 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Kurt Widmer '78
|
| Brewed in Oregon |
|
 |
|
At UO, Kurt Widmer ’78 tapped into a love of learning.
|
Driving east on Freemont Bridge, Kurt Widmer ('78 Psychology) doesn't have to see steam rising to know Widmer brewmasters are hard at work. "If we're brewing that morning, I can smell it from the bridge," says Widmer, who co-founded Widmer Brothers Brewing Company with his brother, Rob, in 1984.
Once at work, he has full view of the kettle stack. Located in a 19th century brick landmark, once slated for demolition, his office also preserves a more personal piece of history: a faded black and white photograph of his grandfather, "Pa" Engele, with other members of Germany's Eskadron Dragoner-Regiment circa 1886-each holding a glass of "bier."
Though Widmer studied German at the UO in the '70s, exploring his German roots didn't seem to have much connection to his future, only his past. He launched into a "general survey" of courses which included anthropology, religious studies, and psychology.
Until that time, he says, learning had seemed tedious: "At the University of Oregon, I learned that it's fun, and now it's just a part of my life."
Taking His UO Education to Germany -- Twice
After graduating in 1974, Widmer worked for a pharmaceutical company in Freiburg, Germany. His two-year stay was motivated by his desire to "finally master German" and to distance himself from the United States, post-Vietnam.
"I wanted to get a perspective on the United States from outside the United States," says Widmer. "It was very interesting, having a beer with [German students] and listening to their political philosophy... Europeans in general have a very international perspective."
While his time in Germany gave him a different outlook on the United States, it also gave him a different perspective on beer. "When I came back, I started home brewing, trying to recreate some of the beers I became familiar with over there." A few German beers were available, but the time it took to import them often compromised the quality. "It was a personal challenge to see how close I could get," he says, "but, honestly, I didn't really get that close!"
After he and his brother home-brewed for five years, they decided to take the plunge. "We raised the money from family and friends-not nearly enough as it turns out!-but we basically built it by hand," says Widmer.
"Our brewing results improved dramatically," he remembers. However, there was still a lot to learn-how to set up a business, and how to brew on a scale much larger than their kitchens.
His college education prepared him for that leap, he thinks. "My liberal arts education has given me the confidence to try new things. When I look back, it was pretty stupid of me to think I could brew commercially just because I had a home brewery. But we just did a lot of research in the library..."
His research also led him back to the country where he'd discovered the distinct flavor that inspired him to make his own. There, family connections helped Widmer receive some first-hand advice and instruction about the careful techniques of the microbrewery-including an ingredient analysis on the Widmer brew and a few take-home samples of yeast, a strain of which he still uses today.
The trip was a whirlwind, in-depth education in brewing from the experts. "It seemed like my brain was going to explode a lot of times," says Widmer. However, his passion for learning urged him on. "The greatest value that I got from my time at the University of Oregon was learning how to learn," he says. "And that's a life-long thing."
Bringing It Home
Aside from research, the other key to the success of this family business is just that: family.
Though they have two different but "complementary" personalities, the Widmer brothers also have mutual trust. Working twelve to sixteen hour days in the beginning, they depended on each other heavily for support-and the occasional "reality check."
"When you're working that long and you're exhausted, you can get really depressed about little things," says Widmer. A mislabeled a bag of grain and, consequently, a ruined batch could have seemed like the end of their business.
These days, business is steady. The Institute for Brewing Studies recently awarded Widmer Brothers Brewing as the 2002 Mid-Sized Brewing Company of the Year.
Despite the size of their company, the Widmers treat their 130 employees as an extension of the Widmer family. "We're a very family-friendly company," he says, explaining that many employees come back to the restaurant during non-work hours with their families.
In fact, one of his most loyal and valuable employees recently celebrated his 83rd birthday there: Widmer's dad has been a steady presence at the brewery since the beginning. "We couldn't afford to pay him then," Widmer smiles. "But we do now."
Northwest Innovations
Kurt Widmer is convinced his company's success couldn't have happened anywhere but the Northwest.
"People in the Northwest are willing to try new things. They don't have to be convinced through huge marketing campaigns," says Widmer. "They'll try it. That's all you can really ask of a consumer. Then, if they don't like it, that's your problem."
No problem here. Consumers have made the Widmer hefeweizen Oregon's top-selling draught microbrew for over fourteen years. America's Original Hefeweizen® now accounts for about 82% of the company's sales.
While remaining committed to providing the market with the familiar flavors of Widmer, the spirit of innovation that launched the company continues to move it forward. Widmer Brothers was the first brewery, post prohibition, to introduce seasonal beers. Their latest, Spring Run IPA, hit shelves in mid-February.
"The reality is that brewing is almost as much art as it is science," says Widmer.
|
|
|
1245 University of Oregon • Eugene, OR • 97403-1245
(541) 346.3950 • FAX (541) 346.3282 • alumnidev@cas.uoregon.edu
Copyright © 2003 University of Oregon
Updated May 5, 2003
|
 |
|
|
|
|
