Oregon's Best Beer: Where To Buy Your Favorite Brews

Oregon has a long history of regulating the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, with laws dating back to 1844. Today, the state boasts thriving beer, wine, and liquor industries. Beer lovers can purchase their favourite beverage from state-run liquor stores, grocery stores, or even online, with licensed retailers allowed to sell beer from 6 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. every day. Oregon is also known for its microbrewing culture, with Portland being dubbed the microbrewing capital of the world. The state has produced several award-winning beers, and in 2007, 11% of the beer sold in Oregon was brewed within the state, the highest percentage in the US.

Beer delivery services in Oregon

Beer lovers in Oregon have a variety of delivery services to choose from, ensuring they can get their favourite beverage delivered right to their door.

Minibar Delivery

Minibar Delivery offers a wide range of beer, wine, and spirits, as well as extras like flowers and glassware. After providing your location, you can browse thousands of items from local store partners. The platform offers a user-friendly experience, allowing you to select your favourites, add them to your cart, and checkout through their website or apps. Minibar Delivery typically delivers orders within 30 to 60 minutes, making it a quick and convenient option.

Instacart

Instacart is another popular option for beer delivery in Oregon. With the Instacart app or website, you can shop for beer, wine, liquor, and mixers from a store near you. Instacart connects you with a personal shopper in your area, who will take care of your order. The platform offers same-day delivery options, and you can schedule your delivery time to fit your schedule. Instacart also provides contactless delivery and ID verification upon delivery to ensure a smooth and secure experience.

Porter

Porter is a unique service developed in Oregon and used by numerous breweries and taprooms throughout the state. While they primarily cater to bars and restaurants for online ordering and home delivery systems, they are worth mentioning for their contribution to the local beer delivery landscape.

Brewery and Taproom Delivery Options

Many breweries and taprooms in Oregon have stepped up their game by offering home delivery services. Here are some notable options:

• Away Days Brewing (Portland): Offering 16oz cans and snacks with free delivery for orders of 2 x 4-packs for $30.
• Baerlic Brewing (Portland): Providing 4-packs of 16oz cans and kegs with online ordering.
• Breakside Brewery (Portland): Delivering bottles, cans, food, and mixed packs from two locations in NW and NE Portland.
• Buoy Beer Co. (Astoria): Delivering cans, bottles, and spirits to the Portland area.
• Cascade Brewing (Portland): Offering 500ml and 750ml bottles, 16oz and 12oz cans, and food with a $30 minimum order and a $5 delivery fee.
• Civic Taproom & Bottle Shop (Portland): Providing same-day pickups or next-day deliveries of mixed variety packs of bottles and cans.
• Gigantic Brewing (Portland): Offering free next-day delivery with a minimum order of $48, delivering up to 3 cases per day per address/individual.
• Stormbreaker Brewing (Portland): With a $20 minimum order and a $5 delivery charge (waived for purchases over $40), they offer 16oz cans and kegs.
• 2 Towns Cider (Corvallis): Delivering cider, hard seltzer, beer, and wine to Salem and Portland with a $24 minimum delivery fee.
• Boneyard Beer (Bend): Providing growlers, bottles, CBD elixir, and food with daily delivery from 12 pm to 7 pm. Delivery fees are waived for purchases over $50.
• Ninkasi Brewing (Eugene): Delivering 16oz cans, 12oz bottles, cases, crowlers, and food on Tuesdays and Fridays from 12 pm to 5 pm.

These are just a few examples of the many beer delivery services available in Oregon. Whether you're looking for a quick delivery, a wide selection, or special offerings from local breweries, there's an option to suit your needs.

Beer sales in state-run liquor stores

Oregon has a long history of regulating the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages, with the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission (OLCC) holding a monopoly over the sale of all distilled beverages since Prohibition. The OLCC has strict guidelines and training to ensure that licensed establishments safely sell and serve alcoholic beverages.

Beer, wine, and liquor are permitted to be sold for on- or off-premises consumption between 2:30 a.m. and 7 a.m. in Oregon. Retailers, including grocery stores and state-run liquor stores, are allowed to sell these alcoholic beverages from 7 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. every day. State-run liquor stores have specific operating hours, opening from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the OLCC approved a temporary rule allowing retailers to sell beer, wine, and cider starting at 6 a.m., accommodating vulnerable shoppers who preferred to shop early in the day. This decision was made to address the concerns of older shoppers and those with underlying medical conditions, reducing their need to make multiple trips to the store or shop during busier hours.

Oregon has a thriving beer industry, with Portland being known as the microbrewing capital of the world. In 2007, 11% of the beer sold in Oregon was brewed in-state, the highest figure in the United States. The state also hosts North America's largest beer festival, showcasing its vibrant craft beer culture.

Beer sales in grocery stores

In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the OLCC approved a temporary rule allowing retailers to sell beer, wine, and cider starting at 6 a.m., an hour earlier than the usual 7 a.m. start time. This change was made to align with the opening hours of some grocery stores, which were opening earlier to accommodate high-risk shoppers. However, this exception has since expired, and alcohol sales in grocery stores have returned to the regular hours of 7 a.m. onwards.

There have been efforts to privatize liquor sales in Oregon and allow sales in local grocery stores. Proponents of this change argue that Oregonians should be able to buy liquor alongside beer and wine in grocery stores, and that the current system is outdated and costly for taxpayers. However, opponents argue that the current system helps ensure that smaller, independent, and local businesses have access to the marketplace.

In May 2022, a proposed ballot measure to privatize liquor sales in Oregon was withdrawn due to challenges posed by the pandemic and court delays. Despite this setback, proponents remain committed to changing Oregon's liquor sales laws.

Beer sales hours in Oregon

For on-site consumption, licensed businesses can start serving beer at 7 a.m. every day. For off-site consumption, beer sales can start as early as 6 a.m., an hour earlier than on-site consumption businesses.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) temporarily allowed retailers to sell beer as early as 6 a.m. to align with the opening hours of grocery stores that opened early to accommodate high-risk shoppers. This exception has since expired, and beer sales hours in Oregon have returned to the standard 7 a.m. start time for on-site consumption.

It is important to note that Oregon's beer sales hours may vary from those in other states, and it is illegal to sell alcohol to anyone under the age of 21. The drinking age in Oregon is 21, and only individuals aged 18 or older can work as bartenders or servers. Additionally, retailers are allowed to stop selling alcohol and close their businesses earlier than the specified time at their own discretion.

Beer production in Oregon

Oregon's beer industry has a long history, with the earliest commercial breweries appearing in the 1850s. By 2020, Oregon was fourth in the nation for the number of breweries and tenth for the number of craft breweries. The state is home to more than 200 breweries and brewpubs, with a large variety of beer on offer.

The story of brewing in Oregon is linked to immigration, transportation, agriculture, Prohibition, and urbanisation. Liquor was popular in the West as early as the 1830s, and commercial beer production began in earnest in the 1850s. The first verifiable record of a brewery in Oregon is an advertisement for Charles Barrett's Portland Brewery and General Grocery Establishment in the August 5, 1854, issue of the Weekly Oregonian. Barrett operated the brewery from 1852 to 1855.

Many sources name Swiss immigrant Henry Saxer as Oregon's first commercial brewer with his Liberty Brewery, supposedly opened in 1852. However, there is ambiguity around the opening date, and it may have been later. In 1862, Henry Weinhard bought and expanded Liberty Brewery, later renaming it City Brewery. Weinhard's brewery was in a class of its own in terms of size, distribution, and reputation.

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, breweries opened and closed frequently, with many changing names and leaving few records. It is estimated that between 1854 and 1914, the year Oregon banned the sale of alcohol, around 100 breweries were licensed in the state. Most brewers were German, producing variations of traditional German lager.

In 1914, Oregon voters approved a statewide ban on the manufacture, sale, and advertisement of intoxicating liquor, five years before national Prohibition was established. Prohibition was repealed in Oregon in 1932, and the 21st Amendment was ratified in 1933.

In 1985, the Oregon Legislature legalised brewpubs, giving brewers permission to make and sell beer on the same premises. This led to the opening of several new breweries in the state. The craft brewing industry in Oregon suffered one of its worst years in 2023 due to the pandemic and shifting consumer habits. However, the industry continues to adapt and remains an important part of the state's economy.

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