Hobo Brewing Renamed Coalition Brewing; Other Updates

I ran into Elan Walsky over the weekend. Elan, the sharp-memoried will recall, is one of two principles (Kiley Hoyt is the other) who plan to open a new brewery in the former Noble Rot building on 28th and Ankeny. I was pleased to learn that things are still on track, though quite a lot has changed since my first update. The name, in particular: forget Hobo, the new place will be called Coalition Brewing. How did this come about, and what does it portend? Read on.

Usual and Unusual Setbacks
Every brewery opening is fraught with certain unforeseen setbacks, but you don't expect to get hit with a lawsuit even before you get the mash tun installed. That's what happened when the name "Hobo" provoked some dispute and legal action. I got the fifty-cent version of the story, but since lawyers are involved, I'll leave it at that. They considered going with a similar evocation ("Boxcar," for example), but instead decided to use the name change to re-think the business model. Thus emerged "Coalition" (see below).

They also had the more usual setbacks of space issues and lease wrangles. Originally, the idea as a three- or five-barrel system, but that didn't leave much room to grow. Problem is, the Nobel Rot building is very wee. So the new plan is a ten-barrel system, but to manage it they have to build a shed behind the building. All of this has set back the targeted opening date probably four months--look for the grand opening sometime toward the end of the year.

Coalition of Brewers
The more interesting update involves the name and concept behind it. Perhaps inspired by the Collaborator Project (Elan and Kiley are members of the Brew Crew, the homebrew club that partnered with Widmer to do Collaborator), they plan to invite homebrewers to submit recipes, work with the brewery, and produce their recipes there. Thus, the "coalition." I didn't press too hard for info about the process (let them get a brewery first), but they won't hold a competition as the Collaborator Project does. It will be more informal.

(And I happen to know of a nice grisette recipe they might be interested in trying...)

One final, interesting note. Fred Bowman, the co-founder of Portland Brewing, is advising Elan and Kiley. That's gotta be good: Fred has forgotten more about starting and running a brewery than most of us will ever know. They're in good hands. Let's hope the setbacks are all in the rear-view mirror and it's smooth riding from here on out.

New Brewpub: Hobo Brewing

The Oregon Brewers Guild lists 30 breweries operating in the Portland area. In a few months, Brian Butenschoen is going to have to update the number: Oregon's newest brewery is in the works in the former location of Noble Rot on 28th and SE Ankeny. (The picture at right, courtesy of Concierge.com, shows the building as occupied by Noble Rot.)

Serendipity sent me by the future Hobo Brewing yesterday as Kiley Hoyt and Elan Walsky were puttering around out front. I was attracted by the three jugs of yeast visible through the open door (you can see them in the picture below). Sure enough: yeast. Kiley and Elan are recent graduates of Siebel, and they met at Steinbart's before deciding to open shop together.

Hobo will be a microbrewery in the old sense--3.5 to five barrels. For the moment, Hobo only occupies the bottom floor, but they hope to be able to expand to the second floor in the future. I think I caught them pretty early in the process; they seem to be in full R&D mode, just exploring the types of beer they'll brew. I had a follow-up question about the name, and Kiley said in her email this morning that they were up until midnight brewing. Call it the elbow grease stage.

One nugget on the beer front: Elan suggested a maple IPA may be in the works when I asked about beer styles. (Maple IPA, you ask? Kiley's from Vermont. For those of you who have seen the sugarhouses dotting the countryside of the Green Mountain state, this is no surprise. On one of my trips to New England to visit Sally's family, I was inspired to brew a maple stout. Maple's in the air out there.)

The name of the brewery is born of the times. Kiley emailed this description:

"It was just something that made sense. The company was born only last year and hearing and seeing all the struggling going on due to the tough economic times (I myself was laid off), we chose the name Hobo. A hobo continues through life relying solely on the the support of others--friends, family, and strangers alike...We want to have a place where people can stop by during their travels, feel at home, enjoy their stay, and not break the bank."

This is perfectly consonant with the neighborhood, which has long been the center of Portland's communal vibe. You can probably catch Kiley and Elan at the brewery--especially on sunny days when the door will be open--and welcome them to the neighborhood. They are personable and welcoming, and seemed genuinely thankful for the interest people expressed.

I'll keep you updated as they progress toward opening. Right now they're shooting for summer.