Daniel Rothman Oral History Interview, May 6, 2022

Partial Transcript: Okay. Go ahead and introduce yourself.

Segment Synopsis: Rothman introduces himself and discusses his personal background. He was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona. His father was in the Air Force when Rothman was young before leaving the military to become a doctor. His mother was a stay-at-home mom when Rothman and his siblings were young; she began working in sales during Rothman’s adolescence. Rothman notes that his father was interested in beer and that he grew up in an environment that appreciated brewing, which he believes impacted his career trajectory.

Partial Transcript: And so what was it like to grow up in Phoenix? What are some things that you remember liking to do?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman recalls what it was like to grow up in Phoenix. He and his friends spent most of their time riding their bikes, swimming, and exploring the city. He recalls having a lot of freedom to explore as a child, especially during the summer. Rothman also discusses some of the trips he and his family took to see national parks throughout the American Southwest.

Partial Transcript: So once you shelved the dream of basketball player, what were things that you were good at or you were attracted to as you started thinking about college or again?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman discusses some of his early career plans and experiences. He explains that he was originally interested in going into politics, but was disillusioned with some of the policies instituted by the Reagan administration in the mid-1980s. He first enrolled in college at Tulane University in New Orleans, and began exploring beer and alcohol while there. Shortly after that trip, he transferred to Lewis and Clark University. Rothman explains that while at Lewis and Clark as a business major, having turned away from political science.

Partial Transcript: You had sort of settled on business. Business. Business administration. That was like, you, you were you were on that track.

Segment Synopsis: Rothman recounts his experience as an undergraduate at Lewis and Clark. He describes his living arrangements, the campus, and his experiences in Portland. Rothman briefly touches on some of the campus activism that was occurring while he was an undergraduate, specifically noting that many students were calling for the school to divest from South Africa because of its apartheid policies.

Partial Transcript: So is that when you got a job as a bartender, was that your first job?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman talks about his college job working as a bartender. It was his first college job, and he quickly grew to enjoy it. He enjoyed interacting with the customers and learning more about beer and the brewing process. In describing his experience as a bartender, Rothman also discusses how the import and export policies of the U.S. at the time impacted the brewing industry.

Partial Transcript: I am curious. Before we move on to McMenamin, you did what was what was the Henry Weinhard’s presence like at that time?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman describes Henry Weinhard’s presence in Portland in the 1980s. He notes that there was a Henry Weinhard’s tasting room downtown, and that it influenced both him and his other friends who were interested in brewing.

Partial Transcript: What was Bridgeport like?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman describes his experience in Bridgeport in 1988. He states that it had a great brewing scene and that that’s where he first learned to homebrew.

Partial Transcript: So you started homebrewing. Wanted to think about obviously, it became a thing that you made money. Money and not just serving, but making and not just making and drinking, but making and selling. So how did you learn how to homebrew?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman discusses how he learned to homebrew. He notes that he began by using the information he gained from “The Complete Joy of Homebrewing” and experimenting with different ingredients. He also discusses his first job at a brewpub, the Oak Hills Brewpub in Lincoln City, which he says was his first experience with brewing on a large scale.

Partial Transcript: What was, what was McMenamin's company culture like? What's it like to work?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman discuses the environment and Oak Hill Brewpub. He describes it as a very fun workplace, with a lot of eclectic people and a friendly atmosphere. He also notes that everybody who worked there was passionate about brewing and about creating a good product, which helped with morale.

Partial Transcript: So what was what was it like to run your own shop?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman talks about his memories of running his own brewpub. He states that it required him to become very familiar with every aspect of the brewing process, from selecting ingredients to marketing to potential customers. He states that while it was often stressful, he felt that it taught him many great lessons about brewing and contributed immensely to his career trajectory.

Partial Transcript: How did you incorporate feedback from customers? Like, what was feedback like?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman describes how he received and incorporated feedback from customers while running his own brewpub. He also discusses the broader consumer market in the late-1980s into the 1990s and how that impacted the brewing industry.

Partial Transcript: How involved in the the the well, the time you were there, how involved were Mike and Brian? Were they sort of omnipresent?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman talks about some of his collaborators in the brewing industry. He specifically focuses on his memories of Fred Eckhart, who was influential in the Oregon brewing industry.

Partial Transcript: Did you start to get creative at Lighthouse?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman discusses his ability to experiment more freely with different beers while at Lighthouse. He provides anecdotes about the production of a few different beers, describing how they were produced and how they were named.

Partial Transcript: Okay, so what was it like to come back to the city?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman talks about returning to Portland after leaving Lighthouse. He notes that the city had a much more active brewing community and that he was able to access more resources and collaborate with different people. He discusses some of the prominent breweries of the era and how they impacted his own approach to brewing.

Partial Transcript: Oh, okay. Okay. What are some when you were at Westland for a long time, certainly got your feet underneath you, it sounds like. What were some creative things that you did there? Did you brew with absinthe?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman recounts his experience at Westland Brewery. He discusses some of the beers he produced and people he worked with. He talks about the beer he brewed for his wedding, and famous customers he met, including Tonya Harding.

Segment Synopsis: Rothman describes the work he did at Fulton Brewing and how it compared to other breweries he worked at. He notes that because it was in a different location than the previous breweries he worked at he had to grow accustomed to new ingredients.

Partial Transcript: How did Portland and beer culture change in that five and a half, six years that you were working for a brewery?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman reflects on how Portland changed while he was a brewer there. He notes that beer and brewing underwent an explosion of popularity while he was working as a brewer in Portland and many breweries were founded and failed rapidly. He states that his ultimate motto as a brewer was to simply try to brew better beers and trust that that would lead to economic success.

Partial Transcript: Why did you leave Portland?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman talks about why he moved away from Portland and his career since then. He explains that he first moved to Arizona, where a new brewery had opened that he was interested in, before moving back to New York, where he was originally from.

Partial Transcript: How did you incorporate your research or did you incorporate your research on Jewish beer history into your brewing?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman talks about his interest in Jewish beer history and how he incorporates those traditions in his own work. He describes his efforts to replicate certain historical brewing practices and talks about the beers he’s created using traditional methods.

Partial Transcript: So you got a graduate degree while you were in Arizona?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman talks about attending graduate school to pursue and MBA. He explains that he knew he was ready for a career change and wanted to further pursue his undergraduate studies in business.

Partial Transcript: What was it like to move to New York?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman talks about moving to New York. He talks about the city’s culture, his family connections, and his favorite places to eat and drink. Rothman also compares New York’s beer scene to Portland’s beer scene, and comments on how brewing on the east coast differs from west coast brewing.

Partial Transcript: What has it been like to be in that again, that like busy space where things closed because people couldn't be together?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman briefly reflects on his experience of the Covid-19 pandemic. He discusses both his own experiences living in the suburbs and his brother’s experiences living in Manhattan.

Partial Transcript: What did you think that I would ask you about that I didn't ask you about?

Segment Synopsis: Rothman briefly talks about how he remains involved in the brewing industry despite no longer being a brewer before concluding the interview.