Rick Allen Oral History Interview

Rick Allen is the owner and head brewer at Heater Allen. In his interview, Allen shares stories about his family's deep roots at OSU, dating to his grandmother and grandfather's time OAC in the 1910s and daughter's graduation in the 2000s. He also discusses his time as a student at OSU in the early 1970s, including the campus climate, student perspective on the administration, and campus traditions linked to his fraternity (Beta Theta Pi). After university, Allen took a position as an investment banker in Portland, with short moves to Washington and California for employment; he left that field in the early 2000s. An avid home brewer, Allen considered a second career as a vintner, but decided to open a brewery in 2007 in McMinnville, Oregon. In the latter part of his interview, Allen discusses the important influences on his brewing style, experiences operating a brewery in Oregon's wine country, and issues facing small breweries in 2016.