(Press Release)
PORTLAND, OR—The Oregon Brewers Guild announced today that Oregon’s breweries crafted 1,296,000 barrels of beer (or roughly 321 million pints) during 2012, an 11 percent increase from the previous year. As employment figures continued to strengthen in Oregon, the state’s brewing companies added more than 900 jobs in 2012 and directly employed more than 6,400 people.
“Double digit increases in production numbers means the craft brewing industry is continually hiring more people,” says Brian Butenschoen, executive director of the Oregon Brewers Guild. “Making 130,000 more barrels than the previous year positively affects the hop farmer, the barley grower, the industry supplier and the 6,400 people employed by the Oregon craft beer industry.”
In addition to strengthening the local economy, Oregon’s 133 brewing companies donated product and dollars to community non-profits in 2012, equaling $1,875,000. Retail sales of Oregon-made beer sold in the state totaled more than $350 million in 2012. In total, the brewing industry contributes $2.83 billion to the state’s economy and employs roughly 29,000 people directly and indirectly.
Oregon currently has 137 brewing companies operating 174 brewing facilities in 59 cities across the state. There are currently 51 breweries in Portland, 15 in Bend and 10 in Eugene.
More than 17 percent of the 2.79 million barrels of all beer — both bottled and draft — consumed in the state were made in Oregon. For draft beer, that percentage is even higher, with Oregon breweries producing an estimated 47 percent of all draft beer consumed in the state. Oregonians consumed 12.8 percent more Oregon craft beer over last year, equaling 483,400 barrels. Craft beer production in the U.S. grew 15 percent in 2012 and now represents 6.5 percent of the total volume of beer brewed in the United States.