Robin Johnson Oral History Interview, September 10, 2018

Partial Transcript: I’m Robin Johnson and I’m the assistant brewmaster here at the Bend Public House in Downtown Brewing.

Segment Synopsis: In this section, Robin Johnson introduces himself and discusses his family background. He was born in southern California, and spent his early years there until his family moved to Eugene, Oregon, when he was in middle school. He comes from a large family, and many of his siblings work in the arts.

Partial Transcript: What were some things academically that you were interested in when you were at the stage where you start having your own interests, I guess.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson recalls his childhood interests and hobbies. He was particularly interested in science, including geology, chemistry, and physics. He was also interested in food chemistry and cooking, which contributed to his later interest in brewing.

Partial Transcript: What was what was that walk like? What are things you remember about Eugene at that time?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson describes his memories of growing up in Eugene. He notes that it was a fairly small city and that the community was quite close knit. He recalls some of his favorite places to spend time, including a record store and a videogame arcade.

Partial Transcript: So did you think that you wanted to stay in Oregon when you were in high school? Like, what were you thinking about, like longer term at that point?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about his time in college, when attended the University of Oregon. He states that he was a business major and that he enjoyed his college experience. Shortly after graduating he moved to Boston, where his long-distance girlfriend, now wife, lived. While there he worked a few odd jobs until she graduated, at which point they moved to Portland, Oregon together.

Partial Transcript: What are some things that you remember about Portland from that time?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson and his partner moved to Portland in 2005, and he discusses what Portland was like in the early 2000s. He notes that it was a fairly “artsy” city, and that he spent a lot of time attending concerts and other performances. Johnson became very involved in the food and brewing culture in Portland at the time, and reminisces about the different bars and restaurants he frequented.

Partial Transcript: What was that? Well, you know, what were you excited about? What were people that you were working with? What were they excited about?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about the developments in brewing that occurred in the 2000s. He notes that hoppy IPAs were becoming very popular and that consumers were interested in trying new flavor profiles, giving breweries the freedom to experiment. He talks about his own education at the American Brewers’ Guild.

Partial Transcript: What was it like when you started? What are some of your your head? If I asked you to remember some stuff from your first year here, what are some of the memories that come up?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson discusses his first years working at Deschutes Brewery as a brewer. He talks about the different people he worked with, including his brewmaster, Brian Faber. He notes that the culture at the brewery was very welcoming and open to experimentation, which he appreciated as a new hire.

Partial Transcript: How has how have your job titles changed? What is what are some of the if you think about the main four components of different jobs that you've done?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about how his role at Deschutes Brewery has changed over the course of his career there. He notes that he started working in production, then moved to management, then became the assistant brewmaster, before finally becoming the brewmaster. He notes that he enjoys being able to interact with customers and using customer feedback to develop new products.

Partial Transcript: What are some of the changes that you've observed in the beer industry?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about how the brewing industry has changed over the course of his career. He notes that consumers are more willing to try new products, which in turn has allowed breweries to be more creative. Additionally, he feels that the consumer base for breweries has begun to skew younger, and generally become more diverse.

Partial Transcript: What is it like to be the person who is in charge of doing the crazy stuff?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about his role as a leader at Deschutes Brewery. He states that he feels it’s important to pass on knowledge and skills to the next generation of brewers, and that as a member of senior management at the brewery he tries to encourage younger employees to develop their passion for brewing.

Partial Transcript: So talk about what that was like for you to do that collaboration with Frank.

Segment Synopsis: Johnson talks about collaboration within the brewing industry. He explains that he thinks the industry is generally quite friendly and that people are open to working together and sharing ideas. Johnson also recounts his experiences working with Frank Bowman and Tony Lawrence and notes that these collaborations helped the brewery to grow.

Partial Transcript: What are you excited about for the next arbitrary number of years?

Segment Synopsis: Johnson explains that he’s excited to grow the brewery in the future and briefly reflects on his favorite beers from Deschutes Brewing.