Joe Casey Oral History Interview, February 21, 2023

Partial Transcript: Alright. Go ahead and introduce yourself.

Segment Synopsis: Casey was born in Columbus, Ohio, but grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He talks about his parents and their professions, and his memories of New Mexico.

Partial Transcript: Yeah. Yeah. Would you like to do when you were a little getting for some of your activities?

Segment Synopsis: Casey discusses his childhood interests, which included biking, raising farm animals, and participating in rodeo competitions. He talks about ranching, rodeo, and their legacies in New Mexico, and notes that a lot of his local community was involved in agricultural work.

Partial Transcript: Well, tell me about. Tell me about academics in school. What were subjects that you were interested in, were good at?

Segment Synopsis: Casey notes that his mom encouraged her children to prioritize school. He states that the most valuable class he took while in high school was typing, and that he also enjoyed geometry and biology. He explains that his interest in biology and the local nature scenes led him to consider zoology as a career.

Partial Transcript: What were you studying?

Segment Synopsis: Casey discusses his early college career at Lewis and Clark. He notes that he greatly enjoyed attending Lewis and Clark, but that after his first year, it became too expensive and he had to transfer.

Partial Transcript: So did you move back to Portland then, before you went to the U of O?

Segment Synopsis: Casey explains that after leaving Lewis and Clark he stayed with his father in Ohio for a summer, which resulted in him losing his ability to claim in-state tuition in Oregon. Because of this, he decided to move to Portland for a year before returning to his studies. He talks about the stress of that year and the process of petitioning the Attorney General to receive in-state tuition again.

Partial Transcript: So then what was Eugene like? So you would have been there in ‘91. Was that like your first full year?

Segment Synopsis: After he was able to claim in-state tuition once again, Casey enrolled at the University of Oregon. He talks about his memories of the dorms and his experience living in Eugene. He chose to major in biology and discusses some of the classes he took both in and out of his major.

Partial Transcript: So, sticking in Eugene just for a second before we go back to Portland. Time out. Food and drink. Was beer a thing there? Do you remember drinking Widmer?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about his memories of bars in Eugene and some of the different beers he was introduced to at that time in his life, specifically imports. He notes that he wasn’t really involved in the food scene and chose to focus on brewing-related subjects.

Partial Transcript: Yeah. How did you end up moving back to Portland State then? Or back to Portland and to Portland State.

Segment Synopsis: Casey explains that he moved back to Portland as there were more job opportunities there than in Eugene. At the same time he attended Portland State University to complete his degree. He talks about the different jobs he worked and compares the school culture at PSU to his experience at UO and Lewis and Clark, noting that because PSU is a commuter school there were fewer social experiences.

Partial Transcript: So that would be, are we at mid-nineties Portland…What was Portland like?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about Portland in the mid-nineties, noting that it was a bit smaller than it was at the time of the interview. He talks about attending concerts and going out to bars and offers some anecdotes about his early twenties. He also names some of the breweries that were popular at the time.

Partial Transcript: So I have two questions that I want to ask at the same time. One question. So you get to choose which my first one is about homebrewing…And one is about where your friends in the industry worked. So choose your adventure and then the next one will come next.

Segment Synopsis: Casey discusses learning to homebrew and describes some of the first beers he made. He explains that he had difficulty sourcing ingredients at first, but got better over time as he made friends in the brewing community. He states that he became interested in pursuing brewing as a full-time career because of how much he enjoyed it as a hobby.

Partial Transcript: How did you get the job at Widmer?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about applying to and ultimately working for Widmer Brothers Brewing in Portland. He talks about the first position he had at that company and describes his work responsibilities, which included filtration, carbonation, and cleaning. He notes that at the time he joined, it was a relatively small organization, but that it began to grow quickly.

Partial Transcript: Tell me about what it was like in that sort of mid-nineties heading into the late nineties.

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the culture at Widmer Brewing. He notes that most of the employees were passionate about brewing and worked hard and that many of them were friends outside of work as well. He discusses his experience working for Kurt and Rob Widmer, the founders of the company, and describes their respective roles.

Partial Transcript: Tell me what it was like to be working at a rapidly expanding company and at a time when the industry was changing a lot, too, and defined changing a lot as you well.

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the brewing industry in the late 1990s, noting that the proliferation of new breweries led to a lack of quality control and a glut in the market, which in turn led to a decrease in consumer demand for beer products. He discusses some of his other favorite breweries and bars at the time and briefly discusses larger companies within the brewing market including Coors and Miller Lite.

Partial Transcript: Tell me what did you do when you went to work? I'm picking a year, 1999. What did you do when you went to work? What was the typical work day?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about some of his new responsibilities as he was promoted at Widmer Brewing, which involved monitoring materials, collecting samples, tasting products, and cleaning. He also mentions how new technologies, especially computers, were utilized at the brewery.

Partial Transcript: How did that happen? I want to ask about ingredients and the kind of ingredients and experimentation, also ingredients and sourcing. So how involved were you in making choices about ingredients/

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the different farms that he sourced ingredients from, and notes that as he became more involved in the industry and developed more connections with other brewers, he was able to access different products. He also notes that organizations like the Masters’ Brewers Association helped to organize ingredient acquisition.

Partial Transcript: So how did, were there times when people wanted the same hops? What, is there like a lottery for who gets to go first?

Segment Synopsis: Casey discusses how breweries worked with growers to buy ingredients. He explains that some growers sold to a wide variety of breweries while others contracted with only one brewery, offering that brewery exclusive access to a product.

Partial Transcript: Tell me about what it was like as new hops came out. And if it seems like we had our hops for a long time. Of all of the things that come out.

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the new hops of the 1990s and 2000s. He names some of the different varieties and discusses how it changed both his own brewing practices and the practices of the industry more broadly.

Partial Transcript: And what is it that sticks to the wall? Is it taste? Is it like, are we now breeding with the understanding that Oregon seems to be getting hotter? You know, certainly, environmental concerns related to fires and water.

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about how growers choose which species of hops to grow. He notes that it’s largely decided by taste, although other considerations such as environmental impact and hardiness are also considered.

Partial Transcript: So I am curious about access to ingredients and supplies as it relates to being part of the Anheuser-Busch family now.

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about his memories of when Widmer Brothers Brewing Company was sold to Anheuser-Busch, a larger brewing company that also owns Budweiser. He states that despite the change in ownership, very little changed in the brewery in his experience.

Partial Transcript: Okay. Rewinding to the 2000s, I guess we're still rewinding to the aughts. Talk about the company and what it was like to work once again…Tell me about the beers that were being made.

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the changes in the brewing industry in the 2000s. He notes that brewing saw an explosion of popularity, especially in Oregon, and that there was a large demand for new and experimental beer varieties. He talks about some of the products that Widmer developed in this era, including beer alternatives such as ciders and non-alcoholic beers.

Partial Transcript: Oh, okay. Great. Mystery solved. Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's awesome. So interview notes. Yeah. So tell me about Omission.

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the creation of Omission, a gluten-free IPA he developed at Widmer Brothers that became popular. He discusses the flavor profile that he created during its development, some of the technical problems he had to solve, and its reception among consumers.

Partial Transcript: Have you seen any crossover in like what you learned during that process?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about some of the different technical lessons that he’s learned over the course of his career and specifically during the development of Omission. He mentions the different enzymes that he uses in production and how gluten-free IPAs can be created and popularized.

Partial Transcript: What was the overlap between Widmer, Kona, and Redhook from a sort of, like, logistical standpoint for you, for your job?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the different jobs he’s had at Widmer Brothers, Kona Beer Company, and Redhook Brewing. He mentions his specific responsibilities in each role and how they overlap. He focuses on his work for Kona Brewing Company and describes some of the products he developed for them, emphasizing the flavor profiles that were available in Hawaii.

Partial Transcript: I want to hear about professional communities. So you were talking about NDAA. What has that professional network been like?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the professional associations he’s a member of, specifically the American Society of Brewing Chemists and the Master Brewers Association of Americans. He notes that these professional associations allow brewers to share their techniques and collaborate on projects. He also states that these organizations represent brewers’ interests, helping the profession to thrive.

Partial Transcript: Talk about how the industry has changed.

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about how individual breweries fit into the industry at large. He also discusses how the industry has changed since he first started, noting that it has become increasingly popular, allowing breweries to branch out and try new formulas.

Partial Transcript: And didn't change during COVID? Like, does it still feel like there's that long tail even having come out of a time?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the brewing industry. He states that there were huge financial ramifications. Because restaurants and bars were shut down, demand for beers and other drinks decreased dramatically. Casey explains that many breweries cut back production and will likely continue to produce only smaller batches, even as pandemic-related restrictions are lifted.

Partial Transcript: Okay. The other question coming back to the homebrew and thinking about collaborations and when I think about Widmer, in my mind, the Henry Weinhard’s.

Segment Synopsis: Casey discusses the closure of Henry Weinhard’s, an older and well-established Portland brewery. He talks about the role of older breweries in the market, noting they can serve as “elder statesmen” and represent the community well. He hopes that Widmer Brother Brewing can now fill that role, even as the original founders themselves step away and retire.

Partial Transcript: Because I want to ask you then what did I not ask...What did you think I was going to ask you that I didn't?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about the development and growing interest in gluten-free IPAs and other new IPAs. He explains that the creation of these new products has been one of the major innovations in brewing over the past few decades and allowed the industry to serve new customers.

Partial Transcript: So do you think, are there other art, or are there more beverage alternatives for people?

Segment Synopsis: Casey talks about other, non-IPA beverage alternatives, such as seltzers. He touches on the difficulties of developing different beverage types in the same production facility and describes how breweries keep the products separate to avoid any contamination.

Partial Transcript: Did you ever, so were you ever like, did you go to the Brewers festival?

Segment Synopsis: Casey discusses the Oregon Brewers Festival and his participation in it over the years. He notes that he hasn’t attended in recent years, but earlier in his career would attend regularly. He found it to be a helpful way to meet other brewers and hear directly from customers.