HOOD RIVER, Ore. -- Henry Weinhard's, the Pacific Northwest's pioneering producer of small-batch handcrafted beer, introduces Henry Weinhard's Classic Dark Lager, the first seasonal in its 149-year history. Available for a limited time only, Classic Dark is a smooth and drinkable blend of six premium malts with Northwest native Cluster, Cascade and Mt. Hood hops. Henry Weinhard's Classic Dark is now available in bottles throughout the Pacific Northwest in retail and on-premise, and on draught beginning November 1.
"Classic Dark was conceived in the authentic spirit of our founder Henry Weinhard, who believed that high-quality beer was something to which everyone was entitled," said Jonathan Sickinger, brand manager for Henry Weinhard's. "Those who have shied away from porters and stouts can embrace this smooth and approachable lager."
The Henry Weinhard's family of specialty beers also includes its flagship, Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve, as well as Henry Weinhard's Blue Boar Pale Ale, Hefeweizen and Northwest Trail Blonde Lager.
About Henry Weinhard's Henry Weinhard's, the number one family of specialty beers in the Northwest, was founded in 1856 when young German immigrant Henry Weinhard arrived in Portland and established Liberty Brewery. It was three years before Oregon officially became a state, and Portland's population was 1,200. Six years later, Henry opened his new brewery in what is now Portland's Pearl District; by the early 1880s, it was the largest in the Northwest. Henry Weinhard's lager soon became famous throughout the Northwest and beyond, and was shipped as far away as China and Siberia. Henry shared the wealth, offering his employees generous wages and supporting multiple charitable causes.
After Henry's death in 1904, the company continued to flourish, surviving Prohibition by brewing soft drinks and merging with a city competitor, Arnold Blitz, in 1928. By 1953 Blitz-Weinhard was the only brewery in Oregon and an established fixture in the local consciousness.
Today, under the ownership of Miller Brewing Company, Henry Weinhard's beers are still being skillfully made in the state of Oregon at Full Sail Brewery in Hood River with the same dedication and entrepreneurial spirit as when the beers were made by Henry himself.
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