Cascade Brewing was founded in 1998 by owner Art Larrance and brewmaster Ron Gansberg. 

Larrance (a spry 72) and Gansberg (formally of Bridgeport Brewing) have both worked in the industry for 40 years. They designed and installed a 10-barrel brewing system in Southwest Portland, creating and distributing flavourful ales in classic styles.

Having grown tired of Americas “hops arms race” they both wanted to focus on beers that offered an intense and interesting taste that wasn’t reliant on hops.

Larrance and Gansberg considered what was available locally: wine barrels and fruit. Purposefully staying away from simply copying Belgian styles they began experimenting and perfecting complex sour beers.

By 2006 Cascade were producing their base beers, golden and wheat ales, to blend and age in wine, port and whiskey oak barrels. 

In 2008, the brewery released Kriek, Apricot and Cuvee du Jongleur. Oak barrel-aged, Northwest sour ales fermented with lactobacillus, a bacteria that produces moderate levels of acidity and a sour complexity.

Cascade Kriek won a bronze medal at the Great American Beer Festival, and the brewery went on to win Gold and Silver in 2009. These wins propelled the obscure brewery into the forefront.

In September 2010, the Cascade Brewing Barrel House was opened, their “House of Sour” containing production, a barrel room, cooler as well as a tasting room.

In 2014, they moved to The Cascade Blending House a bigger premises holding all of the blending, ageing, packaging and distribution. All of the beers continue to be brewed at the original brewery.

Currently beers are aged in oak barrels; a mixture of Bourbon, Wine and Whiskey and aged over locally sourced fruit for between 12 and 24 months.

We’re really happy to have Cascade in stock at Brew Cavern. Matt says: “We are extremely proud, and a little lucky, to have Cascade at Brew Cavern. Only a very limited number of bottles make it to these shores. Having tasted a few of these rare sour masterpieces I can vouch for their high RateBeer scores.”

Fancy seeing what the fuss is all about?

We stock:

Blackcap Raspberry – wheat and blond ales blended and aged for 14 months on raspberries in barrels

Strawberry – wheat and blond ales blended and aged for 12 months on strawberries and vanilla pod in oak barrels

Cranberry – a blend of wheat ales aged for 14 months on cranberries with orange peel and cinnamon in oak barrels

Sang Noir – a blend of select red ales aged for 2 Years on Bing cherries in Bourbon and wine barrels. Vintage 2014