutes only had 6 beers on tap and at the time Jon felt like thats all they would ever need. But in today's world, beers are created on trends to strike the interest of consumers to bring in more attention and revenue. He explains that he had struggled a bit with the idea of continuous expansion, but over the years he has come to terms with the nature of the industry.
The interview shifts towards Jon's pros and cons of working for Deschutes. He really appreciates the consistency and the quality of the beer they produce, and he has often has to check himself to not compare his experience at other restaurants and breweries because there is such a high standard held at Deschutes. On the flip side, the difference between the restaurant and the plant as two different businesses has posed some challenges for Jon.

Partial Transcript: What about how customers have changed?

Segment Synopsis: Jon moves forward to speak about the evolution of the customer base over the years he has spent at Deschutes. One of his big talking points surround the increasing rate of customers sitting on their phone while at the bar and the reduced interaction among customers. However, one of the other things that has changed is how informed customers are, the knowledge and understanding of what defines a good beer has increased exponentially as the craft industry has continued to grow and evolve.
Jon talks about his beer preferences, mentioning the Sun Valley Rippen IPA, the hop and malt profile is perfect for his taste preference.