Fifteen years ago, Alex Ganum took the leap from brewing for others to opening his own brewery in North Portland’s Leftbank Building. There, he took his love and appreciation of Belgian style beers to the next level with Upright Brewing where both fellow brewers and beer aficionados both adore his work.
Through the years, Upright Brewing has been highly regarded as one of Portland’s top breweries as it now produces a wide array of beers. However, it chooses to do so at its own beat as Upright’s brewers brew beers that they want to drink while creating beers that have brought a large fan base from across the globe.
To celebrate its 15 years of brewing, Upright Brewing will host its 15th Anniversary Celebration on Saturday, April 6 at its Tasting Room inside the Leftbank Building. From 1:00 – 9:00pm, Upright Brewing will tap a handful of anniversary collaboration beers brewed with such other highly regarded breweries that include Breakside Brewery, Grains of Wrath, and Away Days Brewing.
The event will also feature the special release of Glass Tower, a delightfully hoppy saison, that’ll be packaged in cans. To add to the festivities, DesiPDX will be on site, serving up mouthwatering Indian cuisine.
“Being a part of Portland’s vibrant beer culture for the past decade and a half has been an incredible journey,” says Alex Ganum, Founder and Head Brewer at Upright. “We’re proud to have contributed to the rich tapestry of the Pacific Northwest brewing community, and we’re grateful for the support of our fans and fellow brewers.”
During the past 15 years a lot has changed in the brewing industry. There were long periods of growth but over the past four years this success that the industry was experiencing as a whole has changed dramatically.
Upright Brewing has continued on during this time as it moved its quaint brewery tasting room upstairs in the Leftbank Building nearly three years ago to a much more expansive space. The new street level location is a full fledged tasting room that is open seven days a week with multiple levels of seating, even a few outdoor tables. Ganum also added two beer engines serving ups some of the region’s best cask conditioned beers.
Then this past June, the brewery opened Upright Brewing Beer Station in Northeast Portland at the corner of NE Prescott and NE 72nd Avenue. This space is also home to Junior’s Roasted Coffee in the morning before the taproom opens and a few food carts.
But what has truly kept Upright Brewing on the map through these years is the brewery’s dedication to follow its mission statement – “Small Batch Beers Crafted With Character”. For years the brewery didn’t brew an IPA, but eventually did so when it developed one that stood out from the others in Portland. This dedication has earned the brewery a devoted following and a solid reputation.
“Beyond the beers, we’re especially excited to relish the day with local beer enthusiasts and longtime supporters of the brewery,” says Ganum. We will definitely be making our way to Upright to show our support on April 6th!
Upright Brewing – 240 N Broadway – Portland, OR
About The Author
DJ
D.J. is a Portland, Oregon based writer that spent his formative years in the Midwest. With over 25 years under his belt of drinking beer at festivals across America and the world, he has developed a strong appreciation and understanding of craft beer and the industry that surrounds it. He can be found in any of the great breweries or beer bars that make Portland the best beer city in the world. His writing can also be found in the archives of Northwest Brewing News and can be followed on Twitter and Instagram at @hopapalooza.
