Fred Bowman Oral History Interview

Fred Bowman is the former owner and co-founder of Portland Brewing Company, one of Oregon's first post-Prohibition micro breweries. In this interview, Bowman discusses the biological and mechanical skills and interests that led him to found a brewery in Portland with Jim Goodwin and Art Larrance in 1986. Bowman talks at length about his life before Portland Brewing Co., detailing an extensive trip to Europe, his enlistment in the Army Reserves, and a 16-year stint working for a Volkswagen distributor. Bowman also discusses the challenges surrounding Portland Brewing Company's first years of operation, as well as his eventual decision to branch off as an independent consultant.